The Walkers (Twilight Fan Fiction)

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

My screams echoed through my room. I sat up straight in bed, clawing at the empty space in front of me, trying to prove to myself that it wasn’t real. It had been so vivid, though, so lifelike. I could remember how Collin’s lips had felt on my neck, and I could perfectly recall the sweetness that had pervaded the air. In fact, my face was still warm where the heat of the fires had licked my face. Two beads of sweat cut their way down my cheeks, and I started gasping for breath. It was just a dream.

I held myself tightly together as a familiar rush of pain invaded my chest. While l lay there, I found myself wishing that I could go numb again, return to my world of neutrality, but I couldn’t remember how I’d managed it before. The dream was nagging at my mind and making me think about things that would hurt me. Edward. Alice. Jessica … Even as I shuddered away from the images, I felt my eyes fill with tears, and the aching begin to take root in my soul again. I could not let that happen.

So I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t allow myself to return to the hollow shell I had become after Edward had broke my heart.

I pushed myself off my bed and started preparing for my next training session with Shiloh. After selecting a long sleeve shirt and jeans, I stared bleakly at my tennis shoes. With all the activity I had been a part of recently, they were dangerously close to splitting apart. I left them where they were, and instead, I found myself in Renee’s closet. When I was eight years old, my mother had developed a fascination with motorcycles. She had bought a full outfit and had signed up for riding lessons. However, like many other hobbies, it was quickly abandoned. She never got rid of the clothes, though.

Sure enough, I found a long, white box in the back of her closet. The boots were black, with vanity buckles encircling the ankle area, and reached halfway up my calf. They conformed to my feet comfortably, and I actually smiled at my reflection in Renee’s full-length mirror. Somehow, they made my legs look longer.

I cleaned up the mess I had made and headed back to my room. The dream was still on the edges of my mind, but I denied myself the ability to dwell on it. Instead, I found other tasks to focus on. I wrote a quick note to my parents, letting them know that I was sleeping and didn’t want to be disturbed. I taped the note outside in the hall, and I locked the door behind me. After all, I wasn’t sure if Renee would grow suspicious and peek in. With all my “illnesses,” I would have been shocked had she not tried to check on me.

When I turned back, I was immediately startled. Shiloh was standing in the middle of my room. The window was open, and the curtains billowed as the wind blew through.

“Oh, hello, Shiloh.” I smiled nervously and approached her. I tried to remember the appropriate salute, but I couldn’t think of anything. Her very presence had a way of rendering my mind blank, which was bittersweet. Knowing she respected honesty, I said, “I can’t remember how I’m supposed to greet you.”

She nodded. “That is what you will be working with Nora on today.”

“Really?” I was surprised. “Doesn’t Nora need to run the store?”

Shiloh shook her head. “The store will be closed for the day.”

Nothing more was said after that. Shiloh led me out the window, and I carefully shut it behind me. I was somewhat annoyed that we couldn’t go out the front door, but I wasn’t about to argue. As soon as we reached the end of the street, her pace began to increase, and I tried to stay by her side. When her legs began to move at an inhuman speed, I started to worry.

“Shiloh?” I called to her, and she slowed almost immediately. “Do you worry about humans seeing you move fast?”

“Never,” she answered. “The majority of humans cannot detect our presence. While they can see us, they do not acknowledge us as a threat or obstacle. Humans can feel that vampires are threats, and they notice them. Do you understand?”