Chapter 1:
just an idea that I couldn't help but start writing out. Let me know if you want to read more!
Edward left Bella pregnant in New Moon and didn't come back. Bella died giving birth to four babies, Mason, EJ, Emalie and Maddie. Without Charlie or a mother to raise them the kids get tossed around the foster system until one day they meet a certain someone.
*for the record, all rights go to stephenie meyer
Finding The Strength To Hold On
Maddie:
My mother Bella died giving birth to me and my siblings fourteen years ago. There are four of us, the eldest Mason who had a mop of bronze hair and green eyes who stood tall, EJ was the second eldest and he has brown hair but the same shaggy length as Mason's hair and hazel eyes. EJ always looked like he was ready to take the world on. The third child born was my sister Emalie and she had light brown hair down to her mid back and brown eyes. I look almost the same as Emalie, we had the most similar features out of all my siblings but my hair was much darker than hers. My hair was a dark chocolate brown, darker than EJ's which made my pale skin look even more unusually pale.
Growing up we have learn't to stick together which resulted in us refusing to be separated from each other but as our social worker keeps telling us, that is only making it harder for us to find homes. She says it's hard for family's to take in four kids and has tried to convince us a number of times to split up. Mason and EJ had yelled back every time and firmly told her that we stay together.
"Maddie, are you okay?"
Hearing my name pulled me from my thoughts and I looked up to Emalie standing next to the bed I was sitting on. I gave her a nod telling her I was fine and she smiled back at me. I was holding my right wrist in my left hand and running my thumb endlessly over the long pink scar that crossed my right wrist. There were many fading scars on my wrists but it was this particular one that I always found myself tracing absentmindedly. It was a habit I had started to do, mostly when I was on edge or uncomfortable I found my thumb always rubbing the same scar.
Emalie noticed and took one of my hands in hers as she sat down on the bed next to me which let out a screech as the springs stretched under the weight. "We'll be out of here soon, and then we're free." She smiled.
We were currently living with Mr Thomson and his wife, Mr Thomson spent his days drinking and tormenting us before he passed out somewhere in the house. Mrs Thomson worked most days so she never knew the things her husband did to us and anything she might have noticed, she never commented on it. Yesterday Mason had come to us and told us he wants to leave this house and the foster system. As always EJ was ready to bounce at the chance to escape and Emalie and I were more than happy to get away from this man. It never matter how protective Mason and EJ were of Emalie and me or how quick they were to pull us away, they couldn't have stopped Mr Thomson from half of the hits we had endured from him over our stay here.
We were all sitting around in the same room with only a bedside lamp on so we didn't draw any attention to us from our foster parents. It was almost midnight and Mr Thomson had already passed out on the couch and we were waiting for Mrs Thomson to start her shower that way we could slip out of our bedroom window and get to the nearest bus station without being noticed or heard. The plan was that as long as Mrs Thomson was in the shower, she couldn't run after us.
I watched as EJ went over to the door quietly and very carefully opened it just enough to see out off and not enough to let it creek. EJ paused for a moment and listened before opening the door wider and taking a hesitant step outside the room. We all sat in complete silence as EJ went out of sight down the hall before returning thirty seconds later and jumping back into the room closing the door softly but quickly behind him.
"Okay she just got in the shower, lets move." He whispered excitedly but at the same time nervously. We had planed to run away a few times at different homes but this was the first time we were going through with our idea.
Mason rushed over and opened the bedroom window as we all grabbed our already packed backpacks from under our beds. We didn't have much in them just a spare change of clothes and some snacks. Always moving around, you learn it's easiest to keep as little trinkets as possible or they get destroyed or lost.
"Come on lets go." Mason called.
Emalie grabbed my hand and lead me over to Mason who had already jumped out the window and was waiting to help the rest of us out. We were lucky it was a one story house and we could jump out the window. I passed my bad to Mason before climbing out myself then Emalie was next and then EJ followed out last closing the window as best he could from the outside.
The night air was cool making me zip up my navy blue hoodie I was wearing before I threw my backpack over my shoulder to followed Mason to the street. The moment we turned down an ally and dissapeared from sight of the house we all let out a breath of relief, yes we had little idea where we were going but we were together and that's all that mattered.
…...
There wasn't many people at the bus station at this time of night only a few couples standing around in pairs. EJ sat with me on a stone bench while Mason and Emalie went and got our tickets, he was quiet and lost in thought and that was strange for EJ, he wasn't one to sit in silence.
I bumped his shoulder with mine and straight away he turned his head to me with full attention. "You okay?" I asked with a worried expression.
"Of course I am sis." He smiled and wrapped his arm around me and I leaned onto the embrace.
"What were you thinking?"
EJ let out a sign. "I was thinking how glade I am that we are all out of that house."
I didn't comment anymore instead I looked over to where one of the ticket booths were and looked at the clock hanging on the wall. 12:20am. We were officially fourteen. EJ must have noticed my gaze because his arm tightened around me.
"Happy birthday, to us." He whispered in my ear. "It's the best one yet."
I couldn't help but the small chuckle escape my lips, it was indeed the best birthday yet. This is the most we have ever done for our birthday and not having been caught yet is the best birthday present too.
At that moment Mason and Emalie arrive back to us with tickets in their hand. "Our bus is arriving, let's go." Emalie called with excitement and I took the ticket from her and we all got ready to aboard the approaching vehicle.
...
It took six hours including forty five minute ferry ride to get to our destination at Port Alberni. It had been a long night with very little sleep. It was still dark as there was a thick cloud coverage forming in the sky as the sun started to rise. We had heard on the radio that showers were due but it was supposed to clear up later on.
"Can we please find somewhere to crash because I'm about to pass out from exhaustion any minute." Emalie cried out. We were both walking behind the boys following dragging our feet while trying not to fall over.
"Okay there's an old house on the other side of that river bed that looks run down. There's also a shed there, do you guys want to see if anyone is there?" Mason asked pointing in the opposite direction of the town.
"Yes sounds like a great plan." Emalie chirped up.
We got to the river and EJ went first testing all the rocks first and telling us which ones to stand on that were stable. I was next and Mason and Emalie were behind me, Emalie was mumbling to herself the whole time of how tired she was.
I jumped to where EJ was standing on the other side and looked back over at Emalie who was halfway across. I could tell something was wrong when she paused before taking her next step to the rock infront of her and just when I was about to question her I saw her foot reach for the rock. She moved too quickly it threw her off balance and she started to wobble.
"Emalie!"
Mason saw my face drop and heard my yell but as quick as his reflexes usually are Emalie slipped from the rock and fell forward into the ankle deep water. We all ran in the water to Mason who was now lifting Emalie up.
"Em, you okay?" EJ fanatically said.
Mason had her already in his arm and she let out a loud groan. "Ow."
She went to move her hand to her forehead but I stopped her and instead gently moved some of her light brown hair out of her face. She had a deep cut just above her left eye brow and blood was running down her face. EJ removed one of his shirts from his bag and pressed it to her head to stop the bleeding.
"Ow!" Emalie cried again as he applied pressure to the cut.
"You had to fall and hit your head didn't you." EJ joked back.
"Em I don't think it's going to stop bleeding, it's really deep." Mason gave her an apologetic look.
"I'm going to need stitches aren't I?"
Mason looked at all of us. "I'm sorry."
We all let out a sigh but agreed Emalie needed it looked at as blood had now turned EJ's once blue shirt now a crimson red. Not one of us would forgive ourselves if the fall had done something serious to Emalie.
"I got you Em, you keep pressure on that cut okay." Mason told Emalie as he stood with her still in his arms.
"Thanks." She mumbled back and I picked up her bag and EJ grabbed Mason's and we walked back towards the town where we had passed the hospital.
Luckily the walk to the hospital wasn't long and took us all of ten minutes. None of us wanted to be at the hospital we had spent countless days in the waiting rooms from bad foster parents and every time we had to go back to the hospital it only resulted in more trouble at home or involvement from social services.
"It's not your fault I fell Mason." Even though I was walking behind them I could tell Emalie had rolled her eyes.
"I should have been watching you. I should have seen it and caught you before."
"Mas, you can't save me from every fall. It's not your fault at all and I don't want you to say it was again. Do you hear me?" Mason nodded to her as they entered through the doors of the hospital.
We all approached the front desk and a lady in her sixties looked up at us. "Can we please see a doctor. My sister fell and hit her head on a rock and it wont stop bleeding." EJ polity said.
"Take a seat over there kids and I'll page a doctor to be with you monumentally." The receptionist told us and the boys both thanked her and we took our seats.
We were all sitting side by side with our heads down when the doctor walked over to us and greeted us. "Hi kids my name is Dr Cullen." When I looked up I saw a young man in his early thirties, blond hair, and skin as pale as ours. "Wendy over there tells me you have hit your head."
"We were playing on the rocks when she fell and hit her head. The cut wouldn't stop bleeding so we thought she might need stitches." Mason answered for all of us. We learn't if one of us talks then we don't worry about matching up our stories when we need to.
Dr Cullen knelt down infront of Emalie and got a better look at her forehead. "What's your name sweetie?"
"Emalie."
"Well Emalie the cut doesn't look too bad we can go and clean it up if you like?" Dr Cullen waited for Emalie to answer before he moved and when she nodded before standing up to follow him, he turned back to Mason. "Are you Emalie's brother?"
"Yes we are all siblings." Mason stated.
"Well if you don't mind while I help Emalie, Wendy has a patient detail sheet that needs to be filled out just so we can contact you parents and ensure we are not giving Emalie anything that she is allergic to."
Emalie stared back at Mason as he hesitated to answer. "Sure." Mason said which Emalie rolled her eyes at him without anyone seeing then continued to follow Dr Cullen into another room.
Once they were out of ear shot EJ turned and smacked Mason on the shoulder. "What are we going to do now? If they find out they will contact Mr Thomson."
"EJ don't worry." Mason reasoned back. "I'll just put a random phone number down. Once Emalie is done we can just get out of here."
Mason stood up and walked back over to the front desk and we watched the older lady hand him a clipboard and pen. "Don't worry Maddie, we'll be out of here soon." EJ whispered in my ear.