Road Running ➙ Twilight

Chapter Three

The world flew past Serena in one green blur as she chased after the man in the photo, following his grey Volvo as it sped down a quiet street in Forks. The woman was in the passenger seat, staring at her reflection in the rear view mirror but not noticing the running vampire who was close behind. Brake lights casted a red glow on the rain-slicked road as the Volvo slowed down and turned into the parking lot of a Sheriff's station.

Serena kept her distance as she watched the two people clamber out of the vehicle and peer into the front window of the building. She squinted her eyes as she focused all of her senses on the pair, picking up bits and pieces of their conversation. The brunette woman looked nervous as they spoke of Seattle and the Volturi; the leaders of vampires. Three older people walked out of the Sheriff's station, a man and a woman looking absolutely devastated and a man wearing a Sheriff uniform. The man and woman walked away without speaking to the pair on the front porch of the station. Serena kept her body hidden behind a tall tree as she waited for the conversation to end between the three people standing in front of the station. She heard footsteps on the wooden porch stairs before a car door shut and the Sheriff drove out of the parking lot in his cruiser.

"Excuse me." Serena called as she stepped out from behind the tree and started walking over to the two people who stood beside the Volvo. The bronze haired man was quick to push the woman behind him as he glared at Serena. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help." She claimed while slowly rising her hands in defense.

"Who are you?" The man asked, the corner of his upper lip raised as he spit out the question. Serena noticed the glimmer of a fang paired with golden eyes.

"My name is Serena. I live in Seattle and came here to warn you. What are your names?"

"Warn us about what?" The woman asked as she moved to stand beside her vampire companion inside of behind him.

"Victoria."

After a moment of shock followed by ten minutes of Serena trying to convince the strangers that she meant no harm, she had finally convinced them to hear her out. She learned that their names were Edward and Bella, and the trio currently sat in a four-person booth at one of the only diners in Forks. They had ordered a plate of French Fries for the table but Bella was the only one eating them.

"How did you find us?" Edward asked as he sat across from Serena, looking completely comfortable with being around the woman. He knew full well that she was a vampire as her blood red eyes had smeared black makeup around them and her skin was lifeless and pale.

"I've been a vampire for twenty five years, Edward. In those years I've been perfecting these vamp powers that I was given. I have photographic memory and it allows me to remember then find anything in the world, no matter where it is. I saw Victoria and Riley with a photograph of the two of you, so my brain did the thinking and my feet the running. I ended up here." Serena explained as she leaned back against the cushioned booth.

"Wait, Riley Biers?" Bella asked, looking between Serena and Edward as the two seemed to be having a staring contest across the table. Edward nodded slowly without looking away.

"Yes, Riley Biers. Victoria turned him into a vampire. They're planning something and you two need to watch your backs." Serena answered as she glanced at the brunette.

"Why should we trust you?" Serena didn't back down from the ice cold glare that was being thrown her way from Edward as she propped her elbows on the table and leaned forwards.

"If I wasn't trustworthy, your mate would probably be dead by now." Serena muttered with a small smirk as she heard the woman swallow thickly. "Also, Victoria and Riley killed my father. I want to see both of them get burned into ash."

Edward copied Serena's movements and leaned forwards on the table. The smooth, white surface tilted under his weight as he stared Serena directly in her eyes.

"I've been a vampire for a lot longer than twenty five years. My ability is reading people's minds. So I know exactly what you're thinking right now." Edward snarled before Serena leaned back, feeling slightly intimidated by the older vampire in front of her.

"You can trust me." Serena assured the man as he also leaned back in his seat. Her gaze shifted away from the pair as she tried to think of nothing at all, now knowing Edward was inside her head. Her once private space had been invaded by the one thing she had always feared; the capabilities of a vampire.

"We can trust you." Edward nodded in agreement.

"How long are you here for?" Bella asked. The brunette seemed a bit more comfortable sitting at the table with two vampires, one of which hadn't fed in over a day.

"I don't know. I should go back to Seattle before Victoria notices I'm missing." Serena replied as she peered past the white plastic blinds covering a window above the table. She didn't even know where 'here' was, but it was a lot quieter than the big city she was used to. The town was full of trees and small shops, with people that smiled at strangers as they walked past each other on the sidewalk. It was peaceful and Serena pondered for a moment if she even wanted to leave. There was no cars on fire or raging, blood-thirsty newborn vampires. Serena could start a new life in the small town, away from chaos. 

"Well, uh, Bella and I may be heading to Florida for the weekend. Her mother lives there. Go back to Seattle until we come home." Edward made up Serena's mind for her as the woman turned her gaze away from the world outside the diner. She nodded in agreement as she pondered in her mind about the situation she put herself in. 

"Where are we? Victoria had a photo of you two so I remembered your faces and just ran here. I have no idea what this place is." Serena asked as she glanced between Bella and Edward, burning every detail of their faces into her mind so that she'd be able to find them again. 

"Forks. It's in Washington." Edward replied. 

"And that man that you were talking to at the station. The Sheriff, who is that?" 

"My father." Bella spoke up and Serena nodded in response. The woman looked down at the plate of French Fries in front of her just as a whiff of human blood reached her nose. Serena snapped her head up as she remembered she was in a diner full of humans and hadn't fed in a over a day. Edward leaned forwards with all of his senses on high alert, his golden eyes narrowing. 

"I've got to go. Have a good time in Florida. I'll see you both again soon." Serena said as she jumped out of her seat and zipped up the black sweater she had been wearing since before she left Seattle. It was ripped in a few spots and had a stain of her father's blood on it. 

"There's animals in the woods on the way back to Seattle." Edward pointed out as he watched Serena intently. 

"Blood bags." Serena mumbled as her chest rose and fell heavily. "I haven't bitten a human in fifteen years." 

"Go, then." Edward demanded. Without another word Serena left the diner and ran as fast as her legs would carry her. The town of Forks disappeared as Serena ran back into the woods. She leaned against a thick tree and squeezed her eyes shut as she focused on Victoria's face to find her way back home. Serena felt the scratchy bark under her fingertips as she searched her mind for the face of the red haired woman. 

A twig snapping in the distance sent Serena's eyes shooting open. Her gaze fell on a deer about 50 feet away, grazing peacefully in the bushes. The vampire knew she'd need to feed in order to withstand the trip back to Seattle and decided to take Edward's advice on the animals in the woods.