Author's Note: Well, hello there! Um, this is my first story posted on this site, and it's a response to a challenge prompt. The prompt was that the story cannot be more than 1,500 words and can only hint at Bella being non-Human. What she is (or isn't) doesn't need to be included- which is why I made this suspense. Um, also, I wrote this while in the middle of a busy day at work today, on leftover scrap paper- so all mistakes; grammatical or otherwise, are entirely mine!
I hope you all enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and any of its affiliations do not belong to me! I'm just using the characters and half-created plots to write for fun and make my life have some kind of meaning! :D
Enigma- by Literary
.oOo.
"There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable..." -Mark Twain
.oOo.
The voices of his classmates grates on his ears, and it is only by tightening his focus on the swirls and patterns of the wooden desk in front of him that he can drown out their voices.
And their thoughts.
Edward manages to suppress the multitude of faint whispers in his mind to nothing more than a low, somewhat pleasant hum following the tail of his own thoughts- a most welcome reprieve -just in time for his curiosity to be peaked as a heavy silence weights on all of the students in the room like a blanket. It kind of makes his earlier efforts to be in vain, though Edward does not really mind.
After all, quiet is still quiet no matter what the cause behind it is.
Finally, they've decided to close their mouths, Edward muses to himself, feeling the corner of his mouth twitch at the thought.
But this quiet is sudden; as if all of the air has been sucked out, and everyone is left speechless and incapable of making any kind of noise. It's almost... tangible. And, a split second later after that realization, something else suddenly occurs to Edward and his entire body stills.
Not only are the students not talking- their minds are still and quiet as well. The sudden absense of noise makes Edward's ears tingle, and his crimson brow furrows ever so slightly at the sensation. He takes a deep, silent breath, and his nose is suddenly engulfed in the scent of ozone, ocean water and some faint floral scent that he's not entirely sure of.
It's a light scent; faint enough that is could have come from an open window... but just on the edges of the scent, there's a slight current of power; like the smell of charged air particles he can sense just before, or after, a powerful lightning storm.
It's otherwordly, yet somehow alluring and comforting at the same time.
Almost against his will, Edward finds himself inhaling deeply again, and when the scent rushes into his lungs the second time, he swears it sparks a flicker of heat inside his chest. The heat curls within his chest cavity for a moment, but then fades as if never was, and Edward is unsettled to find that he misses it.
He frowns.
What?
How can he miss the feeling of heat, when he hasn't felt it in so many years he's all but forgotten what it truly feels like?
With the sudden, nearly unnatural silence permeating the room and the unusual scent beginning to cloud the air, Edward lifts his molten gold eyes, and immediately moves his gaze to the source of it all. Standing just inside the entrance to the bio room, a young girl surveys the class; her eyes slightly widened with- what appears to be -literal awe. As if walking into a high school classroom full of students is the most fascinating experience to be had. Though her facial expression is merely one of polite curiosity, Edward takes in the way her unusual blue eyes- a deep, deep blue that makes Edward think of an ocean's reflecting surface when under the direct light of the sun - take in every detail of the room.
If he remembers correctly (which he does) from hearing the teachers' thoughts, her name is Isabella.
He regards Isabella's face; a heart-shaped, fair-skinned face framed by long, wavy tresses of mahogany hair that trail over and down her shoulders. In the center of her face is a delicate looking nose, and her large, large eyes framed by long, dark lashes; with a pouty mouth- above a dimpled chin -that is adorned with pair of reddened lips that look... well, that look like they've been kissed roughly, and have been left to swell up from the abuse.
It's a strange observation, but that is all Edward can compare the appearance to.
Though the rest of her is nothing more than ordinary- just under average height with a slender build clothed under a simple, unadorned gray t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans, something about her tickles Edward's senses. He cannot put his finger on it, but he narrows his eyes regardless at her.
Almost as if she can feel his gaze upon her skin, her eyes smoothly find his. For a moment, nothing happens.
But then she tilts her head every so slightly, and smiles.
Edward's trail of thoughts crash and burn for a moment, and all that he can even see is her bright blue eyes and a smile that seems to take up her entire face.
It's... enthralling.
Whoever she is, she's suddenly managed to take the class's breath away, Edward muses darkly, his curiosity building even more. Including mine.
The girl shuffles her weight to her other foot, and Edward watches as she sucks her lower lip into her mouth, and a peek of even, white teeth slip out to nibble on the lip. She moves her eyes away from him and moves further into the room, closer to the teacher's desk.
Maybe she's nervous. But if she is, there is no other outward show of it, and her heart rate remains even.
Concentrating on her, Edward extends his sixth sense and tries to brush against her mind. Sometimes he has to initate a metal contact with others before he can start hearing their thoughts all of the time, without any effort on his part. But when his mind reaches hers, he is in for another shock-
Nothing.
There is absolute silence coming from her. It's completely frustrating, and Edward's hands curl into fists before he can stop himself. The other classmates' thoughts begin trickling back in, as well as their whispers, but he is concentrating on her so hard that their voices and thoughts immediately fade to the background.
What is up with her? Edward thinks.
"What are you?" he mutters to himself, so silent it's not even quite a whisper.
The girl turns her head to him, quick as a whiplash, and he can see the surprise in her eyes. As if...
As if she has heard him, and is taken aback at his question.
Edward just gapes at her, shocked. How could she hear him from...?
"Can you hear me?" he asks very, very softly. He keeps his eyes on her face to read her expression. She does not respond to his question; merely bites her lower lip again and turns away just in time to see the teacher come into the class.
Even though she doesn't answer, Edward has the strongest suspicion she can hear him, but is choosing not to answer.
"Class, we have a new student. Her name is Isabella Swan, and I hope you all make her feel welcome." The teacher drones dutifully. He nods his head at the desk next to Edward's closer to the window. "You can have the empty desk next to Edward Cullen," and points in the desk's direction.
Isabella gives a slight bow of her head at the teacher in a show of thanks- spiking Edward's curiosity of her even more -before moving to the desk. Her walk is as graceful as a housecat's, and her boot-clad feet are silent on the hard floor, hardly louder than a faint whisper even to Edward's ears.
As she passes him to slip into the seat, Edward takes in another deep breath.
There is that ozone and ocean spray scent again. And the warmth in his chest is back.
Edward's eyes find Isabella's just as the girl sits down in her seat. She looks over at him, just as he mouths to her, What are you?
Instead of answering, Isabella just puts a finger to her smiling mouth as if to shush him, before pulling a notebook out of her bag and placing it on her desk. For the rest of the class, she keeps her attention focused solely on the teacher, her eyes never once wavering to Edward.
But Edward finds he cannot not concentrate at all, and his eyes keep moving back to her.
The smell of ozone is so strong, but strangely not overwhelming- though he finds he does not hunger for it as much as revel in the freshness of it. And the sound of her heartbeat is so sure and strong, that he can easily focus on it to drown out everyone else's.
When the bell rings for class to end, Bella is up and to her feet smoothly, already making her way past Edward's desk. Not quite able to stop himself, Edward sticks his hand out and manages to brush her wrist with the tips of his fingers, intent on trying to get her attention.
Immediately, a heat so strong it makes his hair stand on end washes up his arm as soon as his fingers ghost across her skin, and Edward literally gasps.
Isabella jolts away from him, her lips forming a small "o" as she regards him with surprised eyes. A few of the passing students regard them with curious looks, but neither Isabella nor Edward seem to notice.
"You... what? How...?" It's been a long time since Edward has been lost for words.
"Forgive me," Isabella replies, sounding sincerely repentent, and it's the first time Edward hears her speak.
He immediately wants her to say something again to hear the lilt in her slightly husky voice, but is dissapointed when she bows at him instead, before turning and leaving the room quickly.
Edward remains in his seat, lowering his eyes to his hand. His fingers still tingle from the earlier skin on skin contact.
Letting out an exhale that is somewhat shaky, Edward runs his fingers through his hair. The new girl is most certainly not human.
She's... she's an enigma, is what she is.
And Edward knows himself well enough to know that he will not rest until he unravels just what enigma she really is.
END.
Eh? So? Did you make it to the end? Yay! XD
BTW: I know canon!Bella has brown eyes like her father. But, in this little AU, seeing as she isn't Human, I've decided she inherited her mother's blue eyes instead.
Um, as for the story length, I went over the limit by a few (hundred) words, I hope you don't mind. :( (I wasn't counting each word when I wrote them down on the scrap paper... so, LOL).
Please, please feel free to tell me what you think of this in a review! I'd love to hear your thoughts, comments and opinions, I really would!
NOTE: Yes- this story is "complete". But... um... is it bad that I'm already scribbling some plot twists and ideas for a full-length sequel story? Crazy- inorite?
As if anyone would be interested in a sequel...?
*runs to hide under blanket*