Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Based on the characters created by Stephanie Meyer, in her Twilight Saga series of books
WARNING: This story will contains scenes of domestic violence, strong language and other forms of physical violence, up to, and including death.
Chapter 23
Newborn No More
Twilight rolled gently over Dauphin Island, while Alice stood under a tree overlooking the small community below her. The scent of the human inhabitants permeated the air like an invisible fog. She waded through it slowly, as she descended on the unsuspecting town. She moved with practiced precision, as she approached her first target; a child dashed toward her, chasing a ball to the base of the sandy hill she was walking down.
"Hello," Alice smiled at the little boy.
"Hello, Miss," he hurriedly responded. Alice reached down and gently grabbed the boy's ball at her feet.
"Is this your's?" She asked sweetly.
"Thank you," the tyke grinned up at her, as he took the ball from Alice's hand. "My mommy's over there," he said, pointing to a group of people, resting on blankets, at the north end of the small grassy park.
"Thank you," Alice said to the boy. As she looked at the group, he scampered off to play with another child, who had been waiting for him to return with the ball. She quickly counted five adults and three other small children and babies. She walked slowly toward the group, listening to their conversation long before she reached them.
"Hello," Alice announced herself to the gathered parents. "I'm Alice. I'm visiting my Aunt, and thought I'd take a little walk and meet a few of the people who live here." She began to bounce mildly, on the balls of her feet, as the others introduced themselves to her. She spent a few minutes talking to the parents, before they began to gather their children, and headed to their homes for the evening.
Alice continued to wander the small community, examining it's night life, and reveling in her hard fought control. As she passed a large storefront window, she caught a good look at her eyes reflected in the glass. A hurricane lamp illuminated her face perfectly, and she marveled at her dark gold eyes.
"Beautiful." She breathed the word, fogging the glass slightly, and surprising herself. She listened for the sounds of anyone around her, then proceeded to breath along a larger portion of the window. Then, when she had fogged a larger portion she placed her finger up to the window and began to draw in the fog. She giggled as she quickly ran her finger over the smooth surface of the glass, but soon frowned when she saw that all her beautiful finger drawings had disappeared.
"Oh," Alice was disappointed, as she stepped back and watched the newest of her work fade back to clear glass. "Oh well." She shrugged and continued down the street. As she neared the church, Alice heard music. A jaunty tune was being banged out on a piano in a crowded building about two blocks from the church. Alice poked her head through the open door, and watched the people as they sat at small tables and chatted with one another, or danced furiously on a small square of open space near the piano. She had time to press her back against the brick exterior of the building, as a vision pulled her away from her present.
The room had white walls, and light weight, sheer curtains. The floor was a beautiful blond hardwood that was polished to a deep shine. The outside wall was nothing but windows that continued up to the second floor, allowing a view of the gardens that led out to the treeline. There were two couches, both of them white, as well. They faced the magnificent instrument that was the centerpiece of the room. An ebony 1901 Bösendorfer with 96 keys. The player of the concert grand piano turned to look at me, as his fingers continued to fly across the ivory keys.
"You really should check out some of the classics, Alice." He smiled and tried not to laugh, as he continued. "Some of them might just calm you down a bit."
She giggled again, as she entered the crowded building. She studied the dancers, as she neared the dance floor. She smiled as they kicked up their legs and swayed their hips to the lively music. By the time she reached it, she was able to join in with the dancing women, laughing and bouncing with the best of them. When the song was finished, one of the women grabbed her hand, and pulled her with them.
"Come on." The woman was smiling and out of breath. "We singles have to stick together," she laughed and led Alice to a table filled with other laughing, flushed girls.
"Bring my friend a Mint Julep," Alice's friend yelled to someone near the bar. "And double it." She turned to Alice, and said, "You need to catch up, Honey."
"One for me too," another girl raised her empty glass and yelled. She was joined by all the others at the table.
Alice stayed with the girls, dancing, drinking (even though they tasted awful), and laughing, until it was almost dawn. When the club began to shut down for the night, the girls stayed together. They walked by each of their homes, making sure everyone arrived safely, as the group grew smaller one girl at a time. When the last of Alice's friends had been safely returned to her home, Alice raced to the far west side of the island. It was little more than a high and wide sandbar, and, therefore, private. She stood facing the easterly breeze, and felt her stomach begin to reject the alcohol and sugar she had been drinking all night. With a loud and violent roll, she turned and her stomach expelled it's contents. Alice was doubled over, holding her abdomen as the next vision burst into her head.
"It takes practice," Carlisle told us. He sat at the dinning room table, with several containers of food his wife had prepared for him. "Soup is the most difficult. Sometimes you can get away with just stirring it. Sometimes you will simply have to swallow it, because there is no way to hide it. If you are out, say at a restaurant, disposal for liquids is made easier if there is decorative flora present. Solid foods are the easiest to hide." I studied him, as he chewed small bites of food, only to quickly spit them into a napkin on his lap. He moved food around on his plate, and made it appear to have been eaten it.
The vision continued, and Alice studied it. She learned as much as she could, for her next foray into the human environs. She had moved her belongings to a small shelter she built on Dauphin Island, almost a month prior. As she had gained better control, she had inched closer to the humans. Between her visions, and her own tenacious grasp on her bloodlust, she was very successful in all her attempts to travel and interact with the human population of the small island. But Alice's days along the gulf coast would have to come to an end, and soon. Alice was well aware of the pull to go north. There was something to be found, but it would be a long time coming, and it was a long ways away. So, as the islanders prepared for their Christmas holiday, Alice packed her few belongings and loaded them into the skiff she had managed to keep hidden. She carried the boat back to the shore and waited for night to fall. She began to row the small boat toward the mainland, then up the coast into Mobile Bay. She neared the end of the open bay long before dawn, and veered the skiff east. She wanted to avoid Mobile until she had eaten well. As she crossed to the east coast of the bay, she turned into a large tributary, and began heading north again.
Alice finally stopped, and dragged the skiff to solid ground in a widened area of the tributary, as the sun broke the horizon. She smelled a variety of wildlife in the area, including several scents she had never been exposed to before. One, that was very close, seemed extraordinarily mouth-watering. Alice literally dropped the boat and crouched into an attack stance, as she began to hunt her unknown prey. She could tell by the beating of it's heart that it was larger than anything she had hunted so far. As she approached her target from downwind, she watched as it's large shaggy body lumbered along in the swampy forest. It suddenly stopped and raised it's shaggy head, and roared. It was a deep, hollow sound, that seemed to echo through the trees. Alice felt a rush of excitement, as she stepped out of the concealing brush, to accept the challenge put forth by the prickly bear. As if she were dancing on her toes, she silently advanced on the beast from it's side. When she was within striking distance, she bowed to the angry bear, and giggled, then returned to her fighting crouch. She raised her own challenge in the form of a deep rumbling growl that slowly built in her chest, until it became a sound to equal the roar of the bear.
The bear swung around to face Alice, and roared at her again. It stood on it's hind legs and pawed the air, as it slowly walked in her direction. Alice growled low and hissed at the raging beast in front of her. It may have only been a black bear, but it was still larger than Alice, and she was looking forward to the fight. She danced around the angry bear, as it dropped to all fours, and continued to reach for her with claws extended on it's strong paw. Alice began to giggle as she jumped onto the back of the bear, and leaned over to bite into the thick fur at it's neck. The enraged beast roared and thrashed, as it tried to dislodge Alice from it's back, but she had a firm grasp with both her arms, legs, and teeth. As the bear's blood filled her throat, she hummed in satisfaction at both the taste and the fight that still possessed the animal. She could hear it's heart rate begin to slow, until it finally collapsed with one final beat of it's heart. Alice released the dead bear, stood, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. As she looked down at it, she licked the blood from her hand, then noticed a tear along a side seam on her dress.
"Shoot," she mumbled to herself. She quickly dug a shallow grave for the bear, tossed it's body in, and covered it, then returned to where she had dropped the boat. She pulled a sewing kit, she had bought on Dauphin Island, from one of the bundles, and began to repair her dress. She made small stitches so the dress would not look as if it had been ripped. After she had repacked the sewing kit, she dug out the change purse, and examined the jewels she had placed in it.
"These dresses simply are not good for hunting bears," she mumbled to herself. "Just too long, too full, and too frilly" she huffed, pulling her skirt around her, and held it close, as she walked through the wooded swamp, exploring. The day dragged for her. She had to wait for nightfall to make her way to Mobile. She wanted to trade some of the jewels for different clothes. As much as she hated the idea, Alice realized that men's clothes might be the best idea, for hunting. She thought about the bolts of silk she had on the skiff, and dreamed of beautiful dresses that she could wear to parties, and to hunt.
"One day, I'll make dresses that will suit all my purposes," she mumbled seriously. "Someday."
As twilight again shrouded the sun from the world, Alice began her trip to Mobile. She carried the bag of jewels by wrapping the closing thong around her wrist, as she skimmed the swamp across Mobile Bay. When she had reached solid ground, she straightened her dress, brushed her boots and jacket, and entered the bustling city. It only took a few minutes for Alice to find the business area, near the city's docks, and a jeweler to buy a few of the gems she wanted to sell. Alice then skipped her way to a general merchandise store, and purchased the clothing she wanted. She found three pairs of pants, that suited her tastes, and three button down shirts. Two blue plaid, and one a blue work shirt. She also bought a new pair of wing tip work boots, and a knapsack to carry all her new items in. She purchased a few items to make her look more believable, as a traveler on the road. She stored everything into her knapsack, and counted the remainder of her funds. She made her way to a dress shop before it was ready to close for the night.
Alice tried on several dresses before she was happy with a scarlet red flapper dress, with beaded fringe at the bottom and shoulders. She then purchased a pair of red satin Mary Jane's with 2 ½ inch heels, silk stockings, as well as a girdle. When she was sure she had everything she would need, she found a reputable hotel, and rented a room. The first thing Alice did was to shake out her new clothes, and hang them neatly in the closet. She then drew a bath, and relaxed into the hot water. She considered her next move, as she washed away the dirt and grime from the past days travels.
"I'll have to conserve my money," she said to herself. She realized then, that she would have to purchase bathing supplies to carry in her knapsack. "If I want to stay clean, I'll need to find places to wash on the road." She looked around the bathroom, and thought about what a luxury it was, and how it was an expense she could not afford to indulge in very often. "So much to consider," she mumbled, as she slapped at the surface of the water. "But I'll get it all organized," she happily sang.
When Alice had finished her bath, she dried herself off, then toweled her hair dry. She pulled out the new wooden handled hairbrush she had bought, and brushed her short spiky hair until it was dry. Setting the brush aside, she looked at the clothes hanging in the closet, and smiled broadly.
"Not now," she mumbled. "The night is still young, and I want to dance." Alice shook out her old clothes, and wiped away any mud or dirt she found, and redressed to go out for the night. She was not dressed to the height of fashion, but she was satisfied with her appearance, as least for this one night. She checked her cash, hid the gems she still had, and left her hotel room, locking the door behind her.
It didn't take Alice long to find a dance club. She stood in the alley, listening to the people as they entered the club. She learned the coded knock, and heard the password, and was in the club in a matter of minutes. She left her jacket with the coat check girl, then danced her way to the bar, and ordered a drink. She sat and listened to the music, and watched the dancers, both men and women.
"Would you care to dance?" his voice was smooth. Too smooth. Alice turned to him, and saw the red eyes behind his blue colored glasses. He gave a small gasp when his eyes met hers. "Your eyes are very...distracting." Alice lowered her head, and gave a vibrating growl that none would hear but the man facing her. He immediately held his hands in surrender. "I mean no harm," he lowered his head, but kept his eyes locked on Alice's. "You're new here." his voice quieted and became smoother. "There are only a few of us here tonight. None of us have eyes like yours. They are quite beautiful."
"It's my diet," Alice informed him, as she relaxed, but only slightly. "I prefer to feed on animals," she continued. "I have spent the last year learning to surround myself with humans, and not imbibe. It is very difficult, but worthwhile, to be able to relax, and enjoy the company of humans."
"Very interesting," was the male vampire's reply. "My apologies, for my poor behavior," he bowed to Alice. "I am Alexander Dearborn. I am the oldest in this area." He gently took Alice's hand, and brought it to his lips. The visions that filled her head were of a gentleman, but also a killer.
"I'm Alice." She smiled at him, as she shook off the vision. She was careful to present a friendly smile. One not meant to invite or arouse.
"Just Alice?"
"That's all I know," she frowned.
"Not to worry. Please call me Xander, as my friends do." His smile was also friendly. "Come and meet some of the others." He gave her hand a slight tug, and Alice took her drink, and followed him across the room. There were two others at the table. Alice thought the man and woman were a couple, but as she watched them, she realized that they were not a mated pair. Xander held a chair for her, then took the last empty chair for himself.
"Alice, this is Camile, and Everett." He nodded to each in turn.
Alice nodded as well, and said a quiet "Hello".
"Alice is new," Xander told the others. "Just past her first year."
"Who sired you," Camile asked disinterested, as she looked off to the dance floor refusing to meet Alice's eyes.
"I don't know,"Alice replied. Three pairs of curious and suspicious eyes flashed to her, before turning away to look elsewhere.
"I've seen nothing in the papers, nor heard anything from the local constabulary, that would indicate a newborn in the area. Where are you from, little Alice?" Everett asked, while looking past her, toward the bar. Alice noticed his face was friendly, but his tone, like Camile's, was condescending.
"From the barrier islands. I spent most of the last year on Dauphin Island." Alice smiled, proud of her achievement.
"Well," Everett waved his hand idly in the air, "that explains it. From the lower islands and no sire to teach her the proper way to feed. No wonder her eyes are that abominable color." He leaned into Camile. "Next she'll be telling us she lived on alligators and sharks." Both he and Camile burst into loud laughter, as Alice sat straighter in her seat.
"I think your eyes are beautiful," Xander's voice was commanding, and he spoke directly to Alice, instead of about her, as if she wasn't there. "As for spending the last year on the islands," he appeared thoughtful, "I can see it as being an appropriate place to teach a newborn how to live, and remain out of the humans line of sight. I do recall hearing about a few smugglers, and their booty, going missing." Alice looked down in shame.
"I was not always as successful as I had hoped to be," she confessed. "Especially early on." Alice sighed deeply, then looked up into Xander's red eyes.
"No one is perfect," Xander laughed, while Everett and Camile huffed and removed themselves to the dance floor. He watched them as they walked away. "Some of our kind can be very arrogant, and with very little reason," his eyes slowly returned to Alice. "What you have done, with no one to teach you, is simply amazing, my dear Alice." Xander took Alice's hand in his, and kissed it, again. "But if you wish to live among humans, and feed from animals, you will probably be heading north?" He looked puzzled, his head tilting to the right, as he studied her face.
"You have a gift?" Alice smiled at him.
"Such a minimal thing. I can suggest a direction for our kind, to help them find what it is they seek. Almost useless." He relaxed back into his seat.
"Not to me," Alice told him. "I know I need to go north, for several reasons. But which way north?"
Xander tensed and studied her for a moment longer. "Northeast first, then northwest." He relaxed again, then smiled at her. "You have a long wait yet, before you find the objects of your desires. Will you stay here, until it is closer to the time in which you will find these things you are searching for?"
"No," she smiled back at him. "I'll continue to travel to learn more about humans, and see the world."
"Then we must enjoy the night," Xander raised his glass to Alice, and she to him. They both pretended to sip at their drinks, then joined the others on the dance floor. Alice spent the evening learning about her new acquaintances, dancing, and chatting with the humans in the club. But at the end of the night, she returned to her hotel room, and dreamed of her mate. "I'll find you, Jasper," she murmured to herself, as she began to look through her clothes.
A/N: Thank you all for your patience. Things will begin to move more quickly for Alice. There may only be a couple more chapters to this story. not quite sure yet.