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by
Jessica L
Things were fairly peaceful in Washington, and we have spent some time here on our own, without being bothered by anyone before we got an unexpected visit from the Volturi. I had heard of the Volturi from Carlisle, but had never met them before. Esme, Rosalie and Emmett were getting their first meetings as well.
Of course, practically every vampire learns about the Volturi as quickly after being created as possible. There are rules to living life as a vampire, and the Volturi enforces those rules. The Volturi are like the royalty of Vampire kind. They live in Volterra, Italy, and have existed for some three thousand years. Their wealth and power is astounding. Their leaders are Aro, Marcus, and Caius, but they also have a legion of powerful vampires who work at their command as well. They are not to be trifled with nor ignored.
The most important of vampire rules is keeping the existence of vampires secret from human kind. Therefore when we learned of their presence in Hoquiam, Washington, my first thought was that they knew about the Quileutes. This scared me because it put us all in danger of being destroyed. I wasn't sure if the Volturi would care whether or not the Quileutes knew about us before we got there, they knew about vampires, and we were the ones that were there. End of story.
The Volturi have often extinguished many leagues of vampires- from old to newborn- in attempt to keep our secret. They have powerful guards and skilled fighters, and often have no trouble invoking their wrath. Many of them posses great powers and talents unlike any other vampires- they go far and wide to search out special vampires to make sure of that. Of course, these are not particularly kind vampires, they hunt humans. That is not to say they are particularly cruel, either, this is just their way of life. Imagine a world power, with unlimited time and money- then picture that power with the ability to feed on people with precision and speed. This is the true definition of a human's predator.
Jeopardizing the vampire secret wasn't why they chose to visit however. Only the three leaders, Aro, Marcus and Caius chose to come, and they left their wives and other followers at home. This was a good sign, it meant they weren't here for a battle, a trial, or any other sort of confrontation. They met up with Carlisle first, as I was out hunting with Emmett at the time. They sent Rosalie out to find us, and she was nervous and scared when she tracked us down in the woods. At the very least, however, we knew it was only the three of them against the five of us should things go bad.
This is where things get tricky. Aro has a power similar to mine, only where I can read minds close by and can read a person's present thoughts, he has to touch a person in order to read every thought they have ever had. Both powerful but also limited in different ways. Marcus can sense a form of relationship between people, and as far as I have heard, Caius has no powers. Aside from Carlisle's ability to be around massive amounts of blood and Emmett's massive size and strength, I am the only one with an abnormal power.
Once we got back to the house, however, my fears were both calmed and started up again. I could tell by their thoughts that they did not come here for a fight, they came here for another reason altogether...
TO BE CONTINUED...
by
Jessica L
The Volturi- or at least its three leaders- were here in Hoquiam, visiting the Cullen family for the first time since I had been created. Aro, Marcus and Caius were here for a very specific purpose. As vampires, our memories are very acute, so I can recall the conversation with precise detail. Even though it is already over, it still gives me the chills.
Aro was the first to speak, even though I saw the thoughts in his mind before he even opened his mouth.
"Hello, Edward. I am glad you were able to join us. Rosalie, Emmett. It is nice to meet you all. I have met Esme and chatted her a while during the time Rosalie went to find you both." He motioned our direction.
Carlisle motioned for us all to come further into the foyer. We were standing near the front door, assuming defensive positions. To be honest, we were all scared. Emmett and Rosalie were probably more scared than I were, as they had no idea what to expect, and I couldn't exactly tell them what was going on without giving anything away.
We stepped forward together, as though we were a team. I guess by now we are a team. A family. More than ever we are a family now. Carlisle waved us through the foyer and continued into the dining room, where we all took seats at the large, heavy wood table. It was probably a good idea, considering it put space between us all. I needed as much space between Aro and I as possible.
I took a seat opposite him and we all sat down slowly.
"I am sure by now, Edward, that you know why we have come here." Aro smiled at me.
"Unfortunately, I do, Aro." I told him.
I returned his smile with an unfriendly glare. The other Cullens were equally unfriendly with the exception on Carlisle, who is always open-minded, and Esme, who always seeks peace and the good in everyone.
"Aro has come here for something important, perhaps you should listen to his offer, young one." Marcus spoke firmly from the other end of the table. I jumped out of my seat so quickly that the chair I was sitting in slammed into the ground beneath me and broke into several pieces. Emmett swiftly swept to my side in a show of absolute support, even though he had no idea what was going on. Emmett, my friend, my brother, always by my side. I would have to remember to thank him later.
"I have no reason to listen to his offer, as I have already heard it." I responded.
"Perhaps if I could speak to you in private, take a walk, a few moments alone..." Aro offered. I saw his plan the moment it formed. He wanted to touch me, see my thoughts, see why I was so resistant. I wasn't a fool, however, and I wasn't so easily swayed.
"I'd rather not, Aro, if you do not mind. I do not need a few moments, or a few days or years. I know your offer and I enjoy my time here with my family."
"I heard you were rather unhappy living life as a vampire. We were looking to help you relieve some of that unhappiness. Offer you an alternative lifestyle. We have ways for you to use your gift like you have never imagined." Caius stood up from the table and took over the conversation. This seemed to irritate Aro, as he felt he had the situation under control. Perhaps, in reality, no one did.
"I have no wishes to join your coven in Volterra. I am happy here with my family. I do not feed on humans, I try not to use my powers, and usually when I do it serves me poorly. They are a burden on me. They have done me well in only a few instances. There are worse things in life, Aro, and I mean no disrespect, but I am not joining you today or any other day."
I stood in a defensive crouch and allowed him to stare at me for a moment. Rosalie stood up from her chair and stood next to me, and after a brief second Esme and Carlisle did the same. The four of us stood together as a family, while the three of them remained seated at the table, thoughts of doubt flickering through their minds.
"Perhaps you will not always feel that way, young boy. You have much left to see in life. To experience. Your powers will come to be useful, you should harness them. We can help with that. We will leave now, but remember that the offer is on the table. We wish you to join us in Volterra, and we will not forget about you and your extraordinary gift, Edward. Good day to you all. You have a lovely home, Esme. Thank you for welcoming us into it."
They left quickly after that, with a few scattered words of warmth, as Aro is good for pretending to be a friend when necessary, and we were left to ourselves again. All of us were notably shaken. I was the most upset. It was hard to wrap my mind around the fact that the Volturi had actually come across the world to try and persuade me to join their coven. Carlisle explained that while Rosalie had gone to find us, Aro told him that one of the vampires I had visited had gone to Volterra and while traveling there Aro had seen my amazing gift in his thoughts. The only thing more powerful to Aro than his own gift is the possibility of finding other vampires with gifts. The idea of having an army of gifted vampires leaves no room for anyone to fight them, no matter how great the odds. My mind reading ability is truly remarkable.
I am just glad the issue is behind us. Carlisle is expecting for Aro to bring it up again sometime in the future. Aro doesn't give up, he pushes, persuades. I am not too worried, I cannot be persuaded. Any doubts I had about the members of the Cullen family before were quenched when they stood by my side against the Volturi and stuck up for me. Facing their own destruction to keep me beside them is something I never expected from half of them. I suppose I should get some rest. It has been an emotional day.
by
Jessica L
Our time here in Alaska is fairly peaceful so far. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, including myself. That is when I am avoiding Tanya's never ending love overtures. We all appreciate the Denali's for opening their home and land to us and especially for being so gracious about it. It has been a nice reprieve for all of us.
Tanya, Kate and Irina are considered to be sisters, although like us, they are really only related in vampire terms. Their vampire creator, whom they consider their mother, was destroyed thousands of years ago. Sasha- their mother- was punished by the Volturi for creating a vampire child, which is one of the worst vampire laws to break. The three never really healed from the hurt of losing their mother in such a traumatic way, and the bond of it has brought them closer. It also made them very strict on vampire laws, and therefore they understand very clearly why we were in such a hurry to leave our home.
Carmen and Eleazer also have an understanding for the laws, but for different reasons. Eleazer used to work for the Volturi. He was one of them. His special ability is that he is able to seek out a person's talent, whether vampire or human, and tell what a vampire's special ability is or is going to be. However, after some time with the Volturi, he didn't agree with certain methods of their behavior, and chose to leave. His respect for the law stuck with him. Carmen is much softer and more compassionate. She follows the law because it is so, and for no other reason, except perhaps because Eleazer believes in it.
We are very welcome here, and it has been fun. It is nice to be around others of our kind, especially others who live the way we do. It is secluded here, and we are able to live and hunt freely. There is a wide variety of animals to choose from, the boring deer are gone, and we dont have to wait for the seasons to get mountain lion- although there are not mountain lions here there is plenty to keep me entertained. There are grizzly bears, black bears, moose, caribou, and wolves here but Emmett is most excited about the grizzlies. The bears are probably the most abundant animal we have seen. There are also eagle hawks as well, and if we really want to be entertained, we can try to jump up and catch one.
Of course the cold doesn't bother us, we can make snow angels (isn't that ironic) and have snowball fights, and go sledding. We do all the things here that people would typically see us do and wonder at our speed. Vampire baseball has nothing on vampire skiing, of course we can't do it on regular skiis, we have to make our own or they would break under the pressure of our immaculate skiing skills. We also have discovered that we can build crazy snow forts in a fairly quick amount of time and have snow wars. It has been a blast. It is like being a child again, only no mother is telling you to come in before your feet get frostbite.
Tanya has been attached at my hip half of the time. She is very playful, and fun to be around. She jokes with me, throws snowballs at my head, and helps build lopsided snowmen. She is an excellent baseball player, and she skiis like there is no tomorrow. She understands the meaning of the word thrill, that is for sure. Tanya is entertaining to say the least. It is what I hear in her thoughts that gets to me though. I am not sure if anyone has let her in on my ability, so I feel bad for what I hear, but it is almost impossible not to hear it.
She is falling harder for me the more she is around me. She is attracted not only to my looks, for whatever reason- it isn't like every vampire is good looking- but also because I am extremely talented for a vampire. She seems to find my multitude of hobbies to be a good thing. She likes that I have read a thousand books, have an interest in art, play the piano, etc. She even takes an interest in the fact that I have almost every body style of car built between the early 1900's to 1950's. It almost seems genuine although Esme says the word for this is lust. She is in lust with me. I have not experienced this before, and although it is flattering, it is annoying as well.
Of course she is beautiful, curvy, smart, and funny. But I am just not looking for a mate. The more she throws herself at me, the more turned off I am. I am trying to let her down gently, and be nice to her nonetheless, but it is hard. Especially with seeing her thoughts, some of them as innappropriate as they are, it is very hard. I don't like seeing her undress myself. It is very weird looking naked through someone else's eyes, and frankly, she doesn't do me justice in that department. Not that she needs to know that, it would only encourage her. I will keep being the nice boy who just isn't on the availability list for now, and maybe she will back off soon. She is driving me crazy. Did I say that already?
Anyway, I think a snowball just hit my window. I better go join the fight. Be back later.
by
Jessica L
School Monday was everything we expected it to be and more. The talk about the Cullen party was circulating the hallways long before we walked in the doors, and probably even before the doors were open. More than likely, people were talking about it all weekend long. Our behind-the-scenes existence was not going to happen in this town.
Sometimes that happens, of course. It is hard to remain low key when people see you for even half of what you truly are. You develop some sort of a celebrity status. Look at the Volturi, for example. They started out as a small clan, and as they acquired members and wealth, people took notice. Even as they gained respect from other vampires, the humans noticed them too. Their castle is looked at like a historical landmark, and they are considered to be from a great lineage, with great wealth. Of course, no-one realizes it is the same vampires from the same generation, they plaster paintings throughout their castle of new generations every few years, and give tours to up the hype. Their celebrity status among the humans only adds to their power in the vampire world. Other vampires are also looked upon as wealthy and powerful, but in a lesser degree, and we are always moving, of course. It is dangerous to be noticeable, but sometimes it cannot be prevented or stopped.
I think we made that mistake in this town. People noticed us, and we exaggerated the problem by throwing the party. The kids noticed our furniture was above grade, we had paintings on the walls in fancy frames instead of just family photos like most families have, and we had the biggest color television on the market, no thanks to Emmett and his love for the thing. It became obvious right away that despite the outside looks of our home, we had money.
I am looking up on the whole thing, and so is Alice. Neither of us are seeing any major problems yet. The kids are in awe of us, and Alice can't forsee anything going bad, so I am not going to worry. The good thing is I don't have to wear those stupid button down shirts anymore. I can wear my regular clothing, and look as adult as I want to. Emmett still wears the plaid though. I still tease him.
The biggest downfall is that people try and talk to us now, which means we have to be extra careful of acting human. We have to breathe even though we don't need the air, always remember to shift our body weight and fidget every few seconds or so, blink our eyes, and simple things like that. Things we would normally do anyways, except that now people look at us a lot more and so we need to be cautious that we don't forget.
Rosalie and Emmett have it the easiest as they usually spend their between-class time with their faces stuck together. They say it is their "teenage act" but I know better. They are just teenagers at heart. Either way, people usually don't like to look at other people making out with each other, it's gross. Alice and Jasper are more low key, but just as deeply in love. It never ceases to amaze me.
Anyway, the Cullen fan club is as eager as ever, and they have grown by one member. The new one is shyer, so she doesn't follow me around so much, which is nice, but the four of them are really getting on my nerves. After fourth period today, I caught them stuffing love notes into my locker. I am really getting bored of them, so I decided mean is probably the way to go with these girls. I took the notes out of my locker and stuffed them in lockers of random boys from the basketball team. It's caused a little bit of pandemonium this afternoon, I can't lie. I enjoyed every moment of it, too.
Well, that was my day. I find myself writing more and more since leaving Hoquiam. Maybe I need a new hobby. Books are getting boring. I guess I will be back soon.
by
Jessica L
Rosalie's Paris wedding was everything she ever could have hoped for and more. Held at the Chateau d’Esclimont in Saint Symphorien, a grand castle on cascading gardens, even my breath was taken away. Which is a lot to say considering I don't technically breathe.
Everything was gorgeous. The flowers were beautiful and covered everything. There were gardens outside for Rosalie's must-have photos, and Alice made sure that the grand hall inside was adorned in plentiful blooms of various sorts. The chairs for the guests were high-backed, red-upholstered fancy looking things, fit for royalty. They matched the long, sheer, red drapery that hung tied back over the tall, floor length windows that covered the far wall. There was no doubt that this was the wedding of Rosalie's dreams.
Aside from the powder blue suits that Rosalie picked out, which matched everything except perhaps the royalty chairs and drapes, yet somehow looked completely pulled together, it was perfect. I was a little surprised, I have to admit. How they topped off their last wedding, I am not sure, but then again I suppose this time they have Alice and her great decorating skills on their side. It was quite humorous to hear Rosalie and Alice arguing with the various wedding planners for the last two months over almost every single detail. Vetoing the wedding planners' every idea. Yet everything looks amazing.
The guest list was small, for such an extravagant wedding. This was a vampire wedding. Not many people could be allowed to know that we could afford such a big event like this. Rosalie and Emmett don't mind, of course. This wedding is purely for Rosalie's entertainment. It is so she can wear a big, fancy white dress, walk down an aisle covered in flowers, eat an extravagantly decorated cake (or pretend to), etc. For Rosalie, it was the best of both worlds this time, last time she got a fancy wedding to show off to the town, this time she got a fancier wedding to show off to her vampire friends and family.
She says one of the perks of being married for eternity is that you should get to relive the wedding and "renew your love" for each other every so often. I see right through that of course. You couldn't possibly renew their love, it is already as deep as it gets. She just wants everyone to stare at her in her dress. Which makes me laugh, of course. Typical Rose. I think we all know, but no-one really minds. Especially Emmett. That man would walk across fire for her, which says a lot since fire is our worst foe.
Anyway, I got out of being the best man, but I got roped into being an usher instead. I got to seat every vampire we have ever met- and a few extra friends who came along as "plus ones"- into rows in the grand room. At least I demanded to wear a black tux instead of blue. There's a bonus. Vampires showed up from around the world- most of them from Carlisle's request, of course, but I have met quite a few of them from my travelling experiences too.
It was interesting when I ushered Aro and his wife to their seats, however. I was careful not to touch Aro. He was overly friendly, which I have heard that he usually is, under good terms. He asked me if I have considered his offer, but did not elaborate on which offer or say anything else. I just stood there for a moment, then took his wife's hand and led them down the aisle to a fairly close row of seats. It would be in poor taste to give a Volturi leader a poor view of the wedding.
Finally, since he was obviously waiting for an answer, I told him blankly that I was enjoying time with my family, and did not see leaving them to be in my future. What he said next was rather confusing and upsetting at the same time, but it was his thoughts that rattled me the most. He said that our futures are subject to change, as I should be very well aware. Then his thoughts shifted to Alice.
I was absolutely unaware that he realized Alice had joined our family, nor did I expect him to know Alice had a special ability. Where he had gained this knowledge from, I had no idea, but it disturbed me greatly. I couldn't just interrupt the wedding to consult with Carlisle about it, and my mind was racing. I shook my head numbly and walked away. As I left the row of chairs I placed Aro and his wife in, I heard him tell me that the offer is always open and he will speak with me again soon. I just kept walking.
It was almost time for the wedding to start. Emmett was already standing up at the front, nodding his hello's and smiling here and there to people. Jasper was at his side. Rosalie was in back getting ready, and Alice and Esme were helping her. Carlisle was with Rosalie, ready to walk her down the aisle. I was up here, ushering with Eleazer, and couldn't even think of abandoning post. Finally, the music started. Pachelbel's Canon in D minor.
Rosalie came up the aisle with Carlisle, looking absolutely beautiful. Alice was behind her in a coordinating bridesmaid dress. I followed with Esme and led Esme to her seat quietly. We sat down together in the front row and watched the ceremony together, Carlisle sitting down after kissing Rosalie on the forhead after lifting her veil at the traditional place in the ceremony. It was all fancy and traditional, and had any French people been there they would have looked at us, with the powder blue suits, the oddly colored eyes, classic traditions and lack of food and thought we were all crazy. But we all loved it. A band played during the reception, we all danced, and everyone enjoyed themselves without pretending to be anyone they weren't. It was very nice.
I got a moment during the reception to find Carlisle and Alice together and tell them about Aro's statement. They both found it as bothersome as I did. There wasn't much we could do about it, however. It was like bidding time, waiting for a predator to pounce. You know they are up to something, but until you know what, you can't defend yourself. Alice is going to be on the lookout, but it won't do a lot of good. In the meantime, we are just going to go about our business in a more cautious nature. Eleazer suspects that they have another talent seeker of their own, someone who has replaced him. This would explain how they know about Alice, I suppose. The Volturi always seems one step ahead.
At any rate, the wedding was incredible, and everyone had a great time. Now we are just lying in wait. And waiting is never fun. So until I have something to write about...I'll be back.
by
Jessica L
Sometimes when things are too quiet, it's bothersome. Almost irritating. I can't seem to shake the feeling that something is wrong, but Alice can't foresee any problems. Carlisle tells me to let it go. Esme and Jasper are their ever calm, peaceful selves in their own distinct ways. Emmett is his typical self- joking and rough housing and taking it easy. Not much upsets him, but if something does, he takes it down physically, not mentally. Rosalie is too worried about staying on top of her classes to care about much else. For some reason, she seems really into her college courses this semester, and Emmett followed suit willingly. I think she is just bored, and it is too soon for another wedding.
It has been almost a year since my last entry in this journal. It seems like almost yesterday, and yet I cannot believe it has been so long. I suppose when you are a vampire, time passes quickly, and the days are much the same as the day before. There is not much to write about.
After glancing over my last entry, I suppose I should catch up on recent events of the last year, although not much has changed. After the Paris wedding, we spent a few months completely paranoid that we would be receiving a visit from the Volturi. We never heard anything from anyone, least of all Aro, and were starting to calm down.
Then about six months ago, we received a package in the mail, addressed to Alice and I. It was a set of black Volturi robes, one for each of us. Accompanying these were two nicely written letters from Aro, Marcus and Caius together as a group. The leaders of the Volturi. The letters were the same. They wanted to let us know the robes were a gift from them to us, and they wanted to extend an official invitation for us to join them as members of the Volturi. The offer was good indefinitely.
We have not responded, nor did they respond back. Aro sent Rosalie and Emmett a nice anniversary card in the mail, but nothing came with it for either Alice or myself. I do not know whether to be relieved or worried. It is driving me crazy. I do not like being pursued in any form, particularly for something I do not agree with, and this feels like a game I cannot win.
Like I said before, Alice sees things in the future to be calm, and Carlisle thinks I am driving myself crazy for no reason. Carlisle knows Aro better than any of the rest of us, as he spent some time with some fairly peaceful Italian vampires in the early 1700's, and has had a fairly decent relationship with Aro since then. Of course, Aro- more so than Marcus and Caius- is quite personable when on good terms. The other two are tolerable.
Alice says we will never be a part of the Volturi, which I should find comforting, but even that brings problems. The Volturi does not like to be told no, nor do they like to be ignored. I am worried that they will see this as a slap in the face. I suppose I will do as Carlisle and the others suggest and just let it go for now. Sometimes having access to people's thoughts truly is a curse. I wish I had never seen Aro's thoughts. Too late now, I suppose.
Other than that, everything else is normal. Time is passing quickly. Things are boring. We are accelerating quickly through college, and it is starting to bore me. We will be moving on from this town soon, as we have been here almost five years, and five years in one place for a vampire is too long. We pushed our luck in Hoquiam. We haven't decided where to go next, but when the semester ends we will definitely be packing up. We won't be keeping our house here, though. It isn't like our Forks house, where we felt at home the second we got there and never wanted to leave. I hope Carlisle was right when he said we would return there one day. I am eager to go back in a couple of decades or so.
I suppose I should end this for now. I have been neglecting some things around the house. I promised Esme I would play her song for her. I have a paper due in Literature this week. Jasper and I are supposed to go hunting. So sitting around sulking isn't going to get me anywhere. I guess I'll be back.
by
Jeanne McDonald
Next stop, Saskatoon, Canada...
We got into Saskatoon very early in the morning, so it only seemed proper to stop at a hotel and tidy up a bit. The country is so vast and beautiful. The early morning sun rise cascaded a beautiful ring of light across the mountains. There is plenty of wide open space and wildlife which makes this area ideal for hunting. We all need to feed rather soon anyway. Traveling as we have been, while it has been fun, has also caused us to put our normal habits on hold. We don't want to take any chances of another accident.
Upon entering the hotel, I felt an immediate uneasiness. The minds of almost everyone there seemed be normal. Everyone noticed us right away but there was one woman who's thought struck me as odd. It almost seemed as though she wanted to hide from us. Little did she know that I could hear what she was thinking. Besides, we all could smell her. She was definitely not human.
She was hiding in the kitchen and praying we could smell her over the horrible smell of eggs cooking. She kept thinking that 'they' would never suspect her being this close to humans without hunting. Her thoughts seemed to think that whoever 'they' are...we were part of them. She assumed we were after her and if we caught wind of her she would need to make a run for it.
I made sure to relay this information to Carlisle quickly. I wanted us to hold off on introducing ourselves to this vampire. Her thoughts were so scattered it made me think she was a rather young vampire, not a newborn, but all the same very young. I searched for a hint of who she might be so afraid of but she hid those thoughts rather well. I could only think of one group that might scare a vampire this badly - The Volturi.
I know Esme was a little upset that our vacation has been interupted by this detour but if its the Volturi she is afraid of, I don't want us anywhere near here when they come for her.
Well it looks like we are off to hunt in the Meewasin Valley. Afterward I think I'm going to try and probe our new 'friends' mind to see what she is really up too. The more information I get the better off we will be.
