Chapter 4: Teaching Mary Alice
When Johnny walked out of the house, Eli saw his opportunity to cover up Alice's one mistake. He found a box of matches on the kitchen table and took one out if it's package. He struck it and began setting multiple things ablaze; starting with the kitchen table.
Many meals were eaten here with the Brandon family all together. The Mrs. would cook for her children while her husband was tending to the wheat fields just outside the town. When nothing but the bright fire could be seen, Eli took Alice into his arms and carried her up the stairs, with the matches in his pocket.
He first sought out Alice's old room. He saw the bed; he laid the unconscious girl upon it and moved into her parent's room. Eli ran downstairs to retrieve the bodies and once he got both of them into position, he took a match from the pack, lit it and threw it onto the beds. It was a slow burn and he had to wait at least a couple minutes before the fire caught on, but as soon as it did, Eli flew into Alice's room to retrieve her unconscious form. As he picked her up into his arms, he lit one more final match and flicked it onto her little sister's old bed.
Eli heard the screams coming from the outside. Not wishing to be seen he looked towards the window in Alice's and her sister's room and went crashing through it. Now the people were so drawn to the fire, trying to put it out to even notice the old doctor landing on his own two feet just outside the perimeter of the crowd. Eli looked to the side of him and saw Johnny standing there. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever. Eli then gave a single nod to the boy and when he saw an identical nod from Johnny he walked into the darkness with his child in his arms.
When Alice awoke the next morning, she had a splitting headache and she couldn't remember what had happened the night before. She looked around her and when she recognized the forest by her childhood home she called out for Eli. The man in question arrived moments later with a rather large buck across his shoulders. Eli dropped the beast down in front of the girl and she jumped back.
Frightened by the sight before her, she asked her Sire one question. "Why are we here Sire?" She looked towards the trees as she spoke. "I scarcely remember this place. I think I used to come here as a child. Just to get away from my father."
Eli wanted to look at the girl with anger in his eyes. He was angry with her. Angry that she ran off without him, angry that his little Alice didn't remember a thing from the night before. He was angry but he didn't want to show it to her. His little Alice didn't know of her mistake yet. She didn't know that she killed her mother and father, leaving her only sister out there in the world to fend for herself.
The elder was thankful that he found a home for the little girl but it was still the matter of fact that she had no one left of her own family. The old man looked at the young newborn with rage in his kind eyes. Alice in turn scattered away from him until her back hit the trunk of a tree. "Do you honestly have no idea what happened last night?" He growled at her. "Do you honestly have no idea what you've done?!"
Alice tried searching her memories for something, anything to tell her what happened the night before. When she could find no memory of her prior actions, she shook her head. Eli just looked at her with a confused twinkle in his eye. This was odd for him to hear. Every other vampire remembers their first human kill. That is the reason why some turn to animal blood and some stay with the traditional human blood. But this girl, this newborn didn't even remember her first two kills.
"What do you remember?" Alice once again searched through her mind as to what she DID remember from last night before the darkness took her. "I recall smelling something so delicious that I had to go see what it was. When I reached the end of the forest, I blacked out Sire."
Eli just looked at this child with sad eyes now. He stood up and held out his hand to Alice and said, "Come with me my little one." Alice would never question her Sire's authority, so she did as she was told. They both ran at lightning speed towards the edge of the forest where Alice herself stood not 24 hours ago.
The elder vampire pointed out to the charred remains of Alice's childhood home. "Do you remember anything about that place?" Alice squinted at the burnt down house and a look of shock entered her gaze. Alice wanted to run to the burnt remains of her old home but Eli held her back. Tears came to the old man's eyes at this point. He let a few fall as Alice begged him to tell her what happened.
"Why was my home burnt down? Where are my mother and sister?! Where's my Katie!?" Finally a vision of the night before entered her mind's eye. "No..." Alice whispered. She whispered so quietly that Eli had to really listen to hear her. "NO!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
The pixie must have fainted because the next thing she knows is that she's standing in a bright white room with nothing but a mirror in front of her. 'My father I could understand, but my mother?! She was innocent!' She screamed as she paced inside the room. 'No one is innocent little Alice.' Alice turned sharply to see who it was that spoke to her. The only thing she found was her reflection looking back at her. This thing had the same blood track marks on her face but blood red eyes. It was the monster within her. 'You're lucky you had the vision of your bitch mother when you did Alice. If you didn't, I just would've gone upstairs to the bedroom and drained your little sister dry.'
Eli could see the fight Alice was having with herself. This was the way that vampires chose their way of life. If you lose the fight with the monster within yourself, you live the way of the nomads. You stay on human blood and feast to your undead hearts content. If you win the fight, well...it's not really much of a life when you're on your own, but at least Alice had a chance to find her family; her reason for existing. Anyways, if you win the fight against the monster, you chose to feed off of animal blood and animal blood alone.
Eli himself had chosen this way of life and lived it for...longer than any human or vampire could ever dream of living. He chose this life because he couldn't bear the thought of taking a life. Eli knows of course that he has indeed taken a life himself, however he couldn't remember whose. No newborn is supposed to remember the lives they take, but Alice was special. Alice had the gift of foresight and it seemed that the change within her had given her ability a boost. Of course Alice was able to see the future but now she was able to see the past. To a certain extent. Eli didn't know how long this boost will last but he is sure that it won't last forever.
'You will not touch her!' Alice yelled at the monster in front of her. It looked just like her but only with red eyes and a devious smile. Alice's twin just laughed at her. 'Oh but I will, little Mary Alice, I just have to find her.' Alice's reflection continued to laugh and mock her. It threatened to kill her little sister. Threatened to kill the only thing she had left tying Alice to her family. The monster inside may have gotten her parents, her mother and her father, but it would not get her baby sister Katie Brandon. 'You... Will... Not... Have... Her!' Alice screamed as she leapt at her reflection.
It seemed as if she leapt through the mirror itself because the next thing she knew, Alice had her doppelgänger by the throat. The imposter just laughed and Alice punched her in the face. 'You' Alice punched her once, 'will' she punched her in the nose, 'not' once more in the cheekbone, 'have' once in the eye, 'HER!' Finally Alice put both hands on the side of her monsters head, twisted and pulled with all of her strength; eyes closed tight.
After a couple minutes of the same tedious process Alice heard a large pop and then she flew back from the force she was exerting. She opened her eyes and when she saw her own head in her hands and she jumped back. With blood covering her hands and face Alice looked down at her own decapitated form and just starred at it. After a moment, she picked up the head and drop kicked it far into the distance, whispering as if to herself, "I will not let this control me".
When Alice finished that statement, she saw Eli standing in front of her once more. He wore a grin on his face so that must have meant he heard her last words to herself. "I will not let this control me Eli. You chose me for a reason. So that I could live a life far away from here and far away from this oppression. I will not tarnish this gift you have given me." The old vampire could not be more proud of his little Alice. He put a hand on her shoulder and said, "I know Alice. I just want you to know that when the time comes, I only want you to look after yourself. The smell of human blood is intoxicating and will be a burden on you at first, but I have faith that you will learn to control that urge fairly soon." At that moment Alice's mind decided to feed her with a vision. A vision of the future. A not so distant one.
Alice could see the forest whipping around her; she could feel the trees and the ground under her feet as she ran. She looked down at herself and saw that the clothes she was wearing were not her own. Alice saw long jeans with holes torn in the knees. She was also barefoot in the vision. Not caring whether or not she stepped or tripped on any of the roots showing in the dirt. When Alice heard herself speak it was not her own voice reaching her ears. It was a male voice. One that she recognized from a past vision. "I know where you are now Mary Alice. I'm coming for you." He spoke, the environment around him looking very familiar.
When the vision had subsided, Eli took her over to a tree trunk and she sat upon it still a little shaken from what she just saw. The old doctor was full of concern when he asked Alice, "What did you see?" Alice looked at him worriedly and when she was about to speak, a voice interrupted her. "Why she saw me of course." A sickly sweet male voice echoed through the trees.
The man known as James now stood before them high above in the trees of the forest. "I knew I'd find you sooner or later little Alice. Unfortunately it was a little later than I would've liked. But no matter, I'll still make you mine. If not I'll have to dispose of you and your disgrace of a Sire." Alice moved behind Eli and peeked over the man's shoulder to get a good look of him. "She's not going anywhere with you James. Alice already made her choice."
James just tsked and said, "Well that there is a shame. We could've lived such a nice long life together. We could've seen the world Alice. Feasted on some of the most delicious blood known to man, but now I see that you have chosen to feast on disgusting animal blood. Now I see you chose to be a coward just like him." James pointed to the man standing in front of her. Protecting her from the nomad vampire like he always had. Eli took a deep unneeded breathe and spoke again. "Alice, remember what I told you?" When he felt a nod against his shoulder he continued. "I only want you to look after yourself. I want you to run." Alice gasped and said, "No Eli. I want to stay with you." Eli chuckled. "Well there is a first time for everything I suppose, but you need to go now. Let me take care of him."
The sweet newborn shook her head, feeling more tears on her face. "No, I won't leave you." She yelled hoping that the loyalty she had for him would let her stay by his side. "I said GO Alice!" The elder shouted as he pushed her far away from him. Alice's back hit a tree with a huge amount of force. She fell to her knees and just as she was about to run back to him, Eli turned around and looked at her with black as night eyes and his fangs out ready for battle. "RUN!" He yelled just as James launched himself in the air.
Alice did as she was told and ran as fast as her little feet would carry her. She closed her eyes and just ran. Not caring where it would lead her. When Alice opened her eyes next, she could feel a breeze against her already cold skin. It didn't bother her of course considering the fact she preferred the cold. She could also see clouds and feel a small amount of rain touch her skin.
When Alice looked up she saw a large amount of trees and the scent among them was the best she had ever smelled. "Where am I?" She whispered to no one in particular. When she heard multiple footsteps in the dirt she quickly turned and saw two men with tan skin and short black hair walking up to her. "You're on Quileute land leech, I suggest you run." One of the men growled at her. The frightened newborn heeded his word and turned and ran towards a clearing in the trees. Alice made sure to look behind her to make sure the wolves weren't following her.
She ran until she hit something. It must have been a boulder because it was a whole lot bigger than she was and it seemed to be immovable. When she opened her eyes, she looked up into the face of a man with a quirky smile and amber eyes. Amber eyes like her Sire, except these ones were brighter whereas Eli's were faded. "Hey there little pixie!" The man greeted her happily. "Where did you come from?"