There was a loud bang from downstairs as the door hit the opposite wall. I whimpered as the impact made the house shake a bit. Carlisle patted my arm reassuringly before returning to pressing a cold compress to my still bleeding throat. The rag was already covered in red, but it didn't seem to bother Carlisle. I could the conversation coming from below easily, though I wasn't entirely sure how.
"What happened?" Edward's low voice demanded. My heart sped at the sound of his voice.
"We don't know. Alice saw her but we couldn't get to her fast enough. She sliced her throat with a switchblade." Esme murmured so quietly I was surprised I could hear her.
"Why weren't you watching her?" Edward snapped, probably at Emmett and Jasper who were supposed to be watching me while the Cullens hunted. There was a crash and snarls and growls erupted from downstairs. I whimpered and Carlisle looked meaningfully at Alice, who stood next to me on the examination table. She flitted from the room to the stairs.
"The crashing and snarling isn't comforting her, you know?" she said harshly as she stepped a ways down the staircase. Her tone was angrily irritated. There was a beat of silence then the six of them were outside the door. Edward hissed at Emmett and Jasper before opening the door and stepping in. My eyes locked with his and I ripped myself from Carlisle's hands and bolted towards him, running into his arms, sobbing.
"Shhhh, love, I'm here, I'm right here." Edward's lips were soft and gentle as he whispered between kissing my forehead, my cheek, the tip of my nose… He didn't understand; none of them did. I sobbed into his shoulder until he led me back over to Carlisle, who again placed the rag against my throat. I whimpered as Edward took it from him and touched it to my neck while holding me.
"We can all thank God Alice saw her and we were only a few minutes away." Esme sighed as she stood beside us and brushed my cheek softly.
"Thank God she didn't hit the jugular. She nearly did, though." Carlisle said. Edward tensed then kissed the back of my neck.
"I never saw anything until I saw her slice her throat," Alice whimpered, "but, I saw something after that, a flicker. It looked to me as if she cut something else…" She trailed off, thoughtful. They all looked at me and I squirmed uncomfortably.
"Let me see your wrists." Edward said, taking the hand that was wrapped around me away, towards my hands. I hid them against my body as best I could. I shook my head.
"Let me see." It was Carlisle who spoke. Again I shook my head. Edward's voice was suddenly quieter, soothing. Again he asked to see my hands and I finally gave in. Carlisle pulled the arms of my sweatshirt back to reveal the fresh cuts on my wrists. Scarlet blood poured from my wrist. They all gasped.
"Carlisle…" Edward murmured in panic. I knew he wanted Carlisle's opinion.
"She punctured the radial artery. We need to stop the bleeding. Now." Carlisle said urgently. Edward lifted me and carried me to the examination table. He laid me down gently and I tried to struggle with him to get free, but his arms held.
"Bella, don't fight me," he said, one arm under my back and the other holding down my thrashing legs. Tears streamed down my face as Carlisle pressed an antibiotic pad to my wrists. He then pressed a damp washcloth to each of them. I moaned. After a few minutes, all my wounds continued to gush blood.
"Carlisle, she's going to pass out soon if we can't stop the blood loss," Edward said, agony in his voice.
"I know, Edward. Esme, get me salt water. It may stop it." Carlisle said. I whimpered. Salting wounds stung horribly. Esme was back in a couple of seconds, stirring a cup of cold water and salt together then handing it and a washcloth to Carlisle. She took my other hand gently, holding it steady for him. I tensed and buried my face into Edward's chest. I felt the burn and I clenched my hand into a fist. I felt it again, on my other wrist. I squirmed but Edward and Esme held me down, firmly but gently. Again, I felt the burn and a low whimper escaped my lips. Esme rubbed my back. This continued for a few more moments as Carlisle poured salt water over the cuts. I was trembling by this point. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the burn again. Edward turned me around, murmuring in my ear.
"It's over, Bella, it's over. It's okay, it's alright, I'm here…" He whispered, hugging me to his chest and rocking me.
"Why would she do this?" Edward murmured. No one had an answer to that; neither did I. If I was in front of my blood line now they would be even more confused than the Cullens. They're just H.A's they'd say. Nothing too terrible. The Cullens wouldn't do that, when they found out. The silence continued for a long time, no one breaking it until the phone rang. Everyone looked confused, except me. I knew who it was immediately, I'd been waiting for this call for the past hour. I began to loosen myself from Edward's and Esme's grasp but Esme beat me to it. She picked it up, putting to her ear, still confused. Everyone, including me, could hear both sides of the conversation.
"Hello, is this the Cullen residence?" the person on the line asked.
"Yes, it is."
"I am just calling to see if you received the letter we sent you early last night."
"No, we haven't gone through our mail yet. Who is the letter for?"
"A Ms. Isabella Swan. I assume she lives with you?"
"Yes, she does."
"Well, when she reads the letter, please have her call me back so I can arrange flight tickets for her." Esme and the rest of the Cullens were completely perplexed by now, watching me as buried my face into Edward's arm. Esme agreed then said goodbye, hanging up. She flitted to my side, kneeling down beside me.
"What did the letter say, Bella?" She asked in a serious tone. I didn't respond I just pointed behind me at the bed where the letter sat opened. Esme picked it up and read it quickly, horror building with each moment. By the time she finished reading it, she was crying tearless sobs. She flew to me and took me from Edward's arms, sobbing. Seeing her cry made the hysteria and tears come back and I clung to her tightly, burying my face into her shoulder. The others were still perplexed. However, Edward understood in a second, reading Esme's thoughts. Edward knelt beside me on the bed, still astonished but understanding now.
His arms were stiff with shock as I loosened myself from Esme's hard grip gently and crawled into his lap, my face in his neck. His arms held me, rubbing my back gently, soothingly. Esme held the letter out to the others and Carlisle took it from her. They read the letter in Carlisle's hands quickly. When they finished, they were dumbfounded, frozen with shock and horror. No one moved for what seemed like forever. Then, one by one, they left, leaving Edward and I alone. He pulled me down on the bed, laying me on my side, facing him and tucked the blanket around me. His arms encircled me and I cried into his throat all night.