Alice sat alone in a sea of green. It was quiet here, much more quiet than it
was inside the house. Still, she found it hard to concentrate. The future was
shifting around so rapidly, it was like looking at a TV that was changing
stations every second. Fragments of sentences, flashes of images... It was
beginning to make her head hurt.
Edward was going to Alaska. That much was certain. But beyond that, she couldn't
pin anything down. Once it looked like he would be coming home but then in the
next moment she saw him in Brazil. She couldn't even tell when these futures
were taking place or even if they would. She could be seeing things a week from
now or years from now for all she knew. And she could just as easily be seeing
only possibilities as well.
Alice sighed. The day had started out so normal. Well, as normal as things ever
truly were for a family of vampires, she thought wryly. But now, everything was
in chaos, both in reality and in her mind.
Alice closed her eyes and concentrated very hard on Bella Swan, trying another
angle from which to gain some clue as to what would happen now. However, in
every vision pertaining to her, the girl was nothing but a blur. Her future
seemed the most uncertain of all.
Alice opened her eyes and rested her head in her hands. She had no more answers
for her family and a feeling of helplessness gripped her because of it. Perhaps
time would allow her to see more clearly and hopefully it would not be too late.
The sun had set now. In her mind, she could again see a dark road, the trees
whipping past the windows, the only sound a car's engine growling as it was
pushed to its limit. Edward. The vision was the only solid thing she had seen
all afternoon. He was on his way now. Away from them, away from Forks.
Her shoulders hunched. Bye, she thought miserably.
Her perfect hearing caught the distant sound of tires turning from pavement to
gravel. Carlisle. Jumping up, she sprinted back in the direction of the house,
hoping his inherent wisdom would bring some comfort to them all.