Curious Visitor (OPEN)

[ASTRID ELIZABETH REID]

* * *

”Don’t worry squirt, I’ll be back before you know it,” Daniel promised before ruffling his sister’s hair. Astrid rolled her eyes before pushing his oversized hand away. “Don’t call me squirt! I’m eighteen now, Daniel,” she scolded halfheartedly. Although Astrid tried to hide her watery eyes, Daniel quickly swooped down and lifted her over his shoulder. A surprised yelp escaped Astrid before she began to giggle and cry simultaneously.

After a few moments of their awkward embrace, Daniel dropped his little sister and hoisted his duffle bag onto his shoulder. Astrid wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around her big brother’s waist and never let go, but she knew that he had made his decision and nothing she did would stop him from doing what he felt was right. The next few minutes passed in a tear filled blur as Astrid watched her parents hug their son goodbye before he was suddenly gone.

“In other news tonight, local young man Daniel Reid was reported missing while serving overseas. Scout teams have been sent out to search for the young man and his team while the family waits.”

“The body of Daniel Reid, who went missing about a month ago, was found today. He, along with his team of six men were found dead in a small cave. Friends and family members will gather to mourn this young man’s death and praise his life in which he served as a wonderful son, brother, and soldier.”

* * *

SNAP. Astrid stared at the small spruce as it slowly fell over from the impact of her pale white fist. She normally found ways to keep her mind occupied during the day in order to keep it from wandering, but nothing could stop such memories on this day. Only one year ago. Gone, he’s gone, she wailed internally before letting loose a tearless sob. Without her role model, her best friend, her big brother, Astrid felt completely alone in the world. Becoming a vampire only a few months later did not help her overcome her grief. If anything, Astrid fell even further into depression as she realized that not only was her brother gone, but also she would never rejoin him. She was stuck to live as a killing machine for eternity.

Although she had considered turning herself in to the Volturi and begging for death, Astrid had already promised her brother before he left that no matter what, she would stay out of harms way. With a calming, but unnecessary breath - after all, she was now a vampire and breathing was only necessary to blend in with humans – Astrid uncoiled her muscles and focused on her latest mission. Ever since she had heard the rumors about golden eyed vampires living in a small town in Washington, Astrid had been intrigued and soon her curiosity got the best of her. Leaping onto the fallen tree, she surveyed her surroundings before sprinting into the now dark forest.

Astrid decided she would most likely be approaching Forks within the next few hours and debated on whether or not she should hunt before arriving at her destination. When a mouthwatering scent hit her, Astrid made up her mind and came to a halt. Eyeing the young man, she could practically feel the warmth that would spread throughout her body after she fed. Although Astrid was much more civilized that most young vampires, she could still feel her crazed self surface at times. Fixing her hair, Astrid pulled a friendly grin onto her face and made her way over to the appetizing stranger. He stared with an open mouth as Astrid approached him and began small talk. As the man began to laugh alone with her and ramble on about his friends and family, Astrid knew she had to stop listening and make the deed quick. With a seductive smirk, she leaned in close, as if to whisper in his ear, but with movement too fast for the human eye, she twisted his neck and let his body fall.

”Focus,” Astrid commanded herself as the first hints of guilt and pain began poking the back of her mind. Within a few minutes, she was filled and ready to make the last leg of her journey. Astrid broke into a sprint, making sure to not look back or even think. She knew that if she lingered too long on thoughts about the innocent young man, she would only grow more depressed. After all, there was nothing she could do but make the process as painless as possible for the humans. Andrew, her creator, had made it clear that if she were to feel guilty for killing and therefore avoid doing so, her impressive grip on sanity would break and Astrid would turn into a true monster. Astrid slowed her pace as the first few signs of a town began to appear in her heightened vision.

She quickly found a small lake where she could freshen up and grab a change of clothes from her backpack. Feeling much cleaner and happier, Astrid inched closer to the town and eyed it carefully. The usual scents of humans tickled her nose, but luckily, it did not affect her too much. What had Astrid stepping back a few feet in surprise was the ambush of vampire and other mysterious scents. Astrid had never been a shy girl, but in her short life as a vampire, she had learned to be extremely careful around other vampires. Too caught up in her thoughts, Astrid did not scent her uninvited company until he or she was only a few feet away. Snapping her head to the side, Astrid tensed as an involuntary hiss escaped her. With guarded eyes, she took a hesitant step back and weighed her options: stay and try to befriend the stranger, run and try to escape, or attack.

“Who are you,” she asked slowly, still unsure of how to react to the stranger.

[ISABELLA MARIE SWAN]

The truth was so much had changed. The twenty four year old kept an eye on things. She did not like to be kept unaware of her surroundings. Especially given the state of what she was—a human with knowledge of a world that was not her own. Grief was something she understood extremely well, as she did not want to risk the bad things from happening. Even just a year ago, things were somewhat easier as she had been away from the reminders, away from the mistakes. But it hadn’t stopped her from thinking of her past as much as she had tried to avoid it. Being a human with the kind of knowledge that she had was dangerous. Vampires wanted her dead, shifters didn’t trust her, what kind of a world was she living in? She hadn’t had the kind of life she once did. Because having that kind of information had put her in jeopardy. James had tried to kill her as had Victoria, so had Laraunt and now all of them were dead. But she knew there would be others who would come after her especially the members of the Volturi.

The grief she held for not trusting her instincts, for not seeing that she needed Edward—needed to be with him then—had only made her lay awake at night. She had lost her breath the moment she had walked away from Edward, and it had been a scary thing to endure. Yes she was still alive, in the human sense, but in the heart—it had shattered when she had done what she had—to walk no run away from Edward the way that she had.

But now it was too late to think about such methods. It was no use anyway. She had the rest of her life to dwell on what might have been—on what should have been. As calm as her life was now—it was still filled with turmoil, at least emotionally.

Physically she was fine, as fine as she could be. But it was depressing to think that this was where her life was meant to be. Single—alone for eternity all because of her choice. A choice she had regretted, even if the reason she had done it was because she loved Edward and did not want to see him get hurt—to see the others get hurt. Yes she had panicked and had ran....but she had seen something that she couldn’t truly describe without it sounding like she had lost her sanity too. She no longer had the kind of security and safety that she once did. Not with everything she had seen and witnessed for herself, including what she had heard.

The time had come to take another little venture out into the woods not too far from her home. She had loved the woods ever since she was young—but even now at twenty four—she knew the risks that were involved with it. Although human, she was well aware of what could happen. It was something she could handle. What with vampires in the area, knowing the Cullens, she was close to their territory. Not that she’d visit them—no, but she knew if she was in danger Alice would sense it, she’d see it. Taking a deep breath she didn’t anticipate what was going on. After some time she left the woods, she hadn’t known what was going to happen.

It was as though she had run a very long ways, even though it didn’t register where she was at first until she suddenly found herself standing a few feet away from a young woman—who seemed to be about the same age as she was. Although she couldn’t exactly say how old the young woman was. But when the woman asked who she was, she spoke confidently. “My name is Bella, and yours?” She asked politely, however she didn't want to mention her last name. Knowing that whom she was dealing with was also a vampire.