Author's Note:
Well everyone, this is the first real chapter of the story since, well, the technical first chapter was just a Preface. :P Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this. Comments would be much loved. Before anyone who reads more than one of my stories asks; yes, I am using the OC from my Naruto fanfiction. I couldn't think of any name that wasn't generic, so I used the same name since I own the character Meari anyways, though the last name may or may not be different for this story.
Meari – Pronounced like the English version of the name, so it is pronounced like Mary. (MAIR-ree)
Disclaimer: I am not, in any way, shape, or form, associated with Stephanie Meyer or with anything to do with the Twilight Saga series.
"Reality is not always probable, or likely."
Jorge Luis Borges
Meari's POV:
How long has it been since I left my home? Has it been one week, or two? I know it hasn't been a month, it hasn't been days for it to have been that long. And, in all honesty, if that had been how long it took me to get to where I am now; I wouldn't be able to stand at all anymore. Hell, I've been struggling to walk since two days ago, but by some miracle, I manage to keep having the strength to push onward to the destination I need to go. It's only a little longer, just a little more fight I need to do, until I reach where I'm heading. It's night, though I can't see the stars right now since the clouds are thick. Which unfortunately is a sign for snow or rain, but at least I shouldn't have to worry about it…. At least, I hope I won't have to worry.
I've missed a lot of school, I wonder how low my grades are by now…. They are probably all F's by now, huh? Since I've missed a week and a half or so of schoolwork and homework? Oh well, no point in worrying about that. All I can worry about though, as I walk along this highway, is if the ones I seek are where I pray they are. I am, unfortunately, basing everything I know as of now on something was only supposed to be pure fiction once upon a time besides for a few facts out of some different cultures legends. Hell, I shouldn't even been having to do this trip, but I am.
"Ah!" I can't help but suddenly cry out, dropping to one knee in the mud on the shoulder of the road. That one had hurt like hell, more so than the others. But, I can't complain; I'm pretty sure I had a rib cracked yesterday since it hurts to breathe on the right side of my body. Slowly, I forced myself to stand on my shaky legs, and start to walk again. After another five minutes, I freeze, glancing down and noticing how the worn out shoes on my currently callused and blistered feet seem to sink more into the mud here… It's as if the earth is disturbed, or perhaps not here naturally.
Soon looking up to the tree that was placed in this unnatural appearing dirt in a sense, slowly glance around it and I feel myself breathe out a sigh of relief; I'm almost there. As I carefully make my way around the tree, and start up the long, winding drive, I can't help but note in my thoughts that they must not have wanted to leave when they were supposed to, so they hid any obviously possible sign that showed proof of them being here. That's pretty wise, but if that had truly been smart, they would have moved and replanted more trees to hide their drive better.
Wow…. I honestly can't believe I'm the first person who's getting to finalize thoughts like these without feeling insane. I wish the circumstances of finding this place, however, where out of pure insanity rather than the true reason…. Suddenly, a shudder going down my spine; I can't think back to that night, not yet. If I do think back to it, my emotions will make me feel so week my legs won't want to carry me the now last 100 feet to where I have to get.
I wish what I went through had been a nightmare; I had truly wished it was. I tried telling myself that, but it hadn't worked; you're not supposed to feel pain as you dream, at least not real pain. Sure, you can get hurt in your dreams, but you aren't supposed to feel real pain, or to remember that pain, or to have that pain linger. No, stop it Meari. You can't let you mind linger onto that again, not yet.
Thank god, I can see the door, the front porch, lights on…. Please, cruel fate let this be who I look for and not just some over-obsessed fans who wanted a home out here so they can have make-believe. Torturously, I walk up the few steps onto the porch; it honestly hurt to bend my legs the small increment needed just to move up that short set of stairs. The couple of short steps across the wooden porch seem like more miles then I've walked, would be a lot of miles; the exhaustion must truly be getting to me as joy is managing to sink into my veins at this place being here. Though, again, the reasons for being here taint the light joy I'm managing.
A few weak, but firm knocks to the door; whoever is inside is bound to already know I'm here, but knocking is still nice since I'm not supposed to know who they are.
I can tell there must be hesitation to come to the answer before I hear the footfalls. A moment later, the door opens, and I have to look up; Oh, well what do you know, there's only one of two people this can truly be if I guess right by the personalities I read of.
"I'm sorry, but none of the owners of the house are here right now, and I don't believe they'd by anything you might be selling." The male spoke his in his naturally rough, yet smooth, tone before he moved to close the door once giving a kind nod. Somehow, with some speed I didn't realize I was still capable of, I flashed out a hand and pushed firm against the door to stop his movement of shutting it. "I'm not here to sell anything…." My voice is so cracked, so weak… I probably sound like a drug addict as I suddenly realize I'm panting as well. Huh, I hadn't even realized I was this winded until now.
"Jacob? Who's at the door?" A tinkling, bell like voice calls this in a tone of curiosity; her tone sounds young, but also matured in a gentle blend. Brief moments later, a figure appeared poking it's head around the tall male's side, and I blink as I take in her appearance. She's taller than me, which isn't shocking since I'm only 5"0, but she looks like she's just my age, and that's fourteen. If the way I always assumed she truly grew is correct, she's about six going on a normal human ageing scale. I just stare at her a moment, knowing her name but not daring to speak it since I know my appearance here is already odd enough to these paranormal people.
Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion stronger than any I've felt hits me, and I see my vision blur; the hearts must have finally taken in the small, but large amount for my current state, of blood they needed to begin to beat on their own. I manage to look up at the one finalized as Jacob again, whispering out a gruff, and almost slur begging tone of, "H…. Help me…." My eyes roll into my head; my mind fades into the dark it has surrendered to, I feel myself free fall. I barely register the fact that something that feels as warm as a heated light bulb catches me before I'm in the pure, unconscious bliss. Thank God, finally…. I can sleep….
Jacob's POV:
"Yes! I won again!" As that was exclaimed by the ball of energy next to me, I couldn't help but chuckle as a grin spread across my face at Nessie's excited bubbliness; If Edward and Alice where really brother and sister, I'd say she got this attitude from her father's side. Then again, Charlie's said once or twice that when Bella wasn't around a crowd, she was just as bubbly and hyper when she was little… A little hard to imagine, but I know Bells can be that hyper sometimes, yet that doesn't make it any less hard to imagine her like that all the time at any point in life. Now as for the moment, back to having my thoughts on the girl who is seated next to me on the white sofa. Granted, I care about her greatly, but I can't help but have it irk me a little that I've played this video game for years, and on her first try playing it with me, she kicks my ass. But, that irk goes away the same instant it appear because of how happy she is with the little victory she gets; it makes the light embarrassment worth it. I'm just thankful that none of the others are here because they went on like a couples retreat for the weekend; I'd never live this down if any of them had been here to witness it.
A moment later, I yelp lightly once when I feel something slie my skin, before I give a playful glare over the Renesmee for she having decided to use that mode of gaining my attention from 'La-La Land.' "Okay, I must have been ignoring you then; what where you saying?" This, and other variations of this sentence, is what I always speak when she goes as far to bite me now a days; it usually means I'm pretty absorbed in my thoughts if she can't get my attention in any other form.
Brown eyes look up at me with a searching look a moment, and then the mouth bit into my flesh smiles a bit before the teeth release and the female who had caused the wound—which was already beginning to heal—reiterated the words she had called to my ears earlier, "I said; Can we play a new game?" Ah, that's what she wanted. Should have guess this much since it's always been a pattern through the years; She wins a certain amount of times and she gets tired of beating my ass in the game, and she wants to move onto a new one…. So she can beat my ass in that as well. I sigh comically and shut my eyes, as if it is a hassle to comply which it never would be, not for her, and then look to her again with a smile one I open my lids. "Of course we—" Words instantly cutting off in my throat, I freeze; turning my head in the direction of the door as the soft, scratching sound of sneaks moving across dirt meets my hearing as well as a human heart beat.
"Man, how did someone find this place?" I mutter, sparring a glace to Nessie and seeing she had heard the sounds I had. "Choose another game from upstairs in your Uncle Emmett's game back in the hall closet while I answer the door, okay?" And, with that, myself and my imprint went off to our separate tasks. I honestly have to wonder, in all honesty, who the hell it could possibly be. Charlie was on vacation with Sue, a wedding anniversary/honeymoon—their fifth one to be exact about it—so the only thing that came to mind in the human category was a sales person or a bible pusher. There was something else that popped up in mind with humans nowadays, but thankfully none of the fans of that damned book series seemed to be crazy to actually come looking for the damn place…. Yet, anyways. It's a good thing that the tree had been moved to cover the end of the drive, and an alternate path had been made for the cars to come and leave, but we all obviously need to make that cover up a better one now it seems if someone had seen through it.
The door opened silently, and a moment of blinking despite myself, I looked down to the short figure. Is she a crazy fan? She looks young kind of… But then again looks shouldn't fool anyone, especially one who lives a paranormal life every day, that human or vampire wise looks can be deceiving. Hell, this girl standing in front of me could be at lease eighteen.
"I'm sorry, but none of the owners of the house are here right now, and I don't believe they'd by anything you might be selling." That should be enough of an explanation to get her to leave, which I had begun to close the door, but it apparently wasn't with the way the girl's hand flashed out and pushed firm against the wood of the door I had been attempting to reseal. "I'm not here to sell anything…." That fact and another caused me to arch an eyebrow; For one, if she wasn't here to try and get someone to buy something, why would she be here? And two, what was she doing out here in the first place? Was she some sort of crazy fan? But then, suddenly, I fully registered the weak sounding tone of her voice from a moment before; was this girl a junkie? Was she sick?
"Jacob? Who's at the door?" Great, no doubt Nessie heard the female's tone a tone; the kid was aspiring to be a doctor like Carlisle, so she wanted to help humans whenever she could. And instant later, Renesmee appeared beside me and instantly turned her attention to the human girl. I glanced back at the sickly sounding brunet, feeling slightly uneasy and suspicious due to the way she was just staring at Nessie. It looks as if she had wanted to say something, but decided against it last moment by the way her jaw just shifted.
And instant later, it appears as if some of the life had been sucked from the female in front of me, cause she suddenly turned a pasty pale color that is far from natural for even from a human who might be albino. She looks up to me, and she appears so broken as she whispers out a helpless, almost slur beg for help. What feels like less than a blink of an eye, I'm suddenly kneel from my catch of the girl who's eyes rolled back and fainted right in front of myself and the girl I've sworn to protect my life with. I move a set of fingers to her neck, trying to check for a pulse—which I find one though a bit weak if I'm checking it right—before my attention snaps to the girl in proximity of me that isn't a fainted mortal. "Renesmee, what is it? What's —?" I can't even finish my question since I stop the instant she holds out a hand to gesture for me to silence. She just stands there, her eyes intent and focus on nothing but the distance in front of her. "Jacob… Listen…" She whispered this so softly that even I can barely hear the uttered words, but I do as she commands; I close my eyes, and I focus on listening to everything around me.
I hear animals, vehicles on the highway, animal heart beats, birds flying, the human girl's breathing, the human girl's heart, my breathing, my heart, Nessie's breathing, and Nessie's heart. What else could she possibly? Wait! My eyes snap open, and I turn my attention to the blacked-out female I still support with my arms. It can't be…. That's impossible…. Slowly, I arch my head downwards and soon enough, I have my ear pressed right up against the unnamed female's stomach; up against a bulge I hadn't noticed protruding from her form due to the baggy coat she wore. I keep my ear there in silence, shock tensing my features until, a moment later I move into action.
"Nessie, go and get my phone and call either your mom, dad, any of them you think you can get a hold of the quickest!" This spoken in haste, the girl in mention nodded before running off to retrieve the cellular device from the kitchen to do as told. I stand, carefully cradling the fainted girl in my arms and rush into the house and kick the door shut behind us. Hurrying over to the sofa, I lay the female down just as Nessie rushes over to me; cell phone outstretched.
"It's Dad." I nod, taking the phone gently from her hand and move to my ear in the same motion.
"Jacob, what wrong at home? Renesmee said it was an emergency." Edward's voice sounds frantic, and I can't help but sigh a little.
"There's a human here, Edward."
Silence, complete silence for a little minute, before there is an annoyed and angered groan is sounded through the phone's speaker.
"Why, need I ask, does my daughter think a human having managed to find our home is an emergency?"
"Just listen."
Before he can speak another word, I remove the phone from my ear and press it firmly, but gently, against the girl on the couch's coat-covered stomach. After a moment—a moment in which Nessie had moved to where the girl's head rested on the couch and replaced the cushion with her knees as she stroked finger gently and soothingly through the females hair while also checking for a fever I believe—I moved the phone back to my ear.
There is silence. Another moment of completely, absolute, dead silence before there is a shout so loud that, if in my shifted form despite how quick my body heals I'd still be deaf for a weak, was there finally a shout that nearly broke the speak of the phone despite myself not knowing it was not Edwards attention due to him calling out to someone that was obviously on his end of the phone line.
"Carlisle, we all must get home, and we have to get home now!"
