author's note: hmm. (: well i'm new to the whole twilight fanfiction thing, but certainly this is not my first time writing any sort of fanfiction. it was basically just a spur of inspiration that didn't seem to go too far, but i suppose i'll let you judge that? please let me know how i'm doing, your input is greatly appreciated, especially constructive comments.
i do realize that forks is a rather small town probably without a skyline; but it's something i wanted to include so if you would please.. ah. excuse my adding imaginary parts of the city? hah. (:
ALSO : i would like to say that some of these quotes / lines have been included ; rather because they're the cause / inspiration for writing this so please know that i do NOT own the lyrics to the song "According to Columbus", which is used throughout this piece.
disclaimer: i do not own any characters, etc etc!
now enjoy. )
italics is bella's thoughts.
text between rulers are flashbacks.
In that moment, I swear my fate was decided, I saw it, tangible, visible. My eyes were glossy, my mind preoccupied, the reality of it all barely grasped in my memory. It was vivid, dream-like almost, or maybe a scene from a movie – screams of blood-curling horror, desperation in everyone's eyes. They were leaving, as fast as they could manage, as far as they could. In the middle of this, I was there, skin radiating with beads of sweat, racing. I felt my heartbeat bruising in my chest where that gaping hole had been, but the fear never struck my nerve.
It was burning, so wildly, out of control. It was indestructible, invincible, reducing the world around me to fields of ashes. And yet there I was, standing in the middle of a bitter catastrophe, the soil beneath me holding me down, the weight of the burden. I watched the animated tri-colored flames engulf covetously, smoke fogging the sky of what would have been a beautiful sunset.
The sky, painted orange and pink was doused with dark clouds, I watched one by one as houses crumbled, I watched this city burn, voices lingering in my head, pleading, desperate. This whole time I swear I did not even take a breath, nor did I flinch to anyone's action; anyone who still stuck around. It was bare, empty, but filled with memories. It was beautiful, graceful, it left me breathless, it damned me forever. It was exactly like him, wherever he was. I'd wait forever. Forever if I needed to, forever, forever... it didn't seem so long now. The clocks could keep ticking, the world could keep turning, I could cease breathing. But forever, that would be long enough for him.
I inhaled sharply but carefully, the bitter taste of smoke on the tip of my tongue, and I closed my eyes. I tried to imagine him, beautiful, timeless Edward... My heart was pumping more blood, beating faster, faster, I watched as the flames burned scars into surrounding trees, spreading like the wild-fire it was. I closed my eyes slowly; nausea still not overcoming me, the fear still buried somewhere, emotions lost.
"Bella!" Charlie yelled, anxious, terrified from the distance, over the roar of the fire; I could hear muffled voices on the other side, concern in them, and I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm letting you down... I'm sorry I can't let go.
"I'll wait forever... because I think you're the one." He promised, his soft skin holding my hand against his chest, he closed his eyes, kissing the tips of his fingertips. And I knew with that, I was making the same promise to him as well, I forced back tears, bit my lip and nodded. We'd wait forever.
"Don't you forget me," He whispered, unlacing our fingertips, as I suddenly felt sick without his comforting touch. He took a few steps back, slowly but surely, before taking off before my eyes.
I opened my eyes, angrily surprised to feel them brimming with tears, wanting to feel something, wanting more than anything in the world to hear him, at least one more time, remind me what I was fighting for. Remind me that my heart is his.
The voices of the others seemed to blur, fade, the riot of the fire now taunting, licking the sides of the Cullen's deserted home. It was burning out of control, all around me, and I knew. It was too late to back down now, there was no turning around, no escape.
I opened my mouth, my eyes glossed with tears, my body trembling violently, wanting more than anything to feel his comfort in my last moments. I pleaded inside my head for him to come back, come back, I'd wait as long as I can but forever won't do me long. Edward, Edward, Edward. I savored his name, the blood rush and love it brought me. I love you, I love you Edward. At least that, I can promise you forever.I counted seconds in my head, biting my lip, assured this was my end, my time was over. And I would surrender, like the flames were my sweet haunting lullaby, and this was my sleep. I lifted my arms, rose my head, feeling the heat lick my fingertips, drawing closer. I breathed in my death and closed my eyes.
"Bella!" the voice snapped, velvet-soft, woven through with every thread of care, anxiety...
My damp eyelids lifted in that same moment he spoke, for that voice was so clearly recognizable, something I was so deprived of, for too long. And it seemed like slow motion at that moment, his presence awake in my conscious; his face, beautiful as ever although refined with anxiety, he took my sweating palms into his cold ones, holding me close against his stone-solid body so swiftly I barely had time to react.
I stifled a gasp, the tears pouring more freely now from my hazed eyes, giving into my desires and wrapping my arms around him, holding him for dear life itself. Edward held me closer, kissing my forehead with his lips, my skin feeling the contrast of the situation; he silenced me then, the whole world blurring into a mess of distorted colors, a mess of catastrophes, but for the first in the longest time, I felt whole. I closed my eyes, not wanting to lose the moment to the world, not wanting to give in, not now, not this time, not when I was this close. Not when for the first time in forever, I've felt something true... something real.
"Meet me at the skyline," I heard him mouth into my ear, his mouth dangerously close, low tones, his breath on my skin; I nodded feebly as he pressed one last, chaste, sweet kiss to my mouth, before the faces of my loved ones and neighbors all fell to an unforgiving darkness.