The next morning Ella's joints ached. Today, she thought, will be a bad day.
Her thoughts were only confirmed when Alice came bouncing into her room.
"Today we're going shopping. We've got to get ou your own clothes that fit", she squealed. Ella was happy to go shopping for clothes but she felt terrible today. Her stomach ached and she did not want to move. Only blood would help her, the fresher the better.
Ella knew that the Cullen's were shocked when they found out that she could eat food. Ella was sure that they didn't understand that she needs fresh blood every few days to maintain her life. She didn't think she would be able to sneak off to feed, but maybe if she convinced Alice while they were out she would be able to feed. Shopping would be her chance. She knew nothing about the world now. As soon as she got her bearings she would be gone. Maybe she would come back to visit but she needed to find a powerful witch, preferably a Bennett witch.
Ella sat up in bed to look at Alice. "Where will we go", she asked.
"Well we can't do must shopping here in Forks, its too small and you need a wardrobe. We're going to Seattle", replied Alice.
"A wardrobe", Ella raised an eyebrow. "Your kind doesn't possess compulsion, that's a few bodies to bury". Alice looked horrified.
"I'm joking, calm down. I know you all have a lot of money from Carlisle's fortune that he gained from working throughout the centuries", Ella laughed.
Alice stood there shocked. She was not used to this type of humour, not many vampires she knew joked about death. "Come on then", said Ella. She sped around the room and was dressed and ready in seconds. "We're going shopping aren't we"? Ella left the room and bounced down the stairs and to the garage where the Cullen's kept all their cars. Although it hurt to do so, Ella would not appear weak. The two got in Alice's canary yellow sports car and started their drive to Seattle.
They were halfway to Seattle when Ella bridged the subjects of a fresh meal. "I like big cities, don't you. They are full of dark alleyways perfect places to catch a meal", said Ella.
"Pardon", asked Alice alarmed.
"Well if I have self-control. I don't have to kill my victims and it's much more complicated to turn humans into vampires. I just have to heal them, use my compulsion to make them forget it ever happened and then send them on their way", giggled Ella.
"Can you always control yourself", asked Alice frowning.
"Well depends if anyone is going to notice if they go missing. Its such a hassle to get rid of the bodies. It's just easier to not kill them".
"Can't you drink animal blood"?
"It tastes like cardboard compared to human blood. If I had to. But I don't", replied Ella.
"How often do you need to feed", said Alice cautiously. She wanted to find all she could about Ella, but she did not want Ella to get offended by her questions. "As long as I have blood running through my veins I can do anything a human could do, eat, sleep plus everything a vampire can do".
Alice swallowed the lump in her throat. What she was about to do was either going to be fine or go terribly, terribly wrong. "If you promise not to kill them, that no one else will notice and that you will make them forget then I suppose you could feed. It's better here than in Forks cause the packs won't be happy if a local gets fed on ore dies". It amused Ella how Alice spoke so quietly and slowly, unsure and already regretting her decision.
"Have you ever hunted humans", asked Ella.
"Never", replied Alice.
"I'll show you how".
"The buildings are so large here, made of steel and glass. This is a proper city of the future, is it", said Ella. They stood on the edge of a crowded street. Cars, buses and people moved around them. Ella stood turning in a circle taking it all in. Oh, how the future was different.
"Not what you were expecting", asked Alice.
"the massive buildings have crammed far more people into such a small area. This will make hunting so much easier".
"Maybe you should try taking up vegetarianism", said Alice.
"Changed your mind have you".
"No but I am trying to change yours", stated Alice. She stood tall and strong. She did not believe in feeding on people, and she would try her best to show Ella the error of her ways.
"Alice. Alice, Alice. Just because my path is different doesn't mean I'm lost. On the contrary, I have spent almost a thousand years searching through who I am, who I was, and who I want to be. And being a vegetarian vampire or hating that I feed on blood, well I hadn't thought about it since the dawn of the 14th century. Its be much longer than that since the thought of killing affected me", answered Ella.
"Now I was about to hunting and show you how it's done". Ella started to walk down the street. Alice noticed how she held her self higher and changed her walk to a strut. That was when she realised that Ella hid behind several complicated masks and that they might never ever know what is underneath. But Alice was sure Ella truly wasn't bothered By killing, not anymore. "Are you coming", called Ella not even looking back. Alice took a deep breath before hurrying after her.
"The first step in human hunting is selecting a victim. Unless you want to have several meals, which when you don't drain your victims can be quite perfect to keep the hunger pains away, the victim must be out alone and would not be missed for a few minutes. Choose". Ella's stomach was turning she felt like she was going to hurl. She knew that the blood would help. But she also knew that it would only delay the pain and suffering and that it would be back and more overpowering than before. She had almost two decades to learn the ins and outs of her curse. Two decades of suffering is not forgotten easily even when you are immortal.
Alice's stomach dropped when Ella asked her to choose a victim. She wanted no part in Ella's hunt, but she couldn't do anything about it now.
"That woman there, with the navy blazer and brunette bun", said Alice.
"Wrong. See the way she walks. That woman has somewhere to be. Therefore I choose her it would mean someone would be more likely to notice her absence. But that would only matter if I didn't have compulsion or if I lived in this city, which I don't. Bon appetit". Ella disappeared from Alice's view but reappeared next to the woman. She was very fast. Alice's feet were frozen in place. The world moved on around her but all she could see was Ella talking to her and then leading her to an alleyway. Alice rushed to find them, she had to make sure Ella didn't kill that poor innocent woman.
When Alice reached them, Ella had thankfully not started feeding. The woman stood in the middle of the alleyway, unmoving. Ella stood in front of her, waiting.
"I know you do not trust me not to kill her, so I've waited for you", said Ella smiling. As fast as lightning she bit into the woman's neck and started to feed. The scent of blood made Alice sick. She wanted it, but she would not. Her lust for blood had always sickened her. And as fast as it happened it was over. Ella pulled back wiping the single drop of blood she spilt on the woman's neck onto her finger and sticking it into her mouth.
"Next comes the traditional, that's what you're calling my kind isn't it, trick", Ella said. She bit into her own wrist and then slammed her bleeding wounded against her victim's mouth. Alice watched as the woman's neck wounded heal before her eyes. Ella then put her hands on the sides of the woman's face and looked into her eyes.
"When we leave this alleyway you will forget all about us. You will have never seen us before. You will forget that you were attacked", Ella told her.
The girls quickly left the alley but waited for the woman to leave. Alice was almost shocked to see the woman walk out of the alley looking confused but not frightened at all.
"We're still going shopping, aren't we. I'm not wearing yours or Bella's clothes again. They just don't fit"...