The Walkers (Twilight Fan Fiction)

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

I stood there for a moment, dumbstruck, and everything seemed to move in slow motion. Collin smiled, Dex nodded in response to the decision, and Shiloh turned to face me.There was a distinct difference, a change in her demeanor, as she approached me. Her eyes were alit with curiosity and interest, and her skin seemed a bit more luminous in the moonlight, but what stood out most of all were her lips. The tips of her mouth were on the cusp of turning up, moments from creating the smile that I had never seen her shed. However, as she grew closer, her typical passive mask returned.

“Before this is to happen,” Shiloh said, her voice significantly quieter now. The curious spark in her gaze has dulled into a blunt passiveness. “Are you aware of your responsibilities, Bella?”

My eyes instinctively went to Collin, but he made no effort to fill me in on what Shiloh was talking about.  I frowned at him, but instead of stepping forward, he took two steps back and shook his head. However, instead of feeling affronted or abandoned, I felt an overwhelming rush of understanding flood my soul. It was then that I realized Collin would no longer be there to answer my questions. I wouldn’t be able to run and hide when Shiloh appeared. His part in this story was over. It was Shiloh’s turn to take over.

Knowing she was still expecting a response, and realizing that I had no idea what she was talking about, I decided that vague answers wouldn’t help me. I had to be completely, one hundred percent honest. “No. I’m not aware of them.”

To my surprise, no look of shock passed across Shiloh’s face, and there was almost no physical reaction to my reply. The Walkers’ leader merely nodded and said, “Very well. We shall begin now.”

She walked away from me, but I could still hear her voice as though she were standing beside me.

 “Training to become a Walker is an arduous task, but it is not without reward. You shall have the support of my receptors, and they will be at your disposal. If there is ever a time where you need assistance, you need only call out, and help will come. I understand that you are unaware of what life is like for us, and I can respect that you are wary of it. It is only natural that you fear what you do not understand.”

“I’m not afraid of you guys,” I answered instinctively, feeling somewhat irritated that I was assumed to be a weak, nervous human. My past was filled with vampires—good and bad. There was no way I was going to stand there and be considered a frail, little mortal any longer. Of course, as soon as I realized that I had interrupted Shiloh—this happened when I spied Collin quickly shaking his head at me—my heart skipped a beat, and I immediately started to apologize. “I’m s-sorry for interrupting, Shiloh. I’m not used to this. Pl-please continue.”

It was difficult to determine if Shiloh had accepted my apology or not; her face was a stone, emotionless mask. As I stood there, she took a couple steps in my direction, and I felt a tiny drop of sweat trickle down my cheek and land on my shoe with a tiny “pop.” If what I saw was correct, Shiloh followed the tiny bead all the way down to the ground, before redirecting her attention to me.

“You will be required to relinquish any mortal attachments,” Shiloh continued, and my stomach tightened when she added, “This includes any relationships you may have acquired.”

Mom…Phil…Charlie. While I had been ready to give up my parents for Edward, I had yet to decide if I was ready to commit to the Walkers. Although this had started out as a way to retain some link to the Cullens, my feelings had changed. More importantly, if I did decide to embrace the Walkers’ way of life, if I chose to join them, there was no way I could successfully disappear. Charlie would never stop looking for me. He had been calling every day since I had come to Jacksonville, and he showed no signs of stopping. I wasn’t ready to talk to him yet.