Falling Meteors
Prologue: Rage, Rage, Rage
Summary:
Sometimes, it's hard to survive. When you're dragged twenty-five years forward into a war-torn future with no memory of how you got there, it's almost impossible. It's a dangerous time to be human. Blood is more valuable than gold, and everyone wants a sip. All Bella knows is that she has to find Edward. But in this new, unfamiliar world, that might be more difficult than she thinks.
Beginning Notes:
The bug for this story sort of just hit me today and I figured I'd write a chapter to see if anyone was interested. Cheers. I'm really interested in a story with a much deeper sort of mythology—and creating that excited me.
There is some notable dialogue taken from chapter 18 (and, more tangentially, chapter 19) of Breaking Dawn. Cannon up to that point, and then it drastically diverges—obviously.
—Bella Swan—
Blissful unconsciousness ripped itself violently away from me. My eyes opened. White light blinded me. I tasted blood. My body writhed. All I knew was pain. Painwas beyond imagining—pain beyond relief. Strong, cold, arms wound around my shoulders, holding me down.
Where was I? What was happening?
I wanted to move—to yell—to scream—to do anything. I thrashed uselessly. My body wouldn't respond. A thin, sharp, crack. Another wave of pain washed over me. My eyes rolled back. All I knew was pain. Pain and desperation. Desperation and pain.
Where was Edward? I needed him.
"What's happening, Edward?"
There! That was his name! Was he here? Had he left again? I tried to open my eyes—to move—to speak. I needed to hear him.
"He's suffocating!"
That was his voice! Edward's! He was here! He didn't leave! Why wouldn't he help me? Why wasn't he with me? Another crack. Another wave of pain. Another shudder. Another convulsion. Another piece of sanity.
"The placenta must have detached!"
Placenta? What—
I felt something move inside of me. Clawing. Scratching. Trying to get out.
My baby was dying. He was dying. I was dying. My lips moved and words tumbled out. "Get him OUT! He can't BREATHE! Do it NOW!" Edward needed to hear—to understand. I didn't care about my own life. Not anymore. All that was left was the pain. He needed save our child.
Another crack. I writhed. My baby fought.
"The morphine—" Edward sounded like he never had before.
No, forget the morphine. Get him out! I opened my mouth to to tell him—to explain—to scream. "NO! NOW!—" I choked. Blood rushed down my throat. I coughed violently. Another wave of pain. Another piece of sanity. Cold, steady hands gripping my shoulders and propped me upright.
I spat out blood.
"Let the morphine spread!" Edward's voice came again from behind me. Angry. Commanding. Afraid. He was holding me up! Did he think morphine could help? This was beyond help.
"There's no time"—that was Rosalie! I know that voice—"He's dying!"
I didn't have time to prepare. Time to ready myself. Pain. Blinding—white—hot—coalesced from my stomach and spread outward to the rest of my body. I opened my mouth to scream but chocked on my blood. Something splattered against my body. Could it be my blood?
All I knew was pain. Pain and desperation. I could feel them—their arms inside me—pulling him out. They were saving him! Relief washed over me, and it was cool and soothing. I could feel Edward's body behind mine. It was familiar. Soothing.
I heard motion—fighting—and someone left the room. Edward's presence vanished from behind me. I could still my baby inside me, trying to get out, and suddenly, relief was replaced with blinding panic. Where was Rosalie? I knew she would've helped me. The world began to dim around me. I could hear Edward's voice going faster and faster as my baby fought harder and harder and on and on it went. Over and over again. I felt hands on my body. Trying to save me. To save my child.
A final crack split the air—and the world spun around me into numb nothingness. No pain. No desperation. Nothing. For the briefest second amidst the chaos around me, I was at peace. I closed my eyes for the last time—
And then suddenly, I wasn't numb anymore. I started to feel pain again. But it wasn't hot, it was cold. My body was freezing, and I was gaining more and more consciousness as I got colder and colder. This wasn't fire, but ice and I felt a new and unfamiliar kind of pain as this new sensation seeped into me. It got under my skin—under my bones—it became who I was. And it was endless.
The world vanished around me and for a time, I became unaware of anything other than this icy coldness that had seeped into my being. I wondered where I was—I hoped that Edward had managed to save our child. If he had… if he had… then maybe my death meant something. And that I didn't die for nothing.
Suddenly, I began to hear whispers. They were soft at first, but they got louder and louder, greater and greater. I couldn't see them—couldn't feel them—but the cacophonous chorus of their combined voices washed over me again and again. It built and built, crescendoing into a deafening climax which wouldn't end. There were too many voices to make sense of anything. It was just a wall of sound and chaos which assaulted me again and again. And it wouldn't stop.
For a time, sanity left me, again.
I was no longer myself—no longer Bella. I lay, helpless, as a torrential barrage of ice and voice assaulted my senses. I didn't know how long I had been there or how long it would go on. All I knew was pain. Pain and sound. How I longed for the comforting embrace of unconsciousness. This place—wherever I was—was timeless—ageless.
An indeterminate amount of time later I began to make out voices amongst the whispers. They weren't clear, but muffled—and quiet. It felt like I was hearing them from a million miles away. The familiar cadence of language barely distinguishable. But the voices were familiar—yes!—they were. I recognized Edward's voice.
"Still no change?"
"None."
"There's no scent of the morphine left."
"I know."
And that other voice was Carlisle's! A ghostly shadow of that pain washed over me and shivered. So had the morphine worked after all? Was that why I felt nothing but cold? Was I still alive?
"Maybe… Carlisle, maybe I was too late."
Too late? He saved him, right? My baby was safe? I began to feel panic—real panic—for the first time since I entered that quiet, empty place.
"Listen to her heart, Edward…"
Oh, so they were talking about me?
"And her—her spine?"
"Her injuries weren't so much worse than Esme's. The venom will heal her as it did Esme."
I felt bewildered. Had Edward bit me? Would that mean that I was changing into a vampire? But I thought that was supposed to be a hot-pain. And I was nothing but cold and empty. Had it worked?
"She must be in agony."
Edward's voice was a broken whimper. I felt tears well in my eyes, but they didn't fall. They couldn't. It was too empty for that. I had never wanted him to feel that way. I wished there was something I could do to help him.
"Bella, I love you. Bella, I'm so sorry."
I wanted to curl up. To not feel anything. To give up.
New voices now crawled inside of me, dimming the quiet chorus of a thousand whispers.
"Edward, there was nothing you could have done."
"NO! I could have—I should have—I never should have—"
"You couldn't have known. This was unprecedented."
"This is all my fault…"
This was a voice I had never heard Edward use before. It was bleak and full of indescribable sadness. It sounded broken and defeated. I wanted to call to him—to reach out—to tell him it was okay—but the cold had me immobilized in place.
"Edward, you haven't fed in weeks, you have to eat something."
That was Alice's voice. She sounded on-edge. Worried.
"Later."
"Edward, you can't starve—"
"DON'T tell me what I can't and can't do Alice."
"But Edward—"
"Alice… please… just… leave it."
What had happened? Why wasn't I comforting Edward? Did I—had I—died? Had I not made it through the transition? Was this what the afterlife was like? Cold and lonely? Was this what I was doomed to?
"How is he, Alice?"
"He's barely holding it together. I think the only reason he's still here is because of Renesmee."
Renesmee?
"At least he's still here."
"But what sort of life is that, Jasper? She can't grow up with a broken father—"
Edward was Renesmee's father? Did that mean I was a mother? I had a girl…? It hit me in that moment, as it never had before, that I would never know her. I would never be able to hold her—to see her grow up. To share a life with Edward and our child. The coldness felt colder and voices felt louder. I wanted to crawl my way out of this endless blackness towards something—anything!—that I could hold onto. I wanted to help Edward. I wanted to be with Renesmee. I was confused and scared.
And sad. Immeasurably sad.
All was quiet then. No voices, not whispers. Nothing.
Just coldness.
An immeasurable amount of time later I noticed that heat had started to come into my body again. I moved the tips of my fingers. They weren't numb as they had been. Slowly, feeling began to return to my body. I could feel my fingers—hands—wrists—arms—shoulders—torso…
The darkness was lessoning too. Pitch blackness turned to the darkest of blues, and I became aware that I was moving forward. Had I always been traveling so? Was I unaware of it the whole time. Slowly lights started to blink around me, visible for only the briefest instance before they rushed past me. I was moving fast, I realized. I could feel the wind whipping my hair and the icy cold sting of air against my face. More and more lights blinked into existence around me. They were dazzling, big and small, white and yellow, blue and red. Separate, and in gigantic, indescribable clusters.
They were stars, I realized.
They started to grow brighter, too. Tiny pinpoints of lights slowly expanding and expanding—growing brighter and brighter—hotter and hotter. I felt heat and it was like I discovered it for the first time. I basked in the feeling of it. The warmth—the comfort. The started to become uncomfortable, then. It got hotter and hotter, and I started to feel my skin burn against its heat.
I felt pain, then, but it was a different pain then I had felt before. A better pain. It wasn't numb, but real. I closed my eyes and rolled with it. Tried to dive under and around it so that I didn't feel it. But all the while, it increased and increased until I could no long cope with it's intensity. The world around me was growing brighter and brighter—whiter and whiter. The stars were so big now that they were blending together, becoming one, never-ending, blinding, white-hot blistering inferno of heat and pain. It felt as if my very cells were being fried.
The heat burned.
I closed my eyes and wished for it to be over as I spiraled faster and faster. My heart started to pick up speed and it echoed in my ears, thunderously crashing as it furiously beat faster and faster. I felt sick. I felt pain. I felt scared.
The hear burned. And my heart beat.
And then, as quickly as they had left and as inexplicably as they had come, the voice returned. They weren't whispering this time, though. They were yelling and the sound scraped against my ears. I wanted to escape—to yell—to scream—to die already so I could get away from the ice and the fire, the cold and heat, and the silence and voices. It was too much.
The heat burned. My heart beat. And the voiced yelled.
My body felt like it was being compressed—squeezed—flattened. I gasped for air, but none came to my rescue. I struggled in vein for to grasp onto something. I didn't know what was happening. I knew I was falling. Falling father than space can even described. I felt like I had traveled an immeasurable distance. My body ached for the sweet relief of death.
The heat burned. My heart beat. The voices yelled. And I wanted to die.
That was all I knew.
The heat burned. My heart beat. The voices yelled. And I wanted to die.
Who was I?
The heat burned. My heart beat. The voices yelled. And I wanted to die.
Help! I wanted to scream. Someone help me! But no one could hear me and no one could help me. I was on my own.
The heat burned. My heart beat. The voices yelled. And I wanted to—
My body hit the ground and the smell of burnt earth filled my nostrils. I lay froze in place, unable to comprehend the lack of pain. What had happened? I could feel my heart beating… feel myself breathing… feel the dirt underneath my hands…
I sat up.
The world around me looked dark, and barren. I was sitting in a forrest—or what had been one a long time ago. Grey, decaying, trunks of trees stood all around me like gravestones. The ground underneath me was black and dead. A fire had ravaged this forrest. Nothing grew here anymore.
I can relate, I thought dryly. Shakily, I rose to my feet, marveling at the fact my body still worked. I took a shaky step forward and was amazed at how steady it was. I started to walk.
As twilight wore on and the night deepened, ominous shadows started to emerge from deep within the forrest. They slanted angrily across the trees, casting jagged lines of darkness on the path in front of me. A gentle breeze brushed by me and I shivered. Where was I? I didn't remember a forrest of this sort being anywhere in Forks or the surrounding area. Had someone taken me somewhere else?
A gentle breeze brushed by me and I drew my sweater tighter around my shoulders. I gave myself a once-over and shivered. For whatever reason, I was inexplicably wearing the same clothes that I… left in. They were the same clothes I had been wearing when everything had… gone wrong. Blood drench maternity clothes and a thin, frail, jacket. I felt a pang of loneliness and wrapped my arms around myself, covering the long gash made in my dress when Rosalie—
I stopped in front of a particularly large tree in my path. Three jagged claw marks ran down it's surface, cleaving the bark nearly in two. I traced the indents with my fingers. They were deep. Could that have been made by a wolf? Jacob flashed before my mind. Jacob—strong and cold. I winced, remembering my wedding. He had been so angry…
With everything that had happened I never really had a chance to apologize to him. I hoped I would get the chance to. I continued onwards, trying to get as far as I could before the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon.
Slowly, as I walked, dull panic began to set in. I had no idea where I was. I had no idea how I got here. And I had no idea how to leave. Where were the Cullens? Were was Jacob? What had happened? Was there any food out here? And water? What day was it? What was the time, for fucks sake? Where was Renesmee? How was I—
I stopped and leaned against a moss-covered tree besides me, trying to fight the panic which was threatening to overwhelm me. I slid down and curled into a ball. It was so dark now that I could barely see five feet in front of me. The forrest was quiet around me. Deadly silent.
I swallowed heavily and took a deep breath, trying not to gag at the smell of my own dried blood. I took another shaky breath and started to cry. I felt all the confusion, all the pain, all the endlessness of what had happened to me. I didn't know if I had been gone twenty four hours, or twenty four years. Something buzzed in my pocket then and I jumped, pulling out my phone. I forgot I had it with me.
The display told me it was 9:30 at night. I had an alarm set to go and sleep.
I sniffled. Well, that was something, at least.
I had missed a call from Edward. At 4:30pm—which was only five hours ago. I hadn't been gone long, then. A wave of relief spread over me. I clicked on the voicemail and pressed the phone to my ear.
"Hullo, Love,"—Edward's voice always soothed me—"I'm going out to hunt with Jasper. We'll be gone for less than an hour. Please don't worry… I'll be back,"—I smiled—"I promise. I'm sure Alice can keep you entertained while I'm gone. I love you so very, very, much."—I swallowed—"I'll be back before you know it."
The message ended. I swallowed again and took a shaky breath. I sniffled."I'll be back, I promise," repeated over and over inside my head. I remembered what I had heard the voices whisper. I remembered the conversation Alice had with Jasper. I remembered the conversation Edward had had with Carlisle. I remembered when he was hopeful I would live, and when he despaired that I would die.
I sniffled and started to cry again, harder this time. I cried for Edward. I hope he's okay, I thought. I cried for Renesmee. Did she think I was dead? Did everyone think I was dead? I wanted to be with her—to hold her. I was so confused and tired and scared.
I cried until I couldn't anymore and sat in silence, listening to the forest around me. "This sucks." I mumbled. Almost as if in agreement, my phone buzzed with a new message.
(Unknown_9:22pm) Hi.
I sat staring at my phone, confused. I had no service. How was I receiving messages?
(Unknown_9:23pm) You're confused. That's okay.
I opened my phone and checked the number—it was unlisted.
(Unknown_9:23pm) You don't know me, but I'm here to help you. I promise.
Help me? I mouthed. I was utterly confused.
(Unknown_9:23pm) I'm really glad you're here.
I typed my message with shaking fingers.
(Bella_9:24) Who are you?
(Unknown_9:25pm) I'm not important.
(Bella_9:25) Where am I? How do you know me?
(Unknown_9:25pm) I don't know you, yet. I've been waiting a long time for you to get here.
I swallowed. This was weird. Who was this guy?
(Bella_9:26) Now?
(Unknown_9:25pm) It's important. I promise.
My phone started to buzz. This guy wasn't waiting for a response. I clutched my phone tightly, unsure of what to do. When it stopped ringing, the quiet of the forrest seemed… louder. More ominous. My phone started buzzing again. With each vibration, my apprehension grew.
Should I answer it? Who was this person? What did they want with me? Again, my phone fell silent.
Almost five minutes later, it rang again. I bit my lip. It was so quiet in the woods that every sound seemed to echo in the air, suspended for the briefest instance, before vanishing. Marshaling up my courage, I took a deep breath and picked up the call.
"Hello?"
It was silent for so long that I thought there might never be an answer.
"Bella?" The voice on the other end of the line didn't sound much older than I was. It was quiet, modulated, and female.
"That's me." I said, feeling oddly vulnerable in the middle of that quiet, empty forrest.
Another silence.
"I'm glad you're here." She sounded very genuine.
"Thank you," I replied feeling… awkward. "Could you, uhm, tell me who you are?"
She sighed apologetically. "I really wish I could."
"…you can't?" I stumbled over the words.
"Things would get… complicated if you knew and I don't have much time."
"That's… not very helpful."
"I'm really sorry," She said. "But things are about to get really… really… difficult for you. And there's information I need to—" A loud bang sounded on the other end of the line. "—give you. Shit." She swore.
"What's—" I began to ask.
She cut across me impatiently. "No time for that now. You have to listen to me right now, do you understand? If you don't you're dead." Another bang—a gunshot. "Fuck." I heard a muffled voice on the other end of the line. "I need a minute." She hissed. "Please."
Another bang. "Listen Bella. Right now, I need you to get up and start running. Don't stop—no matter what happens—no matter what you see—you have to keep going—you have to make it through the night."
I heard a snarl
"I don't know who else he has in there. I fucked this up—goddammit—you have to get out of that forrest. Head north—get to Port Angeles. I'll be able to find you there."
"Wait—" This was all happening to fast.
"I'll help you as much as I can but—"
The line went dead. All around me the forrest was quiet again. I bit my lip. Who was that girl? My phone rang again. I picked it up with shaking fingers. "What's happening? Are you alright? Where are you—"
"I'm sorry."
I froze.
"She's not here at the moment." This voice wasn't female. This voice was low, deep, and rich. It was unmistakable. A vampire was on the other end of the line. Snarls sounded loudly in the background. I could hear screaming—and growling. Fear blossomed deep in my stomach and spread outward, crippling me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remove the phone from my ear. "I'd like to welcome you to my little corner of paradise, Bella."
"What do you want?" My voice was barely a whisper.
"Retribution." The voice rumbled.
"Retribution? For what?"
The voice laughed. "Oh my dear, sweet, Bella. Haven't we moved beyond that? Haven't we?" His voice became sweet as honey. "I will never forget, dear, sweet, girl."
"Forget what? Please. I didn't do anything to you." I whimpered.
"Didn't you?" There was anger now in his voice. "Lets see if I can… jog your memory a bit."
He laughed, and the world around me exploded into chaos.
Ending Note:
Bella is, like, all over the place in this chapter. She's just feeling a little bit overwhelmed right now. I'd probably be too, come to think of it. Poor girl.
Let me know what you think of this story. It's pretty out there.
Cheers!