Pandora

Chapter III:

Vampires of Volterra

A/N: I've decided to put original version of Pandora (chapter 1-18) on Dropbox (as PDF). Dropbox has two options you can choose from: with reviews replies or without.

Dropbox links are in my TUMBLR ACCOUNT: sunset-wishes-upon-hill

Edited by YanaTG and updated on 11/05/2020

Her (torturous) morning started at five am. She would call her mum, speak about how she was doing, ask how they were doing and briefly reply to Bella's texts, then leave by bus toward Pontedera where Jessica boarded a 7 AM train to Florence. Then she would head back to Volterra and arrive at her inn around midnight. Before she came to Volterra, she already visited the mainland and other must-visit places. Florence had been the last of her list to visit.

The next day, she headed to the main street and toward the castle. The castle was always bustling with tourists and locals passing through to their work. In few days, she had taken up a habit of hanging out on the top where she could see the surrounding nature of Volterra. She had not seen Alec since the incident with the drunk man and he had made it clear that he hoped this would be the last that they meet. Everything about him – his posture, appearance and clothes – exuded indifferent detachment.

Just like the Cullens'. But while the distance she felt from the Cullens' were the kind people from rich, social circles - added bonuses were the designer clothes they wore, the expensive house they lived in and the fancy cars they drove - Alec appeared to be made to linger on a gray rainy day in November, not wanting to be noticed

"Some locals said the vampires still live here. As in this castle." A girl, few feet away from her, mentioned to her boyfriend.

Jessica's ears perked up, the Volterra's past history with vampires were so embedded within its identity that, to this day, was still a subject of fascination to the locals just as it was for the tourists. Finding herself curious about the local legend, she tuned in to the conversation.

"Too bad vampires don't exist. At least in real life anyway. Actually, it's a damn good thing it doesn't exist!" Her boyfriend mused as he took a snap of the picture of the scenery with his phone. She inwardly agreed.

"But it's really interesting though. The old lady at our villa said that vampires had red eyes and beautiful appearances. Some even had supernatural gifts. She told me that her great ancestors even met some of them! This group of vampires came to Volterra a long time ago and promised to not harm anyone living here. It was said there were three leaders and some guards that were gifted. One of the ancestors said there were even young vampires who looked like they were fifteen or sixteen!"

"Please don't tell me you believe that stuff!"

"Still, it's so interesting!" She reasoned, "Do you know how to tell if they are those Volterra vampires?"

Although sceptical, the boyfriend was just as curious as Jessica, "How?"

Jessica tipped the water bottle back, welcoming the cooling and satiating sensation down her dry throat.

"She said they all wore a unique golden V pendent necklace and a hood to shield their skin from the sun because they sparkle like diamonds."

The water jetted out from her mouth and into evaporating bubbles as it floated up the tower. She broke out into a coughing fit, throat choking with the regurgitating liquid and chest tightening with sensation to drowning and being resuscitated back to life.

The girl and her boyfriend jerked toward her, startled for a second before the boyfriend returned his gaze to the girl with an absurd look in his face.

"Oh come on! Sparkle? Like diamonds? Even the girl over there thinks it's so ridiculous she spat out her water. Sarah, I think you had too many wine yesterday."

"It was vodka, you king kong!" The girl retorted, "The only reason why I drank so much was because you couldn't!"

"I just didn't feel so well yesterday. I usually have a much higher tolerance."

The girl simply rolled her eyes, blew her paper cup and took a small sip of what it seemed to be a black, bitter coffee.

It can't be that V necklace I saw a few days ago right…? Jessica thought before she shook herself out of absurd thought that was forming in her mind, Come on, vampires? What is this? Vampire Diaries? Maybe I should cut back on her cough resided, she took a careful sip of water again. Another thought snaked its way to her head. But why would he wear those winter coats in summer heat like this? And not get sweaty? Few times he touched me, his skin felt so cold…almost like a..corpse…

"Oh my god, Jessica, what the hell are you thinking?" She muttered, eyes widening at her own ridiculous speculation. Her mind seemed to be writing its own dramatic novel transcending all rational and logical thinking. Yet in the back of her mind, a spark of suspicion was always lurking beneath her subconscious, waiting patiently until something, anything seemed out of place.

Come on; think about it…the Cullens' are ridiculously pale, even for people that live in a town where sun avoids to shine…maybe it's just a family trait…they're freaking adopted..maybe they're a family of vampires…oh Jessica, what the fuck are you thinking? Are you that stupid? Wearing a hood and a V-necklace must mean they must be a vampire.. pfft, better get my tinfoil hat on.

The couple turned to leave and Jessica repeated to herself not to follow and ask them more about the vampire stories they heard from some old woman. It was a laughable notion to her and more so to them when they realize someone seemed so convinced by what have been said as a trivial jest.

Don't follow. Don't follow. Just leave it be. Leave it be!

"Excuse me!" Jessica called after and her legs were already moving, DAMN IT JESSICA!The couple stopped mid-stairs and glanced over their shoulders as Jessica hurried to catch up to the pair.

"So sorry but can I ask from whom you heard the vampire stories about?" Her cheeks heated red with embarrassment as the couple shared a look with each other before turning to her. 'Someone actually believes it?' their eyes seemed to accuse.

"I'm really sorry for listening in on your conversation but..I've heard people saying this castle used to belong to the vampires and I really want to know more about it." She babbled nervously, unable to meet their eyes. "It's for my history project."

"Oh..um.." The girl started then paused then spoke again, "Well, this old lady that owns the villa we're staying at told me during dinner. I can tell you the name of it and you can go and try to ask her about it.."

"Um, yeah, that would be great. Thank you so much." Jessica mustered a smile.

"It's called Villa Porta all'Arco. It's literally like ten minutes' walk from here." She revealed with her arm pointing behind her.

"Thank you so much again!" Jessica said as she made it down the flight of stairs. The girl and the boy looked at each other once again, thinking to themselves 'Someone's been watching too many vampire shows'.

Jessica repeated the name over and over in her head. With the help of a street vendor, she was able to find the place at the outskirts of the ancient city walls. The three-story townhouse stood in the middle of the surrounding forests, curtained by the large fronds in each side like nature's columns.

She stepped forward then stepped back. Would she think I'm..a weirdo? What do I say? 'Hey I overheard from couple staying at your house about your ancestors meeting the Volterra's vampires, can I hear more about it?' Jessica inhaled, trying to muster up the courage.

Why would I even think of vampires being real in the first place?! Jessica asked herself. Her mind answered with series of flashbacks with what was just a simple casual observations of the Cullens' weird behaviors and later, Bella's.

They're beautiful. Inhumanely so. No one can be that perfectly looking or sounding every single day for years. Their hair was always soft and voluptuous as if every morning they had the professionals take care of their styling, their skin was flawless like a blank canvas waiting to be painted and their voice had such an alluring proponent that she often wondered how all of them were able to attain them. Was there a surgery for it? Heck she Googled them and turns out such procedure actually exist but to make someone sound like a siren, impossible. It couldn't be a passed on trait from parents, they were all adopted, so how were they all so perfect and beautiful?

They never ate. Ever. She always thought that the cheap, mass produced, over-processed cafeteria food was below their cultured taste. Their school foods weren't the best – that she agreed wholeheartedly. But she had never seen them eat anything, even things they probably could have packed from home.

They never drank. Anything. Na-dah. How they can go eight hours without drinking was beyond her. Even if they did drink something it was away from prying eyes although they never did try to disappear from the centre of the attentions. The only time they did was when they went to hiking with their parents. In the rare time the sun did shine in Forks.

Sun. They always disappeared when there was a sun. Granted sunshine was a rare occurrence in Forks; she tried to think of the time when they did made an appearance to school when the sun was up and she couldn't.

Oh no... Jessica groaned, for all she know it could have been some gross, misled imaginations her mind decided to make yet a sixth sense of sort in her told otherwise. Shaking her head, this isn't right. Let's just go back.

She turned to leave when a door opened and a soft, low voice spoke, "Are you going to come in, piccolo?"

Jessica jumped and twirled to see a perennial woman. She saw that she was much older than she originally thought. Perhaps in her late 70s given wizened lines in her face, deep and saggy–– like the skin slipping down the skull underneath and her loosely tied powder-white hair was thinning and her smile showed that her teeth were rather yellow. Along with this, it could be seen that the lips, once beautifully full, were dry and cracked. Her eyes appeared milky in certain light and angle but they were gleaming with energy and while her face appeared world weary at times, she

was active and alert.

"Uh…hello, I'm Jessica Stanley."

"Ciao, you can call me Giada. Would you like to come in?"

"Oh, uh, nah, I was just looking around…" Jessica shook her head apologetically, "I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"You look like you have something you want to ask." She observed with sharpness rare for a woman of her age in her eyes. She opened the door further, "Come in, child."

Jessica gulped, startled by her insight before approaching the villa and entering the house. Giada closed the door behind her.

"Would you like any drink?" The old lady asked as she guided Jessica into the drawing room.

"No, thank you, it's fine." Jessica smiled while taking a seat on the sofa across Giada.

Once settled, Giada looked at Jessica, expecting something, "How can I help you?"

"Um, well, I was wondering if you could tell me more about the…um, Volterra's vampires." Jessica started and quickly added, "I overheard the conversation from this couple that was staying here that you told them about the legend of vampires and I'm doing a history project about the town…"

Giada stilled and stared into Jessica's eyes as if searching for something in her. "People may believe it's a mere legend but they are real." She revealed while carefully studying the change of expressions in Jessica's countenance, "My ancestor have met them. Very civilized and adhered to strict laws they have created. It was said their beauty was so god-like that human men and women who saw them would fall in love with them."

"I heard that they were also gifted?"

"Yes. The leaders had guards. Many gifted. Very powerful that one should not judge them by their appearances." Then she stood up to retrieve something from the locked glass cupboard. When she came back, in her hands were thickly bounded tattered book covered with dust and mites.

"My ancestors wrote accounts of their arrivals and of their pursuing by St. Marcus. Although they suspected they were not chased away but went into hiding underground for the fear of the local's reprisals." She gently pushed the diary toward Jessica and she received it up with great care.

It was written in cursive Italian, which she did not understand and she perused the pages when something loose fell out and onto the marble floor. Picking up, she realized it was various sketches of portraits. The first one was of two young children, about fifteen or sixteen, and they were angelically beautiful. The boy, whose lip was not as full as the girl but just as lovely, was significantly taller than the girl. Although it was hard to make out, they shared similarities one would see in biologically related siblings or twins.

"Ah yes, the youngest vampires in the coterie." She said, noticing Jessica's fascination with them. Something about the boy was familiar. His piercing, cold eyes were a stranger but his nose and lips sparked a forgotten memory.

"Do you know their names?" She asked without looking up, still fascinated by the drawing.

"No. Only the leaders."

"Can I ask how your ancestors knew them so..well?" Jessica's hand hovered above the boy's face while Giada spoke, "One of my ancestors, a woman named Valeria, was a lover of Francesco Solimena, the painter who drew these."

Examining the portrait, Jessica horizontally twisted her wrist so that her hand covered the top part of his face. Shiver sparked down her spine as she took in the newly re-formed picture and realized why she seemed to think she saw him before. It was Alec.

No. It must have been a person that looked like Alec. Yes, that is it. Just a coincidence. Jessica swept to the next page and almost dropped the old, frail parchments. Had she been standing, her knees would have gone weak and tumbled to the ground. Her breath laboured with panic. The familiar and unique crest stared back at her mockingly as it gleefully confirmed her greatest fear. It was the same V crest that was hung on Alec's neck.

"W..what is the leaders name…?" Jessica whispered weakly. The third and final parchment showed three men sat on the thrones as equal rulers. The one in the centre and on the right could not be any older than in their mid-twenties while the man on the left, looking utterly depressed, seemed to be in his forties. What shocked her was how beautiful they all were. God-like, Giada said and Jessica agreed. It was unnerving to see such perfections when the nature despised perfections. They seemed like human yet in a way they weren't. Humans were so imperfect, both visually and psychologically. Humans were the epitome of imperfections. The nature made sure of that. But these people – the vampires – had violated this sacred rule. It was almost as if to evoke a thought their existence itself weren't the work of a divine being. It was a very first warning to the impending danger.

"Aro, Caius and Marcus…and their friend," Giada closed her eyes as if she was searching for the final name in her mind.

The fourth man, dressed just as aristocratic as the leaders, was standing nearer to them than anyone by the side. Rather than as their right hand man and confidante, it seemed to convey favour and friendship was bestowed to this man. The parchment in her hand moved frantically, appearing in two dimensions like seeing through a kaleidoscope tube and realized it was her own hand that were shaking uncontrollably.

"Carlisle, I believe his name was. A doctor, he said he was."

Giada studied the fear and dread on Jessica's face wordlessly, even when her tan skin became pale as a paper as she stood up and rushed out of the house.

Her legs continued running, ignoring the stares from the people she had pushed past unintentionally and the burning sensation she felt that was spreading through her body from below. Closing the door behind her loudly, she slid down to the floor in shock.

It can't be. The old lady must be senile and she must be crazier to even believe her. There was no such thing as vampires. They could have been Carlisle's ancestor. A great-great-great grandfather that just had uncanny resemblance to Dr. Cullen she knew. Vampires only existed in TVs and movies and fictions and the necklace she saw Alec wearing must have been some sort of homage to the legend. She let out a breathy, empty laugh and shook her head, "Yeah that must be it. Gosh what was I thinking. Vampires. Yeah right."

Her phone that had escaped her pocket when she ran inside, tinged as a text popped up on screen.

Bella: What are you doing? :)

With shaking hands, she picked up the phone. She gulped. Then breathe deeply then out. Sliding open the text, she pressed the call button and waited for the dialing tones.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Bella." Jessica greeted, voice slightly wavering.

"What's up? You okay?"

"Yeah, guess what I found out about today?"

"What?"

"Did you know there's this local legend about these vampires of Volterra?"

A dead silent. Then stuttering, "U-uh, n-no, really? Woah, that's so interesting!"

Jessica imagined Bella biting her lips from the other side of the phone. She had always been bad at hiding and lying. Not that she was any better, but she was more practised and organized.

"Yeah, apparently there were these three vampire leaders." Jessica continued and when Bella said nothing she added, "Their names were apparently Aro, Caius and Marcus. It's crazy…but I saw a painting of them and there was a man who looked a lot like Dr. Cullen."

The pause was heavy and palpable. The whole world seemed to have died. If one were to drop a pin in the next door, she'd hear it.

Please laugh and say 'I'm crazy' and that it's all just a weird coincidence, Jessica prayed.

"That sounds cool." Bella managed at last.

"Edward might know, you know probably heard it from Heidi or something. Or Dr. Cullen, that might be his great-great grandpa or something." Jessica let out a vain chuckle.

Another pause. Shorter this time.

"Yeah, he might have." She said.

"Hey, Bella, I gotta go."

"Jess––"

She hung up and the phone cluttered on the floor. Jessica stood and limply fell on to the bed. She didn't want to think anything else. After hours of tossing and turning, she finally fell into a restless sleep.

In her dream, she imagined the angelically beautiful vampires and the leaders coming to life and their crimson eyes boring into her blue ones. Behind them, stood Carlisle; a melancholic look in his eyes.

The next day, she had been spending all of the time in her morning on Googling what probably were the most bizarre and comical questions. On her phone, popped up a message saying she had seven missed calls from Bella.

'help, I found out someone I know is a vampire'

'what to do when you know a vampire'

'vampires real?'

'vampire history'

'how to tell if they're a vampire'

'vampire weakness'

'vampire'

There were so many myths and legends about vampires, each posting different weakness, strengths, characteristics and its origin. But most seemed to agree that vampires were unnaturally beautiful, pale, drank blood and had heightened strength and senses beyond human capabilities. And undead.

It was said that they could be killed or harmed by garlic, holy items, wooden stakes, silver and sunlight. Which sounded a bit silly. Because if, and if, Cullens and Alec and Heidi were vampires, which Jessica still held onto the doubt, most of weakness written here didn't seemed to affect them at all.

She knew Alice and Rosalie loved to wear gold and silver jewelries and Alec didn't seem too bothered by the sunlight other than hiding himself under the hood. And Dr. Cullen worked in a hospital as a doctor for heaven sake ––which was not a wise career to take if your only edible diet consisted of human blood. Jessica was beginning to think they were as reliable as child's fairy-tale. But Giada said that the Carlisle in the painting was also a doctor. Either Dr. Cullen was lying or he had an impeccable control over his..uh, hunger?

She's been treated by Dr. Cullens ever since he and his family arrived in town. The first time they met was when she nearly died after slipping on a dog biscuit in the kitchen, did a somersault in the air and fell face flat on the marble floor, broke her nose and busted a lip bad that by the time she arrived in the hospital her hair, face, legs and white PJ dress were covered in blood looking she had just came out from a crime scene. Dr. Cullen simply laughed then treated her. She never gotten the feeling he wanted to eat her then and even now, he treated her professionally just as one would expect from a doctor.

Would finding out that the Cullens' were vampires change her views toward them? They were weird and unjustly perfect but would that make her go and buy herself a cross, silver and a stake to protect herself if they did turn out to be vampires all this time? Turn her back on them and be scared and afraid when she hadn't before? If they were a vampire, they had so many chances to kill her and others but they didn't. In fact, other than the weird serial killings of people by some wild animals or something as of recent, the Forks didn't have any fresh bodies turning up at the morgue weeks after weeks in the past. If they were responsible for those deaths, why then, why wait few years to start killing?

Does the fact that they were vampires mean everything they were before meant nothing? Can she let it define them? 'They're vampires, so that mean they kill people and are dangerous and are monsters'? When they drank human blood, did they kill them or do some memory wiping magic and let them go their own way?

Jessica massaged her aching temples, groaning as her phone buzzed once again. If Alec were a vampire, why didn't he kill her before?

Because they don't kill those within these walls. She remembered the lady's words. The last thing they want was vampires going around recklessly killing people in sight and flaming people's ire. Because humans, no matter how powerless they may be against vampires, won't just idly stand around and wait for their turn. They're gonna die trying.

So did that mean as long as she stayed within these walls, Alec can't do anything? Or Heidi? Would she be fucking stupid enough to try? Test out her little crazy, wacky theory of hers'? Sometimes she wondered where she gets this confidence from while sober. They say that there's no confidence utterly foolish and inane than the drunks' but she might have topped that level of insanity.

What if Alec isn't a vampire and when he hears what she tried to do, he laughs at her and she's utterly humiliated as a crazy girl who believes in vampire lore? Call her crazy and a fool, as he liked to say. But as she glanced at the phone vibrating on her bed and the notification showing she now had ten missed calls from Bella, why was it that everything seemed to be pointing to this absurd, ridiculous notion of hers' to be the right answer?

Please let this be not true.

Grabbing her phone, the bag and closing her laptop screen, she left her room.

Her footsteps were languid and burdened with mix of emotions; trepidation, apprehension, nervousness with a touch of foreboding sense of catharsis. Her heart palpitated painfully against her ribcage as she arrived in front of the gate that would presumably lead to the castle.

'Hey, it might sound crazy but I still gotta ask: are you a vampire?' She repeated the script over and over in her head. Then a quick yes or no would be more than enough.

She waited for him to come. Like a prey waiting for its predator's arrival to face the inevitable. He always seemed to know she was here and there didn't seem to be any CCTVs around for someone to tell Alec, 'Alec, the crazy girl is here, again. Kick her out would you?'

"Was my previous warning not enough?" The musical voice said from behind her.

She turned, slowly, to face the mystery boy in dark hood in a Midsummer;s Day. The boiling heat doesn't seem to affect him and she could almost feel coolness emitting from him.

Okay, Jessica, start with 'Hey, it might sound crazy…' Her mind calmly began.

She opened her mouth and asked, "Are you a vampire?"

JESSICA STANLEY, I SAID TO BEGIN WITH 'HEY, IT MIGHT SOUND CRAZY', YOU DON'T GO HARDCORE STRAIGHT!

But the water has been spilled. The boy stilled like a statue before gliding toward her, closing the gap in two long strides. His movements segued smoothly that she could not call it a walk.

"What makes you think I'm a vampire?"

"Well, they say vampires have different coloured eyes or something, right?" Jessica ventured.

He did not answer her.

"You always have your face covered." Jessica reasoned wearily, "Show me your face."

He was close enough for her to see the corner of his lip twitch upward, "You're treading on a dangerous line here."

Final warning, he was telling her. Turn around and walk away before you have a chance, he was saying. She had a chance to go back to her usual musing of him being a mafia or a cult member or an assassin. She might be happy and glad deluding herself with these theories instead of the ridiculous supernatural one.

Jessica wanted to run, quickly mutter out 'sorry, I'm drunk!' and go on about her life in Volterra and leave quietly, treasuring her meeting with Alec and Heidi as one of those nice but insignificant people that will only have a little impact on her future as she lived. They could be those forgotten memories. The forgotten faces of the strangers she had walked past in a random, foreign street.

Her arm reached up, hesitant whether he'll let her do what she wanted to do. When he made no move to stop her, she grabbed the edge of the hood.

"It's your very last chance." He said in a whispering voice light as the wind.

Gulping down her fears, she slowly pulled down the hood until it rested on his neck.

Jessica blinked against his unwavering orbs.

Blue met red.

Jessica wished it was coloured contacts. A very expensive, realistic contacts. Heidi had her purples ones and Alec had red ones. Just a unique individual's taste. She wished.

The face that stared back at her was the very same one in the drawing that she had seen next to the girl. Even after all these years and times, his delicate face remained unchanging and forever lovely than the finished painting in the Vatican. One would think he was an ordinary young boy were it not for the sharpness in his eyes that could only come with time. His eyes were striking colour of crimson glided with long, thick dark lashes. She thought the drawing did not do him justice because he was so much more complete and deeper than the elaborate strokes on a paper.

"…Am I going to die now?" It came out in a hoarse whisper.

"I can't let you live now that you know who I am." His arm reached out toward her. The same arm that saved her from the drunken man now bore out its claws to kill.

"W-wait!" She stepped back, "You can't kill me. Not at least when I'm still in these walls."

He paused and tilted his head, "Where did you obtain that information?"

He might try to kill Giada.

"..B-Bella!" She lied, "She said you don't kill people here."

"That law doesn't apply to those that know our identity." He stepped forward and she stepped back until she could feel the solidness of the wood on her shoulders and back.

She felt the tear gathering in the corner of her eyes. You're such a suicidal idiot, her mind told her. It was all her fault. She could have walked away when he gave her the chance but she needed to know. She was so tired of wondering and asking what the Cullens' were hiding, wondering why Bella was acting so weird ever since she got involved with Edward, wondering why the cycle started again with Alec and Heidi.

And she got her answers that she sought out. With a price. Her life. Her future. Was she satisfied now? Happy? Or was it the age-old 'I told you so' morālis?

"Is Alec even your real name?" She asked for what was probably her last.

"Yes."

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Vampire age." She clarified.

He smiled and although she had seen him smile before with half of his face hidden, her breath hitched at the sight of his completed face.

"I don't keep count."

"You're not gonna believe me even if I say I'm not gonna tell anyone that you're a vampire."

"We don't take any risk."

We. That meant he wasn't alone. There were others. Other vampires. In Volterra. The vampires of Volterra.

"Give me a chance."

"We do not give any chances." His arm grabbed her neck, the other her shoulder. A tear slipped down her cheek in silent mourn as she felt his breath hover above the crook of her neck.

"Do you think…you can have my body sent to my parents?" She asked, staring at the large, mature tree over his shoulder.

"Your body will be destroyed."

She felt the strength leaving her body as she surrendered to her inevitable death. Closing her eyes, tears squeezed onto her cheeks as she imagined her parents' reaction to the daughter that vanished and will never be found gripped her heart painfully.

"It was nice meeting you, Alec." She said before becoming limp in his arm. The phone buzzed frantically in her pocket.

Edited by YanaTG and updated on 11/05/2020