Post by Edward Cullen on Dec 13, 2012 19:51:38 GMT -5
Edward started to question his own sanity. For the first time in several decades he had been hesitant to leave a house. Moving was part of him. The packing was never an issue. Friends, he scoffed, were non-existent. The Cullens never set up roots in any of their locations. They just dispensed the obligatory lies surrounded the half-life they played. But for the first time—though it had been over two months—he could still feel the remorse as though it was yesterday. Edward had been reluctant to leave the old dusty white house. It was the décor or ambiance, or even the location that drew him to it. It was the memories that had taken place there. The fact that there was a place where she had existed. A place where it was possible for him to feel complete. That faded white house housed all of his dreams and like everything he had left behind, it too was gone. He had begun to register, even in Edward's comatose state, that his presence was taxing the others. Though they would never admit it, he knew that his despair was preventing all of them from moving on. Jasper was probably feeling it the worst. He and Alice had taken to spending most of their days at the nearby university. He hadn't bothered to pay attention when Carlisle had mentioned the name. A small part of his was embarrassed by his actions. Embarrassed by the fact that he was a constant nuisance to his family, one who drove them away from their home. He could only imagine how powerful his grief was, it had forced Jasper into the throngs of immature humans just to avoid him.
Slowly that embarrassment that had been building for almost a month resurfaced. "You're leaving us, again," a gentle voice in the form of Alice whispered. He nodded. "Don't feel bad," she awkwardly mumbled again, "I'll tell them if you want." Do what's best Edward her thoughts were saying. He grimaced at the irony of the statement, all he seemed to do was his best, yet it was never enough. She disappeared quietly blocking her thoughts. But before she left he caught a glimpse of what she was seeing, apparently he would never come back.
Edward wasn't sure where he was going, but he knew he needed to get out. Edward packed his things quickly, a duffle bag of clothes and necessities, a passport claiming his name to be James Baron and a wallet filled with credit cards belonging to said James. He grimaced, James wasn't exactly a name he was fond with. Then suddenly everything fell into place. He knew where he would go. He would track that vile excuse of a creature, Victoria. She no doubt would be as absorbed with James's vendetta as he was. Edward had wondered where she had disappeared to after their encounter with James in Phoenix. Perhaps he could call up Tanya to see whether Laurent had heard from her. A new dull hope filled him. This was not the eagerness to move on, it was the hope that his presence—for the first time—would be able to protect her. By ridding the Earth of Victoria he would be helping her live. But first he needed to leave.
As reluctant as Edward was to admit it he knew that his family was part of the reason why he felt so miserable. His mind was dealing with different layers of grief. Each one berating him for his existence. The innermost layer of this was the pain of leaving her. This in turn was shrouded by a thin layer of self-pity and remorse. Then there was the embarrassment towards his family. And there was a small part of him, a tiny part of my convoluted mind that loathed my family. He hated to admit it, but their presence only reminded him of what they were, monstrous creatures surviving only by preying on the weak. They also reminded him, just as that old white house had, of her.
He hadn't had any experience tracking before. However his times with Jasper had informed him of battle tactics, strategies, and some brief tracking possibilities. The easiest would have been to ask Alice, but Edward stubbornly wanted to do this himself. He wanted to be the one to kill Victoria. His bags were packed and the rest of the family had left to hunt after Alice had told them. He had heard each one slowly approach the door before turning and leaving quietly. Alice still had to tell Esme, for he knew she would not let him leave is she knew what he was doing or that he was going. Edward pulled out a map of the United States briefly glancing over and memorizing the hundreds of tiny towns that dotted the North West. She had been in Forks last. When she heard the news she probably went north, trying to re-group or find a new coven perhaps. He traced the thin winding road through Canada. He replayed her scent in his memory, he was now confident he could find her. He looked out his window, for what seemed like the first time, and realized we were in New York. He would have to catch a plane to Calgary. He didn't want to get too close to Washington. Edward grabbed his things and ran to the garage, dimly observing the house as he passed. It was similar to all the houses they lived in. The pale, light décor, Emmett had even bought the same television. He sped on towards the garage. He briefly contemplated using a car. He would probably never see it again, but he didn't think his family would mind. They could always buy a new one. He glanced over the selection here. Rosalie's, Carlisle's, his and the standard four extra cars were housed in the garage. He chose out one of the four, a Lexus LS model. He threw my things in to the back seat and pulled out of the garage. They were farther in the woods this time. He drove his foot level with the ground, accelerating in a way that would have had Rosalie cringing, through the omnipresent woods.
The woods whipped past but he could still take in the details. The leaves were now turning a sickly brown and he could see the remnants of a morning frost coating the forest floor. The turns of the road continued and he remained driving south. He needed music, not his own of course that would only remind him of her, but something. Something they hadn't listened to together, but that he knew she would like. He turned the radio on and twisted the dial until he was listening to something acceptable. The music was no more than a background. A sieve for restraining some of his thoughts. Edward then grabbed the passport, controlling the car with one hand. And glanced over the documents making sure it seemed authentic. He had simply grabbed one out of the customary two or three fake identities they carried. Periodically Jasper and himself would created new batches for the whole family in their "library." It was perfect. Edward grabbed the credit cards thinking back to how much money he had transferred on to them. Ah, Baron, I remembered this. Alice and himself had gone—long before he had met Bel, her, I mean—to a bank south of Juneau. It was about five years ago and his Waserfeild stocks were up. Alice had warned Edward that they would crash soon, so he transferred about five million to the cards and the remaining to their central account. Before they started thinking of a name for the account we had been passing a bacon store. Alice had thought that it was really "Barrons" the famous learning books. She had rushed in before looking at the storefront and had found herself completely surrounded by smoked pig. It was, needless to say, and interesting ordeal to get out of. They had both come up with the name, grinning at the inside joke.
Edward had another ten minutes until he reached the airport. He wondered idly how he would get rid of the car. Abandon it at a car park? Toss the keys into the hands of an unsuspecting homeless person? Then he had an idea, what if he mailed them to her? Then she wouldn't have to drive that mass of metal. No, No Edward. That was a bad idea. He had promised never to interfere with her life again. He would not ruin her life with unexpected intrusions again. He sped off the exit slowing down only after catching the thoughts of a cop about a half mile away. He turned towards the airport and simply parked by the side of the road. Edward got his things out and left the keys behind, careful to wipe of any fingerprints. He wondered what they would think of his DNA, he pondered wryly. Strange new species with 25 chromosomes found in abandoned Lexus. That would make a headline.
Slowly that embarrassment that had been building for almost a month resurfaced. "You're leaving us, again," a gentle voice in the form of Alice whispered. He nodded. "Don't feel bad," she awkwardly mumbled again, "I'll tell them if you want." Do what's best Edward her thoughts were saying. He grimaced at the irony of the statement, all he seemed to do was his best, yet it was never enough. She disappeared quietly blocking her thoughts. But before she left he caught a glimpse of what she was seeing, apparently he would never come back.
Edward wasn't sure where he was going, but he knew he needed to get out. Edward packed his things quickly, a duffle bag of clothes and necessities, a passport claiming his name to be James Baron and a wallet filled with credit cards belonging to said James. He grimaced, James wasn't exactly a name he was fond with. Then suddenly everything fell into place. He knew where he would go. He would track that vile excuse of a creature, Victoria. She no doubt would be as absorbed with James's vendetta as he was. Edward had wondered where she had disappeared to after their encounter with James in Phoenix. Perhaps he could call up Tanya to see whether Laurent had heard from her. A new dull hope filled him. This was not the eagerness to move on, it was the hope that his presence—for the first time—would be able to protect her. By ridding the Earth of Victoria he would be helping her live. But first he needed to leave.
As reluctant as Edward was to admit it he knew that his family was part of the reason why he felt so miserable. His mind was dealing with different layers of grief. Each one berating him for his existence. The innermost layer of this was the pain of leaving her. This in turn was shrouded by a thin layer of self-pity and remorse. Then there was the embarrassment towards his family. And there was a small part of him, a tiny part of my convoluted mind that loathed my family. He hated to admit it, but their presence only reminded him of what they were, monstrous creatures surviving only by preying on the weak. They also reminded him, just as that old white house had, of her.
He hadn't had any experience tracking before. However his times with Jasper had informed him of battle tactics, strategies, and some brief tracking possibilities. The easiest would have been to ask Alice, but Edward stubbornly wanted to do this himself. He wanted to be the one to kill Victoria. His bags were packed and the rest of the family had left to hunt after Alice had told them. He had heard each one slowly approach the door before turning and leaving quietly. Alice still had to tell Esme, for he knew she would not let him leave is she knew what he was doing or that he was going. Edward pulled out a map of the United States briefly glancing over and memorizing the hundreds of tiny towns that dotted the North West. She had been in Forks last. When she heard the news she probably went north, trying to re-group or find a new coven perhaps. He traced the thin winding road through Canada. He replayed her scent in his memory, he was now confident he could find her. He looked out his window, for what seemed like the first time, and realized we were in New York. He would have to catch a plane to Calgary. He didn't want to get too close to Washington. Edward grabbed his things and ran to the garage, dimly observing the house as he passed. It was similar to all the houses they lived in. The pale, light décor, Emmett had even bought the same television. He sped on towards the garage. He briefly contemplated using a car. He would probably never see it again, but he didn't think his family would mind. They could always buy a new one. He glanced over the selection here. Rosalie's, Carlisle's, his and the standard four extra cars were housed in the garage. He chose out one of the four, a Lexus LS model. He threw my things in to the back seat and pulled out of the garage. They were farther in the woods this time. He drove his foot level with the ground, accelerating in a way that would have had Rosalie cringing, through the omnipresent woods.
The woods whipped past but he could still take in the details. The leaves were now turning a sickly brown and he could see the remnants of a morning frost coating the forest floor. The turns of the road continued and he remained driving south. He needed music, not his own of course that would only remind him of her, but something. Something they hadn't listened to together, but that he knew she would like. He turned the radio on and twisted the dial until he was listening to something acceptable. The music was no more than a background. A sieve for restraining some of his thoughts. Edward then grabbed the passport, controlling the car with one hand. And glanced over the documents making sure it seemed authentic. He had simply grabbed one out of the customary two or three fake identities they carried. Periodically Jasper and himself would created new batches for the whole family in their "library." It was perfect. Edward grabbed the credit cards thinking back to how much money he had transferred on to them. Ah, Baron, I remembered this. Alice and himself had gone—long before he had met Bel, her, I mean—to a bank south of Juneau. It was about five years ago and his Waserfeild stocks were up. Alice had warned Edward that they would crash soon, so he transferred about five million to the cards and the remaining to their central account. Before they started thinking of a name for the account we had been passing a bacon store. Alice had thought that it was really "Barrons" the famous learning books. She had rushed in before looking at the storefront and had found herself completely surrounded by smoked pig. It was, needless to say, and interesting ordeal to get out of. They had both come up with the name, grinning at the inside joke.
Edward had another ten minutes until he reached the airport. He wondered idly how he would get rid of the car. Abandon it at a car park? Toss the keys into the hands of an unsuspecting homeless person? Then he had an idea, what if he mailed them to her? Then she wouldn't have to drive that mass of metal. No, No Edward. That was a bad idea. He had promised never to interfere with her life again. He would not ruin her life with unexpected intrusions again. He sped off the exit slowing down only after catching the thoughts of a cop about a half mile away. He turned towards the airport and simply parked by the side of the road. Edward got his things out and left the keys behind, careful to wipe of any fingerprints. He wondered what they would think of his DNA, he pondered wryly. Strange new species with 25 chromosomes found in abandoned Lexus. That would make a headline.
