~Chapter 5~
~Elizabeth POV~
Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions. When Mom found the deer, I was worried she was going to go to pieces. I had never seen her so upset before. She never seems to lose her composure. And yet there I was comforting her on the ground over the carcass of a deer, of all things.
When my mother confirmed what I'd feared. It was the Cullens. I wasn't surprised, I mean, how many 'vegetarian' vampires are there? I practically snarled. The only thing keeping from it was my mom needed me to be the voice of reason for once. I honestly hadn't planned on them being back here.
Mom seemed to recover her composure but then she took off toward their home. Oh yes, I was certain of the direction we were headed. I mean it was the only place we could be heading under the circumstances. This was a new experience for me. Usually I'm the one making rash decisions and running off. I wondered if Mom intended to attack them, and whether I could blame her if she did.
As we cleared a stream bed, Mom's voice snapped in my head "Conceal us!" I cloaked us instantly, barely needing to concentrate to hide us from view. It was just in time too since just past the creek rose the house in the woods I'd seen in Mother's memories.
We slowed as we approached the house; I stood behind Mother, alternating between observing the house and observing her.
Inside the house I saw the family from her memories. They seemed happy. The 'parents' I recognized as Carlisle and Esme watching as their children played. The gorgeous blond Rosalie primping herself, while her mate played a videogame on the couch.
I knew the instant mother saw him because she snarled and stepped forward. I reached out and snatched her wrist, holding her in place hoping she didn't fight me on it. And she didn't which was a good thing. She regained control of herself as she continued to gaze through the window. She stared at a tall blonde, obviously Jasper, and a woman who wasn't in my mother's memories. I could feel her surprise through our mental connection. It was then I happened to glance up.
I saw her leaning against the railing looking out. Once I saw her, I immediately wondered what she was doing out there by herself when the rest of her family was inside enjoying each other's company. It took only a second to recognize her as Alice. Then I took a closer look at her face, something really bothered me about it. Not the face itself, as she was beautiful, just as Mother remembered but rather the expression etched on it. I tapped my mom on her arm and pointed up, so my Mom could see her.
I saw the funny look shadow Mom's face, a look of anguish as she looked at Alice. Mom stared at her for several seconds before looking back at the rest of the family, and I had to squeeze her arm again to make sure she stayed calm. I could feel her urge to run in and slaughter them all. An urge I admittedly shared. This family had hurt the one person in the world who cared about me, and I wanted to make them pay. I was just keeping careful control of myself at the moment, because I was more worried about Mom.
It only took me a few moments more to figure out why the look on Alice's face bothered me so much. It was the look of someone who wasn't really alive, who was merely there. It puzzled me and I was turning it over in my head when the impossible happened. Her eyes suddenly sharpened and she bolted upright, staring down at us.
I froze. No one had ever seen through my shield, ever. I could have set off a bomb while cloaked and no one would know until it outgrew the area I was cloaking. Yet Alice was looking right down at the spot we were standing in. Mom saw the same thing I did, and slowly moved us away. To my relief Alice's eyes stayed fixed on the spot we had been in rather than following us but it was still quite the jarring experience.
Mother seemed unnerved as well, we decided now was a good time to leave, so I let her guide us away, back toward our home. As we left, I took one more backward glance at the lone girl standing on her balcony. She had returned to staring out at the snow, with the look of hopelessness I had seen too often reflected in my mother's face.
It was an expression that wasn't easy for Eliza to forget.
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Shorter than my other chapters, I know. But I wanted this interlude.
Thanks you mjustamuggle for Beta reading for grammar! It has saved me so much trouble.
Fixed further by DarkBella!
