Chapter 7. She's A Human. Have I made that point clear?
They tried to make me lose her trail, wearing her clothes and putting her scent on the plants around where they ran, and they were not headed for Phoenix. I almost fell for it, too, if they didn't make it so goddamn obvious. When I figured it out, I felt like an idiot, and that anger that had risen to the top somehow grew even higher. That girl would die a terrible death.
How could that wonderful vampire love her? He was so much stronger and capable. She was no more than an inexperienced human. This is why she needed to die. She did not deserve him, and he would also die, in avenging her, because he would not love me. Such a sad outcome.
"Victoria, I need something from you," Victoria was resting in a grove of the forest after she had chased one of the vampire's trucks, and she gave me an inquisitive glance. I tried to ask little of Victoria, because she would never let me live it down, and she had already chased that truck for me. "I need you to go to that girl's school, and find her records. I'm nearly positive she's not going to Phoenix, but I need to find out where she would go."
"Sure, I'll get them right now," I was stunned, Victoria never put up with my pleas so easily. And she didn't even question the reason why I needed that information. She just stood, brushed her eyes over me, and ran off. Something was different about her, but I couldn't figure out what, and had no time to either.
Victoria returned within thirty minutes with the information I so desperately needed. Arizona. Sunny and hot, a vampire's paradise. Could she really be headed there? Was she stupid enough to say where she was going, proclaiming it to the world?
"I'm going after her," I announced, and Victoria's face fell, momentarily, until she composed herself again. "Victoria, are you alright?" She seemed so disconsolate, so unhappy with the way the world was turning. I felt the need to change the Earth's rotation for her, if I had that ability. What was happening to me?
"Good luck," she whispered, and mumbled something more, which sounded somewhat like "I love you." Impossible.
I took the address of her house with me, maybe she had gone home. The school of hers also gave her cell phone number, what an imbecilic thing to do. I gave Victoria a hug, something which we rarely did, and held it for one extra moment. Was something happening between us? I knew I was not falling for her, my heart, sadly, was still set on Aro, and all the other men who I took a fancy to. But was Victoria, for some reason, falling for me? These questions I could not ask of her, I had a mission.
Running to Phoenix took no time. I arrived in the night, under the cover of the stars. I found her house, a nice size, with a wrap-around porch, in the suburbs of the city. To gain entrance was simplistic. Her backdoor could be fixed easily, but that was not of my concern. The first room from this entrance in the house was the kitchen, and I noted the mess on the counter, though no one was living there at the moment.
A small notebook on the counter took my notice, and I walked over to it and opened the front cover. Out of it fell a postcard with a dance studio, windows lining the walls, and a wooden floor. I held onto this. For some reason, I felt it would be of great use to me.
Her living room was adequate. The television was perched on a wooden stand, about to topple off. A movie was in the VCR, and I turned it on, to learn more about this girl whose life I would soon be ending.
"Bella? Bella! Where are you?" A mother's frantic voice. "Bella, you scared me! Don't you ever do that to me again." I felt some pity for this woman. She loved this girl, this Bella, so much, and I was going to take this girl's life right from her. Of course, the key word is some pity. Some, but not enough.
I had my plan, after watching this video. All I needed to do was call this Bella and scare her, and her mother needn't be involved at all.
I called her phone, and when someone answered, I let the video play "Bella?"
"No, she's right here," the voice replied. A vampire, one protecting Bella.
"Hello?" a human's voice. The task would be easy, at this point. I just had to keep the tape running for a bit.
"Bella? Bella?" her mother's voice was worried, and this would hopefully scare Bella enough. I paused the video.
"Calm down, Mom," I nearly chuckled when the girl said this, she had no idea what was in store for her. I let a silence carry out. This upset the girl, "Mom?"
"Be very careful not to say anything until I tell you to," I spoke into the phone. Even though I could not see her face, I imagined the confusion and fear that played across it. "Now, I don't want to hurt your mother-" the girl did not need to know that this was not her mother, she'd learn in due time. "-so please do exactly as I say, and she'll be fine." I allowed silence for a moment. I knew she would not say anything, because she could not let her mother die. "That's very good," I mock applauded her, playing with her emotions, destroying her slowly. "Now repeat after me, and do try to sound natural. Please say, 'No, Mom, stay where you are.' "
Her voice was unsteady when she said this, and I knew she was horror-stricken. "I can see this is going to be difficult," I mused. "Why don't you walk into another room now so your face doesn't ruin everything?" I insulted her at every chance I got, without sounding to wretched. "There's no reason for your mother to suffer," Of course not, her mother was nowhere near this place. "As you're walking, please say, 'Mom, please listen to me.' Say it now."
Her voice was stronger when she said this, and I could tell that she was pleading for her mother's life.
"There now, are you alone? Just answer yes or no."
"Yes," she replied this quietly, and her voice had no strength.
"But they can still hear you, I'm sure," Her vampire friends were probably sitting in the next room over, somewhat of a hassle on my part.
"Yes," she spoke again, answering my question, and probably hoping that they would save her.
I had to keep going with my plan. "All right, then. Say, 'Mom, trust me.' "
Once again, she repeated my words. Still, her voice was weak.
"This worked out rather better than I expected. I was prepared to wait, but your mother arrived ahead of schedule," I knew this would force her to crumble. "It's easier this way, isn't it? Less suspense, less anxiety for you," She probably had the most anxiety a teenage girl has ever had, I just wanted to mess with her head. "Now I want you to listen very carefully. I'm going to need you to get away from your friends; do you think you can do that? Answer yes or no."
"No," her reply somewhat shocked me. How could she say that, knowing, or thinking, that her mother would soon die because of it?
"I'm sorry to hear that. I was hoping you would be a little more creative than that. Do you think you could get away from them if your mother's life depended on it? Answer yes or no," I needed to get her away from her guardians.
Her response took a little longer. "Yes." And my plan was set into motion.
"That's better. I'm sure it won't be easy, but if I get the slightest hint that you have company, well, that would be very bad for your mother," it was so much fun to toy with her like that, "You must know enough about us be now to realize how quickly I would know if you tried to bring anyone with you. And how little time I would need to deal with your mother if that was the case. Do you understand? Answer yes or no."
"Yes," her voice broke when she said this, and I nearly laughed, because I could almost see her pain, and it caused me a lot of pleasure.
"Very good, Bella. Now this is what you have to do. I want you to go to your mother's house. Next to the phone there will be a number. Call it, and I'll tell you where you need to go from there." The dance studio, naturally. "Can you do that? Answer yes or no."
"Yes," of course she could.
"Before noon, please, Bella. I haven't got all day."
"Where's Phil?" I nearly broke the phone. How dare she ask a question out of line, it could completely destroy off my plan.
"Ah, be careful now, Bella. Wait until I ask you to speak, please," Stupid girl. "It's important, now, that you don't make your friends suspicious when you go back to them. Tell them that your mother called, and that you talked her out of coming home for the time being. Now repeat after me, 'Thank you Mom.' Say it now." Her reply was sadder, almost defeated. "Say, 'I love you, Mom, I'll see you soon.' Say it now." When she said this, I heard a promise in her voice, and I almost laughed. "Goodbye, Bella. I look forward to seeing you again," And I hung up.
My plans were in action. Now I just needed to prepare for Bella.