Part VI 'Discovering Hidden Talents and Passions"
Chapter 19
As my college career loomed just two weeks away, I found myself back in the forest honing my powers. Thanks to Jasper's assistance, I had secured acceptance into the prestigious College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences at the University of Denver. The programs offerings were truly outstanding, and I could hardly contain my excitement for the semester to begin. Alice and Jasper would be joining me on this academic journey, though they had opted for a much lighter class schedule and did not plan to do the full 4 year run. We had bought a cozy little house near campus, but far enough from the hustle and bustle to allow us to hunt whenever necessary and not have to hide what we are when we are home alone.
As I perched on my usual rock, my mind drifted back to my recent visit with Charlie. He'd mentioned the Cullen's house looking like it had been hit by a bomb, but in truth, it had been me. How had I caused that kind of destruction? My shield was capable of many incredible feats, but I'd never witnessed it wreaking havoc like that before.
It had to be another power within me. Perhaps vampires weren't limited to one ability, but rather could possess several? I was about the least religious person out there but I'm sure if there is a Vampire God he must have thought to himself. "Let's load Bella up with a shit ton of highly dangerous powers and see what happens."
Jasper had always extolled the benefits of meditation and encouraged me to center my mind to focus on what I wanted to accomplish. I closed my eyes and tried to sense anything that felt different within me.
Hours passed as I sat there, deep in thought. I racked my brain, trying to find anything that could help me make sense of a yet unknown power that could be stirring within me. Suddenly, I felt something. It was faint and I only felt it for a second but I focused like a hawk on that area in my mind and I felt it again and grabbed hold of it in my mind.
At first, nothing happened. My mind moved whatever it had latched on to this way and that, trying to coax it into action, but it remained stubbornly unresponsive. Frustration gnawed at me as I tried and failed to make sense of it. I then tried to push it out of my body and a flicker of something caught my eye. I focused my attention on my hand, where I had seen the tiny flash and tried again and to my amazement, I saw something spark in my palm.
I froze, analyzing what I was seeing. I tried again, and again, and each time, I felt the energy within me getting easier to grab hold of and growing stronger. A tiny discharge of raw power crackled from my palm, and I realized that I was on the right track. With renewed focus, I concentrated all my attention on this strange energy, pouring every ounce of my being into it.
And then, a massive burst of power exploded from my hand, filling the air with a brilliant burst of light. I gasped in awe and shock, quickly taking stock of my body to make sure I wasn't injured. I felt fine, exhilarated even, by the sheer power of what I'd just unleashed. It was as if a whole new world had opened up before me, one filled with new possibilities and potential. Just like with my shield, I knew practice was the key to mastering this power. With a grin, I set to work staying there all night into the day practicing, and exploring this newfound strange power further.
The next day, I got up from the cold, hard rock, feeling famished. The night had been exhausting, training my new ability. I still didn't understand it fully, but I was making progress. It was now much easier to push out of me and I'd learned to better control its output. I'd even managed to expel a low-power version from my hand without causing an explosion. A useful trick, I thought, like having a flashlight on hand. I better not say anything about it to Emmett, he would love to tease me about it. I could already hear him calling me 'Shiny Hands.' The thought made me roll my eyes. All the sparkle jokes were bad enough.
I sprinted through the forest, feeling the rush of wind through my hair as I went. Running at vampire speed was exhilarating, and I relished every moment of it. It was a stark contrast to the days when hopping on Edward's back would leave me feeling queasy. Now, I understood the Cullens' love for running. As I ran, I suddenly came to the edge of the forest and found myself headed towards the precipice of a cliff. Without hesitation, I jumped off the cliff edge leaping as far as I could, then falling for what felt like an eternity. I landed perfectly, my powerful legs absorbing the impact with ease. I continued my run, enjoying the thrill of my vampire abilities. It wasn't long before I heard the unmistakable sound of a heartbeat. "Dinnertime," I thought with a grin, and I picked up the pace, heading towards my next meal. When I finally reached it, I found a stag drinking from a lake. In a blur of movement, I pounced, taking down my prey with effortless grace.
After I had sucked out every drop I could, I felt recharged and satisfied. I gazed upon the serene lake, surrounded by the untamed wilderness that stretched for miles and miles. The natural beauty of Colorado never failed to amaze me, with its towering mountains and dense forests.
As I gazed at the tranquil waters, a sudden realization dawned on me: I didn't need to breathe. The thought of exploring the vast underwater oceans filled me with a sense of wonder and excitement. I imagined discovering long-lost shipwrecks and encountering strange and beautiful sea creatures that dwell only in the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean. I made a mental note to ask the others about any potential effects of water pressure on our bodies, though I had a hunch that it would not effect us as we were virtually indestructible.
Feeling adventurous after a long day of practicing my abilities, I decided to jump into the lake and swim towards the center. As I reached the middle, I dove down into the dark depths. If I were human, I'm sure the darkness would have frightened me, but with my vampire eyesight, I could navigate the murky waters with ease. Although I could see, it was harder to make out things in front of me. I continued diving deeper, reaching a depth of about 70 feet, and began to explore the underwater world.
As I swam deeper into the lake, I spotted a few fish, but nothing too remarkable. Then I remembered my power and how I had thought of it as a flashlight before. I concentrated, and soon my hand emitted a soft, diffused light that illuminated the murky waters around me. The light wasn't directional like a flashlight, but it made it much easier to see. I continued to explore the lake, feeling grateful for this new experience and excited about discovering a new use for my power.
I arrived home later in the day, feeling elated from my underwater adventure. Running had dried my clothes, but I still looked a mess. As I walked in the front door, I saw Emmett playing a video game on the TV and Rosalie reading a car magazine on the sofa.
"Damn, Bella. What have you been up to? You really stink," Emmett exclaimed without any subtlety, crinkling his nose.
"Thanks, Em," I said sarcastically. "I was exploring. I just realized I could go underwater and not have to breathe. Found a lake and had to try it out."
Rosalie looked up from her magazine and arched an eyebrow. "No offense, Bella, but maybe you should go take a shower."
I headed upstairs to my room and went straight to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror at my reflection. Yikes!
A week later, and it was time for Alice, Jasper, and me to move into our new house. We had finished loading the moving van and were now hitting the road. Saying goodbye to the others wasn't too difficult, as we could run back home in less than an hour if we needed to. Although Carlisle and Esme weren't my parents, I had always associated them with a parental role. This would be the first time in my life living without any parents around, and I was looking forward to it. I left Rosalie with what we referred to as "our baby," the '57 Chevy, as it was too nice to drive for college. Instead, I got an everyday Honda to drive around school.
Once we arrived at our new house, I chose the room farthest from Alice and Jasper's room. I knew I would still hear everything that went on in there, but I hoped it would lessen it. I planned to ask Jasper about soundproofing and whether it works for vampires. Meanwhile, I started making a list of the things we still needed.
"Hey Alice, do you want to come shopping with me?" I asked, and Alice looked surprised.
"Oh my god, yes! I've been waiting forever to hear you say those words, Bella. I know the best boutiques in Denver, and..."
I interrupted her, "I meant shopping for supplies for the house. We need to pick up food, toiletries, dishware, silverware, and tons of other stuff on the list I just made. Oh I just remembered we should pick up some tampons as well."
"We're vampires, Bella. We don't need that sort of stuff," Alice explained, looking at me like I had a screw loose.
"Alice, we're in college and interacting with humans. We might have visitors, and I'm hoping to make some friends. We need that stuff. Are you coming?"
"Sure, Bella. It's just that we've been doing the college thing for so many decades, I think we stopped trying so hard. Before you came along, we didn't really interact with humans if we didn't have to." Alice admitted.
"I figured as much from some of the comments I heard from you guys when I first started hanging out at your house. It was a little weird having six vampires stand around me and watch me eat some food or use the microwave. I understand, but let's try it my way and see how it goes." I said, trying to convince them.
With Alice nodding I took that as an affirmative. "Okay, let's head out. Jasper, can you take all the stuff from the van and set it up, okay?" I said with a smile.
"Better than food shopping, Bella," Jasper replied, smiling back at me.
Alice and I climbed into my Honda, ready to embark on our shopping mission. As she scanned the list of items I had compiled, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.
"Where are we going to find everything on your list, Bella? It's pretty diverse. It will take all day," Alice remarked with a hint of worry in her voice.
I smiled confidently. "What are you talking about? We can find everything we need at Walmart," I reassured her. However, Alice's puzzled expression made me wonder if she had ever stepped foot in the superstore.
Before I could ask her, an impish thought struck me. "Actually, Alice, I think I will also pick up some clothes there. I can get a 5-pack of bras and panties for $9.99 each and probably a nice blouse for $29.99."
I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as Alice's eyes widened in shock. She always had a flair for fashion, and the idea of buying clothes at Walmart must have been a jarring one.
Sometimes, I couldn't resist pushing Alice's buttons, but I knew she would forgive me. After all, it was all in good fun and love.
