Preface
The cries of Bella rang in the air like dented bells with Edward, my brother's, sobs, tearless sobs. We couldn't cry. I bit back a sob myself as Bella let loose another strangled cry. Carlisle was stitching up her forehead. "Hold your breath, Alice, it will help," he told me. As if I would ever harm Bella, but why did her blood have to smell so good? I obediently stopped breathing.
"No, Bella, oh please, no…" sobbed Edward. I couldn't bear it any longer. The relief sank in as Carlisle gave me something to do; "Alice, go get me something to brace her leg!" I looked away from Bella's twisted, broken leg, as I set my mind to finding something to brace it with. My mind swam, my face would have been swimming too, with tears, if I had any to cry with. Instead, my body was colder than it usually was, if that was possible, but my face remained dry. What was it like to cry human tears? I would never know.
Bella was screaming; her screams curled around my ears and I didn't want to hear them, no, I wouldn't hear them! I covered my ears with my palms, but still her cries pierced through the air; they pierced through my cold, cold vampire hands. "The fire, somebody put out the fire!" she shrieked.