Violette In A Twilight Sky

1. Awakening

The flames of pain licked at my body gracefully, the burn slowly running its course through my veins. It started at my neck and spread through my chest like a cancer. I couldn't move. I couldn't scream. I didn't know where I was and I began not to care as the fire in my body began to reach incredible heights. I'm sure that no one could ever imagine that their demise would be this unbearable.

After what felt like an eternity of uninterrupted torture, everything stopped and I felt like I was falling. It was abrupt, as if someone had pushed me off of a cliff and into the sea. The fire was extinguished and my mind found my other senses again. I smelled the sweet flowery scent of perfume and the strong musk of cologne. I could have been outside. The scent of trees filled the air and it seemed as though I was lying next to flowers. The confusing part was that I was lying on something man-made and my ears perked at the click of a woman's heels on hard wood. I must have been in a room somewhere. A hospital? Was I in a fire? Was my body completely charred and unrecognizable? That was impossible. I was sure that I wouldn't be alive after what I had been feeling.

My eyes blinked open and after a moment of adjusting them to the bright light, I could see every particle of the white paint on the ceiling. I was lying down. With my eyes open, my senses heightened and I could feel the soft, silky fabric on my body. My head snapped towards movement on my right and my eyes landed on a honey haired beauty. She had a soft, sweet face and the softest of smiles on her lips. Her honey colored eyes widened a bit and I hadn't realized that I had moved. I looked down and saw that my feet were bare. I smiled a bit, happy to see something familiar in this strange place. I looked back up at the woman and she was walking towards me.

"Hello, dear," she said softly, her voice like smooth honey.

"Hello," I heard another voice say. I looked around to see who else was in the room and when I saw that there was no one, I looked back at the woman.

"That was you, dear. You just did not recognize your voice."

I blinked a few times, trying to take in that thought. How does someone not recognize their voice?

"That's impossible," the voice said again. I realized that it sounded like a sweeter version of the voice that I'd been so used to. It was my voice.

"My name is Esme. Do you remember your name?" she asked.

"Violette," I said, still trying to get used the slightly higher pitch in my voice.

"Good, Violette. Carlisle will be here in just a moment to explain this new life to you."

"New life?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion. Sure, everything was so clear that I could see every individual stich in her dress, hear the lack of heart beat in her chest, and smell every individual flower scent in her perfume, but I thought that was part of me coming back to life.

As I was about to ask another question, I caught movement to the left of me and saw that there was a mirror. In half of a second, I was standing in front of it and staring at the curvy goddess in front of me. Her long, dark curls were the healthiest I'd ever seen and her skin was the color of smooth, glowing caramel. Her full lips were a natural nude rosy color and she had a perfect facial structure. I compared her to what I remember myself looking like and it seemed as though her cheekbones were higher and her eyes were a bit wider. Her nose was the same, though it looked like it was already contoured the way that I would contour it. I saw her smile and though I thought my teeth had been fairly straight, hers were just a little straighter. My eyes finally found hers and I was taken aback by the fact that they were a bright red color. On anyone else, red eyes would look sinister, but there was a naive look in her eyes that didn't allow for anyone to fear her. I lifted my hand to wave at her, but she raised hers at the same time. The slight shock that I'm sure was on my face, registered on hers as well. I tilted my head and she did the same. I moved my hand again and saw that her fingernails were painted the same deep rose color that I'd had before the fire started in my body. I looked down at my hand and was surprised to see that my fingernails were longer. How long had I been unconscious?

I looked back at the mirror and before I could continue to compare my old body to my new one, the smell of strong cologne hit my nose. I glanced at the doorway next to the mirror and saw a supermodel of a man.

His features were sharp, but soft at the same time. It made him look friendly and approachable. He took a few steps towards me and I could tell that he was over half a foot taller than me.

"Hello, Violette. My name is Carlisle."

"Hello, Carlisle," I said smoothly, despite the fact that I would usually choke at the presence of a man this perfect.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I'm in a parallel universe where everyone, including myself, is absolutely gorgeous. I'm kind of waiting to wake up, to be honest," I said with a shrug.

He and Esme laughed softly and I smiled at the beautiful sounds.

"That is not uncommon. After you wake from the change, things will be a little strange to get used to. With help from my family and I, the transition from human to vampire will be smoother than if you had to do it on your own."

Did he just say what I thought he said?

"I'm sorry," I started, holding up a finger. "Did you just say vampire?"

He nodded.

"No way," I snorted. "You're pulling my leg, dude. There's no way that vampires exist."

"Just like that burning thirst in your throat does not exist?" he asked.

I was about to speak when I was silenced by the exact burning thirst that he just mentioned.

"What the hell," I gasped, holding my throat as if my hand could soothe the burn. "Do I have a sore throat or something?"

He shook his head and held his hand out to Esme. She had a bag full of blood in one hand and a cup in the other that I hadn't noticed she left to get. At the sight of the deep red liquid, my throat began to burn even more. I had the strongest urge to drink it. She handed it to Carlisle and with a small knife, he cut the bag open to pour it into the cup. The smell hit me like a Mack truck and my body jerked forward as a reflex.

He handed me the cup and I greedily swallowed it down. The red liquid slid down my throat, bringing a feeling of heaven with it. It cooled the burn in my throat and my tense body finally relaxed. I closed my eyes and sighed in satisfaction.

Then, I snapped my eyes open and stared blankly at the wall behind them.

"I just drank blood. And I liked it." My voice was monotone. I looked at Carlisle again. "Vampire?"

"Vampire."