I had been seen, by Joe Pratt of all people. He recognized me. And he was probably going to tell everyone the frightening story of how I had looked so messed up and then jumped out a window. I could never return now.

I had officially lost everything. I lost my love, I lost my life, and now I lost any future I might have ever had. I could not, would not, return to George. There were only two options. First, suicide. The problem with that was I had no idea how to die as a vampire. It was easier said than done. I had so little experience with living, I didn't have a clue how to die. Jumping off a cliff wouldn't work- my body was too strong and I would survive. I didn't breathe anyway, so I couldn't suffocate. I couldn't eat anything but blood so poison would never work. George, while violent, would never kill me. I was his toy, his possession. He would keep me for as long as he could.

My only other option was to try to starve myself. If I could try to hide from people, refuse myself blood like I had with Joe, eventually I would die, right?

For weeks I tried to hide in the woods and avoid people. My thirst grew exponentially inside me, and I could feel myself becoming more animalistic every day. One day, I ran into a man in the woods. He scared me because I could only sense his presence- not his blood. His name was Amos, and he was the first vampire I ever met after my escape from George.

Amos was a shorter man with dark, curly hair and facial hair. He had been a vampire for 300 years, or so he said. The one special thing about Amos was his eyes. They were a tawny color; unlike my crimson red. When I inquired about it, he told me he survived off animals.

That day was a turning point in my second life. Over the next six years, he taught me how to hunt animals, and feed from them. The guilt in me subsided to a manageable level. My eyes were that same shade of gold as his. Amos had become a real friend, and a mentor. The more time we spent together, the happier he became. But I still was not happy. I was emotionally drained and lonely. I was surviving, but it was not a happy existence. Amos could sense in me that I no longer wanted to go on living as I was.

"Elizabeth, I want to tell you something. There are leaders of our kind. They are called the Volturi. If you're truly unhappy, you should go to them. I will not harm you in any way, but if you wish to end this life, they may be able to help you."

He told me where I could find the Volturi. After a few days of thought, I decided he was right. There would be no happiness left for me in this world. If I wanted to truly be happy, it would be with my death. So I gave a heartfelt goodbye to my friend and left for Italy.

Upon my arrival, I could sense the powerful tension this castle put among the people. It loomed over them like some sort of all-seeing entity.

I walked in the doors of the castle, unsure what to say and do; "I'm here so you can kill me" seemed a little too forward. So I took a few steps inside and called out.

"Hello?"

The empty hallway I was in suddenly wasn't empty anymore. A very attractive woman in a bustled gown hurried toward me.

"I'm sorry, but commoners are not allowed in this castle. You will have to leave." she said.

I fumbled around, embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was told the Volturi could help-"

She cut me off. "Oh. That's different. Follow me." she turned and began to hurry away the same way she had come. I followed as quickly as I could. Before I knew it, we were in a giant round room with three thrones sitting at the far end. There were a few small windows, so very little natural light spilled into the room. I imagined that in each throne should have sat a man, finely dressed, with silk jackets. But the thrones were empty. And they stayed that way.

"I'm afraid Aro, Caius and Marcus are away on business matters. But I will send Demetri in to speak with you." she shut the doors behind her as she left.

I was all alone in this giant room. Suddenly the weight of the entire situation hit me. This would be the last place I ever saw. I would never see the world, I would never meet other vampires. I would cease to exist at all. No one would mourn me, because they already had in my human life. I started to rethink my whole plan, fear overtaking me.

The doors opened again and a sharply dressed man entered the room.

"I am Demetri. What do you need of the Volturi?" he said.

I took a quick look at Demetri. He was fairly tall, much taller than me. He had very dark blonde hair, pale skin, and piercing red eyes. His demeanor was hard and formal but his expression was soft. He had on a black ensemble with golden threading and buttons. He was a handsome man, generally.

"Oh, uh, I..." I stammered, looking down at his jacket's buttons. I must have looked like a very confused soul because he paused, looked around for a moment as if to see if we were alone, and then reached out and touched my arm.

"Look. If you aren't completely sure of what you want, you should leave and think about it. Count your blessings that Caius isn't here. He would punish you just for wasting his time."

I looked up at him, thankful. For the first real moment, our eyes locked on each other. We stood there for a few moments, just staring at each other. His piercing red eyes were a lot easier to look into than I imagined. It was like I could see straight into his heart- and it was good.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Elizabeth Clive." I said, confident for the first time in our conversation.

"Elizabeth... out of curiosity, what did you come here for?" he asked.

"Well... um... honestly, I was told that if I was ready to die..." I whispered, looking down at my feet, feeling less confident.

He was silent for a moment. "No... you shouldn't. How old are you?"

I wasn't sure how to answer him. "I was eighteen?"

"No, how long have you been a vampire?" he clarified quietly.

"Oh, uh..." I tried to recount in my head. "Seven years, I think?"

He looked concerned. "Only seven years? Elizabeth, there is so much in this world. There are beautiful places waiting to be seen, experiences to be had, relationships to be created and strengthened... this second life should be seen as a brand new start. A chance to do everything in the world you always wanted to in your first. You should give it a chance. Say, a good fifty years? If you aren't happy then... then perhaps you would be happy ending your life."

I nodded. "I think you're right. I'll do that."

His lips tightened into an almost-smile. "Good. Shall I see you in about fifty years, then?"

Again, I nodded.

"Alright. Exit through these doors and Giuliana will escort you back out the way you came." He hesitated for a moment, and then held out his hand.

I went to shake his hand cordially, but when our hands touched, he paused. He turned my hand over and gently bent down, kissing the tops of my fingers.

"Alla prossima, bella Elizabeth." he whispered, bowing his head. I would have blushed if it were possible. I smiled uncontrollably, for the first time in nearly eight years.