Chapter 7
After running for about twenty seconds, I came upon a clearing in which stood one lone deer grazing among the grass. Driven entirely by instinct, I threw myself at the animal, my teeth closing around the side of its neck. Before rational thought returned, the deer was drained.
I looked up at Jasper, who was already making his way out of the clearing. I followed quickly, and caught the scent of something larger than the deer. I turned and made my way towards it. A bear. It was huge, at least twice as big as me, but I could hear its blood pumping, and the venom flooded my mouth. Taking a more tactical approach this time, I silently crept closer, crouched down, and sprang.
The bear put up more of a fight than the deer, clawing at my face and arms, desperately trying to find purchase, but to no avail. I was much stronger than the animal, and its three inch claws were no match for my new skin. After the bear's veins had run dry I got up, and tried to brush myself off. The t shirt and jeans I wore were a little torn, but not indecently. Remembering Jasper, I looked up. He was smiling.
"How did I do?" I asked.
"Better than I expected. Are you still thirsty?"
"No, I think I'm done." He turned and began walking away. I caught up, and walked beside him.
"So, tell me about yourself. Do you have any family?"
"No." I said. It wasn't something that was sad, or upsetting to me, but something I had accepted long ago. "My parents died in a car crash when I was four. We were riding home from the grocery store, and a drunk driver ran into the car. I was the only survivor. I hardly remember them at all. I was passed from foster home to foster home until I was eighteen. After that, I lived on my own. Doing whatever job came my way." When I finished, I realized that I had been looking into the distance as I recounted my story. Upon looking back at Jasper, I noticed he was looking at me with an ancient sadness.
"I never had parents either. I basically raised myself until the Army. I am so sorry."
"It is not a painful memory for me, I only wish that I had known them. I remember a little while after they died, I ran into some friends of theirs. They kept telling me what wonderful people they were, how they loved me, and how they were sorry. They were supposedly extraordinary people."
Before wither of us had the chance to say anything more, we reached the edge of the woods. For the first time, I saw the grandeur of the Cullen house in all of its entirety. The entire south-facing side was made up of large panes of glass. Standing in front of the house were the Cullens, waiting for our return.