-Chapter 11: Eat Your Heart Out-

The woman I was holding by the neck flailed her arms and kicked at me as she gurgled out an inaudible sound. Her heart was racing in an uneven rhythm that, for some reason, reminded me of jazz music. The strung-together beats – broken and disconnected as they were – brought to me a sense of focus that was almost hypnotic.

Her thoughts, too, were racing. In my time since I had gained telepathy, I had never taken the time to study my victim's thoughts as they took their last breaths. It was extremely entertaining to me how a slight loosening of my grip or a sigh would set off the bright beacon of hope in their thoughts and emotions.

The soon-to-be-dead thirty-five year old before me was no exception.

Please. No. No! I'll never see Mark again…this can't be it. I had so much to…oh God, oh God, oh God…

To be honest, my first attempts at resisting human blood went horribly. I had only managed to last a few hours in that tree before the thudding heartbeat of a stray human pulled me off my perch and onto their pliable form.

After the fourth person went 'missing' in the forest, park rangers and police started to move in. Luckily – or not, I suppose it depends on how much fun it could have been – I had gained an inch of control by that time and was able to hold my breath as I fled south.

I was somewhere near Malibu right now and had picked up my dinner at an isolated bus stop. That thought brought my attention back to the woman, who was beginning to fade into unconsciousness. Her face was even turning a blue hue.

I took a deep breath and brought her neck to my mouth, biting into it deeply and taking shallow gulps of blood. Pulling the blood out wasn't a problem so long as they were alive – the heart does the work for me, pumping the blood out. I had discovered this after my numerous dining experiences where I had either pulverized their bones or snapped their necks before drinking.

My vision clouded over in ecstasy, and I wasn't sure if my eyes were closed or not – all I could sense was the taste and the smell; not even her dwindling thoughts could catch my attention. Soon – always too soon – liquid stopped flowing from the body and only the residual blood that lingered in the tissues remained. I buried my face in deeper and bit down again. Bones snapped and cracked, but only a few drops more were extracted.

I dropped the corpse and moaned, licking my lips and fingers to get all the blood I could manage off of them. I took a deep breath in and surveyed my surroundings. It was night, but I wasn't sure what the exact time was. This was one of the things that sucked about being a vampire – worrying about the rising sun.

I bent down and sifted through my victim's pockets. She wasn't wearing a purse when I grabbed her – probably hoping it would deter muggers if she was without one – but in the pocket of her jacket there was a small wallet. I unzipped it and pulled out the small wad of cash – $43 – and stuffed it in the pocket of my jeans before putting it back in place on the body.

"Let's go put you on a milk carton," I sighed at the mangled body as I lifted it in my arms and slung it over my shoulder. I took one last glance around the wooded area to make sure I didn't forget anything and then took off running toward the coast.

It was only about a minute into my run that the fresh, salty scent of the ocean filled my nose. I reveled in it as I upped my speed, excited for the swim. When I was fifty yards from the water's edge, I leaped into the air and sailed into the deep salt water. My victim's limb's flailed about from the water resistance and I held it tighter as I swam further away from the coastline.

From the minds of the Cullens, I could say with some level of certainty that running was the thing they most enjoyed about being a vampire – except maybe Emmet, I'm sure he would say the increased strength was better than the speed. Not me, though – and it wasn't the strength, either. It was this.

The absolute freedom underwater to do anything and go anywhere. Flying wasn't anything new to me, and running was even slower than that, but I had never been able to hold my breath indefinitely as a human.

The sound of the world around me was almost completely muted at the depth I was currently at. It was dark – almost pitch black, even for my eyes – and the water pressure was comforting, like a pulsing, flowing hug of warmth.

I dropped the body to the ocean floor and waited until it settled – ensuring it wouldn't surface – before I kicked off and dove through the water like a missile. As I flew under the waves I briefly wondered if I should have dug a hole for the body or put it under a rock. I shook my head. By the time it was discovered, it would be so bloated and decomposed it would be almost impossible to identify – much less tell it was drained of blood.

I finally resurfaced just as the sun was peaking up over the horizon. Quickly, I bolted for the forest that was right next to the beach I had come upon. Once I was in the safety of the trees, I allowed my mind to search for any witnesses. There were a few minds around me – though the closest one was over a mile away, I'd estimate – but none close enough to see me.

I grimaced as I glanced down at my clothes. The jeans I had taken to wearing were definitely more durable than my cargos, and I was thankful I had discovered this before my off-road adventure. But even jeans had their limits. They were frayed at best and had small tears and occasional gaping holes throughout. My shirt was even worse, covered in holes and rips. My shoes and socks were completely missing at this point.

I looked like a zombie.

"I do have a thing for brains," I murmured to myself.

I stepped slightly out of my cover and inched toward the ocean, watching the sunlight reflect and shimmer off the waves as the sun rose over the treetops. The light hit my bare skin and suddenly the small, dark hideaway was illuminated with a brilliant light as it bounced harshly off my skin.

This was another difference. Normal vampires – though somewhat of an oxymoron – shimmered and refracted light like a diamond in the sun. It was like a prism casting a rainbow. I, however, reflected light like metal in the sun. There was no sparkle effect – and for that I was grateful – but the blinding white light that came off my skin was even more distracting in the daytime.

After the sun went down I went out in search of a town and a meal, as my throat was starting to ache and I had no intention of suffering.

The trees blurred around the edges as I ran through the forest toward the sound of the highway. Luck was with me as I came across a dark-skinned woman – about twenty-five, with dark hair and a build that was similar enough to my own – who was huffing in frustration as her car hissed and coughed smoke into the air.

"Justo lo que necesitas!" the woman nearly shrieked as she rummaged through the car's trunk for…a jack? I smirked. Was she planning to make the problem go away by changing the tire?

I ducked behind a tree as a car drove by with its headlights on, not even slowing its roll for the frantic woman on the side of the road. After it passed I checked to make sure no one was watching, before flitting over to the woman and snapping her neck. The remaining air in her lungs rushed out of her throat, causing her lips to flap together as she fell toward the pavement. I caught her and ran back to the tree cover.

I placed the body on the forest floor and removed my trashed clothing, rolling it into a ball and tossing it to the ground. Gently, so as not to crush bones or break skin, I removed the moderately-clean clothing from the corpse and started to dress myself.

The blouse – yes, a blouse – was a deep green and was slightly too short to reach down to my waistline. The jeans, though, fit better. I hesitated when I came to her socks, and decided to go without. At least she was wearing tennis shoes – ones that fit well.

When I was finished with the clothing, I reached for the cooling body and brought its neck to my salivating mouth. I forced my hands to relax as I pulled even more gently than before, vigilant to keep my newly acquired clothing as clean as I possibly could. When the blood ran out I pulled away, angling my face away from my body as a few drops of blood fell to the ground. I smiled to myself, knowing how much restraint I showed with such fresh blood.

I searched this corpse as well, but she had neither wallet nor money on her person. I'd have to check the car after I disposed of the leftovers, though I doubted she would have much – if anything.

I was in the middle of deciding what to do with the body when I was interrupted by the loud thoughts of a police officer. They had come across the abandoned car – which was probably still hissing and smoking – and were wondering where the driver went.

"Fuck," I cursed and picked up the drained body and my shredded, old clothing, and bolted away from the road.

Once I had gone about seven miles I stopped and dropped the body to the ground; it hit the dirt with a wet thud. I quickly clawed a sizable hole for a makeshift grave and rolled the woman's body inside of it. I kicked the clothing in as well, then repositioned the dirt over the body. Finally finished covering up my meal, I traveled – once again – toward civilization.

I was surprised at the size of the town – city, rather. It was larger than Malibu, and carried with it more industrial sounds and smells. The sign I passed revealed the name of the city as San Diego, and I was slightly surprised I had traveled so far south underwater.

Walking the dark streets of the southern city was both refreshing and uncomfortable. Refreshing because it had been a while since I had just walked around, doing nothing and having nothing to do but just explore and play in the urban jungle. But that potential fun was clouded by my thirst, which surged from the close proximity to so many human scents and heartbeats.

I was doing well, though, as far as newborns went. My muscles were tense and my gait was a hybrid form of walking upright and crouching from fighting my instincts to feed, but I powered through it. If my pacifist of a brother could do this after a few months, then I could do it in a few weeks. I slowed to a stop on the sidewalk and breathed in deeply, locking my muscles as I involuntarily leaned toward the human walking past me on the sidewalk. A low growl vibrated out of my chest and the man sped up, his pulse elevated.

I took a step away from his fleeing form and smirked. I could do this; I would do this. At least I wouldn't have to buy glasses or contacts to hide red eyes – my silver irises were inhuman in their hue and shine, sure, but not so obviously frightening and sinister as a bright crimson.

I passed a bookstore and a drugstore before the sweet scent of vampire mixed with spilled blood reached my nose.

I ducked into the nearest alley as slowly as I could manage, because I could feel my control slipping away. I scaled the wall and started to leap over rooftops, heading for the scent.

When I reached the vampire, I was hit with a strange sense of déjà vu. Me, moonlighting over rooftops and coming across a newborn vampire who was feeding. That's what got me into this mess, and that's what was playing out before me in the dimly lit and narrow alley.

It was a female vampire this time, though I wasn't sure the sex of the once-human body in her tight grasp. It was pulverized, much like I had done on my first feeding. The wind shifted and the vampire dropped its meal, snarling up at me and baring her teeth. She crouched low, her hands nearly touching the concrete below her as her muscles bunched. Her thoughts were frantic an incoherent. Fight or flight, hardly anything more.

"Where's your creator?" I questioned, keeping my eyes on her but my mind, nose, and ears open for others.

Images of a dark room, feelings of pain and thirst, and a hunting party of herself and two other newborns flitted through her mind all at once. She didn't respond verbally, but her growling remained in a steady stream, warning me that I shouldn't move closer.

Which is exactly what I did.

I dropped from the rooftop, landing with a soft thud in front of the feral newborn. Without hesitation, she lunged at me, reaching out with clawed hands to catch me an crush me – or try to crush me.

She caught my upper arms in her grasp and she struck with her teeth toward my throat. I grasped her forearms and slammed my head into hers, blocking her killing stroke an sending a spider web crack slithering across her face. She struggled in my hold, realizing I was higher on the food chain and trying to flee.

I released my hold on her arms and swung my fist, hard, at her head. With a strange metallic crunch, her face shattered off of her head and fell to the ground in jagged pieces. The base of the skull was still intact, and her body flailed about on the ground like a fish out of water.

I pressed my foot down on her chest and used my telekinesis to yank all four limbs from her torso, holding them up in the air as I ripped what was left of her head off as well. I hid the body parts behind a large trash dumpster and wiped my hands on the shredded clothing the newborn was wearing. I rocked my head back as I let out a sigh. How stupid of me to forget a lighter.

I pulled out a ten dollar bill and walked to the convenience store a few blocks away to buy a lighter. The cashier looked uncomfortable as he rang me up, so I gave him a small smile, careful not to show any teeth. I was holding my breath and couldn't speak, so I hoped he didn't want to talk. He didn't. His thoughts cycled through how beautiful I was before going back to how 'off' I made him feel.

I rolled my eyes and took my purchase back with me to the vampire pieces I had left. I lifted a piece of clothing that was soaked with her venom and lit it with the flame before tossing it onto the pile. It was a quick and hot burn – intense like a Thermite reaction. The warmth felt good, and I stood by it for a few seconds as I ensured the body burned to ash.

When the purple smoke got thick and there was nothing left, I pocketed the lighter and ascended the wall once more, leaping over rooftops and following the newborn's scent back to wherever she came from.

End notes: So there are some more differences between Emily's type of vampire and the usual kind. If you still haven't figured out exactly what happened, I'll probably spell out the whole thing for you in a later chapter when Emily explains the differences herself.

I'm kind of glad I rated the story as 'M.' It let's me write the more gruesome and sadistic side of Emily, which is always fun. Anyway, as always I'll probably update Symbiosis before giving this one the next update, so hold in there, the few of you who read my stuff.

Side note: I forgot to address this after I got the review that pointed it out, but yes, Dr. Virgil Stein happens to share my screen name. It wasn't planned, I promise, and it holds no special meaning. I was just lazy and needed a name, and boom, there's my screen name.