I was in my happy place as Alice fitted the dress. Fantasising about Edward and me on our honeymoon. This time, we were in Australia. He still wouldn't tell me where we were going, so I had to imagine it.
Suddenly, I felt a prick in my side, then a slight tear of my skin, and snapped back to the present. I didn't want to look in a mirror, but it was sort of hard to avoid considering they were all around me. The first thing I noticed was the white dress I was wearing. It really was quite stunning. Especially because Alice had made it all herself.
The second thing I noticed was Alice. She had backed into a corner of my room. On closer inspection, I noticed that her eyes were the deepest black.
"Alice?" I asked hesitantly. "Are you okay?"
"Where's Charlie?" I could tell that she was trying to control her voice.
"He's out fishing, I think." I replied, a little bit baffled by Alice's odd question.
"I'm really sorry Bella."
"Sorry for what, Alice? I don't –"
But before I could finish my sentence, she had lunged across the room towards me, and pushed me over. As I landed on the floor, I heard the sickening snap of a few of ribs. A sharp pain shot all through my body.
"Alice!" I screamed. "What are you doing! Alice, you're scaring me!"
I was struggling, but it was useless in her marble arms. For a split second, it reminded me of when Edward held me in bed, and wouldn't let me go, but a lot more painful. This vision was shattered, by another pain.
It was so much worse than the pain coming from my ribs. It had started in my neck, and was now racing around my whole body.
"ALICE!" I was terrified.
She lifted her head to look at me. Her face perfect, apart from one small, bright red spot on her lip. She licked it away.
"I'm sorry Bella." She was pleading with me now.
It was then I realised what she was doing. I realised why the fire that was racing through my every limb was so painfully familiar. It was because I had already experienced. In my first year with Edward, when the Hunter had come after me. The current pain was made all the more worse, though, because the person who was killing me was my friend.
"Alice. Please, you don't want to do this."
"No, I don't, Bella, but I can't stop. I'm so sorry. I will finish it quickly now, you are dealing well with the pain you must be feeliong." Her voice gave me the impression that she would be crying if she could.
I couldn't think of anything to say, so I closed my eyes, and concentrated on not moving while she lowered her lips once more to my neck.
The pain was now excruciating. There was nothing I could do to stop from screaming.
Then I could feel a light breeze on my face. At first I thought I must have finally died, but the pain had not lessened, let alone ceased, which is what I would have expected from dying. Then I heard a voice.
"ALICE! What have you done?" I was only semi-conscious, but I could tell that it was Edward.
"EDWARD! HELP ME! PLEASE! STOP IT, STOP THE FIRE! JUST DO WHAT YOU DID LAST TIME! JUST SUCK IT OUT!" I screamed at him.
I couldn't open my eyes to see what was happening, but I felt a weight ease off my chest. At first, I expected the pain to ease, but then realised that Edward had just dragged Alice off me, not stopped the cause of the pain.
"EDWARD!"
I could feel lips on my neck; I could only hope that they were his.
"It won't work, Edward." Came Alice's voice.
The lips pulled away from me.
"Why not?" It was a growl
"It will have spread too far by now; there is nothing you can do."
"At least I can try to save her."
"You will kill her!" Alice's voice was full of sadness and remorse.
"EDWARD!"
"How long has it been?"
The question was directed at Alice, but I answered anyway.
"I DON'T CARE! CAN'T YOU JUST TRY?"
"Over five minutes." Alice answered.
"I'm sorry, Bella –"
"People keep saying that, BUT YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING!" I had tried to keep my voice as low as possible, but the pain was so bad I couldn't help but scream at him.
"Alice is right. If I try to help you now, I will kill you."
"I DON'T CARE! IT'S KILLING ME ANYWAY!!"
"No, Bella, it's not." His voice was so calm; it was hard to imagine that it was being untruthful.
I dragged my eyelids open, to look into his face, just to make sure. His eyes were full of worry, but not sadness.
If I was dying, surely he would be sad.
I squeezed my eyes shut again, hoping blot out the pain.
"It will be over in three days. I promise. You just have to put up with it for three days. Then we can be together, forever."
"Forever." I repeated in a whisper, and I could feel a weak smile breaking through the pain.
He gathered me up in his arms, and sat with me whimpering on the floor of my bedroom.
"I'm going to take you home now." He whispered in my ear. As he lifted me off the floor, I squinted back at the bedroom I would probably never see again, and passed out in his stone cold arms.