No excuses this time, just me being a crappy writer.
Chapter 9
The burning was slowly starting to fade away. It disappeared from most of my body and decided to take root in my throat. This was the thirst they had told me about. I wasn't even all done becoming a monster and it was already driving me insane.
I could open my eyes now. I was surrounded on all sides by the Cullens and various members of the wolf pack. Paul had come back, and was looking just about everywhere but at me. I didn't mind all that much, if I was him I wouldn't like me right now either.
My hair hung into my eyes and without even realizing I was doing it was counting every strand of hair in my vision. All around me I was painfully aware of the sound of each breath, real or fake as it was. Each heart beating drove me crazy. I could hear it; I could see the blood moving under skin. But instead of being enticed by the smell of blood, I was repulsed. It reeked of dog, the lot of it. And I didn't find that the least bit appetizing.
"How do you feel?" Doc C said first, effectively breaking the silence that I had grown comfortable with. I zeroed in on him unconsciously perceiving his mere presence as a threat. I straightened up trying to make myself look as threatening as possible. Although I hadn't a clue why.
"How d'yah think, Doc?" I growled. My voice, it sounded too strange and foreign. This was too much change to fast, I wanted some alone time. And maybe a glass of water, because I tell yah, my throat kills.
"Jasper, Emmett, and Alice, go take her hunting" he demanded. He sent a glance Paul's way "Paul, you go too" I cringed slightly. I did not currently know how to act. Should I pretend like nothing happened? Or try to talk to him? Would he even want to talk?
I stood, not much enjoying the fact that my mind was still busy counting anything and everything in the damn room. With just a glance I could tell how close everyone was to me (Paul: 2.3 ft., Carlisle: 4.7, and a glaring Leah was a whapping 10.8 feet to my left leaning against a wall that had seven pictures all in 9x12 frames.) each ray of sunlight had its own area, each area was home to about 754 specs of dust, and all of this information was in and out of my brain, processed in less than a second.
Jasper and Emmett started walking ahead of me, with Alice behind me, followed by Paul who, for all I could tell has looked at each picture 17 times, each person 23, and the floor 78 times, and at me 0. I followed them out the door and down a hall. In the hall were more pictures for counting to be done. A vase of flowers was at the far end of the hall and each of the petals was being counted. Every door I passed was quickly scanned for any threats and the quickest escape route was always lingering in the back of my mind.
We started going down a set of stairs, I reached for the railing out of habit only to have it become dust in my hands, to many pounds per square inch. I tried again, this time with a lighter touch only to have the same thing happen again. I grew frustrated with this stupid piece of wood and glared it before trying again to put as little pressure on it as I could. It crumpled again and I pushed it away, only to have the entire structure detach from the wall and fall down to the first floor with a clatter that hurt my ears. The time between its beginning descent and the time it hit was stored away in my brain. I looked ahead to see Emmett sniggering at my inability to walk down a flight of stairs without causing some type of destruction. I glared at him, trying to stop myself from throwing a fit and destroying half the house, all because of the stupid railing.
I felt a hot elbow nudge me slightly. I looked and saw Paul looking at me sadly. He held out his arm in a chivalrous manner and I was tempted to reach out and take it. I stopped myself and shook my head.
"I don't wanna break you like I broke the stupid railing" I whispered. And even in a whisper my voice sound too perfect, too melodic, too…annoying. Emmett started with another round of giggles.
"It'll take a lot more than a little vampire like you to break me" he replied. Untrue, Paulie. Untrue. I hesitantly reached a hand out. Stopping to let it hover a small bit away (0.73 inches to be exact) from his arm. I touched his arm with less pressure then the railing and was content when Paul smiled at me instead of screaming out in pain in the way that no railing could. Feeling confident in myself, we started down the stairs again. Three stairs down I heard a sickening snap coming from Paul's arm.
"Dammit!" I yelled out, tearing my hand away from Paul's now broken arm.
"Okay, now. Let's get the newborn outside before she kills someone" Emmett said jokingly, placing and hand on either side of my waist and hauling me upwards. I glared at him, partly for picking me up, but mostly because of what he said. I heard Paul growl while flexing out his healing arm.
"Hands, Bloodsucker" he snarled, causing Emmett to cautiously put me down. Paul looked to me "You'll get better at this, I promise. Like I said, it'll take more than a little vampire like you to put me down for the count." I clenched my teeth and stared down at the 5 remaining steps. (5 steps at 7.53 inches in height, with the exception of the third to the last one down which was 7.5299 inches) I was really hating my brain right now. Would that get better to?
I took a step down, content that no damage had been done I took another. I flew down the rest and the group of us continued outside, at the back of the house.
"We scanned the area. No humans." Jasper said. I looked to him, then to Paul, then the ground, absently counting the blades of grass.
"Yep! Go nuts, Newbie!" Emmett roared, smiling wide. I shifted my gaze to him. I took a step forward, testing an invisible boundary, looking for the okay to continue. Jasper gestured me forward. I looked at Paul one more time; he was looking at me this time. My gaze went ahead of me. I took one last look around before shooting off into the woods. I whizzed past trees, bushes, counting each and beginning to count the leaves before I was too far away to see them. I stopped in a clearing. I heard a bird chirping. I zeroed in on the sound, hearing the heartbeat. I let instinct take over. I jumped after it, it began to fly away but I jumped up and caught it mid-flap. I brought it to my mouth and tore a piece of it and begin to suck its blood down greedily. It was empty all top soon.
I repeated this with eleven more birds, ranging from a common crow to a delightful little chickadee, before I felt the burning taper. Content with my first meal I followed my own scent back to the Cullen's house where Paul, Jasper, and Emmett all stood in the same spots as I left them. (Except for Paul who moved six inches to the left.)
I looked to them, wondering if I had done good with my first hunt. I stared down at my blood stained clothes. Blood. Poor little birdie blood.
"Huh, first newborn I've ever seen who only drinks from birds" Jasper recalled. I swallowed.
"Paul?" I whispered. Looks like I'm gunna stick to whispering, I don't like my voice all that much, so the less I hear it, the better. He looked to me and raised an eyebrow. "Can I talk with you?" Emmett and Jasper disappeared in seconds, understanding that I wanted privacy. He nodded. I stared at the ground, slightly ashamed.
"I'm sorry" I spoke.
"What?"
"I'm sorry" I repeated. "I should have probably talked to you before I made the decision to…to become this" I said gesturing to myself. "And just so you know, I don't apologize all that often so you better enjoy this, 'cause odds are you ain't gunna hear me say it again." we stood in silence. "And I totally understand if you can't stand to be around a bloodsucker. If you wanna go, you can go ahead, I won't be mad or-" he cut me off by swiftly coming forward and pressing me to his chest. I practically melted. But who wouldn't? He was Hot. Temperature wise, that is.
"I'm not-I'll never." He paused, and took a deep breath. "I will never leave you. Not ever, not again." I nodded into his chest. To fearful that I would break another one of his bones if I risked putting my arms around to hug him. He might have guessed that because next he picked up my arms and lightly put them around his neck.
"Y'know" I started. "You ain't so bad, when it gets down to it"
Way off I heard a sound, someone was running here. Running quickly. The Cullen's and the parts of the Wolf Pack that was present appeared outside. I didn't bother moving. The running feet got closer. I saw Embry move up closer to Paul, nearer to the front of the gathering. I focused in on the sound. And a two heart beats. One was strong, going quickly. The other…it was smaller. A lot smaller and sounded… in trouble.
It was Jared who was running towards us, carrying armfuls of gore clutched closely to him. He came closer, stopping a few feet away. He laid his bloody bundle on the ground. The wind blew the scent of whatever Jared had over to us. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Embry stiffen. I did the same, I could smell it. The blood, it smelled stale but I smelt the blood all the same.
"It-It's Claudia!" Jared choked. Embry rushed forward, taking the bloody heap into his arms. What the hell is he talking about? Claudia isn't all bloody and dead. She's alive. She wouldn't be crumpled up all lifeless. She has a baby! She can't be dead with a baby. Jared is just wrong. He shouldn't say things like that.
"Spooky…He got into La Push. She was-She was at the diner and he just-" Jared stopped. Embry started shaking. "Last I heard from Collin and Brady, they lost him. He jumped into the Pacific again."
Embry didn't move.
"Embry, I can hear the baby's heartbeat. There is still a chance that we could-"
"No! Don't touch her! None of you FUCKING touch her!" he changed in a second from angry to sad. "Please, Carlisle, change her, do it. Make her comeback"
"Embry, son, you and I both know that no matter how much venom we pump into her she will not wake up. Her heart, it no longer beats. I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do. But if you hand her to me I can save her child." The Doc said. I looked curiously over at Embry. Tears were starting to fall from his face, I could smell them. Why was he so sad? That wasn't even Giggles! He held it close, then slowly rested it on the ground. The whole of the Cullen family and the present wolf pack was silent.
Embry stood shakily. His hands went to his hair and he fell to his knees. He looked broken. I stared at the bloody mess. That sweater looked familiar.
"Alice?" I heard Jasper say. My eyes shifted to Alice, her face was blank. She snapped out of it soon after.
"I saw…I saw him. He's going back to LA, to wait for you, Charlie" she said. I took a step closer to the body, examining it. That hair, it looked like Claudia's. And that looks a lot like her gang tattoo. I got closer. Embry growled at me. And Paul growled right back at him. I ignored them. This isn't Claudia. Claudia's alive. This isn't alive.
One of it's eyes were open, staring vacantly past me.
Claudia.
My mouth fell open, a strangled cry came from my throat.
Claudia!
I rushed forward, by passing the body, wanting to get that picture out of my mind forever. But I couldn't. each detail, each droplet of blood played a permanent fixture in my mind. I started running, ignoring the voices yelling out behind me.
I ran through the forest, stopping suddenly. I was angry. I was beyond angry. I reached out to touch a tree as softly as I could. It crumpled. I lashed out at it. And the surrounding trees, breathing heavy out of habit instead of actual need.
"Goddamn it! Goddamn you Spooky! GOD DAMN YOU!" I screamed.
*sniffle* I actually feel insanely sad that I killed off Giggles. But, alas, we are reaching the climax of this story, so that mean in a couple chapters it shall be over.