Author's Note: Thank you to those who reviewed. I've decided to make this a chaptered story, not just a one-shot. I'm actually really excited about this. I have some great ideas so I hope you'll all keep reading and reviewing to let me know what you think. Thanks a million.
Chapter Two
Seconds crawled by, turning into minutes at a cruelly sluggish rate. I felt as though every pore of my body had been consumed by an inferno. It was quite the difference from the cold sweat that had marred me at the hospital. This was so much worse. I screamed bloody murder, tore at my clothing, scratched at my face – anything to distract me from the agony of fire that coursed through me. Nothing helped. The torture continued on until I lost track of all time. I lapsed in and out of consciousness, at times feeling completely alone, and at others knowing that someone was watching me.
And rather suddenly, the pain ceased. The fire was extinguished and I lay trembling in a makeshift bed, shrouded by darkness. There was still a burning sensation in the back of my throat, though it was not agonizing. Instead, it seemed rather desperate. I could only describe the feeling as thirsty.
"Hello," I called out into the shadowy corners of the room, wondering if anyone was in here with me. I noticed that my voice had returned to normal. It was no longer plagued by the illness that had landed me in the hospital. At that thought, my memories seemed to flood back. I recalled the passing of both my parents and the strange, but handsome doctor who had promised to save my life.
Impulsively, I placed my hand over my chest to ensure that the doctor had accomplished his task, that I was still very much alive. I searched frantically, but could not come upon the thing I sought. My heart was not beating. I was unsure of how to react to such a finding. Instinct told me to be afraid. Intelligence told me I was dead. Funny though, I didn't feel dead. I felt so alive, so strong – which was odd considering the immense pain I had just endured for who knows how long. I sat up in the cot that had been provided for me. It looked very unkempt and led me to the conclusion that my host – who I believed to be the doctor – rarely had visitors for the night. It was then that I felt my head begin to buzz with an odd sensation.
Unexpectedly, to my right somewhere, a door creaked open and a slim beam of light penetrated the unending darkness of my chamber. I watched, unmoving and unafraid, as the familiar doctor from the hospital entered and closed the door behind him. The light, however, did not disappear as it was produced by the candle held in his left hand. The doctor, whose name I still had not learned, came and sat by my feet, but not before placing his candle on the bedside table. I had barely noticed before, but as he had entered, he held a tiny glass vial in his right hand. He kept that with him as he sat down. Curious though, whatever liquid was in there smelled tempting enough to drink. And I was rather thirsty.
"How are you feeling Edward?" The doctor looked at me with genuine curiosity, as though wondering how long it would take me to implode. I felt almost uncomfortable, but a faint voice in the back of my head told me that I was being ridiculous. However, that faint voice wasn't the only sound inside my head. The buzzing had intensified and was nearly so overwhelming I desired to clamp my hands over my ears in an attempt to stop it. I refrained though, pushing the buzzing to the back of my mind, where it continued on in a wild flurry.
"Strange," I answered truthfully. I studied the doctor's face, trying to draw out any clues that would explain the circumstances of my situation. I noticed the corners of his lips turn up into a slight smile. I also noticed his eyes again, but they were now different. The strange topaz colour I had observed in the hospital had been replaced by a dark, close to black colour, almost matching the bruise-like bags under his eyes.
"What happened?" I asked, a thousand and one questions burning behind that simple inquiry. The doctor's smile instantly morphed into a frown as he heaved a deep, sorrowful sigh. I knew whatever answer he was about to provide would probably not make me happy.
"Edward," he was careful with his tone as he spoke to me. The buzzing in my mind intensified, screaming, desperate to be heard. "You were dying. You were so close to being taken by the influenza. And your mother…she didn't want that for you. She asked me to save you. I did everything in my power to fulfill her final wishes."
My mind shot back through time, to when I was barely conscience on my deathbed, listening to the bizarre conversation my mother was having with this doctor. She had spoken to him in a hushed whisper, as though afraid that someone would hear, even though no one was listening. Perhaps she was afraid that I would hear. Could it have been that terrible? What had happened to me?
"What happened?" I repeated through trembling lips. I ignored the terrified buzzing as it swirled through my psyche focusing on the conversation I was having with the doctor.
"Perhaps I should start closer to the beginning," he mumbled in response and the buzzing calmed, ever so slightly, "My name is Carlisle Cullen. I'm a doctor, that much you know. But I'm so much more. You see, Edward, I have a gift…or a curse, depending on which way you look at it. I'm a vampire."
To be completely truthful, I was unsure of how to respond. I was silent, allowing this new information to sink in, contemplating if it could possibly be true. The buzzing in my head was also silenced in an almost apprehensive manner and I was thankful. I could barely believe what Doctor Cullen had just revealed to me. Vampires were beings out of stories and legends. They were certainly not here, walking amongst humans, working in hospitals when they so happily feasted on blood. It was impossible. But perhaps it was also the reason I was still alive. Although if I were a vampire, alive would do me no justice – awake would be a much better term.
"Does that mean…?" I didn't even bother finishing with my question. Of course I was a vampire as well. That would explain the lack of a heartbeat. I was a vampire. Me, Edward Anthony Masen, a monster, a killer of innocents, a bloodthirsty beast. A wave of mixed hysteria and anger swept over me and I clenched at the sides of the bed. The buzzing had returned at full force. I wanted to scream at it to stop and somewhere, in the very back of my mind, I dimly wondered if the searing pain of before had caused me to lapse into some horrible, twisted nightmare.
"I'm sorry Edward," Carlisle whispered so low that I was amazed I could hear him, "It was the only way. I do hope you'll forgive me."
I didn't respond. I didn't want to. I refused to come to terms with the fact that I was a monster. And so I closed my eyes and focused on organizing my disorderly thoughts. And as I focused on nothing but my mind, I heard a voice break through the damned buzzing and it was a very familiar one at that.
How could I do this? He's just a boy, so innocent. He doesn't deserve this. I do wonder though…maybe he's thirsty…
"I am."
The words had escaped my lips before I even had time to come to the conclusion that I had just heard Carlisle's voice from inside my head. He had spoken without moving his lips. I suppose, at the time, that I just passed it off as some strange vampire trait. Carlisle looked at me with wide eyes, confusion unmistakably written all over his face.
"I'm sorry?"
"I'm thirsty," I repeated, "Just like you suggested. Although I'm not too keen on drinking blood…if in fact I am a vampire."
The buzzing in my head started up once more, this time louder than ever. I shot Carlisle a look of annoyance.
"What on Earth is that infernal noise?" I raised my hands to cover my ears, trying in vein to block out the maddening sound. Carlisle continued to look at me curiously.
"Just like Aro," he mumbled, "Interesting, interesting, interesting." He held out his pallid hand towards me, "Edward, what am I thinking?" It was my turn to stare at Carlisle as though he were the madman in the room. How on Earth was I supposed to know what he was thinking?
"For goodness' sake, I don't know!" I felt an uncharacteristic anger bubble in my chest and terrible thirst burned at the back of my throat, begging to be quenched. I had a strange desire to growl, to fight, to kill. I felt Carlisle's hand clench my arm tightly – with more force than he had ever used at the hospital and I calmed down ever so slightly, the intelligent part of me knowing I did not desire to pick a fight with the man who clearly knew what was going on one hell of a lot better than I did.
"Just focus Edward," Carlisle instructed, "Listen carefully."
I closed my eyes and focused in on the buzzing that had strengthened in my ears. And I heard a single clear sentence ring out from the noise.
Vampires can go out in the sunlight, I bet you were unaware of that…
"Actually, I was," I replied to Carlisle, though he had said nothing, "Unaware, I mean. Can we really?"
"When there are no humans around," Carlisle nodded, "We…we sparkle, I suppose you could say." He let out a low chuckle as though remembering something far, far in the past.
"So, I can read your thoughts?" I asked, still confused as to why I could do such a thing. Carlisle nodded.
"It's your talent," he said happily, as though it were obvious, "You see, everyone has something they are good at or something special about them, and when we're transformed into vampires we take these traits with us and they're magnified, probably tenfold. You must have been very sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of those around you. Now, you can actually hear them, instead of just sense them."
"Sounds confusing," I muttered, "Would you like me to stay out of your mind Carlisle?" I figured I owed him as much as privacy after he had saved me from the influenza – even if I was now eternally damned. At least I would grow up…sort of.
"When you can," he smiled, "My head is a very confusing place. There's a lot in there."
I chuckled. Like the buzzing hadn't already told me as much.
"What's your special talent?" I asked, blocking out all the buzzing in order to not take the answer from Carlisle's mind. Of course, I still heard the buzzing, but no voices came from it. Carlisle smiled serenely.
"Questions later," he said, "We need to get you fed before the thirst intensifies." He pulled the small glass vial out of his pocket and shook it around. I looked at it with hungry eyes as my throat burned with curiosity and desire.
"Is it…"
"Blood, yes," Carlisle cut me off, "But it's a little different than what you're probably thinking."
He handed me the vial and I popped the stopper off. It fell to the ground and rolled somewhere under the bed. The liquid smelled so much more alluring now. I raised the vial and brought it to my waiting lips, drinking every last drop, enjoying the cool relief it brought to my scorched throat. When I was finished I tossed the vial to the floor to join the stopper.
"I want more."
I noticed that my voice was nothing more than a snarl. Carlisle pulled another vial out of his pocket, one that I had not seen him enter with. I reached out for it, but he held it back. My teeth snapped in his direction. Carlisle looked at me sternly.
"Edward, control yourself," his voice was authoritative and my snarls subsided to low growls. Carlisle kept the vial at a safe distance and began talking again.
"I do not drink human blood," he said, still strict, "And neither will you. I live in peace with humans, and you will do the same. Do you understand?"
"Yes," I nodded with fervour, "But then…what was it I just drank?"
"Deer, quite common and quite delicious."
"Interesting," I mumbled as Carlisle handed me the second vial and I cracked it open. The red liquid…the blood splashed around inside as I raised it to my lips, looking forward to the sweet, sweet taste.
Author's Note: What did you guys think of the way I portrayed Edward's first encounter with his powers? Well written? Poor? Opinions are greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch.