Chapter 6
As I walked out into the hall, I felt as though I had walked this way many times. There was the cross that belonged to Carlisle's father. There were the infamous graduation caps. I walked up to one of the windows along the hallway. A flash of memory reminded me of the first day Bella spent as a vampire. She had walked to one of these windows and jumped out. My fear of heights inhibited me as I opened the window, but knowing there was nothing to fear (and knowing Emmett would never let me live it down if I didn't), I jumped.
It was the strangest sensation, like falling in slow motion. I knew exactly how I would land the moment I stepped out of that window. As my bare feet hit the ground, I rolled back on my heels at just the right moment. It was a totally steady jump. It astounded me how easy this all seemed. I had just stepped out of a second story window, and had landed entirely soundlessly, and effortlessly.
I faintly heard Jasper alight behind me. I turned around, and saw him following from a distance. It was only then, that I realized as soon as I had dismounted, I had begun to run. I didn't notice the change, simply because everything was just as clear as it had been in the house. I saw every insect on every tree. I could see the pollen in the air with amazing clarity. Running was an incredible feeling. Like flying. My feet barely touched the ground during each footfall. I kept waiting for my lungs to protest. For my legs to start to burn. This should be very tiring, but it wasn't. I could run like this all day.
After about 10 minutes, I heard "Stop!" I had been so distracted, that I had completely forgotten about Jasper. I gracefully slowed to a stop, and allowed him to catch up with me. When he did, he said, "We should probably stop here. I don't want to risk you running across a human scent if we keep moving northward. "
"Okay." I said.
"By the way, I don't think you ever told us your name."
"Oh, I hadn't even realized. I'm Arienne."
"Well Arienne, I want you to close your eyes and open up your senses."
I did as I was told, and my senses were assaulted. I could hear and smell everything. A squirrel sifting through pine cones. A rabbit in its burrow eating some foliage.
Then, I heard something that made my throat contract immediately: a thudding, wet heartbeat. When I put a smell to the sound, I was confused. That sound seemed so appetizing, yet the smell was almost sour. Like milk that hasn't totally spoiled, but isn't far from it. Nonetheless, I knew exactly what that sound and smell meant. Deer. I took off in that direction, my thoughts no longer centered on the extacy that was running. I was entirely focused on the hunt.