You Make Me Retch

Chapter 2: Surprise Meeting

By: Maggiles

BELLA

I ran as fast as I could.

Bumping into people, jumping over baskets, things I normally did when I ran for my life. As I looked back, I saw 5 red faced guards speeding behind me. My heart cringed.

I was dead.

" BELLA!"

I turned my head around and saw Jacob running to my side with absolutely no hint of fatigue. Another storage change in him. He would never get tired anymore. Doing anything.

" Jacob!" I almost snarled, " This is all your fault you big dog!"

He bellowed with laughter. " Hey, I didn't tell you to just grab the damn apple Bella. I told you to steal it."

A blush found it's way to my cheeks. I haven't stolen for so long, I guess I was a bit rusty. Normally, I wouldn't have stolen anything. Not anymore. But when I was with Jacob, I didn't think as normally as I could-should. Now I was going to be dead meat.

" BELLA!" Jacob yelled, even though he was keeping good pace with me, " Got your knife?"

A light bulb lit up in my head as I reached for the dagger my father had given me last time I saw him. In my stealing days, I used it to beat up any witnesses or guards. Never kill-just knock out.

" Ya! I do." I said, my voice coming out in rants as my breath quickly evaporated.

Jacob seemed to sense that I couldn't run any further. We looked back and saw the guards coming closer at us. Jacob's eyes narrowed as a big smile found its way to his lips.

" Bella! I'll go this way, and you go the other way. If we split up, maybe there won't be as many guards after you. No offense, but I look a hefty amount more dangerous..."

I didn't even hear him. My only priority was to run. My chest was burning with pain, my body screaming at me to stop and rest. I almost felt like throwing up-and to make matters worse, I didn't even get the damn birth root!

I was shaking with fatigue as I warily looked for Jacob...but he vanished. I looked back and saw two of the original five guards chasing me.

A faint smile played on my lips as I thanked Jacob and the heavens for sending him to me, even though this was all his fault. I didn't worry too much about him. One of the good things about his changes, apart from the still even worse things, was that he was a lot stronger. Even faster. He could take care of himself.

Right now however, I needed to take care of me and hide. Jacob's distraction had set the guards a good 12 feet more behind me. As an ex convict, I knew that this was gold in finding a resting place. My eyes scanned my surroundings. I looked down at the ground, close to exhaustion. But before I could put out, my eyes got a glimpse of something shiny. Silver outlined the path I was running.

What the hell...?

I quickly maneuvered my way through different directions, hidden paths, any where I could run to lose the guards and buy more time. I had no idea where I was heading, since I had never ventured to this particular part of town. But one thing I was certain of was that it must have been a rich part of town, since the sidewalk was still laced with silver lining.

Minutes passed by like seconds. My legs were trembling with exhaustion, ready to combust, but the footsteps behind me confirmed that I was not in the clearing...just yet.

My eyes caught a small opening in a giant bush, just big enough for me to squeeze through. I whimpered in pain as I forced myself through, thorns and twigs puncturing and scratched my skin. Perhaps this would buy me a few more minutes.

At that point, all I could think about was Renee killing me for coming back scraped and bleeding.

I kept running, more like a wheezy jog, till something amazing appeared in front of me.

I looked ahead and saw a huge jewel encrusted gate getting closer and closer to me.. .I had never seen something so splendid looking. Where the hell was I going?

" HURRY AND CATCH HER BEFORE SHE ENTERS! SHE MUST NOT GO INSIDE!!"

I heard a guard shriek behind me, screaming the order to anyone near him. Where ever I was heading, it must have been pretty special to make an officer scream like a girl.

Before I could contemplate my location anymore, I reached the gate with it's sparkling jewels and gold encrustations. I stared in awe. If I could grab just one jewel...me and my mom would be set for a good five years.

And that's living in luxury.

Grunts and shill bellows brought me back to my current situation as I saw the guards getting closer. Oh well, couldn't think about stealing jewels now.

Thanking God that I knew how, I quickly and masterfully climbed over the gate, landing in the safety of a huge and beautiful garden.

And when I took it all in, I was speechless.

I had never seen anything as glorious as what I was seeing now. Hundreds of trees outlined the place, all covered in fruits, nuts, and sweet smelling blossoms. Rose bushes, lily patches, ponds with magnificent fountains absolutely littered the place, all shining with gold laced decors as far as your eyes could see. I stared in amazement.

" HEY!! HEY!! GET IN THERE YOU FOOLS! ARREST HER AT ONCE!"

I felt like I had been slapped. I awoke from my trance ,dazed, as the guards yells brought me back to my situation. I quickly threw myself behind a tree as I heard the gate rattling and curses being cried out from frustrated officials.

"HURRY AND GET THE KEYS, YOU FOOLS!!"

Trodding feet and hushed yells confirmed that the guards had left for a short time. I held my breath just to make sure.

Nothing.

In a sudden movement, I collapsed on the ground, heaving heavily for air. My knees trembled, my body shook, and my chest was burning with excruciating pain. If it wasn't for the sounds of the guards returning, I would've fainted on the spot.

But being an ex thief had it's perks. I had killer instincts, my body adapting to the ever changing environment.

I flew back to my feet- with a little trouble- and searched frantically for some kind of refuge. As the noises grew louder, so did my heart, and I was almost certain I would have died from a panic attack...

...If a different noise hadn't caught my attention. It was very small, but I guess the danger I was in made my senses more acute. A small rock of some sort had been dropped-or thrown- from the trees. It was probably a small squirrel or something-that piece of information didn't particularly matter to me at the moment-butwhat it hit was of more value.

A tiny, little storage shack. It blended in perfectly with it's surroundings, a hidden refuge in such chaos. I smiled like a moron as I ran with all the strength I had left, prying the door open and rushing inside.

I looked around quickly. There were gardening tools by the dozen, cob webs and cracks everywhere. My eyes scanned as speedily as they could and alas!

A chest! There was a small chest at the end of the shack, very old, and made out of a fair red maple wood. I heard the gate being opened as footsteps rushed in, rifles began loading and orders were yelled out.

" FIND HER AT ONCE! SHE COULD NOT HAVE GONE FAR!"

My heart pounded with notable pain as I hurried to open the chest, squeezing my body as much as I could in order to fit inside. I silently thanked my being poor. If it wasn't for that, there was no way I could've fit in such a tiny vessel. All those years of poor nutrition paid off. I was skinny as a stick.

I didn't even breath as I heard noises coming from outside the shack. Voices were everywhere, orders being yelled from every corner. I shut my eyes, praying that the tiny hut was hidden from them as much as it was for me.

Seconds rolled by...soon being followed by minutes. It seemed like hours were passing, and I could almost hear the tick tock of the clock as I waited. But at last, I heard retreating footsteps.

" She must've left, the little rat." I heard a guard say with venom in his voice. " Tomorrow I want more officers around the market. We will find that girl, and when we do..."

The voices trailed. I shuddered, thinking about what that last sentence could've held.

A death sentence, perhaps. Oh god, that would just destroy Renee.

Acting on instinct, I didn't move. Thief rule number one: NEVER assume anything. For all I knew, there were 10 more guards outside, waiting to pounce. I concluded to stay a while longer in the little chest, to rest perhaps. My breathing was still short, my breath coming out in heavy pants. I decided I couldn't breathe. As slowly as I could, I opened the top of the trunk. A gush of air filled me as I stretched out my legs and took a deep breath of air.

It still wasn't safe to escape. Any noise would send them flying to me. Against my will I was confined to this small shack, at least until dark. This was key time to catch up on my rest. I yawned involuntarily, my body aching with fatigue. Before my eyes closed, Jacob flashed in my mind. I hoped he was okay.

Not only that, but I still had no idea where I was, or why the royal guards were more desperate then usual to keep me out. I looked out of a tiny crack in the ceiling. Probably no later then 2 o'clock. I was going to be stuck here for a while.

Slowly, but surely, with a million thoughts racing in my mind, I drifted to sleep.

EDWARD

A gentle breeze roused my hair as I sat on the top branch of an apple tree in the garden. After my dispute with Carisle, bitter resentment was building up inside of me. Resentment for him...and some for myself. Running out of the room like I had done was childish-human.

How demeaning.

I sighed, contemplating my actions and the horrible act that was to happen later. No matter how much I protested the idea, I knew I had no say in it.

Carisle was usually gentle- open for compromise. The fact that he was serious and held no concern for my opinion told me that there was no way out. I was going to be held in this position...

Whether I liked it or not.

Thesheer idea of marriage...with a human girl at that! It's not short from insane. How was I to marry? I have no love-no love of that kind at least. How could I hold a marriage without love? Humans, especially that of the female kind, craved affection. What extreme would they go to if they didn't get it? How far would they push until one of us lost control? If that were to happen, our whole kingdom would spiral into panic, practically yelling an invitation for rival tribes to come and begin an onslaught.

How could Carisle not see the consequence?

If it did come down to that, then we would surely be expecting a visit form the Volturi...I shuddered at the mere thought.

FOOLISH! I cursed under my breath, this whole thing was a trap waiting to happen. If the mortals were to see us in full view, what questions would arise? How would we answer them?

Numerous thoughts rushed into my head. I closed my eyes, weary. Few minutes of solitude had passed by wordlessly, nothing disturbing the peace the garden usually held.

...Then something happened that had never happened before.. a smell had reached my nose.

A smell that was unusual to me..

It smelled like fresia.

Mouthwatering fresia. My chest burned slightly with thirst, but I could easily suppress it. Years or experience taught me that.

Perhaps it was because it was a distant scent I was able to shrug it off so easily. I opened my eyes to find the source.

Distant yells reached my ears, as my eyes drew attention to the gate. Moments after the yells, I heard panting. That panting was soon followed by a figure of a person barley able to stand, somehow reaching the gate.

A woman.

My my.

Now this was fairly peculiar. In all my years, and there were many, of sitting in this garden, no one, at least no one but my family and a few chosen others, had ever entered this garden.

And for good reason.

This garden was our sanctuary. A place where we could be ourselves and not hide who we were. There had never been an intruder...until now.

My eyebrows raised as she stood perfectly still.

She had long black hair, her skin almost as white as mine. Her eyes were big and brown, laced with thick black lashes. She stared in wonder at the gate, probably fascinated by it's splendor.

She continued to stay, glued to the spot.

Wow...how long could a human stand still? Not long apparently, for the distant voices from earlier became louder, causing the girl to go into a frenzy. She twirled her head around, and in doing so, sent her hair flying behind her.

A rush of fragrance hit me then like a ton of bricks.

My eyes dilated...that scent...that fragrance that enticed my thirst earlier was coming from her. The burning desire returned, filling my chest with a pain I had never felt before. The breeze from earlier was bringing her aroma full throttle at me, driving my senses insane. I tried to keep control. My fingers clawed the bark of the tree, holding me in place. I held my breath-something that didn't matter to my kind- and instantly felt better. Without the ability to smell, the scent she possessed did nothing to me. I sat back, hands still clawed to the tree, and watched her.

Even in some kind of trouble, she was still in awe of the gate-something she had Alice to thank for-when the far off yells, probably that of the guards, came even closer. The girl finally moved around, looking frantic.

Hmmm...I thought. A convict, no doubt. Escaping arrest, I concluded from how fast her heart was beating.

Hah. She was probably staring down a jewel. Wondering how she could snatch it. Humans weren't very hard to figure out. They're minds were all usually greedy.

Yet this was interesting. The garden was hidden from view. She must have no idea where she was, where she was heading, or how she got here.

Definitely not how close she was to danger. A danger far worse than any human force. I couldn't stop the smirk from playing on my lips.

Impressively, however, she was able to climb over the gate with amazing speed.

For a mere mortal, of course.

A few seconds of observation I allowed, before another strange occurrence happed. My usually icy skin suddenly felt warm around my face. While climbing the gate, I had seen up her skirt, a site I wasn't used to seeing at all. I almost felt...dirty.

" HEY!! HEY!! GET IN THERE YOU FOOLS! ARREST HER AT ONCE!"

My attention diverted for a second to the guards. This confirmed my suspicion for her being a convict.

Check and mate.

My eyes returned to the girl, and I watched as she looked around wildly for a quick hiding place.

With no warning, she threw herself behind a tree, desperately attempting to not make a sound.

" Mphhh!..."

I couldn't help myself. I turned around and silently bellowed with laughter, trying as desperatly as she had to keep it low. She just looked so awkward. It was uproarious.

"HURRY AND GET THE KEYS, YOU FOOLS!!"

The guards were in a frenzy. They scattered around, probably as lost as she was. The scene just added to the humor. I finally understood the saying, " Split my side laughing." It was one of the most humorous scenes I had ever seen.

When the guards left, the girl suddenly collapsed on the ground. With no explanation, I suddenly tensed. I raised myself from my relaxed position, watching.

Was she dead? Did she faint? For some unknown reason, I didn't like the idea of seeing her on the floor, maybe unconscious. I listened for her heart beat. It was pumping furiously. I calmed myself down, and positioned myself as before. I watched her in silence.

After a few minutes, the sound of the guards came back, and just as sudden, the girl jumped to her feet. My eyes widened, impressed. This girl was quite the show.

I saw the desperation in her eyes as she looked around, no doubt trying to find a secure hiding place. From the corner of my eyes I saw the gate being opened, likely overflowing with officials ready to pounce. This girl must have done something pretty horrendous.

I smiled.

Yawning, I laid myself back down on the tree branch. With a hand stretched over my head, perfectly at ease, and another gripping a small apple, I effortlessly tossed it into the garden, hitting the small shack where Esme hid all the gardening instruments.

My plan worked like a charm. Her ears picked it up, and she looked directly at where the apple made contact. She sprinted to the spot, ripped the door open, and dissapeared inside. I didn't move my eyes from where she vanished.

Half an hour passed...and the guards left.

Another 15 minutes, and the girl was still hiding. I heard her heart beating, nonetheless, not as furiously as before, but just as rapid.

I slowly got up, keeping my eyes on where the little prisoner stayed. I jumped to the ground, landing with ease. I brushed a hand through my hair.

Why was I so nervous?

As soon as I took three steps towards the shack, I couldn't move. Pain bursted through my chest, as my hand clutched my heart for support.

This woman...what was she doing to me? I tried my earlier tactic. Holding my breath, I tried to shake out the smell...but it was much harder then before. My mouth watered, my body tensed, my lips curled over my teeth. No...NO!

I shook my head. I couldn't let this little convict get the better of me. A century clean, she would not be my down fall. After a moment of regaling my composure, I quickly made my way to the little hut, ever so slowly prying the door open.

I was glad I had taken precaution before hand. I knew that if I hadn't, this small hot room would have been overflowing with her fragrance. I could not have resisted.

I looked around, squinting. It was not long before I saw a white, slightly tan leg protruding out of a box. I raised my eyebrows...classy. Very Classy.

I walked slowly to where she laid. In the very back of the shack, she had fallen asleep in a tiny little chest. I watched as her chest silently went up and down as she took a breath, how her lips opened slightly revealing pearly white teeth, and how she was dressed in nothing but a poor fitting blue garnmet.

She was absolutely exhausted. There was no point in reading her mind right now. There would be nothing there.

Another frustrating trait about mortals. When they were asleep, they couldn't think. At least not about anything but their testosterone fueled dreams.

Sometimes I wondered...what would I dream about?

As I sat pondering, the girl had moved.

I shot a look at her almost instantly, and big chocolate brown eyes were there to meet mine. In a flash, she had stood up the best she could, and quickly reached for something in her skirt.

A dagger.

Authors Note: Hey guys! Thanx for reading.D I just want to explain my 2 author thing. Originally, this was supposed to be Bellas POV, but as I wrote, I realized that Edwards POV was just as intresting. Even though it's a pain to write two POV's, I hope it's not boring you to death. I know the repetition of events can make you insane. If you have any criticsm about it, please give a review so I can make this funner to read.

P.S. Will get more intresting. I know this is a little lacking