𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞 / 𝐈.

20.

20 - the mirror
brief mentions of violence and gore

Rain chose to be my company throughout the long, dark drive. Down the empty highways and interstates, through Nevada and Arizona, it pounds against the windows, keeping my body from falling into another slumber.

It comforts me, reminding me of the long nights in my bedroom where the rain allowed me to relax from dark dreams that woke me up. The rhythmic sound did a good job of making up for the dead MP3 player, the battery went out before the state line. And even though it's fully charged, I've not bothered to get it back.

By the time we were passing through Kingman, the rain was retreating, leaving the jagged landscape for company. Looking at the sharp mountains and rocks that cut across the sky and the briars of cactus it felt like watching a horror film, driving through a place of no return. There were almost no gas stations open at this unholy time, everything felt unwelcoming and dead under the sliver of moon that peeked through the clouds.

The plan so far is simple, make it to a gas station they chose right near the airport, and switch cars. From then Edward and I would catch the first flight to Dublin. They had hinted to me we'd be flying first class, which, if true, I'm not complaining about I'd rather be able to stretch my legs.

Road signs are starting to indicate that we're getting closer to Pheonix, and the outskirts of the city beginning to show up. We cut through the city center coasting past the glistening lights, the signs now tell me we're only miles away from the airport.

"Final stop, Gas-n-Go," Jasper announces as we turn into the gas station. From the parking lot, I can spot the airstrips that I would soon be on. "How far away are they?"

"Less than an hour or so, don't worry Jazz, they'll be here soon," Alice tells him before he gets out of the car to fill the tank up again.

"I gotta do human stuff, I won't be long," I say, not waiting for much of a response.

"Okay."

Entering the convince store, I take note of the absent cashier. Probably back smoking or drinking away the night. Thankfully the bathroom door isn't locked and I enter into the cramped room, passing a closed stall and occupying the handicapped one.

Brushing my hair out of the way, I splash the freezing tap water onto my face in an attempt to snap me awake. I'll need to get coffee here so I don't fall asleep in an airport terminal. Rubbing vigorously at my face, I hear the click of the stall open, and footsteps, but no one joins me next to the other sink. Nasty.

"Hello, Heather." I look up, wondering who's speaking to me, I'm shocked by the rough, husky voice of a man speaking to me. In the mirror I spot the blonde man, he must be almost seven feet tall with how he seems to tower. But what's far more unsettling is that I don't this know red-eyed man, but he knows me. "Isn't this just my luck?"

"Do I know you?" I turn to stare at him, it beginning to click. His rugged, torn clothes and translucent skin. A startling trail of scarlet escaping down his lip.

"Your trail was so easy to pick up on, you left that hotel reeking. Then the rain came after, washing away my own trail, that boyfriend of yours doesn't even know I'm here. And then just my luck, you came right to me where I had stopped to feast." He licks the red from his chin and bares his pointed teeth at me. This is James, the tracker. "I was starting to worry I couldn't get to you, they kept you so guarded. And now they're too busy to care about you."

My eyes flicker to the stall he'd been in, a pair of feet sagging from under the gap. Then to the door, and back to him. Why don't I scream? Alice and Jasper can be here in a moment and stop him, but my lungs are tight, a knot has settled in my throat.

James' movement is swift and sudden, a screech rips through my lungs before I'm being forced into the thin glass. It shatters and screams as blood begins to seep out of my skull, there's a banging pain throughout my body and my eyes run all over, focusing on nothing but the glaring fluorescent light. Where are Jasper and Alice? Where's Edward?!

A scream rips out of my mouth again as a sharp pain stabs into my neck, my hands slap uselessly at the force against me. A gut-wrenching torture surged through my veins. My eyes begin to close losing ground before the pain is forced out of me. Against loud ringing, I can hear struggling, yelling, and someone calling my name over and over again.

"Heather! Heather!"

Sana's Note
Apologies if this is kinda a lame climax, I was struggling to come up with something better, but I hoped you enjoyed it still!