Lost and Found

It was cold, the kind of cold that you could live with if only it were a few degrees warmer. I looked around me only to see the dim silhouettes of tall, over-baring trees. Could I be dreaming? Sleeping? Where was I? The dizziness I felt when I lifted my body from the wet, muddy ground didn’t help matters. Plopping back down on the wet grassy surface, I tried to make sense of my surroundings. It was obviously night time, the moon shone through the canvas of treetops, dimly lighting the mysterious woods. I couldn’t see a trail, or any break in the trees, just endless… forest. There was a light mist that raised goose bumps on my arms, forcing my body to involuntarily convulse. Looking down at my clothes, I had on nothing but a light tank top and raggedy boxer type shorts. Although it was only misting, my hair was a long, muddy, soaking wet mess intertwined with small sticks and leaves. The temperature was beginning to be unbearable. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around myself and curled up as tight as I could.

         I needed to clear my mind. Needed to make sense of what was happening. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to remember whatever I could, anything that would make sense. I tried to stay calm, if I lost it, who knows what would happen?

Breathe. My sub-conscience told me.

“You don’t need to figure it all out now,” I said aloud, in a dry, hoarse voice. “Stay calm. Remind yourself of something basic. Name.”

But nothing came to mind. I began to panic. Breathing heavily, shaking not only from the cold. I put my hands to my face and shook my head violently.

“My name is… my name is…” I repeated over and over. But still, there was nothing. My mind was empty.

This can’t be happening. I thought to myself. Think. Think. Think!

If I could remember anything, anything at all, it would be better than nothing.

         I curled up once more, hugging my knees to my chest, resting my cheek, closing my eyes, more carefully now. I tried to step outside myself. I tried to find any scrap of remembrance. And then it hit me like a bolt of lightening.

         It felt like someone had just kicked me in the stomach, my ears were ringing, and there was a painful pounding in my head. I saw it in flickers. Like a slide show, moving too fast to make sense. Intimidating men in long black robes, deep red eyes, a beautiful bronze-haired boy, piercing gold eyes, baseball bats, a teenage girl, a silver car, a big white house, with many windows, a biology room, red flames above water, but all these images flew by in a second. More were coming. It hurt. My brain was trying all too hard to sort out the foreign information. I stood up, trying to walk forward; trying to get help from someone, anyone. Putting my hands to my temples, in attempt to stop the pain, I trudged on, stumbling and tripping every so often.

         The pictures just kept coming, not making any sense at all. A school library, hospital bed, teacher, old, Indian symbols, notes written in elegant script. Nothing came together. I had to sort it out. I had to. I screamed out loudly in agony, but it wouldn’t stop. How could I get it out? How could it make sense? Maybe if I wrote it out? But I was in the middle of a random forest, no pen, no paper. I sat down on a fallen tree-trunk, still screaming, still twitching, the images still flashing. I padded down my pockets. I wanted something to write it all down on. I needed something to write it all down on. I reached deep into my left pocket and pulled out crumpled piece of paper. I furiously attempted to make out the words on the page, but it was a combination of the darkness and the mist that deceived my eyes. I shoved the paper back in my pocket and sat down.

         I needed to let my mind take over. I needed to tell myself it was going to be over soon. I needed just to watch the strange slide show and soak up as much as I could. With a deep uneven breath, I closed my eyes once more, ignoring the sharp pains, falling into unconsciousness, watching the bizarre images all the way down.

         It felt as if I’d only been out for a few minutes, but I looked over the horizon to see the sun setting. I sat up, leaning against a trunk for support. Could it have been a whole day? I wondered. The pictures were no longer flashing in my head. I thanked God for that. I shivered, but I didn’t know if it was from the cold, or the thought of the pain I was in.

         I gazed around once more. I was sure I wasn’t in the same place I was the night before, because across a row of trees, I saw the outline of a road. Groggily, I got up, staggering towards the open street. I had no shoes on, so sticks and rocks were poking at my feet, making me gasp from the throbbing.

         Breaking out of the forest and onto the shoulder of the road, I was extremely disappointed to see nothing but pavement and trees. There were no houses, no street lights, nothing. Realizing this, reality sunk in. I was lost, I didn’t know who I was, or why I was seeing all of these puzzling pictures, and I was cold, very cold. I needed to get somewhere before it got completely dark. The last thing I wanted was to be in the empty, cold blackness I was in the previous night.

         I was afraid to think too hard, afraid that the pain would come back, and I’d have to endure it all over again. I was sure that if I could write it all out, it wouldn’t hurt as much, because my brain wouldn’t have to try to store anymore information. That way I could forget it and move to something else. I was so convinced. I suddenly remembered the note in my pocket. I reached in and pulled out a damp, crumpled wad of paper and eagerly flattened in out. But it was only a placemat. One of those things little kids color on when they go to their favorite diner. I flipped it over to see a note written in green colored pencil. The words were scribbled furiously, like whoever wrote it was in a hurry.

         I anxiously read the words on the page.

Your name is Kara,

It will all make sense soon.

You have to get it out.

Your mind is safe, don’t forget.

You must go to them.

He gave you their past, present, future.

You must help them. 

“What?” I thought aloud. It didn’t make sense. He gave you their past, present, future. What did that even mean? Is that what I was seeing? Your mind is safe, don’t forget. It didn’t make sense. I took a deep breath. I didn’t want to lose myself. I had to stay calm, which was surprisingly easy.

“What do you need to do?” I thought aloud, “You know your name, at least. Kara, Kara. Your name is Kara.” I repeated. “My name is Kara.”

I re-read the words on the page. You have to get it out. Did it mean the information? The images in my head? I had to get it all out to sort it out? After all, that was my first instinct. I padded down my pockets once more, only to find a small, green colored pencil.

Did I write this note? I thought, calmly. My breathing was slower now, steady. I took in a deep breath. I needed a plan, which seemed like the smartest thing to do. I knew I couldn’t stay on the shoulder of this road. If a car passed by and saw me, what would happen then? I had to be able to figure this out. There was obviously something strange going on, and I wasn’t sure if anyone else was supposed to know about it. The sun was setting, so if I was planning on mapping out the mess in my head on paper, I had to do it soon. I couldn’t go back into the woods, because I’d only get lost again, and I don’t think my feet could’ve taken anymore scrapes. So I walked into the trees, only enough so that the road was still visible. I sat against a thick tree covered in moss, and laid the note across my lap.

         I ripped off the piece with the scratchy handwriting and put it back in my pocket. Gripping the pen in my hand, I began to write about the images in very small print. I wanted all the space I could, but I was limited to this one scrap of paper. Right as my pencil touched the surface my hand began scribbling frantically across the page. I didn’t even know what exactly I was writing, but it was all coming out, just flowing out of the pencil. I closed my eyes, wanting the pictures to come, now. I felt a whoosh flow through my chest. It was like my body was detached from my mind. The pictures flew by more slowly. I was aware I was still writing, although I couldn’t feel it; I couldn’t see it.

         And then something happened I hadn’t expected. The images transformed into clips, like scenes from a movie. There wasn’t any sound, but I suspected it was coming. I knew I was still writing. Whatever I was doing, it was helping. It was like a dream, there was no pain, no feeling at all. The clips and scenes came together. It was like watching a movie in my head. Instead of panicking, I let the film play. Just watching, observing, and taking in the information one step at a time. I was completely unaware of my surroundings. It was just me, and this movie playing in my head.

         The story was a long one. There were vampires, and werewolves, and teenage love stories. It was extremely out there, but my mind told me to believe it. The movie played on, I watched intimate scenes between a golden eyed, bronze haired boy, and an ordinary teenage girl. There names were Edward and Bella. I listened to their conversations, hearing how hard it was for the boy to be with the girl without his thirst for her blood taking over. Edward wasn’t an ordinary seventeen year old. He was a vampire, along with his family of six others. He’d always struggled with his thirst, but that was nothing compared to what he had to endure when he was around Bella. Although, it was obvious he would never hurt her. Edward and Bella were in love, it wasn’t hard to tell that much. As I watched, I gained a lot of respect for Edward and his family. This group of vampires, living in this small town, hid what they were, just to protect themselves and the people around them. Instead of feeding off of humans, they found an alternative, hunting animals.

These vampires were nothing like the ones in films and television; they didn’t sleep in coffins (they actually didn’t sleep at all), and weren’t burned by the sight of a cross. The reason they never went out in the sun was because they sparkled. Actually, sparkled, like thousands of diamonds were embedded into their skin. 

I saw more of their kind, and how they lived. They weren’t quite connected to the story, but it showed the terror they brought on as they captured and killed they’re only prey, humans. Drinking human blood made them stronger; they’re fire red eyes, burning with want, different from the honey golden eyes of the Cullens. It was the way they fed. It showed me the difference between good and evil.

         I learned about a nearby reservation and a boy named Jacob. He was in a tribe of werewolves. Apparently, they didn’t trust Edward and his family, the Cullens, which was their family name. The film kept playing. Informing me in on everything there was to know about these not so mythical creatures. It showed me the danger Edward and Bella’s love affair brought on, and the conflicts that connected to them. Somehow, I was aware that this was all of this happened in the past. It was odd. It wasn’t like watching a regular movie. When Bella cried, I felt like crying. When Edward left her, because he thought it was best, I felt empty, just as Bella had. When she first talked to Jacob, to try to fill the gap in her loneliness, I felt happy, like she did. When she was told the reason for Jacob’s absence, his odd behavior, and the hate Jacob and his pack of werewolf friends expressed for the Cullens, I was hurt, just like Bella. I felt all of her emotions just as she did. It didn’t surprise me when she jumped off the cliff into the ice cold water that I felt the burning in my lungs, but the feeling that I was ready to die as well, and the relief I felt when Jacob pulled her out of the waves. The fear I experienced when Bella thought Edward would be gone forever. The extreme happiness I felt when she saved him, and they were reunited. Every feeling she ever felt, was inside of me.

         I kept watching, and as the story grew more complex, so did the conflicts. I could tell I wasn’t seeing the past anymore, nor the present. It was the future, and the future was not looking good. It ended with two lovers, torn apart, a family, broken, and victory for one malicious coven of vampires.

         The film had ended and I opened my eyes. The feeling in my body came back. It was dark now and I looked down at the page in my lap to see thousands of words written over each other on the paper. A feeling of awareness washed over me. I had a purpose, and that was the only drive I needed to move forward. I was calm, but still, I desperately wanted to help this family, this boy and girl. I had to change the future for them. There was no doubt in my mind that this was real. This was now. This was why whoever put me here, did.

         It was raining hard, but I couldn’t let the cold or the soreness of my body get it the way of what I wanted to do. I staggered in the darkness, back out to the side of the road. It looked familiar now. I knew what road this was. This was the road to Edward’s house. If I walked along far enough, there would be the break in the trees that would lead up to his majestic home. That’s where I needed to go. The harsh winds and pouring rain only allowed me to see a few feet in front of myself. I walked along the shoulder, not quite sure if I was going the right way, but I took a chance.

         As I trudged on, I thought back to the note I’d left myself. Maybe it would’ve made more sense now. He gave you their past, present, and future. So somebody installed the story of these people into my thoughts, which further proved I had to be doing something right. Your mind is safe, don’t forget. I remembered Alice, Edward’s sister, the one who could see the future, explained to Bella why she believed Edward couldn’t read her mind. She said it was because she had a safe mind, that no one could reach her there. Could it be the same for me? I began to wonder if Alice would even see me coming. Alice was able to see Bella’s future because her abilities affected the body, not the mind. Would she see me coming? Or could my mind be protected as well as my body?

         I put the confusion aside as I looked up to see a trail, staring me in the face. This is it. I told myself. It wouldn’t be long before I reached the house. I was glad I’d walked down the road in the right direction. I stumbled forward for about ten minutes before I saw the brightly lit windows shining ahead. I wondered if it would be warm inside. The house was just as I had seen it. The beautiful rectangular shape, the many windows, the light, turned on by the steps on the porch, and the beautiful, mahogany colored door. I was right at the steps now, waiting for the nerves to kick in, but nothing came. I was too ready to be nervous. I wanted to help them, needed to help them. I just hoped I could be convincing, hoped they’d believe me, hoped they’d trust me. I lolled up the steps, my hair still dripping in the rain, and I balled up all of the energy I could to bang on the door with my fist, hoping they would be home.

         Carlisle, the father figure of the family, the doctor who helped save so many lives, the one who chose to fight what he was and be good, opened the door, a shocked, but concerned look on his face. Could I really have surprised them? I peered over his shoulder. They were all there. Esme, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward, holding Bella protectively at his side, they were all far behind him, in another room. The living room, I presumed, although there were no walls on the bottom floor. I already knew the layout of the home, this didn’t surprise me.

“Can I help you? Please, come in, it’s very cold outside.” He announced in his angelic voice. If I were any other person, I’m sure I’d be distracted by his beauty, distracted by his whole family’s beauty, their abnormal, but exquisitely beautiful bodies, but it was what I’d expected.

“I… I…” I stuttered. I realized I hadn’t thought of anything to say, it was that and the combination of the cold that wouldn’t let my words come out. Carlisle’s cold, marble hand touched my back, gently bringing me forward into the warm, white, open space of his home. The rest of them were right behind him, now, each of them just as confused as the other. Apparently Alice hadn’t seen me coming. I knew it probably bothered her. I caught a glimpse of Edward’s hard face, Bella still at his side. He was trying to read my mind. I could tell. I could also tell it wasn’t working.

         Carlisle grabbed a jacket off of a hook behind the door he just came in. “Here,” he began, “take this. Where are your parents? Are you okay?” He looked to Edward, probably assuming he’d already read my thoughts, but Edward had just as a confused look on his face as the rest of them.

         I tried to refuse the jacket, “N-n-n-no, I… I… I…” I stuttered, yet again. My body shaking, hands wrapped around my arms. He draped the jacket over my shoulders. I just let it hang there, not having the strength to shake it off. I was getting warmer. I knew what they thought. They probably thought I was some stranded hiker, lost in the woods, who happened to stumble across the house seven vampires.

         Carlisle led me into the living room, sitting me down on a large, leather sofa. I was getting warmer now. It would only be a matter of seconds before I would be able to speak. They were all still standing around me, speaking very quickly, quietly, to each other. So fast my human ears could not hear, it was just a low murmur of voices. Bella looked up at Edward, trying to study his face.

         “I need to talk to all of you,” I choked out, in an uneven voice. They all looked at me, still bewildered. “P-p-please sit?” It sounded like a question. They all hesitated, and then sat in the couches around me.

         “Where is your mother, dear?” Esme asked in a sweet, motherly tone. “Let us call her for you.” She picked up a phone on the table next to her.

         “She doesn’t look so good,” Emmett said, in a distant, but concerned voice.

         “I… I…” I began. I figured if I just started rambling on, it may make more sense than me just sitting, shaking on their couch. “I’m so very sorry to intrude, and I know this is probably horrible timing, and I’m so sorry, but I… I think I’m supposed to help.” Carlisle sat up, listening intently. The rest of them just sat, eyes wide, watching my face. I struggled to find the right words, “Would you think I was crazy, if I said I knew your secret?” I looked to Carlisle; he was always the sort of spokesperson for his family.

         “I’m afraid we don’t know what you mean,” He stated. I could tell he was trying to keep his face composed. They all were, except for Bella. Her eyes just widened in astonishment.

         “I know what you’re trying to do,” I began, “but the truth is, I don’t know who I am, or where I came from, but I seem to know everything about you, and your family.” I went around the room, naming the faces staring back at me, “You’re Carlisle, you’re like the father, you work at a hospital, and you drive a black BMW,” Shock flickered across his face, he said nothing, just listened. “You’re Bella,” I said, looking her in the eye. Edward stiffened next to her. “You’re graduating this year, and I know just as much about this family as you do, if not, more. You love Edward and he loves you, and you want to be part of his family.” I just kept going, the words were flowing faster now, “Edward, your seventeen, or at least you appear to be, even though you were born in 1901, and you can read minds, except for Bella’s, and apparently mine, Alice, you can see the future even though you may have trouble sometimes, and I guess I’m an exception to your ability too, but you love Jasper and you’re Edward’s sister. Jasper you’re the newest to this family and this lifestyle is harder for you than some of the others, but you’ve grown now, and you’re getting over it. You manipulate people’s emotions, but again, I’m guessing I’m an exception to you, too. Esme, you’re Carlisle’s wife, and you’d do you anything to protect your family, you have a very kind heart. Rosalie, you may not get along with Bella that well, but you’re in love with Emmett, and you’re glad you saved him. Emmett, you’re the muscle of the family and you love to laugh and make jokes. And you’re all vampires. Well, except for Bella, but that might change in the future.” I took a deep breath. I felt a lot better, just being able to say it all out loud.

         “How…?” Edward began, at loss for words.

         “I’m really sorry, to bring this all on you, but I really need tell this to you.” I said. To my surprise, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett looked… angry. I wasn’t scared, but I knew they thought I was acting as an enemy, not a friend.

         Carlisle could see the change in their mood. “Esme, take those three out back, give them some time to think. We need to get this straitened out here.”

         Emmett began to protest but Esme just gave him a hard look as she led them all out of the room.

         “Perhaps we should sit somewhere more suitable?” Carlisle suggested, leading Edward, Bella, Alice, and myself into the other room. We sat at a long table with eight chairs. “Please sit. Let me get you something to drink, how long have you been out there?” He asked, his face was filled with curiosity and concern.

         I began to tell him I didn’t need anything, but there was already a hot cup of tea in front of me. “Thank you.” I said, feeling guilty. I wasn’t here for help, I was here to help. “I actually have no idea. I don’t remember anything, but waking up in the woods. I found this in my pocket.” I retrieved the note I’d ripped off of the paper and handed it to Carlisle. He looked at it only for a second, and then passed it to Bella and Edward.

         “Hm,” was all he said.

         “What’s your name, sweetie?” Alice asked as Edward passed her the note.          “Um, Kara, I think.” I said, unsure of myself. There was an awkward moment of silence. I could tell Carlisle wanted to choose his words carefully. I decided I should be the one to speak. “I want to let you know, that I’m not here to expose you, or harm your family in anyway. I’m not really sure what I can say to convince you of this.”

         “Well,” Edward spoke up, “You could start by how you know so much about my family.” His voice sounded irritated, like he didn’t believe me. I nervously put my hands in the pockets of the jacket Carlisle had given me, and I began to tell them all about the past two days, and the movie that played in my head, and the pain it brought on when I tried to remember. I told Bella how I experienced her emotions and that I felt guilty that I knew so much about her conversations with Edward. I told them how I saw the future, but I left out what was in it.

         They all were at loss for words. “I just need to tell you, because the future didn’t look good. I know I’m supposed to help you. It’s the only purpose I have right now. Bella,” I turned to look at her, “I know you’re scared about Victoria,” I heard a low growl come deep within Edward’s chest. “But you need to trust that The Cullens know what they’re doing.” Last year, while playing baseball with Edward’s family, a group of nomadic vampires heard them playing and went to investigate. There were three in the coven; Laurent, James, and Victoria. They were different from the Cullens; there was no civility, no choice of a good natured lifestyle, they survived only on their instincts. James picked up on Bella’s scent; he was a tracker, which meant he would stop at nothing to taste her blood. Emmett and Jasper ended up killing James, with Edward’s help, but Victoria took a vengeance out on Edward. James was her mate, so to even the playing field, she was after Bella. A mate for a mate. “But I need to tell you,” I said in a low voice, “The killings in Seattle, the items missing from Bella’s room, and Victoria, they’re all connected.” There had been newborns on the loose in Seattle, terrorizing the city. Newborns are young vampires; they’re reckless, and we’ll do anything to taste human blood. They have no self-control, and are very strong making them hard to stop. The Cullens had just thought it was coincidence that there were newborns on the loose and Victoria was after Bella at the same time, but I knew better. Victoria rounded up a group of newborns as an army, made to defeat Bella, along with the Cullens. She sent her minion, Riley, into Bella’s house to find items with her “scent” on them, so she’d be easier for the other newborns to find.

         I went to explain this to them, but Bella spoke first. “What do you mean the items missing from my room?” she asked, confused.

         “Edward thought it was a member of the Volturi in your room,” The Volturi are a powerful coven of vampires that serve as the law enforcement among other vampires. They live in the city of Volterra in Italy and are serious about keeping their secret safe. The Volturi were aware Bella knew about the existence of vampires, and made a deal with Edward that as long as he planned to change her into a vampire, they would keep her alive. Edward didn’t like the idea of ‘taking away Bella’s soul’ but they both knew this was a price they had to pay, if they wanted to be together. He just held off the thought whenever it came to mind, but when he came home from hunting, he sensed vampire in Bella’s room, and immediately assumed it was someone from the Volturi, checking to see if Bella was still human. Little did he know… “Bella, do you remember how you thought Alice was the one who took your clothes that night you had a sleepover?”

         “Yes…” she timidly said. Edward lifted his chin up, looking at me. He obviously put two and two together. Carlisle and Alice only listened.

         “There’s going to be a battle,” I said my voice more confident now, “Tonight. If I hadn’t of come here, you would’ve fought thinking it was just Victoria, you need to know that her army of newborns is much, much too strong for you to fight them off alone. It would have ended… badly. I can’t say anything else,” I knew that if I gave too much away, if I changed the future too much, if they knew too much, I could have ruined everything.

         “Why can’t you tell us anymore?” Edward said, his eyes pleading now.

         “There are some things I have to let run their course,” I simply replied.

Carlisle looked at Edward, and nodded once.

         I didn’t know how to wrap it up. Of course, there were more things I wanted to say, but I had to wait. If I said too much, I could change the future too drastically. “I’m sorry, I have to go,” I got up, and headed for the door, clothes still wet, hair still dripping on the hardwood floor. Carlisle was already in front of me.

         “Wait,” he said his voice soft, “You’ll need a place to stay.”

         “We can’t let you go back out there,” Alice pleaded.

         “At least let us give you some clothes,” Edward added.

         “Let them help you, Kara.” Bella pled with her eyes.

         “I… I… I can’t do this right now. I’m so sorry, I should have never come. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I’m so, so sorry.” I felt extremely guilty. I wasn’t supposed to be attached. I was supposed to help, and then leave, I couldn’t be one more problem to their already stressful life. Carlisle went to protest. “Please,” was all I said in a weak tone. He sighed, and then nodded. I looked into the other room to see the others staring back at me. I knew they’d been listening. The eight occupants of the warm, dry house watched me leave as I went back outside into the cold, rainy night.

         I felt absolutely ridiculous as I left. How stupid was I? ‘Oh, just walk into a house full of vampires, say what you need to say, and then leave, without a good explanation’ That wasn’t the best plan, but what else could I have done? And now I had to walk back out, into the freezing rain, with nowhere to go. Fortunately, I’d forgotten to take off the jacket Carlisle had handed me. Even though I was still in wet clothes, it helped a little.

         I had no idea where I was headed, or what I was going to do once I got there. I had no money, no car, nobody. The rain was beginning to let up now, that was a plus. I reached my hands deep into the warm pockets of the jacket. To my surprise, they weren’t empty. I could have sworn they were earlier. I finally understood when I pulled out a roll of twenty dollar bills. I sighed. One of them, probably Carlisle, slipped the money in my pocket when they realized they couldn’t convince me to stay. I was grateful, but at the same time I felt guilty. I didn’t want to be their responsibility; I couldn’t put that on them.

         I had walked for miles before I saw any signs of civilization. It was a gas station. The windows were brightly lit with neon signs flashing in different intervals. I could see one employee standing at the register in the front of the window. A girl, she had to be about sixteen, seventeen, with dirty blonde hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. She was only wearing a t-shirt, so I eagerly stepped inside, hoping it would be warm.

         “Can I help you?” The girl asked eyes wide with confusion. I hadn’t really thought about how disheveled I’d looked.

         “Um, yeah,” I said, trying to sound composed. I stepped up to the counter. “Do you know where the closest motel is from here?”

         “Uh, there’s actually one just up the road. Motel 8.” She managed to say. I didn’t have time to explain myself. I didn’t really want to explain myself. I just wanted get somewhere dry, so I could clear my mind. How ironic.

         “Thanks,” I quickly replied too impatient to stay any longer.

         The walk to the motel wasn’t a very long one. I was thankful for that. The man at the front desk in the lobby gave me the same puzzled look the girl at the gas station had. I didn’t really care. I silently took the room key, and stalked off to door number 17.

         The room was fairly nice, considering I was paying ten dollars a night. It was plain, simple. The off-white walls, and light purple carpeting made the room seem smaller than it really was. One twin-sized bed sat, pushed into the corner of the room, a desk opposite of it with a small lamp resting on top, a tan dresser, paint chipped, with an alarm clock on top, and a door leading to a small bathroom. I sat on the edge of the stiff mattress, and shrugged off the warm, brown jacket, which was rather large on me. The room had a strange scent of tobacco and alcohol. I ignored it, and pulled out the wad of cash from the coat pocket. I threw the money on the bed next to me, counting each bill as I set it down.

         “Twenty, forty, sixty, eighty, one-hundred, one-twenty, one-forty, one-sixty, one eight, two-hundred,” I counted allowed. I gasped. That was a lot of money. The guilt subsided only a little as I recalled how much money the Cullens actually had. When you’re a practically immortal vampire, money tends to just build up over time. I mean, Carlisle was almost 350 years old.

         Still, I knew there had to be a way I could pay them back, and I would pay them back, whenever I could get myself together, that was. I shoved the twenty dollar bills back into the pocket and threw the jacket in the corner of the bed. I ventured into the small, white bathroom. Stepping through the doorway, I immediately jumped back. The smell caught me off guard. It smelled like urine and some kind of animal. I wrinkled my nose in disgust and headed on in, anyway.

         A mirror stood above a rusty sink, water spots fogging it up only a little. I stared and the curious stranger staring back at me. I slowly approached the sink, examining myself. My short, brunette hair was still dripping wet, clinging to my round face. Splotches of dirt and mud shaped the corners of my face, making an odd contrast with the tan color of my skin, and the redness of my cheeks. I grabbed a wash cloth off the hanger next to me, and began wiping the dirt from my forehead. My eyes appeared to be emerald green, I couldn’t see very well through the tears beginning to well up. It was too surreal. I was looking at myself in the mirror, but a complete outsider at the same time. There were black circles under my eyes, as well, not only from exhaustion, but from smeared make-up, as well. My full, red lips quivered as I touched my cheek with long, unpolished fingers.

         Time seemed to stop at that moment. I endlessly studied my features. It was the oddest feeling, not knowing your own self. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been looking in the mirror before I realized I should probably take a shower. I anxiously stripped off my soaked, clothes, and hopped into the steaming shower. The water stung on my back at first, but as my body adjusted, it began to flatten out the goose bumps on my arms. I stayed in the shower until the water turned unbearably cold. Wrapping a clean white towel around myself, I dreaded putting back on my dirty clothes, but what else was I supposed to do?

         I remembered seeing a washer and dryer in the room across from the lobby of the motel. Without thinking, I wrapped the towel tighter around my petite body, balled up the dirty clothes in the side of my arm, and cautiously tip-toed out of room number 17.

         I was absolutely determined to be in clean clothes by the night, and it wasn’t like I had anything to lose. I looked both ways before dashing across the long hallway of rooms, leading to the lobby. Peering around the corner, I could see the small laundry room staring me in the face. Restlessly, I sauntered forward, my eyes set on the washing machines.

         “Ahem,” The balding man at the desk cleared his throat, eyes wide in astonishment. It was a perfectly normal reaction, strange teenage girl running half-naked through a motel.

         I stopped dead in my tracks, “Oh, um,” I tried to make up an explanation as to why I was running half-naked through a hotel. “Heh,” a nervously laugh was all I was able to get out. The man shook his head. I just ignored him, walking into the laundry room.

         It took all of twenty minutes to wash and dry the purple, cotton tank top, and the matching plaid shorts. I got dressed right there, in the small room, not really caring if anyone saw, I just wanted to be in dry clothes.

         I paid no attention to the man at the desk, as I walked back to my room more confidently. According to the alarm clock, it was four-thirty in the morning. Great I thought. What now?

         Lying on top of the stiff bed, I stared off into space, recalling the day’s events. I was surprised at how calm I was about the whole situation. I had no idea whether or not things would get straitened out, but I knew there was always hope. I thought about Bella and the Cullens. The fight had to of been over by now, and I was almost positive the Cullens had been victorious. The thought made me smile. The expression felt foreign to my face.

I hadn’t realized how exhausted I’d been. I took in a long, deep breath, and closed my eyes, letting unconsciousness take over.

I knew I was unconscious although, it certainly didn’t feel that way. I was watching the movie again. The same movie I’d seen earlier, only, the ending had changed. Victoria had fallen, Bella was safe, and the Volturi posed no serious threat. I expected the movie to stop then, but it kept playing, taking me further, and letting me see the dangers to come. It made me angry. Why did fate have to be so stubborn? Why couldn’t this movie end where it was with a ‘happily ever after’ tacked on at the end? 

I opened my eyes only to see a beam of light streaming through the thick curtains. I sat up quickly, a little too quickly. My head felt heavy, making the room spin. I put my hand to my head, in attempt to stop the spinning. It helped. The clock read 3:30.

“Eleven hours?” I exclaimed aloud. I was feeling more buoyant as I dashed over to the bathroom, washing up.

A shower, clean clothes, and a little sleep came a long way. There were no longer dark circles underneath my eyes; the dirt had been washed away around the edges of my face, leaving a fresh, youthful look to my teenage face. The emerald color of my irises seemed to stand out over all other features. My hair had dried strait, resting on my shoulders, in a natural part to the side. I looked pretty decent. Decent enough to go out in public without getting odd looks from the people I encounter.

Four loud raps on the door snapped me out of my mirror daze. I curiously hopped over to the door, opening it slowly.

“Bella!” I exclaimed. It was nice to see a familiar face. Well, familiar to me, anyway. Bella’s face was cautious, but she smiled at my welcoming tone.

“Hi,” she said nervously.

I stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind me. “How did you find me here?” I asked, truly curious. It was oddly easy, talking to Bella. Like, I knew her my whole life, which was kind of the case, for me, anyway.

“Well, um, this is the only motel in town. I figured if anywhere, you’d be here.” She smiled shyly. I smiled back, waiting for her to get to whatever she wanted to say. “I’m sorry, this is just so bizarre. I, I came here to thank you. You were right, about everything, and I’m pretty sure you’ve saved all of our lives because of it.” Her tone was sincere.

“I just did what I thought was right, and I’m glad everything turned out for the best.”

“Yeah, well, that’s the thing.”

“Um,” I wasn’t sure what she was getting at.

“Things turned out for the best for us,” she began, “What about you, Kara? I mean, look at this place.” She looked around.

I shrugged, “I can manage. Really, I’m just glad I helped you, Bella. That’s all I care about,”

Bella cut me off before I could say anymore. “What about were you came from? Or who you are? You can’t live off of two-hundred dollars. You need somewhere to stay; you need someone to help you figure all off this stuff out.”

“Really, Bella, I will be fine. I can find a job, get money, pay back Carlisle, and find out some way to sort my own mess out.” I didn’t want her to do anything for me. I didn’t want her to go out of her way. I didn’t want any of them to go out of their way.

She seemed understanding, yet, frustrated. “Look, I’ve got Edward in his car outside. I don’t think he’s planning on leaving without you.” She laughed.

“I bet he’s listening now, isn’t he?” When you’re a vampire, super sensitive hear can always be used to your advantaged.

“Probably,” she shrugged. She seemed more comfortable now.

“Well, I suppose there’s no way around this, then?” I sighed. “Let’s go.”

Bella and I laughed at the same time, and walked down the hallway, out into the cloudy afternoon.

Edward was leaning casually against his Volvo, smiling, as if Bella and I were missing out on some private joke. As we approached, he straitened up, his face more serious, now. “Thank you,” he said, eyes burning with sincerity. “I don’t know what may have happened if it weren’t for your visit last night, and I will do everything in my power to pay you back.” His bold, black eyes were smoldering.

“Trust me, you don’t owe me anything. I did what I thought was right,” I smiled.

Bella was at his side now, he looked as if he were about to say something, but said another thought instead, “How frustrating it is, not knowing your thoughts.” Edward’s face changed from serious, back into the same smile he had before. “You ran through the motel in just a towel?” He chuckled.

Bella looked at me, and then giggled at my reaction. “You gotta do what you gotta do.” I said coolly.

Edward held open the car door for me, and I slid into the back seat. I didn’t ask where we were going, I wasn’t really curious. I began to realize that it was inevitable that I would be more involved with Bella and the Cullens than expected. Letting this soak in, I took in a deep, exasperated breath.

Edward looked in his rearview mirror and Bella turned around in the front seat at the same time. “Are you okay?” He asked, concern flowing across his face.

“Um, yeah…” I smiled, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t understand why you’re not a nervous wreck right now,” Bella answered for him.

I snorted, “What do you mean?”

Bella seemed cautious at picking her words, “You seem to know everything about us, but you have no memory of who you are or where you came from, and you’re calm as can be.”

I thought for a moment, “I can’t speak confidently, because, well, I don’t know myself anymore than you do, but it seems hard for me to freak out about things. Like, I feel there’s not reason to, and I’m kind of just living in the moment, right now.” And it was true. I was finding things out about myself. I found that I was easily able to be laid back. Even in the forest, I never really lost control; I always created a way to be calm.

Edward quickly turned into the long drive leading up to his home. I received many thank yous, which I knew I didn’t deserve. Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett seemed to be in a better mood, a much better mood.

“I’m just glad we could find you, to thank you in person!” Alice exclaimed.

“We’ve never had to deal with someone who was an exception to all of our abilities.” Carlisle added.

I only smiled, not quite sure how to respond to that.

“Here,” Alice handed me a pair of silver ballerina slipper type shoes, “I noticed you didn’t have any,” She laughed.

“I didn’t even notice, thank you,” I smiled, slipping on the shoes. We all sat down in the living room, just as we had the night before, but the tension was no longer there. It felt as if I were talking to old friends.

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence. I decided to break it, “Well, this is awkward,” I laughed out loud, as did the others.

Alice looked to Edward; he smiled, and shook his head. “Edward didn’t ask you?” She asked. Alice reminded me of a child, a mature child, that is. She always had a playful, innocent sense to her.

I looked at Edward as I spoke, “No, he didn’t,”

He peered towards Alice, “I was getting to that part,” he faced me; “We’d like to offer you an invitation to stay here, until we can get your situation sorted out.”

“It really would be a much more suitable place,” Carlisle added.

Bella chimed in, as well, like she was being prompted, “Yeah, that motel is kind of gross, anyway.”

Thinking rationally, I realized there was no possible way I could get around it. I don’t think they would’ve taken no for an answer, anyway. “Okay,” I said politely, nodding my head.

“Oh,” Edward seemed surprised.

“Oh?” I questioned.

He chuckled, “Well, we anticipated this to be much more difficult.”

“So did I, actually, but,” I sighed, “We all know the end result would have been the same, no matter what I said.” I laughed.

“Yay!” Alice exclaimed, putting her arms around me.

“You seem awfully excited,” I responded.

“Why wouldn’t I be? Besides, you don’t have any clothes, which means…” Her smile widened. I heard Bella sigh. “Shopping!”

“Alice, really, you don’t have-“

“Of course I do! It’s going to be fun!” She clapped her hands together. “Oh! And Bella can come, too! We’ll get you some nice summer clothes! Edward’s going to be out hunting anyway.”

Bella groaned, “Can’t I just stay here? You’re already holding me captive,” I could tell Bella didn’t want to be a dress up Barbie any more than I did. She shot Alice a pleading glance.

I interrupted, “I have a great idea, Alice. Why don’t you and I go shopping, so when we get back, we can surprise Bella with a fashion show?” I hoped the false enthusiasm wouldn’t show through my tone.

Alice stared down at her hands, thinking for a moment. Bella gave me a thankful glance, and I winked back, conspicuously. Alice quickly lifted her head up, “That sounds like a perfect idea!” She flashed a set of beautifully white teeth.

Everyone seemed to have flooded out of the room. Edward smiled at me, took Bella’s hand, and led her out into the backyard.

“Well,” Alice breathed, “Let’s go!”

“Already?”