Tricky Raven's Weekly Fanfiction Flash Fic Challenge
Title: Running
Character: Paul
Genre: Angst
Rating: T
Word Count: 500
Prompt: Both photo (two dirty/oily hands) and phrase (He's not an idiot, you know)
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Warning: Sorry. I didn't mean to. (Character death)
A/N: I wrote this in an hour or so, so I apologize for any grammatical errors.
The wolf ran. Rushing through the forest as fast as his four legs could carry him.
He was running with a never before seen urgency, fear clawing at his insides.
The image of the small, dirty hand sticking out from under the bushes with its slim, feminine fingers, two of them twisted in an unnatural angle, was burned into his mind.
The voices in his head shouted. "Slow down!" "Wait for us!" "You don't know for sure!" But the pounding in his ears drowned out everything except for Colin's whimpers as he pushed his nose against the cold hand, and his own mental screams. "Bella! Bella! Bella!"
She had gone missing almost a week ago on her way from work. When she hadn't arrived home at the usual time, Paul had a feeling that something was horribly wrong. When the Cullens closed up their house two days later he knew that he would never see his mate alive again.
His worst nightmare had come to life and he hadn't been able to sleep from fear of what he'd see in his dreams.
He ran. Faster than he thought possible and reached the woods behind the leeches' house several minutes before the others. What was still intact of his heart broke when he saw the hand. Her hand
One single tear left his eye and rolled down to disappear into his thick grey fur. Even underneath the clogging stench of the mind-reader there was no mistaking the scent of his mate. His Bella. His wife.
He pushed Colin away and crawled underneath the bushes to lay down next to her broken body.
"He's not an idiot, you know," Bella had laughed when Paul warned her to be careful, that the tick wasn't done with her. "He knows that I belong with you. He would never try to come between us."
He had wanted to believe her, but he had seen the look in Edward's eyes. Despite her begging, Paul had refused to let her go alone when she met with the Cold One to tell him about the imprint. The look in the leech's eyes spoke volumes. He wouldn't give up without a fight.
Paul lifted his head to the sky and howled out his pain and grief.
They buried her four days later. Paul watched the ceremony from the forest. He never phased back into his human form, the wolf wouldn't let him.
When the grievers left the cemetery he walked up to her grave and laid down on top of the freshly dug earth. They both took their final goodbye of the woman who meant the world.
The next morning, before the first ray of lights turned the sky pink Paul left La Push.
Running.
He would keep running until he found the bloodsucker who had killed his mate and take his time tearing him apart, piece by piece. When it was over he would find a way to join his love.
But until then he would keep running.