A/N: Ok I'll attempt to make this short and sweet. –Sigh- I know I said I'd get the next chapter up sooner then I have. (More than a month ago now.) I'm sorry for that. My brother only just got back from Italy two weeks ago. Then there was the two week family road trip to California where I think we were going to celebrate to birthday of some lady I've never met, and is only related to be by being my uncle's second wife's cousin. I mean seriously, all the way across the country for that? (It was nice though. The lady's name was Mariá. She was very interesting.) So yeah… I was busy, but now it's up! Just a warning before you go further. The time frame of the plot may be kind of confusing, or at least very vague. Don't worry. This will hopefully (Hey I'm no liar) be the only chapter where that happens. It's just that Lydia needs to get her story told, so the other characters POVs will be exponentially shorter then hers, and at times not that clear as to what the timeframe for the POV is. Wow that didn't make much sense. (Essentially Lydia's POVs will probably be better...) Also you may notice some repetitive things throughout the different POVs (–cough-theeyething-cough-) those are all intentional, so try not to get too bored on me. It's only the first real chapter. One last warning before you go actually read it. I am NOT really that good at writing from other characters perspectives, or writing any of their dialogue. (Specifically the ones not belonging to me.) It took me a long time to get what's on here. So bear with me. I'm working on getting better. Aright then, off you go into the unknown workings of my fanfic which by the way…(sorry that was long after all.)
Disclaimer: The following story has characters that belong to the author of "Twilight" and "New Moon", not myself. All of the people/things mentioned besides Lydia, Vera, and Adrian belong to Ms. Stephenie Meyer, and no one else…especially me. HonorableBeautyAround the time that leaves off after New Moon…or the time after Eclipse… that I obviously haven't read…see, this is exactly why I can't write in SM char. POV
Chapter 1: Waking
A shadow crept across the floor as the longhaired girl cautiously stepped up the creaking stairs. Some movement caught her eye. A flash of darkness streaked across the top of the second floor landing. Impending dread crept over the girl filling her heart, soul, and mind with a fear so overpowering she could barely breathe.
Why was she there? In the looming vastness of the medieval looking castle. The castle she had found behind the twisting wall of ivy, and the dead thorny stems of past roses. The castle he had led her to. She had followed him, but from a distance that just didn't seem to be able to close, her legs dragging slower, and slower all the time. He: just a faint whisper of a person flickering into, and out of being.
Right at that moment she climbed up a long, winding, narrow staircase, driven by some un-known force. A tear streaked down her cheek as she broke out in cold sweat. Fear. Dread. No! Why couldn't she bring herself to stop, to turn back? She was almost there, the top step just beneath her foot. All she had to do was take one last step up…A sudden chill gust of wind swept through the tapestry covered hall, knocking the girl off her feet, sending her tumbling down the stairs.
She thought she could faintly make out a cold, lingering laugh as she caught herself on the dusty, weed invested railing. Footsteps coming towards her…faster…faster still! Another shadow passed over the girl's horrified face, as she stared up into the eyes of…that's when she screamed.
Bella POV:
The screaming was back again. Well it wasn't from the same dream as…I stopped myself from remembering the time when my whole life had been dark. That wasn't something I wanted to resurface. I instead let my mind wonder at the strange nightmare that had been sending me screaming myself awake lately. That had Edward at my side in less than a second, grasping my hands in his, and begging me to tell him what's wrong. I smiled wryly out the windshield of my truck.
The thing was that, the beautiful, long-dark-haired girl in the dream wasn't me. It wasn't even close. The experience was more like that of watching a horror film, and the part I saw each night is when the heroine is walking up through a dark, mysterious castle, with dark tension building music playing in the background, not knowing why she is doing it, or what lies ahead.
She would see the shadows streaking through the hallways, and over walls, but I could see them as a menacing pale white figure circling her. Then there would be the evil laugh that the girl could only barely make out, but that I could hear perfectly clear, and that, if I wasn't already overwhelmed with fear for Victoria, the Volturi, and various other mythical-supernatural creatures that would probably eventually put me on their hit lists too, would chill me to the bone. Only the eyes of the figure were really seen by her as it stood over the horrified girl, but I could always see the face in clear, terrifying view. The angular perfect features, the flawless, chalky white skin, and the silky looking sun golden hair. The features that marked him for what he was.
But the things that sent the girl, and me into screaming oblivion were his two molten red eyes. Blinding, terrible, Beautiful, powerful, unrelenting, indestructible, indescribable…
I suppose I was glad that the dream was only like watching a scary movie. The things weren't happening directly to me. I was just an invisible, unseen bystander. This I could usually handle. It was just that when the face of the breathtaking figure finally loomed over the girl, and we could both see the dangerous expression there, that I thought in my head that I would do anything for those seemingly inexorable eyes, that I opened my mouth, and shrieked.
Those eyes were unlike any I'd ever seen. Not the molten topaz of the Cullen's eyes that marked them for their vegetarian vampire ways, and that I had so come to love with all my deepest being, but it was also not the disturbing flat red of the other vampires, the ones who didn't follow Carlisle's philosophy, and principles, and fed on humans. That thought still never failed to make me shudder.
It was as if the eyes were willing, no forcing me to scream at the terrible beauty of them, to wake myself up, and away. "Isabella, you may find it easier to drive well if you look at the road." I snapped out of my reverie, and turned to look into Edward's concerned yet unbelievingly dazzling gold eyes. I still hadn't told him about the nightmares. Given he knew I woke up screeching at the top of my lungs every other night, but I'd avoided telling him what was actually in the dream.
Crap. I thought as I realized my horrible mistake. "No, no, no, no, no!" I shouted in Edward's face as I pulled in across the street from my house. He raised one slender eyebrow. "What have I done wrong Bella? Tell me!" He shouted. I looked at him guiltily, and my cheeks turned scarlet.
"It's unfair that you can still dazzle me like that you know. You would think I would have gotten better at being-well not dazzled." I sighed, and crossed my arms across my chest in an attempt to act defiant. "You knew I would have to tell you." Under my breath I mumbled as silently as I could, "Stupid, dazzling, too perfect vampire." His face softened, but he grinned smugly down at me. "This wouldn't happen to be about your screaming episodes, would it?" My face darkened slightly as the memory of the other more potent nightmares rushed back to me, and then quickly slid away.
Edward saw this because his bright face also dimmed, and look of true pain crossed his flawless features. His eyes bore into mine, and I found it incredibly difficult to turn my head away, and sigh. White hands snaked around, and took my face turning it back. "I don't know how many times I will have to say it, but I will for all eternity if I have to-" He caught himself on the last part, as I raised my eyebrows questioningly. "I truly will never forgive myself for leaving you," he said softly yet quickly, and then bent down, and brushed his lips to mine, pressing them gently there for one blissful second. His sweet heavenly scent encircled me, and I had to mentally restrain myself from pulling him closer. I stayed as perfectly still as my racing heart would allow. He pulled away, and returned his golden eyes to my blushed cherry red face. (A/N: Just to give proper credit for that last Edward, Bella Fluff bit. My amazing friend Cain who adores that kind of stuff wrote that, and probably most of the other Edward/Bella stuff to follow this.)
It took a few moments till I finally found my voice again. I said as strongly as I could, although it came out in a shaky rambling, "I can't tell you. They're just dreams, and it's not like they matter anyway." Edward laughed his wondrous, mellifluous laugh, and kissed the top of my fore head. In seconds he was around the side of my truck door, holding it wide open for me.
Charlie was home, watching a baseball game, so I quickly popped some leftover ravioli in the microwave, and then walked it over to him sitting on the couch. "Hey Bells," he said without looking at me, as he took the hot plate of pasta from my hands. His eyes fixated only on the player walking up to bat. I smiled and clumsily walked back into the kitchen where Edward waited silently.
He started to stroll towards the front door, and winked at me just before he disappeared. I placed my own dinner in the microwave to heat up. While it was rotating I poured two large glasses of milk, and ran one of them over to Charlie. I proceeded to wolf through my dinner, gulping my milk to wash it down my throat. I then rushed to rinse, and scrub my dishes in the sink.
I tripped a little over my feet as I raced up the stairs, and into my room where Edward waited in the rocking chair as normal. I walked over to lie down in my bed, and Edward, already standing there, placed the quilt over me, and then lay down on top of it like he usually did. "Bella, at some point you'll have to tell me why you wake up screaming at the top of your lungs at un-reasonable hours of the night," he stated while looking at me with an amused expression on his face. "Although I can hardly be surprised that you're having nightmares. Vampires are certainly something to be frightened to screaming of."
I stared at him shocked, but rolled my eyes. "No! Of course not! In fact it has nothing to do with Victoria-" Edward growled at this. "Or the Volturi at all I finished." He growled again, and I couldn't help but flinch just a little. He looked down at me apologetically, but also with a worry so intense it hurt me to have to stare endlessly into it.
"As long as you're-" He paused to take a deep breath. "Sure that it's of no importance, and it doesn't hurt anything-" "It's only a dream. Really. I fall down all the time; get almost hit by cars, and to top it all off get put on the 'must destroy' lists of multiple vampires on an everyday basis. What's a little dream, and some screaming to all that? I think I can handle it." He smiled lightly, and kissed the top of my head, but I could still see the hint of true concern in his eyes. I almost glowered. I was completely capable of taking take care of myself. That thought was silenced though by Edward's velvety voice whispering in my ear, "Sweet dreams my beautiful Bella."
I closed my eyes, content. I could hear Edward softly humming my lullaby, and I attempted to better enhance this dreaming experience, by picturing his heartbreakingly lovely face in my mind. An image came into focus then, the gentle lullaby playing in the background. I choked back something mixed between a gasp, and a sob. The molten red of the nightmarish eyes bore into me. Calling me to them, assuring me everything was all right, willing me slowly into darkness.
Same time frame as from aboveLydia POV:
Breathing heavy. Groggy. Waking…I shot up with a start! Wait. 'I shouldn't be waking up.' In what time, place, or universe could I be sitting there at that moment? It was impossible. I took in my surroundings. Old, no ancient,looking brick walls bordered me on all sides. Mildew grew in-between the faded brown bricks, and I could make out a sickly wet substance dripping over them. I could see the walls, but I couldn't see the floor. Why? I felt strange too, like I was floating on solid air…I looked down, and my eyes widened. I used my hands to feel the luscious red silk, of the huge comforter spread out over the bed that looked like it was fit for someone of some sort of royal status, not someone like me, insignificant dead girl that I was.
The bed's headboard rose high above my head, carved into the many shapes of gargoyles, and fallen angels. I traced my fingers over the designs, losing myself in the detailed depictions of an angel's wings. It was strangely pretty to me. The details of the carving wasn't faded or old looking like the walls were. The bed groaned then internally waking me from my daydream like trance.
I threw back the thick crimson of the comforter from where it still wrapped itself around my legs. I didn't take notice to the folded piece of paper that swooped over the side of the huge bed, and off to who knew where. Instead I held both of my arms out in front of me for balance, as I perched precariously on the edge of the soft mattress. I didn't look towards the ground, or where ever was at the bottom of the bed, at all as I leapt feet first like you do when you're a small child jumping of the diving board at the swimming pool for the first time.
It felt like I was falling for an eternity, or at least for a very long period of time. I closed my eyes, not really wanting to see the world blurring by as I Spiraled downwards into some kind of abyss. When would it be over? I opened my eyes slightly, and was surprised to find the soles of my feet connected with a shiny hardwood floor that was stained a light fawn color. I hadn't heard anything though. Not a sound to indicate my landing on any surface.
My head spun from disorientation. I shook it out a bit to lessen the headache that was starting. When both of my eyes seemed to re-focus to the point where I could actually see. I took in the rest of my surroundings. The walls were plain of anything except one lone painting of two groups of angels fighting each other, hanging in a large gold picture frame directly in front of me. I took a few steps closer to get a better look at the depiction.
The two angels in the front, obviously the main subjects of the picture, were by far also the most beautiful. The female angel on the left had her red tinted white wings splayed out, and rushed head long at the other. Her face was tilted slightly, and I could see that she was truly gorgeous with her glowing, heavenly features, but that her eyes were just blank, sparkling white balls in her head. Any other time they would have struck me, and I would have quickly looked away, and moved on, but at this particular moment I was already incredibly confused, and I was dead, right? What harm could come of looking at a painting that just happened to have an angel in it with creepy white eyes.
Instead I stared at the eyes, and wondered if maybe the angel was blind, but I doubted it. The pain, and the rage of the angel focused acutely on the other actually emanated off of the painting making it seem alive, and real. There was one moment when I was sure I caught a glimpse of her wings faded away, her eyes turned silver gold and her skin become chalk white, but when I focused more closely she was the raging, magnificent angel again with her cascading curls of amber hair blown out behind her back.
The other angel stood elevated up on a large stone pedestal standing with his arms raised out, and his black, and silver feathered wings two massive shadowy beacons in the twilit sky. I couldn't quite make out his features. His face was turned down at the warring Seraphs, and what looked to be other winged creatures. His lion's-gold waving hair was falling gently over his shoulders. I gulped. I couldn't look away. His beauty frightened me to the point of shivering, but it was beauty none-the-less. He was stunning, and perfect without even one glimpse of his face. He held himself up with such a grace that I couldn't help, but feel terribly clumsy even though I knew I was standing perfectly still.
I finally allowed myself to look away from the terrible beauty, or more like forced myself. It hurt to see so much magnificence. Especially since I had been anything, but even remotely pretty when I had been alive. I sighed, and turned around to face the large, also intricately carved red oak door. Who knew? Maybe, what I planned on calling, an after life wouldn't be so bad. "Oh yeah. If I just over look the strange ancient looking room, with the magic bed, and the creepy pictures on the wall then I'm sure it will be just…great," I said loudly, as if talking to some invisible being in the air. I walked over and pushed, or more like threw the gigantic door open easily in the decision that I was going to go figure out where I was.
A bright light flashed in front of my face stunning me. My arm instinctively flew up to protect my eyes. A tiny bit too late. I blinked a few times. Standing in front of me was a young boy of about twelve holding a camera with two light colored hands. A photo stuck out of the picture slot. He smiled a mischievous smile, and nodded his head to me, as if mocking my surprise, and weakness to the blinding light.
I observed the boys face. His skin was olive-toned, and still had the very clear complexion of a child. His large saucer like eyes were a deep, dark forest green, and stared out of a soft looking, thin face. Most people had always thought of my overly obsessive observance as weird, or odd. I never argued that. I had been a strange girl, and I enjoyed observing things, and people around me. Taking in their full beauty. Trying to see behind the mask that is a person's outer shell.
The boys mop of curly dark brown hair rustled, as he shifted from foot to foot impatiently. That was when I finally realized that the boy smelled good. Better then good, almost…delectable. He must have seen something alter in my face, because he paled slightly, and took a cautious step back. His features twisted making me think that he was remembering something that truly horrified him. His hands fumbled with the camera, and I could see the slight quivering in them. He begin to bite his lip to help him concentrate better, but he looked up at me terrified, and instead as swiftly as he could, yanked the photo out of the camera, and threw it at my feet.
He bowed his head to some extent and mumbled something grudgingly inaudible about serving mass are-o. I raised one eyebrow, and looked at him confused, and slightly annoyed. I could swear that an actual moan, or more like a squeak of fear escaped his lips. His feet clacked boomingly against the floor as he dashed away down the long looking hallway. I froze in shock at his sudden departure, and at how he seemed to be truly frightened of me. I wasn't that backwards monkey's butt ugly. "Sheesh." I looked after the retreating form of the confusing, and somewhat obnoxious boy slowly fading into just a dark silhouette. I bent down and picked up the photo he had thrown at me. "Thanks!" I yelled sarcastically, lifting my hand up in a half wave. I rolled my eyes as I held the photo up level to my face.
The most awful sound emanated from somewhere. It reminded me of one of those national geographic nature documentaries where some wild animal is howling at it's loss of a meal, or almost screaming while it nudges the dead rotting corpse of it's mate. It took me a moment to realize that sound was coming from my throat. My hand flew in lightning fast movement to cover my lips, and I stared appallingly out at the air, breathing hard. 'It's just a dream. It's all just a dementedly twisted dream.' I thought to myself. Taking one of those deep supposedly "cleansing" yoga breaths. It didn't work.
The face in the cursed picture was un-recognizable. The girl in the photo had long waving brown hair with honey colored highlights without it. The nose was perfectly straight, and the cheekbones, chin, the forehead, the brow were all perfectly chiseled, her eyebrows angling up, and arching gently over. Her lips were pink and full, like two plump juicy peach slices tinted the color of an Azalea flower. The girl's skin was a startling shade of milky white, clear of any blemishes. Flawless.
The eyes are what scared me the most though; a flat, bright, paint red stared back at me with an almost menacing shock, that probably came from the suddenness at which the picture was taken. I closed my eyes in denial, but opened them again. I wouldn't believe that the horrifying…thing in this mere photo was I, weird, but plain Lydia Maeonia.
That was I wouldn't have believed it if it weren't for the trailing sliver of my mother's necklace, the jade heart resting gently against my throat coming gradually into it's bright green color as the picture developed. "No!" The whispered gasp escaped my lips. The picture slipped from my fingers, floating to the ground. I brought my hands up to my face, as if hoping to feel the old round warmness of my cheek, and to know that I was still the same old Lydia. Even through the white coldness of my hands I knew somehow that the skin on my face was ice.
And then…I was running. Or at least I thought I was running. It felt more as if I were flying, like the wind through trees on a chill autumn day. My hair swirled, and flew back behind me from the speed. I didn't take the time to consider how it was even possible for me to be going this fast. I only ran. I didn't pay much attention to the blurring by tapestries of various scenic beauties, or to the gradually blinking into life, florescent lights along the white tiled ceiling. I guess I also didn't see the stairs connect with the soles of my feet. The top stair caught me off guard, and I threw out my hands instinctively to try and break the fall. "Crap," I mumbled.
I tumbled head first downs the steps, until at last I slammed into a wall on a curve. I kept going though. Rolling over, and over each and every jagged bump right up till to moment where I crashed into the dark hard marble floor. I lay there, thinking that this must be some sort of hell that I had just fallen into. I didn't feel the air get any warmer though. 'Shouldn't my soul be burning in eternal red demon flames?' I almost smiled at that thought.
I'd never been truly religious. I was always open to anything, but personally liked to be free to choose my own beliefs. So all my perceptions of "hell" were all out of cliché Hollywood demon horror movies. I was mentally slapping myself for my ignorance, and that was the reason for my almost smiling. My eyes started to close gratefully from exhaustion. I didn't want to think about any of the hard to take in events that had happened in the last day or so of my existence. I couldn't sleep though, and it wasn't just that I couldn't sleep out of anxiety, or restlessness. I couldn't sleep. My mind wouldn't even allow me to float into the almost half consciousness of a catnap.
The voices, and the barely heard footsteps came then. They were still far away, but were getting closer very fast. I didn't have the energy to sit up, and keep running, so I stayed unmoving in my spot right below the bottom step of the long stairway. "Stupid human. He said she smelled him, but never tried to attack at all," a smooth European-sounding voice said, and I could hear his pace quicken slightly. "We both know that the picture, and the note weren't the only welcoming gifts Aro had planned on the girl receiving." This the voice said with malice, and underlying implications of something I wasn't sure of. I still shuddered at it though.
The other voice had a more prominent sound to it. It took me a moment to realize that it was some kind of accent. Italian maybe. "Felix, did the girl even read the note? She must have seen the photograph. The whole castle, and everyone within a 3 mile radius could hear her scream." The one called Felix laughed, and I could practically hear the sneer in his voice. "Why, whoever changed her would have chosen to leave her alive I have failed to even begin to fathom. Or at least I certainly wouldn't have done the same. There's hardly ever any good food around anymore. Just fat old people with blood clots, and weak hearts on some "Italian" dream vacation for the retired." The longing sigh was very clear, and it made my breath catch.
"Never mind though. I suppose it doesn't make much of a difference. It's too late now." The accented voice replied seriously, "There's still no explanation for why she wouldn't have attacked the boy at first scent. It should have been immediate. We are both well aware of what waking was like, no matter how long ago that was." The footsteps slowed, and then came to a stop. "Demetri look at her! Pathetic. To think that she has no idea of what's in store for her. What a waste…" Another sneer. This time more clear then ever, and incredibly, incredibly close.
Felix, and Demetri had arrived, and I was their target. Thank god it would all be over soon. I stopped myself from snorting out loud. Considering that I was about to be carried away by strange, seemingly demonic men who associated eating, and people with each other, and also talked about me, changing into something, I really doubted it. 'Thanks guys. No really thanks so much for that. What am I? A freaky dead monster zombie girl with red eyes straight from a Stephen King Novel? I'm just so thrilled at that prospect.'
I felt someone yank me up, and someone else toss me over their shoulder. My foot kicked out softly, faintly, and heartlessly. Mentally I sighed. I was too tired. Everything was just so overwhelmingly confusing. A quote that we had learned in English that year popped into my head then unexpectedly. "Let us beware of saying that death is the opposite of life. The living being is only a species of the dead, and a very rare species." I had no idea why I happened to think about that particular quote at that particular time, but it did spread a slow eerie chill throughout my body. I forced my mind to go blank then, and passed into what some could call mock-unconsciousness.
"Open your eyes you imbecilic poor excuse for an existing thing!" A voice whispered loudly in my ear. I must have only been out for a few moments for we had already arrived at two tall wooden, double doors, with gold handles carved into the shapes of snarling lions. I propped my other eye open and, said quietly, "I'm awake." I looked down, and found myself staring at washed out white tile, after washed out white tile. "Do you think you could maybe put me down?" I had no idea who was carrying me. The voices from before were, but distant memories now, and I had no recollection of the content, much less the names of my captors.
"Let her down Felix." That was his name. "We're here, and Aro won't want her looking like a prisoner, when he first greets her." "Prisoner…" I whispered to myself. Felix swung me back over his shoulder, which I figured was what I had been hanging over, and dropped me on the floor in front of one of the two doors. My eyes trailed up, until they came to rest on Felix's face. His eyes were cold, and he stared emotionlessly down at me, and then promptly turned away, pulled open the other door, and slipped through, letting it slam shut behind him. My face froze in shock not so much at his quick departure, but as to how incredibly handsome Felix had been, and also how his eyes had been a dark reddish color. I turned my head, and took in yet another lovely pale white, yet olive toned face. Two eyes of the same color garnished his face too.
He held out his hand, and I started to take it, but before I could grip the ends of his long fingers he grabbed my arm roughly, and hoisted me up. He looked at me coolly, and calmly. "I assume introductions will be better made later, so we won't waste time with that." He then pulled open the door, and pushed me through down on my hands and knees. I started to get up to run, but I was gripped suddenly hard on both sides.
I kicked whoever or whatever was on my right, and they laughed. My arms flailed wildly as I struggled to break loose. I was still tried though, so I couldn't put up much of a fight. As I settled down my captors loosened their grips on my arms, and I sighed. I was dragged through yet another set of doors into a large roughly round shaped chamber.
Tapestries like the ones in the hall covered the walls. Green hillsides, wild flowers blooming near a beautiful bay. There were no windows except for tiny slits around the top near the ceiling, and the room was only dimly lit. How I noticed each of these things baffled me. Any other normal person wouldn't even consider their surroundings. They would, on the other hand most certainly be focused on who, or what was in it.
Standing, spread out within the room was the most gorgeous group of beings I'd ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on. The two who had pushed me into the room were among them. Each of them had pale skin white as snow, white as mine, and eyes that were varying shades of flat red. Their clothing was non-descript, and plain. Only a few of them sported light yellow dresses, and one man stood in a small beam of sunlight wearing a silver-grey colored suit. I swore I could see diamonds glinting off of him.
A little girl strolled through the crowd as they parted to let her go by. The way they looked at her made me guess she held some sort of power over this…court, I decided to call it inspired by one of my favorite books. She smiled over at the two men who had brought me, and then turned her smile to me. I wasn't looking directly at her though. Instead I looked past at the crowd parting again, and also slightly bowing this time, making way for three black cloaked figures, flanked on all sides with what looked to be body guards.
The first one pulled back their hood, and revealed an almost translucently pale man with blood red eyes, jet-black hair, and a bright white smile spreading across his face. "Ah. Dear Lydia, it's so wonderful for you to finally join us. Isn't that right Felix, Demetri…Jane darling? When I looked down at the little girl standing in front of me her eyes were set in a glare, and her mouth curled down into a sneer. She turned, and forced a fake smile at the man who had spoken, and then walked over to Felix, and Demetri who looked between each other with slightly amused expressions.
I raised my head back to the cloaked figures. "I trust you're enjoying our marvelous city?" His smile widened, and I couldn't help shivering a little. "I…uh…I'm not… exactly where am I?" That was the question I asked. Not, why the hell I had woken up in a strange red bed that seemed thousands of feet high, not why there were eerie paintings of white-eyed, shadowy-winged angels hanging on the walls, and carved into various other things. I didn't ask why, in a picture that a 12 year old boy took with his stupid camera I looked like a monster, nor why I could suddenly move without a sound, emit screeching howls, or could run incredibly fast, and not why I had been dragged off by two weird Italian guys into a room full of beautiful pale skinned red eyed people. 'Great Lydia. You've out done yourself. Only one more stupid thing to go, and you could qualify to win idiot of the year award.'
"Oh! How immensely rude of me! Felix did you not show dear Lydia the city?" "Aro…she was weak…we had no chance to…I was told to bring her directly here," Felix finished. "No matter. You'll see plenty of it no doubt…I assume you plan on beginning your duties to our little…club here soon?" Aro questioned me with a curious spark to his eyes while gesturing around the room. His head also quirked a little to the side at Felix's mention of my being weak. "I'm not sure I really understand what you're talking about." I hated sounding brainless, and completely idiotic, but I had no choice. I didn't know who these people were, or if they were even people, and I truly had no idea what was going on. With me, with everything.
The small girl, Jane, cackled at this, and turned her head sharply to stare at me with judging cool, yet fiery eyes. She smiled a creeping evil smile that shook me, and made me cover where I stood. "I think what our dear Lydia," Jane sneered out my name with distaste, "is trying to say is that she has yet to figure out what she is. She obviously is still oblivious to what exactly she's capable of doing."
Aro replied with a raise of one delicate black eyebrow. "Jane, I don't expect you to be surprised our poor Lydia is cowering away from you. You are quite an honored prospect to have in this little group of ours. Now please dear, behave yourself." He turned to yet again face me. "Did you not receive the note I had sent to your room?" "A note? I…" Jane cut in before I could finish my sentence. "You incompetent fool. You're a vampire, one of the undead. Ha! You're barely half of one of us though. You are no more then a pale, weak, human in my eyes. And you don't even smell appetizing anymore."
The last part she laughed out, and Felix smirked. "Now Jane. No need for throwing around insults." He addressed me. "I was sure you already knew. Then again you never uttered a sign of pain in the time you were going through the transformation here. Perhaps it never occurred to you any changes were taking place. Quite interesting really… Never mind any of that for now. Felix, Demetri you've done your work well. Adrian!" A boy, or more like young man, he looked about my age, with wavy golden hair, one side falling to just cover his left eye, stepped forward. "Show our darling Lydia the city. I apologize. I would explain to you myself your…shall we call it a predicament, but Heidi should be back soon, and I find myself quite ravished. Adrian I trust you to help her learn what to do."
Adrian nodded, and flashed me a quick grin. I was very consciously aware of his eyes evaluating my form, and I imagined my face going burgundy red as they trailed over me appreciatively. My anger finally flared. I'd had enough. I didn't like being in the dark, and not knowing what was going on, but I despised when people looked at me like he was doing." 'So. Being in a strange place, getting kidnapped, and taken to a weird room filled with the undead, and then being told you are one of the undead just doesn't quite do the trick. But when one guy gets a little too comfortable with looking at you…you've got one heck of a banshee on your hands.'
I smiled snidely back at him, and he looked surprised. I turned my gaze onto Aro. "Listen I have no idea who you, or any of you are. Last time I checked "vampires" didn't exist. In fact last time I checked I was DEAD not undead. And I haven't a clue where "your city" is, but last I checked I was working in a broken down drug store around the corner from my high school!"
I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as it always did when I got going. What had happened to the live Lydia's quiet shell of strange disturbing silence? What had happened to the blankness that used to cover my face to hide any emotion? "I don't know what club, or cult you're planning on having me join, and frankly I don't care. So I'm a vampire. Tell me then, why I remember my flesh burning, and my heart stopping while the drug store I was working in burned down? Why do I remember DYING! I was dead! DEAD!"
I had lost it. I was screaming now. How dare they! "If you think I'm going to join your army of monsters, considering supposedly you're all blood drinking human murdering vampires, you are so very wrong." The last word I whispered low, and as dangerously as I could.
Aro was looking at me in shock, but another emotion played across his face. 'Wonder?' I thought incredulously. He clapped his hands. "Brilliant. Just brilliant!" A snarl ripped from me. I felt so powerful, strong. "Why of all the insolent!" I roared, and spun around towards Jane, as she made the lilting, cutting exclamation. I needed the tears to come. Needed them to spill over my cold cheeks. None came. My hair was wild around my face. I was unstoppable. The floor ignited in a blaze of flame. Red, then white, blue, and then a black so dark it choked out the color of everything surrounding it till everything appeared gray, and white. Blurring together.
The fire enveloped Jane. And she turned to me, and smiled wide, menacingly. I was hit hard with something so vaguely familiar…my head screamed at me to stop. The pain! I felt like I was back in the drug store again. The fire covering me, as I took my last breathes. I writhed, and fell to the floor. The color came back to everything as the black flame went out. In its place a white orchid grew from the now cracked, and damaged floor, lovely, and sweeping it's delicate petals out to just barely sweep the ground from which it grew. The blurring stopped. And the writhing stilled. I staggered to my knees. I looked up to see Jane Staring at me with a slight smirk still on her face. But in her eyes another emotion flickered as she quickly rushed to cover it again with her cruel reserve.
I could hear applause, and turned slowly to see Aro clapping his hands jovially. "Amazing! Tonight we have dinner, and a show to go along with it. This day is turning out to be a very interesting one indeed. You must join us wondrous Lydia! What we could do with power like yours…with some development of course, it makes me wonder at another recent visit we had. Such potential. Surely she must turn out as good as you have." He mumbled lightly to himself. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the young boy from earlier bending down to pluck the orchid from the ground, and proceed to rush over to Aro, and place it in his outstretched palm. He then quickly dashed out of the room. I averted my gaze to the floor.
The fatigue was gone, but another internal surrender rang throughout me, so I took no more time saying anything at all. "ENOUGH!" The voice came from one of the hooded figures standing near Aro. The hood fell back to reveal a white haired male with ruby eyes, and an annoyed, yet wise expression on his face. That turned to anger as his eyes glazed over me, to turn to Aro. "She won't be joining us. Not with that show of complete and udder insolent disrespect. She doesn't understand what she is, much less what she is being asked to be. I won't have it Aro! She should be killed right now for her incompetence."
"Oh Caius. But that's not the law. She's young, and wild. But there's just so much potential. You saw what she did my brother. Don't you see what we could have if she were to join us?" Caius sneered at Aro. "She's not fit to be among us Aro! She's a foundling! We don't know whom her sire (A/N: Do they use that word in twilight? Yeah…I had to make an Anne Rice reference there. Couldn't think of a better word) is or even if she's actually one of the living dead!" Aro sighed. "But Caius dear brother, of course she's a blood drinker. Look at her. Her eye color is off, true, but she shows all the signs of ethereal strength, speed, grace, beauty…and power."
At that he turned, and nodded approvingly in my direction. "Then why is it that when the human boy was just in here within 3 feet of her she did not attack? That in itself proves she may not even me one of our kind." "Screw your kind," I murmured darkly. His eyes were on me in a flash, the disgust, and pure fury written everywhere on his smooth stark white face. "Adrian, Vera...!" His eyes flashed towards each of the two that again stepped forward, and understanding covered their features. Before I could even register what was happening my arms were bound hard by strong slender hands, a powerful arm was snaked around my waist, and I was being yanked to my feet again.
My breathing was getting heavy as I started to panic. I was being dragged away from the crowd towards the entrance of a dark, narrow passageway. I rammed my fist into Adrian's jaw throwing him off me for a brief second. The female called Vera grabbed both my arms, and wrenched my head back attempting to restrain me. More of them advanced to grip more of my limited limbs, as Adrian regained his composure and resumed his stance holding me back around my waist. "Let me go!" I shouted at Adrian. "Get the hell off of me!
DON'T TOUCH ME!" I shrieked as I kicked out my left leg at a tall male attempting to grip me by my shirt, all of the measly martial arts I had learned in gym class kicking in, connecting with his groin. 'Hey I've never considered myself a polite martial artist,' I smiled as although the "vampire" was cold, and hard as granite and causing him pain was harder then I had thought he flew across the room crashing into a wall as a few others parted hastily out of his way.
I punched another male in the gut flinging him off me as well, and then continued to struggle against the grips that Adrian, and Vera had on me. The others were retreating back into the crowd as we neared the curtain that was pulled back to reveal the narrow stairwell leading down into darkness. I could hear Aro and Caius still arguing. "Caius, please. Must we resort to this kind of unpleasant Jurisdiction? She's just awoken. Even you must be able to sympathize if not pity the girl the indecision and anger she feels." Caius let out a short, sharp laugh. I pulled at Vera's long white blond braid. Her head snapped back, and she howled. I felt a long claw of a nail scratch down my cheek.
An unfamiliar voice came in. "Perhaps we should see how she handles the crypt before considering her for the guard…" I didn't hear the rest for roars and growls were emitting themselves from my throat, I continued to punch out at whatever I could get my hands on. "No! No! No! NO! I WON"T GO! I'm dead! DEAD! I was DEAD!" 'How wonderful Lydia darling…you're going insane and scream-whining like your 4 year old brother,' I thought mockingly, thinking of how Aro had addressed me. I felt a cool brush of air at my ear as I screamed bloody murder, the curtain swooshing closed behind us. "Hush. You'd do well to be quieter," a low voice muttered. "I had heard you were very beautiful," Adrian whispered in my ear, his lips lightly caressing the skin there. My breathing slowed, and my arms stopped flailing.
I turned my head further towards him slightly trying to take in more of his sweet scent. Vera's grip stiffened on my arms, and out of my peripheral vision I could see her looking at Adrian with a betrayed expression on her face, and at the same time glaring down at me. Adrian sighed next to me. I could almost make out a grimace in his tone as he stated blandly, "I'm fairly disappointed." My breathing stopped all together, and I froze where I stood as Adrian pulled his face back from me, and released his hold on my waist.
My eyes were wide with shock. I'd always known I wasn't the greatest thing to look at, but why would he have any reason to say those things to me. 'Hm. I don't know…couldn't possibly be that he doesn't want anything to do with you, and that his girlfriend is standing right next to him, watching his every move like a snake in a guarded rampage. ' I couldn't just pretend I didn't care at all though. His words did hurt me, but I didn't have any more time to think about them. We had reached the end of the dirt-covered flight of stairs.
Adrian pulled open a wooden door in the ground, and pushed me into the bath-sized hole under it. When I looked up I could see that he had his arm tight around Vera's waist now, and held her close to him. His other hand held the thick of the door open. Vera smiled over at Adrian, Her light red eyes staring at him lovingly. "Sweet dreams Lydia." His silver specked garnet eyes flashed down at me with yet another emotion I couldn't quite place, but a slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he shut the door over my still startled face, and for the third time in that eventful day, my world, and everything in it went black.
Alice POV:
What Edward didn't know wouldn't hurt him. I thought this reassuringly to myself as I pulled up across the street from Bella's house. Lately Edward had been incredibly paranoid about any of us visiting Bella. Well me specifically considering I'm the only other one who ever does visit Bella.
It had something to do with strange nightmares Bella had been having. Edward had only said that Bella would wake up screaming, and looking more frightened then she'd ever looked before. I looked across at Charlie, and Bella's driveway watching for any sign that Edward might be there. I shook my head at my own ridiculous behavior. I already knew of course that he wouldn't be there when I was talking to Bella. Edward happened to be conveniently out hunting with my Jasper, and Emmet.
As I rushed up the driveway, and dashed up the side of the house like Edward always did, to step into Bella's room through her window, I found myself pondering what she would tell me when I asked about the dreams. I hadn't seen anything in a vision. I landed lightly on the carpet, and looked around. The light blue walls, and the thick yellow curtains were familiar to me now.
There was a disgruntled yellow quilt spread messily over a bed, the bedside table next to it holding a lamp, CD player, and a what looked to be the picture album her mother had given her for her last birthday. The desk over against the wall opposite the window had an old computer, and a phone on top of it. I smiled lightly at all the things that were our klutzy, over exuberant, brave Bella.
My head flashed to the doorway moments before Bella came stumbling in, her brown hair still wet from the shower. I watched as she blinked her eyes, and shook her head. She froze, and her eyes drifted down towards my face. I could see the relieved surprise wash over her. "Alice?" She started to move towards me her arms stretched out in an awkward sort of hug formation. I saw it again before it happened and rushed to catch her as she tripped over her own feet and started to fall.
After Bella regained her balance she looked up at me with two wide brown eyes. "I- he…" I shook my head. "Edward doesn't control me Bella. You're just as much my family as you are his." I was guiding her over to sit on the edge of her bed. I sat down next to her. "Why didn't you just knock on the front door? Charlie would have let you in…oh." I rolled my eyes, and laughed liltingly at Bella's silliness, while her face blushed crimson as she realized the obvious. Being able to read minds, Edward would easily be able to tell if I'd been here through Charlie.
Oh, I could care less about what Edward threatened he would do to any of us if we set foot here, but when it came to Esme wanting everyone to respect Edward's wishes I had to be…somewhat cooperative. She was my mom after all. I sighed contently. I knew that Edward would never find out that I was here in his Bella's room. Being a psychic definitely had its perks.
I was struck gasping stiff cold, as the vision enveloped my senses, and everything else blacked out. I saw a small clearing of grass, dried up clumps of weeds sprouted out of it, and the air seemed clouded somehow like a fog was covering it in one thin translucent layer. A girl lay sprawled in the clearing. At first glance I thought it might be Bella, but when the image focused a tiny bit more I saw that it was a slightly younger looking teenage girl with her long golden highlighted dark brown hair in messy waves covering the ground around her face. The girl was asleep, or passed out, her eyes were closed. Her skin was a pale tan, slightly Asian looking, and was covered only by a flowing white peasant skirt, and a semi-sleeveless light gold silk blouse.
The vision faltered, and flashed into nothingness again as I anticipated the point where my senses would return to normal. Instead the image of the unconscious girl came back into focus, except it was moving ever so slowly closer to the closed eyed face. I could only clutch my fingernails tightly into the skin of my palms, and shout faintly out as the girl's eyes flashed open revealing a moon like violet and green-specked silver, piercing me through with their cool, haunting gaze. But it was the pain in that stare that caused me to freeze in whatever motion I might have been in.
"Alice? Alice!" I could now hear Bella calling my name, and feel her frail human arms trying to shake me out of the vision. I attempted to close my own eyes to rid myself of the image of the silver ones belonging to the girl in the picture. It didn't go away. She stayed staring at me. Tears started to well up, and then streak down her cheeks. I opened my eyes. "No!" I rubbed my temples then took a deep breath. "Alice?" I almost jumped in an incredibly un-vampire like way as Bella reached her hand out to touch my arm. "What did you see?" I turned slowly, for me, foolishly but also horridly expecting to look into the eyes of the dark haired young girl of the vivid premonition. Instead I found myself lost in the glaring topaz ones of my darling brother. Edward.
A/N: so I tried to make it as long I possibly could based on the short expanse of the outline I had originally planned out. Review please? Well I hope it wasn't too bad. (I'll just keep telling myself that it wasn't horrible. Optimism is key. -Snort-) Like I said before, I'm improving. Pointless fact: Some of you may or may not have noticed that I changed my pen name. In honor of my little sister Anna who is living at the local children's hospital at the moment, and who loves beauty and the beast. Just to bring up another past request. Could someone please suggest a genre for this thing? See now you have more info, to base your suggestions on. Oh yeah! Extra, super, fantastic, awesome Cullen points if you can tell me how many times I used to word eye(s) in this. Or no…wait. I'll mention you in my story if you can count and tell me AND tell me who made the quote mentioned in the 49th paragraph. (Cause me being a spazz forgot to put that in there.) It won't be super major or anything, but you could be a vampire, or a werewolf, or just a human that Lydia happens to meet in…oh well it's not like you haven't guessed it already, Volterra. Your choice. You could be anything. If you want to be a victim who dies, or one of the human servants working in the castle then I'll go ahead and put you in there. (HAHA. I'm so going to laugh if no one cares about being in the story, and that writing all that was pointless…hey this whole thing was 18 pages. Mehappy)
HonorableBeauty