Chapter Ten – Predator to Prey
As bad days go, this was one of the worst. My truck had just broken down and school wasn't exactly the best of experiences. Namely me getting caught for the bomb stunt. 'What will I tell Charlie?' I thought, trudging through the little used path in the forest that I hoped would take me home.
There was a rustle in the bushes behind me and I snapped around, listening intently. I heard inhuman noises: faint growls and hisses. But I knew they weren't coming from animals; they almost seemed as if they were… intelligent.
'What is this? Who are they? Is it the agency?' Thoughts ran through my mind, each more terrifying than the last and I dropped down into a crouch and crawled into the clearing.
It was hard to tell if what I saw was wondrous and majestic or disgusting and terrifying. Most people would probably say it was a mixture of both, but to me, it was a lot more terrifying.
They were marble statues that had come alive in the most horrifying way, gold eyes and red both launched at each other with terrifying ferocity. So I did what any normal person would do: I screamed.
Every single head in the clearing snapped towards me, their inhuman skin glistening in the sunlight like diamond. A woman stepped towards me, her red eyes and Mexican appearance sticking out among the Cullens.
'The Cullens? They're here? How did I not notice them? Who are they? Whatare they?' It was hard to believe that I hadn't seen them, since they were supposed to be normal; just another nice family.
But no, they weren't, I realized as their gold eyes stared upon me like avenging angels, their diamond skin blinding me. But one face stood out from the rest. Edward.
'It's just a dream. It has to be! This can't be real, he can't be a vampire.' I stumbled backwards, tripping on a tree root. 'How can this be real?'
The woman stood next to me, her dark hair framing her too perfect face and her burgundy eyes. "Oh look, there's a snack. I hope she's not too rotten." She stroked my cheek and signalled to her cronies, bringing out a knife.
"You know, I gave up on venom long ago; it's too wasteful, I thought. After all, you should only give someone eternal life if they deserve it. Isn't that right, Jas?" She looked towards Jasper, her expression melting into one of sickening sweetness.
Carlisle dropped into a crouch, the Cullens joining him. "You can't do this. This is our territory, and you are no longer welcome here." He stared at her with burning eyes, as if he had seen too many people die like this. "Let her go," he said, nodding toward me. "She's innocent, Maria. Just let her live."
"And what will I get in return?" Maria asked, her blade lowering slightly, though her guards remained tense and taut like a hunter's bow.
"Me. I will join you, if you just let her go, please." A familiar voice broke the air: Edward. The Cullens looked at him with shock and… and concern? Even Maria seemed surprised.
"You like her?" Maria laughed, the babyish sounded echoing through the clearing and making my fingers tremble. "Then it would be so much more fun to kill her!" She grinned as she brought the knife down, savouring the blood that would soon be hers.
I grabbed the knife as it entered my stomach. Turning it to face Maria I returned her grin, the blade wet with my blood. "It's always rather strange to suddenly be transformed from predator to prey, isn't it? And when your prey surprises you, I'd say that's the best of them all."
I lunged at her with the knife, her cronies instantly blocking me. I laughed, my drilled decisions overriding my natural instincts. I snapped the brown haired vampire's neck, noticing that his eyes were a hungry black as he fell to the ground, dismembered.
I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder; Maria had stabbed me. I froze. 'What do I do now?' I thought uselessly.
Taking advantage of my distraction, Maria grabbed my neck, about to bite with her razor sharp teeth. I pushed her off, slamming her into a nearby tree. "Go away or you will no longer exist," I told her, my wounds disappearing as I spoke, and with one final glare at me she ran out of the clearing.
I turned around to face the Cullens, wondering exactly how to tell them who I was and to ask them the same. But with a sinking feeling in my heart I knew I wouldn't survive the night. I had used too much energy and had gotten too many wounds. At least I wouldn't have to tell Charlie about school.