Chapter 8 ~ Alone

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The water trickles down my face, as I wash my hair in the Gas station sink.

I walked for a while till someone picked me up and drove me as far as Atlantic City, Oregon. I was told to stay out of large cities by Alice but Small towns aren't as welcoming to Hitchhiking teens. It's been 2 days since I left and I really have no idea where to go.

"Head South" Thanks a lot Jasper.

I turned on the hand dryer and threw my head underneath it. This was going to take forever.

Maybe New Mexico would be a good place to start? Then I'll make my way to Texas and search. If I find nothing I go to Mexico and so on. That's an ok plan. As far as searching for other mythical beings goes.

My hair was finally dry enough to risk stepping out into the cold. I looked in the grimy cracked mirror and saw frizzy unruly long curls. My hair's been growing rather fast lately. Maybe this is a part of who I am now. Freakishly fast growing hair. I pull my hood up over my head and step out onto ice covered street. The street lights are out and the sun's about to rise on my 3rd day alone.

I begin walking in the direction I believe to be south. The wind blew against my face. It was cold. But then again everything's been feeling cold to me. Maybe it's because of my increased body Temperature that Dr. C mentioned. This was all so confusing and on top of that no one described to me what the Volturi looked like. How am I supposed to know who to avoid if I don't even know what they look like.

I'll just avoid everyone.…Never mind I can't do that. I'll die without some sort of social interaction.

I sigh as I walk along an old dirt road covered in snow. I'm not looking forward to crossing the rest of the Rocky Mountains. Hitch-hiking the first time was risky and I was lucky I got a semi-normal person. Doing it again would just be asking to be murdered, among, other things.

As I walk, I pass many small towns. around Noon I stop and use a bit of money for lunch. It was uneventful for the most part. The waitress at the Dinner looked at me a bit odd when I ordered three burgers and two fries. She even had the nerve to tell me if I don't eat it I still have to pay for it. No shit. Why do adults always think I don't know how the monetary system works? I told her I knew as politely as I could and ate my meal quickly, a little too quickly. My stomach hurt as I took off again. Maybe it was the food, maybe it was nerves, maybe it was my instincts trying to warn me about something I wasn't aware of yet. All I knew was I wanted some Pepto.

After a couple hours I sat on a rock to rest. The sun's beginning to set and I don't know how far the next town is, or if there even is a town. I need to find a place to sleep and I need to do it soon. I'm hungry again too. No matter how much I eat I'm always hungry again soon after.

Quickly, I set out again. The flat landscape stretched out far in front of me. There are no caves or trees. Nowhere to sleep. So I keep walking and walking and walking. I walk the entire night. The sun began to rise. The red and orange glows reflecting off the flat sand. Colors ranging from pink to orange to red lay everywhere. I see something sparkle up ahead and suddenly I think of the Cullen's. I feel myself growl, my pulse quickens, eyes widen and my nostrils flare.

My feet stop in their tracks. Frozen. I wait and I don't see the Sparkle again. I slowly start walking again, tentatively. Upon further inspection I find the "sparkle" to be a discarded hub cap.

I laugh.

A hub cap and I was afraid.

A hub cap and I was worried.

I laugh louder.

And louder.

Soon I can't breathe.

I need sleep. Sleep, food and water. Three things I've had very little of since I left my home. It had become home, hadn't it? That small town and my Aunt, Nessie, the Cullen's.

I fall to my knees and sit down next to the hub cap. I Pull my hoodie off and put it above my head. Shade. The morning sun was already beating down on me. How could it have been so cold a couple days ago and now so hot? Damn this Bi-polar weather.

As I sit and ponder my future a thought occurs to me. I'm alone. For the first time in my life I was actually completely alone. No Friends. No Family that I know of. No others of my kind to learn from. The tears gather in the corners of my eyes. I refuse to let them fall. I stare up at the sun blinking them back. I can't waist any water on trivial things like tears. That's what I say to myself. But it doesn't help. They fall any way. They cascade down my cheeks and cool my burnt flesh. I sob for what feels like hours, curling into myself and wallowing in self-pity.

Somehow, I pull myself out of my despair and force my legs out from under me. Clearing my head, I slowly begin to walk. Within 2 hours I see a town. My only thought is, thank god.

I run. I flat out run to the town and collapse in front of the first building I reach. The cold wooden porch feels like snow against my freckled face, the shade feels like absolute night. I push myself up and sit back against the cherry wood railing. I examine the building in front of me. Lights off, boarded up windows, and the yard is in disarray. Most likely abandon, just my luck. A small breeze whips my hair around my face, with it comes an unfamiliar scent. I'm suddenly on my feet looking around franticly. It wasn't a sweet smell like Vampires, but a strong musky one. It leaves a small amount of uneasiness in my gut. Everything in me is telling me to flee but my legs just can't move any longer.

I don't see anyone, or anything. But that doesn't stop my fear. I'm on edge as I step off the porch and compel myself to go around to the back of the house. Still nothing as I round the corner of the dirt smeared dwelling. I look from dried out bush, to dying tree and notice not a soul. Not till I hear someone clear their throat. I whip my head around to see a man standing, shirtless, staring at me.

"What are you doing?" He asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. I stopped and looked at him slightly embarrassed. I must look pretty funny standing in someone's back yard, sunburnt, dehydrated, and looking around as if Aliens were after me.

"Um," I started off. "I was trying to see if anyone was home?"

"And knocking wouldn't have worked?" He asked sarcastically running a hand through his ebony locks that reached just to the dip in his collarbone. He stared at me intently as he began walking towards me. I don't have a clue what to say so I laugh it off by saying the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm too cool for doors." God I'm an idiot. I take a step back as he comes closer. He took a deep breath as another small breeze passed by. The small silver pentagram around his neck moved ever so slightly.

"I've never met female Lycan before" He said smiling.

"Lycan?" I asked retreating a few steps more; he kept advancing, towering over me.

"You don't know? Well you are rather undeveloped, but still, you can't be any younger than 15, most greet their first full moon earlier than that" His hand reached towards my hair as my back hit the dying tree. I was a trapped animal, a rabbit in a fox hole. His hand ran through my extensive wayward curls as my breathing accelerated ever so slightly. "Or could it be you have already shifted once before and simply have no one to show you the way." His face came closer and my instincts kicked in. Before I knew what was happening, my teeth had connected and I tasted blood. My canines cut his flesh so easily, like a knife to butter. He jumped back and held his nose. I . Bit. His. Nose. "YOU LITTLE BITCH!" He screamed! My snapped shut as I saw his hand come towards me clenched in a fist.

"Zeff!" Another voice called from inside the house. "STOP!" The voice was harsh and demanding, it almost sounded like a command. I opened my eyes slowly when I felt nothing make contact. His fist had stopped centimeters from my face. The man before me seethed with anger and glared furiously as he turned to face the voice. "Leave the poor girl alone." I looked around Zeff to see the voice. He was tall and lean. Taller than the man in front of me. His skin shone with a thin layer of sweat and his layerd chestnut hair clung to his neck. His eyes glowed an unnatural yellow.

"But Berhtulf, she's an outsider. She's trespassing on our land." Zeff said motioning towards me.

"She seems no more of a threat than you did when you first wondered onto my territory." Berhtulf said threateningly. Zeff must have sensed that because he backed down and started walking off towards the front of the house. The one named Berhtulf stepped down from the porch and motioned for me to come closer. I warily obliged. "What's your name?" He asked in a calm tone. Much different than the one he used moment before.

"Ava" I said shyly. Still a bit fearful of the man standing in front of me.

"Well Ava, Wont you come in?"