I don't own Twilight, and no one but the all-powerful Stephenie Meyer does

Blood Requiem

Part Four: Vanishing

Disappear
Disappear

Higher
Higher

Into the air
Slowly disappear
No, no longer here

Disappear
Disappear

Thinner, thinner
Into the air
Never really here
What that never
Like a thought brushing up against a...sigh

Floating away
Floating away
Vanishing like a cyan Sunday

Disappear
Disappear

Vanish, vanish into the air
Slowly disappear
Never really here

Floating away
Floating away

I pulled into the deserted parking lot. No students here on weekends. Places to go, people to see, fun to be had. Not for me. I made my way to the front office—a small building separate from any of the others.

Inside sat a woman behind a single, long desk along the far wall of the small room. Noticing my arrival, the woman looked up and smiled at me.

"Hello, dear." The woman began. Her name tag said her name was Ms. Cope. "How can I help you?"

"Hi," I smiled, "I'd like to enroll here."

"Do you have a form?" She asked.

'Oh, shit! You need papers these days? What happened to just coming and getting taught?'

I spied an stack of enrollment forms to the left of Ms. Cope, about a foot and a half away. I looked at the sheet on the top and concentrated on it. I had to divert her attention.

"Do you mind telling me a little bit about the school?" I smiled sheepishly. "I really haven't had the chance to check it out."

"No, not at all." Ms. Cope began. "You see..."

I focused harder as Ms. Cope went into a detailed description of the school's history. I nodded from time to time. I hoped she didn't notice that the enrollment form on the top of the stack was disappearing. I was deconstructing the paper and ink atom by atom and rearranging them in my hands held behind my back. Done. The form was fully reconstructed and in my hands. Now for the trickier part.

Ms. Cope was now telling me about some big fire that happened in building C in 1971 or something; I wasn't really listening. I was fixating on a pen in a white mug filled with other assorted writing utensils. The ink was evaporating and re-condensing on the page in my hands in the shape of letters and words. When I was done, I exhaled a sigh of relief. The pen no longer had no ink in it, and the stack of papers next to her was one sheet lighter, and she hadn't noticed a thing.

"Wow, I didn't know Forks high school had such a colorful history." I said. Ms. Cope looked pleased. "Oh, here's my form." I handed it to her.

"Ah, thank you, dear." Ms. Cope looked over the form, finding everything in order. She then handed me a schedule for my classes. "Well, I hope you'll like it here, you start Monday. Goodbye now." She waved to me. She looked back to the form, then to the stack, blinked, then shrugged.

I smiled and turned to leave.

'Oh, in retrospect, I suppose that was easy.' I said to myself sardonically. I crossed the parking lot swiftly and climbed into the Corolla, careful not to slam the door so hard it busted, but just hard enough to express some of my pent up frustration. I had hoped to find it here and get rid of it by now. Or at least just found him, that would have sufficed for now, but no! Not a damn sign!

I was speeding down the thin side streets of a small development. That's when it hit me: the cold shiver slicing up my spine. The cold shiver. He had been here. I braked immediately and looked to the house on my right. There was an ancient, red truck parked in the driveway. And this was a girl that was born in 1805. The thing must have been at least three or four decades old.

"He's been here recently?"

I regarded the building curiously, rolling down the window to get a better look.

"Interesting..." I thought aloud. "I wonder what the humans that live here have to do with him?"

I rolled up the window and unintentionally floored the car down the street, wrapped up in my own thoughts. "Curious. Very curious." I said as I headed back to the motel.

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(EPOV)

Something bad was coming. Alice saw it. Meaning, I, too, saw it. The vision was of a tall female figure—it wasn't very clear, but that didn't matter; what was more important were the overwhelming emotions attached to the vision. Such rage, hate, and pain. It would have stopped my heart and chilled my blood if I wasn't already dead. One thing we were sure of is that—whoever or whatever was coming—was coming for us. Or more specifically, me. That's the vibe that Alice got from this... person.

It wasn't this that bothered me all that much, I could take care of myself, but I was afraid for Bella. Alice couldn't really tell when the figure was coming, but it would be soon. And she definitely wasn't human, but as for what she actually was, we couldn't tell.

I just hoped I'd be able to protect my Bella from whatever was coming.

I'd die protecting her. I'd die to protect her.

The sudden prospect of an unfriendly visitor set everyone on edge. I could hear all their wary, distressed thoughts. But Jasper had it worse, feeling all their emotions for himself at once. But he grinned and beared it, so to speak.

I was heading to Bella's house in a few minutes; I didn't want her leaving my sight until we'd dealt with this problem. I left without a word to my family and sped off through the dark, nighttime forest, my surroundings as clear as day to me with my enhanced senses. I was near Bella's house within a couple minutes.

Suddenly, a strange scent wafted towards me. It was faint, barely there, but I could still smell it. The only way to describe it as, if anything, was—it was like, electricity, if electricity could have a scent. It was strange; and bone-chilling. It was the scent of something dangerous.

I dashed up the tree to Bella's window in a split second. I climbed into her room silently. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, her back facing towards me. I was glad to see she was alright. Glad was an understatement, really.

I crept up silently behind her and wrapped my arms around her. She started at my touch, and I chuckled softly.

"Hello, Dear." I whispered in her ear.

"Oh, Edward," she breathed, "you startled me."

"I saw." I chuckled again.

"You're a bit late." She mentioned, quietly, worriedly. "Is anything wrong?" She reached back to brush her wonderfully warm hand across my cheek. I relished the contact.

She slid around to meet my eyes.

"Sort of... not exactly, but yes." I struggled to speak, for fear of frightening Bella.

She arched her eyebrows in confusion and concern.

"It's nothing to worry about," I told her, "but we'll be expecting a... visitor, and I think it would be best if we were on our guard."

"A visitor?" Bella echoed, still concerned. "Is it a vampire?"

"Well, now that, we're not sure about. We're not sure what it is. What we do know is that it's definitely not human, but whoever it is, is not a vampire—or a werewolf either. It's quite disconcerting."

"Disconcerting?" Bella asked, an alarmed edge crept into her voice. I realized I used to wrong word, and now I'd startled her.

"It'll be alright, I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." I held her closer to me, her scent mingling in my nose. Keep control. I had to be on my best behaviour.

"But what about you?" She asked.

"I can take care of myself, you know that," I said gently, trying to soothe her, "you always worry about the wrong things, you should be more concerned about yourself." I kissed the top of her head.

"I can't help it. It's because I love you." She tilted her face up to look at me.

"I can't help it, either; I'll always worry about you more than myself. I love you too." I bent my face down to touch my lips to hers.

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(CPOV)

I flopped down onto the stiff, hotel mattress. Come Monday, I'd be attending Forks High School—for the sole purpose of finding Edward Cullen and exacting my revenge for the murder of Andrew. And, strangest so far, I'd found traces of his presence at a human's home.

'Maybe I could use that human to get to him.' I contemplated, 'it's all just so strange, confusing. Why would a vampire attend highschool? He couldn't possibly be looking for victims, I'd be too suspicious. Remorse? It just doesn't make any sense! If so, then why would he be at a human's home? The only reason I can think of is if he were looking for another victim, and IF that was why he was there, then why go to the highschool?'

"Argh!" I exclaimed, "this is all too damn confusing!"

Then, something dawned on me.

"Wait." I said aloud. "Wait a minute... A companion? A vampire with a human as a companion?"

This put some interesting new dimensions into the situation.

"I wonder how much that human means to him."

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It was nearly noon, and I still hadn't found a single trace of Edward so far; there was a lingering aura—which meant there was more than one of them and they were in the area—but I still hadn't come across a strong enough vibe. It was lunch hour, and I doubted seeing them in the cafeteria around s many other humans, but it was worth a shot, and, honestly, I was feeling a bit hungry.

As I made my way to the cafeteria, it hit me like a punch to the stomach; I did my best not to look visibly affected. He was here. Right now. And there were others: maybe one or two—not many. Suddenly, I felt something; as if I could feel someone probing around in my head; my thoughts. It was like a force, but I could sense a consciousness with it. I immediately shut out the force. I could feel the force try to get to my mind again and I pushed it away. I was certain that it was one of the vampires in the room, that building I was about to enter. It was hindering prospect. I began to feel wary, like a caged animal.

I proceeded carefully; still aware of the other consciousness waiting at the walls of my mind. It was a constant struggle to keep it out. When I opened the door and went into the building, my eyes were drawn to a table on my far right, near a stretch of windows depicting a gray, dismal sky.

There they sat. I saw a male and a tiny, inky-haired female next to him. They both had golden eyes and deathly pale skin. It took everything I had not to run at the male I knew was Edward when I caught sight of him. They made eye contact with me; giving me harsh, angry glares, which I all so eagerly reciprocated. Edward's glare carried a hint of frustration. So it was he who could read minds; I guessed he wasn't too happy about not being able to read my mind. He was trying harder than ever to break into my thoughts, but I wouldn't be one to give up so easily; I was still managing to keep him at bay.

That's when I caught sight of the human. She was sitting on the other side of Edward. Unlike the few other humans at the table who were at the end of the table, apparently trying to be as far away from the trio as possible, the human with the vampires sat alarmingly close to that vampire. She, too, was staring warily at me.

Edward was obviously very fond of this human; having his arm tightly around her waist—as did the girl. She had brown eyes and brown hair and pale skin. Nothing outstanding; but she had a simple, wholesome beauty about her.

I wondered if she was there because he enjoyed her company, or because he would be hungry later. There were several ways of finding out, most all of which I would refrain from executing at that time. There were too many people around. I'd just have to sink my claws into him (and his little human pet) later.

I walked to the other side of the large room to the lunch line. At the end of said line, with my tray full, I scrounged up what money I had and paid the lunch lady. Things were so expensive these days. I remembered fondly the days when an entire loaf of bread was a penny. Now it was three dollars and forty-seven cents. The obscenity!

I took my tray and sat an empty table. I was infinitely aware of the dozens upon dozens of eyes staring curiously—and in the case of the vampires, murderously—at me. I ignored them. They eventually looked back to their trays and friends.

(EPOV)

I was sitting, wary, at the lunch table with Alice and Bella. I was scanning the thoughts of everyone in the vicinity for any signs of a threat to Bella. Suddenly, a mind within range caught my attention.

'...not here, where could he be?'

This person was looking for me, judging from her thoughts ; I immediately tried to focus in on her mind, but was brutally rebutted. I was stunned. No one had ever been able to do that to me—forcibly shove me from their minds. No one. All I could hear was something that could only be described as mind static. It was strange, to say the least.

Then, when she entered the room, the air was shot with sharp, intense electricity. I could hardly stand it; it was making me edgy and agitated. My eyes locked onto her face, as did Alice's; and vice versa To my surprise, she had neon-purple eyes.

The others in the cafeteria turned nearly instantly, sensing—if only vaguely, compared to Alice and I—her innate strangeness. She moved swiftly, nearly loping, almost catlike. Her gaze—her flaming purple eyes held such a hate when they were boring into mine, I thought of the saying, 'if looks could kill'. I could see it took everything she had not to lunge at me right then. But not there, in front of all those humans, exposing us both.

She would wait until later. And I'd be ready. I'd make sure she didn't lay a hand on my Bella. A faint growl escaped me at the thought. The purple-eyed girl continued on to the lunch line, bought a tray of food and sat at a deserted table.

"Is that...it is, isn't it?" Bella whispered to me, frightened.

"Yes, that's her." My voice was a all steel.

From the haze of the girl's mind static, I could sense such hate, and pain, so strong it could have knocked the breath out of me. The girl continued to eat her lunch. All of a sudden, she reached toward her tray, her hand held an inch or so over a bright, red, glossy apple; she turned her head slowly and deliberately to lock eyes with me. Her fingers were curled slightly, hovering over the apple as if the pick it up. Then, unexpectedly, the apple rose abruptly from the tray into her waiting hand. She brought it to her mouth and took a deep bite, leaving a gaping, white hole in the red skin.

Abruptly, the haze around her thoughts lifted. 'Is she your apple, Edward?' I heard her think, laughing mockingly in her mind. A sinister sneer flashed across her. I could detect a hard facet to her thoughts. Her mind hazed over once more, parrying my mental reaches. 'I'll find out, one way or another.'

I was appalled by the implication. Horrified. I would never do that to Bella—never. I'd kill myself if that ever happened. I snarled, the sound growing audible. Alice placed a restraining hand on my arm, but I knew she was just as horrified as I was. I brushed off her hand but turned, restraining myself. Bella gazed up at me with wide, frightened eyes.

"Come on, Bella," I said tightly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "let's go."

She nodded and the three of us stood—with Alice and I on either side of Bella.

'Jeez, I wonder why Edward doesn't seem like he likes that new girl. I mean come on, all she did was walk into the room, grab a tray and sit down. Maybe they've met before. This could be juicy news. Maybe...' Jessica Stanley's thoughts invaded my mind. I never did like that girl. Always jumps to conclusions, and other things like that. Irritating. Simply irritating. I tuned her out.

Before Alice, Bella, and I had made it six steps from the table, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch hour. We hurried the rested of the way out the door, ahead of the suddenly flood of students ambling to their next class.

As for me, I hoped not to see that girl again till Bella was somewhere safe, and I could deal with this superhuman threat myself. If she wanted to hurt Bella, she'd have to go through me first—and I doubt she'd get away alive if Bella's life was in the balance.

As far as I could see, it was.

Well, there you have it, folks. Part four of my story. Sorry it took so long, I was being meticulous, looking for grammar and spelling errors, and stuff like that. I hope you enjoyed it. Just bear with me, it's going to get good real soon. You could say: 'I'm the narrator and this is just the prologue'. (You know, the line from that Panic! At The Disco song?... No? Oh, well, never mind, doesn't matter...) Just PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, REVIEW!!!! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD, REEEEEEEEEEEVIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!