𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄:
Visions

IT'S BELLA'S BIRTHDAY TODAY.

Alice Cullen is excited, no thrilled to celebrate such a wonderful occasion. She's much more excited than the one who is supposed to be excited, Bella Swan.

As she is waiting at the school entrance for Bella, she'll arrive in a few minutes from now, her eyes suddenly glazed, and her body is still another vision.

For her, her visions are like short clips that move from the next clip to the other. Before her is a woman with short brown hair, slightly curled, with bangs, her thin bare lips moving.

"It's about damn time, Mary Alice."

Confused, the vision continues to the other. She sees herself talking to the woman. She seems happy, joyous even. The woman takes her hand and places a kiss on her lips.

Then it sank in. This was the same woman in her first vision after she woke up from transition. It confused her even more, why she had a vision now when for decades, she has been trying to look for her in every possible way.

She observes where the vision takes place, it seems like an old abandoned building. Looking around, she sees an old, ruined sign.

The letters are already fading, St. Dymnpha Mental Hospital, Biloxi, Mississippi. She takes a mental note of the place, then the scene before her fades like a gust of wind.

Blinking rapidly, she smiles to herself and quietly says, "It's time." Looking around, she sees Bella getting out of her Chevy trunk.

Alice skips toward her with her usual cheery smile on her lips. "Happy Birthday, Bella!" She exclaims in excitement.

"Shh!" Bella hisses at her as she glances around the parking lot, making sure nobody heard Alice.

Alice ignores her and asks eagerly, "Do you want to open your present now or later?" with a small silver-wrapped box in her hand.

"No presents," Bella protests in a mumble.

Alice frowns as she processes Bella's mood. "Okay...later then. Did you like the scrapbook your mom sent you? And the camera from Charlie?" She has seen Charlie and Renee teaming up with each other to give Bella her birthday gift.

"Yeah. They're great."

"I think it's a nice idea. You're only a senior once. Might as well document the experience," Alice tells her with a bright smile.

"How many times have you been a senior?" Bella asks curiously as they approach Edward. "That's different," Alice tells her.

"So, as discussed, I am not allowed to wish you a happy birthday, is that correct?" Edward asks.

"Yes. That is correct." Bella tells him.

"Just checking." He runs his hand through his tousled bronze hair.
"You might have changed your mind. Most people seem to enjoy things like birthdays and gifts."

Alice laughed, and the sound was all silver, a wind chime. "Of course, you'll enjoy it. Everyone is supposed to be nice to you today and give you your way, Bella. What's the worst that could happen?" She meant it as a rhetorical question.

"Getting older," Bella answers.

"Eighteen isn't very old," Alice says and continues with a smile, "Don't women usually wait till they're twenty-nine to get upset over birthdays?"

"It's older than Edward," Bella mumbles, and Edward sighs.

"Technically," Alice says, keeping her tone light. "Just by one little year, though."

"What time will you be at the house?" Alice continues changing the subject. From her expression, she was up to exactly the kind of thing Bella had been hoping to avoid.

"I didn't know I had plans to be there," Bella says.

"Oh, be fair, Bella!" Alice complains. "You aren't going to ruin all our fun like that, are you?"

"I thought my birthday was about what I wanted." Bella points out as she looks at Edward pleadingly.

"I'll get her from Charlie's right after school," Edward tells Alice, ignoring Bella altogether.

"I have to work," Bella protests.

"You don't, actually," Alice tells her smugly. "I already spoke to Mrs. Newton about it. She's trading your shifts. She said to tell you 'Happy Birthday.'"

"I-I still can't come over," Bella stammers, scrambling for an excuse. "I, well, I haven't watched Romeo and Juliet yet for English."

Alice snorts. "You have Romeo and Juliet memorized."

"But Mr. Berty said we needed to see it performed to fully appreciate it- that's how Shakespeare intended it to be presented." Bella excuses as Edward rolls his eyes.

"You've already seen the movie," Alice accuses as she crosses her arms, not really liking Bella making up excuses not to celebrate her birthday.

"But not the nineteen-sixties version. Mr. Berty said it was the best."

Finally, Alice loses the smug smile and glares at Bella. "This can be easy, or this can be hard Bella, but one way or the other-"

Edward interrupts her threat. "Relax, Alice. If Bella wants to watch a movie, then she can. It's her birthday."

"So there," Bella adds.

"I'll bring her over around seven," Edward continues. "That will give you more time to set up."

Alice's laughter chimed again. "Sounds good. See you tonight, Bella! It'll be fun, you'll see." She grinned-the wide smile exposed all her perfect, glistening teeth-then pecked Bella on the cheek and danced off toward her first class before she could respond.

•| ⊱✿⊰ |•

"I SAW HER AGAIN," Alice says to Jasper as they walk side by side towards the cafeteria, where the rest of her so-called adoptive siblings are waiting.

"Who?" Jasper asks, confused about what she is talking about.

"The woman in my first-ever vision," Alice answers and continues, "It's time for us to meet. I don't know when, but soon."

Jasper stops and looks at her and asks, "Would you like me to go with you?"

"No. I think I need to do this alone," Alice says and adds, "She's alright. I know you've been wondering."

Jasper sighs as he puts his hand on his jean pockets and says, "I know. I just wish I could break that promise."

"You wouldn't. You'll see her soon, I just know," Alice tells him as she places a comforting hand on her best friend's shoulder, and Jasper just sighs and asks, "Where will you meet her?"

Alice frowns and answers, "In Biloxi, Mississippi, in a mental hospital."

Jasper furrows his eyebrows as he recalls something and says, "Isn't that where James found you? In the tape, he said that two older vampires help you escape. Maybe she's the one James and Victoria have been chasing around."

Alice then tilts her head as she thinks back on what she remembers James told Bella in the ballet studio that's recorded in the tape. "The two old vampires made her a strong new vampire, and there was no reason for me to touch her then. I destroyed the old one in vengeance, and the other escaped. After this, I'll hunt her too."

Alice sighs with a frown, now playing on her soft lips. "Maybe, I can get some answers now. I won't be in the dark about my human life anymore," her voice getting enthusiastic at every word.

Jasper smiles at her. Alice deserves to know what happened in her human, even if his own human memories are fading.

At least he knows who he is. To begin with, Alice just developed her own consciousness on her own.

With no idea of who or what she is when she wakes up from her transition, it must've been a terrifying experience for her, Jasper thinks to himself.

"And I'll always be here to listen about what you found out and to welcome your lover."