I STARED DOWN AT my hands, taking in the sight. They were covered in red, hot blood.
It all happened so fast. One minute I was crouched next to Alice and Jasper, asking questions about who I was, where I was, what had happened to me. The next, I was running.
Chasing.
Hunting.
After I fed, Alice and Jasper were there to help. They calmed me down after the initial panic, explaining what I was: a vampire, like them. As vampires, we needed to drink blood. But, to avoid killing anyone, we hunted animals instead. A "vegetarian" lifestyle, the family called it.
With the promise of a shower, I followed them to their home. "You'll feel better once you're cleaned up," Alice had whispered, looking down at my blood-covered arms.
When we got back, the two handed me off to another woman I'd met earlier, who introduced herself as Esme. I was unresponsive as she led me to a bathroom and helped me undress. By the time I was in the shower, everything felt like a blur.
The blood washed away, and I watched as it swirled around the drain. It was hypnotizing.
Sitting down in the tub, dazed, I let the warm water hit me like heavy rain. I took my time, recounting everything I'd learned about myself since waking up. Or, my past life, so to speak.
My name is Evelyn Crawford. I'm a newborn vampire. I live in Forks, Washington, with my older brother Daylin.
I'm seventeen. Now, I'll always be seventeen.
I sat like that for at least an hour. Eventually, Esme knocked, entering with new clothes. She set them down and left, giving me privacy once again.
I turned off the shower and got out, staring at the pile with furrowed brows. Moving closer, I picked up the shirt and held it to my nose. It smelled familiar, but in a way I couldn't explain. Putting everything on, I looked at myself in the mirror.
I looked like the Cullens, but one thing stood out as different. My eyes, unlike the pools of gold I'd grown accustomed to, were a striking red. I let out a shaky breath. For some reason, my reflection terrified me. I turned away quickly, rushing to leave.
No more mirrors, that was for sure.
As I exited the bathroom, I shut the door as silently as possible, listening. I could hear people down in the living room, where they'd been before. I debated over my options, soon realizing I didn't have many. Giving into the easiest one, I made my way downstairs. I still had more questions; without answers, I was stuck.
Walking into the room, I kept my eyes trained on anything that moved.
"Evelyn," Esme smiled, "how was your shower?"
I blinked, contemplating what to say. Small talk seemed trivial, but it was all I could partake in.
"Uh... it was good, thank you," I nodded.
I felt awkward. These people knew me, but I had no clue who they were. All I knew were their names, which Alice and Jasper had given me during our hunt. Looking around, my gaze landed on the big one, Emmett.
He stared at me with an emotion I could only describe as longing. It tugged at my heart.
"You look like a wet mop," someone suddenly spoke. I followed the voice, spotting the gorgeous blonde girl. Rosalie, Jasper had called her.
"Oh, uh... well, I just got out of the shower-"
"Yes, I know," she interrupted, "let's go fix that. Come on."
Before I could protest, Rosalie was up and pushing me back towards the stairs. I wanted to say something until I realized I was better off in a room with just one of the family members, rather than all seven. Having all of them focused on me wasn't the most comfortable position to be in, especially since I had nothing to offer.
Regardless, I still found myself looking back, fixated on the boy with dark curls.
There was something about him.
༻༺
After blowdrying my hair in the bathroom, Rosalie escorted me to a room I could only assume to be hers.
It was lightly colored, with accents of silvery blues. It felt like the room of a princess.
"Sit there," she directed, pointing me towards a vanity.
I took a seat in front of the mirror, avoiding my reflection like the plague. Rosalie must have noticed, her eyes narrowing.
"Don't be scared. You're still you," she muttered, walking up behind me with a brush in hand.
I watched as she began to brush through my hair, her touch surprisingly gentle.
"I don't know who I am,"
"It's going to take time-"
"Can I ask you a question?"
She didn't reply, instead choosing to focus on the task at hand.
"Were we friends? From before, I mean,"
"Hm," Rose pondered, "I wouldn't say we were friends, no."
"Then why are you helping me?"
She looked up, her stare as cold as ever.
"Helping you?"
"I... I just thought you were giving me a hand when you got me out of there..."
Rosalie sighed, her movements faltering. I waited for a response, examining her closely. She was devastatingly gorgeous, more so than any of her family. I felt a bit envious. Had I been jealous of her before, too?
"...I suppose I was," she finally admitted, "we all know this can be... overwhelming."
I nodded in agreement, eyes still trained to my lap. If all vampires were bitten, like me, then they'd gone through this as well. Maybe not the memory loss, but still.
"Was it this confusing for you, too?"
She shook her head.
"No, not really. I was angry, more than anything,"
"Why?"
"My life was taken from me, just like yours. We didn't get to choose," she hissed.
"Yeah... Alice, she mentioned I had a brother, Daylin. Where is he?"
Rosalie pursed her lips and moved to set the brush down. Fluffing my hair, she shrugged.
"He's back at the police station, we... we couldn't tell him what happened."
I looked up, something within me stirring.
"He doesn't know anything?"
"No. And, I'm sorry for that, but you'll need to remember some things and get your thirst under control."
My throat burned as I was reminded of my new diet. Would it be dangerous to be around a human so soon after turning?
I decided to go quiet. Talking was exhausting; all I could do was question, question, question. I didn't have any answers, I woke up a blank slate. Rosalie didn't seem to mind this. I had a feeling she wasn't the chatty type. Looking me over, she hummed.
"Don't you want to take a look at my work?"
"I'm not sure I'm a fan of the new eyes," I admitted, turning around to look up at her.
Her face fell. She must've known the feeling.
"I see. Well... they'll look different soon. Like mine."
Her eyes were a gorgeous gold, so warm and electrifying. They definitely weren't normal, but they were better than the blood-red I'd awoken with.
"Thank you, Rosalie," I reached out, tentatively grabbing her hand. Deep down, I knew she'd taken me away as a form of reaching out. She didn't move, blankly staring at our hands. But, before I could pull away, I felt her grip tighten.
"I'm sorry this happened to you," her voice, normally cold, sounded earnest and true. She really was apologetic, for something she didn't even do.
I softened, offering her a reassuring smile.
And we shared at that moment, the heartbreak of losing our human lives.
༻༺
Emmett let out a groan.
"C'mon, Rose, she can't hide in your room forever,"
"What did you want me to do? I wasn't going to drag her out!"
After having their moment in her room, Rosalie could see that Evelyn wasn't ready to face the family again. So, she told her she could stay until she was ready.
However, some people weren't feeling very patient.
"Emmett, she's nervous," the soft lull of Edward's voice attempted to settle the issue, "it's probably best if we let her take this at her own pace."
Carlisle nodded in agreement.
"Yes, Edward's right. If self-preservation really is a proficiency she gained, it's likely she may feel threatened by groups. Many nomadic vampires are the same way."
Nomadic. Emmett hated that word. The last thing he wanted to think about was Evelyn running off, too skittish to stay in one place. He could make her feel safe, comfortable. He'd done it before, right?
Esme placed a hand on his shoulder, gazing down at him with that warm look in her eye. It made him let out a defeated sigh. He was known to be impatient; his family often teased him for how human of a trait it was.
"She'll come around. And when she does, you'll be there for her. And you'll do great."
His adoptive mother's words calmed him down, he knew she was right. Esme was always right.
"I'm trying," it was all he could manage out, a frustrated feeling bubbling in his chest.
He was trying, trying as hard as he could - trying not to simply run upstairs and pull Evelyn into his arms, and apologize profusely for being too late. He wanted to kiss her, and promise to never leave her side again.
But that couldn't happen. Not yet.
First, she needed to approach him on her own volition. He hoped it would happen soon, because God, this was torture.
-unedited
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A little chapter to announce that I'm back :)
And super excited to FINALLY finish this thing <3
If anyone actually reads this, thank you so much and I'm so sorry for being a flop.
Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! If you did, don't be shy to add a comment, vote for this chapter, and add Ethereal to your library/reading list! The support means a ton to me. Thanks, guys!
~ May