Thank you guys so much for the reviews. Speaking of thanks (or maybe it's just cuz the band Im listening to right now is freakin awesome!) Stephenie Meyer in the WAY off chance you'd read fanfinc, you rock & alice is yours not mine… *tear* as well as the rest of the cullens. The Mitch Hansen Band (especially their Alice song) is amazing so thanks to them I feel like writing again. *squeals* I love this part.
It is hot outside, too hot for even the toughest Texans. Jasper is crouched under the low porch of his and Maria's hideout, the sunlight lighting the edges of the porch, but nowhere near him. Everyone once in a while a young kid will pass, but none of them or their parents notice the handsome blonde staring at them and away from them at the same time.
Worry covers his face. His red eyes have grown on me, and I no long find them scary. I can't help but think about how beautiful he'd be if his eyes were topaz like the other family I've been watching. He looks at his crescent scars for a long time, sometimes tracing them, growling to himself. He touches a line of scars and laughs bitterly.
"Lucy. Nettie. God, they were stupid to try to overtake us. Ha! Peter. Charlotte. You two are the only ones to leave a mark and live," he whispers to his scars.
I gasp, finally understanding the truth behind his beaten complexion. I'd seen it time and time again. Him taking new borns, as he and Maria call them, and killing them. I'd heard the snarls and growls and screams, but I never imagined the wild people biting him. I knew that he and Maria had disposed Lucy and Nettie for trying to take over the army, but Peter and Charlotte were new names.
We hear soft footsteps coming our way, but Jasper doesn't move. He frowns, but smiles when a beautiful, pale Mexican woman sits down beside him. She, too, looks around the vacant area and breathes in the duty air. Triumph covers her face.
"The trouble makers are gone," she says in a thick, Spanish accent. "Tonight will you take care of the others?" This surprises Jasper.
"Maria, with them gone, we won't have enough to take Dallas. If we can keep them long enough to take the city, we can find replacements. I could probably have them trained up in… oh, I don't know, a month, depending on the ages and how many we take."
"We? Jasper, hunting hurts you too much. Changing someone is far beyond your abilities. No, I don't want the others anymore. They're past the year's mark. Besides, you're such and expert fighter, aren't you? We don't need them to take Dallas. Now come back inside. Being out in the day isn't right."
"Yes, ma'am. I'll be there soon. I think better away from the distractions. If you want that flawless plan, let me think." He smiles and laughs easily, but his eyes are tight. Maria leaves, and Jasper sinks back into depression. We sit there until twilight, but we're not alone.
"Jasper? I'm surprised to still see you here," says a young man like us. He, too, has scars, but not even a quarter of what Jasper has.
"Peter! Maria will kill you if she sees you here! We got rid of Lucy and Nettie. They were going to rebel against us, and now I suspect Maria of the same thing. I don't trust her anymore."
"Jasper, I never did thank you for saving my life," says a young girl I assume to be Charlotte. "We know this tears you up inside. Peter traveled way up north, and you won't believe it, Jasper! We can come out in the day, and there aren't any wars. Our kind is very civilized there. Come with us!"
Jasper looks surprised. He looks down at his scars again and looks back at the hideout. We can all hear Maria talking to the new borns about Dallas. Jasper laughs and jumps up.
"Lead the way," he says, and the three of them leave without ever looking back.
The trio run far into the distance, and the river bank overlaps them. I'm looking at a fork in my road and the running soldier at once.
I lost track of time after awhile, but I didn't care. I stopped paying attention to how many days I hid on the river bank and how many nights I ran as fast as I could up stream. When I couldn't take the torture anymore, I killed the first animals I saw, sometimes burying the bodies, grieving over what I'd become. It was easier to be myself when it rained, and the scents of daring hikers, swimmers, and animals bled into one and were erased from area. Overall, I had accepted that I was a vampire, and I hoped that that would keep me from causing a killing spree in New York City.
That was another problem I couldn't figure out. Besides not knowing what was so great about this place, I wasn't sure if I could ever safely be around humans. My only real time around them ended up in a death and almost one less hobo group in St. Louis. All the way I kept reminding myself that I had to go and I wouldn't hurt another human. Maybe I'd see my creator or the family that lived off animal blood.
Once again the sun was setting, and it was time for me to leave. I looked at a map I'd stolen from some hikers a while back. I wasn't one hundred percent sure, but I thought I was where the Mississippi broke of into the Ohio River. Using my visions, I checked to see if this new branch was the one I wanted. Everything looked right. I shoved the map back in my bag of money and art supplies and ran east.
Since the Arch, I'd seen Jasper and the new family, the Cullens, several times. They become my inspiration for living or drawing. My notebooks were filled with their faces, and during the day, I caught myself looking for their futures. Jasper was becoming more and more depressed. He felt others' emotions and had the power to control them. He was an excellent fighter, one Maria praised above all, but feeling his opponent's pain only hurt him more. I was glad Peter and Charlotte came to save him.
I couldn't say the same about Edward. I wasn't positive yet, but it seemed like he could read minds. Maybe that's why he wouldn't go ahead and hunt humans like he wanted. The idea of living off animal blood came from the father figure, Carlisle, and Edward respected him. Esme probably would have done anything to make her family happy, especially her husband, so the restricted diet was a sacrifice she was more than willing to make. I wanted to help Edward, but I didn't know what he should do. I didn't even know where he was or where Jasper was. Through my visions, though, I felt like I already knew them, like they were long lost friends. If I ever ran into Jasper, maybe we could go find the Cullens and live like them.
This was how I spent my days and nights. I craved company, anyone to talk to would be fine, but I never ran into another vampire and humans were out of the question until I could control myself. When large, fancy boats sailed down the river, I waved, pretending they could see me, pretending I knew someone on board or something. They, too, found their way into my notebook. I sketched the people on board, all of them in short, pretty dress of different colors and patterns or in nice suits. The people were always dancing to that swing music I'd recently heard.
Once when I boat came I heard a loud trumpet solo coming from one of the boats. I had had a good day anyway and couldn't help form dancing along to the beat. I kicked my feet up and around like I'd seen the flapper girls on the boats do. Just yesterday, I saw a couple girls dancing around a radio to the same song. I tried to copy the care-free movements.
"That's 'Doctor Jazz' by King Oliver. I wouldn't have thought you'd visit the city for enjoyment!" laughed a man behind me.
I jumped and tried to blush, then remembering I couldn't. I bit my lip and shrugged.
"I stay away from people, but I've heard this song before and saw some girls dance like this once. Thought I'd give it a try," I admitted.
The man nearly fell in laughter, but shook his head and took my hand.
"I don't know where to begin on that statement! How about we start with a name? Mine's Frankie."
"Alice." I curtsied and laughed with him. The boat was almost gone now taking the music with it. I sighed and playfully glared at the vampire. "You made me miss my song."
"I'll teach you to dance if you explain yourself, Miss Alice."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He took me up out of the river bank and down a narrow, dirt path. I saw town lights up ahead and froze. I didn't want a repeat of St. Louis, especially with a vampire encouraging me.
"I get it," he assured me. "You stay away from humans. Radical idea, but I'll respect it tonight. I'll ask the questions, and you answer them while we dance. I suppose you don't have a watch with you? Never mind that. In about a minute or two, that building over yonder will start blasting all the jazz these people can handle and more. The music's partly why I stick around these parts instead of traveling far and wide like some. Bigger cities are more fun 'cuz people don't sleep much there, and we vampires can party all night and sleep all day. Oh! There's the bandleader now. Ready, toots?"
Shocked and unsure, I simply nodded. He took my hands and asked me the first question.
"Why do you stay away from people? How do you get blood?"
The band stated playing a new piece, and Frankie began to dance.
"I don't like killing people. It seems wrong to me, and I've seen a family that lives only off animal blood. They live in a big house and have nice clothes and play music all the time. I want to live like them!"
"They were pullin' your leg, sweetheart. We don't live like that. You're new to all this, aren't you?"
"Yeah, but I know that family really lives that way." I almost told him about the visions, but I still wasn't sure if that was something vampires should discuss with others. "I believe them."
"Why are you following the river?"
"Oh, this is a depressing song!" I gasped at the slow, dreary tempo. "New York City. I'm meeting someone there." It was a lie, but he didn't need to know that.
"I'll come with you. We'll get you some better clothes, and I'll teach you how not to kill in the cities. You can hunt your animals if you'll let me hunt the people."
"I could use help, but I guess I should warn you. I'm physic. I see that strange family in my head, and I've also seen a man from Texas who is traveling up north, too."
"And you're looking for him. Don't lie. If you see any of your dream people, you'll leave me! Well, that's what I get for intruding on a mission in progress. Sounds like a deal to me. What's you say, doll?"
"I'm also ditching you in New York."
We smiled and shook hands. He took my hand and led me into town. We passed the music hall, kicking and twirling the whole way. Sometimes he's sing along or hum along with the melody.
"'Rhapsody in Blue'," he sighed. "Wrote that on a train, he did. Fun song, but no steady beat. Can't dance with it!"
I laughed, almost willing to bet against him, but he continued on until we hit a dress shop. He told me to pick out whatever I wanted, his treat! I finally came out with bright green dress with a lacy collar and cuffs. White heels went perfectly with it, and Frankie played some green and white beads around my neck and a green flower in my hair.
"Perfect." He laid down the money on the counter and kissed my hand. "New York City, here we come!"
Acting like complete fools, we skipped and danced out of the store and into a nice, expensive looking car.
"Is this even yours?" I asked.
"Nope, but this is better than running all the way. If you've got money, we'll split the gas and drive all day and night. It's got curtains here to keep the sun out, so humans won't suspect a thing!"
"If you say so," I said shrugging. This man was starting to get on my nerves.
I leaned back in my seat, happy to finally ride in a car for… was this the first time in my life? Well, the first time I could remember at least! I closed my eyes and watched random visions, still hoping to see Jasper or the Cullens again.