Dark Consequences

Chapter One: Falling From Hope

The setting of a great hope

is like the setting of the sun.

The brightness of our life is gone.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow~

Bella's Point of View

It was fitting that the ominous sky prevented the sun from shinning down on me during these final moments. The sinister storm clouds released the tears that I could no longer allow myself to cry. Threatening bolts of lightening reached from the heavens toward the ocean as a warning of the danger around me. This wasn't the warning I was seeking…it wasn't Edward.

With a few more steps I found myself looking over the edge of the La Push cliff side. There was no turning back. I had made my decision. Alice had abandoned me. Edward no longer wanted me, and I simply could not go on living without his love. Even Jacob's companionship could no longer ease the pain of Edward's absence.

My naïve human emotions had allowed hope to preserve the pieces of my shattered heart for too long. Hope that Edward would come back to me. Hope that he would not be able to live without me. Hope that I would be enough. I allowed the piercing raindrops to wash over me as I closed my eyes and held out my arms ready to jump. All hope was gone. I wished only to hear the voice that I was willing to die for one last time, and I knew Edward wouldn't disappoint.

"Bella, please don't do this!" His velvety words were carried to me by the rising wind. I knew there was no reason to turn around. Edward wasn't really there.

"It's the only way to make the pain stop. You won't stay with me any other way." I kept my eyes closed and cherished the last few moments of happiness I could obtain.

"You promised!" He was irritated with me.

"You said it'll be as if you never existed. You didn't keep your promise!" How dare he be angry with me? I wasn't the one who left, but none of it mattered now.

"I love you Edward." I whispered as I stepped off of the cliff.

The fall was exhilarating. I felt an odd sense of freedom in choosing my own fate, even if it was to end my life. It seemed to me that the previous year had been controlled by some outside force. Loving Edward wasn't really a choice, but more of a necessity. He had filled the void in my soul…correction…he was my soul. He had made the choice to leave, and as a result I had no choice but to be left empty and alone. This was the resolution that I needed. I closed my eyes and allowed visions of Edward and our meadow to fill my thoughts.

The freezing water of the Pacific Northwest Ocean brought a sudden ending to my pleasant visions. I sunk deeper into the frigid water as the massive waves tossed me towards the jagged cliffs. I frantically looked around trying to decide which way was up, and then I realized that it didn't matter. This was what I wanted. I returned to the vision of Edward in our meadow and allowed the ocean current do with me what it wished.

"Please Bella, open your eyes!" His adamant tone caused me to leave my peaceful meadow once again and return to the engulfing sea. Why was Edward trying to warn me? The waves would continue to come and there was nothing I could do to change my fate now. I still obeyed his request and opened my eyes…just in case his voice was real this time. Seeing Edward in my visions didn't hold a candle to the real thing, and I would risk anything to see him one last time.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the shadowy waters, and even then I wasn't sure of what I saw. Before me was a mass of what appeared to be red seaweed propelling towards me. The tide shifted and the seaweed parted to reveal a pale face, with a menacing grin, only inches from my face. There was no where to hide and no way to run. I could already feel my body convulsing from lack of oxygen. A few more moments and my plan would have worked. The pain would have been gone, but now I was sure that my death would be anything but peaceful.

Jacob's Point of View

I couldn't believe we had freakin lost her. Sam and I had been chasing Victoria along the Olympic peninsula for hours, and once again she had evaded us.

Jacob. Continue to check the coastline and make sure she isn't heading into Forks. I will double back towards La Push and see if I can pick up her trail.

I still wasn't used to hearing Sam and the others in my head. It felt like such an invasion of privacy, but it did come in handy when tracking filthy bloodsuckers. I couldn't help but whimper a little hoping that Sam would let me go back to La Push instead…just so I could check on Bella. I had left her there as a precaution. Sure her dad was the Chief of police, but I thought that a pack of werewolves would be better protection considering her attacker was a vampire.

Jacob! Stay focused. I heard Sam's voice echo within my head.

I'm on it. I responded as I started to run along the coastline checking the dark forest for clues that Victoria had come this way. Occasionally I peered over the ocean waters. I wasn't entirely sure if vampires could swim, but they were related to leeches and leeches did live in water. I was certain that even in my wolf form you could tell I was grinning. Then a voice in my head drained all humor from the situation.

Jacob…Bella is gone. The concern in Sam's voice worried me.

What do you mean she is gone? How did one girl get past a whole freakin tribe of supernatural werewolves? I was angry that I had relied on my brothers and that they were so careless with something so important to me.

Blaming your brothers will not help us find Bella. I will call Charlie and see if she returned home. Sam said with all of his authority as the Alpha.

Now it was Embry's voice in my head. She was asking questions about cliff diving if that helps. I could tell that he felt bad, and so I tried to stay calm. He would get his later. I had more important things to worry about, and I knew exactly where Bella was going.

My pace quickened as I changed directions. I headed towards the cliffs where Bella and I had watched Sam and the others jump from only weeks before. Why would she leave the only place that I could protect her? Did she have a death wish? Vampires for boyfriends, werewolves for best friends, motorcycles and cliff diving. It crossed my mind that maybe Bella did want to die. Maybe no one or nothing would ever be able to replace Edward 'the bloodsucker' Cullen, but I was sure that I could make her happy if she would only allow me to try.

Something stopped me dead in my tracks. The scent that I had been searching for all day filled my nostrils with a pungent aroma. Victoria had recently come this way. A few more paces and there was Bella's scent. I knew that Victoria would have picked up on it, and she was probably tracking Bella…if she hadn't found already.

I finally reached the cliff side where we had seen the others jump. I could tell Bella had been here, but had she jumped? I circled the area paying close attention to different smells that blanketed the forest floor, and found that there were no tracks leading away from the cliff. She had jumped. My heart sank as I realized that a typical human would need a miracle to survive a jump from this distance. I frantically scanned across the rigid water. I searched for any sign of life, any sign of a miracle, but I saw nothing. I looked further in the distance at the sandy white beaches of James Island and there it was… a heap of fiery red curls leaning over the lifeless remains of my Bella.