I Know Where I Belong - Alice Cullen's backstory

Prolouge

There was only one window, one pathetic set of rusted bars extending six inches above the ground, but it offered a view down into one of the dark, musty rooms of the asylum basement, and it was enough to allow for the passage of a light breeze and the heartbeat of the tiny human inside to be heard. If not for her ragged breathing, James may not have noticed her at all.
He didn't come near the asylum with any intent to find his prey there. Rather, James had only meant to pass it by, not giving any thought whatsoever to its inhabitants. Only a few miles north was the city, and there was certainly more to choose from there. He wasn't looking for a challenge tonight. Just a quick fix, enough to keep him strong and satisfied until he could find something sufficiently entertaining.
But the little heartbeat had caught his attention. Sweeter than honey, the scent of the human within drifted on the breeze that swirled around him. He paused, tensing. How irresistible she was! Crouching down lower, James caught a glimpse of the girl inside. She was mumbling to herself now, and rocking back and forth in place, holding her knees. Her eyes were wide open, frantically searching the wall she faced. They were unfocused, unclear.
"All right," James mumbled, a malicious smile turning the corners of his mouth upward. This wouldn't take long.
Before he could act, a low rumble escaped from the shadows behind him. Shoot! James thought, turning defensively, instinctively baring his teeth and searching the dark, damp area nearby. Apparently, he wasn't the only one whom the human's delicious scent had drawn in.
"Don't," warned an older, more muscular vampire, spitting the word through his teeth as he creeped forward. He wore a suit and a long white robe, a stethoscope and a tie around his neck, which indicated that he worked at the asylum. He was clearly ready to fight. His stance was defensive and hostile, his teeth also bared. His eyes, however, were pitch black, without the faintest trace of crimson in them, and he looked as if he were weak. He trembled from exertion. Only humans do that.
James laughed, despite the anger that flared up within him. Not much of a challenge, he thought, but this should still be fun. As the foreign vampire approached, James stepped back, feigning innocence. "Do you have territory here? Of course, I won't hunt on your land. She does smell ever so lovely, though, doesn't she?" he breathed deeply, savoring the air. "I can only imagine how wonderful she must taste." A snarled ripped through the chest of the stranger. He crouched defensively in front of her window, glancing down periodically at the girl within. She didn't seem to notice. James most certainly did.
"Oh," said he with a smile. "Well, this is unexpected." James relaxed his position. Perfect! he thought, his excitement only growing. Now here's a prize to be won. "Goodbye, then." The vampire only watched, never relaxing, never moving, hardly breathing, as James disappeared around the corner of the building. Being so thirsty, she must be hard to resist. I wonder why he tries? But he won't have to for very much longer. James began calculating as he turned away. His mind was made up, and he toyed with his options in the manner of a cat toying with its food. He would not let her escape. James scaled the brick wall of the asylum.

-

"Oh, Mary Alice," Elmer sighed, whispering quietly enough that she had no hope of hearing, not that she was concious enough to recognize him if she did. He relaxed slightly. The new vampire was away now, probably headed toward town. In a few days, he would be gone. Elmer sucked a breath in, fighting the tempation of the frail girl's scent, which scorched its way down his throat. He hadn't hunted in months, and he was weak. He knew he could only refuse himself for so long, but something in Mary made him desperate to try. I don't want to be a monster, Elmer thought glumly to himself, watching the moonlight paint her skin. It was all a futile attempt, really. Her health declined by the day, and her mind wandered further and further out of reach. Her eyes became more unfocused, more distant. She was slipping away. But Elmer couldn't help the effect she had on him. He sighed, putting one hand over his eyes, running the other through his chin-length dark hair, leaning his back against the cool brick of the asylum wall.
He still remembered his first encounter with her clearly. Mary Alice Brandon entered the bleak, pale hallway that Elmer supervised, struggling to escape the grasp of the two nurses who escorted her there. At first, nothing about her was different. She struggled and fought like some of the others did, she repeated the same claims of innocence as many before her had. Elmer wouldn't have noticed her. But as he looked up from his clipboard, enticed to do so by the hazelnut and cinnamon scent that permeated the air around her, he met her eyes, and a wave of shock coursed through him. Alice's eyes were rich and warm, and her cheeks were flushed, complimenting her smooth, sun-kissed skin. Her hair was dark and fine, cut raggedly close to her head- like all the others- but her face was delicate and slim, and the short locks which surrounded it only enhanced her features. But this was not what caused the shock. The girl had life in her. Her whole person seemed to be enflamed in passion, determination marked every movement and expression she made.
"He wants me dead!" she screamed, trying uselessly to fight her way back to freedom. "That's why he sent me here!" Elmer stopped what he was doing, watching her. She had a presence of mind unlike the others.
           Just then, she turned to look at him, chin raised in defiance, soul ablaze.
           And so his curiousity had been piqued.
Looking down at her now, it was a miracle the wave of misery he felt didn't totally sweep him under. If only I could speak to her. If I could just sweep her away...
But it wouldn't help. There was little he could do for her now. And so Elmer watched over her, guarding her by night and by day, devoting every moment he could to ensuring her safety, pointless though it may be. He couldn't let go of her.
Alice twitched and moaned, muttering about things Elmer couldn't understand. Hopelessly, he slumped to the ground beside her window and watched her rock herself to sleep.