diligent {open}

[esme cullen]

Esme Cullen took the first few steps into the forest, as careful as she always had. She was quiet and calm, and graceful like a gazelle. With one quick glance back at the house, she took off, sprinting her way through the woods, getting as far from town as she could. She didn't need to go attracting attention to herself of the family. A lifeless, bloodless body of a deer in the middle of the woods? That could be a cause for concern. And besides that, the closer she was to town, the more potent the smell of human blood was. Esme would never lie to herself about that. It always smelled better than animals. She knew first hand it had tasted better too, but that was a memory she'd rather not remember. Somethings were just better left forgotten.

They'd been in Walkerton for just over a week. Unpacking was done the first day, at her insistence. She wanted to have everything done just right, and she'd gotten what she wanted. Her family knew she didn't ask for much, so they would give her the little things she wanted. Carlisle had secured employment prior to their relocation, and though she hadn't done that herself just yet, Esme knew there was demand for antique restoration in South Bend. It wouldn't be long before she made her way out there, and she knew that not many people would go applying for that job. It'd be hers in no time, and then she could get into a normal routine.

Normal... That life was uprooted when they finally had to leave Forks. They stayed as long as they could, which was much longer than they should have stayed. It was 2036, and they'd stayed under the radar for the past thirty years. Esme missed the socialism of having a life outside her home. She was thankful for Indiana. It had approximately two hundred ninety overcast days a year, lots of woods, a school, and a job for Carlisle. They could stay here for a good twenty years before they had to drop off the face of the Earth again. They'd certainly come here claiming to be young enough. And maybe the people just wouldn't catch on anyway.

She was brought from her thoughts when the smell caught her. She froze, a sudden stop. She listened carefully, sensing the direction. Her throat burned and she took off again, running toward the deer she could tell was drinking from the creek. Finally, some nourishment. As it came into view, instinct took over and Esme jumped, effectively landing on the innocent creature and sinking her teeth into the flesh, paralyzing it. She drained it all too quickly, and her thirst was no where near satiated enough, but it would have to do for now. She could smell someone nearby, and she didn't like her children seeing her hunt. She would rather hide behind a mask than look like a monster. "I know you're there," she called.

OUTFIT