Stranger in the Woods

I held my light windbreaker, which I had once considered a heavy jacket when I lived in Phoenix and considered leaving it at home for this hike. The temperature was barely in the mid 40's (Fahrenheit) but even this light jacket felt too hot for me lately. I shook my head and put it on anyway, knowing that Bella would freak out if I went for my hike in just a T-shirt and pants in what she considered weather too cold to be out in no matter the amount of warm clothing.

 It had been a week since I had run into Sam in the woods, but I didn't think I would see him or anyone of the tribe today as I planned to stay away from the reservation border. I moved down the stairs and saw Bella in the kitchen. 

 "What ya got planned for today sis?" I asked as I pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it from the sink. 

 "I still have that English essay to do and it's due next Friday, so I better get to working on it. Charlie is working the night shift this weekend, so I want to have an easy-to-reheat dinner for him. Thinking of doing Lasagna, doing that by hand will take a good part of my day. If I finish early, I may go look at the library and see what selection of books they have."

 "Well if you see Charly before me, remind him to bring out his dirty clothes so I can get the wash done tonight if I get back early enough, or in the morning if I don't. That goes for you as well." 

 I didn't bother waiting for her reply as I left out the back door and started a light trot through the yard and into the tree line. On reflex, I ran to what I had come to consider my rock and took my bearings. Picking a new direction, I started to walk and let my mind wander. 

 I was growing slightly frustrated with the advancement of my relationship with Edythe. She was obviously hot as hell and there was no way she didn't know I was interested in starting a relationship with her, but she seemed to be keeping me at a distance for some reason. 

 I had never been this interested in a girl before, so I had zero knowledge on how to get past this asking-life questions phase that had been going on for nearly 2 weeks. I really liked that she showed interest in me and my likes and dislikes, but she was always kind of vague with a lot of the questions I asked her. She had no problem telling me about her favorite movies or music, but stuff like her favorite candy as a kid, or if she still talks to any childhood friends. Those she tended to evade or give small answers. Her usual response was "It's been so long, I just don't remember." When I ask about her early life, she is always so vague, just seems weird to me. 

 At that thought, I had to admit that there were a lot of weird things about the Cullen family. Everything from skin color to eye color and their lack of appetite even their insistence on buying food in the cafeteria but never actually eating any. Jasper being very strong for his size was another weird thing. It's not obvious, but he has moved some heavy weight while being off balance that should have at least caused him to struggle if not hurt himself. With my balance or center of gravity under me I could lift some tremendous weight but if I don't have that balance then my strength is reduced significantly. 

 My thoughts were interrupted by my awareness of a smell blowing towards me from up the trail. I had actually been aware of it for a good 30 feet before it truly registered in my thoughts. It was almost familiar in its sweetness, but it had a burnt overtone to it. 

 Before I could think too much about it, I noticed a man walking towards me with a backpack on. He was about 5ft 6in in height and robust for his size. But his clothes seemed rather dirty and unkept, he had a puffy jacket with tares here and there and a ball cap on as well. His right hand was tucked into his shoulder strap, and he had his gaze directed towards the ground. 

 I put on my best disarming smile and said "Hello." As I drifted to the side of the trail, trying to not take up too much room so he could pass me easily. 

 The guy just stopped just after passing me and sniffed the air, "You smell funny. Almost like you're going bad." He then lifted his head and looked back at me, cocking his head slightly like a curious animal.

 I turned to make sure he was addressing me and the first thing I noticed was his eye color. They were a deep red, making the pupil stand out more than any I had ever seen before. His skin tone at first glance was that of an African American, but a closer look showed it was too pale compared to any of the dark-skinned people I had seen before. My confusion must have shown on my face because he chuckled at me. 

 "I just ate a couple of days ago, so under normal circumstances, I would just pass you by and continue my hunt." 

 He then gave a deep sigh, and my nose was flooded with the burnt sugar smell even more. For some reason, the hair on my arms stood up and my skin was suddenly covered in goosebumps. 

 "But you see, your luck is just too terrible. First, you meet me in the woods with no one nearby, and second, you remind me of someone I am still very upset with. His eyes darted to his left arm, and I noticed the sleeve was empty. 

 "You also piqued my interest with your smell, it's something I have never smelled in all my 300 years. I have heard of someone who is supposed to smell extra tasty to one of my kind, but never one who smells on the verge of going bad. Are you perhaps sick?"

 I keyed in on one particular thing he said, "300 years? Your kind? I don't understand."

 "Not that it's important now, but yes, my kind. I am a Vampire." 

 All I could think is that this guy was fucking with me. "Vampire??? Out in the daylight? Are you ok Mr.?"

 With his one hand, the guy removed his backpack and let it fall to the side of the trail. "Ahh, you confuse Fiction with reality. Well, in my human life I was a sort of teacher so let the lesson begin. Lesson number one."

 Before I knew it, or could react, the man was standing directly in front of me, and he placed his hand on my sternum, almost gently. Then, with seemingly no effort he pushed his hand forward and I felt like I had been hit by Tyler's van again. My feet left the ground and I felt like I flew backward for a very long time before my shoulder hit a tree and I spun around a couple of times before falling face-first into the dirt. 

 The impact had me short of breath but my training with Jasper taught me the importance of regaining your feet as quickly as possible. So, I struggled to my feet and looked in the direction from which I had been tossed. The man just stood there, seemingly unconcerned that I was on my feet. 

 "Hmm, quick reactions. I think I will enjoy this quite a bit. I know it's bad form to play with your food, but I just love tearing down guys who try so hard to look strong. All the while not knowing that the weakest of us is still 100 times stronger than the strongest of you." He said all this, while slowly walking towards me.

 This time, I was able to make out when he started running toward me, as his hand reached for my chest again with an open palm, I swung my right hand to shove his arm to my side. But my hand stopped on contact with his arm, and I was again blasted back who knows how many feet. 

 This time around I didn't hit a tree, just started tumbling when I landed on solid ground. However, it took me longer to get up, and I was seeing red. My rage which was so close to the surface these days was burning hotter than ever before. The white flame threatened to take over my mind.

 One of the few clear thoughts still in my head was the advice Sam had given me, {If you ever smell a burnt sweet smell Run, and get to the stream that signified the Quileute border.} Something told me though, that if I turned my back on this guy then it was all over. I brought my hands back up and tried to find the center of my balance. 

 "Lesson number one was about how weak you are. Lesson number two was going to be about how slow you are, but you seem too slow to even think of running. Not that it would do you any good regardless. In a way, I am slightly envious of you. Soon you will see if there is a heaven or hell, something I will never know." While keeping a slow pace, he continued walking towards me with a smile, but then his smile grew frightening in its intensity as he hissed at me. "Class is over."