/flashback/

As I wandered towards the cliffs not far from my little village outside of Versailles, I thought over the past day and all of the horrible things that had happened. I continued walking slowly, and swore to myself that I would never allow them to happen to me, again. Whether the way I prevented them was a bit extreme, or a bit insane, I didn’t care. I probably was crazy, or something to that affect.

/I stormed out of the house, completely annoyed at my twin. I headed for my boyfriend, Jacob’s house; he always knew just how to cheer me up and how to make me forget my irritating brother.

“Jacob,” I knocked on the front door. “Hello, Jacob? Are you home?” I paused. Waited. No answer, so I let myself in, just as I always did.

The scene that greeted me was shockingly, unpleasant…for me at least…he was probably rather enjoying it. How did he even breathe? It looked as if he was attempting to eat her face. Thinking I might be sick, I ran outside, slamming the door behind me and leaning on it for support. I willed myself not to cry.

I heard him start inside, most likely surprised at the door being slammed. Though he knew it could only be me. I mean, who else that he knew would just let themselves in and then slam the door in horror at the sight awaiting inside. I heard him calling out my name frantically. Then the door I’d been leaning on opened, and I nearly fell over backwards without its support.

When I regained my balance I immediately spun around and smacked him as hard as I could manage, since I was rather small. I saw him open his mouth to speak, but I cut him off angrily. “My apologies, Jacob,” I hissed coldly, practically choking on his name in my attempt not to cry. “That was out of line and very unladylike. This is most likely my fault anyways. What have I done now to deserve such a punishment?” I allowed no time for him to reply, as I saw the girl walk up behind him and kiss his neck, making me gag, and him shove her away.

“Was I not pretty enough for you? Not feminine enough? Too outspoken? Too cold, distant? Hmm, which is it? Let me guess, all of the above?”

“Liz, please, let me explain!” The sound of his voice still sent shivers up my spine. I was glad I could cover them up with the sobs that had finally broken their way through.

“No,” I whispered through my tears. “You have no need to explain. I will go, and never bother you with my horrid presence again. It will be as if I never existed.” I turned to leave, but added as a cold afterthought, “Have fun with your lady of the evening.” With that I left Jacob standing on his porch, struggling for words as response to my sudden burst of insults./

Lifting the hem of my skirts, I walked faster. “I loved you as best I could, Jacob. Was that really so wrong? To give you my everything?”

An unfamiliar voice in my mind answered the rhetorical question. Yes, it was. You should never allow someone so close to you. It gives you a weakness.

/”Liz!” An all too familiar voice called out to me. “Liz! Where did you run off to? I’ve been worried.” My twin brother, Jaden jogged up to me.

I spoke as calmly as I could I my current mood, not wanting to be scolded for speaking harshly to another man. “Please leave me to my thoughts, brother. I need some quiet if you do not mind.”

“Maybe I can help?” He pulled me to a bench as we entered a park. Sitting down, he gestured to the seat beside himself; indicating I should also sit. When I did, he turned to me and asked, “So, what’s on your mind, Liz?”

I cringed at the irritating nickname. “Please, do not call me that ridiculous name, Jaden. Dear lord, it’s 1670...I am twenty one years old, as you should know-” I glared at my twin “-and I believe I deserve to have my given name used.”

“Okay then…Elizabeth,” he tried out my formerly unused name. He had not uttered it since I began dating Jacob, and had insisted that Jaden use the name my boyfriend had given me. Such a foolish pet name… My eyes were clouding over as I thought of Jacob, and my brother didn’t miss it. “What did that imbecile do to you?” He fumed, standing up. Panicking, I did the same.

“Nothing! Nothing at all Jaden!” I knew how self-righteous he was, and how hot-headed and rash he became as a result of it. “I-I was the one w-who left h-him,” I stuttered with extreme difficulty. Had I really just said that? Had I just lied to his face; for the first time ever?

Of course you did! There was that voice again. Fess up! You just want to keep him from Jacob. You want to protect him even though he hurt you. Pathetic…such weakness needs to be disposed of. Why are you so weak? So weak that you need to protect such a bastard, at any cost of your own pain?

“No!” I shouted, accidentally speaking aloud.

Jaden turned to me, “I beg your pardon?”

“Nothing, just thinking out loud,” I covered lamely. He wasn’t buying it.

“Something’s wrong and I know it,” he spoke matter-of-factly. I just crossed my arms and glared defiantly at him. He sighed, “You know you can always talk to me right? You always used to. When we were younger we were best friends. What happened to that Elizabeth? The one who used to let me help her. The one who used to tell me everything, no matter how embarrassing or wrong.”

“Tch,” I scoffed, giving in to that irritating voice’s suggestions to be unpleasant to him. “And what good did that ever do me? No, that Elizabeth is gone. Besides, I doubt that you could mend your poor, defenseless, pathetic, useless, little sister’s heart!” I spat, storming away from him for the second time that day./

And that leaves me where I am now; running, in tears, towards the cliffs outside my town, a tearstained letter clutched in my fist. “I just hope that they are able to forget me…though it should not be too difficult, there is not much to forget. I was only a blemish on their existences, gone in the blink of an eye. They won’t…shouldn’t, mourn my loss…”

I cut off my mindless ranting when I heard leaves crackling behind me. I turned to face a man, about my age. Actually, I almost walked into him. He caught hold of my arm as I tripped, and steadied me.

“I’m sorry, miss. Did I startle you?” His voice was silken, too beautiful to believe. His eyes were a startling violet, and his skin white as the clouds. Everything about him was a clear, extreme color. No tints or hues, only perfection; one color shades. He was almost painful to look at.

“It’s alright. I just have a lot on my mind and didn’t notice you. Now, if you will excuse me,” I attempted to remove myself, but his grip was iron, “I am in a bit of a hurry.”

“Really now,” he spoke so soothingly, it was almost purred. “Perhaps I could join you? I may be of some assistance.” I didn’t miss the catch in his voice that made it sound as if he knew something more then I thought he did; or should. I must have been paranoid though, because there was no way that this man knew anything more than he should. I’d never seen him before, in my town, or even in Versailles.

Jerking free of his vice grip, with much difficulty, I backed up a pace. “I doubt that. Thank you though, for your kind offer, sir.” I curtsied, as was polite and turned to continue on my way to the cliffs.

I soon realized that he was following me; again. I was quickly loosing patience with this man, no matter how good-looking or polite. Spinning around, I confronted him. “Excuse me, but I must ask you to leave me alone, and allow me to go about my business.”

“Oh,” he grinned, and I swore that I saw a slight hint of maliciousness behind the kindly face, “I have no intention of hindering you. As I stated earlier, I am here to help you, Elizabeth.”

Now, I realize I should have been frightened by now, but since I was going to the cliffs to…well…anyways. I decided this man could do what he wanted first, it didn’t really matter. “Well, what do you want then?”

He chuckled and then simply stated, “You.”

And now I was immensely confused. “What? I seem to have misunderstood you. I do not even know you…”

“My name is Peter. And to put it bluntly,” he chuckled again, “I am a vampire. I am over one hundred years old and would truly like a mate. I have been watching and learning about you for the past twenty years…and have come to love you.”

Well, his honesty and cuteness definitely cancel out the complete and utter creepiness of that statement. And, he seems to be pretty sweet…

“Alright, Peter. Here is what I have to say to that.” I took a deep breath and sighed in defeat. “You can do whatever the hell you like with me. I have no purpose, no one will miss me, or likely even realize I am gone.”

He seemed startled at my sudden compliance, his violet eyes widening slightly in his surprise. “Hmm, that was easy. You do realize that this will require you becoming a vampire, Elizabeth? Don’t you?”

“Yes, I realize that. And do not call me Elizabeth,” I paused, thinking for a moment before smiling a slight bit, “That name is me no longer.”

“Alright,” he wrapped his arms around me from behind, placing his cold lips to my neck. I nodded weakly, indicating he should continue. “This will sting a bit, alright?” Another weak nod. Then he quickly sunk his teeth into my neck.

I went limp in his arms, and after the pain passed all that was left was the most exhilarating sensation I had felt in all my twenty one years. I could feel my life draining out of me, but in its place was power, and strength. And they were of a level I had never felt before. Never even imagined. And I found…I loved it.

Definitely worth it, huh? What is Jacob compared to this? This is what it feels like to be without weakness. This is absolute power.

When I finally stopped breathing, I turned to Peter to observe him through new eyes. “Wherever we are going…may we please bring along my brother?”

He smiled, turning back to my village. “If you insist, we can bring along the human boy.”

Snickering, I followed him back to the town, still getting used to the feeling of not having to breathe. We left nothing but footprints and an unheeded, unread letter, behind us. And, upon entering the village, Peter suddenly turned to me. “I have it!”

My eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion. “Have what, may I ask, Peter?”

“You said you were no longer Elizabeth. So, I have you a new name,” his violet eyes sparkled in triumph.

I waited for him to continue, and when he didn’t, I sighed. “Do I get to know what this new name is, or shall I just answer to the next one you call?”

Grinning, he leaned down and kissed my forehead before reaching down and ruffling my now white hair, so that it fell over my face. “Yeah, I think that’ll work.”

I laughed, grinning up at him. But suddenly, my eyes went wide, and I couldn’t hear what he was saying to me. The energetic skip to my step faltered, as suddenly a hundred thousand different voices flooded into my head. All of them screaming, all of them shouting, all of them fighting with each other to be the only one heard by me. I couldn’t handle it. Suddenly, I fell over, unaware of my surroundings, closing my eyes and blocking everything out but the voices.

The only other thing I could hear was screaming. Screams of pain, unimaginable agony. My screams.

Then suddenly, in through the voices, I heard someone calling. It didn’t sound like one of those horrible voices fighting and arguing in my head, so I focused on that one. It was Peter, and he was shouting something at me. I focused in on it more, and realized he was shaking my shoulders, and still shouting. Shouting a name; my name. “Kai!”

My eyes shot open and I grinned maliciously up at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pushing him upright so that he’d pull me up to a standing position along with him. I kissed his cheek and then dropped back down onto the ground, still grinning. “Peter, I think…” I snickered, “I’m hungry.”