Chapter two of Death Conquers the Living is FINALLY here! School has been, evle, thus why this one is rather late, but I like this chapter anyway...lol
This chapter goes out to Ashpash (luvya Ashley!) and Vikla, for being a fantabulous beta for this chappie! One more thing, more 2000 words!!! Reviews area appreciated, criticism is mandatory. –anya
Chapter 2
I opened my eyes to hear the world ending. The crash of a thousand thunderbolts could only have come from the book of Revelations, or perhaps the next installment of the Harry Potter saga. I hadn't quite oriented myself, and was quite surprised to be pressed against a sculpted piece of furniture. Oh right. Edward. I moved my head the tiniest bit. Almost instantly he turned me to face him.
"Oh you've finally awakened, have you?" He eased me up into a sitting position, straightening himself as well.
"What on earth could possibly be making that sound?" Edward laughed and gave me a brief, chaste kiss. The sensation he brought to my somewhat chapped lips caused me to think rationally. Well, sort of. I at least could remember where I was (the Cullen's) and I could distinguish whose voice was screaming oaths and curse words into the air (Alice's). Why she was voicing her obvious displeasure? I had no idea.
"Alice is a bit, disappointed, with her inability to foresee where the Shade is located. She caught the femininity, but she can't distinguish anything about the body being occupied. Oh, and I think Rosalie was out shopping and bought the pair of Manolo Blahnik's that had caught Alice's eye. I can't remember which in particular is disturbing her currently." All this was said with a wry grin, but I knew something was troubling him.
"Edward," I started, training myself to be as noncommittal as possible, "are you all right?"
He smiled before enveloping me further into his arms.
"Dearest Bella, of course I am all right." And the tone of his voice was so sincere, that for the briefest moment, I could almost imagine that he was.
A moment later, my mind snapped back to the immediate present with the hard smack! of a vampire's rock hard fist with a concrete wall.
"Poor Alice. This will be the third bruise she's gotten this week. Silly girl simply won't deal with her conflicting emotions." Rosalie floated past, a twinge of dry humour mixed in with her usual throaty tones.
"I didn't know vampires could bruise! Gosh, I guess that's one human quality you get to keep!" I was surprised to hear this, having thought that vampires were immune to petty human afflictions.
"We can't. Bruises are the damaging of blood vessels. As we haven't got any, naturally, we wouldn't be able to bruise. Rosalie is simply making an untrue statement and having her own private little joke at the fact that you are unused to the problems of vampires!" Edward stopped breathing, evidently not wanting to lose control. Sure enough, an almost imperceptible chuckle floated from the second story. She was having a joke at my expense.
"Don't worry, I'll live. And, I don't exactly consider not being able to bruise—a vampire-problem. God knows I could do without it—oh great, tomorrow's Monday isn't it? One more day in the tortuous pit of double-periods." I was very particular about Mondays. After Monday it was that much closer to gym. I hated gym. Edward absently twirled a lock of my hair around his finger.
"One day closer to graduation." He smiled, before looking off fervently into the distance. All of a sudden, a series of rapid expressions assorted themselves on his feature. Humour, skepticism, fondness, disgust? I eventually realised where the random flow of facial changes was coming from. He was reading his family's mind.
"Edward," I prodded gently, trying to grab his attention, "Please stop." He snapped out of his reverie quickly, kissing me firmly on the mouth.
"I do believe, Bella, that I ought to be getting you home. Charlie, and now Renee and Phil, must be worried about where you've gone. I wouldn't want to keep them waiting." The lilt of his voice was extremely convincing, and I found myself without question to his word.
I stood up, still feeling sleepy and uncomfortable, but intoxicated by the kiss Edward had just given me. I resisted the urge to burst into tumultuous applause.
"What exactly were you thinking about?" I remembered, trying to remain neutral to better gauge his opinion.
"Alice thinks somebody's died." Edward's face had a look of resignation on it.
"Who?" I was almost afraid to ask.
"She doesn't know, but she thinks she knows who caused it." Edward was looking at me now, strange expression on the features of his face.
"The Volturi." I replied without comment. Today had been a perfect day. Now I felt a distinct feeling of dread. Somebody had died? I could only hope that the Volturi's path would change. Edward drew me in a hug, before taking my hand to walk me to his car.
-- --
My dark wash jeans and maroon sweater felt uncomfortably close to my skin. I couldn't change again—it would be my third outfit for the morning. Nothing was comfortable compared to my holey, holey pajamas. Even my feet in the slip-on sneakers felt unbearably large.
"Sweetheart, aren't you absolutely freezing? Maybe a poncho would go nicely with those jeans. It's about sixty degrees out!" Renee was wrapped to the gills in heavy wool. Just looking at made me itch.
"Obviously, pumpkin, Bella's used to the cold. She's been here in icebox Forks for over a year!" Phil laughed and punched my shoulder. I resisted the urge to rub my upper arm. Ouch.
"Well are you taking your truck to school today? 'Cause I was thinking, maybe after we drop you off Philly-willy and I could borrow it?" Renee's face was pleading, her lower lip protruding.
"Um, it's ok, I'll ask Char—er, I mean Dad to drop me off."
"Oh thank you, darling. But a poncho might look pretty with those jeans."
"Um, no." I said, thinking that I would rather die than add another load of clothing to my body. Of course, I thought that I would rather die than travel to school with Charlie in his cruiser. And there I was, doing just that, about to beg Charlie to ride in his "police car". Poor me.
"Oh Chaaaaarllliiiee!" Renee sing-songed, her somewhat teenaged voice clear and resonating throughout Charlie's tiny house.
Charlie's head appeared from behind the kitchen wall.
"Yes Renee?" He inquired, although he obviously had heard what Renee wanted to ask him.
"You wouldn't mind being a dear and dropping off Bella to school, would you?" I raised an eyebrow. I hadn't realised that Renee could be so persuasive.
"Sure Bells. Just let me get my car keys." Charlie let his head follow the rest of his body and walked off. I was stuck with my mother and Phil again.
I turned towards said couple, with intent to start a conversation, when I realised that my mother and her husband were kissing. Renee's newly spiked auburn hair contrasted with Phil's own baby blond locks. With a flash of embarrassment, I turned away.
"I'll just be going then." I murmured, my face suddenly crimson, feeling like I was about to be sick. They didn't hear a word.
-- --
Charlie had thankfully left behind the sirens and flashing lights stereotypical of a police car. The awkward silence was so deafening that it astounded even me.
"Um, pretty nice day, huh Bells?" Another attempt at conversation.
"Yeah," Another attempt to squash any conversation that could possibly occur.
I felt extremely relieved as I was released in the parking lot, even more so when I realised that I wasn't late. As a matter of fact, there were few cars in the parking lot, Jessica's family's Honda CRV, and Mike's brand new (but still ancient) '57 Chevy Corvette. Edward's Volvo wasn't anywhere to be seen, I couldn't help noticing. I took a sigh before trekking across the parking lot to the main entrance. Almost immediately I detected a chill in the atmosphere.
The faces around me were somber and depressed, a few members of the chess team were sobbing silently into snot-filled handkerchiefs. What was it?
I walked up a few staircases before noticing Angela and catching her as she passed me, trying to discover the problem.
"Oh Bella, haven't you heard? Eric's died," Her eyes were red-rimmed, her cheeks stained with tears.
"No, I, hadn't heard." I found myself overcome with emotion, as I released Angela's sleeve. Like a spring she shot off, with a speed that surprised even me.
Could that have been who Alice had seen? Was Eric murdered by the Volturi. Tears pricked at my eyes. Eric who'd been so overly helpful on my first day. Eric, who'd usually been nothing but kind to me. Eric, who might as well have died at my own hand.
The Volturi were after me. I wouldn't let anymore suffer because I hadn't given myself up. A new feeling overtook me. Determination. I was going to avenge Eric if it took everything I had. I stood stock still in the middle of the hallway at school, before I was yanked unceremoniously to the side.
"Ouch!" I yelled, almost pitching forward. The unnamed abductor harshly steadied me to my feet, turning on a light in the empty classroom.
"Damn it, Bella! Keep quiet, or I'll be accused of manhandling you." I was relieved to recognize Emmett's voice, to notice his dark, curly hair.
"Oh Emmett! Did you hear about Eric?" Emmett responded with a distinct eye roll.
"Oh don't moan, Bella. Everyone's heard about it. Just one look at the faces of them and you know what's happened. Plus, Alice saw it yesterday." Emmett set me down in a chair.
"Really? Why didn't she tell me?" I was incredulous to know. Alice surely would have told me if she had known earlier.
"I dunno. Well anyway, Rose wants to talk to you. Says it's important. And you know what she's like when you don't rush." Emmett was looking at me with a noticeable smirk on his face. He outstretched his arms.
"Hop in," He said before picking me up anyway.
"What are you doing?" I hissed, before Emmett laughed.
"Hold on tight, Bells." He shifted me into one arm and pushed open the window to the classroom. Then after settling me firmly into his brawny arms, he jumped clean through the open hole.
With a graceful thud we landed onto the ground, and I realised that Emmett had bounded off of the second story of the school. With one last pat on the head, Emmett placed me on the ground, steadying me with one muscled hand. He began to walk, allowing me to meekly follow behind him. A second story building? For a risk of sounding cliché…whoa.
We walked a bit in the grassy area behind the school, turning left abruptly at a lightpost. Emmett suddenly stopped walking, leaving me to pitch forward into him. He didn't move. I bounced off him like a toothpick off of a boulder. The mud beneath me wasn't mushy, for once, and I knew I'd still be able to wear this jeans again. I looked up to a pale face peering down at me. Rosalie.
I stood up, bracing myself for her words.
"Run along Emmett." She smiled before gesturing for him to leave. Emmett hesitated, and Rosalie's expression grew sour. With that look I knew whom the term "tenacity" had been coined for. People like Rosalie. Emmett gave me a sympathetic look before making his escape.
"Now Bella, let's have a nice little chat shall we?" Rosalie was all smiles again. "And maybe you can tell me why exactly Edward has this hidden in his boudoir." I looked at said object in her hand. It was a small red box, and I immediately understood. It was an engagement ring.
"Because, Bella, if you think you are going to enter our family like the pathetic human you are, you are very mistaken. And I think I can get Emmett and Jasper, and even Alice to agree. Because she had a vision, Bella. You are going to betray this family, and you don't even know it yet. And if Edward asks you, for whatever reason, to marry him, you are going to refuse. Because if you don't Bella? I'll be taking care of your family." Rosalie's smile was now sickening. I could feel pressure on my chest.
"Permanently." She smiled before turning to go.
"I'm glad we had this lovely chat." She laughed, not even bothering to turn around.
I finally realised what she had said. She wanted me out? She was threatening my family? Alice had a vision that I would betray—? I felt the weight of what she had said even more fervently now. So much for that perfect day.
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Hate it? Love it? Tell me!
Peaches,
Anya