Purple Sky - A. Teller (the chimp paradox txt) 📗

think it deserves a kiss,” he replied humbly, tapping his cheek. I kissed his cheek, then rubbed my chapped lips.

“What?” he asked, almost offended.

“Dude, shave,” I said. His face had little, poky stubbles all over.

“Here,” he said, pulling my chin to guide me. His lips were much smoother than his face, and my lips suddenly felt much better.

“Better,” I said. He held up his head dramatically, eyes closed, smiling. “Loose the grin though,” I said, throwing a little cotton ball from the jar next to me at his face.

“How are you feeling?” Alice asked thoughtfully. My back straightened as she walked in. So did Jake’s .

“Better. Hungry,” I commented, rubbing my noisy tummy. Though I hadn’t “eaten” in weeks, my thirst was under control. Every now and then, I wanted real human food.

“Anything in specifics?” Alice asked. Our house always had real food, since Jacob always came around.

“Jacob?” I asked. I didn’t really know what I wanted until Jake picked something out. His suggestions were always good, though his meat obsession was annoying at times. Cooked meat… unless it’s bloodied, yuck.

“Let’s try a cheese and ham, egg-white omelet. No garlic, out of respect,” Jake said. I chuckle. That’s a new one.

“Mkay, and to drink?” Alice asked after the giggling had stopped from both me and her. She suddenly reminded me of a waitress.

“OJ?” Jake asked, wondering if he’d got it right.

“How bout OJ for him, and a Blushy for me?” I asked Alice. She nodded and skipped away to the kitchen. Blushies were my favorite thing in the world. Jake would sometimes bring home animal blood in a jar, for when I was sick and I couldn’t hunt. Alice got a need idea. She put ice in a blender and added the red stuff, and presto! Blood slushy. Gross to some, delicious to others. Imagine cherry-flavoring, I’d tell Jake, who would always shudder and gag at the site.

“Those are so nasty,” he commented, moving to the chair next to where I sat.

“Steak in a cup,” I said, flipping through my phone’s apps. Jake rolled his eyes. I imagined we’d talk and laugh, but watching Jake as he tried to smack away a fly was funnier. He knocked over everything, just to kill that stupid fly. I laughed, though I felt guilty when someone (Alice) had to clean up the mess. Bella was a speedy cook, and the best of the best. Everyone in the family had a hobby. Cooking had been something that Bells took up. Half because it connected her to her old human life, cooking for Grampa Charlie, and half because of my appetite. Being picky added to my mom’s specific cooking ideas.

“Here we go, egg-white ham and cheese omelet, no garlic. OJ for Jacob,” Bella said, setting the glass of tangy juice next to Jake. “And a Blushy for Renesmee.” The tall glass, equipped with a slushy spoon-straw, dripped with ice and blood. I thanked my mom, sipping at it like a child. I felt my eyes bug at the taste. Animal instinct always made you feel like you were on some sort of crazy-feeling drug. A rush really. Call it a buzz. My vision lightened a little, and I looked in the mirror across the room. My eyes were still a little dull, but they were much better than before. It was the cold blood. Warm blood was always much better. I set the glass on the table and cut the eggs gently with a fork. It took forever to break off a little piece. Jake always laughed in his sleeve, watching my struggle with the cooked eggs. Jake always ate ravenously. Bottomless.

After we’d finished eating, and Jake having finally killed that stupid fly, Edward called Jacob into the other room. I almost got up, but Jake told me not to worry. Now he sounded like Emmett…

I sat there, trying hard to listen. But my foot was so painful, it was too hard to focus on much else. I stood up anyway, not even noticing the heavy black brace that constricted my foot. I dragged it along, curving through the hallways, trying to find something to do. I knew Jacob was right. He’d be fine talking with Edward. Alone. With no witnesses. And my angry vampire father. I shuddered.

“Alice?” I called. Nothing. “Mom?”

Silence that enveloped the house made me pinch myself. Twice. No Renesmee. Your awake, I assured myself. I moved across the halls, glancing in and out of each room. Alice’s room, decorated in black butterflies and purple, satin curtains was my favorite. Shelves were filled with books. Mostly on languages or fashion magazines. As quietly as my brace allowed, I slipped in to grab the one she’d been reading. The cover read Vogue. I flipped the magazine over to the back, which in little white letter, read 1978. Alice’s older taste was reflected in her reading. I put the magazine back, and hobbled out of the room. Alice’s room also had one of the world’s largest closets, accompanied by a whole spa attached to the closet by a large, white door. Her bed had a white and black color scheme. Jasper shared her room, but Alice’s personality destroyed Jasper’s chance of storing anything in the room. He didn’t mind though. Another black door led out to the hallway. I walked down the halls to the other rooms, which I can proudly say I did not snoop through. Rose’s room was, unsurprisingly, covered in mirrors and pink. But she also had shelves of photos along the back wall. Rosalie’s room had the largest window, which covered two of the four walls that made up the room.

I continued down the hall. The stairs stopped my trek, and I thumped down them. The house seemed unusually empty for the fact of my injury. I walked through the house, which was still empty. The only exception, I noted, was the faint, mutter-sounding words that Edward and Jacob spoke. I looked outside the window, caressing the white wooden frame with my fingers. My family was outside, beyond my view. Hunting. Their scents were evident on the grass. I sighed.

A sudden rush of wonder overcame me. What were human families like? Where they didn’t hunt or have super abilities or mind-reading fathers. What was is like? Was it boring, or exciting? What would a normal teenage girl be doing now? I could answer that one. She’d be texting her friends, calling her boyfriend, studying for tomorrow’s algebra exam, or be assembling party plans. But I had no friends. I didn’t have algebra to study for. But I had Jake. And even though he was everything I’d ever need, and everything I could ever ask for…I hated to say it. The words made tears fall from the corners of my eyes. Jacob was everything I’d ever need…but not everything I ever wanted. I wanted to experience things. I didn’t know what to expect from the things I wanted, but for some unexplainable reason, I wanted them. Just to say “I did that!” or know what something outside of my world was like. Whether humans knew it or not, there were two worlds on this planet.

I ran my fingers across the window one last time before I sat down on the couch. Flipping mindlessly through channels, I found something on the news that intrigued me. The news made me feel more connected to the normal world. I wasn’t wishing to be normal. But I wanted to at least have a free trial. The headline, in blue background and white letters, read: Serial Killer Walks the Streets of Yakama. I watched intently to the grizzly scene being filmed. Bodies covered in sheets being carried one by one into waiting vans. The moving words at the bottom of the screen read:

Eight found dead in an alleyway between two of the busiest streets in Yakama. Newly found bodies bring the death toll to 12. The four other bodies were found earlier in the week on Tuesday, when the Manchester family was found in their home after the alarm was triggered. For giving police details on this matter…

I stopped reading. A serial killer? I stumbled to the computer set in the hospital room. I grabbed the mouse with a shaky hand. After typing and clicking over a thousand times, I finally came across an article that helped. It gave details on the killings. The third paragraph read: Deaths were attributed to immense loss of blood and bruises throughout the bodies. The victims were possibly beaten to death, though the blood lost from the victims was never found in the crime scene.

I wanted to break the computer. Blood loss, beaten up. This pointed to many possibilities, but only one in my mind. I clicked the red button as fast as I could and pressed the power button. I sat on the couch, turning the TV through different channels. Why would any vampire be risking their “lives” by feeding so openly? The Volturi would definitely stop them, so why were they— My thoughts were cut off by Jacob and Edward walking down the stairs. For some odd, and strangely scary reason, they were smiling. Edward patted Jacob’s shoulder before running out of the sliding glass door that led outside to the trees. I looked at Jacob, a mixture of worry and confusion overcoming my face.

“Should I be happy, embarrassed or scared?” I asked, hauling my brace onto the couch. Jake chuckled.

“Happy. I’m alive, aren’t I?” he said, sitting next to my leg. The couch was an L-shape, so Jacob sat at the curved part, and I sat across the longer side. We stared at each other,

Trespassers

The December air bit my face as we walked across the dirt. Jake held me close, my waist wrapped in his arm. I was freezing, and though the numbness of my toes was evident, I couldn’t be more excited. Another bonfire! The Elders had said there would be a new story told tonight. Some new material to memorize, I thought happily. Embry, Collin and Brady sat on a huge fallen tree log, swallowing hamburgers like they were the last ones on earth. Emily’s barbequing was the best. Jarrod and Kim snuggled up next to each other. Kim laughed at Jarrod’s stumbling over his own words. Her laughter reminded me of a wind chime. Kim was a nice girl; quiet, but always laughing at Jarrod’s unfunny jokes. She was a genuinely nice, warm person to be around. We were friends, though we were not very close, still friends.

New Year’s was nice. Lots of celebrating and kisses. Jake and I caught the most yuck noises of all the couple. But it was a simple holiday. Here and gone. Not something my family looked at, since we’d have hundreds more soon enough.

Quil had Claire dressed up as what looked like a marshmallow, but of course, Quil had wrapped Claire up to avoid her getting cold. She was climbing around the rocks, which Quil visibly frowned about. Claire was the more adventurous, dangerous type, the type that sent most caretakers running. But Quil always stepped up.

“Hey Quil!” Jake called. Claire’s head snapped up from the rock she was balancing on, and she jumped from her four foot mountain before Quil could respond.