The Immortal Children

As Heaven looked away

***A/N- so I know that you guys probably don't care too much about this, but I just got into an argument with a 50 year old man at my best friends church about whether or not it's a sign of love for a man to hit his wife... Just so you guys know, it's really not. Just sayin'.***

I sat by the riverside and waited. I'm not sure what I was waiting for. I just knew that I felt lost, and didn't know where I was supposed to go. I was no longer angry at Edward, nor was I regretful of my own actions.

I heard footsteps come up from behind me but made no attempt to turn around. I assumed that whoever it was - either friend or foe - would give off some form of a warning signal before attempting to attack me. So, I waited. As I stared at the small bugs gliding across the top of the water, a familiar voice made me smile. "Hey." I finally shifted my body, turning to greet my sister. "Hi" I said back, smiling at Chris who was standing behind her.

I sat on a rock, out of habit rather than necessity, and Chris was immediately in front of me, lowering himself onto my lap. I chuckled and wrapped my arms around his chest. He leaned into me and smiled, content. Ashlynne chose to remain standing, staring at me in wonder. "What?" I finally asked her what's her stare proved to be too much for me. "Nothing." She replied immediately. I made a sound of disapproval under my breath and my sister sighed, leaning back into a tree.

"What happened back there?" Ash asked me hesitantly. I made a face, regretting having to explain my impulsive actions to my younger siblings. "I was just mad. Guys, I know I shouldn't have -" Ashlynne interrupted me. "No, not that." I frowned. What was she talking about, then? "I mean with Edward? Why did he say that to Chris?" Now, Chris was leaning forward with wide eyes, also wanting an explanation. How was I supposed to explain this to them? After my dad has left us our mom had begun to take us to church. We had always been told that we were going to heaven if we were good. So, how was I supposed to explain Edward's theory that, through no fault of our own, we were going to hell? I could barely comprehend a thought so cruel, how could I expect my younger siblings to?

"Well..." I began, not sure where to start. "Edward thinks that it's harder for vampires to get into heaven than it is for regular humans." I said, hoping that they would buy into that. Of course not. "You mean because it's harder for us to die?" Chris asked me innocently. I was compelled to say yes. I didn't want to have to explain the gory details to him. But, if he was going to be living under the same roof as Edward for a while, then he had to know the basics. He had to understand what Edward was saying and why it was wrong. "Not... Exactly." I hesitated. "Edward thinks that because we're vampires we can't go to heaven."

I watched both of their faces fall. They seemed angry, saddened, and confused. "No matter what?" Chris asked me sadly. I was quick to reassure him that Edward didn't know what he was talking about. "But it's not right!" I rushed through my words. "We can still go to heaven, if we're good, God... He won't be mad at us for something that isn't our fault."

I hoped.

We all sat in silence for a few moments. "Hey Lex?" Ash hesitantly asked after a few minutes. I looked towards her and nodded, signaling that I was listening. "Do you think heaven is real?" I stared at her for a second. "Of course. Don't you?" She shrugged, leaving me shocked. Religion has been a big part of our lives since we were young. when I was human I had made it a habit to pray before going to sleep, and as far as I was aware my sister had done the same. "Ash, God is real. So is heaven. I know it."

Ashlynne seemed to explode suddenly. "Then why are we here?!" She screamed. Chris jumped in alarm and I did the same. Our sister was always calm and collected. She rarely raised her voice. "We were good! We did everything we were told! We tried to live by the commandments, we did charity work, we went to church, we prayed! We did it all! So why are we here? Why didn't we get our angel wings? Why didn't we go up into heaven with mom? Why? If God is real, if heaven is real, tell me why? Because right now, God is either not real, or has a really messed up sense of humor! Why Lex? What did we do? What? Tell me!"