𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒- 𝐄𝐌. 𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍 (ON HOLD)

𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙

EJ WOKE UP WITH A START, HER EYES BLURRY AS SHE REALIZED THE CAUSE OF HER WAKING. She tried to ignore it and fall asleep, the feeling in her throat only a dull ache. She rolled over to her other side, her falling over her shoulder. But the more she paid no mind to the feeling, the more it grew. The ache began to burn, like a searing rod of metal was stuck in her throat. Her eyes shot open as it continued to escalate. The burning sensation began to consume her body, trickling down to her stomach. This feeling was one that brought raw remembrance of her being the monster she is. EJ began to pace her bedroom floor, holding her throat like one would if blood was pooling from the delicate feature. She tried to remember when the last time she "hunted" was, having been living off of human food for quite a long time. And while surviving off of the normal nutrients was doable, it never fully filled her. It never gave her the feeling of a full stomach, not as much as the crimson liquid did.

The burning continued to strike at her, causing her to falter. She had forgotten what it was like to experience the bloodlust. EJ wished it would just go away, wished the plaguing sensation vanished so she could go back to pretending to be normal. She knew the longer she disobeyed its desire the worse it would get for her. She knew soon enough she would enter a frenzy, nothing stopping her from attacking the humans on the street. Nothing stopping her from the Junes. EJ had to act fast, regain as much control as possible before the beast inside took over. It was coming, she knew, and there would be no control after that. She slowly felt herself being pushed to the back of her mind as she gathered some of her things. EJ made sure to bring a new pair of clothes, when vampires were in a frenzy there was no telling how reckless they would be. The burning sensation struck again, causing a groan of pain to slip out of her mouth, coming out more like a growl. She knew she was running out of time. EJ quickly bolted out of the small place, losing her want to present as human as possible. The speed that carried her was thrilling, she felt the adrenaline rush through her as she tried to get away. EJ knew she was being careless. She knew if a human were to see her, her facade would be gone and she'd have to leave town.

The ebony-haired girl felt her small piece of humanity slip into the back of her mind, a monster taking her place. She watched as her body continued to move through the dark streets of the town, running from alley to alley. Her bare feet clicked against the cold concrete, a sound barely noticeable to the human ear. The frenzied monster that took her place continued her prowl under the starry sky. That's when it hit her. The sound a stark contrast to the abnormally quiet streets. The scent even more so compared to the smell of sleeping buildings. The thumping of a heart as it pumped blood drew her in, letting it lead her through the streets. EJ found herself at the end of a dark alley, her prey walking in her direction as if she didn't exist in his moment of peace. He tripped over his feet, the ground seeming to escape him. He grasped for the brick walls as his head lolled forward. Even in the dark, EJ could see the purple circles under his eyes, the stains on his suit. Her eyes couldn't help but glance towards the red line in front of him, noticing how it constantly shifted. His thoughts were too scattered to settle on any one thing in his hazy stupor. EJ took another step down the alley, her own mind torn by the upcoming event. She knew the burn wouldn't subside any time soon, but the thought of resorting to human blood made her feel sick. EJ tried to bargain with the monster, to leave the unsuspecting man alone, to push down the bloodlust long enough for her to devour a cheese pizza. But the monster wouldn't have any of it, it was hungry, its needs had been pushed away for too long. EJ took one step and the monster took five steps forward. She tried to pull away, the scent of the man's blood growing ever sweeter. The man, still unaware of her presence, stumbled to the ground, his feet betraying him. His pale, thin skin scraped against the rough concrete, the intoxicating crimson poison spilling from his elbows and knees. And that was all it took. The frenzied monster caught the scent and savored it, craving more. She sped down the alley at a speed so unnatural that the man finally met her eyes.

"What in the-?" He began. The monster grabbed him by the neck, cutting off his air supply. She slammed his head against the red bricks, her frenzied rage accessing strength she hadn't used in a while. He groaned in pain, his eyes squinting as he tried to focus on the small girl in front of him. The monster growled as EJ once again tried to regain control. She wasn't ready to fall back into this trap. She wasn't ready to return to acknowledging the beast inside her. She cursed this man for not going home at an earlier time. She cursed him for not being among his neighbors who slept soundly in their peaceful homes.

She cursed at how easily his neck snapped underneath her hand. And then it was over, the unnamed man's life had escaped his body. It was taken by her hands for the most selfish reason. EJ cried at how easily her teeth sunk into his neck, the crimson liquor slipping down her throat. She paid no mind to the added bitterness due to alcohol in the man's system. And when she was done, when the monster had subsided to the back of her mind, she laid the man down gently. She hid his body away, never to be found by his peers. And as she walked home, she mourned the life she took, the life she never knew. EJ wanted to cry, only one word circling in her mind.

Murderer.

She tried to stop herself from envisioning his face as his fragile bones turned to dust under her grasp. The more she thought the more her imagination plagued her with images, each more gruesome than the last. The ebony-haired girl hugged herself as she walked home, trying to comfort herself. She realized she had become the very thing she feared the Cullens were. EJ had become the monster she wanted to protect the Junes from. She knew eventually the citizens would notice her victim's absence, knew they would start to question. EJ knew she had to take into consideration the possibility of skipping town, of starting a new life elsewhere. The thought hurt, she had grown attached to this place, the people, the Junes. But if she had any sense of self-preservation, she knew leaving would be best for the human and vampire world. She decided once she got home, she would pack a small bag just in case with things she couldn't part with.

As EJ walked down the street, sorting through what she would pack in the bag, the breeze carried a scarily familiar scent. She froze, her body feeling paralyzed as her blood ran cold. EJ's breath started to pick up, small pants coming out of her mouth. She refused to look up, she refused to meet his eyes. Thousands of thoughts and memories ran through her mind, an overwhelming amount of feelings began to consume her. EJ knew he could feel them too, her stress, her tension. The sadness and heartache brought back from memories. The small ounce of happiness and hope that she was gone. A part of her felt smug, happy with the discomfort she knew he was feeling from her erratic emotions.

EJ felt his familiar pull as he tried to use his empathy to calm her. A small voice somewhere in her mind wanted to welcome it, accept the peace he offered. But it was overtaken, a feeling of repulsion coming upon her as she cut him off, rejecting his attempt. A small growl escaped her lips, a warning. EJ stared at the ground, feeling his eyes on her from several feet away. They were in their own form of limbo. neither knowing what to do, how to act. Jasper felt all her walls she worked hard to build crumble, her composure falling as the memories of him flooded her mind. EJ was stuck between running into his arms and slamming his head into the asphalt. EJ stood for what felt like hours, and it probably had been. She saw bits of orange start to peek over the horizon, her eyes blinking away the dryness. EJ took several breaths in, attempting to calm herself down. Her eyes fell to the spot where he had been standing, a now empty spot with no trace of him left. Her eyes washed over her surroundings, no one else around but her and the waking sun. EJ closed her eyes, discarding the memories of last night as best as she could. She rubbed her face, wiping dried blood off of her chapped lips.

EJ walked back to her small home, a dream-like daze consuming her. She closed her door gently, her feet shuffling to her bed. EJ allowed gravity to push her onto her bed, sitting on the edge with her head in her hands. She let out a long, exhausting sigh.

"Shit."