Something Sweeter - Alec Volturi

XXVII. Fault

For a long, still moment, Jane and I sat in silence. Fog swirled around the car as we sat frozen in shock. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know where to begin.

Spontaneously, I snapped into action. I threw open the driver's side door and fell out of the car; my knees were weak. I narrowly caught myself on the door and forced myself back to my feet. My mouth went dry as I propelled myself forward, past the damaged grill of the Jeep and into the haze.

The headlights washed across the slick, black pavement, leaving nothing to the imagination. My stomach dropped as I slowly stepped around the warped motorcycle that lay between me and it's driver. My skin grew clammy as I inched forward.

The first thing I saw was the smear marks. Dark blood glistened as it reached across the pavement to its origin. As I inched forward the marks grew thicker until they gave way to a spreading pool of blood.

I didn't see the man until I was only a few feet away. He was torn up, shredded across the asphalt like he'd been in contact with a cheese grater. Chunks of flesh were missing, leaving copious amounts of muscle and bone exposed. To my horror, the man hadn't been wearing a helmet so the contents of his head were scattered across the blacktop like a busted watermelon.

A thick wave of nausea washed over me. The headlights were unforgiving, allowing every last detail to be seared into my memory. My vision blurred as hot tears welled up in my eyes.

A chilling peal of laughter echoed from behind me. I spun around, reeling in panic, only to find Jane smiling at me madly.

"Congratulations on your first kill, Violet," she said with a cold, wide grin. "I'm impressed."

I gaped at her in disbelief.

"I--I need to call an ambulance," I stammered. I took a few steps back towards the car when Jane caught me by the arm.

"We can handle this ourselves. Go get in the car. And don't you dare call anyone," she threatened.

"Okay," I said automatically. I was at my wit's end. I was in no condition to make important decisions.

I rushed back to the car, almost tripping on my own feet as I scrambled to get as much distance between me and the man as possible. I crawled into the passenger seat and slammed the door behind me. Sinking into the seat, I closed my eyes tightly and tried to control my thoughts. I only dared to open my eyes again when I heard Jane start the car.

"Where are we going?" I asked weakly. "We can't leave him."

"Felix and Demetri are on their way to handle it," Jane said, keeping her eyes on the road.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's not your concern," she said with authority.

I stopped asking questions.

"You'll get used to it after a couple of decades," Jane said after a long stretch of silence.

"Decades," I repeated, my voice quivering as a few tears rolled down my face.

When we pulled up to the cottage Alec was waiting for us by the front door, his face exuding concern.

"What happened?" he asked Jane as he held the door for us.

"Nothing, brother," she said airily as Alec closed the door behind us.

"Is that so?" he asked ambiguously, keeping his eyes on me.

"Well, Violet hit a motorcyclist with her car and killed him, but other than that," Jane said to her brother with a syrupy smile.

Alec stared at Jane grimly.

"What?" she giggled. "Felix and Demetri are cleaning it up. It'll be as if it never happened."

"I think I'm going to be sick," I said weakly before pitching myself toward the kitchen sink.

I didn't sleep well that night. Guilt riddled my subconscious and poisoned my dreams. After the third time Alec had to wake me due to my restlessness I swallowed my pride and asked him to stay with me.

And that was the end of my ability to sleep through the night without him.