L I S A

Miseries shape the best and worst parts of a human being.

That was the sympathy I gave myself at the wretched moments that tore my will apart like an old piece of clothing.

The only fact I was aware about was that the ground beneath me was jerking left and right. Along with my body my mind was shifting from one thought to other until it came and dwelled on the one I'd decided to get rid of the night before.

I tried to remember my last memory before losing my consciousness, before the pain took over.

I remembered being carried in arms . . . the wind broke through my face as I'd clutched onto him firmly, losing myself in a deep slumber.

My eyes shot open and I was utterly sober. I met with a vast sky gleaming with yellow and blue shades of clouds with a few black wings wandering towards their objective.

My eyes felt heavy and the dust in them approached the corners as my fingers rubbed the drowsiness away. The sun was still making it hard to keep my will of not turning around and sleep again.

With much efforts I was able to get where I'd wanted myself but the sore in my back brought back terrible memories. Flashes of the doomed night made me cringe and a sudden brush of wind on my revealed skin made me crumple up into a ball.

I looked over my shoulder and saw wood. I was sleeping on wood and not the kind you could make a bed out of. Further inception brought the certainty of a kidnapping.

I realized the ground wasn't actually ground but we're floating on a boat. We?

Yes. Edward was gazing down at me which at first freaked me out. I held myself up on my arms as he stretched out his hand to help me but I was just too annoyed at him at the moment.

I'd gotten almost killed the previous night! Not to mention Jenna . . . Don't.

"How do you feel?" He asked taking his unused hand back.

Was he serious? How did I feel? I felt messed up! I was forced into kissing someone then I was treated like nothing but a stupid parcel to be dispatched soon. My only parent was killed by a bloodthirsty egoistic maniac and I had a freaking knife through my back by some stupid saviors of humans! How was that supposed to make me feel?

But of course, why would he be interested into hearing my whining?

"I'm great." I smiled angrily.

Without a doubt he noticed the sarcasm in my voice but I didn't feel sorry for once. For the mess he'd put me in, he owed me that. He didn't bother to continue the conversation and kept sailing the boat before we found the land.

It was an island sort of place but the river wasn't that deep or vast as the sky above. The water was cold underneath my touch with white and pinkish lotuses exploring the place. There was no house or a cottage and surely not a castle so it wasn't the time for my bargaining.

But then where was I?

He took my hand as soon as he stopped and jumped off the boat to the ground. He almost hurled me along with his body with my arm gripped between his fists.

"Easy." I protested.

I could still feel the sting on my back but I wasn't sure if looking was a good idea. What if the blood or nastiness of the wound gave me another tour of my subconscious mind? Either way I had to know if he'd treated my wound well or not at all, so to confirm it I took a momentary look.

There was no special cure or paste rubbed on my wound but it was merely just a cloth: my handkerchief.

It wasn't really avoidable and just the mere look brought back the horrific events of the night before. Yet another night I needed to mourn!

"You're okay?" He questioned softly against my face.

I hadn't recalled stopping or flinching at the bloodshed images forming in my head. It was saddening and disgusting as well. And the last thing I needed was a murder's sympathy.

I just nodded at him and stared down at my feet. I swiftly wrapped my arms around myself to gain some warmth under my skin as the sun wasn't quite hot enough.

Edward noticed my movements more than I did myself. He lifted my chin up with his index finger and made me look into his dark eyes. They were cold themselves and guilty as well. But why would I care? He put me through hell!

Uncomforted, I escaped from his grip and walked towards the way of the forest, realizing I'd no idea where we were or about to go. I wished my life had taken a different turn, a good one.

I just sighed and closed my eyes reaching for something to support my worn-out feet. I had no intention and it wasn't the dizziness but I just collapsed. The bark beside me kept me steady as I put my head on it while sinking towards the ground.

I was tired even if I had just woken up from a long nap. I wanted to sink into the same sleep that lingered in my eyes and both my heart and mind agreed together.

But before the action could've taken place I found myself hauled up into his arms. My hands, as if by instincts wrapped around his neck whilst his curled around my hips and knees.

I groaned unwittingly.

"What do you think you're doing?" I started shifting vigorously in his arms.

"You've lost a lot of blood and you're feeling dizzy. If I let you fall asleep you might never wake up." He stated silently gritting his teeth.

I felt a loud gasp threatening to escape my mouth but I held it back. I was hurt.

"Of course." I muttered. "Then you'll be at the loss of an undispatched packet." I snapped.

He eyed me for a while as if not taking the meaning and his brows stretched in bewilderment until the brush of realization formed a troubled ease on his face.

After inspecting my words he glared down at me with anger and somewhat so-called hurt.

"An undispatched packet?" He pronounced each word carefully as if still not believing himself or me.

I stared at him for a while to test if he was lying or not.

"That's all I mean, right? I'm a package that you've to deliver in time." I waited before saying the last sentence, "Or you'll be fired."

He seemed out of patience as he observed me in an unbelievable state. I didn't bother to look at him, I was too hurt to. I averted my gaze to my hands.

Before I knew I felt an abrupt sting on my back as it collided with the ground and a light moan escaped my lips. I couldn't process what happened but I had a severe pain in my back.

My eyes narrowed and my lips formed a thin line as he stood perfectly healthy on his feet. He walked closer and crouched up to my level.

"You know, I won't be fired if the package was a bit damaged."

My blood boiled as he whispered those words in my ears. How could he?

I wanted to snap right back, pull him towards me and bite the life out of him. So many ideas-ridiculous ideas formed in my head out of frustration and I just wanted to see him in pain.

He was leaned beside me on his knees silently gawking at my face which for sure was burning with annoyance. He perceived my features in attempts to read my soul but I could tell to no satisfactory end. He was getting lost in me before he could figure me out. And the lingering of thirsty veins beneath his eyes was just the evidence of my theory.

"You. Are. Annoying." I blurted with clenched teeth.

He smirked in disbelief and looked much like he was enjoying all of this. And why wouldn't he? I was nothing but an entertaining meal for him.

I deepened my sight into his and in those eyes, in that smirk I saw a vice intent that drove something inside, weakened me in a way that I'd never felt before, wounded me more than that hunter did. It was disappointment perhaps, disappointment for hoping he'd be better.

I blinked a couple of times and looked away, commanding my body to do the same. Before I could hold myself a tear set free beneath my lashes and I brought my hands closer to my mouth.

Why was I crying? I should've been used to this by now.

Standing still on my wobbly will I endeavored to run away from him as fast as I could but could barely manage to walk. I walked passed him without sharing another gaze and somewhere in front of me.

Never had I ever cried so much in my life-that changed surely the second he entered into my house.

"Lisa. Stop." I didn't. "I'm not the only vampire roaming these woods." He warned.

His unheard threat didn't bother me as I kept walking. If I had to die, it might as well be without him, besides there was nothing to get my hopes up for, there was nothing to look up to, no bright future, there was nothing to live for.

"Your friend's right miss." That voice was unfamiliar.

I thought it was Edward because of the intensity it had carried but I couldn't have been more wrong about the accent. It was a different man.

I twisted back to see a man standing next to Edward. He was the same height as Edward, most probably a few inches taller than him with the same conspicuous features like every vampire I'd met so far.

I sighed comprehending the man. I was caught up in a situation to either cry or laugh at myself. As if the night before wasn't enough I'd encountered a yet another one of my miseries. I just hoped this time it'd be the last one, I hoped there wasn't a tomorrow or a friend at home waiting for me.

Let's get this over with. I murmured to myself.