Bitter Sweetness...

Part 2

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own any of the characters from the twilight saga. I do own the characters I create and the thoughts that went into constructing this.

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2

Alice:

I gripped the cool steel of the bed frame as my eyes went blank.

The vision was too confusing to understand; flames licked the walls of a bare and dark room, shadows flitted across it's brown stained walls as screaming, so frightened and agonised, made my insides grow cold as I felt the fear of the victim.

They were small and their hair was black and spiky; the hair had been cut badly, almost as though someone had cut it off with garden shears. I winced as I watched the pitiful victim writhe on the floor, the focus of the vision changed as a loud melodic voice screamed NO!-

I let out a sharp gust of air as my sight returned to me. I let go of the bed frame with shaking hands and held my knees to my chest. I looked over at the ancient clock that was hung crookedly on the brown stained wall.

It was the middle of the night.

I pulled the thin ratty covers over my shaking, frail body and turned to face the wall.

The Victim had been me.

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Matthew:

I was yet again on the night shift, volunteering like I always did; it had become tedious to pretend to sleep in my room every night.

I had been pacing back and fourth through the corridors, as if I would need to be in hearing distance of any of them. I could hear every ragged or quick breath they made, every cough, every moan, every heart beat.

The fact only made my throat burn more.

I had planned to go hunt in the early hours of the morning, outside the towns perimeter, I couldn't bear to kill anymore innocent and the animal blood disguised my blood-red eyes well; they were light gold now; like sun rays.

I had only ever taken one life; in my crazed new-born state I had attacked a human without thought. The young man had been on his way home from work, I had ended his life hundreds yards away from his front door. The guilt was still etched in my eternal memory.

I smiled wirely as I heard with perfect clarity, a conversation between our two newest nurses. They were discussing how dapper I was.

I knew I was attractive; dangerously so. Humans were drawn to me; like moths to a flame. Although they didn't seem to understand if they got too close they were bitten by the fiery tongue.

I ran a hand through my tousled black hair, and rounded the corner that led to the female patients wing.

I heard the soft yelling and moaning of one of our more 'serious' patients.

The woman had been struck mad when her husband had been murdered in front of her eyes. She would often go looking for him in the night. If woken from her trance-like state she could turn violent. They now chained her to to the bed like an animal.

I had disagreed with this ill treatment, but the woman was not in my charge.

I shook my head as I heard her rattling the chains around her wrists in anguish, moaning and screaming.

I hurried past her door, wishing my hearing was not so perfect. Troubled souls were bad sleepers. 

I found the room I wanted and pushed it open gently.

Alice lay huddled under her thin blanket, her long black hair now cut short after her run in with the head nurse. The nurses did not have time to wash such long tedious hair and every female in this wing had the exact same cut.

Her room, like every other room is this place was small and simple. It contained a clock, a bed, thin blanket, and a pillow and mattress on a steel bed frame. The windows were boarded up in here though. From her report I could see she had tried to escape several times shortly after her arrival.

She tossed and turned in her sleep as she tried to find comfort in the wafer-thin bed. I could tell by the way she naturally arched her back, that the springs were digging into her spine through the barely padded mattress.

I walked over to her side as quiet as a shadow; I brushed a short hair away from her face as she scrunched up her nose where it tickled her ivory skin.

I felt an overwhelming desire to hold her close and never let go. She was so fragile, I missed my human daughter as I watched her sleeping face, I had never felt this before; this fierce protectiveness of one individual. It was over-powering, but I embraced it; it made me feel human again.

She frowned in her sleep and I kissed her forehead to smooth out the worry lines that had creased up above her brows.

She stirred and as un-detectable as smoke I disapeared. The door shut softly behind me as I made my way down the corridor once again.

I walked out of the heavy wooden doors, to check all of the outer windows were secure. Escapes could sometimes be fatal. Our patients were not only mad, but dangerous.

I stiffened as the breeze carried a scent like rich sharp wine to my nostrils.

Vampire.

He was at the entrance of the building, Alice's room was too near him for my liking.

I ran at vampire speed towards his postion.

In a matter of seconds I was face to face with the trouble-making nomad.

"Who are you."

I hissed. My voice deadly.

The tall muscular blonde smiled a twisted grin.

"I was about to ask you the same question."

I snarled and his sadistic smile grew wider, showing all of his perfect sharp teeth.

"This territoy has been claimed."

I growled, taking an anticapating crouch. I was suddenly wary of the place we were standing. The night shadows barely concealed us.

"How do you manage that?"

He asked, he cocked his head to the side like a small child, his blood-red eyes twinkling.

"None of your damn business."

"You intruige me old one."

I didn't relax my crouch as he started to circle me. His eyes bore into mine as we surveyed each other.

"There is more population south of here. Go. Before I make you leave."

He chuckled darkly before inspecting a dirty fingernail.

"I think I'll stay... You never know. I might like it here."

I snarled again and he hissed.

"Stay away from here."

I repeated. My voice was firm. Unmovable.

"No."

A wide grin spread across his face and he took another step towards me.

"You may be older than me but I am stronger. You will loose if you fight me."

He sounded smug and I hissed in his face.

"What do you want!"

My voice was like acid.

"I want what everybody wants. Blood."

"Find it elsewhere then."

With that I stalked off back into the building. Locking the doors firmly behind me, I let out an uneeded gust of air when I could no longer detect his scent in the two mile radius of the town. I had a bad feeling he would be back.