Tell Me
The flight to Norilsk was relatively short compared to the flight to Russia. It wasn't surprising. I slept the entire way, which apparently was a good idea because by the time we landed it was early morning. That meant I wouldn't have to worry about adjusting to the time change. Rosalie made no real attempt to speak to me as we de-boarded once more in the tiny Norilsk airport. Customs wasn't necessary this time and Rosalie carried the carryon bag of mine as I shivered in my clothes. The wind was blowing terribly and the morning had a strange orange glow, like a jack-o-lantern candle against a porch. It looked strangely against the ice covered walkway and I stayed close to my guardian. The wind dried out my face almost instantly and I felt like it was cracking. So I kept my head down, focusing on my feet that were struggling in the ice. I lost my footing twice in four steps and she sighed heavily, extending her arm to me. I gripped it happily and stuck close to her. She didn't seem to mind and for that I was grateful. With her help I only stumbled once more. It didn't even throw the vampire off balance but as I looked up at her, thoroughly embarrassed, I could have sworn that she was smiling just a bit. However, in the dim light I couldn't be too sure.
On the way off the runway, I noticed that we had gotten in some kind of line. We were in a line, outside…in Siberia. This place was nuts. I shivered as we waited but the line moved rather quickly as there were few people on the flight. When we neared the end of the line I noticed two Russian officials with flashlights. Their coats were big and black and heavy and I found that I was immensely jealous of them. However the closer I got the more I noticed just how red their cheeks were in the light. Perhaps they were just as miserable as I was. In that case, it was perfectly okay with me for them to be in a sour mood. Lord knew that I was. They were looking at everyone's papers, be it passports or licenses or something. The gaurds looked to be annoyed at everyone, but polite, as far as it went. The flashlights were turned on my face and I winced. Apparently, we were next. Rosalie handed an official her papers and what happened next was a series of long Russian words by him.
He sounded like he was angry but Rosalie appeared unfazed. She waited until he had finished ranting to her before she pulled out another piece of paper and showed it to him, explaining something. She sounded just as angry but appeared to be making a good point. The other official looked at the papers and they looked back and forth at each other, seemingly unsure of what to do. Rosalie huffed loudly to show her anger and pointed to me. Lights were shined on me again and she pushed them out of my face, growing angrier. One of them looked at me and asked me something in Russian. I looked to Rosalie in a panic but she was quick to answer me. "Your passport." I nodded to her, pulling it out of my pocket and handing it to the guard. He took it brusquely from me and shined the light on my eyes again. I could have sworn that I heard Rosalie growl but before I could dwell on it she slammed the officer's hand down again, taking the light from my eyes. He appeared to glare at her, but it was obvious who won that battle for he merely mumbled something and shined the light on my passport again. While he was looking, Rosalie stared straight ahead at the city. I looked to the guard that didn't have my passport and noticed that his eyes were roving over Rosalie's figure. It made me angry and I coughed loudly, bringing Rosalie's eyes down on me. However when she did I paid her no mind and instead looked to the guard. He glared at me but then turned his eyes to his partner. He flipped through my passport a time or two, then handed it back to me before turning to talk with his partner.
When they still looked confused, she looked disappointedly at them and reached into her pocket, pulling out two one hundred dollar bills. The held the money in their hands as if it was something they'd never had before. It was hard to look at. However, they soon smiled at her and stepped out of the way. She thanked them coldly and soon enough I was being pulled away from the guards, watching as they studied Rosalie's backside. Jerks. It made me angry, but she didn't seem aware of it, so there was no point in pushing it.
With her help I only slipped once more to the car she'd rented. The car turned out to be something that looked almost like a Hummer. I suppose it made sense to have one of these things in Siberia, but I still didn't like those cars, name brand or not. Rosalie helped me up into the beast of a car and threw the carryon in the back before she climbed in and started the engine. She turned the heater on to full blast and shut off the vents on her side and rolled down her window a bit. I sat there for a few moments, shivering in my seat and Rosalie floored the accelerator, making the car roar, even though we were still in park. It must have helped with the heat though because soon enough I felt the car warming, on my side at least.
"Rosalie?" I asked as she pulled the car down the road. "What was up with those guards?"
"Norilsk is extremely polluted. Because of the pollution they've closed the city to foreigners. I had to do a bit of explaining to get them from throwing us right back on that plane. Forgive me but I also made you out as the victim shivering in the cold. Your lips are blue. I hope the heater turns up quickly."
I decided to ignore the part about being weak, since it was the truth. "And the deciding point was American dollars?"
She nodded, seemingly proud of herself. "It almost always is. Especially in this sadly destitute country. So much potential…"
"Rosalie for president," I offered, genuinely surprised when she smiled a bit.
"Da," she answered. I laughed and we didn't talk anymore. Rosalie drove quickly and unsurprisingly. Occasionally, the car would stall and Rosalie would mutter something quickly at it. If the car stalled under Rosalie's pristine driving then it definitely had to be a hunk of junk. Perhaps Russian cars were? I didn't know and now didn't seem to be the time to ask.
By the time we reached the border of the city the sun was shining brightly and people were bustling about in their overly large but necessary clothing. I watched them as I passed and noted the way that they stared at the car. Then I looked at the few cars that passed us and realized just how nice of a car this was. It made me feel uncomfortable so I took to looking at the buildings instead.
They all looked exactly the same. The same color, build, design, everything. It must have been Communist influence if these buildings weren't built in the communist era. It was very depressing. The few people that were walking around were crouched as if their bodies had grown that way to brace the severe weather. They all looked deathly pale with dark rings under their eyes. For a moment I wondered if we were in Sangvine, because they all looked so much like vampires. Then I noticed large tubes sticking out of the sky. Smoke was pouring out of them and it didn't look at all sanitary. That must have been due to the city being closed.
Thankfully we only drove for a few more minutes before Rosalie pulled up in front of a store. Again, and of course, I couldn't read the sign. But I did look in the window and see a much broader range of clothing. My chattering teeth looked to Rosalie for thanks but she was already on the other side of the car, opening my door for me and helping me to climb down. We had entered the shop, which had just barely opened and Rosalie greeted the clerk, who didn't smile. Russians didn't smile. It was a cultural thing…one that I was having trouble getting used to.
I didn't need to dwell on it much, however, because Rosalie quickly pulled me away from the clerk and down an aisle. For me she chose a large white jacket, white ski pants, a white hat, white face cover and white boots and white gloves. When I held up the seventh white article of clothing she shrugged. "It's best if you're as unnoticed as possible in Sangvine. Snow is white, if you haven't noticed."
"Oh ha, ha," I answered her, though I had to admit I liked the way she thought. Rosalie made no response to that. In fact, she was glaring rather intently at a pair of socks. "Rosalie?" I asked softly, reaching out to her. She turned before I could reach her and clutched onto my shoulders.
"Do you know how serious this is?" she urged in a hushed tone. "The Regentoi will rip you apart appendage by appendage and drink you like wine. And that's only after you'll get to watch each and every one of us die at their hands. So don't you 'ha ha' me like you're not taking this seriously, Bella! Because it is very, very serious." She glared at me, giving me one final shake and my eyes widened. Rosalie was…afraid. Rosalie, the most intimidating woman in the world, was scared to death. Her methods worked, however, for the thought of them all being ripped apart suddenly became a very real notion to me. I began to shiver, and Rosalie seemed pleased, for she let me go. She ripped the tags off of everything and told me to go put them on. I did as I was told and emerged, a swollen marshmallow, to find Rosalie finished paying. She opened the door for me and I thought I heard the distinct sound of the clerk laughing at me but couldn't be sure.
The wind was still blowing terribly and clouds were overhead, looking rather ominous. With all of my clothes Rosalie turned off the heater and drove quickly out of town. The drive was bumpy and every so often Rosalie would sigh or scoff at the car as if she was disappointed in it. I felt sorry for the car after awhile. The drive went on for a long time. I didn't know how long exactly but I did know that despite the fear I had for the Regentoi I was starting to grow bored. Rosalie still wasn't talking much and she had rolled her sleeves up. I glanced over at them and looked at the scars again. It made my chest hurt again to look at them. "Will those ever go away?" I asked, not having to tell her what I was talking about.
"No, bites and scratches inflicted by other vampires stay."
"I'm sorry,"
"For what?"
"For…evoking all of that. For all of this."
"Don't apologize, Bella. Things happen. I did what was necessary to protect my family. A few scars here and there are well worth it."
I nodded at what she said but didn't really believe it. So instead I turned away and looked out the window. The car lurched to a stop then and I jumped, looking over at Rosalie. She had pulled the car over and was now in the process of glaring at me, like she usually did. "Let's get something straight, Bella. We just travelled halfway across the world to satisfy your little Snow White story. We are both facing death upon discovery and you've seen me in a less than healthy state. Do you think that I would endure all of this if you were merely a meal I couldn't have? I told you that you were family. You'd better believe it."
"Yes, ma'am."
Rosalie looked slightly confused at my response but let it slide, throwing the car back in gear and travelling back down the road. I watched her as she drove, thinking about what she'd said. And after a while, it started to sink in. All that Rosalie had really done for me, she didn't have to. She was doing this out of…out of love? I smiled at her and she paid no mind to it if she saw it, which I'm certain she did. We drove for a bit more and I reached into the back seat for some food. I found a granola bar and offered it lightheartedly to Rosalie. She rolled her eyes at me and I thought that was a pretty good reaction all things considered. It was about three in the afternoon and I couldn't see a thing. The sun was blinding against the white snow, even through the overcast. I pulled the visor down and my hood over my eyes, which helped somewhat. Rosalie looked over at me struggling and pulled the car off the road, veering it to the right and taking the sun out of my eyes.
"Thank you," I said, my eyes readjusting to the normalcy. She nodded at me, then looked at the clock on the car.
"We're about three hours away from Sangvine. It'd be best to wait here for an hour or two, that way it will be darker by the time we get there. I'm going to drive around the city and we'll walk to the cabin. This car will draw unwanted attention."
"Other vampires don't have cars?"
"They've no real need for a car. Most of them never leave the city. It's suicide to try."
"You did,"
"I had a car."
"Oh. What happens if they do?"
"Even with their speed, with no car they get too hungry by the time they reach civilization. They go on sort of a hunting spree on the town, drawing immense attention, of course. If they choose to act out, a member of the Regentoi is sent out to kill them. A vampire hasn't dared leave the city in hundreds of years."
"Was your departure noticed?"
"I was careful. I don't think anyone was really aware. My assumption is that if someone had been following me, I'd already be dead."
"But someone could be out there?" I looked nervously around the car and saw nothing but the burning snow. Rosalie appeared to look behind us as well, but she seemed much calmer than me.
"If there was someone close enough for us to be worried, I'd sense them."
"Oh, well that's good again. If they're human deprived as you say they are."
Rosalie nodded, then looked over to me. Her eyes hardened and she faced the windshield for a moment, her hands gripping on the steering wheel. "Bella, chances are that my family hasn't fed for some time. They don't feed on humans, you know. And there aren't many if at all animals this far north. They're going to be hungry."
"I trust—
"It has nothing to do with trust, Bella. There is a part of us that isn't human. No matter how much we love you or you trust us, the hunger doesn't care. If I tell you to run, don't stand there and trust. Run. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," I said sadly. The thought of Alice attacking me was all too real. Because she'd done it before, and would have succeeded in hurting me if her family had not intervened. But even then I wasn't all that afraid. Everyone had been there and everyone had good intentions. Picturing them all attacking me, wanting my blood, made me want to vomit. Rosalie looked me over, then sighed.
"That's not to say that they will attack you. I'm just telling you to be warned. I will most likely be the vampire in the most control aside from Carlisle, maybe. I am the one to listen to. Talking of trust, you are going to have to trust me."
"I do trust you." Rosalie looked in my eyes, daring me to take that comment back. But I had no reason to. I shook my head, repeating, "I do trust you."
She nodded, then relaxed against her seat. "And another thing. When we enter Sangvine there will be loads of vampires roaming about. Do not pay them any mind. With any luck, they won't notice us at all, because we'll be on the outskirts of town. But I want you to stick close to me and keep your head down. Make sure that every piece of hair is tucked into that cap up yours and cover your face entirely. Even your eyes. I'll guide you. If they so much as catch a whiff of you there will be no hope of survival."
"I understand.
"The clothes do help though, with you being bundled up. It's very faint. Almost as if your blood were leftover traces on my blouse." I looked over at her, gulping. This whole eating thing was becoming very prevalent to me. Perhaps I really should have cared more about my survival during this whole ordeal. Not that Rosalie hadn't tried to tell me. I shivered a bit in my chair and looked out the window at the vastness of Siberia. The clouds were growing darker farther out. Maybe it would be storming by the time we got there. I couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.
"I should just become a vampire. It'd make everything so much easier."
"No it wouldn't."
"Yes it would!" I shouted. "You said that it wouldn't but really, there would be no problem at all if I was a vampire! None!"
"That's where you're wrong!" Rosalie shouted back, causing me to jump just a bit. "You know nothing but your own complacency as a human! Don't speak about what you don't understand!"
"Then explain it to me! I'm all ears and we've got nothing but time!"
"I've already explained it to you! Just how violently my throat aches for your blood every moment, like my touches have to be featherlike just so I don't kill you—
"Because I'm a human! A weak, pathetic human!" My voice cracked and I could feel the tears in my eyes. Rosalie sighed slowly and turned to stare out the windshield .
"You act like your humanity is so worthless. Do you know how much I would…" she stopped, drifting from her words. She then glared at her reflection in the windshield, as if she was scolding herself for mentioning it. I wiped my eyes and scooted closer to her, as far as the center console would allow. Her hand was resting on the gearshift and I placed my hand upon hers.
"How much what?"
"Nothing. This conversation is over." Rosalie attempted to pull her hand from mine but she clearly wasn't using all of her strength, because I held it firmly. I felt her fingers pull and relax in my palm, the tendons on the top of her hand flexing with each moment. It was beautiful to see a body as perfect as hers in motion. I had often looked at Alice this way, when she moved, completely in awe of what the body could do, superhuman or not.
"How much, what, Rosalie? Talk to me." I looked to her and smiled softly. "I mean, we've both seen each other at our weakest moments. We've got literally nothing else to hide from each other."
"You don't know that."
"You should tell me."
"Why should I?"
"Because you want to."
Rosalie looked over at me, then looked at the hand that was covered by mine. She took a deep breath and though it was too quick for me to see, I felt her other hand on top of mine. I looked down at them and then looked up to see that she was staring intently at me. She looked determined. Determined and scared. "I've never really told anyone this. Well, not all of it. But it didn't seem to matter as much as it does now. Probably because a life is at stake. A human life." She looked at me and I found that I didn't have the words to say. I didn't know what she wanted me to say nor did I know of anything to say. I just knew that looking at her now, she was so incredibly beautiful. In fact, she was so beautiful that the only thing I could find myself doing was to smile at her. Much to my surprise, she returned it, though her eyes were still sad beyond all measure.
"Okay," she said slowly, her voice quivering just barely. "I'll tell you."