Bella's Point of View
The sun had just begun to set in the sky, casting a warm hue of red down over the land. The scene was peaceful. Just the sound of wind blowing through the forest, rustling the leaves on the treetops. Off in the distance, there was a crackling sound of a campfire. The smoke lingered in the air, flooding my senses with the smell of oak.
I reached out, absentmindedly letting my fingers graze through the grass. Soft, lush and very green. It was a bewildering change from the desert-like atmosphere of Arizona. The landscape here was so completely opposite of what I was used to.
This was a rare occasion, a beautiful, sunny day in Forks Washington. I couldn't pass up this opportunity to enjoy some time outside. I brought a blanket, some snacks and a good book.
There was no telling how long I've been laying in this particular patch of wildlife. It wasn't very far from the house, Charlie didn't want me wandering too deeply into the woods. He reminded me repeatedly of the wild animals lurking around. Hence the can of bear spray he handed me, before I left.
I've never attempted to do anything like this when I came to visit. Usually when I spent my summers with Charlie, we would go on a vacation away from Forks. But this year was different. This wasn't like all the other summers. I wasn't here just for vacation. I was here, because I had nowhere else to go.
Since Rene had passed away and I was still too young to live on my own, I had no other option. I had to move in with Charlie.
The thought of my mother - sent a wave of sadness and pain down through my body. It penetrated my core, I couldn't hold back my tears. It was still a fresh wound that I was attempting to mend. I missed her so much. Thinking of her made me physically ill.
With a heavy sigh, I rolled from my back, onto my stomach, allowing the last ray of sunlight to warm my skin. By tomorrow, I'm sure it will be back to pouring rain and bitter coldness. Ironic, for the current situation. Without Rene, the entire world already felt a little more bitter and cold.
I felt so lost and distracted by my own thoughts, I hadn't noticed I was being watched. Out of the corner of my eye, there was a dash of movement. So fast that I couldn't make a single detail out of it. I wasn't even sure if I had imagined it. But the hairs stood on the back of my neck. Tension filled my body, preventing me from moving, even an inch.
I shut my eyes tightly, listening for any hint of activity. But it was still quiet. With a little courage, I opened my eyes, scanning over the thick everglade of trees surrounding me. At first glance, they seemed peaceful and beautiful. But with the sun no longer in the sky, it took on a more ominous nature.
Slowly I sat upright. My gut was telling me that it was time to get back home. Cautiously, I began packing up my things, but before I could get onto my feet, a man emerged from the tree line. Appearing out of thin air. Like a ghost. It was now too dark to make out any details of the man, other than the fiery crimson eyes that were locked on me.
Panic struck me, like a ton of bricks. Suddenly I was gasping for air as my heart plummeted to my stomach. One word registered in my mind. Run. But I was frozen.
Move. Stand up. Get away from this man. My mind was screaming. But my body wouldn't respond. Even as the man began to take slow steps in my direction. Those eyes, never leaving me.
"Stay back." I felt the words force themselves out between my lips. My heart was beating hard in my chest painfully.
The man didn't act like he had heard me. He continued stalking forward. He was close enough for me to distinguish some of his features. He was startlingly handsome, with honey blonde hair. Skin as pale as snow. A twisted glare was on his face. The way he was looking at me, it was as if he wanted to kill me.
"I said, stay away from me." I yelled a little louder.
He remained unphased by my words, but his stride slowed down, just slightly. For a moment, there was just the slightest shift in his eyes. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, or feeling at that moment, but I needed to take advantage of this brief change in his demeanor.
Quickly I jerked myself up to my feet and began to run, leaving everything behind. I only had one thing on my mind and that was getting back home.
I wove in and out of the woods, trying to recall the path home. The trail was full of roots and fallen tree branches, making it incredibly hard to transverse the forest. Each breath hurt, my heart felt like it was about to beat out of my chest. I turned to glance over my shoulder, to make sure that man wasn't following me, but when I did, my foot snagged on one of the tree roots, sending me flying to the ground.
The impact left a searing pain to both of my knees, as I made contact with a plethora of sharp rocks and jagged tree branches. There was a pop to my ankle, along with excruciating agony. There was no way I would be able to run, but I still pushed myself back to my feet.
Unfortunately, the moment I stood back up, something hard crushed into my, sending me flying into the trunk of a nearby tree. My back slammed so hard into the tree, I felt several snaps to my back, sending me over the edge.
I screamed out in pain and fear as I tried to determine what had struck me. Again, I was presented with red eyes, now taking a more unhinged, manic state. The man had caught up with me. His blonde hair tousled in a mess around his face. His hands were pinning me tightly to the tree, so tight that I felt my bones snapping with each of his rough movements. Suddenly he brought his mouth to my neck, his teeth were like razors. I felt warmth rushing down the side of my neck and the sound of him gulping greedily.
He was drinking my blood. He was actually drinking my blood right now. This thought came to me quickly, but disappeared just as fast as the most painful part of this entire situation began. It felt like a fire had erupted in the very spot he had sunk his teeth into me.
Without thinking, I thrashed against him desperately, even though it brought on further torment. My screams began to go more and more quiet, as I was losing my voice. My throat was raw. My vision was beginning to get blurry. I no longer had the energy to remain on my feet. My body was going limp, but his strong hold on me adjusted, so he was the only thing holding me upright.
This is it. I wasn't going to survive this. This monster was too strong. I didn't have a fighting chance. But, just as I began to give up completely, I felt the man ripped away from me. I fell to the ground, broken to pieces and slowly burning alive. The heat was spreading like wildfire inside of my body. Igniting a path of destruction all throughout me.
I hadn't noticed that the rain had begun to fall, until I attempted to look around. The rain made everything blurry, but I was able to find the attacker. He was being held down, but a huge, burly man. They were growling like rapid beasts at one another. It was terrifying. I wanted to get back up and run, but I couldn't move. It felt like every bone of my body was broken.
That's when a third man appeared, with the most lovely butterscotch eyes. I couldn't see him clearly, but I noticed he was incredibly gorgeous. Even more-so than the blonde attacker. His hands came out to me, gently. The touch was cold, but held no malice.
"I'm so sorry this has happened to you." The man spoke softly.
With as much strength as I could muster, I reached out to grab onto this man. I had the sense that he could save me. He was my only chance.
"P-please, h-help me." I stuttered. "It's… b-burning…" It was even painful to speak. My throat was still completely raw from yelling. And the flames chewed deeply inside. It was the kind of torture that I wished for death, instead of dealing with another second of it.
Gently, the man cradled me in his arms, lifting me off the cold forest floor. "Don't worry, you will be alright." He turned his sights over to where the big guy was still holding down my attacker. "Emmett, can you handle Jasper until Alice gets here? I need to take her back to Carlisle, right away." His voice sounded urgent.
"I got it from here, just get her out of here." The big man replied, he didn't even look in our direction. He kept his eyes on the wild beast that was clawing and straining against him.
I felt the world moving around me now, the air blew through my hair. My body trembled, from the shock and possible blood loss. I felt cold. I clung tightly to my savior. But I couldn't manage opening my eyes. I was light-headed and slowly turning nauseous.
Please, don't puke on this guy. I kept repeating this rephrase in my head, over and over. It didn't help distract me from the pain, but at the very least, I was able to hold back my screams. But at some point, I completely lost consciousness.
Edward's Point of View
I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I knew this was bound to happen. Jasper had only just begun this new lifestyle. He has refrained from human blood, only a month now. This was his first slip up. I knew he was going to be extremely upset with himself. I would have to speak with him privately at a later time. For now, this girl was all that mattered. I just hope it's not too late to save her. If she doesn't make it… this would completely destroy Jasper. He had lost control while out hunting this afternoon and already managed to kill one person. This girl was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He went into a frenzy. Thankfully, Alice's vision helped Emmett and myself to track Jasper in time to get to this one.
I glanced down at the battered woman. Her long brown hair and deep chocolate brown eyes. The slight hint of strawberries clung to her damp hair. She looked extremely pale. There wasn't much time left for her. Unfortunately, her heart sounded as if it was growing weaker by the second. She had a multitude of injuries. It was going to be close.
I urged myself even faster, motivated to save her life. There was a dull feeling in my chest as I made it back to the house. Carlisle was waiting on the porch for me, a concerned frown on his face.
She's still breathing, good. Let's get her inside, quickly. Carlisle's thoughts flooded over to me. Wordlessly, I passed the woman over to him. Her blood had saturated my clothing, causing an uncomfortable burn to rise up in my throat, the venom burned uncomfortably, but it was manageable.
"I'll assist you with whatever you need." I said as I followed him into the house.
She has lost a lot of blood. It won't be long. She is fading quickly. I need to turn her. Her injuries are just too extensive. There is no other way. Carlisle's thoughts were clouded with a sense of disappointment.
"Do what you think is best." I nodded quietly.
From the other side of the house, I could hear Rosalie's sharp click of her tongue. A clear sign of disapproval. I'm sure she could guess the direction of the conversation.
"This isn't right. This should be her choice. What if she doesn't want to be like us?" Rosalie spoke allowed. I could hear her heels clicking against the marble floors above us. Her tone was bitter.
Death might be the preferred option. Her thoughts were just as brooding.
"She most likely won't regain consciousness. And I couldn't possibly turn my back and let this innocent girl die. If she comes to the conclusion that she hadn't wanted to be saved, I'll take the consequences of making this decision for her." As Carlisle spoke, he began preparing his syringes, filled with venom.
Rosalie continued her negative thoughts, but I tuned her out. This situation was hard enough. It was incredibly hard for Carlisle to make this choice. To damn a human soul. To essentially destroy this woman's life. He wasn't heartless, he was a very kind and compassionate person. If there was any other way, he wouldn't be doing this. And I would support Carlisle's decision.
I watched with fascination as Carlisle began this new technique that has been adopted by Carlisle - after years of studying various ways of making the transition less painful and possibly shortening the length of time it will take to complete. Of course this is mostly theories. This will be the first time that he implements this.
With quick precision, he injected the girl with his venom in all the most damaged parts of her body, allowing the venom to begin healing those areas first. These injections held the highest amounts of venom, while the areas that didn't receive much damage got smaller amounts.
Once he had finished, Carlisle had moved the girl into a spare room, close to his study. I lingered by her bedside, watching the rise and fall of her chest. There was a frightened look on her face, she was clearly in distress, but she didn't cry out. Her body trembled and recoiled against the mattress. For a moment, I wondered what she may be thinking about at this moment. But no matter how hard I tried, she was radio silent. I couldn't detect a single thought. I wasn't sure if it had to do with her being in transition, or something terrible had gone wrong. It made me anxious, uncomfortable and slightly intrigued.
It's time to leave Edward, she needs to be cleaned up and into a fresh set of clothes. Rosalie's thoughts floated through the door. There was an edge of annoyance in the tone. I guess a better word would be impatience.
Reluctantly, I strode to the door of the room, glancing back to the girl one more time. Silence.
Without hesitation, I moved past Rosalie and made my way out to the front porch, where Jasper and Alice were sitting. Having a silent conversation. I tried not to listen in. This wasn't the time to talk with Jasper, he was still reeling in shock and loathing for his lack of control.
You poor thing. You didn't deserve this. Rosalie's thoughts were still audible. She was obviously still upset with Carlisle for turning the girl.
I went to move past Alice and Jasper, but Alice snagged me by the wrist. Say something to him Edward, he is lost. I'm afraid I'm not going to be enough to pull him out of this mood. I've never seen him this… disappointed in himself.
With a heavy sigh, I nodded, answering Alice's request. "Jasper, do you have a second?"
Jasper looked up to meet my gaze, running a hand through his hair. He had been sitting, with a blank look on his face for a while. But the inner turmoil in his mind was anything but stoic.
"Of course," He spoke with his usual thick southern drawl. "Alice, could you give us a second."
Alice bounced up to her feet, a strained smile on her face. "I'll see if Rose needs any help." In pixie-like fashion, Alice danced off. Light on her feet, almost completely silent.
Once Alice was no longer in sight, Jasper let his mask fall. Anguish high-lighted his expression. Waves of unrelenting self-hatred crashed down over me. This was the magnitude of Jasper's true feelings. He had been holding it back, not wanting Alice to see how much he was hurting.
"This isn't your fault. You know that right? Regardless of this little mistake, you are doing really well with this new diet." I was careful of my choice of words. Jasper was fragile at the moment. Harsh criticism would only make things worse.
It is my fault. I've killed an innocent man and I've injured that girl to the point Carlisle had to turn her. I'm a monster. I'm never going to succeed at this diet. I just wasn't meant to sustain this kind of life. Give up on me. Jasper usually wasn't a pessimistic person, so it was a little disheartening to see this side of him.
"You aren't a monster. This didn't happen because you truly wanted to hurt anyone. This is just a part of being… what we are. It's in our nature. You are fighting against this isn't natural, it isn't easy. It takes time, but you will find self control. I promise you that. No one here is judging you."
Again, Rosalie's thoughts came pelting down from the spare room. Speak for yourself. I am judging him. Because of his negligence, this girl no longer has a future. She is trapped, frozen in time. Doomed to a life of blood, pain and damnation.
I ignored Rosalie completely. This kind of attitude wouldn't benefit anyone. She was projecting her own feelings on this girl. Perhaps when she wakes up in this new world, she will thrive. Maybe becoming a vampire won't bother her. Like Emmett. When he was turned, he never felt bitter. He accepted his new life and found love. He found family ties.
It could be the same for this girl.
"Why aren't you upset with me? I don't deserve this empathy. I'm not the one truly hurting here. Your sympathy should go to the young lady I almost killed today." Jasper replied, looking away from me.
I can't even look Carlisle in the eye. I know he is disappointed in me. And Alice won't stop hovering. Watching, waiting for me to break. I don't want her to see how much this has affected me.
"Look, you aren't the only one that has made this mistake. It is unfortunately a part of this process. You made a mistake. Remember how this feels. So next time you are thrusted into a similar situation, you may be able to react differently."
"I killed someone, Edward and I don't have the slightest bit of guilt about it. The only guilt I feel is that I disappointed everyone." He muttered quietly.
That was a slightly concerning statement coming from Jasper. I knew he was different from the others. A vampire that had been created in the center of war and carnage. Someone hardened and extremely gifted with controlling his own emotions and the emotions of others.
"This will all get easier with time. You had a very different life, before joining our family. Things will change, slowly, over time. Some day, you won't have to worry about ever losing control again."
Jasper didn't look back up, he kept his eyes lowered. How can you be so sure that this is going to get easier? How do you know that I won't hurt someone else?
"We just need to try something new. Increase our hunting trips. Keep someone with you, if there is any chance of you coming into contact with humans. We won't let you make this mistake again. So for now, try to keep hope. If not for yourself, do it for Alice."
I heard Jasper swallow hard, he lowered his head further.
You're right as usual. I'll do my best, from now on, I'll take this more seriously. I'll prove that I'm the man Alice deserves. His thoughts still sounded hollow, but I trusted him. I knew he would do anything for Alice. We just needed to remain supportive. Everyone adapts to this diet differently.
"Good to hear," I paused, letting my eyes scan through the forest. "By the way, where is Emmett?"
"He wanted to get some details on this girl that I attacked. Since she is in transition, it would be useful to at least know who she is and the family she would be leaving behind."
Her name is Isabella Swan, she is the chief of police's daughter. She just lost her mother a few weeks ago. She came to Forks to live with her father. I'm not sure if she was close with her father. Jasper's thoughts held a glum edge to them.
Isabella Swan.
There was a tightening in my chest for a moment. Such a beautiful name. A name that could be considered old fashion, much like my own. Curiosity burned inside of me as my eyes shifted back towards the house. I could tell Alice and Rosalie had finished cleaning her up. Rosalie and Esme were chatting behind the house, on the back porch. Alice was waiting patiently for Jasper to come inside, from their bedroom. Carlisle was in his study, tapping his fingers against the keys of his laptop.
There was a strong urge for me to return to the girl's room. Perhaps I could attempt to read her thoughts, one more time. I just wanted to know more.
"Well, Alice is waiting on you." I said turning to get back inside the house. "For the foreseeable future, don't be afraid to show your vulnerable side to your wife. Alice would do anything to help you through all this. Lean on her. And trust that you will make it through this, as long as she remains your motivation."
Jasper offered me a hint of a smile and nodded. "Thanks Edward, for everything."
Without another exchange of words, I reentered the house and went straight back to Isabella's room. To my surprise, her eyes were open and darting around the room. She still appeared to be in a lot of pain, but still didn't scream.
"You're awake," I commented, remaining cautious. I didn't want to scare her.
Regardless, she jumped at the sound of my voice. Her warm brown eyes meet mine for a moment. Her breathing was uneven. I could hear the pace of her heart steadily increasing. Was she afraid of me?
That thought bothered me slightly, but it was understandable. I'm sure she was completely confused by everything that just happened.
"You, saved me…" Her voice still sounded strained and after looking a little closer, I noticed that the blood vessels in her eyes had burst. She had been screaming and fighting to live, with all her might. For some reason, this led me to believe that this woman would cling to this new life with all her might. She wanted to live, even as a monster was in the middle of breaking her bones and drinking her blood, she still kept fighting. Was she brave? Or lacking the mental capacity to understand how close she had been to dying.
"Save your strength, you still have a lot more to get through, I'm sorry to say." Slowly I approached her bed, keeping a comfortable distance from her. It was obvious to see that she was still scared.
Her body was still shaking against the pain, her hands had balled the sheets of the bed into her fists. Tears slid down her flushed cheeks, even her lips trembled.
"Why does it… hurt so much?"
Still trying to have a conversation. I had the inclination that she was a relatively stubborn girl.
"I know this is all very confusing, but I'll explain everything to you, once you have fully… recovered. Fair enough?"
She sighed heavily, setting her jaw. Tension, or possibly stress, pulled her brows together. Creating a not-so threatening frown. In fact, it was almost laughable. She was the farthest thing from intimidating. But I refrained from making any reactions to this. I didn't want to upset her. Especially when she was going through transition.
"If I had the energy to fight with you on that, I would." She gritted her teeth together for a moment. "Can someone at least call Char- my dad. He is probably worried that I haven't made it home yet."
"Of course, don't worry about that, for now, let's just get you through this." There was no way we could fill Charlie in on his daughter's status. We would most likely have to leave town immediately. Before people got suspicious. That may be the best option we have at the moment.
It would be easier on Isabella, if we didn't fake her death. There is a chance - that in the future, she could reunite with her father, if she is able to remain in control over her bloodlust. But it wouldn't be for a very long time. But with that possibility, it left room for her to hope. It may help her hang tightly to the humanity she still had left.
Instead, we could keep up the pretenses that Isabella is missing. It would be something we will have to decide on, once her transition is over. I just hoped that she would be able to accept all this.
Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you are interested in me continuing this story!