Thank you so much for your reviews! This is my first actual story; all of my other stories are one-shots.
Remember, I am picking little quotes and words from the books and movies and weaving them in, the people who spot them and state them in the reviews will receive a teaser for the next chapter a week before it comes out. Don't worry, they are pretty easy!
For now I am sending them out to everyone, but soon I will narrow it down only to those who identify the quotes, or at least try to!
.
.
.
B POV
I watched as Edward slipped into unconsciousness, his eyes rolling back in a way that made me sick to my stomach. The blood was still smeared lazily across his chin.
I had never felt so low. So drained of hope.
How are we going to get back home?
I roll my neck to the side, ignoring the deafening pop as my bones protest movement. Scanning the horizon only makes me lose hope, but I try again. I look for hours, hoping something will change.
Nothing.
The flat line where the seemingly endless sky met the sea never changed. It simply bobbed up and down with the raft.
I gently lifted up my wrist, bringing two fingers up to meet the horizon. They danced gently across the line, as I tried to keep myself from bursting into tears. I knew we were going to die.
I closed my eyes and hummed to myself for what must have been hours. I hummed songs I remembered, songs my mother had sung to me as a child. I cried but no tears escaped my eyes this time, as I thought of my mother, Renee. She had been my best friend. She was crazy, erratic even.
I drifted off to sleep, silent dry sobs gently shaking my body. I thought of Renee.
It had been her idea to take the boat out for my birthday…
.
.
.
"Bella!" Charlie happily called as he pushed my door open, flowers and a pink parcel in hand. I inwardly groaned as I rolled over to look at the clock. It was only 7:30, and my day was already ruined.
It just had to be my stupid birthday.
"Morning Charlie…" I grumbled, rubbing my eyes like always. It did mean a lot to me that he had gone through all of this trouble for me. Even if I detested my birthday. I hated being the center of attention, and I hated presents. It made me feel awkward.
I pulled the covers off and moved over, making room for Charlie to sit. He handed me a small bouquet of purple flowers, and I immediately felt the deep flush come over my face. He was convinced that I liked purple, and it had started to grow on me. It reminded me of him. How much he cared.
I took the flowers and set them gently on my nightstand, quietly mumbling a 'thank you' as both of us avoided eyecontact. I knew he was bad at these kinds of things, and tears prickled my downturned eyes as he handed me the clumsily wrapped pink package.
"I uh…got you something for your birthday," he began. "Your mother's present is…well…a lot bigger. So I guess I'll go first." The wrapping was covered with a thick layer of tape, and the lopsided bow was taped flat. It more resembled a knot than a bow in reality, but to me it meant so much to me that I momentarily forgot about my hatred for birthdays.
I clawed open the tape and pulled out the present, a small rectangular jewelry box. I gently took the lid off of the box and gasped.
Inside was a silver locket, in the shape of an oval, with flowers carved on the surface. I gently opened it, hands trembling, and inside was a photo from what must have been almost 20 years ago. It was of Charlie and Renee, still happily married. Their shining faces looked up at me as I turned the locket over. I slid out another side to the locket and a small mirror glistened at me, the glass slightly dulled with age. I was speechless. This was the most precious thing I had even seen, let alone owned. I loved it.
I looked up at Charlie, his eyes firmly planted on the ground as his cheeks flushed red. He was refusing to look me in the eyes, but he coughed nervously and spoke.
"It was my grandmother's" he mumbled, before clearing his throat and speaking up more strongly, eyes still glued to the floor. "She told me to give it to the most special woman in my life. Since things didn't really work out with your mother…" he said nervously, clearing his throat again, "I couldn't think of any better person to give it to than you Bells. I…I love you, happy birthday."
I couldn't find words to describe what I was feeling. I know I couldn't if I tried. So I didn't try. I simply leaned my head onto Charlie's shoulder and whispered "thank you", as I wiped away the tears from my eyes. I looked over at him and he was finally able to meet my glaze, gently ruffling my hair as he stood up.
"Well…I guess it's time for your mother's present," he said, always quick to change the subject from mushy things. We were both bad at emotions, and I silently thanked him for changing the subject so abruptly.
He slowly walked over to the closet, and I was momentarily confused before the doors suddenly exploded open and I toppled off the bed, screaming loudly as I thudded to the floor.
I peeked my head over my sheets and my jaw dropped. Standing in front of my closet, each hand grasping a side of my double doors, wearing nothing but a hula skirt and coconuts, was my mother. My crazy mother. My hair-brained mother. The woman who I'd missed more than anything.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELLA!" she screamed, jumping on my bed and pulling me into a tight hug, which knocked her off the bed as well. Neither of us cared. I hadn't seen my mother in months, since I had moved to Forks.
"MOM!" I yelled, squeezing her as tightly as I could. I felt complete again, for just a moment. I felt happy. She lived life to the fullest, and though at times it felt more like I was the mother, I wouldn't trade our relationship for the world.
She pulled away and my eyes were drawn straight to the coconuts.
"Woah, uh….mom. What's with the…outfit?" I asked, averting my eyes and blushing. In the middle of September, my mother had not only flown out from Phoenix to surprise me, but she was wearing a getup that more suited a tropical island in the middle of summer. I looked out the windows and saw that it was raining heavily, and sighed. I HATED the weather here. Everything was so…green.
"Weeeeell" she started, shaking her chest embarrassingly. "I heard you say on the phone last week that you hated the weather here during the fall…and I figured I'd help you out."
I sat there, being smothered by my mother's hula skirt, in complete confusion.
"WE'RE GOING ON A CRUUUUISE!" She suddenly shouted, pulling me up and jumping up and down in excitement.
.
.
.
I woke up suddenly, as harsh rain pounded my face, images of my mother flooding my brain as the water flooded our raft. Not of that day, of on the boat. Of her falling overboard. Of her floating away into the blackness. Screaming.
I hurriedly tried to shove them out. I wanted to remember my mother how she was on my birthday. Face flushed, eyes bright, excited. Happy.
…Alive.
I squeezed my eyes shut and felt the rain drill into my face like little needles. I had always hated the rain.
Rain.
The word meant something, but as my body drifted off again and the darkness started to claw in at my brain, I couldn't remember what.
Rain.
I drifted in and out of consciousness, knowing that once I slipped into the darkness again I would not wake up. What was so important about rain?
Then, suddenly, like a sledgehammer, it hit me.
Rain.
RAIN.
WATER.
I sat up immediately, my back popping and my sunburnt skin splitting. It was pouring rain.
"EDWARD!" I screamed, slamming my fist into his shoulder and clawing at his arm, pulling him into a sitting position. He barely moved. I shook him and his eyes lulled open, bloodshot. I gripped his face, his cheeks were burning. His forehead was even hotter.
Panic stricken, I opened Edward's mouth and watched as water quickly dripped in. He choked for a moment, and then his eyes flicked open and he began gulping in water.
I quickly opened my mouth and water immediately spilled in. I sat there gulping as much water as I could, cupping my hands together as a makeshift cup, drinking in life. I looked over and saw Edward struggling. I moved his head onto my lap and gently cupped my hands around his chin, allowing a stream of water to dribble into his mouth. He swallowed greedily.
I looked into the sky, water slicing into my face, and thanked whoever would listen.
This rain would keep us alive.
After about an hour the rain had gotten worse. So had the waves.
The sun had dropped below the horizon line, darkness blotting out the clouds. I was frightened. This was the same type of storm that had capsized the boat.
A 'freak storm' Dr. Carlisle had called it the first day that we had spotted clouds from the deck of the boat. He said it should pass quickly, but violently.
It had.
The raft suddenly jerked with a large wave and I was almost thrown overboard. A pair of strong hands reached out to grab me, keeping me from tumbling off.
Edward had regained some of his strength and was looking at me with feirce eyes.
"I am NOT losing you now goddammit" he spat out, wrenching me towards him and wrapping his arms tightly around me. I was taken aback at his strength. An hour ago he was struggling to drink and now he was gripping me like a vice, refusing to relax his taught muscles.
"You mean more to me than anything else Bella" he yelled, the winds picking up as the raft jerked violently with the waves. His eyes were blazing and I didn't know if he was sane or not.
Suddenly he kissed me.
Out of the blue, out of nowhere, he gripped my face and violently shoved it towards his, our lips crashing together.
And he kissed me.
Before I could react, the raft was tossed up into the air and it came down with a crash, throwing me off despite edward's grip. His nails left deep gashes in my arm as the waves ripped me from his side, and the 4 angry slashes spurted blood as I was thrown into the sea.
I tried to reach up but I didn't know which way to reach. Underwater was worse than the surface, and though I knew to swim to the bottom for calmer water, I knew I would never fine my way up for air if I went down.
A strong wave knocked me into a spiral as the air was expelled from my lungs, and I lost control of everything. The bubbles flew in every direction, and I knew then I was lost. I didn't remember which way was up, or down. I didn't remember how to swim. How to breathe. As I was again buffeted by the waves, I gave up.
I stopped trying to swim.
I stopped trying to breathe.
I stopped trying to live.
The waves pushed me farther under, and just as I was about to die, I felt something grab my arm.
I panicked, my oxygen deprived brain not functioning properly. I felt myself being dragged roughly and suddenly my head broke the surface. I gasped roughly, spurting out sea water as I choked. My throat burned. My skin burned. My eyes and body ached, why was I still alive?
I forced my eyes to open and saw Edward, looking at me with horrified eyes. As I looked weakly up at him, he smiled crookedly. Then he collapsed next to me.
I wave came up and gently touched my feet, and then slowly pulled away. I was confused. Another wave touched my feet, retracting in the same way.
I suddenly realized that we were not in the water.
We were lying on sand.
.
.
.
Please review my story for a teaser and subscribe for updates on the next few chapters! I will try and update once a week or every 2 weeks.
Remember, in the next few chapters you will have to correctly post the quote from the books/movies in the reviews and I will send you a teaser for the next chapter!
For now I am sending them out to everyone, but I will announce when reviews will no longer be automatic. Thanks for reading!
-PinkJinx876
