4. Stories
He chuckled. "Pretty boring. Until about five minutes ago. Your more entertaining than you give yourself credit for."
"Jake, I am not funny. You just don't understand that my life is going to suck very badly until Carlisle gets home."
Right on que, Carlisle casually strolled in with Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rose, Daddy, and Mom trailing behind him. Alice! She didn't see me? Oh.. I muttered to myself. Can't see half-beings.
"Carlisle! I need to ask you a question!"
"What is it, Nessie? Is everything all right?" He continued to remain calm. Centuries of doctors' patience must have kept him peaceful as a dove.
"Well I was talking to Natalie today, and suddenly she asked about Mom and Daddy. I didn't say much at all, of course, but then at lunch, she asked me about you. She said her dad knew you."
"Who is her father?" Still calm.
"It's Dan Collins. He works up at Newtons'." I had a very good memory, and rarely forgot anything.
Suddenly the calm erased from Carlisle's face. "I.. I know him.. yes." I knew something was wrong. I tried to think of all the worst possibilities. Nothing came to mind except Volturi.
Ugh. Volturi. I had heard of them from my parents, but they never told me much. I knew enough to know that they had came before to take me away, and they would soon return for the same thing. I would stop aging, and they would want me. Want Jacob. No. I said stubbornly. Jacob will be safe. It's me they want. I tried very hard not to think of losing Jacob, or my family. Carlisle interrupted my thoughts by saying "He used to be a patient, until he found out what I was."
Everyone in the room froze. I knew by Daddy's calm façade was quickly fading. He knew what Carlisle was about to say.
Carlisle cleared his throat before he began. "A few years back, when you were nearly four, I got my first visit from Mr. Collins. He was a man in about his mid thirties, with a lanky figure and short sandy-brown hair. He came to me first with a mild cold, saying he needed some medicine. I asked him why he would need medicine with a seasonal head cold, but he said that he also was having some sleep deprivation. It showed to the human eye, so I had no choice but to prescribe him some Nytol.
"A few months later, he returned to me saying that he thought he was coming down with the stomach bug. He was much paler than usual, and I instantly knew what had happened. I asked what his symptoms were and he told me he had recurring headaches and a high temperature. He said it felt as if he could never catch his breath.
"I looked straight into his eyes and he looked straight into mine. I felt his pulse, keeping my gaze on his.
"Mr. Collins had no pulse whatsoever. His eyes were almost glassy- and I could see right through them. Contacts. Brown contacts.
"Mr. Collins was a vampire.