Ireland

I never wished to be able to sleep, for nearly a hundred years I have found that not needing sleep gave me an opportunity to learn more than I could have, and observe the oddities of the human behavior, especially of those sleeping. Yet now I wished to have the 8 hours of nothingness... of fiction that is sleep. That even in a nightmare it would better than the reality that I am in now.

The days blurred together into an eternity of gray. The short training with Alistair has done nothing to ease my (for lack of a better word) depression. The only thing that stops me from getting on a jumbo jet towards the Pacific Northwest is the fear inside of me, not fear for myself, my time was coming in a few decades.

I was still in the British Isles, when a subconscious instinct told me to swim to Ireland. Why not? And so I found myself, on a crowded street in Dublin on a cool misty day, looking at three strikingly beautiful Irish immortals. Two women and a man, each with ruby irises, spotted me on the street and motioned for me to follow them as they turned down an ally.

I followed them, through back allies, out of the city, into the woods. Once we were in the darkness of the woods I followed them at a run for about ten miles before coming to a cottage completely in harmony with the woods surrounding it, with the three immortals in front of the entrance. I stepped forward to greet them when Siobhan greeted me first.

"Edward! What brings you to Ireland? Is Carlisle all right?"

"Carlisle is fine, and so is everyone else back in the states. How are you?"

"We are great," Siobhan said, Maggie nodded in agreement, "come in, I don't like getting wet" It had started to rain.

Their cottage was very green inside, with modest furniture and a lot of bookshelves. I sat down on their couch out of habit. Maggie sat down next to me. Her thoughts were worried; she had sensed that something wasn't right with me. Siobhan and Liam walked in, their arms intertwined. The feeling of longing came back again.

"So, Edward, you never did say why you were in Ireland?" Maggie asked in a blunt tone, Tell the truth I'll know if your lying any way, and do you really want me to go through the trouble of asking you again? Maggie was always this blunt; it was something I liked about her, back when I met her, anyway.

"I wanted to get away." That was the truth ... well part of it anyway.

Okay true, but I hate when you're this vague.

"Well, what made you go to Ireland?" Liam asked, he sensed that I wasn't telling the whole truth.

"I don't know really, I visited Alistair in London and didn't feel like going home. Something in my mind made me come here."

There must have been some type of emotion in my voice because after I stopped talking we sat in silence for about ten minutes. I could sense Maggie, Siobhan, and Liam going bringing up the times they saw me before. I could see myself in their memories, twenty-five years ago, the last time they saw my family and me.

In Siobhan's mind, I saw the time they watched me arm wrestle Emmett. The forest of Maine was covered in snow as Emmett and I sat by a big bolder hands clenched together ready to begin to arm wrestle. My family was behind us, and Alice yelled, "GO". My face was clenched in concentration while Emmett wore a big smile. He forced my arm into the rock creating a dent in it. "One day Emmett, You will be beat and I just hope I can see it," I said with a huge smile on my face.

In Liam's mind I saw myself from that same visit. We were playing baseball as I came up to bat and hit the ball straight toward Rosalie. She yelled as the ball went right above he head, ruining the top of her hair. I ran pass her laughing.

And I Maggie's mind I saw her memory of myself playing the piano. It was a high tempo piece with a fast triplet melody, and in a major key. It was clear that the mood was happy.

Their memories all showed me as very happy and surrounded by family. The same question was going through their head, what happened?

Maggie was the first to break the silence, "When was the last time you were happy, truly happy?"

I thought about the question. Truthfully, I don't remember the last time I was happy. I know it wasn't that long ago when I was happy, probably back in the summer when I was back in Washington. I don't want to bring back the memories of last summer; it just brings the picture that was always linked with my happiness, a very human face. That face was linked to pain.

Of course I didn't want to say exactly why I wasn't happy to Maggie. Instead I just said plainly, "Last summer, I think."

Another vague answer Edward! I knew was starting to get on her nerves.

Siobhan was worried, "Are you okay?" she asked simply.

"Yes"

"LIAR!" Maggie yelled. She tackled me on the floor and pinned me to the floor. I didn't fight back.

"Stop this stupid vague answers! I want to know the truth, the whole truth! And you are going to give it to me. Now!" She got up off of me after saying this, but her red eyes were on me.

I knew I had no other choice; I had to tell the coven my story. "I fell in love, with a mortal." They gasped but motioned for me to go on. "It started in Washington, she's unlike anyone I've ever met: her personality, the way she can see through me like no one else can. She found out what I am, and she didn't go running in fear, it made her come closer to me.

"But there is no way I'm going to take her life and bring her into this world, I couldn't live with the guilt of taking the life out of her eyes. And her blood smells so good I couldn't be near her if she got even a paper cut.

"I left her because she got to close to the dangers of our world. Last spring, a nomad came too close to killing her. I ended up killing him. And my own brother was about to kill her on her birthday. I just can't let that happen. She needs to be safe and the only way that will happen is if I'm out of her life."

I sat back down after telling my story. Maggie looked dumbstruck, "I am so sorry Edward. I had no idea." She hugged me.

I didn't know what to say. "I think I need to hunt." I told them as I turned to walk toward the door.

Siobhan opened it for me, "It'll work out somehow Edward. I know it will." She said, "Farewell."

I walked out and turned to disappear in the woods when Liam ran out after me, "Something worries me," he told me, "This nomad, the one who almost killed your love, did he have a mate?"

I nodded, "Yes"

"Then your girl may not be all that safe. This mate may want revenge, I would watch out." He turned to run back to Siobhan, "Good luck," he called after me as I ran into the woods, with no intention of hunting.

I want to thank all my readers, your reviews make me smile! And I hope the wait had paid off. Between tons of homework I haven't had time to write as much as I wanted to. But don't worry more will come to those who wait. And updates will be quicker come May. - Music Manic 101