SLOW STEPS
Chapter one - Fallen
I looked up to find Alice, standing in my bedroom doorway, nervously twisting the sleeves of her new black lacey top. Something was seriously wrong. Alice would never damage clothing like that. She was pale, even by vampire standards, her face drained of all color, despite the expertly applied makeup from earlier.
"Alice?" Her thoughts came flooding in. I flinched. At first, I was unable to take in what I heard. I sat there, momentarily frozen on the chair. The magazine slipped from my hands, and landed on the carpet with a soft tap. "No," I heard myself croak. "No!"
"We have to hurry," she whispered, her voice quivering, and she was gone after that, already on her way. I didn't even go for the door. I pushed out the window, and leapt to the ground. I took off running through the dense woods and passed Alice within seconds. Neither of us were breathing. We were focusing on only two things. The vision Alice had seen, and preventing it from progressing any further. The image from her mind was seared into my own. I felt myself shaking. The image was difficult to handle.
Bella. She had to be okay, she had to. I couldn't let her die. Not like this, not ever. I needed to see her face, her beautiful blush, hear her breathing, feel her heart beat. I couldn't live without it. If I lost her, I wouldn't be able to go on. I couldn't.
I increased my pace. I had to be going well over one hundred. Trees flew past me at speeds I'd never witnessed before. Fast enough that I fell into a boulder, cracking it, and probably my ribcage. I stood up, and raced forwards, determined. I would save her. She would live. She had to.
Then I saw it. The clearing, the meadow that had held so many good memories with Bella. That was different now. The meadow was now a place of pain and nightmares. I didn't have time to think, to grieve. I sprung forward, knocking the bear forwards, away from my Bella. I smelled her blood, her glorious intoxicating scent, smeared upon its muzzle. Alice rushed in and began pouncing on the bear, biting, screaming, ripping at its furry flesh. I dashed back to Bella.
There she lied, bleeding from the deep swollen gashes that covered her torso and arms. She was thoroughly unconscious, her long thick lashes draped over those deep chocolate eyes. I brought myself to a crouch beside her. Tears spilled from my eyes, down my cheeks, and dripped onto her unmoving form.
"B..bella," my voice cracked. She wasn't breathing. I began to sob and delicately pushed her mahogany hair out of her face. Alice appeared at my side, having meticulously ripped the bear apart. The creature deserved every ounce of pain it received. Alice gingerly picked up Bella's fragile wrist, and placed her thumb onto it, searching for a pulse. It's so faint it's going to die out any moment. You know you have to do it, Edward. Do it now!
I looked down at the bleeding angel. At any moment she'd be standing before the gates of heaven. Could I take away her soul, for my own selfishness? Was it right? Would she want this? I was only sure about the last question: yes. Yes, she wanted to become one of my kind more than anything. Perhaps not at this timing, but she wanted it. I took her tiny hands in each of my own, and drew a slow deep breath.
"Damn it Edward! Change her before she's gone!" Alice hollered, in a tone I'd never heard from her till this moment. Had the situation been reversed, I'd have acted the same way towards her.
I had played this scene through my head, a hundred, perhaps a thousand times. Never had I imagined it like this. I lowered my head to her neck, one of the few places not bleeding. I was about to hurt her, my love, my angel. I wished I had time to mentally prepare myself. But there was no time. Time was an enemy now, slowly pulling her away from me. I had to prevent that.
I kissed her gently, tenderly, a few inches below her right ear, before I allowed my venom to enter her bloodstream. Just pretend it's a kiss, I told myself, hoping it would help the fact I was about to inflict pain upon her. Then I bit in, relishing the taste of her sweet blood as it collected in my mouth. I lifted my face and looked at my tears that had collected on her skin. They were still streaming from my face, and I made no effort to wipe them away. I checked her pulse. It was gone. There was no way to tell whether she had joined me as a vampire or if she was……gone.
My sobs grew louder. I glanced at Alice. "Can you see anything," I asked, turning my gaze back to Bella. I heard her thoughts before she spoke.
She shook her head, a devastated but somehow still hopeful expression on her pixie like face. "No. She's unconscious. I can't see any decisions. The last thing I saw of her was her decision to call to you, for help." Alice pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin atop them.
I picked up Bella. She was still my angel, whether she as dead or soulless. Through all the wounds and blood soaked clothes, she was gorgeous. Stunning. I prayed she was alive, that I would sing her lullaby again and she would cuddle against me inside my arms.
As I cradled her, I tried to comfort myself by thinking how, if she really was gone, how she would be in heaven now, beautiful, and a real true angel. But I would miss her, with all my being. I would grieve every day until I would no longer have will to live. Then death would lull me into a peaceful nothingness.
I started up abruptly, shaking my head. I couldn't think like this. Bella was alive. She would become even more beautiful than she was the time I first fell for her, and we would live on together, forever. I tried to think of Bella as my own kind. Her beauty would be breathtaking. These thoughts helped, though I couldn't cease sobbing. I knew I wouldn't until I knew she woke again. And she would awake.
Alice cleared her throat quietly and stood up. "I'll get the others. Will you be okay for a few minutes?" she asked gently.
I nodded into Bella's soft hair.
"Kay," she whispered and placed a hand onto my shoulder. I didn't look up. "Physical transformation starts to take place in about an hour. You'll know then if Bella…is one of us," she said, choosing her words carefully.
I nodded again. My arms tightened around Bella, as I began the hardest hour I had faced in all of my one hundred and seven years.
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A/N: Thar u go, my first Twilight fanfic. Not a one shot. Please review. Give me advice, etc. I love reviews!!
-Kemberlin