Casters of Oblivion

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

Chapter 3: Damnation

Ginger's POV

Pluck. Pluck. Pluck.

Carlisle picked the glass shards out of the wound on my arm. Afterward, he sets the shards into a metal bowl filled with alcohol. We were in his office as I sat on his desk. Classical music played softly in the background to make the atmosphere more comfortable. It was strange to be alone with Carlisle. Usually, someone is with us, whether Esme, Alice, or Edward. But now, alone with Edward's father, I get a chance to know him better.

Although I felt a bit upset that tonight's birthday didn't go as planned. Sure, I knew there was a possibility that this would happen. But not on a grand scale. I just hope Jasper and Edward are okay. I feel guilty for being such a klutz to get a paper cut.

"It's not your fault," Carlisle assured, plucking the last shard. "Jasper hasn't been away from human blood as long as the rest of us."

"Carlisle, how do you do it?" I asked.

"Years and years of practice," Carlisle answered, taking a gauze and wiping the blood off my arm.

"Did you ever think of just doing it the easy way?" I asked.

"No." He answered. "I knew who I wanted to be. I wanted to help people. It brings me happiness, even if I am damned regardless."

"It's impossible to be damned, Carlisle," I said. "Not unless some angel or god exposed himself to say it."

"Thank you, Ginger." Carlisle sighed. "You've always been very gracious about us."

"If you're damned, then so am I by birth," I said. Since I remember somewhere that witches are considered to be damn by birth. Or that witches had sex with the Devil to get their powers. And last I checked, I did not sleep with Lucifer nor raped by him. It's quite annoying, always hearing every supernatural creature is an abomination without a say. Stupid religious racism without knowing the individual story.

"Ginger, you are not damned but gifted," Carlisle said. "Imagine the situation in reverse. Hmm. If you believe as Edward does, could you take away his soul?"

Carlisle then took a tong with a cotton swab, lighting it on a candle before setting the flame in the bowl, burning the traces of blood. I had never thought about it. If I was a vampire and Edward was a human going through the starting stage of transition, I don't know what I would do. For me, it would be up to Edwards to decide whether he wanted to be immortal. I wouldn't change him unless he wanted to. I would consider a choice not to think of the ability to be immortal as a curse but as an opportunity.

"It would be a choice, not one-sided on my part," I answered. "If he wanted to live, then I would."

Carlisle smiled sadly, tucking a strand out of hair off my face. "You're too kind."

Afterward, Zelena came in looking exhausted. She came to examine my arm before healing the wound as if nothing had ever happened there. Once that was done, it was time to leave. The party was sadly over, and no one seemed interested in continuing. We walked down to where Eleanor finished cleaning the mess. There was no trace of blood on the carpet, and the piano seemed to have disappeared along with other broken furniture and accessories.

Esme, who seemed tense, took the broom from Eleanor, thanking her. She had a sad look when seeing me, wishing us goodnight. Also, my gifts and cake are in the Toyota. When we got to the door, Edward stood there.

"Can I drive her?" Edward asked.

"Are you in control?" Zelena replied.

Edward's eyes were still golden, so he still had control of his thirst. He nodded before taking my hand and leading the way towards his Volvo. He opens the passenger door, letting me in, before taking his seat in the driver's seat.

There was tension on the drive back home. The air was much colder, and the atmosphere was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. For a while, I looked up ahead, staring at the road. But after several minutes, the quietness was killing me.

"Say something," I whispered.

"What do you want me to say?" Edward murmured.

"That I have butter fingers," I suggested and then sighed. "Things will go back to normal."

"Normal people get paper cuts." He started, his eyes focused on the road. "If you had a normal party, you come down to a band-aid. If I were a normal boyfriend, I wouldn't have to fight the urge to kill you-"

"Stop!" I interrupted. "Remember, I'm not normal either. You think you can't fight the urge of blood. Try to control your emotions, so you don't light a person on fire! What's done is done. Accept it and move on because I want you."

Nothing was said after that. Edward continued to focus on the road while I watched him. His posture stiffens, rough. Eyes are a deeper light brown than gold, lips in a sharp line, while jaw clenches. The way his chest was not moving meant he wasn't breathing too. This irritated me, for I need a reaction, an emotion, for Christ's sake.

When we arrived at the Cabin, I managed to get out before Edward could open the door. When I closed the door, he stood there in front of me. I took a deep breath looking him in the eye.

"You can't protect me all the time." I reminded him. "At some point, something is gonna split us. It'll be an accident, aging, cancer, or whatever. I know we talked about this, that I stayed human and kept turning into a vampire on the back burner. But I want us to live in the moment, not the future."

Edward just nodded. Knowing him, turning me would be a tragedy. Just like he said earlier today when watching Romeo and Juliet. Even now, I don't know where our relationship will go in the future. Maybe we fall in eternal love or go our separate ways. We keep reminding each other that I could live up to three hundred years if I use my magic properly. But there will be a moment when the decision will come to decide where we go from there.

"Ginger, do you not understand my feelings for you at all?" Edward asked.

"Carlisle told me how you feel about your soul," I answered. "I think it's bull. You and everyone have a soul. It's our morality that is questioned."

"You should go inside," Edward said in a monotone voice.

"Can I have a birthday kiss?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

The expression on Edward's face spoke of pain. At first, I was expecting a rejection, except he carefully placed a hand along my cheek and leaned forward. I took a moment to lean up and kissed him passionately. We were both gasping as our lips tried to stay together, never wanting to be apart. Sadly, Edward does what he always does and pulls back.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you." He murmured in return.

Afterward, he walked me to the front step, ensuring I entered the Cabin safely. Before I could turn to thank him, he was already in the Volvo, starting the engine. I sighed, a bit hurt, then went inside, going straight to my bedroom, not bothering to speak to my coven sister.

Inside I changed into a tank top and pajama bottoms. Next, I opened the window hoping Edward could come in during the night to hold me as I slept. Then I went to my laptop and turned it on to download the pictures off my camera. I made sure all my pictures were in the photo album, putting my friends first, then the Cullens on the second page, and then a picture of Edward and me.

I took out a red metallic sharpie and wrote Edward's name and a quote he said last spring.

And so, the lion fell in love with the fox.

Something that always caught my attention. Hopefully, the quote still goes on. Although I still felt the terrible feeling in my stomach that something bad was going to happen. I just hope nothing bad happens tomorrow.

.o0o.

The next day Edward didn't come to school. Not him or Alice, or even Jasper. So, I sat with my friends during lunch as Jessica got the approval from her parents to host a Halloween party. It seemed interesting, with Halloween being a month away. However, I had a bad feeling in my stomach that won't go away.

When school was over, Eleanor drove us home and asked her something. "Can you use your runes for me?"

"Why?" Eleanor asked.

"I just have this bad feeling, and I need a confirmed answer," I explained.

Eleanor parked at the side of the road pulling out her runes. She took the four ivory totems and held them in her hand. The moment she tossed them in the air, as this happened, I asked. "Will something bad happen soon?" Once said, Eleanor caught the runes and examined them. Her expression was confused.

"What do they say?" I asked.

"Undecided." She said, showing me the runes, as two ink sides showed while the rest were a blank canvas. "Try a clearer question."

Therefore, we did it again, and I asked if Edward still loved me. This time the runes said yes. On the third try, I wondered whether he would be leaving me; only the runes said undecided this time. More weight was added to the pit of my stomach. Undecided…somehow, I don't like that word.

With nothing else to ask, Eleanor drove back to the Cabin. My fears left me when I saw Edward standing on the porch. He looked worse for wear, for more bruising was under his eyes. I got out and walked over to him, giving him a hug. But e did not hug me back.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Just come take a walk with me," Edward said.

I hesitated and looked at Eleanor, who seemed a bit apprehensive. She gave me a pleading look to not go into the forest. I know I would be safe with Edward, yet something… a nag, you could say, said don't go. Ignoring my instincts, I followed Edward into the forest.

We walked for some time in the forest, not saying a word to each other. The forest becomes condensed with each step we take, practically a quarter-mile away from the Cabin. Soon he stopped in a small area, body frozen, keeping eye contact with the ground. A minute later, he looks up.

"We have to leave Forks," he announced.

"Okay," I said. "Why?"

"Carlisle's supposed to be ten years older than he looks," Edward explained. "And people are starting to notice."

"Okay, so I need to talk to Zelena and-"I stopped when I saw his expression falter. I know that look. I have known it for three years in the foster system when living in a family where the mother or a child got the news of leaving or unwanted. "When you say we…."

"I mean my family and myself." He replied.

"What?" I gawked. "This isn't about Jasper because that was nothing?"

"You're right." He agreed. "It was nothing, nothing but what I always expected and nothing compared to what could have happened. You just don't belong in my world, Ginger."

"You're joking," I said, panting. Not realizing that my eyes became watery or my face puffing red.

"No. I'm not." Edward murmured.

I tried using my Sybil powers on him to see if he was lying. However, my ability couldn't detect the truth or lie. It was like he found a shield to block me. Like my shield could block him or anyone from reading my thoughts or controlling me. This made this far more difficult as my emotions flared uncontrollably. This can't be happening. Yeah, I thought of the possibility of us breaking up, but not so soon.

"Please, don't do this." I cried.

"Ginger, I don't want you." He said, straightforward.

I gasped, feeling a stab in the heart. As I painfully asked, "You don't want me?"

He answered, straight in the eyes in one sharp word, "No."

"This changes thing," I whispered.

"But if it's not too much to ask, can you just promise me something?" Edward asked. "Don't do anything reckless… for Betsy's sake. And I'll promise something to you in return. This is the last time you'll ever see me. I won't come back, and you can go on with your life without any interference from me. It'll be like I never existed. I promise."

"If this is about my soul, take it," I yelled. "I don't want it without you."

"It's not about your soul." He said. "You're just not good for me."

Those are the last words a child who experienced the system wanted to hear. Not what a girl whose heart was on her sleeve wanted to hear. And right then and there, I felt like Edward yanked my heart out and stomped on it. My emotions were everywhere; I couldn't figure out if he was lying or not.

"You're lying!" I exclaimed.

"I'm not." He murmured. "I'm just sorry I let this go on for so long."

"Don't do this," I sobbed. "Please."

"Goodbye." That was all he said.

I cried, standing there feeling my world turned upside down. Edward leaned forward, kissing me on the forehead before he vanished. Realizing he had just left, I unconsciously chased after him, calling out his name.

He's lying. He has to be lying. After all this time, what we had been through, he couldn't just leave me now.

.o0o.

Time flew by as I continued to walk through the forest, searching for Edward. It was like I was on autopilot. A zombie. I cannot feel the pain in my feet or the ache in my legs. All I could feel was the heartbreak in my chest and the tears sliding down my face. This can't be happening. It just can't.

I was about to take the next step, only to trip over a log. I tried to motivate my body to move, get up and keep going, but finally, it gave up. Lost in the world of hell, I lay there crying, calling for Edward's name in the darkness.

They say Descensum is the ability to project one's mind into different planes, such as the netherworld or afterlife. The netherworld is one's personal hell of a constant repeat cycle of what we fear or experience. If I ever committed to the true magic of such ability, this would be my hell. Although, I don't need that hell. . . For I am living in it.

.o0o.

A growl woke me up, not realizing it was raining. I looked up to the shadows of the unknown, for there was no moon to see. Up head stood a large mass that softly growled with two beady eyes. Not caring if the creature kills me or not… since I am worthless. I just laid down, going back to sleep.

I have become so numb.

.o0o.

Eleanor's POV

"This is my fault," I said.

"Don't beat yourself up," Jacob murmured, placing a hand on my shoulder.

But it is. I shouldn't have let Ginger follow Edward to the forest. I had tried everything to find her after she had been gone for an hour. If there was a change of plan, like them going to the Cullen's house, she would have called. In fact, she should have called if she was going anywhere. I tried contacting the Cullen's from their house phone and individual cellphones to get a disconnected voice recording. I scribed, except the crystal couldn't pinpoint her location on the map, just the area. When all else failed, I called Zelena, who immediately closed her shop to help find Ginger magically at her professional level. Again, the Shadow Witch couldn't find our fiery friend.

In a moment of desperation . . . Zelena called Charlie, who made a search party both from the Forks Police Force and volunteers of Forks and La Push.

Before the average humans arrived and Zelena headed inside the Cabin to hide all the Caster items, I ran into the forest where I encountered the guardians. The rain poured hard, making things difficult to see. The atmosphere is neutral while nature goes its path. When I stopped at the barrier, I removed my glasses.

"Please, I need your help!" I yelled.

This was an irrational decision, but somehow, I had more faith in the Guardians of the Forest than anyone right now. If this doesn't work . . . the odds of Ginger being alive are slim.

"Please, if you're out there . . . please help!" I exclaimed.

Silence. For the next five minutes, there was nothing but silence. Until the sound of running could be heard. Knowing these creatures do not like to be seen, I placed a hand over my eyes, if not closing them. A moment later, a presence was known. The creature stood in front of me. Its hot breath breathing down on my face. How it panted directly from above. A soft growl rumbled in its chest.

"Please, my friend Ginger . . . she went into the forest with a Cold One and hasn't returned," I said. Instantly the creature growled, sending fear down my spine. "She's alive, and in the barrier . . . but I fear something has happened to her. Please . . . find her . . ."

The creature stood there, breathing ragged but not making a sound. Almost as if it had a mental confrontation, thinking. After what seemed like forever, the creature nudged my shoulder. Assuming they said yes, I nodded.

"Thank you," I whispered.

I blindly pulled out a piece of Ginger's clothing out of my satchel, holding it at arm's length. The creature smelled it, sniffing the article of clothing thoroughly. It's nose slightly wet, along with the damp fur grazing my skin. Once it memorized the scent, it stood back and howled. I gasped, keeping my eyes closed, waiting. It was difficult, but I managed.

With nothing else to say, it nudges me to turn around. Doing so, eyes still closed, I turned around. Then it shoved me forward as if saying, "Go Home." I thanked it once more, walking straight ahead, not looking back. Once at a safe distance, I open my eyes rubbing back to the Cabin, never looking over my shoulder where the creature watched.

Now here I am, panicking with a bunch of people around me. I tried to control my powers, but it was so hard in fear for Ginger's safety. When the Blacks arrive with their friend Harry Clearwater, I don't know if they felt less tense. And when Jacob saw me and ran over to hug me, all my anxiety vanished. Jacob was warm and his scent inviting.

Now Zelena, Charlie, Billy, Harry, Jacob, and I stood around a cruiser with maps trying to find Ginger. It's nightfall, and the search dogs have found nothing yet. This just makes my fear worse with each passing minute.

"I'm gonna try the Cullens' place again," Charlie said.

"The Cullens left town, Charlie," Billy announced.

"Good riddance," Harry added.

"What?" Zelena said, shocked.

"Where'd they go?" Charlie asked.

Zelena shook her head, taking Chief Swan's cellphone and trying to contact the Cullens. Harry got up, placing a hand on her shoulder, "We'll find her, Zelena."

"Thanks, Harry." Zelena breathed.

I sighed, taking a deep breath, when Jacob yanked my arm. I follow his direction to see a man without a shirt caring for an unconscious person. As he walked closer, I noticed the person had red hair. It was Ginger. I gasped while Jacob called for the adults to come over. Chief Swan and Zelena ran around as the officer took hold of Ginger.

"She's all right." The man shouted.

When Jacob and I came forward, I realized it was Sam Uley. We met once at La Push, a minor encounter. He seemed calm and somewhat relieved to bring my friend back.

"I got her. Thank you, Sam." Charlie said.

"Let's get her inside," Zelena ordered.

As the adults took Ginger inside, I stared at Sam. Something about him seemed familiar. I shouldn't feel this connection from just one encounter, but I do. His eyes bore into mine, giving a nod. Being polite, I walked over to him, surprised how he was taller than I remember.

"Thank you, Sam," I said.

"You're welcome," Sam replied back, with a small smile.

Taking a deep breath, I turned around, well, more like Jacob grabbing my arm and pulling me back to the Cabin. Jacob's expression is a bit irritated from how he looked at Sam. I don't know what is going on.

I just know what happened today is not a good sign for what is to come.

Thanks for reading, and please leave a review.

Updated