Forever and a Day

“Holly are you sure you’ll be fine to get home? It’s getting quite late, I could ask Arthur to walk you,” Mrs Saunders asked as I pulled my coat on.
“No, it’s fine. It’s only a couple of blocks,” I replied politely with a smile.
“Alright, if you’re sure,” she said, looking at me sceptically as I slipped out of the small typist’s offices.
Stepping out on to the streets of Chicago I pulled my coat more tightly around myself, shivering slightly. My job at the typist’s office was the only thing I had left; my family had been taken in the Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918. Turning into a narrow alleyway I shivered again, this time not from the cold but from the feeling of being watched.
“What’s a young lady like yourself doing all by herself on a night like this?” I heard my pursuer purr from close behind me.
My heart raced as I quickened my pace slightly, desperate to get out of the alley and out onto the street. Casting a quick glance over my shoulder, I frowned when I saw no one there. Though my mind told me to keep going I stopped, turning around completely, squinting into the darkness. Seeing no one I turned, only to have a hand clamp down over my mouth cutting off the scream building in my throat.
“Now now, let’s not make this difficult beautiful,” he whispered softly, pushing me against the wall of the alley.
My terrified eyes took in his face, his brown hair, which fell messily into his crimson eyes, his high cheek bones and strong jaw line. As I searched the alley for something, anything to help me, his face edged closer. Pushing my head to one side he ran the tip of his nose across my neck, taking in my scent.
“You smell absolutely divine and I’ll bet you taste even better,” he smirked as I struggled slightly against him.
“Keep struggling and you’ll just make this worse for yourself, but if you’re good, I’ll make it pain free. What do you think?” he asked, pulling his hand away from my mouth.
“I hope you rot in hell,” I retorted, too scared of what he would do if I screamed.
“Oh don’t worry darling, I’m not going to hell,” he laughed as the world faded away leaving me in darkness.
Strangely enough I wasn’t worried. I knew what it was like to faint, having had the experience before but this time seemed different. I wasn’t waking up with no memory of what had happened, I was just floating in darkness, and that’s when I started thrashing, scared out of my wits.
I screamed as the world reappeared, a searing pain shooting through my neck as I collapsed to the pavement. Gasping for air, I screamed again and again, hoping my attacker would just kill me and end the pain coursing through me like fire.
“You had to go and make it worse for yourself. Goodbye beautiful,” I heard him whisper between my screams.
When I realised that no one was coming I held back my screams, stumbling to my feet, the pain worsening with every passing second. Somewhere in the back of my mind I comprehended what I was going to become and this was the thing I held onto as I staggered to my house, collecting a suitcase full of clothes, adding to that a photo of my family before hightailing it out of the city as fast as I could.
Vampire.
The word repeated over and over in my mind as I walked down the deserted road close to dawn. I was turning into a monster, something that haunted children’s nightmares. Making my way off the road and through a field, I dropped to my knees as I saw the first rays of sun edging over the horizon. Saying a quick prayer I bowed my head, hoping that this wouldn’t hurt as much as the pain I had felt last night, which was just starting to recede. I gasped slightly as I felt the warm rays of sunshine fall across my skin, but I didn’t smell myself burning nor feel any pain. Opening my eyes I screamed for the hundredth time in under 12 hours.
My skin was shimmering, glowing, sending off an array of rainbows like the most beautiful diamond in the world. Holding my hand in front of my face I stared at it in wonder, the early morning sunlight glistening across its surface.

----------

It was only in the early 1930’s when I heard about rumours about the Cullens, a family of vampires who rejected the blood lust, feeding on animals instead. I had taken up this practice a month after being turned when I hadn’t been able to stand the ache in my throat any longer and had attacked a fox, finding that its blood dulled the ache.
I had always steered clear of other vampires, not wanting to become the monster that I knew was buried beneath the surface of my skin. My strange talent for hearing others thoughts had helped, as I never had to talk to any of them to get information while my heighten hearing came in handy in overhearing human’s conversations. After discovering that the Carlisle Cullen and his family were living in Virginia I quickly made my way there, hoping that I would find acceptance within his family.
I walked slowly up the pathway towards the Cullen household, trying to block out the thoughts of the residents and the humans in the houses nearby. Nervously checking my reflection in one of the windows in the door, I knocked, almost immediately hearing footsteps.
The door swung open to reveal a breathtakingly beautiful man, his topaz eyes making him as a vegetarian vampire. His eyes swept across me before he smiled kindly at me.
“Can I help you my dear?” he asked, his voice soft and kind.
“I’m looking for Carlisle Cullen,” I replied already knowing that I was addressing him as his thoughts filled my mind.
“I’m Carlisle, have we met before? You look awfully familiar,” he frowned, his mind shifting through hundreds of years of memories trying to place my face, though we had never met.
“No, but I was hoping you could help me. You’re the first one I’ve been brave enough to approach, all the others are different to us and I don’t want to walk that path,” I rambled, smiling slightly.
His eyes widened slightly as he noticed my eyes for the first time, “Goodness, my dear, I do apologise for my rudeness, do come in. Esme?” he called softly as he stepped aside to let me in.
“Yes?” I saw a pretty woman step into the hallway, her long caramel hair falling around her shoulders, her topaz eyes sparkling, “Hello, my dear,” she added with a smile at me as Carlisle led me into the sitting room where two other figures were found. Both looked up as we walked in.
The girl was stunning, a complete angel while the boy was tall and muscular. Both had the same topaz eyes as their ‘mother’ and ‘father’. I felt their curious eyes on me and let their thoughts spill across me quickly learning more about them.
“These are our two youngest, Rosalie and Emmett, and this as I’m sure you’ve guessed is my wife Esme,” Carlisle introduced everyone.
“I’m Holly,” I replied suddenly shy at the attention I was being payed.
“You’re one of us!” Rosalie exclaimed, noticing my eyes.
“Yes,” I murmured, taking in Esme’s sympathetic thoughts as she moved to my side.
“It’s alright my dear. This must all be a bit of a shock to you, so many people after being alone so long,” Carlisle smiled.
“It is a bit overwhelming,” I smiled in return as Esme led me over to a couch, sitting next to me.
“How did you come to be a vegetarian my dear, it’s very unusual for one of our kind to choose this way of life?” Carlisle asked his curiosity getting the better of him.
“I couldn’t do it, every time I would smell a human I would remember the pain I went through and I couldn’t do that to another, no matter how terrible they were,” I replied softly, “No I don’t think I could beat you in an arm wrestling match Emmett,” I added as he went to open his mouth, my eyes widening when I realised that he hadn’t spoken yet.
“You can read thoughts?” Carlisle asked in surprise.
“Yes, I don’t like to listen, but sometimes I just can’t block them out. I’m sorry Emmett,” I apologised.
“This is extraordinary! I always thought that no two vampires would share the same trait. Aro’s is similar but to have two the same, unheard of,” Carlisle rambled, pacing the room with deliberate strides.
“I’m sorry, what?” I asked, looking between them, picking up that their other son was a mind reader too. As soon as I discovered this I realised why I had been hearing a vague echo of every ones thoughts, I was hearing them and then hearing them in his head too.
I heard footsteps in the hall and looked up as the doors swung open, revealing a boy who, to all appearances, was the same age as me, his bronze hair slightly tousled, his strong angular features pulled into a frown which turned to shock as his eyes met mine.
“Holly?”
“Oh My God, I thought you were dead,” I cried, flying off the couch into his arms.
“Carlisle turned me on my death bed on the wishes of mother, by the time I was able to look for you, you had disappeared. Everyone thought you had died,” Edward replied, pulling away from me slightly so that he could see me.
“I wished I had. But you already know what that’s like,” I smiled.
“Umm, not to interrupt this touching moment, but how do you know each other?” Rosalie asked, her eyes darting between the two of us.
“I knew you looked familiar, so much like your mother,” Carlisle gasped.
“Holly’s my twin sister,” Edward answered Rosalie’s question.

----------

“Holly?” Alice’s voice drifted into my room in our house in Forks.
It had been about 80 years since I had first walked through the Cullen’s front door and I was happy. Carlisle and Esme were the most amazing and caring parents and I loved each and every one of my siblings, although I would always be closest to Edward. Bella and Renesmee had only just recently come into our lives and I was happy that my brother would finally stop moping. Everyone else may have realised that he was lonely, but I had to put up with all his thoughts, and trust me that was not fun.
“Of course I’m going to play Alice, I can’t have Eddy get too cocky,” I laughed reading her thoughts, jumping off my bed as Edward appeared on the spot I had just left.
“Have to be faster than that to catch me,” I giggled, tearing out of my room and down the hall, ducking into Jasper’s.
“Hey Jaz, what cha doing?” I asked watching him look up from his book as Edward tackled me from behind, sending us flying out Jasper’s window.
“What was that about being fast Holls?” Edward smirked as we landed gracefully on the driveway, just missing Emmett’s jeep.
“We both know I let you catch me,” I smiled before skipping back into the house, passing Rosalie, Bella and Renesmee in the lounge room. Skipping up the stairs I laughed as Edward cussed me out in his head quickly thinking that that wasn’t very gentlemanly, much to his amusement.
Walking back into Jaspers room, I found him exactly where he had been before I had been shoved out his window, noticing the books and papers everywhere. Picking one off the top of the stack I glanced at the cover briefly before settling down on the couch next to him.
“Can I help you?” he asked, raising his eyebrows but not looking away from his book.
“I’m bored and the storms not coming for another couple of hours,” I moaned, resting my head on his shoulder.
“I know that,” he replied rolling his eyes obviously reading my emotions, “I was wondering what you think I can do about it.”
“I heard,” I laughed, tapping the side of my head, “Any boredom busting ideas?”
“If I had any you would already know them,” he laughed, pushing me off the couch.
Pouting I gathered myself up off the floor, deciding to go and visit Carlisle instead. Stepping out into the hallway I heard giggling floating up from the lounge downstairs where Bella and Rosalie were playing with Renesmee. Knocking lightly on Carlisle’s study door before stepping in, I found him reading a large, rather old book. He glanced up, smiling as I walked over.
“You didn’t break anything did you?” he asked, laughter spilling into his voice.
“No, we missed Emmett’s jeep by inches,” I laughed.
“Lucky, he would not have been happy if you broke it. Actually I was just about to ask you to come in. I’m still trying to figure out who was in Chicago at the time you were turned and I’m not having much luck. Vampires are notoriously hard to track as they tend not to leave behind the trail of paperwork humans do,” he sighed, smiling sadly at me.
“It’s alright, I’m honestly not sure that I want to know,” I replied, balancing on the edge of his desk.
“Can you describe him for me again, I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before but I can’t place it,” Carlisle asked, closing his eyes ready to picture my attacker.
Letting my eyes flutter closed I took myself back to that night, hearing Edward and Jasper shudder slightly. Neither of them liked it when I relived my change, which was understandable; Edward relived it with me while Jasper felt my terror. Letting the attackers face fill my vision I began to describe his features. I found it disturbing how I still remembered that night so clearly and yet the majority of my human memories had faded.

----------

A crack of thunder sounded over our heads as we raced out of the trees to the large field where we always play baseball. I smiled as I smelt the rain, which was falling on the other side of the mountains. The breeze that floated through the trees brushed against my long chocolate brown hair, blowing it into my topaz eyes as I watched the rest of my family.
“Come on, I wanna play BALL!” Emmett boomed as Esme and Carlisle marked out the diamond.
“Girls against guys again?” Rosalie asked, swinging her bat backwards and forwards, purposefully hitting Emmett in the shoulder.
“Alright, but Carlisle better play on our team this time,” Edward replied.
“Alright, Nessie are you going to make sure we don’t cheat?” Carlisle asked as Esme grabbed up the ball.
“Sure,” she smiled, winking at me, making me laugh as Edward pouted.
“Haha, she likes me better than you,” I teased, linking arms with Alice, skipping over to Esme.
“Yeah but you’re still going down,” Edward retorted as he, Emmett and Jasper took their places around the pitch with Carlisle standing on the pitcher’s mound, tossing the ball between themselves.
“Bring it on!” Rosalie yelled as she stepped up to the home plate, Esme standing behind her as catcher.
Carlisle pitched the ball and Rosalie sent it souring with a loud crack. Watching her race to first base, I laughed as the ball reached the base right after her. I stuck my tongue out at Emmett as Bella stepped up for her turn. The crack of ball on bat was heard again as I saw Edward take off into the trees after it. Knowing that he was going to try and get Rosalie out I filled my mind with thoughts of Rosalie already on second base, confusing him for the millisecond she needed to reach it before the ball.
“THAT’S CHEATING!” Edward yelled, pointing at me as I stared at him, a picture of innocence.
“What did she do?” Emmett asked.
“She keeps messing with my head,” Edward sulked.
“You’re the one who chose to listen in on my thoughts silly and anyway, like you wouldn’t do the same to me,” I laughed, not able to keep a straight face anymore. The laughter caught in my throat as more thoughts filled my head, none of them belonging to any of my family members. Seeing my shock look everyone turned to me, confusion written on their faces. Edwards’s eyes widened as he heard them too.
“The Volturi,” I whispered, watching as my family all gathered together.
I had never met them, having left before they showed up after Renesmee was born, not able to cope with the sudden loneliness I felt now that Edward had Bella. Nor had I been present in Italy when Edward tried to kill himself, Carlisle felt that the fact that both Edward and I could read minds was not something that the Volturi should be told without thinking about the consequences. I had heard about them from all my family members. None of them painted a flattering picture except Carlisle, although I don’t think he had ever said or thought something bad about anyone.
I stood next to Edward and Alice as I watched the figures of the Volturi emerge from the forest. Aro was in front, his brothers Marcus and Caius just behind him while a small group of their elite guard followed. As I watched, I listened, learning names and abilities at lightning speed so that by the time they came to a halt fifty meters away, I knew all their dirty little secrets. I saw Edward’s lips twitch at my last thought as I looked across the field waiting for Aro to speak.
“Carlisle, my old friend,” Aro called, stepping forward to greet him.
“What brings you here Aro?” Carlisle asked as he greeted him, wary of what they had tried to instigate the last time they had met.
“A holiday, nothing more my friend. Italy can get so weary after a time don’t you think,” Aro replied as Marcus and Caius greeted Carlisle. Aro’s eyes swept across us, smiling at Alice, Bella and Edward before stopping on me, shock registering on his face for a second.
“You have a new addition I see,” he commented, his crimson eyes never leaving mine.
“Oh, no. Holly has been with us for some time,” Carlisle commented.
“And yet I have never been introduced. Do come here my child!” he called out, waving me over.
Ignoring Edward’s furious thoughts telling me to stay exactly where I was, I stepped forward, moving swiftly to Carlisle side, my eyes never leaving Aro’s face.
“Aro, this is Holly, Edward’s twin sister. Holly, this is Aro,” Carlisle introduced us and I smirked as I saw his shock.
“Surprise!” I smirked earning a death glare from a small blond vampire standing slightly off to one side.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you Jane, we both know that Bella’s got me covered,” I smiled sweetly, before my eyes drifted past her to the boy standing at her side. My eyes widened as I took in his familiar features; his brown hair, which still fell messily into his crimson eyes, his high cheek bones and strong jaw line. Alec, the boy who turned me. I heard Edward growl from behind me, quickly stepping between him and Alec, I grabbed his arm as he went to pass me.
“Edward, don’t,” I said, “If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be here with you now.”
“Are you defending him?!” Edward growled.
“No, but attacking him isn’t going to change the past, nor will any good come from it,” I replied, nodding my head towards Alice, before shooting a death glare at Alec, noticing how he flinched slightly under my gaze.
“Holly, Edward. What’s going on?” Carlisle asked, his eyes flicking between the two of us and Jane and her twin brother Alec.
“You don’t have to keep searching anymore Carlisle. Alec was the one who turned me,” I replied before stalking off, “And no, Aro, I will not join you!” I yelled over my shoulder as I disappeared into the trees.

----------

She was even more beautiful than I had remembered. Her long chocolate coloured hair fell perfectly around her shoulders and her striking toffee coloured eyes shimmered with the same fiery independence that her green ones had held that night in the alleyway. Never have I wanted someone as badly as I wanted her.
I never wanted to cause her pain, but unlike Edward, I didn’t have any control and when her blood sang to me that night I followed her into the alley, wanting to drain her of every precious drop. I had put her under my spell, wanting to make it as painless for her as I possibly could, not wanting to harm such a beautiful creature, but when she stated thrashing, trying desperately to fight against my powers I had lost concentration for a second. Her screams would bring humans and I couldn’t be found so I fled, promising to myself that I would return in an hour but when I got back, I found the alley deserted.
I had watched the papers for the next week in fear, hoping that she might have some self control but knowing that as a new born it was unlikely. When nothing had happened I assumed that she had been found by another vampire who had taken her under their wing. As much as I wanted to forget her, she plagued me, haunting every moment of my life. After a decade or so I had learnt to bury all thoughts of her deep below the surface of my mind, so deep not even Aro knew.
Now they were all swimming to the surface, a fresh wound on my cold heart. I watched as she ran out of the clearing, and if my heart was still capable of breaking I’m pretty sure it would have. Of course she wouldn’t return my feelings; I had turned her into a monster, something she despised.
Feeling eyes on me, I glanced up, my crimson eyes meeting Edward’s honey ones. I expected to see him glare at me but instead all I saw was sympathy. Quickly pushing all thoughts of Holly out of my mind, I told him to get out of my head, shooting a half hearted glare at him.
“You should go after her,” he whispered, his words only reaching Aro, Marcus, Caius, Carlisle, Jane and myself.
I didn’t reply as I sprinted passed him, following Holly into the forest, knowing that if she was anywhere near as fast as her brother I would have no hope of catching up with her unless she wanted me to. Behind me I heard the gasps of the Volturi and the Cullens but I ignored them, pumping my legs harder as I darted between the trees, a mere blur to anyone who cared to look my way. I knew none of my family would understand, though something told me that Aro might. My actions would most likely be the death of me but I had to be able to talk to her, to hold her in my arms and tell her how much I loved her.

----------

I knew someone was following me, I could feel their mind, though I blocked their thoughts out, running faster than I had ever run in my whole life. I laughed slightly, relishing in the feeling of being almost airborne as I flew through the trees. Suddenly Alec’s face spilled into my thoughts, Edward trying urgently to make me stop. Cussing him and our stupid connection I stopped, my hair swirling into my face.
I had to be halfway to Alaska by now and my thoughts drifting to Tanya and her family before Edward’s thoughts invaded again. Within them I could hear the echoes of the rest of my family and the Volturi. Listening carefully I picked out the only one not still in the clearing, hearing him as he slowed, still about a mile away from me.
Sitting on a large rock I waited, facing the direction he was coming from, my arms crossed against my chest. Alec’s thoughts were a jumble of nervousness and I smirked, happy that at least he had enough common sense to be scared of me.
My eyes followed him as he emerged from the foliage, his pace slowing when he noticed me. He came to a complete halt about four metres from my spot, his crimson eyes slowly making their way up my body, pausing when they reached my neck before they arrived at my eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, his voice almost inaudible to my ears even with my heightened hearing.
‘YOU’RE SORRY?!” I screamed leaping off the rock landing inches from him, “You, a cold hearted son of a bitch who preys on helpless young girls in alleys! You’re sorry? Don’t make me laugh Alec,” I spat his name out as he flinched away from me.
“You left me there! I could have killed hundreds of people! And you left me there, knowing what I was becoming, knowing what I could do!” I shrieked, lashing out to slap him.
He grabbed my wrist before I made contact, “It wasn’t supposed to happen like that. You weren’t supposed to be turned,” he retorted.
“So, what? You were planning on sucking me dry?” I asked, trying to pull my wrist out of his grasp.
“Yes... I mean no... I... Fuck Holly, you smelt so intoxicating. I wanted you so badly, more than I’ve ever wanted anyone ever, before or since,” he replied, his eyes boring into mine.
“Yeah right,” I rolled my eyes, yanking my arm away from him, turning to walk out of the clearing.
“You’re brother understood Holly. Just look into my mind, please,” Alec begged.
Closing my eyes I let his thoughts flood into my mind, that fateful night replaying in my mind, only this time from Alec’s perspective. The memory of the smell of my own blood hit me with force, the way it sung to him, drawing him to me, the thoughts running through his head quicker and quicker as the scene play out, almost a mirror of Edward’s thoughts when he met Bella. Suddenly his mind was flying through memories of the past 80 years or so, every time he had ever thought of me spilling from his mind into mine making me gasp.
“I’ll give it all up. I’ll leave them, I’ll change, I’ll become a ‘vegetarian’. Just say the word and I’ll do it all for you Holly,” he whispered, stepping closer to me.
He gasped as I spun around, my lips colliding with his before he even realised that I was facing him. Just as quickly his arms were around my waist, pulling me closer, his lips moving against mine with urgency and passion. Pressing my body closer to his, I tangled my hands in his hair in an attempt to bring him closer to me, the tiny gap between us too much for my liking.
“I love you Holly,” he murmured against my lips.
“Stay with me?” I asked, pulling away, searching his eyes.
“Forever and a day,” Alec replied, his smile soft as he placed his lips against mine again.