Chapter 6-

Ash finished the rest of her school day avoiding those disgusting things passing off as human with Tyler there to walk her last classes. He was sweet being so concerned for her after only knowing each other for a few hours. He had even offered her a ride home but her dad pulled up before she could reply. She said a quick goodbye to Tyler after giving him her number.

Her father did his best trying to ask his daughter about her day but Ash found herself not really in the mood for speaking. She hadn't really spoken much to Tyler when they left their tree. She fell into what her parents would call one of her moods. She didn't understand them herself; she just knew she didn't feel like talking. She didn't feel like doing much of anything.

When she got home she just went on auto pilot. She spoke to whoever was there, went up to her room, did her homework. When it was time to eat she ate as much as she could since she wasn't really interested in what she was eating.

Her parents were concerned and tried to pry out anything from their daughter while they ate. Every question was met with a shrug and look of disinterest. Bryah was fed up almost instantly so she dismissed Ash before she said something she would regret.

The next morning was no better. Ash didn't feel like going to school so she faked being sick. She put on the whole act, making herself feel hot, getting sweaty and throwing up. Her parents decided that she was sick enough to stay home and left for their jobs.

Ash waited an hour before getting up and getting dressed. She grabbed her camera and took her mother Eyana's car keys. It wasn't rare that her mothers would carpool but maybe it was irresponsible on their part to leave them home with their 'unpredictable' child.

Ash didn't know where she was headed and if she were just a touch more normal, she would be lost. It would be a new experience and near impossible one since Ash could always find her way back home or to the people who mattered.

She soon picked a spot that would make it easy to get to the car just in case she did push her luck with the wildlife in the area. She left the keys in the ignition and was out in the woods doing what she had missed.

Wandering.

Ash didn't know exactly what she was getting into when she decided to fake sickness and disobey her parents number one rule but she knew whatever punishment would be worth it. She didn't care. She enjoyed the ache in her legs, the burn in her lungs and cramps in her hands from walking and photographing carefully. She climbed, she ran, she even laid in the wet dirt just to get the best pictures but nothing can beat what she herself saw. Is it wrong to say she felt like her mind was a better and more accurate memory than her camera? She had always felt like that.

How could it not capture the depth and light like she could?

Why do I see it all so clearly?

Being in among the trees was also bringing back memories from when she was so young. The first time she wandered off was when she was three and they were in a museum. She found the section of African history and art and was enraptured by the masks. Her favorite was one that looked like it was crying. It wasn't so scary to her parents since she was still on the same floor and only a room away.

The second time was when she was before her fourth birthday and she felt the need to just go. She had slipped out her mother Byrah's hands and started running down the street with all three of her parents chasing her. There wasn't anything in particular that had captured her attention that day, it was more of a feeling, but she didn't get far. All Ash remembered was crying and screaming for her parents to let her go, to stop touching her. She couldn't really remember much else about that day.

The last one had stayed with her for the longest. Oftentimes she wished she had a talent for drawing instead of dance and photography so she could bring her memories to life. The man who didn't smile but was so kind and indulgent to her. The pretty twins who she thought were the princess and prince. Most of all the blonde young man who looked perplexed by her presence. Anyone who didn't immediately get her attention, she still remembered their shared features. Their pale skin and-

Red eyes?

There they were. The same eyes she had only seen in her memories were there just a distance away and on the body of a man. He was the true epitome of wildness meeting refinement. His movement was that of a predator but he smiled like a gentleman.

He didn't see her, for that she was grateful. Ash didn't know why she continued to watch him but she couldn't look away. He had a deer pinned under him and was petting its body. Anyone with common sense could see what was about to happen. Ash wanted to capture it.

She slowly lifted her camera, steadied her breathing, moved her body in a crouched position and waited.

The man leaned in…

She unconsciously leaned in…

Her finger was ready to press the shutter button.

And then it happened.

BITE!

CLICK!

She caught the most poetic moment of her life while the man drained one of the only innocent lives on earth.

Too beautiful, an ideal apex predator but a horrible human by societal standards.

I don't think he could care less about not being human. I think he likes being the strongest. Because what he was, what I see, is the most concrete, tangible and genuine soul to walk among the cheap imitations of today.

Ash felt her grasp on reality reaffirmed. She didn't have to wait long before the man left the dead deer corpse. As soon as she felt he was far enough away she got up and raced to her car. She drove back home as fast as she could without breaking speed limits and put everything back the way it was before locking herself in her bedroom.

The Cullens can keep up their act of being perfect humans but after what I've seen today I will never buy into their flawlessness. I guess that's the one thing they forgot about humans, were as flawed as they come.

I know I am.

I'm feeling a little tired so I don't have a lot to say. Just checkout Fixing What I Can (my other story) and R&R (if you want).

Until Next Time - BigSmallWonder