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"Alice. Come sit."

Vincent often ordered me around like a dog. I bit my tongue and went to him grudgingly. I stiffened as his arm snaked around my shoulders. Lee watch intently, like he was only jealous of his master when I was under his arm. I looked away. "So, tell me Alice…" Vincent said smoothly. I squinted. "Have you had any good premonitions lately? Any humans nearby?" I frowned.

"You know I don't do looking for humans. I look for deer and mountain lions." I hadn't meant for it to be so cunning, but I realized how sharp it sounded out in the open. I saw Perry move with caution, turning towards us. I swallowed. Vincent sighed.

"Alice, didn't I ask for you to watch out for us to eat? We don't want to stick to your tofu diet." I simply put on an ashamed face to made him less homicidal. Perry cleared his throat, causing Vincent to whir in his direction.

"Actually, Alice's little sticks-and-leaves diet is pretty good."

Vincent gaped. Lee hissed under his breath. "I've tried a couple bears, you see…and it feels a little better to not be killing…" Perry scratched his cheek absently and looked away from Vincent's incredulous stare.

"You've been munching on little woodland creatures when we have the best blood out there?" Vincent's hand released from me as he began to crawl to Perry. When Perry noticed him, I saw that his eyes were sort of murky, like sunlight stained with raspberry juice. He was becoming like me--and refusing the human diet. Silently, I applauded him, but became grave when Vincent reached him, climbing to his feet to stare at him.

Vincent had the worst mood swings I had ever heard of. Sometimes when I pried away from him, he and Lee would just go hunting, without a word, expecting Perry to take care of me. Of course, when we were alone, Perry would do no such thing, and we would swap stories. That was very nice--getting rid of Vincent, rejecting him, and talking to Perry.

But other times, I would simply make the wrong step or say the wrong thing or huff out the wrong tone, and Vincent would order Perry to do me in.

I would stand there, confused, trying to find the offense in my actions. I would cry out half in pain, half in acting as Perry would drag his nails across my white skin, ribbons of it rising from the surface and curling like some sort of peeling. I feared that now was one of Vincent's violent mood swings, after all--I'd just been talking to him with an acid tongue and he'd done nothing--unless Perry could see this and directed it to himself. Fearing this, I straightened my back, my hands curling around the dirt.

Lee watched as if it were a suspense movie and he was on the edge of his seat. I wanted to slap him.

Vincent was glaring at Perry's multi-colored irises with such hate that I was shocked when he stepped away. "You think you can just go off and do whatever you want?" Vincent spat. Perry's face hardened.

"Alice can do that--because she's my little ball of fire! She is mine and I almost expect her to be feisty--that's why I love her!"I flinched at these words. They sounded so serious...I felt my throat tighten and I hissed in a chilling breath.

"But you--" Vincent used his hands to elaborate his malice-coated words, then poked Perry's huge chest with his thin white finger. I wondered smugly if it would break against Perry's brick hard torso. "--YOU are not allowed to disobey! You and Lee are my dogs, I am your trainer, and you don't bite the hand that feeds you. I treat you well, Per. I lead you to the best blood, and I'm letting you be a part of the future's most powerful coven. We have her…and we have you." Vincent's mouth became a hard line. Perry just stared back, his face not reading fear or smugness.

I could see Vincent's spindly hair stand on end. He lashed out his white hand--bony like a corpse's, to point at Perry's face…and he hissed, "Meet me at the river."

All I could see was black and red as Vincent moved away, stepping in the nearest river's direction.

I was up now, my palms on the tree so I did not fall over. Every noise was like a huge drum in my ears. My huge eyes found Perry. He was clutching his heart, his odd-colored eyes just as wide as mine.

Lee looked around, smiling at our horror, but not quite understanding. He believed he should, so he cackled that blood curdling noise. Vincent's long strides were angered yet triumphant--I could hear the leaves crunching, getting farther and farther away as he walked down to the water, a few miles from here. I could see Lee was thinking about following his precious master, but his eyes fixed back on us, drinking in with delight our horror.

"Perry!" I hissed, taking a step forward. Lee leapt around us, hopping while he crouched, like a macabre bunny rabbit. His eyes glittered feverishly like rubies as he watched us, preparing to launch at any misstep. I didn't care. I would fight him off if he tried anything--he didn't seem like much. He couldn't have too much fighting expertise, since Perry was the muscle around here.

Perry's eyes dropped, and his palms cradled his head. No. They cradled the memories he couldn't stand to lose. "Perry, you can't go with him!" I cried. Lee frowned.

"Alice, now he has his mind made up. He won't decide against it anymore. I can tell he's always had this in store for me." Perry hugged himself, grimacing. He hitched a ragged breath. I touched his arm.

"I will help you escape!" I whispered desperately. I couldn't have him constantly cackling behind me with Lee when Vincent spat at me. He would really hurt me, too. No more facades. I clenched his bone white skin in terror.

"Alice, it will do no good. He will only get to you sooner."

"Sooner?" I choked, pulling away. Lee lumbered up a little closer, trying to make sense of this. Perry's face was a mask of agony, I wished I could just rip it off.

"The thing he wants most? It's changed. He used to want the strongest coven in the world…" I wanted to shake him as he paused. "…but now he only wants you. He wants you as his mate and he plans to erase any memories you've had that don't involve him. Any happy memories. Of those Cullens you told me about…of Figgie…of Jasper. Probably me, too. He can do that, Alice! He can make you remember certain things and erase the best things!" He grimaced at these words, despising their truth. I gaped at him, my chin hanging loose.

"Alice, if I go now, you could run away."

"No! No, I can't just let you go!" I barked at him, grabbing each of his huge arms. I heard Lee grunt is disapproval at this. He was very confused. "I can't just let you walk to that monster and have your life be forgotten! You'll forget Lee's kindness--something I never even got to see! You'll forget your parents…and Nettie. You told me she was so beautiful. Perry…you'll forget me." The final words slit my vocals painfully. Perry's face became one for tears, but they never came. His breath was rapid.

"Perry!" Vincent's voice shattered our thoughts and filled them with fresh fear, unfeigned. Perry looked desperately at me.

"Alice, go now! Please!" He shoved away from me and ran towards Vincent's approaching voice. Now Lee understood--and he launched at me. Using the huge fear and anger at Vincent for being such a demon, I lashed out my hand, nails out. Lee wailed as I tore at his face, leaving four straight slits. He held his face and fell to the ground. I whirled to run, thanking Perry silently for sacrificed himself…and silently mourning for him, when I heard that very friend gasp, "No! It's so dark…"

I picked up speed, panting. I was wearing my gray dress still, and the mesh whispered against my pumping legs. It was the only thing I had to wear, and my lack of sweat glands made it sort of sanitary. Not by much. It was so ruined now…Jasper would never see it on me looking the way I wished. He probably wouldn't ever see the dress…or me.

My hair blew around my face as I ran, I ran the fastest I'd ever gone. But it was useless. I heard a nightmarish stampeding approach, and a steely trap wrap around my arm. It squeezed so hard I cried out. I was stopped. Caught. Just like Lee. Now…I would lose my memories of sunshine and the boutique, of Janine and Jocelyn's shiny faces, of Figgie's jokes and riddles, of the Cullens as they stood in front of the glorious pale light. I would forget the etching on the park bench--forget the tea parties and lunch dates I would have with the imaginary couple. I still thought of such fantasies when I was sad and broken.

Most of all, I would forget Jasper. Jasper, Jasper, Jasper…I tried to keep his name in my head as Vincent whirled me around. Faintly, I heard Vincent bellowing at me. Jasper, Jasper…

Surely if I had a beating heart--it would stop in its tracks. My throat became the size of a straw, and i could only hear my hisslike breathing, Vincent's panting...so close to me--and the faint screams inside my head: Jasper...Jasper...

MUSIC: Together by Avril Lavigne

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