The Story Of Sarelle: The Immortal Years »

Chapter 3

4th July 2047

I sighed with a small smile on my face while I passed my fingers over the piano in an intricate version of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. July's sun pooled on the glossy top of the white piano, reflecting up onto my face and making my skin sparkle. With each note I played I saw new points of light refract from my skin onto the ivory. I didn't think I would ever get over the way my skin looked in the sunlight; it was such a distracting sight. I shook my head as I remembered how fascinated I had been when I saw Aslo's picture of Derren and the moment when Edward first showed me what he looked like in the sunlight. I could never imagine that I myself looked the same way they had, or that anyone would think me as beautiful as I had thought they were. However neither did I see myself as the monster Edward always seemed to view himself as. Or as something natural as Aslo always saw our lust for blood.

As I continued to play I listened to the voices of Carmen and Tanya upstairs. They were cleaning up the house in time for the new arrivals. They were all so excited which in turn had helped to dispel my own nerves about meeting the strangers. If they were loved by the others then I could only imagine that they were good people. From what I had learnt from Kate they had been friends with their guests for years, centuries even. With this knowledge I couldn't help but think of my own friends and the memories I had of them.

13th April 1952, Belmore

I lounged against Edward while I directed my attention towards Emmett, smiling with wonder while he regaled memories that were better than any fairytale I'd ever heard. All the while Edward sat concentrating on the cookery book in front of him. Apparently he had decided to learn how to cook which seemed to be a lot harder when it relied on a proper sense of taste and smell. After all, there was something that didn't come naturally to him. His perfect brow furrowed as he murmured something about 'season to taste'. I repressed a smile and drew circle on the top of his hand while Emmett continued to tell me tales. I had found a new love for Emmett beyond his boisterous personality, and it had all come from the way he supported my choice to be turned. He knew what it was like, to an extent. We'd both been loved while we were human, briefly for him. Only Emmett remembered and fully understood why I was so willing to give up my mortality for Edward, even beyond the hope it would cure me.

"He was finished playing with me then, and I knew I was about to die," Emmett remembered softly, winding up the memories of his human years with the story of his end.

Edward paid us no attention; he'd probably heard it many times before.

"I couldn't move, and my consciousness was slipping away. Then I heard what I thought was another bear, a fight over which would get my carcass. Or at least that's what I supposed. Suddenly it felt like I was flying. I figured I'd died but I tried to open my eyes anyway. That's when I saw her-" His face was incredulous at the memory. "-and I knew I was dead. I didn't even mind the pain. I fought to keep my eyelids open; I didn't want to miss one second of that angel's face. I was delirious of course, wondering why we hadn't gotten to heaven yet and thinking it must have been farther away than I expected. I kept waiting for her to take flight. And then she brought me to God." He laughed his deep booming laughter and I grinned. I could easily imagine anyone making that assumption when they first saw Carlisle.

"I thought what happened next was my judgement. I'd had a little too much fun in my twenty human years so I was well prepared for the fires of hell." He laughed again and I bit my lip against the thought of those fires. I must have tensed because Edward's arm tightened around me unconsciously.

"What surprised me was that the angel didn't leave. I was surprised something so beautiful was allowed in the depths of hell but there she was. Every time God came to check on me I kept expecting him to take her away but he didn't. I started to think those preachers that talked about that old merciful God were right after all. Anyway then the pain stopped and they explained everything to me.