Chapter 4

I looked from Renesme's face into the faces of the people I had called family for the past half a year. They all had solemn looks, remembering that last scene from their own perspective. I wanted them to stop. It was too much.

Suddenly, they all looked up, knowing that their thoughts were wrong. They were seeing me running through some of my happier moments with them. They saw me running through fields around our new home. They saw the hugs and warmth I felt from them when we were acting as the family we seemed to be. They saw the looks each of them gave their other half. They saw how I perceived that they all had their place in the world: right next to the one they loved.

On the other hand, they knew—though I wouldn't let them see—that I didn't feel like I belonged, especially with them. Then we all remembered what Alice said earlier and turned to face her.

All this had taken about five minutes, and Carlisle and Esme came to join, wanting to know what the sudden silence was about.

Alice looked around at all of us with an innocent face. "I don't know why you're all staring at me for. I don't have all the answers. And I am not going to give Raven the easy way out. She needs a life lesson and I am not going to stop her from an extremely educational experience." She became very pouty by the end.

"Oh, so getting ripped apart and burned to ashes is an educational experience?" Rosalie said from her position at the bottom of the stairs leading to the attic.

Esme couldn't take that. "Alice said she wasn't going to die, Rose! She can't die. She can't. She can't leave. No. No…." Carlisle put his hand around his wife's shoulder to calm her. She looked outrageously stressed.

I looked at them all again, and then stood, saying, "Alice says I am leaving, not dying. I don't know when or why—"

"NO!" Edward yelled. He rushed down the stairs without giving an explanation. He was too far away for me to listen in on his mind, so we all stood frozen. Then we heard it.

The sound of crunching gravel was like splinters jabbing into my ears. The sound made what was happening all too real. I had exposed our family and the Volturi were here to give me my punishment.

I was downstairs before anyone else. I needed to see it with my own eyes. It took a full minute before the limo stopped in front of the porch. It was sleek and black, but looked like a hearse. The shades were drawn all around it, even though the windows were tinted enough and the sun had set already. For precaution, like always with them.

The driver side door opened and out stepped a burly man with army-style hair not covering his bright red eyes. He kept his eyes diverted from the house and went to the backseat door, which he opened slowly, creating extreme suspense.

Out stepped Aro, looking sophisticated and out of character in a simple black suit. Yet, like all the stories I heard of him, he was wearing his smile and warm clouded red eyes.

From the other side of the car came several more burly guys and one female who I immediately knew to be Jane from everyone's thoughts. She was small and young looking but looked aged as well. Somehow, I found her cute, but like a kid. She didn't hold the same type of position of "be afraid; be very afraid" in my mind as, say, Felix, the guy who stood right next to Aro as if he was a bodyguard (something that I would find quite plausible).

Edward seemed surprised that only Aro was here. He thought that something that had to do with the Cullens must be major and they were waiting for another chance to wipe his family out. I, on the other hand, thought that because I didn't share the same bond they did, and did, in fact, drink human and not animal blood, Aro being here was still too much. But I guess he wanted to see fresh talent.

Everyone tensed around me as they identified the different bodyguards. Aro stood apart from them slightly and walked forward. "I am so sorry to be meeting you under these circumstances. Really, I would have loved to come some other time. Well, seeing as I'm here now, why don't we have your side of the story?" He seemed overjoyed at this and I was worried that he was just here to know how much he was wasting by killing me.

Bella remembered Aro touching skin to know all your thoughts. So I put out my hand and Aro walked up to it, followed closely by his guards. The shock that went through my whole body as I felt someone reading my thoughts without my say in it and without me being able to change anything was unnerving. He could see into my soul—yes, I believed Carlisle, not Edward—and see all my deepest darkest secrets. Every detail of my life—both mortal and immortal—played out for him at light speed.

At last, after I relived the horrible event of early this morning of this long day, he sighed and dropped his hand from mine. He was trying to understand my pain for pain thing of when I was human. Humans were naturally interesting to him.

"Why don't you demonstrate a bit of your power for me? It seemed interesting from your point of view….Also, your past. I want to understand it…really…." He stood there pondering for a moment until he completely forgot everything about my human years. "Interesting…very interesting…."

Edward shot me a death glare and said, "Aro, she did not mean to do that, it's just—"

"Now, now, Edward, my boy. Raven was just demonstrating her powers to me…and perhaps not willing for me to remember…something…oh, I can't seem to remember…highly unlike me…truly….That is her, is it not?" Aro interrupted Edward and rambled on. He was beginning to understand my powers. I had barely used them though. All I did was a complete mind wipe—something I had never done to a vampire's highly more complex mind. Humans were so simple compared to the work I just did as silently and quickly as I could, unnoticed by anyone other than Edward, Aro, and myself.

"Tell me, child: What is it that your abilities fully demonstrate?" Aro asked politely. He was trying to find some way to clear the charges against me.

I answered him with a different question. "Why would you want to clear the charges against me? I have done something wrong and therefore should be punished. I have killed more than I have fed upon. The bodies of which have not been properly disposed of. I have run through city streets through the sun. I have stolen a car with a driver still in it and had it crash not too far away. Now tell me, why would you try and have an incompetent newborn in your guard, or whatever you call it?"

Aro stood stunned for a few seconds. They seemed like hours. Finally he nodded his head. "Ah. I see. You do not wish to join us? It could be your…punishment. For breaking the only real law we have as vampires. Unless you truly wish to die now…? What a waste, what a waste." He truly seemed upset.

I looked down, saying to my bare feet, "I do not wish to be a burden on this kind family any longer. And I do not want them to worry about me. Isn't death the only option then?" My voice was soft, but I knew everyone could hear. In fact, I could hear two quiet people's footsteps walking away. One was much heavier than the softer yet not as gentle ones. Jake didn't want Renesme to see me die. It was understandable.

"What a waste," Aro repeated again as he stepped back. He was replaced by two of the burly men. Jane stood in between both of them with a smug smile on her face. She would enjoy this; torture me then kill me. Of course, take the Victoria way.

The two men rushed to me and each grabbed one of my arms. They faced away from Jane as she looked right into my eyes. I knew Bella would try to protect me, but I made sure she wouldn't. It would make that much more painful when I was able to be tortured.

That's when I started having second thoughts. I remembered the memories I had given each member of my family just minutes practically before this. I remembered the man I had fed on this morning. The one thing he thought of when he died was his wife. I didn't want her to suffer so I had killed her too. I remembered that he had someone to live for. I had no one. Everyone had someone. Alice was made for Jasper. Emmett for Rosalie. Edward and Bella. Carlisle and Esme. Jacob with Renesme. They each had that other person that made their life whole.

I was glad I had none. I wouldn't want to make another suffer, or suffer the same fate as me. Yet all these people took me in when I had no home, even after the trouble and grief I had already caused them.

I looked into Jane's eyes again and I started to worry. I didn't want to die! I was too young to die! I had barely lived! NO!

I had to stop this! So I did. She was about to strike. Then she turned towards one of the guards holding me and unleashed the same agony I was about to endure. He dropped my arm as he screamed in pain. She couldn't stop though. I wouldn't let her. She didn't understand why she couldn't move her head just a little bit to the left and look at me.

In that moment of distraction, I made sure the man still holding me looked right into the eyes of the suffering man. I was then able to tuck when of my legs in front of his and pull forward. He fell down, face first, as I tripped him. I was able to pull myself free when he put his hands out to save himself—reflex reaction.

Aro could see that I was causing this. This was new. He knew that I knew it. I couldn't control people's actions, just their thoughts. Now I could do both. Lovely.

At this point, havoc erupted.

My family all threw themselves at the advancing guard. The Volturi had barely begun to understand what was happening. Bella shielded everyone but me, for she knew what I was about to do. Jane was throwing her pain towards Bella, thinking I was under the protection.

Aro had disappeared into the hearse. One of the guard as well. They did it completely unnoticed in my distress. I would do the same.

Each person had their hand full and no one seemed to realize the problem was running at top speed away from the fight. Of course, they weren't able to turn their heads in my direction or register the sounds of my departure….

Soon I was too far away to do anything, so I just kept running. I heard no ripping sounds and knew the fight had ended. Otherwise, who knows how far either side would go?

Alice was right. I wouldn't let them kill me. But I did leave. I was running away. And I needed a place to hide. Quick.

Author's note: i really hope you guys love this story. working my butt off! thanks for the review, DIMS. really motivated me when my life was on the line. i guess i promised more action than there was in this, but i did get the tripping and jane thing in that i wanted from the beginning. please people, review! it would mean so much to me! cant wait to see what happens to raven!