Ashes [Jasper Hale] [2]

26 ; i am the fire

Edward Graham was new in our neighborhood, yet he was well known.

He was a polite, young and handsome young man, who charmed anyone with his smile. He had green eyes that looked at you and saw your soul, seemingly.

Jessie wanted him the moment he stepped into the house across from hers. And she was quite good at getting what she wanted, and in a few weeks time, she managed to persuade the twenty-four years old man to take her on a date.

Or so we thought.

We were having a sleep-over so she would spend the night at Ariana's once she was done, but she called us just an hour into the date.

"Something's wrong. Please get me as quick as you can, he's gone to the toilet, but he'll be back soon."

And then she hung up.

We found them in the warehouse. God bless Iggy for calling the police before we entered the place, but it took too long.

And just when I watched the light fade from Ariana's eyes, eyes that would stare at me knowingly each time Colton walked near us, or when I drooled over various people through the years, just when Edward Graham's bright green eyes turned to me, we heard a siren.

This time, there was no siren.

This time, it was just the two of us.

"You don't look too happy to see your friendly neighbor."

"I'd hardly call ourselves neighbors these days," I whimpered. He stepped closer, and I scrambled to my feet and walked backward.

"Now, Ashley, you run with vampires now. You should know you have no chance of running again." He shrugged, inspecting me as though I was nothing more than dirt in his fingernails. "Then again, maybe you're planning to have someone else jump up and save your worthless life. Give up, sweetie. Let's finish off what we started too long ago."

"Please," I sobbed, not having a coherent thought in mind. "Please, please."

"Look, Ashley. I know I used to say I'm gonna drag it up, make you suffer. I wasn't lying to the Judge, I swore," he put up his hand, mocking the vow to not lie. "But, after a while in prison, I figured it would be fun not to kill you. Keep you trapped like a mouse, torture you a bit. After a few months, then I'd kill you. But when I took off, I never thought I'd get this gift and become..." he trailed off, watching his marble-like body. "This. Now, it's a gift to you, too. I can barely talk to you, all I can see is your beautiful vein... I'll start, and won't stop. It will be over quite soon."

"Please," Was still all I managed as I sobbed, backing away.

"Ashley," he smiled, opening his arms as though offering an embrace. He looked like an angel. A wicked sort of angel that looks to kill you, and hurt you, and make you the most broken version of yourself you can find. "Embrace it. I believe you'll get to heaven and be with your friends. You'll be better."

My throat refused to rasp out any other word, and I just sobbed as my back pressed to the wall.

"You know, my math teacher used to say I talk too much. After graduation, I slit her wrists, but I was talking quite a bit while doing so, so maybe she was right." He stalked closer, much, much closer. He pressed a hard hand to my throat. "I think we've talked quite a bit," I whimpered at his stronghold, and I remembered when I punched Jasper and he hadn't even felt it.

His eyes were thirsty, but not like other vampires. He seemed as though his obsession with killing me would bring joy to his human side- if you could call it that.

"I've been waiting for so long," he shook his head slowly, "your pretty little face plagued my dreams for months. You're dead, Ashley."

His hands started closing tighter, teasing me. He wasn't using his power, simply cutting off my air supply. He wanted me to gasp, to hurt, to feel myself slipping away as much as possible for him to control myself.

My tears rushed silently down my cheeks quicker than before as black started to close in on my vision.

And just then he tore his hand away from my throat.

I collapsed to the floor, and curled myself into a ball, sobbing into my legs. I could hear nothing more than my heartbeat, and the burning on my throat left my sobs silent.

Hands were suddenly on my arms, but they were gentle.

I sobbed harder, the sound now escaping my lips. I wasn't ready yet, please. "Please," I managed to splutter our, and I was scooped up in a pair of arms, breaking my position.

I fluttered my eyes open to see a familiar face, a real angel.

I was warm in those arms, and that was all that mattered.