Twilight Fan Fiction ❯ Two Sides of The Coin ❯ Broken ( Chapter 12 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I do own or create any of the characters, expect for Cassie and Brooke and their father. The rest is done and created by Stephenie Meyer, the author of the Twilight series. She owns them, not I. I am only burrowing them for my own twisted tales.

Summary: Cassandra and Brooke Sparrow are two sisters with psychic abilities, forced out of their warm California home to live in the dreary town of Fork, Washington, so their father can look for inspiration in the serene mountainside scenery. There they discover appearances can be deceiving when it comes to this boring rainy town. Especially when their closest neighbors just happen to be vampires and they actually go to their school, not to mention the nearby reservation is occupied with werewolves. Their lives are about to spiral into weirdsville and the sisters are going to love every minute of it.


Chapter Twelve
Broken



(Brooke’s POV)

“FUCK!” I screamed, interrupting yet another boring lecture in Health Science, the old bat in the front turned abruptly, startled by the sudden out burst. It had come fast. That surge of satanic power, eroding away my daydreaming of Bakura and I reeking havoc on Yugi Moto’s and Seto Kaiba’s life points in a game of Duel Monsters. My heart echoed inside my chest, beating away like a steam engine. My throat constricting as it dried up, the taste of bitter revenge flowing into my body. My breathing was coming uneven as Cassie’s terror latched onto my spirit in iron chains of overwhelming fright. I had nearly fell out of my chair when it hit me, jumping to my feet to catch myself and slamming my hands down on the desk in the process.

Why hadn’t I sensed it before?!

“Is there a problem, Miss Sparrow?” The old hag seethed, agitated, obviously not too happy with my shattering the studious atmosphere in her classroom. An awkward quiet followed as all my idiot fellow peers gawked at me, disturbed.

“There’s a problem alright,” I stated gravely, feeling like I was suffocating. And his name starts with a “J.”

I didn’t give the old bat a chance to retort as I exited my desk and sprinted for the door. Her astonished and angry cries following me out into the chilly air of the opened air campus. Shit, I forgot my jacket! Oh well, it didn’t matter. I set my sights on the huge brick building on the opposite side of the campus. I took off down the sidewalk, running. My bangs swaying in and out of my vision as I hurried, hastening my pace to a full out sprint.

This sinister energy, I thought, concern for my sibling heightening. There’s no doubt about it. It’s him!! Cassie, please be okay!

If that bastard hurt her, I swear I’ll-! I thought angrily, the campus passing me by in a blur. Nothing mattered right now. I didn’t care if I got in trouble for this later. My sister was in trouble and I made good on keeping my family safe. The electrons in my blood activated, sending an electric charge through every fiber of my being. I was beyond anger and fear. The demonic ora emitting from the gym was outstanding. I literally saw its purplish black hue writhing around the building like a serpent curling itself around its helpless prey.

Sirens pierced the air, wailing in anguish and in a furious cry that caused the Earth to shudder. Flashes of urgent red light filled the air, indicating that ambulances and the fire department were on their way.

Was the situation that serious? I titled my head toward the building fast approaching. My eyes narrowed, intuitively. A low rumbling cackle pierced through my senses. A glimpse of James laughing in the shadows presented itself through Cassie’s thoughts. It must be…

The closer I drew to the towering sinister structure I noticed that the students, who had gym at this time, were being filed out of the building. Their faces dead and twisted in horror to what they just witnessed. I recognized Mr. Sheer instantly as he directed the line of students to a patch of green far away from the dangerous sight. His deep gravelly voice carrying on the wind, solemn and on the edge of breaking. I could only guess at what just happened. The foul feeling in my gut worsened.

Hastily, I ran to the grave man, who looked like he had seen better days. “Mr. Sheer!”

The balding gym teacher’s eyes widened at the sight of my nearing form. “Brooke Sparrow?!” he stammered startling, his voice cracking from distress. “What are you doing, young lady? It’s dangerous here. You should be in class.”

I brushed off his demands. “Where’s Cassie?” I demanded frantically. I could feel Cassie’s terror quaking in the back of my mind. “Is my sister alright?!”

His eyes sobered at the flinging of questions, understanding the panic in my voice. “She should be coming out with the others.” His eyes widened slightly, catching onto something suspicious. “But how did you-?!”

“Thanks, sir!” I exclaimed, cutting him off before he got the chance to ask any unwanted questions. I whirled around and jogged past the grief stricken, quivering students, my head whipping from one side to the other, looking for my young sister’s familiar face.

“Sparrow?” I heard some one gasped, turning on my heel near the exit to see Edward Cullen coming out, carrying an unconscious Bella in his arms. Surprise and suspicion shone brightly on his angelic features. “W-What are you doing here?”

I ignored the questions, examining Miss Doom-And-Gloom. A huge unsightly bruise was forming on the side of her forehead, the flesh bulging, swelling. “What happened to her?”

I looked up to Edward, my stance far from patient, hardening. I already had an idea what was going on. “What happened in there, Cullen?”

Edward was solemn. “A main support beam snapped half and came crashing on top of the students. I was lucky enough to be the one closet to Bella to knock her out of the way. Unfortunately she hit her head pretty hard when we collided with the floor.”

Dread washed over me. So this is what James was capable of? “So his target really is her then. Just like he said,” I whispered bleakly, color slowly draining itself from my face. The sickness was already setting.

Edward froze, his body tensing, tightening his grasp on the unconscious brunette. His gaze turning for the ugly, rage replacing the sadness. “What do you know about this, Brooke Sparrow?” he growled in a threatening voice, sending violent chills racing down my spine.

I brushed him off, not in the mood for explanations. I needed to find my sister. I hoped she was psychically sound at least. I wasn’t too sure about the mental part.

“Now’s not the place or time,” I muttered, my eyes scanning over the retreating students. Some were crying on their way out. Did some of them not make it when the steel beam broke? “Where’s Cassie?”

Edward eased up as I whirled around. I didn’t know what he saw on my face, but it must have been something not so pleasant. “Where’s my sister? Did she make it out okay?”

His tone became reproached. “I’m sorry. I don’t know. My focus on was Bella.”

I turned around, gritting my teeth and clenching my fists. If that bastard as so much as laid a finger on her, I swore I was going to make him wish he remained in that damnable black abyss! “I swear to God, if he hurt her….”

My voice became caught in my throat when I caught a glimpse of a head of familiar raven hair, streak with neon blue, come stumbling out of the gym. Mike Newton had his arm wrapped around her petite body, while her own arm rested around his shoulders, steadily supporting her as they walked out of the building.

“CASSSIEEE!!!” I shouted and rushed toward the two, going as fast as my body allowed. Relief flooding my very being seeing that my sister was whole and safe.

Mike’s head slowly lifted in my direction. The expression on his face, haunting. His usually bright vibrant blue eyes, dull and full of shock and sorrow. I skidded to a halt in front of them. “Are you guys alright?”

It was the first instinctive question to be blurted from my mouth.

“Thank god! I was so worried!” I exclaimed grabbing my sister by the shoulders to envelop her in a big old fashion bear hug. “I didn’t know if he had hurt you. You have no idea how relieved I am that you’re ok-!”

The look on my sister’s face strangled my voice. Her eyes were wide and far away, broken and gripped with utter trauma. The pale complexion had completely drained from her gaunt face. Her entire body was shaking like crazy. No wonder Newton had such a strong hold on her. Soft pitiful whimpering sounds escaped past her slightly parted lips. She was completely dramatized beyond her wits!!

I gasped, an inaudible sound, but it was enough to make her lift her head to stare at me. She wasn’t really looking at me though, her eyes distance, drowning in a terror far greater than I could ever comprehend.

I bit my lower lip, remorse spiraling through me. My baby sister; I was staring into the eyes of a tormented soul. “Oh Cassie,” I choked out, taking her from Newton and wrapping her in a tight hug.

This was far worst than I could ever imagine! Quaking hands reached out and grabbed a hold onto the back of my shirt, grasping the fabric in a death lock.

Her voice hoarse and rough with fear. “I-I… H-he said…. I-I can’t win…. I’m totally helpless. There’s no hope. We’re all doom… Bella is as good as dead,” she murmured lifelessly, her voice shaking uncontrollably. Weak sobs broke forth. “Th-This is all my fault. All my fault!!”

I hugged my trembling sister, harder. “Ssshhh… It‘s okay,” I whispered, on the verge of tears myself. Sirens echoed in the distance, drawing nearer with every passing minute. My voice sounded strangled and helpless to my ears. “Everything… will be.. okay. I’m here. Everything’s fine now!”


The ride home was a long one. Quiet enveloped the car the whole way as I drove down the roads, going at a reasonable speed, not in the mood to speed. For the sake of my sister, I would obey the speed limit for just this one time. The ambulance had arrived while we were still there. Following it was the fire department and police force. Bella’s father was there and so was Carlisle Cullen, Edward’s adoptive father. Everything went by in a blur. People shouting. Students crying. The red lights on top of the cop cars, fire trucks and ambulance flashing in the background. Even a popular local news station came onto the scene, filming the chaos and interviewing the students and faculty involved in the incident. Bella and several other students were rushed to the hospital. Five students were confirmed dead and the Super Attendant declared that school was for closed for the rest of the week. It seemed like everyone from Forks was there. It was complete chaos.

I pulled up in front of our house, the warm golden lights on in the windows casting long silhouettes along the yard to the car. The door opened and Dad stepped out, his expression troubled, while I got out and rounded it to help a still traumatized Cassie out of the car. I steadied her as Dad met us in the yard. Tears were welding up in the corner of his eyes, misery and lovingness reflecting in his gaze. He took Cassie into his arms, crying, holding her tightly. I futilely tried to wipe my own tears away. One minute Cassie and I had been laughing and completely at peace with the world and the next the minute this had to happen! It wasn’t fair! Not to Cassie. Not to anybody.

I carried Cassie’s and mine stuff into the house, while Dad brought her up the steps in his arms. She hung in his arms like a broken doll, trembling. Aunt Victoria stood in the doorway, guilt plaguing her face. She stepped aside to let us in. Her eyes securitizing our faces, a troubled expression of her own, fastened in place. When I met her gaze, she nodded; neither of us were going to argue over the trivial when my younger sister had been so disturbed. I think it was good that Principal Greene had cancelled classes for the rest of the week. The incident had took a lot out of everyone. People were going to need time to recover from the lost of life and the horror.

I looked toward the stairway when Dad disappeared. Numbly, I walked into the dining room and set our backpacks and other crap on the table, absently going through my book pack, looking for something to distract myself with. I found the song I wrote earlier today. A sad twisted smile spread across my face as I remember how embarrassed I was when I realized everyone at the tables around us stopped what they were doing and leaned in to listen. And how Cullen looked like he was mulling over something important when he looked my way. And when Cassie and I interrupted into mad fits of laughter at nothing in particular and how we left the lunchroom, still cracking up and in high spirits.

I heard Aunt Victoria come up behind me. I turned to her, looking up, weakly. “It’s hard to believe that things can go wrong so quickly,” I said incoherently. “One minute you’re laughing and the next it all goes sour. Life truly does suck sometimes.”

Aunt Victoria sighed in dismay. She walked up to the table and looked over our school stuff, searching for the right words. “Life is like that,” she replied, ages older than what she really was. The wrinkles around her eyes and the edges of her mouth more prominent. “We raise and we fall. Life is full of obstacles. Some harsher than others. It will never be a smooth ride. You will have good times and bad times. The best thing you can do is to keep moving on.”

I fought back the tears threatening to escape. “You know… I haven’t seen that look on Cassie’s face in a long time,” I uttered, my voice cracking.

Aunt Victoria turned to me, startled. Sympathy growing in her old haggard features. “Brooke.”

“It reminds me so much of that night…” I shuddered just thinking about it. The taste of bitter resentment and betrayal on my tongue. “When everything *hicup* fell apart. That look in her eyes and in my father’s eyes.” I wrapped my arms around myself, shivering and reached up toward my right eye which was covered by my bangs. “It still hurts. Just thinking about it… Why- Why do people suffer? It doesn’t seem fair… To be brought into this world and then to betray by….by…”

Aunt Victoria’s demeanor softened even more, comprehension and compassion shining brightly in her eyes. She rested her hand on my shoulder and guided me to a chair. “That’s enough. It’s been a long day. Take a seat. I’ll go make your father and you some tea.”

I didn’t argue. I wasn’t capable of it at the moment. Tears slipped down the side of my cheeks. I did what I was told, snuffling and laid my head on the cool table top. I let the tears flow freely. I made no attempt to stop them. So much pain had built up over time and now it needed to be let out, so who was I to stop it? It hurt, but there was nothing I could do from stopping it. Scars that deep heal slowly over time. It was going to take a lot for me to except the facts and learn to forgive.


“Mommy?”

The old kitchen looked the same as it had back then. Small. Comfy. Warm yellows and tans illuminating the sixties wallpaper. Except for that night. Something had been off. It was dark and there was a thunder storm outside. Cassie and I had crept down the stairs when we heard a crash coming from the kitchen. Our little nighties swishing silently.

“Cassie! Brooke! Get out of here!” Came Dad’s panic stricken cry. Lightening flashed, illuminating the darkness. “Now!”

There he stood trying to fend off some one, grabbing onto their wrists. I couldn’t see at first because of the thick shadows that covered the night, but then the room lit up. I could clearly see.

“Mommy?”

“Get out of here! Now! Go!” Dad cries reached deaf ears as I emerged from the corner, not being able to comprehend the situation.

Why were Mommy and Daddy fighting? And why did Mommy have a knife in her hand?

She had a crazed look to her eyes. Like something was driving her mad. Her body writhing against his, like enraged animal. Shrieks and grunts were coming from deep within her chest that didn’t belong to my mother!

“Go! Now! It’s not safe here!” He called, taking his eyes off of her for one second. That was all it took. Blood splattered as the knife was driven into his chest. “GAAAAHHH!!”

I froze, my eyes widening. What was going on? Why was Mommy doing this?
“Mama?”

She turned her wrenched gaze on me, blood speckled across her face and nightgown. Dad dropped to his knees, gasping for breath, hunching over and vomiting up blood. She turned the blood soaked knife on me.

“Filthy wrenched child,” came her cold lifeless voice. She slowly stalked toward me. “Demon spawn. All of you should just die!”

Fear paralyzed my body. My big innocent eyes widening. “M-Mommy?!”

A sick grinned wrapped itself onto her lips, her movements rigid and stiff. Something was wrong. Our mother didn’t act like this! What was going on? What was wrong?! Why was she doing this?!

She set down the knife on a table and picked up an antique Celtic vase handed down from our great grandmother. “Filthy insect,” she hissed venomously, a deep sinister voice filtering in replacing her once sweet and loving one. This wasn’t my mother?! “Now die!”

I heard myself screaming. “Mommy! No! Don’t, Mommy!”

Too late. Everything became coated in red and black. Pain shot through my body like electricity. The pain was too intense. “M-Mo----AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!”
< br> “A-AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!”

I woke up screaming, my body arched, my hands flying frantically to my scarred eye, colors flashing in my line of vision. The ghost of a distance past whispering where the scarring was. I gasped, sitting straight up in bed, my hand clenching the side of my face. Cold sweat drenched my body. My heart raced away like the speed of light inside my ribcage, threatening to break loose. I was breathing unsteadily, haggard, the visions of the nightmare lurking in the eases of my conscious. Tears trickled the side of my face, tiny streams rolling down my pale cold skin. Shaken sobs escape past my parted lips. I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around my body, quaking, desperately trying to keep myself together.

It took some time before I calmed down. My breathing slowing, evening out. The rapid beating of my heart fading away as well. The tears ebbed as I regained control of my emotions. My mind remained tormented, but I felt I could still function alright for now. Incoherently, I noticed it was dark outside. The blinking neon lights on my alarm clock next to the bed read 3:40 in the morning. Great, it was still night.

I looked to the window, moonlight filtering through the thin glass, washing over the beige carpet. I threw back the covers and shakily got out of bed. Precariously, I wobbled over to the windows behind my desk and gaze out into the clear pallid indigo starry sky. Large puffy clouds line with silver drifted, solemnly, across a nearly full moon, like great lumbering giants on a journey.

The forest beyond our house towered several stories above the roof, a looming impenetrable barrier, separating us from the outside world. The moon’s rays bathed the meadow in an icy glow. Dew forming on the blades of glass glistened and the forest became etched in shadows. I shivered. Suddenly-I don’t know why- but I had this sudden urge to go outside. Strange.

I went around my room searching for one of my oversized hoodies. I picked up my guitar and slunk it over my shoulder. I snatched up the notebook on my desk and grabbed a pen along with it. I slipped on a pair of skater shoes before walking out the door. I glanced up and down the dark hallway, seeing that nobody else was awake. I sighed, relieved and closed my bedroom door behind me. I trotted down the stairs and headed into the dining room, leading out into the kitchen. I paused at the back sliding glass doors, the electric waves in the air zinging. I peered out beyond the plane of glass, into the crystal clear night, past the sea of swaying meadow grass into the deep shadows of the expansive forest. Who in the world?!

My eyes narrowed, instantly recognizing who it was, standing there out in the darkness, watching from the safe confides of the towering moss covered sycamores and conifers. What’s he doing here? I wondered absently, contemplating whether it was a good idea to go out there or not.

I shrugged. Who knows. Unlocking the door, I pushed the sliding glass door open, stepping out onto the back porch. Carefully, I slide the door shut behind me. I shivered as a cold gust of wind welcomed me. Rubbing my arms, I stepped out to the outer edges of the porch, looking out into the night, my gaze landing on the forest beyond. The shadows appearance to move with life. Swaying softly to a harmony unheard by human ears. I closed my eyes, listening to the swaying of the leaves and grass. The hollow cries of nocturnal creatures drifted up to my ears from the mountains far away. The electrical waves of the nights flooded my senses. The beat of the wing of a horned owl. The rustling of deer walking through the underbrush on its night journey. The low, spine chilling cry of a wolf echoing in the distant. I could sense it all. It felt bizarre, enthralling almost. There came the whoosh of movement as something rushed out of the trees, moving at inhuman speeds, moving with the grace of a predator.

I opened my eyes, looking toward the moon before letting my gaze drop to the vampire standing before me. Edward’s skin seemed to shine in the night against the frosty moonlight. His eyes a light honey color, but just as discouraged and brooding as ever. His lips were set in thin line. His high fashion clothes rustled and unbridled.

I shook off the irrational fascination that took hold of my heart surrounding Edward’s sudden unearthly appearance in the moonlight, letting my expression cool. A long moment past before us, while we analyzed each other, judging which one was going to speak first. Hell, might as well break the silence.

My voice came out even, despite the fact I had just woken up from a frightening nightmare just minutes ago, shaken and feeling empty. “What are you doing here, Cullen?”

He hesitated. He seemed perplexed, intimidated by the sudden question. His eyes glancing quickly from side to side. The movement so incredibly fast the normal human eye couldn’t catch it. “I… was just passing through.”

I nodded, not convinced. “Right and the Easter Bunny delivers in Alaska,” I retorted, sarcastically, folding my arms in front of my chest and leaning against one of the porch’s wooden support beams. “Seriously. What do you want, Cullen? Come to spy on my family again, have you?”

Edward was taken back by the hostility in my voice. Surprised melted into his facial features. “How did you-?” He glanced off to the side, apprehensively, calculating his reactions and thinking over how he should say what he wanted to talk about. When he turned back to me, his face was more sincere and open.

“If I am to be honest, I don’t know why I came,” he answered softly, approaching the stairs and halting at the bottom to stare up at me. “Before today’s events, I thought of you as nothing more than a nuisance; an irrigational little girl, who was angry at the world for no logical reason in particular. I truly detested the fact you love to step all over my integrity and spit in my face and harass my family with you impish twisted little games. I loathed you‘re sheer existence with every ounce of my being.”

Now this was odd. Since when did Edward-I-Got-A-Crowbar-The-Size-Of-The-Grand-Canyon-Shoved-Up-My-Ass confess that he’s a complete incompetent?

He hesitated testing the waters before continuing on. “I think I was mistaken about you and your sister,” he admitted, remorsefully. His eyebrows knitted together, letting his head lower to stare at the stairs, contemplating. “I have been wrong about many things these days. It’s hard to recognize myself. I thought my abilities could penetrate any one’s minds and so I grew confident in knowing what was going on in people’s heads, but after Bella, after you… I’m not so sure any more.”

He looked up to make eye contact. “I found myself wondering what else I have been utterly wrong about.”

Shock rippled through me. I couldn’t comprehend what he was getting at. All could I do was just stare. The hair on the back of my neck rose up, my eyes widening, watching the emotions flicker across his face.

“I’ve seen much in my time of being. I thought I knew what true suffering was. I thought I had seen it all, but then,” he clenched his fists and lowered his head, “but then I saw something on your face I didn’t except to find.”

My voice sounded choked as I strained to ask, “And just what did you find?”

He lifted his head, his ocher eyes burning with an unknown emotion. In lithe fluid movements, he preceded up the stairs without reluctance. No fear showing of being shoved away by some unseen forces. I stiffened as his hands landed on my shoulders, his eyes burnings straight into mine.

“I saw some one who was broken and frighten,” he whispered. “I saw a child, who had lost their way and who was very frightened and concerned for her sister. It took me by surprise to find that some one as absurd and witty as you could be hiding something tragic. I may not be able to read your mind, Brooke Sparrow, but it doesn‘t take a mind reader to see the truth of the matter. And that the truth is you‘ve been hurt beyond understanding and that has left a deep scar on your heart.”

I felt my heart halt as his cold finger tips brushed back the bangs covering my right eye. My breathing hinged. Realization and understanding dawning, his eyes widened briefly, his body leaning in so he could examine the rigid scar that went from the tip of my bottom eyelashes through my eyelid and past my eyebrow to the middle of my forehead. I winced when his thumb smoothed over the twisted flesh.

“Quit literally in your case,” he whispered, mystified.

The feeling in my body drained away. No one besides my sister, my friend, Blair, and our father had ever seen my scar. Besides them, no one else knew that it was there. People just assumed that I grew my bangs out over my right eye as a sign of rebellion against conformity. I felt myself begin to shake. I was coming apart at the seems. The images from the nightmare earlier came flooding back full force. Lighting flashing. Dad’s cries as the knife plunged into his chest. Cassie’s screams in the background. The red flashing pain in my vision as the vase came crashing down on my head. The taste of blood and feeling like I was drowning.

Unconsciously I reached out, struggling to latch onto something as my legs gave out underneath me. My body trembling with wave after wave of bitter betrayal and helplessness. I thought for sure nothing was going to catch me as I fell, spiraling down into a black swarming pitch full of despairs and nothingness, but some one did catch me. Two firm arms grabbed onto me before I hit porch floor as everything came rushing back. Where I was. What I was doing before the aftermath of the nightmare. The moonlight filtering through the looming pillars of the open aired porch. Edward Cullen’s blurry face coming into focus. His voice, panicked, calling out my name over and over again.

Wait a minute?! Blurry? Voluntarily, I reached up and touched my warm cheeks, finding fresh tears falling. My entire frame was shaking. This couldn’t be happening! Edward Cullen was the last person I wanted to see me like this. Quivering and broken. A pathetic empty shell of a human.

Worry shone on his pale face as he held me by the shoulders. “Brooke? Brooke! Brooke, can you hear me?” he demanded frantically.

I grimaced, lowering my head, letting my bangs cover my face. I steadied myself, straightening up, hoping to gain control over my body, so I didn’t appear so pitiful. A heated blush crept into my cheeks, while I pulled away. “I’m fine.”

He wasn’t very convinced as I pushed him away, wobbling slightly, almost loosing my footing. I must be getting soft. I usually let no one see me like this. I staggered over to a deck chair and collapsed into it. I didn’t have much time to recover my composure because the undead prick’s shadow was blocking the moonlight. His body towered over me like a statue made of marble instead of flesh and blood. His eyebrows knit together, frustration and concern wavering in his eyes. He knelt in front of me, trying make to eye contact. His hands reaching out to touch the sides of my face.

“Brooke, what happened? What is going on in that vexing mind of yours?” he inquired, worried.

I caught his hands before they had the chance to touch the ebbing flow of tears streaming down my face. I didn’t know how much longer I could put up a fight before I really did break. I didn’t want his pity.

“Don’t touch me,” I snapped, angry at myself for letting Cullen see me in this condition. I’d rather him only view me as some cocky ass wise cracking juvenile delinquent than some emotional damaged soul.

Edward drew back, shock coloring his expression at the severity of my tone. Still he complied and pulled away, his gaze still remaining on my tear stained face. “How much pain have you gone threw, Brooke? What could have left you so broken?”

I bit my lower lip, using the pain to over come the sheer sense of lost and vulnerability. I waited until I was sure my voice wouldn’t crack and wiped away the fresh tears. “It doesn’t matter. That’s no concern of yours, Edward.”

Stunned, he recoiled further. “That’s the first time, you said my-.” He stopped in mid-sentence, realizing the direction my remark was going. “‘It’s doesn’t matter?’” he quoted irritated and dubious. “None of my concern?! Brooke, it wouldn’t be my concern if I wasn’t here. Whether you yourself realize it or not, it seems you and I have some kind of connection and I’ll be damned if I don‘t find out what it means. Something sinister is going on and you know more than you’re letting on.”

“Where did you get that kind of bullshit?!” I shouted, standing to my feet. He rose at the same time, taking a step back to allow me some room. I glared at him, suddenly pissed off. “Don’t you dare you just assume you know everything. You don’t know anything at all!”

Edward’s face contorted at my shouting. “I don’t know anything?! Just what does that have anything to do with it! Brooke, you and your family are keeping secrets and something is going on that involves you, isn’t it? You seemed to know who sabotaged the steel beam in the gym! You even said so yourself; ‘I swear to God, if he hurts her…’” he recited the very words I used that afternoon. “What’s going on?”

“That’s none of your business!”

“Forgive me if I must disagree. If it evolves Bella Swan then I will make it my business!”

Shock zapped through me. He was concerned for the safety of Miss Sad Sack?! I felt myself become calm as realization dawn on me. “Bella Swan…” The gears in my head started turning. “Of course. She has something to do with this! She was involved somehow.”

Edward gawked at me. “What?!”

I looked the undead freak in the eye. “Cullen! Did you know a guy named James when he was alive?”

Silence pierced the tension heavy air around us as pain sicken rage spasm through his chalky white complexion. He took a stiff step back, struggling. His breathing coming uneven as if the name called forth unwanted memories. “Him?! B-But that‘s impossible… H-He‘s…”

So he did know a guy by that name… “What can you tell me about this guy named James? Cullen, if you anything at all about him, you have to tell me. I need to know the guy’s motives in order to put him back in the grave and before he harms anyone else.”

Edward look liked he seen a ghost. No, make that a personal demon. His gaze grew distance, untold horror sweeping into his suddenly gaunt features. His body became frigid, held in place by something not seen. Dread flooded into his face as he swallowed, breathing unevenly.

“No. This can’t be…” he uttered, incoherently. “How… How could hebe back? Not after… There’s must be some other reason… Some other explanation… He can’t be still alive… not… not after…”

“Edward Cullen, if you know anything at all, tell me right now,” I pressed, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. “We have to stop James before he grows too powerful. Before things spiral out of control.”

“Have to warn the others,” he began muttering frantically. “Have to warn Bella… I can’t let him… This can’t be happening! How could it be? How could it be? He’s supposed to be dead. I have to warn the others… I have to…”

Ugh! He wasn’t listening. “Hey, dumb ass! Calm down! Dammit!” I shouted, grabbing Edward by the collar of his shirt, attempting to get his preoccupied attention, futilely.

I sighed when he became silent, relaxing. Unfortunately, though, I was reading his body language wrong. I watched in utter astonishment as his hands caught my own and freed himself from my grasp.

His bangs hung in his face, distorting his impassive facial expression. He looked delusional. “Thank you, Brooke, for letting me know the severity of the situation,” he muttered, illogically. Great, he really wasn’t thinking clearly! “I have to go and warn the others of my findings. I’ll keep in touch with you if anything else comes up.”

I gawked at him, totally flabbergasted. “Huh? What?! Wait a damn minute…”

Before I could finish my sentence he was gone, vanishing into the shadows of the forests. He left me standing on the porch, too stunned to speak for a few minutes, peering out into the night after him. My eyes remaining on the spot where he had plunged into the over sized ferns.

A twisted sneer spread my face as I clenched my fists until my fingers dug into the flesh of my palms. I took a deep breath, not to calm myself down, but show my attitude toward Edward’s stupidity.

“CULLEN!! YOU STUPID MOTHER FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!!” I screamed into the night, furious, acid dripping off every word. Out of pure angry, I kicked the side of pillar. “UGH!! I can’t stand that guy!!”

The cracking of bone and the seething pain of tiny joints in my toes buckling underneath the pressure from the force, reminded me why I shouldn’t kick things harder than my knuckles when I was pissed.

I tossed back my head, howling, jumping around holding onto my bruised foot. “Ouch! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Doh! Fuck it all!”


The annoying buzz of my cell phone brought me out of a dead sleep. Ornery, I shielded my eyes from glare of the sun in my face, peering in through the large square windows on the other side of the room. Groaning, I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Everything that took place the night before seemed all like a weird distance dream. The throbbing of my abused toes told me otherwise. Nonchalantly, I reached over and snatched the still buzzing cell phone off my nightstand.

I flipped the stupid thing open and hit the call button. “Hello?” I said groggily holding the receiver to my ear.

“Oh! Brooke! Hi!” Angela’s startled voice filtered in from one the other end. “Is Cassie there?”

I yawned, climbing out of bed. My body ached in protest to the sudden movement. “Hold on a sec.”

Damn retarded people and their tendency to interrupt my beauty sleep. I lumbered out into the hallway and down to my sister’s closed bedroom door. I’m guessing she was still asleep. I frowned and opened the door, poking my head into the room, finding Cassie still in bed.

The bed sheets rustled, signaling Cassie heard me opening the door. “Yo social butterfly,” I called to her, exhausted out of my wits, watching her stir and finally sit up. “Phone.”

I tossed it to her, carelessly. Luckily she caught it, despite the fact she looked tired as hell. Her eyes were puffy with deep purplish blue bags underneath, indicating she had cried herself to sleep. I sighed, coming in as she put the tiny cell up to her ear.

“Hello?” Her voice sounded hoarse and drained. She must have had a rough night too.

“Hi Angela,” she said, wearily as I seated myself on the bed beside her to hear to what Weber wanted.

“Hey Cassie. How are you feeling?” Angela asked on the line, sounding worried. “I heard what happened yesterday.”

Cassie sighed, tired, fixating her eyes on nothing in particular. “Okay,” she lied. She sure didn’t look okay.

“Hey. Listen. I know this might be a bad time, but are we still on for today?” Angela wanted to know, hesitantly. “I think a day of shopping might hopefully take everyone’s mind off of what happened.”

Cassie blinked her bloodshot eyes, groggily. An exhausted scowl forming on her face as she focused her eyesight. “I don’t know, Angie. I’m pretty worn out.”

“Come on, Cassie. Please? The shops up in Port Angeles are really nice and they have a good Italian restaurant. Please,” Angela begged on the other line.

“Um… That’s sounds fun, but I’m not sure I’ll be up fo- Hey?!” I snagged the phone from Cassie before she could say another word.

Cassie threw me a dirty look while I held the phone up to my ear. “She’ll be there,” I said, making the decision for her. I did not want Cassie moping around the house because of what happened yesterday. There’s a time and place for grieving, but self pity wasn’t what Cassie needed right now. “Just tell us the time and the place.”

“U-Uh… Okay,” Angela sputtered on the other end, certainly shocked to hear me on the phone again and that I actually had the nerve to answer for my sibling. Jeez, it wasn’t like I was the bad guy here or anything! I just knew that sulking around the house wasn’t good for my normally happy hyperactive sibling. A little shopping would be healthy for Cassie’s soul and spirit.

“Why’d you do that for?” Cassie demanded as soon as I was off the phone, annoyed.

I waved the piece of paper with Angela’s directions in her face. “Duh, genius! You’re not going to be Little Miss Pouty Party for the rest of the day. I’m not having my little sister feeling sorry for herself,” I drawled back, smirking. “You mucked up twice and hell maybe James might out match you in power, but that is not going to ruin your life.”

I watched her entire face pucker up, sourly. She folded her arms in front her chest, defiant. I could see the resistance in her eyes. She didn’t want a pep talk at this moment. In fact the only thing she wanted to do was curl up underneath the covers and feel sorry for herself for the rest of the day, if not the entire weekend. Well, too freaking bad for her. I had other plans.

I beamed at her, wickedly. “Sorry, but no can do, dearest little sister of mine,” I snickered and flicked her in the forehead. “You’re going whether you like or it not. And I’ll be damned if I have to drag you out to Port Angeles myself, kicking and screaming.”

Cassie’s puffed out her flushed cheeks some more and jerked her head to the side, so she could glare out the window across the room, stubbornly. “Stupid homicidal hell bent bitch,” she grumbled, weakly.

The corners of my lips twitched, a cocky ass smirk wanting to spread itself across my face. “Don’t ‘stupid homicidal hell bent bitch’ me, young lady,” I retorted, pinching my baby sister by the cheek and shaking it. “This hell bent bitch is getting your scrawny ass out of the house and out for some fresh air!”


“A day of shopping in Port Angeles?” Dad inquired, looking up promptly from what he happened to be working on his computer. He spiraled around in his leather reclining chair to gawk at me from where I stood leaning up against the doorframe, nonchalantly. He looked at me like I grew second head or something.

I snorted. “Duh, that’s what I said.”

He did a double take. “My moody bipolar daughter actually wants to be dragged out shopping?! Oh my, I think the world is ending,” Dad muttered, bewildered. He cocked his head to the side, studying me. “Just what exactly made you change your attitude toward a girl’s day out with girlfriends? You hardly the type to put aside your alone time, Brooke. Why the change of heart so suddenly?”

I groaned, afraid he was going to ask just that, and pushed away from the door. “Cassie’s still moping,” I grumbled and strolled further into the room to stare absently at the computer screen, my eyes leisurely scanning over the words, not really reading them. “Angela wants to take her and Jessica on girl’s day out to Port Angeles and go shopping for Prom dresses.” I sighed, deeply. “And since Cassie’s like her new friend or something, she wants her to come with and accompany them. I guess she’s hoping to put Cassie in a better mood after what took place yesterday.”

Dad nodded, solemnly, following. “That’s understandable,” He said and turned back to the computer. He glanced at me, intrigued. “You haven’t forgotten, Brooke that you’re still under house arrest, have you?”

I shook my head.

“Then why do you want to tag along?” He grinned slightly. “I thought you loathed the very idea of shopping in some ‘media sponsored prep store’ as you would call them. And not to mention one of the girls you don’t like is going to be there.”

I scoffed, whipping around to glower at my father. “I know. I’m about ready to puke just talking about it, but I have a very distinct feeling that is if I don’t go, Cassie will be nothing, but a bump on a log. I wanna go for her sake, that way I can make sure she’s not going to be sulking the entire day.”

Dad threw me a surprised look. “You know, you’re sister does deserve to mope around if she wants. She always doesn’t have to be cheerful and positive.”

I kept the round of cusses I wanted to shout at our father in check and glared at the computer, hoping to burn a hole through it. I don’t think Dad would be too happy with me if I fried the main frame.

“Yeah? So?” I hurled back at him. “It doesn’t suit her. Cassie’s self esteem has been down in the dumps lately and I think going out for a girl’s day would fix things sort of.” I chewed on my bottom lip, mulling over the very idea of spending the entire day with Angela Weber and one of the Paris Hilton clones. “I don’t know… Maybe I’m just growing soft, but I hate seeing my own baby sister like that and I guess, I’m just sucker for her happiness. I don’t want to spend quality time with Jessica or Angela, but if I have to then I am willing to sacrifice my own precious time to make sure Cassie’s somewhat back to normal.”

A content smile drew up on Dad’s serene face as his eyes took in my thoughtful facial expression. His hands already started flying across the keyboard once more, typing like there was no tomorrow. “Tell you what? To make this something worth your time and make sure you don’t get yourself into trouble, I’ll let you off the hook early if you buy both you and your sister prom dresses, so you can attend the up coming prom together,” he offered, light heartedly.

Now it was my turn to gawk at him. “What?!”

Dad mimicked one of my twisted smirks. “Those are the terms, Brooke. Whether you accept them or not, is up to you. But that is the only way I’m going to let you let step foot of this house, young lady.”

My jaw dropped, shock shooting through me like a bolt of lightening. You’ve got to be shitting me!! How cruel could one father be?!

I stared at him, dumbly and watched that triumphant gleam flicker in his dark brown eyes as they analyzed me. I sucked in a deep breath, closing my mouth before my jaw had the chance to hit the floor. I glared at my father, stubbornly, but hung my head in defeat.

I sighed, exasperated. “F-Fine.”

Dad laughed and patted me on the shoulder. “That a girl!” he stated, simpering away. “You’re doing the right thing, Brooke. I really am proud of you.”



Yeah, proud of me my ass, I thought bitterly, staring blankly out the window of Jessica Stanley’s cheap run down rusting green Toyota. My forehead resting on the cool glass of the window, watching the green landscape rush by as we drove down the highway. Jessica and Angela happily supplied most of the conversation. Cassie added her two cents whenever it was called for. She seemed in higher spirits already, which was good. I didn’t really know how long it was going to take before my sister would be in the mood to act like her usual cheery hyperactive random self. Since she seemed to fall right in step with Jessica’s blabbering, I had a feeling Cassie could survive today’s little outing without going back into her dreary mood she had before we left the house. Me, on the other hand, I was ready to vomit all over the interior of the car, just listening to the rubbish spewing from Jessica’s mouth. The subjects verified from dresses to Mike Newton. It seemed little Miss Paris Wannabe had the hotts for the little spiky haired nuisance. I couldn’t figure for the love of me what Jessica saw in that generic popular pretty boy. It didn’t make sense, but neither did her rattling. Luckily, Jessica and Angela choose to ignore my very being when they picked Cassie and I up.

I nearly died from laughter when they pulled up in front of the house and saw both Cassie and I waiting for them out on the front porch. Their faces were priceless. They looked like they wanted to throw the car right into reverse and speed off right then and there! But unfortunately, they choose not to, probably figuring out that I needed to be there for moral support.

The drive to Port Angeles was long. I thought sure I was going be driven insane by the triviality floating around in the car. It was like listening to static. The same thing over and over again, nonstop the entire way. I nearly jumped out of the car and allow myself to be ran over by a freaking semi than take another minute of stupidity halfway there! I thanked the heavens that I didn’t go berserk as Jessica pulled the car into an empty parking lot on the edge of the small seaport town, right next to the peer. I was hit by the overwhelming smell of saltwater, drifting in from the soft rumbling waves that rolled into shore, reminding me of summers spent on the beach with friends back in California. Though there was a difference in temperature and the group I happened to be with, wasn’t what I would definitely call friends. More like people you tolerate when there is nobody else to hang out with!

“So like, which shop do you want to hit first?” Jessica asked, throwing her jacket into the trunk of the old car with everybody else’s. She slammed the trunk down, loudly, and started heading in the direction of the local shopping center. Angela and Cassie followed in toe, chattering about nothing in particular. I brought up the rear, grumbling underneath my breath, hoping that by some by weird coincidence I would be electrocuted by some weird mid-day lightening bolt so I didn’t have to endure an afternoon of suffering.

Shops lined the narrowed paved streets, piled on top of each other, doors wide open, welcoming new and old costumers. Small crowds wandered aimlessly through the closed off streets, taking in the soft cool ocean air as they made their way, stopping by clear wide windows of different shops which varied greatly in the selling of merchandise. Laughter and conversation hummed in the jovial atmosphere. The cries of children running about could be heard as the four of us walked through the busy downtown. Cars were parked along the curbs and sidewalks, vastly dispersed and far and few in between. It appeared that everybody walked around here. The atmosphere had a lazy and laid back feel to it that Forks couldn’t preserve. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky above, just an endless campus of pure blue, spanning out over the little shops and stretched out beyond the wooden peer, kissing the sea along the horizon.

“Wow, this place is so tiny and cute,” Cassie gasped, her eyes adsorbing the sights along with the rest of us. “I didn’t realize that Port Angeles was so…” She paused searching for the right word. “…Quaint. It was nighttime the last time we came through here on our little adventure to pick up Auntie V from the airport.”

“Well, then I’m glad we dragged you along,” Angela laughed, turning to my sister and pointed out something. “Let’s go in there. That store always has great prom dresses.”

“Hello, people! Who’s in charge of this little road trip? Me or you?” Jessica inquired interrupting Angela, obnoxiously. I swear that bitch was just as two-faced as Lauren Snot Bag. She indicated to the store that Angela just pointed out. “Let’s go in there. They have the coolest dresses ever.”

Angela rolled her eyes and ignored Jessica stealing her line. Good for her. Not!

I hung back as the three proceeded into the tiny department store. My stomach did a summersault, just thinking about stepping foot into some prep oriented beauty shop. Swallowing my pride the best I could, I sauntered in after them, reluctantly. As soon as I stepped foot in there, also every head turned as beauty Queens and their plastic Barbie doll mothers froze in the process of picking out and trying on dresses, their eyes narrowing instantly, taking in my attire-- a red and black stripped long sleeve shirt underneath a black t-shirt with a skull and crossbones on the front, baggy black capris and beat old combat boots-- appalled. The atmosphere suddenly went from pleasant to foreboding.

Oh fuck, I thought, slowly backing away. Maybe if I quickly retreated while I still had some dignity left, nobody would think twice and go back about them busy. No such luck. Cassie instantly was on my case before I had the chance to make a mad dash for the door.

“Brooke, what are you doing? Come on!” Cassie said, waving me over to a rack of sparkling sapphire, pearl white, and pretty pink prom dresses, that she and Angela were wading through.

I swallowed down the bile and what was left of my self respect and lumbered over, feeling the dagger like glares I was receiving. I clenched my fists, reminding myself, this was all for my sister’s sake over and over again. It was the only thing that was stopping me from flipping off those carbon copy douche bags! Somebody just shoot me, now, please!!!

“What do you think, Brooke?” Cassie inquired as soon as I was within seeing distance. She held a strapless, low back, pearl pink dress with what looked like sequences and gibbered sprayed all over the fabric. She modeled it against her body, grinning. She eagerly awaited my opinion. “Well?”

I gave her a “you’re kidding, right” look. I sighed when I saw that she was serious. “Uh… Whatever you want, sis,” I murmured letting my eyes drift anywhere than her optimistic face. “It’s your prom dress. Don’t let my opinion stop you.”

Cassie huffed when I didn’t directly say it looked like Barbie decided to become the next popular dictator over fashion. “You’re such a pessimist, Brooke. I think it looks cute.” She smirked, cockily. “Besides, if I remember correctly you gotta get a prom dress too.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“No way!” Jessica’s ears perked up at the mention of me shopping for a prom dress too. I think she nearly fell over from shock and did a double take at the same time. She leaned over the rack to glare at us. “You’re kidding, right? Brooke Sparrow is exactly prom dress shopping too! Oh my god, some one call the press, she’s actually doing something normal!!”

My left eyebrow twitched from her haughty declaration. “Why you-?!” I seethed through gritted teeth, irritated. Did Miss Paris Hilton clone want a knuckle sandwich or what?!

“Heh. Heh. Heh.” Cassie and Angela laughed nervously, not liking the tension that was produced from Jessica and mine heated exchanged of death rays.

“Now, now. We’re here to have fun, remember?” Cassie coaxed, putting herself between our glaring contest.

“Yeah. Today’s a girls’ day out. We’re here to relax and get to know each other, not fight,” Angela added, getting Jessica’s attention, who just nodded reluctantly and huffed, whipping around to go back to looking at dresses.

“Yeah. Sure,” I mumbled, fists and teeth still clenched, menacingly. Gradually I eased up and calm down. Jessica was lucky I’m doing the whole girls’ day out for Cassie or else I would have let the high strung two-faced bitch have it!

What seemed like hours later, we were finally out of that accursed department store. Jessica, Angela, and Cassie all had bought their dresses, while I remained empty handed. Jessica had bought a turquoise scoop neck knee-length dress with white lace peering out from underneath the dress. Angela bought a princess pink strapless with long flowing sheer pearl pink fabric loosely falling from the bejewel bosom. Cassie found a pretty vibrant yellow number with laced straps and sparkling lace flower designs embroidered along the body of the dress. There was absolutely nothing in there that caught my eye and I preferred it that way. Cassie chastised me about not buying a dress, lecturing my ear off, excessively and then turned to ask Angela if there was any other dress shop in the area. Lucky for me, that was the only prom dress in the entire town of Port Angeles. Cassie huffed, disappointed, but before not for noticing a costume store on the corner of the street, adjacent from the store we just exited.

She latched onto my arm. “Hell yes!” she squealed, startling everyone with her sudden out burst. She turned to me, grinning like a fiend. “We can find your prom dress in there, Brooke!”

Jessica followed Cassie’s dramatically pointing finger. She raised an eyebrow, dubiously. “Whoever heard of finding for a prom dress in a costume store?” she inquired, contempt biting into her tone as she eyed the tinted stain glass windows and old medieval plate that hung over the black and purple door. “Looks creepy, if you ask me.”

I looked to Jessica, not impressed. “Well nobody asked you, did they?” I snapped sharply, catching her off guard. Jessica glared at me, fuming while I lead the way across the street to the queer antique costume shop.

Closer up, the stain glass window, which concealed what laid beyond, appeared to depict abstract pale silver figures dancing across a bright orange, pink, purple, and navy blue twilight sky, speckled with flashing stars and a lowering mosaic sun. The figures were twisting and twirling on what looked like to be on the mid-evening winds. The plate hanging over the door read, Amethyst, in swirling cursive letters of tinted silver. The door standing before us had tinted glass as well, its shading ranging from pitch black to purple from top to bottom.

“Like I said weird,” Jessica remarked, haughtily.

Angela eyed the building, analyzing the bizarre outward appearance. “I didn’t know this was here before,” she muttered as I reached forward and pulled open the stained glass door.

Instead of being greeted by a soft jingling of bells, a low whistling flute filled the air. In awe, we all gasped, stepping across the threshold into the store itself. The lights were turned down low as sheer streamers of grays, blacks and neon blues hung from the ceiling, cris-crossing, enveloping the entire ceiling above in a thick crafted web. Crystals were stringed along the streamers, weaving their way through the air, reflecting what little light existed in the shop, glistening in the dusk like atmosphere. Shelves existed on either side of the shop, piled with strange looking clothes, performs, jewelry and hats. A path of mirror like tiles meandered through the forest of costumes of every shape, size, color and texture. A glass counter sat at the front of the shop, position right next to the vibrant mosaic window. Tiny trinkets of every gold and silver and precious stone imaginable glistened in the soft light.

“Bounjor, filles (1),” said a tall and unexpectedly beautiful woman with long silken flowing maroon colored hair that went past her hips, dressed in long flowing white bejeweled coat with thick strange magenta brown fur sowed into the collar and sleeves. She greeted us with a lazy dazzling smile, her face instantly remind me of a goddess, her strange golden yellow eyes glowing eerily in the dim lighting. She set down the antique looking leather bound book she had been reading. “And how may I do, you young ladies for? Hm?”

At that very moment all four of us were suddenly speechless. All we could do was stare at the porcelain white angelic looking woman sitting behind the register. Her golden gaze hypnotizing as a small smile danced upon her pale lips, delightfully. Her very presence was enchanting. The air existing around was enticing and foreboding all at the same time. Bells and whistles were going off inside my head.

What the hell was going on?!

All we could do was gape. The natural electric waves flowing off of her was nothing like I had ever felt before. Who was she? Just what was she? This was no ordinary woman sitting before us!

“U-Uh…” I was the first one to find her voice. I paused and shook my head, hoping to break whatever spell the strange inhuman woman had placed on us. I quickly steadied my voice. “W-We…”

What the hell was wrong with me? I’ve never stuttered like this before?! Was I really that intimidated by her?

The woman only grinned more, watching me struggled to form the correct words. “You are looking for ze perfect prom dress, no?” she inquired, amused, lifting the words straight from my mind before I spoke them. Her French accent was heavy and husky with a melodic tone to it that sometimes sounded like she was singing instead of actually speaking.

“H-how did you know?” I sputtered, befuddled. Could she read minds?

She idly pointed to the bags in Angela’s, Jessica’s, and Cassie’s hands. “I noticed that you girls are holding bags from ze boutique store on Manson street, so I presume you, mademoiselle, couldn’t find ze right dress for you, no?”

“No… I mean yes!” I stammered, completely overwhelmed. What the hell was wrong with me? I usually never stuttered or stammered. What the fuck?! I felt myself blush profoundly, embarrassed for not being able to voice my own thoughts for the first time in my life. I was usually so blunt and out spoken! What the hell was going on?!

The woman chortled at my flustered expression. “Zen you have come to the right place, Cheri,” she replied, titling her head, smiling and then motioned toward the forest of costumes. “I happen to have the largest selections of dresses in the entire town of Port Angelez. Go and ahead, have a look around and tell me when you have some zing that has caught your eyez.”

Angela, Jessica, Cassie, and I all nodded before excusing ourselves to hurry over to the loaded costume racks. There was attire from every era to have ever existed in the entire history of mankind: ancient Egypt, Roman Empire, Renaissance, Medieval Europe,
Arabic dress, India, China, Japan. The selections were utterly amazing! I could have spent forever looking. It wasn’t often that one happened upon a rare jewel such as this one among the conformist shops of today’s modern society!

“Oh wow, what about this one, Brooke?” Cassie asked energetically, holding up a deep burgundy velvet gown from the Renaissance era. “I think this would perfectly play up your brown eyes.”

I thought it over. “I don’t know, Cass. I’m looking for something different. I like the red, but not in that style,” I commented.

“Wow, look all the different outfits!” Angela exclaimed, completely blown away, looking through the rack next to us. “It’s like the back stage of a theater production. Hey, here’s a navy blue kimono with pink and green butterflies on it. Maybe you should think about wearing something like this to prom.”

Jessica snorted, moving in to take a look. She sniffed, hating not being the center of attention. Drama Queen. “I don’t know about you guys, but I say Sparrow better find her dress quick because that lady up there gives me the chills.”

“Jessica,” Angela hissed, shooting her a disapproving scowl. “Don’t be rude.” She put away the kimono. “I thought she seemed nice enough. I mean, the lady told us to go ahead and have a look around, didn’t she?”

The Paris Hilton clone rolled her eyes. “Please. Didn’t you see how freaky her eyes looked? It was like they were glowing or something! I mean seriously, I know the Cullens have strange eyes and are really weird and all, but the way her eyes glowed, it really creeps me out! I think we should find something and get the hell out of here.”

Cassie and I exchanged knowing glances. We wouldn’t admit out loud, but Jessica really did have a point. The woman at the front counter, appeared unearthly beautiful and the way she observed our movements, our mannerism with light amused glowing eyes, one definitely could classify her as not human. There was something raw and untamed about her, like the very night itself taking on a physical body. The way her eyes glowed reminded me of the way the moon shines every full moon. Its gaze icy and detached, like it’s just a spectator to time passing, the same way the woman spied us so utterly calm and musing. I glanced over my shoulder, having the sensation of eyes burrowing into the back of my head. Sitting there at her station, the woman watched our little group. Her elbow propped up on the counter, her hand and fingers curved in slightly as she rested her chin in the open palm, idly looking.

I turned to my sister and began rummaging through the costumes again. She’s watching us, I informed her privately.

Cassie pulled out a sage green flowing sleeveless Arabic designed shirt, pretending to ponder over whether to buy it or not. Yeah, I noticed it too, she replied back, silently. What do you think we should do, Brooke?

I visibly grimaced. I wish I knew. I don’t want to be hasty and make it appear we suspect her being something other than human. That would be a really bad idea, I reasoned and headed over to the costumes on the opposite side of the alley. Cassie followed as well, leaving Angela and Jessica to gossip quietly to themselves. I think the best thing we can do is just act like nothing’s wrong and take our good old exploring the costumes. I mean that is why we came here after all. To find me a wicked dress to wear to the prom.

Cassie sighed. “True,” she said out loud and searched the racks. “But seriously, what do you think you wanna look for?”

I paused, thinking it over. “I don’t know. I guess I’ll know when I find it.”

“So I see you found somezing of your liking,” the woman assessed when I went to cash out. She smiled, her lips drawn up in amusement, picking up a simple black number with a low collar cut in a v-neck, the sleeves long and flowing with Celtic gold etching at the ends. A gold belt embroidered with fake rubies and emerald encircled the waist of the simply black dress. “Awe, ze black velvet gypsy dress. I figured you would pick zis one. Tres bon (2)!”

I just nodded my head, going with it, shuffling around in my purse looking for my stupid wallet, which had annoying habit of burying itself deep within the bowls of my purse. Fishing it out, I gave the lady the correct amount and waited for her ring the exact change. Angela, Jessica, and Cassie were outside waiting for me.

“Ici, vous allez (3). Cinquante dollars et quarante-duex cents (4),” the weird lady counted handing me back the spare change, her French mixing in with her English. I stared her for a moment, confused, trying to comprehend what the hell she was talking about. Last time I checked I was in America, not France.

The woman chuckled at the confused expression on my face, shaking her head. “Americans,” she stated idly. “Did zey not offer French classes in your public schools? I would zink today’s educator’s would want zeir students to be bilingual?”

“Um… I just took the easier of the two languages offered in San Diego. French isn‘t my cup of tea,” I replied warily, taking my bag and recoiled back from the register, cautiously. Things were starting to get a little awkward.

“Wee. Wee. Suppose it is,” the woman replied beaming, observing my every move like a transfixed cat. “Well, have a good night, cherie. Mai dieu soit avec vous(5).”

I laughed nervously, glancing off to the side. “Right… Same to you then!” I said, anxious to scoot out of that weird antique store and away from its inhumanly beautiful owner.

I hurried out the door and caught up with Cassie and her little gang of friends out on the sidewalk. They were discussing where to go next. Anywhere was fine with me, as long as it was as far from that strange shop as possible. There just something about that lady that reminded me of a alluring succubus straight from man’s deepest darkness nightmares. I involuntarily shivered, clenching my fists, freaked out. My heart was pounding away in my chest as we crossed the street, heading north to drop our stuff off in Jessica’s junk car. I felt Cassie’s concerned stare and turned to her, shaking my head, transferring a silent message that read in her mind, giving the reason for my shaken state of mind.

I’ll explain later, after Weber and Stanley drop us off, I told her through our connection. Cassie nodded, understanding and turned to her previous conversation with Jessica and Angela, leaving me to brood, while they chit chatted merrily amongst themselves.

By the time we arrived at Jessica’s car, the sun hung low in the blazing painted sky above. The sun was a glowing orange ball against the shimmering metallic surface of the waves rolling off the ocean. The shadows were growing longer, stretching out their arms towards the east as the sun slowly descended. The parking lot Jessica parked in was almost completely barren. Only a few stray cars were spread out across it’s concrete plateau, facing the peer, looking out past its teal rusted iron gates toward the ocean horizon. The cries of sea gulfs echoed in the distance softer and less constant than the rumble of the ocean waves.

The sound of Jessica’s trunk slamming down filled the salty air after we tossed our bags into it.

“We should go watch the sun set,” Jessica said, beaming, grabbing her coat. She pointed to the peer. “The best spot is out on the rock wall. It’s really amazing.”

I snorted. Heh, who knew Jessica actually knew how to appreciate something. She didn’t strike me of the type who could sit back and enjoy something so beautiful and elegant as a sun set against an orange, pink, yellow, and blue sky, along the sea shore. Maybe Jessica was actually had some brains in that tipsy head of hers and she was a lot more intelligent than she was letting on. Maybe. My guess is probably not. Anybody can appreciate a perfect sun set.

I held up my hand and waved the suggestion off. “Nyah. No thanks,” I said, catching all of them off guard. Jessica threw me a , “I wasn’t talking to you” glare. I smirked, already understanding that my opinion didn’t matter much in the group decisions, but still I hated being kept silent. “You guys can go and enjoy the sunset if you want. Me, on the other hand, I think I’m going to go off on my own for a bit. I’d like to explore around for a bit. See what else Port Angeles has to offer.”

Jessica snorted, rolling her eyes, obviously annoyed by my very presence being there. “Suit yourself,” she replied, condensing, and turned her back, facing the beach. “Just don’t blame us when you get lost and you have to stay here the night with all the other weirdoes that come out at night.”

Angela shot Jessica a disapproving scowl at her apathetic remark. Cassie looked at me with pleading eyes. Everything had been going so well and here I was going to ditch everyone to go on my own?

“Brooke,” Cassie stated, silently begging for me to stay and watch the sun down with them.

I laughed and patted my younger sister on the head. “No chance this time, Cass,”
I said, looking over my shoulder toward the slowly empting streets. I turned back to my uneasy sibling. “Sides this is your day to have fun and enjoy yourself. I’m just ruining it by just being here.”

Cassie scoffed. “Hardly.” She ignored Jessica’s little comment on how she agreed on my being there ruining everything. “Besides, Jessica’s right about it being almost dark. Who knows what kind of freaks come out around this time!”

I shook my head as she narrowed her eyes concerned for my own safety. “I’ll be fine,” I reassured her and winked, confidently. “Don’t forget I’m a techno path. I’ll just zap any poor suckers who gets in my way and tries anything funny.”

She puffed out her cheeks, not convinced. She gave me the deadly puppy dog eyes, begging me to stay with them. She really did fear for my life, when I decided to pull off stupid stunts. Unfortunately, her little trick wouldn’t work this time. I just patted her on the head and turned on my heel, walking off.

I craned my head over my shoulder and waved to the three. “I’ll meet you guys back here in two hours!” I called back, smirking cockily. “We’ll head out for dinner after I return. And don’t even dare start eating without me or else I’ll make sure heads will start rolling if you do!”

Not waiting for a response out of them, I headed off toward the south side of town, keeping to the main drag, eyeing the shops as I went along. Maneuvering through the early evening crowds, I turned down another a similar street, leading away from the peer and further into Port Angeles. I noticed that farer I was from the peer, the less busy the streets were. The shops thinned out, leaving only vacant windows and empty buildings in their shadows. I peered around curiously, finding myself, heading down a narrow passage leading from one street to the next. An street alley cat darted out in front of me, clambering over trashcans, chasing after what looked to a rodent, escaping into the ever growing shadows of the evening.

I came out onto a deserted street, brick buildings towered above me on both sides. Their exterior faded and browned with age, empty black windows-some broken- stared out onto the cracked street below. Empty stoops sat untended by locals, their grimy faces only mere ghosts of what they once were during their hay day. My eyes passed over to the lonely complexes as I meandered through, taking in the sheer gloom of the seemingly abandoned neighborhood. A low groan filled the air as an lone gust of wind whipped through the streets, moaning like a ghost traveling through the evening hours. Shoving my hands deep within the pockets of my capris, I let my eyes roam the sorry scene before me and turned down another street, this one, more promising. Grimy looking folks with smug faces, leaned up against open doorways, smoking a cigarette or two and talking quietly amongst each other. The unmistakable stench of body odor and alcohol drifted down from the various bars lining either side of the straightaway.

I ignored the dirty and menacing stares I received from the local under belly of Port Angeles, my head held high, showing I wasn’t threatened by them being there. Out of the corner of my eyes, I spied of a group of three scummy looking guys eyeing me, lustily. All three had grimy slicked back hair, rough skinned faces, and baggy dirt stained clothes.

“Hey there, sugar,” one of the morons called to me, grinning suggestively.

I grunted not impressed and choose to ignore him, turning my full attention toward to the up coming intersection ahead. I had no time for half ass jobless drunkards. They could rot out on the streets for all I cared. That was all they were good for anyway.

Pressing on, I took a left, thinking it was about time I headed back. No doubt Cassie was about ready to have a panic attack by now. Checking my cell phone to see if I could get reception in this part of town, I deliberated on calling Jessica’s cell to let her know I was on my way. Unfortunately, I found myself with no reception. Crap.

Sighing, I flipped the tiny device closed and shoved it back into the pocket of my capris, continuing in the direction of what I thought would lead me back to the peer. Five minutes into walking down another deserted street I felt the familiar pings of somebody’s electrical waves streaking through the back of my mind. Groaning, I paused in my stride, closing my eyes concentrating on the signatures coming my way. Great, it was the three drunken dumb asses who called out to me earlier, hoping for a free invitation from an young naïve high school girl who hadn’t realize what kind of dirt bags existed out in the world yet. Unfortunately, for these guys, they picked the wrong emo to stalk!

And it looks like they brought along a few friends. Freaking great! I thought scowling up a storm and decided to duck down an hidden narrow passageway, leading away from the street I was currently on. I really didn’t know where it was going to lead, but hey, I just went with the flow. Hopefully the alley would open up onto a busier street and maybe an intersection with a cop nearby in case those douche bags were hoping to ambush me when I least expected.

From what their electric waves were telling me, I counted five of them and being the morons they happened to be, the scumbags followed me into the passageway, staying yards behind, trailing me like ravenous wolves looking for a weakness in their potential prey. Man, theses morons had rotten luck. The five of them didn’t have a ghost of a chance against a psychic like myself. One little zap of electricity and they would be fleeing for their petty lives, screaming for their mommies. My mouth twisted itself into an sinister grin. If they were planning something big, I was going to have a blast foiling their dastardly scheme. I wasn’t a hellion for nothing!

Fifteen minutes into turning cornering and cutting across sleepy streets, the distinct smell of salt air filled my nostril as I found myself out by the docks. Huge storage houses rose up on all sides, acting like a gigantic maze of dark grays and blues. The sun had just set below the horizon, night fully casting its vast body across the heavens, engulfing Port Angeles in darkness. Lone street lamps flickered on around the streets surrounding the warehouses by the docks, illuminating the lone sidewalks in a sickly light, weaving in and out between building like giant serpents. I sighed, blowing my bangs out of my eyes for moment, realizing I had somehow gotten myself lost. So much for my sense of direction. I was just as bad as Dad, and I’m still being trailed by those drunkards! Ugh, I really hated my luck sometimes…

I found myself at staring a chain linked fence separating myself from the inner most shipping district, leading to where boats were parked by the wooden docks, red and oranges light flashing, loading and unloading precious cargo. I was basically trapped like a rat. Luckily, my pursuers were generously enough to leave me some time to hastily retreat from the dead end, back tracking to where I had taken the wrong turn.

Retracing my steps, the pounding of electrical currents rushed into my senses, warning that the drunken hyenas split up. Two profiles of sleazy dressed men, looking about in their early thirties, strolled around a corner off to my right, blocking my first option of taking the street I just came from. I grimaced, seeing the lecherous glow in their beady eyes as they approached. I whirled around and headed down another narrow street, looking for a way out of this rat trap. Breaking out into a full sprint, I rushed toward the end of the narrow street, seeing a lone glowing street lamp head. I smirked, pleased.

Perfect, I thought grinning. An excellent source of electricity in case I find myself cornered again. I broke out onto the street, glancing behind me to see the guys had entered the street I was just in. Their pace was brisk, but relaxed. Like they had all the time in the world. I felt myself, grimace, realizing that I had nowhere else to go, but straight, when either side of the street before me was blocked off by another dirt bag, standing in the middle of the street. I had no choice, but to go forward. They were herding me like some dumb sheep! Fucking bastards.

I picked up the pace, racing into the narrow dark barren alleyway where there would be an guy, probably with a loaded hand gun, waiting for me. The light of the street lamp showed vanished as I hurled deeper into the narrow, lone street. I stopped short when my prediction came true. There standing in the middle of the narrow passageway, legs spread in a stiff stance, a warped grin spread across his dingy face as his glazed over eyes took in my full form, was the ring leader behind this little game. I growled underneath my breath, aggravating, listening to feverish high pitch laughter coming from behind as the four others guys closed in, blocking my only way of escape. Now I truly was trap like rat in a cage with no way out.

I turned half way, my gaze scanning the four aroused bodies behind me and the ominous lone guy before me. The air reek of alcohol and something sweeter, like wheat or pot. After being raised in a city, noting the different smells of what the dirtier parts of the city had been vital to my growing up. It told me which places to avoid and what places were safe to cross.

“Well, well. Boys, lookie what we found here,” the ring leader chuckled darkly, his eyes drinking in my body, hungrily. I noticed the unmistakable bulge in his pants.

Ew…. Trash can anybody….

His fellow drunkards hooted and hollered at the suggestion behind his crocked words. It made me want to puke. Of all the morons I had to run into, why did it have to be a pack of brainless perverts!

“Why the scowl, sweetheart?” The ring leader inquired, lumbering forward, observing my stance, grinning from ear to ear, maliciously. “It’s not like we’re gonna harm ya!”

A round of menacing laughter radiated from the others. They looked like they were having a regular riot. And all at my expense I might add.

“Hey, how about we show this little girl a good time, eh guys?” the ring leaders declared.

“Hoo, you bet!” one of them hooted.

“Hell yeah.” another crowed.

“Don’t worry sugar, we‘re perfectly good gentleman,” another guy with greasy slicked back graying hair closest to me said as they started to close the distance between them and me. “We ain`t going to harm you.”

Another one chuckled, his beady blue eyes flashing, eagerly, adding, “Much.”

I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth, glaring at the five of them defiantly. The electrolytes inside my blood started to excite themselves, bouncing around the inner walls of my veins; creating the electric charge I was going to need to zap these five low life drunken bastards into next week! I frowned profoundly at their advancing forms, winding up for a good old fashion punch square to the jaw. Sorry, but I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. These mother fuckers didn’t know what was coming to them!

“Awe, look. The little kitty kat looks like she wants to hurt us,” one of the sleaze bags cooed, oblivious to the world of hurt he and his fellow colleagues were in for.

More like pummel their bloody faces into the concrete until they bled black is more like it!

“Oh, isn’t that sweet?” another laughed, feverish. Common sense eluded his drugged perception. He loomed closer, staggering slightly. Yep, the douche bag was definitely wasted. “Don’t worry, babe. We’re all honest men, here. We just want to have a little fun with ya. You’re in no danger here.”

“Yeah, just a little fun,” one of the buffoons echoed, grinning, sadistically. “You like fun, don’t you, girlie?”

I bared my teeth, menacing, the adrenaline pumping through my blood. My lips twisted themselves into a devilish sneer. Dangerous shadows cast over my face. Time to show these drugged out flunkies why you don’t mess with Brooke Sparrow! “Oh yeah. I just love fun.”

I took up a defensive stance, fist drew back. “I love fun so much; I’m going to have a gay ol’ time basting your sorry ass faces into the pavement!”

I didn’t give the morons time to react to my little deadly statement as I launched forward, charging the ring leader, fists swinging. Electricity flying.

Startled cries pierced the evening air as I swung at the ring leader with tremendous force. Lucky for the guy, he ducked just in time to have his hair zinged from my fists bypassing his head by just an inch.

“What the hell!?”

“Crazy bitch!”

“Dude, what the fuck is this chick’s problem?”

I spun on around on my heels, drawing back my electrified fists ready for another attack. “You’re my problem, ass hole!” I screamed, furiously.

The ring leader’s eye widened in horror at the massive sparks flying off my close fist. His hand drawn in his coat, pulling out a shiny pistol from a hidden pocket. Gun shots pierced the dark tense atmosphere of the tiny cramp street.

I gasped. “What the hell?!”

An figure dressed in an velvet brown frock with shoulder length curly shimmering raven hair dropped in from no where, blocking my view. The ring leader made a strangled cry followed by the distinct muffled cracking of bones. The drunkard suddenly screamed, tossing back his greasy head wailing at the tops of his drugged lungs.

“A lady mustn’t soil her hands with the rank blood of a foul low life like this pathetic excuse of a human life,” whispered the mysterious young man standing front of me, craning his neck so he can look over his broad shoulder at me.

My heart rate sky rocketed as my throat automatically tightened, drying up in fear. There staring back at me was a glowing amber colored eye, gleaming demonically in the night.

A/N: *dramatic music playing* Don, don, don!! Hahahaha! Another irritating cliff hanger!!!

Yeah, sorry…. I couldn’t help myself. I live for suspense and so here we are again, put on pause until I can finish Chapter Thirteen, start writing Chapter Fourteen, and hopefully get into Chapter fifteen before I start posting again. *hides behind a shield before she gets pelted with rotten tomatoes* I got a lot planed, so you guy will just have to sit tight till then, okay? PLEASE!!!! I would like to give a huge THANK YOU to smilezpleepz for her wonderful review and sorry for leaving you hanging once again, but I will try to update again soon. Hopefully…. (-_-) If depends how busy I’m going to be and if I get enough gumption to speed away in my writing… Heh…

Well, until next time, PEACE OUT!!!!!!XD

French Translations:

(1) Tres bon- Very good.

(2) Ici, vous allez.- Here you go.

(3) Cinquante dollars et quarante-duex cents- Fifty dollars and forty-two cents

(4) Mai Dieu soit avec vous- May God be with you