Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.
This story is non-canon and contains fem slash.
Author's Note:
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First Person POV: Nameless
I flew through the woods following an appealing - or at least better than normal - scent. I had been gorging myself on caribou for the last few weeks and it was really getting old. I hoped I wouldn't keep this large of an appetite forever.
Although I couldn't conjure up many memories, I still had most of my long-term memory. I had realized what I was, a vampire. And I knew what I was meant to eat, humans. But If I had been human before my change then it didn't seem morally sound to feed off my previous species.
My implicit memory was all there. I could still tie my shoes and bathe myself fine. However, my explicit memory was iffy at best. I had some vague memories from my childhood. When I focused, I could recall short bursts of memory. Dance lessons with my mom. Playing in the summer rain with my dad. But when I tried to concentrate on the image of their faces it got fuzzy. My mother's face was clearer than my fathers. That told me he probably wasn't around as much. But from what memories I still had, I could tell that they both loved me. I wondered if I would ever see them again but dismissed the thought. I was dangerous now, a threat to humans. It was best that I kept my distance. Not to mention that voice… you can't come back to Forks. I wondered what the story behind that was. Clearly whoever had left me here must have known what I was becoming and how dangerous I would be.
I leaped over a fallen tree as I continued my hunt. I was assuming that the animal I followed was a predator. If humans were the ideal diet, it would only make sense that something higher on the food chain would taste better.
As I came within range of the scent I slowed and crouched down in the shrubbery. Through the leaves, I identified the mystery creature as a black bear. I circled around until the black bear was facing away from me and then creeped out of the shrubs. The bear began to rise, finally sensing my presence. Without hesitation, I threw myself onto the bear's back, linking my arms around its neck with some slack to slowly suffocate it. The bear reared up and began trying to dispatch me from its back. I tightened my arms to maintain my hold but heard the snap of the bear's neck breaking. I jumped to the side as the bear collapsed forward.
Damn… I had been hoping for a better fight. I had tons of energy and running the perimeter of the area only gave me so much release.
I sighed and stepped over to the bear. I bit down on its neck and drank until the vein ran dry. It was always more satisfying to drink from an animal when their heart was still beating but this would have to do. The black bear's blood was still far sweeter and smoother than the caribou blood I was used to. Caribou blood was fuel enough, but it was bitter and gritty.
I dug a hole properly sized for my kill and buried the corpse. Then I headed back to the lake - my home base.
When I arrived at the lake I stripped and stepped into the cool water. I scrubbed myself down and then washed my clothes. I had yet to perfect eating neatly, but I had improved greatly since my first kill. And I had no soap, so the red blood just spread through the fabric, staining my originally white shirt darker pink with every wash. I had no one to impress either way. I looked down at my reflection in the water. My bright red eyes had started to tinge the slightest bit orange, I thought that was rather odd.
I finished rinsing my clothes and set them out on a large boulder to dry. They were getting ratty now, there were several tears in the fabric, but they still covered everything important. I had great difficulty keeping my strength in check when handling my belongings. I had ditched my shoes all together after the tread had worn through in a matter of days.
I lifted my hands out in front of me and admired the sunlight reflecting off my skin while I waited. If I had to be a monster, at least I was a beautiful monster, I mused.
A new fragrance broke me out of my thoughts. There were two scents, both sweet. One was like brown sugar and the other like cinnamon. Vampires, my instincts told me.
I rose in alert and flashed over to the boulder to retrieve my clothing. I had never met another vampire before, but I preferred not to meet them in the buff. I threw on my clothes even though they were still damp. As the vampires came into range, they slowed. I fought to quell the instinct to take on a defensive stance. These vampires had no reason to harm me. I would greet them with an open mind and see where diplomacy got me.
Two individuals stepped out of the thicket. They walked cautiously towards me, and I took in their appearances. Both were striking. The woman who led was curvy with hip length, pin-straight, black hair. She had a strong square face and looked of Asian descent. Her companion had similar but more masculine features. In fact, they looked as though they may be twins.
"Greetings, youngling, I am Lacy, and this is my brother Martin." The long-haired female greeted.
"How did you know I'm young?" I asked Lacy, surprised that she guessed my age accurately. How did vampires discern these things?
"Just your eyes hun, they are bright like a newborn. Though the color is a bit different then I've seen before." She told me slowing to a stop a few feet away from me.
"What's your name newborn? Is this your territory?" The male, Martin, asked me. He had been watching me closely while I spoke to his sister. I felt uncomfortable with the acute attention but suppressed the urge to fidget. I thought back to my remaining human memories. What had my parents called me…?
"Isabella" I told them. "I suppose this is my territory… I hunt in the area and there's no one else in the vicinity."
"You hunt out here? There can't be many humans coming through here." Lacy inquired.
"I hunt animals." I told them and they shared a surprised look.
"I see… Well would you mind if my brother and I spent some time in your territory then?" Lacy asked me and I nodded. It had been a long time since I talked to another individual, so I was happy to accept their company. We lounged on the boulder and after a few seconds of silence, Lacy struck up a conversation.
"So, Isabella, how were you turned?"
"I'm not sure… I have only a few memories from before I woke but none are recent." I replied.
"Ah… That's not too unusual. Many vampires retain few human memories when they are turned. Even for those who do retain some, their memories are generally muddled at best. Most vampires remember being turned, however, as it is generally a traumatic experience." She informed me. I realized there was probably a lot that I could learn from Lacy and her brother if given the time.
We chatted until sundown and the conversation drifted off naturally. Martin dissmissed himself to scout the area, giving me one last glance. When he was out of earshot Lacy scooted closer to me and spoke in a hushed voice.
"My brother seems to be quite taken with you. He's shy though so he'll never admit it." She whispered.
So that's what the staring was about. I wasn't sure how to respond. I didn't return her brother's interest, but they had been very kind to me so far and I didn't want to ruin the tentative friendship I'd formed with them. Well mainly with Lacy, Martin hadn't spoken much. Interpreting my silence as consideration, Lacy continued.
"If you want, you could travel with us. My brother and I are nomads and we have been all over the world. I could teach you more and you could see where things go with my brother. You would have to change your diet though." She offered.
I was unwilling to change my diet. That, and she had told me during our talk that vampires mated for life. The thought of a romantic commitment with Martin didn't sit well with me. I thought of how to let her down lightly. I hoped she wouldn't take my rejection personally.
"I appriciate your offer to take me in but I'm not sure I'm ready to leave my territory yet… The diet issue is also rather important to me." I said and nervously bit my lower lip.
"Don't worry hun, I understand. I just thought I would make an offer." Lacy replied and I relaxed.
"What offer?" I heard from the woods and saw Martin emerge.
"I was offering to let her join our coven and travel with us. She wants to remain here though."
"Oh…" Martin said sounding disappointed.
"We should probably head to the next area. Thank you for allowing us to stay here Isabella." Lacy said and then started searching through her pack. She handed me a small draw string bag with a clean change of clothes and a pair of shoes inside. I looked up, surprised by her generosity.
"For when you want to return to society." She told me. "And here's our contact info, don't hesitate to call if you change your mind." She said, handing me a folded piece of paper.
She and Martin waved goodbye and ran off.
Time Skip:
Another week passed and I was lounging by the lake again. I caught a faint whiff of a new smell. An absolutely devine smell. I couldn't help myself as I rose and bounded towards the scent. The scent strengthened as I got closer, and I lost myself to the chase. I felt animalistic, savage. I would fight like a man possessed for the source of this scent and destroy any obstacle that got in my way.
As I charged through the forest, my eyes zeroed in on two individuals - an older woman and a preteen boy. Humans.
"Do you hear something, Mom?" was all that the boy got out of his mouth before I was upon him. I tackled him to the ground and bit into his neck. My teeth sliced effortlessly though his skin and sweet ambrosia started pouring into my mouth. I groaned as the thick liquid spilled onto my tongue. I heard the woman scream and stumble to the ground through the fog of my blood lust. The boy's pulse slowed, and the blood trickled to an end. I rose and stalked towards the woman. She scampered back and begged for mercy, but I barely heard a sound she made. I bunched my hand in her hair and lifted her up. She screamed in pain and tears started pouring down her cheeks. I latched my teeth into her jugular vein and greedily gulped down the hot liquid that flooded out, desperate to catch every drop of her sweet blood. Then when the vein went dry, I detached my teeth and dropped her body.
Feeling my blood lust dissipate, I looked down. The woman's body was pale grey with blood streaked down her front. I turned and saw the boy, he was young, pale from blood loss and sprawled out in an uncomfortable position.
As the reality of my actions settled in my mind, I lifted a hand to my mouth and felt venom pool in my eyes.
What had I done…?
I had killed these innocent people.
I slowly backed away from the scene and fled, running as fast as I could back to the lake. When I reached the pebbled shore, I fell to my knees and let out a sob. I looked down at my reflection in the still water. My eyes were bright red; there was no sign of orange anymore. The color must have been a result of my diet.
I vowed I would get that color back. I refused to take another human life and mourned for the humans I had killed. A mother and son who wandered too far off the path or simply wanted to explore the wilderness. I would be stronger from now on, I wouldn't allow myself to make the same mistake twice.
