Hollow

The second the last drop of blood passes my lips, my senses return, bringing remorse. Panic. Guilt.

With horror, I lay down the drained form of some nameless woman with more care than is warranted. I stare down at her, her final moments replaying in my mind now the haze of blood-lust is lifting. I feel it all again.

Pain.

Fear.

Despair.

Loss.

Love.

And worst of all – forgiveness.

She hadn’t known me, hadn’t known who or what I was, but she forgave the sin of ending her life – even asked me to forgive her.

Sated, I feel empty inside.

Push

“Come on, Bella, just one more… that’s it; you can do it…”

Bella growls something unintelligible at the doctor, beads of sweat forming on her brow as she strains harder still. Her fingers are a vise around my hand as she tightens her grip. For a moment, I worry she might break some bones – hers, or mine.

All is forgotten when a shrill wail fills the air.

Seconds pass.

My eyes are fixed on Bella’s, unable to handle the sight of blood on her.

The nurse appears next to me, placing our son on Bella’s chest with a whispered, “Congratulations.”

Her foot scuffs the dirt. A frown mars her brow. Her teeth worry her lip.

Sighing, I pull her to me, murmuring, “What’s wrong, Bells?”

She blushes, ducks her head. “Nothing,” she mumbles.

Silence.

Resting my head on top of hers, we watch the view from our campsite for a while.

Finally, she shifts.

She whispers, “Jasper? When did you… How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“That you were into guys.”

I pause, confused why she’s asking after years of knowing me.

“There’s this girl…” she adds in a soft voice, blushing fiercely.

“Bella?”

“I think I like her, Jazz.”

Quixotic

Watching things unfold in front of my eyes, I’m torn between amusement and concern – for my family as well as, strangely enough, Bella – and exasperation.

Being from the South, and being as old as I am, how to treat a lady was bred into me. So I understand perfectly Edward’s desire to treat Bella right. Though not quite from the same era as me, he still hails from a time when women were doted upon.

Seeing the extremes he takes it to, though, leaves me shaking my head – and at times stifling a laugh, especially when I feel Bella’s reactions.

Return

“Return to sender – address unknown. No such number. No such zone,” the radio blares.

It’d almost be funny, if I wasn’t staring at the large envelope in my hands, reading those very words over and over again, as I have ever since the mail arrived.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I wipe furiously at my eyes.

I’ve been trying to get in touch with my dad for months, but he refuses to acknowledge I even exist.

His last words to me before he kicked me out ring in my ears.

You are dead to me.

Soon, I will be.

Ripple

“Leah, no!”

None of us realized there was one more left until Leah goes after him. She’s determined, but her pent up anger and need to prove herself make her lax. She’s losing.

“Jacob!”

I run, but I’m not fast enough to prevent Jacob from having his bones crushed.

The piercing howls and growls of anger echo in the air – the rage and need for revenge, as well as concern for their brother, seem to ripple from wolf to wolf.

Like a stone tossed in water, the effect is ongoing. Growing. Changing.

Carlisle is at Jacob’s side in an instant.

Simple

I stand by the door, taking a second to just breathe and observe.

Our whole family is here today to celebrate his fortieth birthday. It’s a milestone, considering the doctors had given him only a year to live – three years ago.

Jasper’s laugh reaches my ears, causing me to smile. He looks radiant – beautiful.

Walking up to him, I kiss the crown of his head.

He looks up, grinning. “Hey, babe. Sit with me?”

I comply. He puts an arm around my shoulders.

Glancing around again, I realize this is perfect.

Family.

Food.

Music.

As laid back as my husband.

Stagger

In all my years, I have never seen a vampire be anything but graceful – our movements too fluid to be natural… for a human, at least.

In battle, especially, this is true for him out of all of us. Jasper’s poise is phenomenal. His movements fluid and lethal.

He is death made corporeal.

That all changed in one, horrible moment.

Alice, blinded by the wolves, did not see him coming.

Jasper is not close enough, not fast enough to aid her.

We all watch in horror as she is taken from us.

His step falters and he staggers back, reeling.

Only twenty-three minutes more…

Standing to the side, it’s everything I can do to control myself. The last few days have been so emotionally charged that it’s felt as if I’m stuck in a maelstrom.

My own anxiety’s bad enough, but the emotions barraging me from the family – Rose and Esme especially – are too much. I don’t know how much more I can handle before I lose control of my gift and begin to project.

As it is, the family can feel it. We can’t afford the unwanted attention, so I hold on to what Alice told me.

Twenty-one minutes…