Then There Was Jasper
By Interest Me
May 2010
Fanfiction based on Twilight
By Stephanie Meyer
*All copyright belongs to Stephanie Meyer
Fashion
I needed a mirror. Robert told me to look in a mirror my first chance, but all of the mirrors were near humans. Human smells cremated my throat and made my vision of Jasper disappear.
I perched on a rooftop, in the shadow of a chimney, and watched as the shopkeeper locked up his store. Through the window, the mirrors in the shop reflected racks of clothing, doubling their beauty. Jackets of softest wool draped forms in the window display. Pink, maroon, chocolate. I could see more colors hanging on display.
Silk gowns shimmered in the background. The green one was my favorite. Sequins twinkled from the bodice. Oh, and shoes! Racks and racks of shoes. I spied leather emerald pumps and imagined them peeking out from the silk gown I loved. Perfect. Or perhaps the shiny golden ballet slippers. They would match equally nice.
I heard the keys jangle as the shop owner pulled them from the lock. I settled into the shade and waited for sunset.
That night, I darted across the deserted street. This was my fifth attempt. The fire that human blood ignited in my throat was growing smaller, but I still had to run from human contact. When my vampiric instincts took over, and my body chased the human fragrance, my visions of Jasper and my future family disappeared. Only the shock of losing my loved ones enabled me to break off the hunt and run in another direction.
I slipped behind the store, and twisted the doorknob. I felt the lock break in my hand, and the door opened. Apparently all of the keys in front were only for show. This tiny lock was no match for the slightest force. Or were humans that weak? Perhaps they never think to check the back door?
I knew I could have broken the locks on the front door. I could have simply clawed the door aside like a curtain. The back door felt safer though. Less conspicuous. I never knew what action could bring on the Volturi visions, but the more sneakily I tread, the less I saw them.
It had been months since I met Robert, and I was still working to understand my gift.
The store smelled of humans. Many of them. But it also smelled of silk and wool; leather and linen. I grabbed the first garment I saw and buried my face in it. I inhaled and ran out the back door and jumped into a tree. Someone, a human, had worn that blouse. Venom leaked into my mouth, and I swallowed convulsively trying to douse the flames in my throat. It didn't work.
I gasped the clean air. This helped some, but mostly time remedied the burn. I dropped from my tree and ran back into the shop, determined to see a mirror this time And of course the clothing. And the shoes.
As I entered the shop again, I held my breath. I took a tiny breath. Leftover human smells burned, but it was bearable. I avoided the blouse that had seared my throat. I stood in front of a mirror without looking. I wanted to get the full effect, so I kept my eyes closed. I waited a moment and opened them. I had seen myself in visions, and so, I expected most of what the mirror contained. I stood several hairs under 5 feet tall. Slender. In the dark store, my black hair contrasted sharply with my snowy skin. I knew from visions, that when the light is stronger, my skin would not appear to glow as it did now in the silver moonlight.
My eyes. I had spent a great deal of time watching humans lately, and I knew they would have turned on a lamp in this darkness. As Robert had said, their eyes were weaker than ours. But, I was sure that no human eyes looked like mine. They were fiery orange embers in my face. In my visions, my eyes were usually golden, and sometimes black. Not quite human, but passable. If humans saw my eyes now, they would definitely know I wasn't one of them. I would keep my dark spectacles.
I frowned at my clothing. Dirt and blood stained my blue cotton blouse. My black trousers were frayed along the hems where my dirty feet poked out. I should run through a stream.
I approached the emerald gown. A small, sample breath only burned a little. Humans had definitely touched the dress, but I didn't think they had tried it on. I stepped into the skirt, and pulled the bodice up behind me. I slid my arms into the sleeves like a jacket. The front left flap folded to the right, and the right flap folded to the left where I fastened it with 10 hook and eye fasteners. I had to pull the sash tighter than it was designed to tie. The waist line was constructed to drop somewhat below my waist. I lifted the hem with two hands and twirled in the mirror.
The swirling skirt blew some burning smells around and I held my breath. The dress settled back to the carpet and covered my feet. I gathered fabric in my hands and lifted it again so that I could walk to the shoe racks. I chose the green pumps, and the heels were high enough to lift the hem off the floor.
I danced through the store, twirling and leaping. I often caught my reflection in the many mirrors, and I had to agree with Robert. I did move like a dancer. I chose more gowns, and danced in lavender, yellow, peach and black. Some necklines plunged, other gripped my throat. The fabric flowed and danced with me. Most of the styles fit loosely, but a few clung to my shape. My legs were too short for the long dresses, oh but the shoes, with their tall heals, fixed the problem nicely.
Boots, sandals, slippers, heels, some tied, some slipped on, all were enchanting. I chose dresses, and then shoes to match. Then I chose shoes, and looked for dresses to match. The pile of dresses and shoes that I wanted soon reached my waist.
Of course, I knew that I couldn't take them all with me, but I could dream. It was my hill of dreams. I flashed on Jasper and I meeting in the diner. I saw the outfit I would wear, and decided when I found that outfit, I would be close to meeting Jasper. I searched the store looking for the cream jacket, with large blue buttons that I would wear. It wasn't there. I was crestfallen. This put Jasper a bit further in my future. Well, when I found that jacket, then he would be close.
After I tried on every dress in the store, and shoes to match, I looked at pocketbooks. I found a sturdy leather purse with a long strap. Perfect for travelling, and I draped it over my head, and stuck one arm through the strap. I slipped my dark spectacles out of my pocket and dropped them into my purse. There!
Silver compacts gleamed in a pool of moonlight that filtered through a window. I opened one marked alabaster. The compressed face powder was lighter than any human skin I had seen, but seven shades darker than my own. Still, I liked the mirror, so I slipped it into my purse.
I ran my hands through the silk scarves. I grabbed a handful and rushed to the mirror. I experimented with the scarves, tying them in my hair, winding them around my neck, even twining one around my entire head. Knot in front, at the side, under my hair. I wanted them all. I stuffed as many as I could fit, into my pocketbook.
I looked at my sad hill of dreams. I couldn't wear any of the dresses while I travelled. I'm sure they would be conspicuous and not practical at all. I searched a rack of pedal pushers, and chose a pair in a similar shade of green as my favorite dress. I selected a simple tan blouse, and a green cardigan.
The pedal pushers nearly reached my ankles, and the sweater had some beading on the shoulders. Certainly not as beautiful as the dress, but a nice ensemble just the same. I slipped my feet into the golden ballet slippers. As I exited the store, I snagged a chocolate colored jacket. Very nice.
I smelled him long before I saw him. My first impulse was to dart for the trees, but human's didn't move that fast. I was trying to pass as human. I fished my dark glasses from my purse, and dropped some scarves. I heard him approach as I picked up the scarves and slipped on my glasses. I held my breath.
Just act human. Act human. Act human.
"Hello," I said.
"Well hello," he said.
I hoped I wouldn't have to talk much, I only had so much air, and he was quite close. Inhaling his scent now would melt my throat and fire my instinct to hunt him. I decided to walk past as quickly as possible, but he stepped in my path.
"Nice glasses," he said.
"Thank you, they were a gift." I hoped that sounded human.
"A little dark to be wearing them don't cha think? Cloud the vision."
Oh no. Humans didn't wear dark spectacles in the dark? It made sense, their eyesight was so weak. I waited for the Volturi visions to start flashing, but they didn't. Good, I hadn't given myself away. Yet.
"I wear them for fashion is all, I can see fine." I was going to need a breath very soon if I had to continue talking.
He stood a few feet from me now, and still in my path. Each beat of his heart pulsed between us. His body warmed the air, and my throat burned with the memory of the human fragrance.
"Whatsa little thing like you doing out alone t'night?" he slurred.
"Just some shopping," My breath was gone now.
"Stores are closed."
Goodness but he was nosey. Move aside you thick headed lug. I stepped to the right. He followed. I stepped left. He followed. I backed into the deeper shade of a building. He followed me into the purple darkness. I saw him lunge for me a split second before he did. Then I breathed deeply. Fire ripped through my throat, and the man's elbow popped as I yanked him toward me. I lifted him from the ground when his knees buckled. I cooled my throat with his blood and dropped his dead body to the pavement.
I waited for Jasper, Carlisle, Edward, Rosalie, Emmet and Esmee to blink out of my brain. They didn't. But I had just killed a human. Perhaps since he hunted me first, this didn't count?
I stomped my foot. He got blood on my new blouse! I ghosted back to the store and chose another shirt from the rack. I checked my appearance in the mirror and saw that my eyes were no longer orange. They were red. Like blood. How odd. Like the man's blood? I wasn't sure, but it seemed a good guess. I filed it away for future investigation.
I needed to find some water to wash my feet. Not only were they dirty, but now they had blood smears on them. I grabbed another pair of gold slippers and left the store.