Special thanks again to my beta Jkane180 and to Wordslinger. You both know why. Thanks to all who read and reviewed. I'll be replying to those now.
I could easily hear them downstairs, even though they were whispering. Of course, I was once again the topic of conversation, as I had been so many times over the last few weeks.
"Did you see the paper this morning, Carlisle?"
Esme sounded worried, her voice trembling slightly as she continued.
"That Trenchwood boy was found dead, his eyes ripped out. He was one of her attackers; do you remember? Carlisle, his body was covered in rose petals."
Carlisle sighed deeply.
"I know, sweetheart."
"Do you think she did it?" I heard Esme ask.
It was quiet for a few seconds before Carlisle responded.
"Yes, I do. She wasn't here last night. I think Edward knows something, but he doesn't want to tell me. In fact, he's been avoiding me for the last few days. I think we know why now."
"Shouldn't we stop her?" Esme sounded anxious, and for a moment, I tensed. They wouldn't be able to stop me if they tried, but if that was what they wanted, I would fight them with all I had.
"I don't think we can, Esme. She seems intent on doing this. You didn't see the state she was in when I found her. The things they did to her…" His voice grew even softer as he trailed off. I flinched as I was once again reminded of what had happened to me that night.
"So we sit back and do nothing as she murders them one by one," Esme stated, sounding slightly desperate.
"I think we have no choice," Carlisle responded, much to my satisfaction.
They really didn't have a choice. Not even I had a choice in this; it had to be done. For my own sanity.
Day 2: Percy
Dark eyes, a crooked grin. His hands on my shoulders as he tries to keep me pinned to the floor. Words of encouragement for the men around him as they rape me one by one. The back of his hand on my face, stinging my cheek when I try to break free from his grip. The taste of blood in my mouth as he strikes time and time again. Elation in his eyes as I beg him to stop.
Percy Weston was one of the newer additions to the New York social scene. Having moved here from Texas, he was over the moon to be accepted into Royce's inner circle. He emulated Royce in everything that he did in an attempt to become his best friend. I was never even sure that Royce liked him; in fact, I was pretty confident that he didn't.
Shortly after my supposed death, Percy had gotten engaged to a girl named Lily Miller. She was young, pretty, and from a good family. Undoubtedly, their matrimony would solidify his status within the group. Too bad he would never be able to make it down the aisle.
Having kept close watch on him, as I had the rest of the group, I knew he'd made it a habit to visit the less fortunate women of Rochester every week on Tuesday. Today was no exception, and I couldn't wait to wipe the satisfied grin from his face. I followed closely, watching from the shadows as he whistled while he walked home. As he entered a dark ally, separating the good part of town from the bad, I decided to make myself known.
I stepped out of the shadows, into the dim light of the glowing streetlamp. He stopped abruptly when he noticed me, swaying just a little, obviously unsteady from the alcohol he'd consumed. His eyes narrowed as he tried to make sense of me, and I used his temporary confusion to step closer to him. I walked slowly, my hips moving from side to side, and despite his obvious bewilderment, his eyes followed the motion as if my body were hypnotizing him.
"Good evening, Percy," I said, causing him to suddenly look into my eyes.
"I knew that last whiskey was a bad idea," he muttered to himself.
I moved closer, until I was near enough to reach out and touch him if I wanted to. For now, I had no desire to do so. Not while he still thought I was only a figment of his imagination.
"What would your lovely bride think if she knew where I found you?"
I cocked my head to the side just a little and furrowed my brow as if I was really worried about young Lily. Percy staggered back slightly, turning his head left and then right, either looking for an escape route or trying to find the person who was playing this cruel joke on him. When he couldn't find either, he cast his eyes back on me, and his expression quickly shifted from fear to anger.
"Who are you?" he demanded to know.
Taking a step forward and forcing him to take several steps back, I raised my arms as if to display myself.
"Don't tell me you don't remember me, Percy. Or is it only my body you saw that night? What if I wriggled and screamed? Would that help your memory?"
He looked at me in disbelief, his mouth opening and closing a few times as if he was trying to find the right words.
"You're dead," he eventually hissed. "This isn't real; you can't be here."
"Yet, I'm here. Odd, isn't it?" I replied, mocking him.
"What are you? What do you want from me?"
"What am I?" I repeated, pausing, since even I had no answer to that question at the moment.
Percy tried to take advantage of my momentary distraction and suddenly took a sprint to the edge of the alley. I overtook him within a second; he was no match for my vampire-speed.
"Are you trying to piss me off, Percy?"
I blocked his way, moving with him as he attempted to pass me time and time again. I could see his frustration level rise, and I knew it wouldn't be long before his infamous temper would come out. Sure enough, he didn't disappoint.
"Get out of my way, you filthy little bitch," he spat, stepping up until he was hovering over me, trying to intimidate me.
"There's no need for such language, dear Percy," I scolded him, watching as his face turned a curious shade of purple, a sure sign that he was about to lose it. I had him exactly where I wanted him.
"You're not real. There's no such thing as ghosts. My conscience is making me see things."
At this, I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Your conscience? You have no conscience, and you know it. Face it, Percy, I'm real, and I'm here. And I sure as hell am no ghost."
"You're not real!" he shouted, his voice now taking a desperate tone.
I could see a vain swell on his temple, pulsating with every angry beat of his heart. I could smell the blood flowing underneath, unappealing, almost rotten. Like with Kirk, I had no desire to drink from him, not a single drop.
"Let's test how real I am," I proposed. "You like to hit women, am I right? I suppose it makes you feel powerful, more manly. If I had to guess, I would say it probably turns you on."
Percy's anger level was rising rapidly, his body trembling as he tried to hold back. I didn't want him to hold back, however.
"That's it, isn't it? It gets you hard. You can't get it up otherwise."
His hand moved fast, striking me once across the face. I didn't even feel it; it didn't so much as tickle, and my head never moved. Percy, on the other hand, was screaming in agony, cradling his undoubtedly broken fingers.
"Feels real, doesn't it?" I mocked him, using the opportunity to force him back until he was pressed up against the wall.
"What the fuck are you?" he hissed through gritted teeth.
I placed my palms on either side of his face, allowing him no possible escape.
"Your worst nightmare," I replied menacingly.
"What are you going to do to me?" Percy asked, fear creeping into his voice, giving me great satisfaction.
"I'm going to make sure that Miss Miller will never have to suffer at your hand, Percy. Hitting a woman is the worst thing a man can do. It doesn't make you superior; it makes you scum, and scum should be exterminated."
I reached back my hand and swung it, letting my hand hit his face. I used only a tiny amount of pressure-enough to make it hurt but not enough to do any permanent damage. I stepped back and admired the red imprint of my hand on his cheek. A tiny trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth.
"Fucking bitch. You're gonna pay for this."
He staggered towards me, his hand already raised. I quickly darted out of his way, leaving him to spin around with the force of his swing. His eyes met mine, and he glared at me, slightly out of breath. Without warning, I struck again, the other cheek this time, and, with great satisfaction, I felt some of his teeth shatter. Percy fell to his knees in front of me, spitting out a mixture of blood and teeth. Some of it hit my dress, infuriating me even further.
"Look at me," I demanded, but he refused, instead, gazing firmly ahead.
I reached for his face and lifted it up by the chin, forcing him to meet my eyes. The left side of his face was bloody and swollen, leaving me oddly satisfied.
"Hmm…I see what you mean now. There's something very gratifying about this."
Percy's breathing sped, and his heartbeat was so loud I had the urge to cover my ears. Instead, I flashed him what should have been a winning smile, but in reality, it was no more than a strange grimace. Then I raised my hand and smacked his head so hard that I felt his skull crack beneath my hands. Blood and what appeared to be pieces of brain splattered everywhere, staining my dress and clinging to my hair. Percy fell back, his body hitting the wall. There, he slid sideways until his face was on the ground, his unseeing eyes staring at my feet.
Again, I left the rose petals, my sign for my former fiancé, before fleeing the scene and heading home where Edward met me at the door.
"Carlisle and Esme have left. They understand that you have a need to do this, but they don't approve. They asked us to join them when your 'work' is completed."
I simply nodded at his words. It would be easier without them around, with no one to judge my actions. As I reached the stairs to go up to my room, a thought occurred to me.
"Why are you still here?"
I turned to look at Edward, who seemed to be considering my question, weighing his answer carefully.
"Because I felt this is where I should be," he eventually answered.
Though his reply confused me slightly, I nodded again and ascended the stairs to wash away the traces of violence and vengeance that clung to me. Another monster removed from the world, bringing me closer to my goal: the biggest monster of them all. I almost smiled at the thought.