The True History of the Cullen Family

Somewhere Out There

Jacquelyn found herself running down the street. She was not about to become someone else's victim.

Not when she could escape just as easily as an intruder can enter a house.

After the death of her foster mother, Jacquelyn found herself staring at a grave. The woman's other children, all older than her, frowned as the priest had read the final rites. There was nothing else for them to look forward to, except life on the streets.

But the man who the woman had been dating at the time of her death would not allow the children to grow up so fast, not when he had the means to support them. But he took one good look at Jacquelyn Ulrich, and then it was like he held resentment towards the younger girl. She was an orphan who had no business tainting the family with her "impurities".

He decided that the girl had to be removed from the family.

But Jacquelyn was quicker than him; the minute he turned a hateful glare on her, she immediately realized that she needed to leave.

After walking away from the only other house that she had known, she turned back and smiled grimly as the cruel man went into a fit of rage upon discovering that she was not in her room.

Jacquelyn slipped on a pair of dark sunglasses and walked down to a bus station, where she boarded a bus that would take her far away from the village she grew up in. She refused to look back (because she had nothing to look back on) but she had to keep going forward.

After all, her future was set in stone, even if she did not know it yet.

*****

Jasper returned to his quarters in the Volturi Castle, after having completed another night of "light snacking". Alec, Demetri, and Felix had enjoyed themselves even though Jane thought the snacking was unnecessary. To her, vampires were meant to feed from living things, not snack on them.

Jasper looked around his room, wondering what he should do with himself. To the others, he was just a quiet brooding vampire who kept to himself, even though his talent of controlling moods would suggest otherwise. He recalled the number of times he had thrown a wave of calm over a potentially violent situation involving the Volturi, or calmed the hordes of tourists who came to the castle not knowing that they were going to be devoured.

"I need a pet," he complained to the others that night. "Someone who will obey me."

"Like a human pet?" Jane laughed.

"I need one so badly," said Jasper. "I need a pet to keep in my rooms. You may have your powers, but I need something to play with and none of the young ones in Volterra will do."

"I see," said Jane, "and I will ask Aro to find you a suitable pet. But keep in mind that said pet will have to be turned...eventually."

Jasper nodded. He knew that come hell or high water, he would get his human pet. But the pet he would get would be broken and needed to be fixed.

Not if she couldn't be fixed anyway.

*****

Jacquelyn woke up to a strange sight; the hotel where her mother died.

That place had been shut down eight years earlier, and yet it seemed...dead.

She stood up and began to wander around the place, warily, knowing that the snake that had killed her mother was still on the loose.

Just then, a very tiny grey snake approached her. Jacquelyn wasn't scared of snakes; in fact, she recalled Gus, the friendly python who lived the gardens of her foster family's home.

"Who are you?" she cried out.

"I'm just a snake," said the snake. "My name is Minerva. Gus has told me about you."

"Really?" Jacquelyn said.

"I have heard the story of your mother's death," said Minerva, "for on the same day, my parents were killed by the cobra as well. He killed many animals and people alike and has grown rather unnaturally large at that. The only way he could be defeated is that the daughter of the woman he killed slays him in turn."

"Well, I have never fought a snake before," said Jacquelyn. "Why should I fight him?"

"He murdered your mother," said Minerva, "and he seeks your death as well. You will never be complete until you have avenged your mother and found true love."

Jacquelyn said, "But why the cobra?"

"Do you know the story of the Fall of Man?" Minerva asked. Jacquelyn nodded. "It was Lucifer who had done this. Lucifer was full of pride and he resented mankind. He tricked Eve into eating from the tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil. That act had brought about man's fall and demonized snakes for many years. But not all snakes are bad, just as not all humans are good."

"I'm very sorry to hear that," Jacquelyn said. "I will make sure that snakes regain their place of honor, for God said that one day, snakes will be redeemed, and no child will be hurt if it plays with a snake."

Minerva nodded and said, "I have waited for you, because I knew you would come."

Jacquelyn said, "I needed a friend who would truly understand me. I just had to get out and find that friend."

And together, the Goth and the snake walked towards the hotel, preparing to face their legacy...