2

"Caius called for a witch hunt one day, and what followed was practically an extinction of all witches. Those who survived would soon be discovered as years passed. The only way to survive was to remain hidden and hope you never had to unveil yourself." Carlisle was never one to look into past written accounts of what occurred during his time with the Volturi, but the newest member of the hospital had piqued his interest. When he got home that night, it seemed only natural to read about what happened. 

She wasn't a vampire nor was she a shapeshifter; the children of the moon seemed far out of reach, considering that they were taken out far earlier than Witches, and so that led him to the current passage. He had taken note of this specific hunt because one Coven cost the Volturi several loyalists. The name of the Coven remained a secret, and not even he knew of what occurred. All that was recalled about that night was that a house was set on fire, and that was the end of it. Caius had gone to this particular Coven to confirm that the job was done. 

"Impossible..." He mumbled to himself; that night, there was a stirring within his office that the family hadn't heard in a while. 

---

Alexandra caught herself glancing at the body every few seconds, silently pondering the true cause of death. It was a quarter past midnight, and the hospital was still awake, considering that few patients required 24/7 care; other than that, nothing was disturbing her within the basement. The hum of the lights mingled with the faint sound of the air conditioning from the air vent within the room filled her ears. Her fingers smoothed the paper in front of her, cause of death - animal attack. The evaluation was quick, and it was a well-thought-out response that everyone belonging to Forks came to believe. And yet, Alexandra knew that this was not the work of a mere animal. 

If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was lies. Despite the carefully thought-out judgment on the cause of death, she had lied. The pen entwined in her fingers seemed heavier, and the lights seemed brighter. The faint buzzing she had heard when the Doctor visited her returned, but this time, a headache soon followed. The pain was bearable, but it bothered her. As if there was a nagging voice - warning her. 

As soon as it came, it stopped. Looking up, she noticed a shadow in the corner of the room. It had taken the form of a man; all it did was point at the bagged corpse in the middle of the room. Had her mother been with her, she'd immediately take control of the situation, and if her sister were with her, the shadow would have never materialized in the first place. For once, the feeling of loneliness caught up with her. The shadow remained still, finger remaining still on the figure, and all she could do was gently stand up, her eyes fixated on the figure. 

"They're harmless, we look to them as companions - people who want justice." Her aunt had once explained when she first started to come into contact with them when she turned of age. This man had simply wanted his death to be avenged, to be heard, and yet Alexandra knew the risk of obtaining the proper justice he required to move on. 

"I can't do that for you. Not now - not ever. I'm sorry." With a swift movement, she snapped her fingers, and two orbs immediately went through the shadow, causing it to disappear. In a world full of uncertainty, there was one thing she could count on - being alive. Was she living for anyone - no. Was she living her life to its fullest potential? Also, no. But she was doing what her family wanted her to do - remain safe at all times. 

A small knock interrupted her thoughts, and Alexandra turned around to see Chief Swan. His gaze was neutral, and as he made his way towards her, she felt his eyes on her as she gently leaned against the cool counter behind her. He was the only normal person she had come across, and for some reason, she didn't feel as on edge; there was no facade that she had to put up or some mystery shrouding him. He was just a single father who brought his daughter to Forks due to a new custody arrangement, a father who was doing his best. Judging from the gentle tone in which he spoke to the nurses yesterday, he was well respected. A little shy, but that was nothing compared to most men she had come across over the years. 

"How can i help you, Charlie - is it ok if I call you Charlie? Or would you prefer Chief?" It was meant to break the ice of some sort; their short-lived interactions the day before did not help ease the tension she could see in his body movements. The way his shoulders tensed at seeing her. Immediately at the question, he cleared his throat. 

"Didn't think I'd see you here so early in the morning. Most new folks take a while to get accustomed to Forks' schedule." The comment was innocent and meant to add to the conversation, but he kept avoiding her gaze. 

"It is quite slow compared to my old Hospital - but I see this as an opportunity to get more in tune with the people of Forks rather than trying to catch up to the chaos, there's a lull of peace rather than a rushed nature." She responded with sincerity; it was true. Where Seattle was fast-paced and full of trouble, Forks was the opposite. The people here are merely curious about the new face that has joined the small population. 

Charlie nodded, as if understanding the situation. Then again, his daughter had just moved from an entirely different place as well, so he was most likely accustomed to the difference in pace. She glanced at the body bag in front of them and gestured towards it. Charlie followed her gaze, and his face hardened at the sight. 

"I came to let you know that his family requested to collect him later on today - if that's ok?" He asked. She only nodded at the request; there was no way she would keep him longer than required, it'd look strange. "His wife was unable to come to the hospital, but she extends her gratitude to you for everything you've done for him." 

She hadn't done anything really. Or at least she didn't feel like she did, but the only thing she felt safe doing was nodding. "It was really no trouble, thank you for alerting me. I'll let the morning shift know of the plan - I should probably get going, being that I need to unpack everything." 

"Of course, have you gotten.....the chance to go home?" She shook her head. 

"Not yet, I wanted to close up any loose ends and make sure everything was settled for the next shift." She responded with a tight smile; she couldn't tell him that she was being haunted by his former friend's ghost, and then was too weirded out by the Doctor's interaction with her to leave. Charlie nodded in understanding and slowly turned around to leave the room, but stopped short in his tracks. 

"Did you need a ride, or do you have someone to pick you up?" He asked carefully as if afraid to wrong her in any way. She slightly let out a laugh and picked up her bag. 

"Don't worry, I have a car outside that I brought with me. from Seattle" 

A small chapter, but I just wanted to show you all that I had not forgotten this story. 

Also thoughts?