Whitlock //Alice Cullen//

Prologue

TW: talk of abuse, mentions war.
Age 14
I have to look up to see him. He always has seemed to tower over me, making me feel tiny in comparison. His eyes refuse to meet mine as we stand outside, silence seeming to build a wall between us. "Jazzy, please, you can't leave me here with him," I loathe the pathetic begging that comes out of my mouth. This is the first time Jasper has made me feel the need to beg. I do not truly know his reasoning to go to the war. The war in all is foolish. Truly I do not understand why anyone would willingly enlist to fight in it. The war is not respectable as far as I am concerned. But Jasper is leaving to join it, and I can only hope that this is an escape plan he made. The darkening hand-shaped bruise on his cheek from the man in the house behind us fuels my hope that he's just trying to escape. I would be trying to escape too, if I could. Not in the way he is. Not by choosing to enlist to die for a foolish cause.
Dark eyes meet my own, an all too familiar gentle look dancing in them. "Emmy," he coos, reaching out to stroke my hair, "I will only be gone for a handful of months. I have to go. When the war is over and I have my money I will come back for you. We can leave town, even leave Texas if you wish to." I step forward, wrapping my arms around his thin frame. His arms wrap around mine too, one hand still strokes my hair. "After the war, he will never see us again." Jasper has been the only person I saw as comforting in years. A safe place in a home of chaos. "Be positive Emmy," his words are whispered now, "things will change soon." I force my mind to ignore all of the horrible thoughts that it tries to create. Maybe he is right this time. "You best stay alive, Jasper." "Promise."

Age 17
I lean against the tree. Father would hate that I climbed up here, but what does he love? Two months have past since I read the letter the government sent. Jasper is gone. They could not find his body. I can only hope he ran. Regardless of why, Jasper never came back like he promised he would. He is not coming back to save me. The thought is hard to wrap my head around. I could always try running, but there is not a place for me to run to.
"Hello there little bird," a cynical, musical voice coos. I look down to find the source of the voice. A woman stand below me. She truly is a beautiful being, it feels almost inhuman. Olive skin framed by long dark hair. The way she shades her eyes makes it difficult to tell their color. "Hello?" She smiles up at me, then turning to her left. "Hey Jasper, come see this beauty. I want your opinion." Hearing the name causes me to frown. I cannot see it as fair. The Jasper in her life safe and well while I will never see my beloved brother again.
Leaves crunch as he appears out of the thicker trees. Something about the beautiful woman suddenly felt wrong. I had always heard stories of supernatural beings living among us. Father always said it was witchcraft and I was never to believe in it. But as I sit here, staring at a man who oddly looks like my brother, it's hard not to believe. He looks older than Jasper did last time I saw him, but he still had his face. And his name, his eyes though, they were wrong. Jasper's eyes were always warm brown, comforting. But this man's eyes shine a bright red.
     "Personally I think she is too much of a beauty for us not to keep her, but if you think she would be useless we can always use a snack." Jasper looks pained, scared even by her words. "Maria, why should we harm her at all?" His voice was off, similar to what I remember, but definitely not the voice that comforted me as a child. "You know the rules Major Whitlock, once humans know about us, they either join us or die." I feel a need to run, but they stand in my way. There is no way I could escape them. "Do you think we can use her? If not, surely that thirst is killing you now. She smells so sweet."
   Jasper turns on his heel, not facing me. "She is a Whitlock. She will be strong. Change her." The woman smiles, jumping into the tree with me, trapping me. "Lovely, a sister. I hope you might be as helpful as your sweet big brother." Her smile and eyes both feel scarily sinister. And suddenly, her teeth are sinking into my neck, followed by a horrible burn.