The True History of the Cullen Family

Broken

In the gardens of the once-grand Amazon Rose Hotel, Elbert Braun sat there wondering how things went downhill since the day Irina Ulrich died. He had detested Irina and her daughter Jacquelyn Claire because they were fabulously rich, and the fact that Irina's name and wealth was plastered all over the news for her huge parties and various charities and philanthropic works had caused him anger.

He had purchased a snake from a questionable dealer, who had been arrested and executed for his part in Irina's death, as were Abner and Marva Melbolger, who owned the hotel where Irina and Jacquelyn lived. The snake bit Irina as she and her daughter were in the lobby and killed her.

Irina hadn't been the only victim of the snake's poison. In fact, so many other people (and animals) were killed by the cobra. The cobra was eventually caught and destroyed, but not before 24 innocent people were slain. The hotel was shut down and the owners were executed.

Elbert gasped as a huge python slithered his way into the work shed that he once owned. Gus said to him, "Elbert Braun, your time on this earth has expired."

"Gustin Von Ninglied," Elbert said with a sneer on his face. "You and your family have interfered in the lives of humans when you should have kept to the old ways."

"My father and mother believed that humans needed compassion, not cruelty," said Gus. "But beware, for your death comes to you in the form of a girl whose mother you killed."

Elbert gasped as he saw Jacquelyn standing behind him, with Minerva perched on her shoulder. "You were supposed to be in an orphanage!" he shouted as he saw the girl.

"I escaped," said Jacquelyn, "for I cannot live in peace until the monster who killed my mother is himself destroyed."

In her mind's eye, she saw a huge and terrible cobra leering at her. Its dark scaly body had jewels all over it. He said, "Don't I look pretty?"

Jacquelyn remembered a scene in The Hobbit where Bilbo Baggins was in Smaug's cave and he saw the weak spot on the dragon's body. A spot that was directly where the heart should have been.

"Old fool," Minerva said. "You've come unprepared to meet your doom."

"Minerva, sister of Gus," said the cobra. "You assist this foolish child?"

"Don't talk to her like that!" Jacquelyn snapped as she reached for a sword.

"The sword your mother carried when she cut off my tail," said the cobra. "But she wasn't fast enough to stop me. I killed her, and now, I get her daughter. Two for the price of one."

Jacquelyn found herself lunging at the cobra. How dare that creature take away her mother, especially if she was the only parent Jacquelyn had on this earth. She slashed at the snake again and again, thinking about her dead mother.

"You think of your mother?" the cobra taunted. "Why don't you join her then?"

"Never in this way!" Jacquelyn cried out. "You have broken me and hurt me and you took away the only mother I have on this earth!"

The cobra laughed as Jacquelyn cried out, "And I bet you killed Gus and Minerva's parents as well! You're the evil of evil! There is a Hell, and you sent so many good people there!"

"Is that so?" the cobra mocked. "Little one, your days have ended; too bad you haven't had the chance to live your life...

Just then, Jacquelyn threw herself at the empty spot where the cobra's heart was and jammed her sword there. The cobra screamed and cried out, "That was my heart, you little brat! How did you know?"

"The heart is where the most important things in life lay," Jacquelyn said in turn as the large cobra sank to the ground. "Now you must die."

She stood up and said, "Her child will crush your head, and you shall bite his heel." The last thing the cobra remembered was her boot coming down on his head, crushing his skull.

Within a few seconds, the scene changed and Jacquelyn gasped as she saw Elbert screaming something akin to a confession. The police frowned and one said, "This one's bound for Volterra."

"What's in Volterra?" Jacquelyn asked curiously.

"The Volturi have taken care of criminals in Italy for the last 25 years," said the cop. "In fact, it's so much easier to hand them over to the Volturi for consumption rather than fill the jails. Criminals whose crimes are especially heinous are sent to the Volturi; but we never let anyone know that."

Jacquelyn nodded and watched grimly as Elbert was taken away. Minerva said to her, "You did it! You have slain the snake! You have avenged your mother!"

"But he is still alive," Jacquelyn cut in.

"It's like you've said, there is a God, and He's always watching you," said Gus. "He will deal with Elbert. But you still must find true love. The man you will find is broken and he must be fixed before he can be free."

"And he is seeking you," said Minerva. "You must go to him."

Jacquelyn looked at the snakes for a moment and said, "So you're saying that I must go to Volterra and find this young man before he is too broken to fix?"

"You must," said Minerva. "We will go with you to Volterra."

Jacquelyn stared at the sky. The sun was rising, and she knew she had a long way to go before she could be healed of her pain. "We shall go to Volterra," she said at last.

*****

Jasper frowned as he stared at a group of girls standing before him. "They are too young," he said before Jane dismissed them.

Alec said, "We have torn this town upside down and you still haven't found your pet. You are so picky!"

Jasper said, "I'm looking for a certain kind of girl, the kind who you lose your heart to before you think about it."

"Have you been reading those cheap romance novels?" Felix mocked.

"Now now," said Aro. "Let's not tease poor Jasper. I'm sure he'll find his pet soon."

Marcus said, "I just had a revelation: he doesn't need to find his pet, for she is coming to us."

"Indeed," said Aro. To Heidi and Renata, he said, "Find this young girl and bring her here. Make sure she goes without a fuss." The guards nodded and walked out the door as Caius said, "A human in our castle? Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"It is," said Aro, "and who knows? Maybe something good will come from this. We shall see."

Jasper nodded, knowing that his pet was coming to him...