Title of Story: Shake It Out
Rating: M
Pairing: Bella & Edward
Genre: Drama/Suspense
Word Count: 3037
Story Summary: When Sue Swan dies and leaves her estate to her estranged niece, Bella discovers that there's something twisted in the sleepy little town of Forks.
Standard Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.
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The street lights flicker on at twilight in this dreary little town. I pull the collar of my jacket closer to my neck to keep the chill out as I walk briskly down Main Street. I was starting to become annoyed that I left my brown hair flowing freely this evening; the wind was whipping it in my face as I tried to walk on an unfamiliar path. I wasn't used to the damp chill here in Forks, Washington. My home, my life, is in Florida. My mom moved us to Miami in high school when my stepfather was called up to a major league baseball team, the Marlins. Before that, we lived in Phoenix, Arizona. I had only lived the first five years of my life in Forks, so I don't remember it at all. I am currently an advertising executive at a small company and have a great life, living in Tallahassee. So why am I wandering around Forks, you ask? Because my aunt passed away last month, and apparently I'm the only blood relative she had left to bequeath her estate.
My father, Charlie, was her twin brother and had been the police chief in this little town until he was killed by a drunk driver ten years ago. Honestly? I barely remember him, having only spent a few weeks during the summer with him until I was fifteen, and then we grew apart. Susan Swan was apparently the town recluse and crazy cat lady. She kept to herself, only ever speaking unless spoken to. Even then, she usually replied in only one- or two-word sentences. When her brother passed away, she became even more withdrawn. A few of the gossiping old ladies in town mentioned she practiced witchcraft, and that was the real reason for my father's death.
I scoff and snort slightly at the thought as I continue down the street. A man passing by carrying a pumpkin eyes me warily upon hearing the sound as he walks by. I feel my cheeks heat up in embarrassment, and all I really want is to settle Aunt Sue's estate so I can head the hell home. Halloween is in three days, and the last place I want to be to celebrate my favorite holiday is across the country from my friends and family. Ever since I was a little girl, I'd loved the excitement of trick-or-treating and carving jack-o'-lanterns with my mom. We didn't really have a fall season in Miami, but I love the cool, crisp October air I experience in Tallahassee.
Reaching my destination, I pull open the door of the town's only motel and smile in greeting at the woman behind the counter. "Hello, Mrs. Brandon," I call out to the older woman. She looks tired, like she hasn't slept in days. Rumor has it that she hasn't had a good night's sleep since her daughter, Alice, went missing eight years ago. Mrs. Brandon gives me a small wave as I continue to the stairs and up to my room on the second floor. I drop my bag on the floor and kick off my shoes, rehashing in my mind what I've learned about this town in the past two days.
Every Halloween, for the past decade, someone has gone missing and has never been found. It started the Halloween after my father passed away. A teenage girl named Angela Weber had been dropping off some food for an elderly neighbor when she just vanished into thin air. That event turned this tiny town on its ear. The following year, Forks High football captain, Mike Newton, disappeared. Alice Brandon next, followed by seven others. The last to disappear was Emmett McCarty, whose family spanned generations in Forks. The entire town was on tenterhooks these past few days before the now-feared holiday. The gossiping ladies I met at the town cafe this morning were all too eager to divulge the sordid story. It was just another reason I am eager to meet tomorrow with the man who is handling Aunt Sue's estate. Edward Cullen is a young attorney whose family lives on the outskirts of town.
I haven't been able to gather much information on him since, apparently, the Cullens kept to themselves mostly after having moved here six years ago. Their middle son, Jasper, is one of the teenagers who disappeared on Halloween four years ago. Old Mrs. Cope swears that my aunt had something to do with those disappearances. They started five months after my father passed away. Speculation was that Sue went off her rocker in those five months, leaving her home only once a month for supplies. I chalk all the gossip up to being superstitious old biddies who couldn't understand how strong the shy woman's grief was over losing not only her closest relative but her twin brother to boot.
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The next morning dawns bright and sunny, a stark contrast to the previous day I'd endured in Forks. I am meeting Mr. Cullen at my aunt's house, a short ride from the motel. I pull up in front of a modest, two story home that looks pretty run-down. Shingles hang from the roof, and shutters dangle half-broken on the windows with invasive ivy-like plants covering the right wall, giving the impression that the house is being swallowed by the surrounding forrest. There is an ominous air about it, causing a small shiver to run down my body. A shiny silver Volvo is parked out front, so I assume that the attorney is here already, and I step out of my rental to head up to the porch. The stairs creak under my feet with each step I take upwards until I reach the top. As I raise my hand to knock on the door, it quickly opens, revealing the most handsome man I've ever seen.
His bronze-colored hair is artfully tousled, and his blue dress shirt accents his jade green eyes perfectly. He smiles at me, and my heart starts to pound. I immediately feel a surge of annoyance. What is this shit? I am a strong, confident woman. I never have reactions like this to men. I'm not some teenager with a crush.
"I take it you're Bella?" he asks, his voice rich and mellow.
Nodding, I give him a small, awkward smile. "Yes, hello. I'm guessing you're Mr. Cullen?"
He grins and shakes his head. "Mr. Cullen is my dad. You can just call me Edward."
He pulls open the door fully and sweeps his arm in a welcoming gesture. "Your home awaits."
As I step over the threshold into the house, a gust of wind pushes past me, moving me slightly forward. Something is weird; the whole place feels...off. The air inside is heavy and stifling. The hair on the back of my neck stands up, and I feel goosebumps rise on my arms.
There is something strange about this place. It makes me immediately and undeniably uncomfortable. Even though my aunt passed away only last month, the living room is covered in cobwebs and dust, like no one has lived here for years. Heavy draperies cover the windows, adding to the gloomy feel in the room. I begin to wonder if the old biddies in town had been right all along. But there is nothing magical feeling in this house. It is more sinister.
"It's a little run down," Edward comments in a lighthearted tone, attempting to sound positive.
I raise an eyebrow skeptically and continue my trek through the room, entering the kitchen. The same disrepair and neglect is evident in here as well. Dust and cobwebs cover everything. I can't understand how my aunt had lived like this toward the end of her life. It doesn't make any sense to me. The cupboards are completely empty; same with the refrigerator and pantry. When I turn to ask Edward about it, he's gazing behind him in the direction of the living room, seemingly staring off into space. I clear my throat to get his attention, and when he glances back at me, my heart stops momentarily. His eyes are dark and unfamiliar, looking at me like he could see into my soul.
"Are you okay?" I ask, causing him to blink and shake his head slightly.
He looks at me with a confused expression, his eye having returned to their normal color before shrugging it off. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a weird feeling for a minute."
I swallow the lump of fear that has taken form in my throat. "All right. Can we finish quickly? This place is giving me the creeps."
Edward nods eagerly. He takes my hand and leads the way upstairs. Three of the four rooms on the second floor are in the exact same condition as everything else we'd encountered so far—except the master bedroom. That one holds a shock of its own.
The cream-colored room is bright and immaculate, not a speck of dust or cobweb in sight. The bed is neatly made with dolls lined up along the pillows. Something pulls at me, drawing me over to where the dollies rest peacefully. They're various sizes, male and female, all with insanely lifelike features. The strangest thing is that normally you'd see dolls like this wearing fancy dresses, or suits in the boys' case, but all of these are wearing modern clothing. Two are in dresses, some in jeans and jackets, even a few in school uniforms. Ten in total. A feeling of dread begins clawing its way into the pit of my stomach, and I can't quite figure out why, although deep down I think I already know.
I turn to look at Edward and see him staring at the dolls with a look of horror on his face.
"What? What is it?" I ask, surprised at how calm my voice sounds to my own ears when inside I'm quickly becoming overwhelmed with panic.
"Th-that one, the boy with the blond hair. It looks identical to my brother, Jasper. He disappeared four years ago, right around this time of year. We thought he'd run off because he'd been so depressed over having to move here for Dad's job." I watch as his Adam's apple bobs as he swallows and points to the doll next to Jasper. "That one looks exactly like our friend Tyler, who went missing the year before Jazz did."
He walks closer to the bed, his face becoming paler as he inspects the dolls more closely. "They-they're all identical to people who have gone missing over the past few years. How is this possible?" he murmurs, mostly to himself.
The comments about Sue practicing witchcraft come back to me in full force. There's no way, is there? How is any of this possible? I knew I should've stayed in Florida, inheritance be damned. The dread in my stomach begins clawing its way into my chest. I turn to walk away, and I swear the eyes of these dolls follow me. Some strange forces are at play in this house, something evil. We need to get out of here, right the fuck now.
I grab Edward's hand, but he doesn't budge. I look up and his eyes are dark again, staring down at me. His free hand comes up slowly to caress my cheek. As frightened as I am, something else sparks when his skin touches my own. A dark thrill of desire radiates straight to my core, and I can't begin to fathom what the hell is happening right now.
"Isabella," he whispers, in a voice that isn't quite his own, "how long I have waited for you."
"Edward? What's wrong?" I ask, a cold sweat beginning to break out on my forehead.
"The young man is gone right now," he murmurs in that voice that was his—his, but with a deeper note to it.
"Then who-who are you?" I stutter out, my voice shaky.
He smiles wickedly, and I can feel my blood begin to sing for him even as my fear and my mind begin to struggle for dominance. "I am yours."
His hand swiftly moves to the back of my head and pulls me to him. Desire courses through my veins as his lips eagerly devour my own. This is wrong, so very wrong, but I can't make any move to stop it. My willpower has flown out of the window. I don't know anything about this man who was now in the process of ripping open my shirt. I pull myself away from him, gasping for breath. He begins trailing scorching kisses down my throat before shoving my bra up and cupping my heavy breasts in his hands.
"Oh god!" I cry out as he pinches one nipple, sending a lightning bolt of heat straight to my clit.
Edward smirks at me, his dark eyes blazing with desire. "Not quite, my dear."
"How—" I gasp. "Why are you doing this?"
He presses his hips against my own, and I can feel the hard bulge of his erection pressing against my stomach.
"Really now, Isabella. Do I need to explain the concept of mating to you?" He chuckles darkly in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
Pulling whatever strength I have left, which is spurred on by recalling the presence of these creepy dolls behind me, I try to push him away but only succeed in creating a few inches of space between us. He looks at me, somewhat surprised by the action.
"Seriously, dude. What's going on here?" Even as I'm trying to recapture my composure, my body is fighting against me, urging me closer to him.
He shakes his head. "Always the obstinate one." He sighs. His hands reach up to cup my cheeks, gently stroking them with his thumbs as he stares deeply into my eyes.
"I am yours. You are mine. Our souls are one. I've been patiently waiting for your return, my love."
"But I've never even met you before!" I yell, my mind struggling to comprehend what is going on.
He simply smiles. "Centuries, Isabella," he replies cryptically. "You cannot erase the flow of time. I've always been connected to your family. Some called me their muse. Others wanted darker favors. Some, like your aunt, only sought companionship. But you are different. Your soul has always been my one true mate. It's you who have bound me to the Swan family for generations even if you cannot remember it in this moment. It will become clearer."
I shake my head. This shit is too ridiculous.
His eyes take on a harder edge as if his patience is running thin. "Your body says differently, love. Feel how it responds to me." His hands grip my hips and pull me flush against him.
He kisses me deeply, allowing his hands to roam my body. Touching, feeling, grasping. I am quickly lost in the haze of desire, and the next thing I know, I'm standing naked before him, his clothes disappearing at some point as well. He gently lays me back across the bed, his eyes ravenously taking in the sight of my flushed skin. Coming to my senses briefly, I begin to panic when I catch a glimpse of the dolls seemingly watching us with rapt fascination.
"Oh, god, this is so wrong."
He pushes my legs open and presses his cock against my folds, sliding back and forth across my clit, making me forget quickly about the damn dolls.
"Do you not like this form, Isabella?" he murmurs softly. "I can choose another for you, if you'd prefer."
A chill runs through my body, cooling my desire temporarily. "Edward?" I say his name as a question, not even fully comprehending what I was asking.
"He's still in here, I assure you," not-quite-Edward murmurs against my skin as he flicks his tongue against one of my nipples. "Do you not desire this? I can feel your skin burning my own, the slickness against my cock tells me that you do."
"Oh, fuck," I groan as he presses the head of his dick against my entrance. "I'm scared," I whisper, squeezing my eyes closed.
He leans down and presses his chest against mine, using one hand to turn my face to his. His dark eyes are full of so much love and longing that it takes my breath away.
"I have you now, my dearest one. Nothing will ever part us again," he whispers before kissing me softly and gently.
With that kiss, my mind is wiped clean, and I forget why I'm afraid or why I'm even in this room to begin with. All I feel is desire, searing and desperate. He nudges my legs open, and I eagerly spread and lift them slightly to allow him access. When he eases his body inside of mine gently, I start to come undone. A wild feeling rips through me, like I've never experience before, like this man is finally home inside of me. As he's bucking and thrusting against me, his lips never leave my skin. Trailing up and down my neck, across my breasts, my lips. We never lose contact.
I feel the tightening in my belly, climbing higher and higher. I can't help but to dig my nails into his shoulders, drawing a hiss from the man writhing above me.
"Yes, love, let go," he grunts as he picks up his pace. "Let go and be free."
One stroke against my clitoris and I shatter, shuddering with my release before I close my eyes into darkness.
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A young woman with brown hair flowing down her back gently packs away a group of lifeless dolls in a secure trunk before reaching out a hand to her lover. His eyes, just as dark and mysterious, shine with adoration of his mate. He kisses her softly as he reaches out for her hand. He steps away to lift the trunk for her.
"I'll put them somewhere safe, my love." He speaks softly to her.
She gives him a wicked smile, one that is full of hunger and promises. Together they walk out of the rundown house in that dreary little town, never to return again.