I haven't updated in a while, sorry! Anyway, in this chapter we get to see Sophia's story from someone else's eyes—Carlisle! Enjoy!

Carlisle

I gasped. What had I just unleashed? Sophia was writhing before me, screaming in pain. Every piercing shriek, like the blade of a knife, made me wince. When she finally stopped, she would be the one to inflict pain on others. Memories of Edward's transformation flooded me. He had been so…wild. I had to take him away from all civilization for months. He was better than most at controlling himself, though. Even now, he still felt the familiar urge, and when he did, he would often go on "business trips" to a remote forest someplace to get a hold of himself. I stared at Sophia. Would this innocent girl, who fell from a tree, for Heaven's sake, would she be the same way? I shivered as I imagined her, beautiful yet cruel, with bright blood red eyes, draining the life from another innocent being. I had been so sure before, that I was doing the right thing. Now…no. I did do the right thing. I saved this girl's life. Not just any girl. Edward's cousin. He would rejoice at the chance to see her again, even if he disapproved of my spontaneous transforming of her. He would be…happy. Or at least, the happiest he would be since the Spanish Influenza struck his world. We could be, I reluctantly thought, a family. Yet, I knew that what I would give Sophia would never replace what she had before. However, I had other things to worry about. Such as, for instance, Wicanus.

We had met in the late 1700s, when I had been staying with the Volturi. Wicanus had been accused of forming a newborn army to overthrow the Volturi. He claimed that he was trying to create his own coven. The three brothers had been skeptical; eight newborn vampires in one month…for a coven? It was unheard of. I took pity on Wicanus and convinced Aro to not kill him. However, all the newborn vampires Wicanus created had been killed, and Wicanus had been forced to swear an oath of loyalty to the Volturi. They also decided to check up on him every couple of months. It had been very difficult, especially since Aro could see everything Wicanus had ever thought just by touching him, but I had succeeded. Once you won over Aro, it was almost impossible not to win over Marcus and Caius.

Wicanus had been very grateful to me, especially since he could not have used his power on Aro to make him forget what he saw in his mind. Nobody has ever manipulated the Volturi in such a manner. It was far too risky.

Now, as I heard Wicanus approaching, I prayed that he would remember the great favor I had done for him. I readied myself.

He came bursting through the door, tearing down the majority of the wall. Through the dust, his eyes were feverish, madly searching about the room until they focused on Sophia. Then he lunged at her.

I was in front of him in a matter of milliseconds. I pushed him back with more force than I had intended, and he went flying through the huge gap in the wall that he had made a few seconds before. He rose, unharmed, of course, obviously surprised seeing me there. We both settled into a crouched, guarded position.

"Carlisle. I didn't know you were in Mobile." His voice was strained, and he kept darting glances at Sophia.

"We came last year." My voice was cool, even. His eyebrows raised at the word "we," and I realized that he had not known about Edward. That moment was not a good time to explain, though.

He sniffed the air. "You bit her. You knew I was coming." He didn't even try to hide the accusing tone in his voice.

"I will not let you kill her, Wicanus. She does not deserve it."

"Oh, that's right." He sneered. "I forgot. You have a soft spot for humans. You view them as equals." He spat the word. "Instead of feeding on them, you sustain yourself on what they eat. What is their food."

"That is correct, Wicanus. I am pleased that you have such an excellent memory." His eyes narrowed; he thought I was mocking him. In all truth, I half was, but I was secretly grateful that his mind was not clouded enough with Sophia's blood that he couldn't remember the last time he had met me.

"I want her. So…sweet…" His voice echoed the intense longing he felt for Sophia's blood. Then it became forceful. "Give her to me."

"No."

His eyes were now pleading. "Carlisle, we're friends, aren't we? Please, just this once? After, I may even try the animal blood lifestyle." I found myself falling for his proposition, and then caught myself. It was too good to be true. With Wicanus, what mattered most was power, and power came from strength. Human blood gave you more strength than that of an animal.

"No. You lie. You despise humans. You have no incentive, no reason to abstain from their blood. Even if I did let you have her, which would be over my dead body, you would return to your old ways without a second's hesitation." He roared in frustration, and then tried to throw himself at Sophia again. I was in front of him again, and I held him back with my hands. The force both of us were exerting was more than that of a locomotive. "Listen to me. I helped you in Volterra. I saved you. You are in debt to me. And if you let her live, your debt will be paid. You owe me, Wicanus." I felt his shoulders stop resisting underneath my hands. Turning away, he sighed. He stared at Sophia, who was still unaware of the entire situation, occasionally screaming every few seconds, with such bloodlust in his eyes that I thought I might have to hold him back again. However, he turned to me, his countenance resigned and yet fierce at the same time.

"I will let her live. But on one condition." I waited, tense. "You give her to me."

I was taken aback. I had not expected this. I had been waiting for him to say, I don't know, that I find him another human who smelled like Sophia in exchange for her immortality. Or that I start drinking human blood. Not this.

"Why? What is she to you? What in the world could you possibly gain from h—" I stopped, mid-word. I had figured it out. I looked at Wicanus, at the malicious smile he had on his face. "You are doing it again." His smile broadened, but he didn't say anything. "You swore anoath. An oath, Wicanus. They will kill you if they find out. And this time, I will not be there to stop them."

"They will never find out. I am better prepared this time," he replied confidently.

"You should hope you are. If I find out, that after giving Sophia to you, to save her life, that she—" I gritted my teeth and pinched the bridge of my nose. I remained like that for a minute or two, and then finally, I slowly raised my head up to look at Wicanus, and then continued, in an unnaturally calm voice. "Take care of her, is all I am saying."

"So, you do agree?"

"Yes. It is the only way. But to be safe, I only want you taking her when the transformation is almost complete. And—I want you to wipe my memory of this." He gaped at me. Now I had been the one to surprise him. "Make me forget her. Make me forget everything that happened today. It would be less painful on me…and others." I hesitated. "My…son, he can read minds. I do not want him to know what happened. It would also be beneficial for you if I ever met Aro again. And, also, this girl, her name is Sophia, she—she has a family. Follow her scent, go to her house, and make them forget, too. Make them forget her. It will be less difficult for them. Please."

He looked at me with an unreadable expression. It seemed as if he was searching my face for something. Finally, he nodded resolutely. "Alright. I will do it. But keep in mind that my power is not very strong." He grimaced. "Therefore, if you ever see this—Sophia—again, you will remember everything. The same goes for her family. Understand?" I nodded, and he paused for a couple of seconds. "And the girl's memory?" he inquired.

"No. Let her be." I wanted her to remember what I had said to her. There was a part of me that wished, that desperately hoped that she would listen to me.

"Very well, then. So she shall be. And now—"he glanced at Sophia, and I could see the familiar feverishness return to his face for just a moment, and it seeped into his words—"we wait."

Sophia

I was dying.

No, I had already died. Now I was in hell, being tormented by the flames. What did I ever do wrong, I wanted to scream, at no one in particular. The pain was unbearable. I dimly remembered how I had thought falling from the tree was painful. I wanted to laugh at myself for being such a fool. The only problem was, I could not laugh, because I was screaming. This is real pain, I thought. Pain was not even the word to describe it. Pain was just a silly human word. Pain was something that Mother would complain of, in her back. No one knew of this.

Screaming was not enough. I wanted to scream until my soul came out with the screams, so that I would escape this insufferable torture. I wanted to scream until I could scream no more, and then I would die.

I wanted to die.

What was Dr. Cullen thinking? Couldn't he see that I would have rather died than endure this? Cruel, merciless man. I wanted to curse his existence over and over, but all I could do was scream.

It became worse. I could feel the fire in my veins, spreading throughout my body.

To my heart.

I screamed more.

It didn't stop.

It was relentless.

Time didn't exist anymore. Hours, seconds, days. None of them mattered.

Time was measured by the fire.

The time was the fire.

And then…ever so slightly…it slowed. It was stopping. I almost cheered. I was winning this war.

My fingers

My hands

My feet

My legs

One by one, they were all free. I was getting my territory back.

Ba-bum ba-bum ba-bum ba-bum ba-bum

Ba-bum…ba-bum…ba-bum…ba-bum…

Ba-bum…ba-bum…

Ba…bum…

Ba…

Silence.

I was free.

I opened my eyes.

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