No one can save you now, Bella," croaked a cold voice. Her voice trailed into nothingness, and I knew wherever she was, she was taunting me. My dreary eyes were open, not afraid to look death in the eyes, and every so often, I'd see it; flashes of flamed hair. She was tormenting me with my death. Little did she know, I would embrace it, willingly. Her high pitched voice dripped with amusement, but after torturing me, I was damn sure she wasn't kidding when she waved hell in front of my face.
Once he left me, I was undeniably not in a better arrangement, as he had certainly anticipated. The lies were told, and I believed him, understanding that he no longer wanted me. I still do. After all, as he said, I am merely a human. I was aware of hot tears pricking at my eyes, but I contained too much pride to let them fall. Who weeps in the presence of death? I don't fear death. Not now at least.
Her unrelenting cackling continued in the darkness, but I was not capable of escaping. Fastened to a chair, restricted by black thorns, the pricks slashing my chest and ribs, who could? My hands alike were bound with the same substance behind my back, and I could feel them hacking as much as they did to my chest, my grey sweater staining with blood.
Victoria was becoming restless. She could smell my blood, and she wanted it. Why she had not killed me already, I didn't know.
Suddenly, I saw two completely coal black eyes looming out of the darkness. She was going to make it quick but still painful. As painful as she could possibly make it. What did it matter though? Edward was gone. He had forsaken me the time I required him most. I was enraged at him, but soon a picture of him shot through my mind, and I grimaced. Victoria smirked at me.
I stared into her deep eyes. She was going to kill me, but for the most part, I was not frightened. I faced death like an old friend, or I was ready to that is. Victoria swiftly materialized at my neck, sweeping my long dark brown hair away from it. She inhaled deeply and sighed, her eyes growing even darker than her pupils, which widened in a sudden second. She struck with haste.
Her fangs plunged into my neck, clamping into my skin, and I gave a loud inhale of strangled breath. I couldn't scream. I suddenly felt weak. Weaker than I had ever before. I couldn't move at all as the intensity of the pain shot through my neck spreading onto my shoulder, then my arm, to the tip of my fingers. I felt numb all over, and I groaned slightly, my head lolling on my neck, my brown eyes drooping helplessly. My mouth opened, and I whimpered, as she continued to suck my blood.
I went unconscious.
"BELLA!" My name was screamed, but I couldn't even open my eyes. A searing pain was in my neck, and I felt like hell. "Bella!" I heard my name being yelled again, but it seemed closer this time. If I could wince, I would, for the voice, no matter how velvety and beautiful it was, it was right in my ear. I felt cold hands grasping for my cheek, feeling every part of it. Helplessly, they stroked my hair, frantically trying to get me to consciousness. I don't know if I was or not. I decided that I wasn't… yet.
"Bella," the voice moaned, sobs shaking his body as though having a seizure. I felt the cold hands trying to yank the ropes off me, most likely cutting his hands as he did, but apparently he didn't care. I needed to open my eyes, and I strained to do so, but my body felt so unbearably vulnerable and frail, and no matter how hard my attempts were, I couldn't do it. "Bella, my sweet Bella." I recognized the voice.
It was Edward's.
Weakness. Excruciating. It became even worse, and I could feel myself drifting into unconsciousness… or was it death? It did not matter. I was here, in his arms again.
He went into another wrack of sobs, and I felt him kiss my forehead, believing me to be dead. I felt his cold cheek, as he kissed my forehead again. I desperately tried to tell him I was alive, but I could not.
He held me very close to his body, I placed into his lap, and his arms wrapped ever so tightly around me. One was on my waist, shaking dangerously, the other around my shoulders.
"Bella, please, come back. Come back to me," he whispered in my ear, his sweet breath covering the side of my face. I shivered.
"Bella?" he whispered, breathing heavily, chest rising up and down on my ribs, eyes wide, unbelieving.
My eyes fluttered open, no idea where the sudden vigor came from. "Bella!" He began sobbing again, not taking his eyes off mine. His whole body shook, and he was trembling violently. I was shaking slightly, pathetically feeble. Tears flooded out of my eyes , and I grimaced with agony, crying out, shutting my eyes with pain. I felt like a broken toy, beyond repair as I began to fade.
"Bella? No, Bella." His voice sounded horribly panicky, his hands grabbing both my shoulders, shaking them. I just stared into his gorgeous gold eyes, and mouthed, 'I love you,' slowly. His face grew frightened and alarmed, then furious. "Damnit, don't you even think about it," he snarled at me. "BELLA NO!"
I gasped loudly, then relaxed, my eyes in a wide tortured position, my mouth agape slightly, neck more numb than ever before, but piercing with fire. But then… I let go.
I CAN FEEL YOU ALL AROUND ME, THICKENING THE AIR I'M BREATHING HOLDING ON TO WHAT I'M FEELING SAVORING THIS HEART THAT'S HEALING
"BELLA! BELLA! NO!" He shook her body, the light seeming to have gone from her eyes. "BELLA!" He screamed again and again. Alice came over, and began to pull him gently away. She was no doubt strong, but she was no match for Edward in his state of mind right now. "NO! Get off! BELLA!" He snarled at his sister, but she refused to let him be free. Her nails dug into his forearms and chest, but no blood appeared. He struggled against his sister's hold on him, focusing on her dead body. He reached out with his hand, and then sank to his knees, sliding under his sister, who held him with such a force and a meaning, but he didn't notice. She was gone. Gone. Forever. He didn't ever get the chance to apologize for abandoning her.
"No," he groaned, pushing his sister away. "No, no," he gasped. "NO!" The pain inside was building up inside of him, and he felt he was about to burst. His heart filled up with such emotion, and even though it no longer beat, it felt as though it were pounding, creating an enormous hole in his chest. His eyes were filled with intense and mortal dejection. He looked like he was going insane. He was. His soul was lost, as her's had been. He exhaled loudly and gave up on consciousness.
He was dreaming. He had to be… or did he? But he couldn't sleep. It wasn't possible. Was he dead? No, he can't die. He was in the meadow he had taken… Bella… before, the second time they had kissed. It was exactly as he had remembered it. Except she wasn't there. Or was she? He didn't know.
He turned around. "Bella?" he said. For a short second, he thought he had seen her. Or was it her? He was dazed and utterly mystified.
He heard a noise, and swirled around again. He fell backward. It was her.
She was clothed in a no strap white dress that covered her feet. Her hair was curlier, her eyes more gold, her face, although smiling warmly, was carved out of ice. She never looked more beautiful.
"Bella?" He carefully took a step towards her, just making sure she wouldn't disappear or anything. "Bella," he breathed out, as he touched her check. It was cold, like his. She smiled at him, and put her hand on his, closing her eyes. A few tears slipped out of her closed lids, and Edward wiped them away with his fingertips.
"Please don't cry, love."
Her eyes burst open. They were a dark blood thirsty red.
"Bella, you're- are you a? What… I-"
But he was soon shut up by her lips crashing onto his. She was kissing him with such passion and intensity, Edward couldn't breathe for a minute. But then he kissed her back, with as much enthusiasm, maybe even more. Her hand tangled in his bronze hair, and he clutched her head, forcing it towards him, kissing her hard. Then he finally drew away, and gasped for air, as she did. She looked human again, her eyes back to her normal illuminating brown, her features much more like her own, not a vampire's.
"I love you Edward," she whispered. "Don't you ever forget that."
"I love you too, Bella," he said. And for once, he felt that everything was right. For the rest of that dream, he held her in his arms, watching the stars from the small clearing of trees above.
"You are my world," crooned Edward in her ear. "My light, and my love." He kissed her forehead, and slid his nose up and down her jaw line. Then his lips rested on her neck, and she sighed contentedly. His lips formed a smile on her throat.He loved her, she loved him. All was well.