Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight and never will.
Crane Beach
Don't listen to a word I say
The screams all sound the same
Though the truth may vary
This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore
~Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men
It had been a week since Renesme and Alec had run. They were away from all the creatures that constantly haunted their friendship and wove themselves through it, stretching it until it was near to shattering. They were somewhere around Ipswich, Massachusetts. The Cullens had moved just outside of Montreal five years ago, after Renesme's 18th birthday.
Now, he was free and she was stir-crazy. It was the perfect equation for darting into unknown space.
Renesme sat in a tree, her eyes closed, ears tuned to the wind. She could hear the surf of the near beach lapping at the sand. October generally wasn't shore going time, but Renesme had fallen in love with the little slice of the Coastline town. Crane beach was her safe haven while Alec was searching for a place to stay. He'd taken the car, a spring green Ford Angelina they'd reclaimed from the side of the road in Salem. Taking a deep breath, Renesme adjusted herself and waited to hear her name called. It came quickly.
"Ren!" A shout sounded over the wind. Suddenly, Alec was perched next to her, grinning boyishly. "I found the perfect place." Renesme stared into his rusty brown eyes, playing with a few strands of his deep brown hair.
"Where?" was all she could say. Taking her wrist in his fingers, Alec pulled her from the tree and onto the beach, telling her the car was there. As they ran, she stared at the sky. The clouds were like mother of pearl shavings, allowing the day to be bright and clear while still hiding their dead giveaway.
"Up on the bluff, love," Alec stopped abruptly, catching Renesme as she tripped over herself. Brushing the hair out of her eyes, they instantly found the small cottage. Climbing up, the Ford Angelina was parked on a gravel drive. The house was perfect for 2 or 3 people with weathered wooden shingles on the sides that wore peeling aquamarine paint, giving it a marbled look. There was a small kitchen, 2 bedrooms, and a sun room that led out to a porch with a panoramic view of Crane Beach.
"You're simply incredible; you know that, don't you?" Renesme whispered, leaning over the railing of the porch. Alec glanced over at her, a faint shy smile on his lips. If Renesme didn't know better, sometimes she would mistake Alec's words as love. She knew that her heart felt for him, and that she'd follow him forever. Why? Probably because she didn't want to return to her family, no matter how much she loved them. Renesme wanted to be free for a long time, and then Alec stumbled into her sheltered life, opening the door hidden in ivy.
Late that night, Alec sat in the sun room, skimming over a book he'd found in the spare bedroom. He could only guess about what its topic was, as he couldn't sink into it. All he couldn't focus on was his companion shifting in her dreams. She was groaning and muttering incomprehensibly, twisting the sheets around her legs. Alec approached her, still holding the book, and perched himself at the edge of the mattress. Leaning over her, he reached out a hand, placing his fingers lightly on her arm.
"Renesme," Alec murmured, cradling her hand in his palm. The girl's muscles tensed all over, the light sheen from sweat on her forehead and only whimpers escaped her parted lips. Alec moved closer to her, then shook her shoulder. Renesme's eyes snapped open, confused.
"What's wrong?" She whispered in a half-conscious daze. Alec let a small smirk slip and pulled sway the linens that bound her to the bed.
"I should ask you the same, my dear." He returned, allowing her to sit up and settle against his chest. She was shivering, shaken by whatever her brain had knotted together and made her witness. Bleary eyed, Renesme stood and tugged on a black Indian style robe. She tiptoed out into the hall, winding her way through every nook and cranny in the house. Alec followed her, observed her, to make certain that she wasn't going to hurt herself.
"I saw them... here, in the house," Renesme gasped, flinging open the door to the kitchen. Her words startled Alec and he spun her around and grasping her shoulders firmly.
"Renesme, there is no one here." Alec said, following her frantically wondering eyes. "Relax, honey... Let me take you back to your room, please?" Renesme shook her head, her eyes still following the dream. Reaching up, she took one of his hands in her small, warm one.
"I can hear myself in my head..." she breathed, her gold-flecked eyes focused on him for a fraction of a second. The she slipped away from him, leading him into the sun room and out onto the porch. "I'm telling myself to go home, Alec." Alec watched her, his mind wrestling with her admission. Had she gone crazy? Had he done this to her? Shaking the thoughts out, he wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her on the railing that she'd hopped onto. No matter how much he urged, Alec couldn't get Renesme to return to her room. Instead, they stayed on the porch all through the early hours of the morning. She couldn't hear the voices out there and the sun, rising weakly through the overcast clouds was pretty.
The third night in the cottage, Renesme's dreams had finally tipped downward. She thrashed and screamed, unable to rid herself of the phantom images: Her parents following her throughout the house; her aunts observing her through critical eyes; her grandparents' passive and concerned glances. Alec stood outside her room, forcing his body to stay pressed to the wall, but he couldn't take it. Renesme was so happy and... alive during the day, but at night, dark horses wound their way into her subconscious and tortured her from the inside. He couldn't take it anymore.
"Ren, wake up!" He commanded, shaking her torso sharply. Her eyes snapped open, wild in childlike fright. Her breathing was shaky and harsh, making her small chest heave. Alec scooped her up, carrying Renesme's shivering frame to the porch, placing her in an Adirondack chair left by the owners. The girl curled up in the chair, burrowing her head in her arms and sobbing. Absentmindedly, Alec reached out and smoothed her hair, twisting it through his fingers.
"It kills me to see you this way, Ren," he whispered, "You're like a ghost..."
"The screams are all the same, Alec." She spat, her tone full of venom and unshed tears. "I'm sick of being sheltered and protective and you're the one who gave me this freedom."
"You aren't blaming me, are you?" Alec asked, kicking himself for saying something so selfish. Renesme lifted her face towards him, pain etched in every flawless feature.
"Sometimes I get sick of you too..." her voice cracked, but her face remained unmoved. Alec stared at her in awe, wanting to both apologize and yell at her for being so, so... In all honesty, Alec had nothing to fault her with; and that's what aggravated him to no end.
"If you're so sick of me, Renesme, then why don't you go back?" He hissed, feeling something akin to heartbreak. "I'm sure your mummy and gram will be waiting for you with a smile and hot cocoa. I'm sure they'll all hug you and kiss you and lavish you with gifts... tell you how proud they are and... How much they love you..." the spite and his voice gave out all together. Alec sat, fists and teeth clenched. She was kissing herself if she said he was wrong; ridiculous if she tried to prove him otherwise. Renesme Cullen was pretty much a brat, but even she didn't know it.
Ubruptly standing, Alec rushed back into the house, stopping in the kitchen just in time to hear his cell phone vibrate on the wooden counter.
"Hullo?" He answered in a monotone.
"Alec, is that you?" A timid, yet kind voice replied. It was the voice of Bella Cullen. "Thank God. Please don't hang up," That was exactly what he had been about to do, hang up and hole up in his room for a few hours. Maybe check and see if Renesme hadn't killed herself.
"Morning, Isabella," Alec was a little shocked to hear Renesme's mother at this hour, but more because it took her so long to call them. "What can I do for you?"
"How are you, honey?" She returned, sounding motherly. He expected her to be mad, but she wasn't. She should've been screaming at him, telling him to bring her daughter back, that he was a horrible person. Not one ounce of sadness or anger or frustration penetrated Bella's voice and it was that quality that gave Alec a decent bit of respect for her.
"I'm, I mean, we're fine..." Alec choked out after a brief pause. "We're in Massachusetts. The off season is quieter here." He mentally kicked himself for slipping up. Just because he merely mentioned that, the clan could be on top of them any day now. He had just jeopardized his and Renesme's freedom in one word.
"Good choice; I haven't been to there, but I'm sure its gorgeous." Bella laughed. Did she call for a friendly conversation with him? Somehow, that didn't seem right, even if it was pretty blatant. "Honey, I need to ask about Ness..." There was a stagnant silence on the other line. "How is she, Alec? "
Alec didn't know how to reply. Renesme was still out on the porch, but he couldn't hear her. He felt a slight pang of guilt for what he had said, even though he meant it. Renesme missed her family and was obviously in denial; he should take her back. Leave instead of helping her drown in self pity like he'd accomplished long ago. He didn't want to lie to Bella, but he needed to sort this whole mess out.
"She's alright, Bella," the words tasted like cyanide in Alec's mouth. "She's happy, I promise..." Alec really only half-promised the youngest Cullen's happiness; she had been more than happy that same morning, when she was out from under the shadow. "Would you like to talk to her? I could put her -"
"I won't bother her now, honey. She's probably asleep now, and I wouldn't want to worry her," Bella dismissed quickly. Adding in a quick goodbye, Bella hung up, leaving Alec in the kitchen of the house on Crane Beach still grappling with what he was going to do with her daughter.
The next morning's sun rose weakly through the clouds, just as any other day. Renesme wasn't watching it from the porch; she'd stolen back into the house while Alec was still on the phone, changing into jeans and a top before running to the water's edge. She'd sat there, letting the sea foam brush her bare feet and braiding little seashells into her hair, until a shadow materialized next to her.
"How long have you been out here, tesoro?" Alec spoke, drawing only her ears. Renesme's eyes remained fixated on the grey and pink horizon line. She held up 3 fingers, waiting for his response.
"Since 3 am? Ren, you need to sleep..." Alec sighed, placing an arm around her shoulder. Renesme ran her fingers through her salty copper curls, demurely shrugging Alec's hand off her. There was a long silence; Renesme drawing her finger in the sand, Alec's keen eyes following her hand.
"Who was on the phone, Alec?" Renesme breathed, watching him from the corner of her vision. He shifted uncomfortably, raking his nails along his scalp and worrying his lower lip. Renesme waited, knowing he would eventually tell her.
"Your mother," he admitted, staring into the water. Renesme sat up a little straighter and finally faced her companion. Alec had traded roles with her, now the one who refused to acknowledge the other. She could see in his posture that he was poised for her to begin a torrent of angry words. It would never come because those angry, bitter, but ultimately empty words had never rose to Renesme's lips.
"Did she ask about me?"
"Yes,"
"Did she say anything about the others?"
"No,"
"I thought as much..." chewing her lip, Renesme slid closer to Alec and rested her head on his shoulder. She played with the front of his black t shirt, feeling his arms snake around her waist. Her eyes began to droop, almost naturally, but Renesme knew better.
"Alec, stop. I'm fine," she said, nudging his shoulder playfully. He sighed, frustrated, but backed off. They settled into another silence. This one was accompanied by the sliding waves and early morning bird calls. The two runaways leaned against one another, exactly like they did everyday without noticing it. Alec wound his fingers through Renesme's locks, chuckling lightly at the tangled, salty seashells strewn through the curls.
"I miss talks, Ren," Alec whispered. Renesme nodded in agreement. Inhaling, she sat up, brushing his chocolate brown hair out of his face.
"Well, we need to go into town to get food, so we can have one when we drive," standing up, she began to make her way to the stairs that led to the house. Alec stood, but hung back, watching her retreating form.
"I accidentally told your mum where we are," he called.
"So?" She called back, shoving her hands in her back pockets, not even bothering to turn around. He tried again.
"Hey Ren," she was still walking. "I think I love you!" This time she paused, just barely glancing back at him, a smirk gracing her lips.
"That's nice, Alec," She winked and continued to trudge up to the house.
Soon it will be over and buried with our past
We used to play outside when we were young
And full of life and full of love
Some days I don't know if I am wrong or right
Your mind is playing tricks on you, my dear
~Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men
Author's Note:
Hey y'all! I hope you enjoyed this little one-shot. If you didn't, comment or send me a message; a few people already have, so I encourage you to send me your opinions :3
The story is based off of the song Little Talks by a group called Of Monsters and Men. They're a newer, but really differently awesome group, and if you like bands such as Coldplay, Neon Trees, or the Green Children, check these guys out! Crane Beach is a real place near Ipswich, Massachusetts. I visited it with my cousins last August and it is beyond gorgeous. I could've literally stayed there all day! Go Google some pictures if you want to take a look!
Thanks so much: rate, review, favorite, and/or message me!
Carie Lea