Pick A Pic Challenge
Title: Always Remember
Penname: Moonlightoftwilight
Banner: #100 (Yeah, I changed it. But this banner fits better, you'll see.)
Rating/Disclaimer: Rated T for reference to death. As usual, I don't own Twilight: the great Stephenie Meyer does.
Summary: Losing someone is never easy. Bella and Edward are two of those people that have... in a way of tragedy. Entry for Pick A Pic Challenge.
To see all the stories that are a part of this contest please visit: www .fanfiction-challenges. blogspot. com
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Why? Why did I not save him? That was the first thought that popped into my mind as I stared out of my passenger window, Edward driving his Volvo to the Valley Of The Temples. It wasn't far now. The flowers, each one representing the loss of a loved one, was in sight. He was among those that had those flowers. My memories were all I have left of him.
Him.
"Are you okay, love?" Edward asks me, placing his left hand over mine. His eyes doesn't tear away from the road, but the tone of his voice knew how distressed I felt.
I shook my head. "No. I'm not okay."
He sighs. "Me either. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I have to. He's our friend, Edward, and I can't let him think that I forgot about him."
Edward stares out at the road again, refusing to meet my eyes. "We won't ever forget Jacob. He's a great friend for his memories to fade so easily."
A tear slips from my eyes. "We should have saved him, Edward."
He holds my hand even tighter. "I know. But what could we have done? This is what he chose, and there's nothing we could've done."
We let the subject drop after that. For the rest of the ride, Edward and I stayed silence. I had nothing to talk about at the moment, and the only thing that we could talk about was dropped seconds ago. Ever since Jacob's death, our conversations tend to turn up this way: silent and awkward. Our lives changed the moment he died, and it would stay as a memory that will truly haunt me for the rest of my life.
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Jacob's grave wasn't hard to recognize. It was on top of a small hill in the Valley Of The Temples. It remained nearly solitary, except for the two graves that were atop that same hill. Surrounding Jacob's grave were dozens of flowers. I knew that mine were somewhere in that pile, along with the rest of our friends and his family. probably rotted with lack of water.
I clutched the bundle of rosemaries, violets and poppies tighter in my hand as Edward and I walked closer to Jacob's grave. It still looked somewhat the same since the last time we saw it during his funeral, except the fact that it was neglected since his funeral. The words on his tombstone were pretty basic like every other tombstone you'd see around a graveyard, except for the line that me and the rest of our friends insisted to add.
Now at the front of his grave, I took the time to fully appreciate the words that was inscribed on his tombstone. I didn't really get the chance to see it well during his burial since I was too busy crying against Edward's shoulder and holding Alice's hand to see what was going on. The pain that was in my chest that day eased a bit now, but just barely.
Jacob Ephraim Black
February 11, 1992- May 9th 2010
A cherished son and loving friend that will always be remembered
~ A thing of beauty is a joy forever: its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.
The memorable quote from John Keats flashed through my mind. A distant memory that was a nightmare to me was now coming back to me. What I was remembering is not from Jacob's funeral, but the day when I found him dead.
It was a normal Sunday at home, just like every other Sunday there was. School was coming to an end in a few weeks, and I was studying hard for my finals. Jacob hasn't called since Friday when Edward and I spent the day at his house. Even until now Jacob hasn't gotten over Leah, and I seriously felt bad for him. I was happy that Leah had found a boyfriend, but it hurts me to see Jacob watch the girl he loves in the arms of another. It was almost as if he was a zombie.
Meanwhile, Edward was home after being out with Jasper and Emmett watching a football game at Aloha Stadium. Leah was on a date with her said boyfriend. Alice, Rosalie, Angela and Jane were all out shopping at Pearlridge. They've asked me if I wanted to join them, but I had said no. Shopping wasn't really my thing, and after some constant pleadings from my friends and a puppy dog face from Alice, they respected my decision and left me with promises to buy me something anyway. And Emily was at Claire's house playing video games with Quil and Embry.
So basically, I was at home alone doing nothing but studying. It was too early for my parents to come home, and the numbers on my Algebra textbook was now all a blur to me. I sighed, closing my textbook. Wasn't there something that could happen that didn't involve studying?
As if the gods heard me, the ringtone of my cell phone went off. I turned my head to see the caller number and found that it was Edward. Smiling, I accepted the call.
"Hey Edward. What's up?"
On the other line, I heard silence.
"Edward?"
"Bella," he says. His breaths were frantic, as if he went running for one mile without stopping. Immediately I knew it was a bad sign.
"Edward! What is it? Is there something wrong?"
Again I heard silence. I began to panic.
"Talk to me Edward!" I say, nearly shouting the words to him.
After a few more minutes of complete silence, he finally spoke.
"Go to Jacob's house," he whispered. "Don't ask why. Just go. Now."
I didn't question Edward any further. Ending our call, I jumped out of bed and headed straight to my truck. I haven't bothered to lock the front door of my house, for I was in a rush. Luckily, Jacob's house from mine wasn't far, and there weren't many stoplights to go through along the way. I was there at his house in less than ten minutes.
Parking in front of Jacob's home, I yanked open the car door and dashed towards the front door. It was left wide open, so I was able to go straight inside without ease.
"Edward?" I called, trying to look for him. I heard footsteps from upstairs, and stopped in my tracks.
"Bella!" I whip my head towards the stairs and see him running down the stairs. I see his hands covered in red.
"What's that?" I ask, staring at the red on his hands. He notices my gaze and wipes the red on the fabric of his shirt.
"N-Nothing," he stutters. "Come with me upstairs, Bella."
I sigh, then follow him to wherever he was taking me. Jacob was nowhere in sight, so I assumed that he's in his room still moping around about Leah. There was an odd silence in the air similar to my short conversation with Edward on the phone. An uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach made me gulp. There was something wrong happening, I'm sure of it.
When we were finally at the front of Jacob's bedroom, Edward pauses, his right hand on the doorknob.
I gently nudge his arm. "What's wrong? What was so important that you made me come here on short notice?"
Edward sighs. "You'll see. And trust me when I say that this is very disturbing."
I never got the chance to respond back to Edward, for he turned the doorknob and let the door swing open.
What I saw nearly made me faint.
Blood.
A knife.
A note.
A dead person.
Someone committed suicide in this room.
Edward's hand shot up to my mouth, drowning in my sobs. I shook my head, and his hand slipped down just enough for me to say something.
"JACOB!" I shriek, my voice echoing across the entire room.
In less than half an hour, my whole world had fell apart.
"Bella?" Edward's voice brought me back to reality, and it took me a second to comprehend the fact that his arms were shaking my shoulders. The flowers I held earlier were on the soft green grass, and I was crying hysterically. Edward turned me around so that my face was buried against his chest, tears damping his shirt.
Why had Jacob killed himself that day?
Why wasn't I over his death months after his funeral?
Why was it that Edward's presence wasn't enough for me?
So many questions were left unanswered, even with the suicidal note Jacob had left behind. What had I done that made me deserve all this grief?
When I was sure I could no longer shed any more tears, I lifted my head from Edward's chest and picked up the flowers that were still on the ground. We came here for a reason, and that reason is for me to stop being miserable and to start living the life with Edward like Jacob would have wanted for me to have.
Wiping my face from leftover tears on the sleeve of my jacket, Edward and I walked the few steps in front of Jacob's grave.
Stopping a few feet away from his grave, I sighed. "We kept our promise, Jake. Edward and I haven't forgotten you, and neither have our friends."
"It's never the same without you around," Edward added. "Emmett's missing his wing man."
I snickered. "I thought Jasper was Emmett's wing man."
"They both are," he says. "The point is, Bella and I both miss you."
"Definitely," I agree. "But I never thought it was because of you that brought Edward and I together."
A sad smile broke through Edward's face. "I wanted to do it in a way that didn't involve this." He gestured at Jacob's grave and sighed.
"I know," I say, entwining our fingers together. He was right. Even though Edward was finally mine after liking him for years, I didn't imagine for it in a way that involved death.
A strange gust of wind suddenly flew past us, the flower's on Jacob's grave moving slightly.
"He heard us," Edward murmured.
It was true. This happened exactly during his burial, after everyone had left and I was saying my final good-byes. It was Jacob's way to communicate with us, even though he was somewhere in the other side of our world. Even without words, I could tell what he was telling us. Jacob wanted me to be happy, and to see me happy with Edward was enough for him.
Jacob had said it himself, Edward and I would have definitely end up as a couple one day.
I was no longer crying like earlier, but I still felt unhappy.
"I wish you were here," I whispered.
"Me too," Edward adds.
Releasing his hand, I placed my flowers on top of Jacob's tombstone. I stepped back, and felt a little more satisfied. Those flowers fit to be up there. I knew that it might fly off in a few days, but I didn't care. The important thing was that I was here, visiting Jacob at the place where he should be resting peacefully.
Edward wraps his arms around my waist and sighs. "Feeling better?"
I shrug. "A little."
We stand in silence for a few minutes, watching the birds go by and staring at Jacob's grave. I didn't know how to describe the moment, but it was better than the memory I relived through earlier. I felt the weight in my chest that I was carrying was lifted and drift away.
"Think we should go?" Edward asks. "It's getting late, and I don't want to get yelled by your mother again."
I looked down at my watch and saw that it was 6:00, a half hour before my mom expected me home.
I nod. Taking his hand, we started to walk away from Jacob's grave. I peer over my shoulder for a final look.
The wind I felt earlier was back, and I knew Jacob was telling us good-bye too.
I'll never forget you was what I could imagine Jacob telling me.
"I'll never forget you Jake," I whispered. Smiling to myself, Edward and I walked away.
We would be back in a few months on Jacob's birthday. I would be sad all over again like I was today, but at least now I felt that life without Jacob around would get easier.