Intensity In Ten Cities by Chiodos
I was asleep on the couch, a blanket drapped over me, and full of chocolate chip cookies when Tom burst through the dorr frantically shouting my name. The next thing I knew he was by myside, hisice cold hands on each side of my face.
"What did they do to you? Are you all right?!" his hands patted me all over uncertainly, as if making sure I was all in one piece. Apparently he didn't notice the annoyed scowl and grumpy glare... Through all the commotion he was making, the Cullens made their way down and back onto the couch across from us to stare again.
"Why do you smell like cookies? What, were they trying to fatten you up or something?" He looked a little disgusted now. I giggled and made eye contact with William, who was trying hard not to laugh. He jumped up when he saw them, growling loudly.
"Sit down Tom! You're acting silly." I tugged on his pant leg until he did sit.
"I'm Carlisle Cullen, and this is my family." when he heard their last name, he quit growling and stared, shocked.
"Cullen?" he whispered so quietly, I hardly caught it.
"Yes. We are a unique coven of well, vegetarian vampires. We consume only animal blood, finding no need to kill innocents, and have found another way to live." Edward stated in the most serious voice I'd ever heard.
"I've heard of you, but never had the chance to meet your group. My name is Thomas Harvey."
"Thomas, my name is Esme, and this is Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward. We're sorry to scare you so much."
"Okay well, I have to get home, so it's nice to meet you guys. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." I got up, streched, and walked to the door. Opening it, rain pounded through immediately soaking me. I slammed it shut and dripped on the floor.
"O-kay then. Um, can someone give me a ride? I really have to get home."
"Why don't you stay for a little bit longer, I'd like to talk with the Cullens." Tom persuaded as he led me back to the couch.
"I can see that your eyes aren't red, so you don't drink human blood. Why is that?" Carlisle asked as he leaned foward, resting his elbows on his knees and knotting his hands together eagerly, patiently.
"I don't really know, it's one of the things I just do. I don't need blood for a long time, the last time I actually was thirsty and drank, was nearly fifty years ago. And before that was another seventy. i suppose that's my gift."
"Amazing. Please, if you don't mind, will you tell us your story?" Alice bounced on the couch and her eyes shone. Tom sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly before he began.
"I was born in the year of our lord, 1792 in the Scottish countryside. I remember little of my human years and of my early years after I 'died'. I do remember the way I died, the pain. But we all know of that. Years passed, decades, centuries, leading all up to this. I've never had the desire to be a part of a coven, or to meet humans. In the past decade however, my views ahve changed and I found the lonliness almost unbearable so I've been in these high schools, trying to get a taste of life again. I do not have a particular house, many scattered across the world. My current home is in Nevada. Oh! Another thing, sunlight does not affect me."
"Not true, it did that once! I remember because you all but turned into a disco ball." I put in.
"I have known Mary-Beth's family even before I was changed. So I have known all of them for centuries. Never have I found someone quite like my Beth though." He glanced at me, his expression softening a little. I blushed like I always did when he gave me that look, and stared at my hands to avoid the Cullen's gaze. My phone rang then, making me jump.
"Hello?"
"Mary, where are you? Joanne and Zac are going balistic, Dad's still at work, and the boys went out for some band thing. I have a life too you know! I have to leave in like, ten minutes. You need to get home now." my sister snapped in my ear.
"Okay Emily, bye."
"I can take you, I have to go get Bella anyhow." Edward offered as he stood and grabbed a coat.
"That would be great, thank you. Tom, I expect to see you soon. Thank you, Mrs. Cullen for the cookies, they were really good. Bye." I grabbed my things and raced out the door after Edward.
When I got home, there was a note on the door from Emily saying she had already taken off...and left our five year old sister and seven month old brother home alone. Swallowing my anger, I opened the door and set my things down with a clunk, and raced to my room--the source of all the screaming and crying. There was Joanne, sitting on my bed sobbing for all she was worth, and Zac in his crb making angry baby sounds before popping out his binki and screaming at the top of his little lungs. Picking Zac and Joanne up, I went to the kitchen and found food for us all. Zac zonked out five minutes later, and Joanne sat at the table coloring her picture book and finishing her grilled cheese sandwich. Just as I was able to relax on the couch, the doorbell rang...and rang...and rang. What was with this person?
"Coming!" I shouted and raced to the door. "What?" I cried as I opened it to face nothing but the pouring rain. I peered out, wondering if it could be Tom, but found no one. Looking down however, I found the most beautiful flower I had ever seen. It took my breath away, it was simply beautiful! It resembleda rose, but the leaves were all wrong,almost like a fern. Theflower was abrilliant blue, almost neon but still soft somehow. Picking it up gently, I whispered a thank you to whoever had sent it, and quickly shut the door.
"Whas that?" Joanne asked and ran up to me, reaching her hands up for me to give it to her.
"It's a flower. Go find a pretty glass cup for me to put it in."
"Okay!" She skipped off towards the kitchen, happy for something to do.
After setting it in some water in the cup Jo had given me, I placed it on my nightstand knowing it would be gone by tomorrow. Joanne kept looking at it weird...we were all dead asleep when everyone else got home, because when I did wake up, it was four in the morning. Blinking, I wondered why I had woken. No, what had woken me. Whatever it was, I had a strange feeling it wasn't gone. There was no way I was going back to sleep, and something made me not want to be in the house. The instinct to get out was so strong I grabbed my running things in a rugh, put them on downstairs, and sprinted out the door. It was raining...pouring actually. The cold hard drops soaked me to the bone in less than a minute. Three miles away and thirty minutes later, I was feeling the burn, and was somewhere in Forks. I think...I had been running on the roads for a while until I saw a little trail that led off into the woods. It was so tempting so I had decided to take it. The little trailquickly gave way to a country road, which I had followed for about a mile. The horizion was turning from black to grey, giving little light to my path. The sound of something behind me caused me to turn and look.
It was a dog. No, a wolf, a huge wolf. Like a horse size wolf. If it wanted to eat me, I had no doubt it could in one bite. For every frightened step I took back, the wolf took two forward. It was going to freaking eat me! The wolf's eves were a striking yellow-orange, but its fur was pure white, except for a few spots on its face that were black.
"Nice puppy...it's all righ..." it's ears perked up at the sound of my voice, and it stopped in its tracks. I glanced over at the woods, cooing at the monsterous dog who had sad down and tried to think of a way to get away. Still talking to the wolf, I began to sidestep towards the woods. Its ears perked up again and it got up, trotting towards me.
"Look!! Oh my god, wow! It's a beautiful distraction from the big bad wolf!" I yelled. The wolf turned around, and that was all I needed. Taking off through the woods, I looked for a tree I was able to actually climb. The wolf shot off after me, but not before I got to a sycamore tree and bolted up it. The wolf jumped up at my tree, trying to get at my perch while whining.
"Go away! Shoo wolf!" I shouted at him, and his ears shot up again. Sighing I began wishing I had stayed in bed, or thought to bring a cell phone...