Surprise everyone, double chapter post! Hope you enjoy chapter three of Hardcore Bella.


Hardcore Bella

Chapter Three: Hunted


Sometimes I feel alone in a million crowd
An outside wandering alone without
Any words to say, they can't explain
The desire to overcome the pain
Feel the breath that's always getting away
Am I dreaming it all? I will never be afraid: Survive ~ Lacuna Coil


"Why?" I asked Rosalie softly after sitting in the silent car for a few minutes. I didn't want to stir the pot with the blond vampire, with whom I already had a turbulent relationship. Even, in this moment of understanding between us, our relationship wasn't clear.

Rosalie was quiet and I decided to just let the question die. "Because no one should be forced to do something they don't want to do," she answered softly, tucking a strand of her hair back. "Not to mention, I think you have a lot of guts for standing up to Edward the way you did."

"How do you know about that?" I doubted Edward went back home to pour his heart and soul to Rosalie or anyone for that matter.

"Jasper," she answered simply. "He could sense something up with Edward when he came home and since Alice told everyone about the flower event at school. It wasn't that hard to put two and two together."

"Oh," I muttered softly as I looked down at the floor. So the whole house knew about the flower incident. "They must all hate me now."

Rosalie chuckled a little and shook her head. "Well the boys and Alice are both standing by Edward like glue. Especially Alice." I noticed the twinge of annoyance as she mentioned her 'sister'. I always had the feeling that the two girls didn't get along. "Esme on the other hand is rooting for you," Rosalie told me with a smirk.

"Really?" I said in shock. Esme was the mother of the family; usually mothers always hated the girl's who broke their boy's hearts. I expected her to be the first one to try and suffocate me in my sleep.

Yet, Rosalie claimed she was on my side. "She thinks Edward was wrong for just leaving you the way he did and thinks he should work to gain your forgiveness," Rosalie said with a laugh. "Now where do you want to go?"

My first thought was home, but then I would have to explain to Charlie why skipped school. Then it was La Push, but that would just lead to another supernatural guy in my life that confused me. Instead as we reached and about to turn from the direction of a forest I told Rosalie to stop.

"I'll stay here and be a vagabond for awhile," I told my blonde savoir.

She looked out at the forest for a moment before nodding and handing me an umbrella. "Here, the rain might have stopped, but you know how it is here."

Laughing lightly I took the umbrella and reached for the car door. Stopping I turned around and wrapped my arms around Rosalie. "Thank you," I whispered.

Without looking at her, I could tell by her stiffness that she was turned off by the affection, but I didn't care. It was good to know that in the House of Cullen that there were two women on my side. Pulling away from Rosalie I exited the car, waving as the car revved up and drove away.

Now I was alone with only my bookbag, Zune and cell phone. Looking into the distance I took a deep breath and started into the green forest.

The grass was still damp from the rain and the smell lingered in the air. Raising my hands up I breathed in, allowing nature's scents to consume my senses. I remembered a movie I had seen a few years ago called The Craft. Normal girls caught up in the mystic world of the occult, messing with nature and having it turn against them in the end.

Was I just like them? Turning against nature by being a vampire? Had that action damned me to end up like this? Alone, running from the one I once loved.

Remembering a song from the movie I walked deeper into the forest singing it lightly. "You shut your mouth how can you say I go about things the wrong way? I am human and I need to be loved. Just like everybody else does."

It was funny how sometimes a song could describe everything you felt, everything you were afraid to say would be said without needing to utter one word.

Fatigue hit me like a brick wall as each movement became strained. I didn't even notice I was so tired. After walking to school, I was surprised I hadn't collapsed earlier. Rage had kept me going; a terrible, but effective motivation.

Removing my bookbag from my shoulders, I let it fall down to the ground and propped it against one of the trees. Lying down on the grass, it was wet, but soft against what little exposed skin I had. As I drifted off into sleep Edward's words echoed in my mind.

"Sometimes I'm not the most dangerous thing in the forest."

Those words only made me force myself to fall asleep faster, ignoring Edward even in my own mind.

0o0

My joints felt achy as I turned around in the grass. Opening my eyes slightly, I was met with an almost total blackness. The green was nearly gone, if not for the little bit of moonlight that shone from above.

Getting up slowly, I rubbed my back, wishing for the comfort of my bedroom. Instead of being stuck in the middle of the forest. "Oh crud," I groaned as I finally realized that I wasn't sure which way I should go.

Searching in my brain, I remembered that I walked north to get where I was, so then, going south would bring back to the road.

Good girl Bella, use that common sense, I told myself as I collected my bag and started south. The darkness unnerved me; I was so used to having Edward or Jacob around when it was dark, that now being alone scared me. That led to me being disgusted with myself for allowing myself to rely on them.

Rene had always warned against allowing yourself to fall so hard for someone that you couldn't function without them. It looks like I had fallen into that trap. My cell phone in my pocket seemed to burn as I was tempted to call someone to help me.

Stubbornly I tucked my hands under my arms and walked along, telling myself that I probably wouldn't have service here anyway.

The sounds of the night echoed in the distance like the hooting of an owl that seemed to get louder and louder the more I walked. Looking up I tried to see if it was following me, but I didn't hear the flapping of wings.

Maybe I was coming towards it?

None the less, the sound bothered me because I reminded me where I was. It reminded me that I was alone and afraid. Stopping I reached for my headphones and blasted the first song that played, blocking out the owl.

Sighing I tucked my hands back under my arms and kept walking, telling myself that I was getting closer to a road that I still couldn't see.

Never did I tell myself that I was lost. To do so would drive me to call Edward in tears begging him to find me. It made me feel ill that he would be the first one I could want to call. Even after all of this.

The wind picked up and a pungent odor seeped into my nose making me gag. It smelt like rotting meat that had been left out for too long. Covering my face I coughed and tried not to retch. Not looking where I was going my head collided with something fleshy and hard. My foot tripped something over and I heard a small splash.

Peering up into the blackness I made up a shape that was hanging from a tree. Reaching into my pocket and pulling out my cell phone and flipped it over for the artificial light.

Raising the light up to the tree, I gazed up once before I let out a scream and fell back in shock. It was a man hanging from his feet. His head nearly torn off, hanging by only the white bone of his spine. Looking down I could make out a bucket on the ground- the thing my foot had hit. Blood stained both the bucket and the grass.

Backing away from the scene on my hands and knees, I tried to say something, but only a pathetic whimper of fear came from my lips. This could only mean one thing.

"Vampires," I gasped, fear thick in my throat.

A soft chuckle came from behind me and I looked up slowly to see a young man looking down at me. His eyes burning red, just like the blood that dripped from his mouth. In his dirty hands was another person, a woman, her neck broken.

My body froze for a moment and every muscle in my body ached to run, but my mind wouldn't give the order. The vampire stepped over me and looked at the spilt blood.

"Aww," he said in a low playful voice. "You spilled my dinner." Looking back at me he smiled as his foot crushed my cell phone, taking away my light. "You'll just have to refill it."

Run!

My mind finally caught up with my muscles and I jolted from the ground and ran as fast as could, not knowing where I was going. I was trying to outrun something that I knew I could never beat. My feet, still tired, and they carried me as fast as they could.

No one was here to save me. I had to rely on myself.

With the moonlight slowly fading away under the clouds, it was hard for me to see where I was going. That mixed with my naturally clumsy nature caused me to stumble over logs and bump into trees. I was like one of those stupid horror movie girls, except without screaming my head off like a moron.

I couldn't hear the vampire chasing me, but I knew he was there. The chill in my soul told me. My adrenaline continued to rush, but it did nothing to help my vision as I stepped into a ditch that sunk my leg in all the way to the kneecap.

"No!" I yelled as I pulled at my leg desperately, trying to free myself, but failing. The chuckling suddenly came back and I looked up to see the vampire looking down at me hungrily. Licking his lips as if about to eat a three-course meal.

"Poor, weak little human," he cooed as he stroked my face. I jerked back from his cold, dirty touch, but he grabbed my jaw, making me face him; those red eyes bright even in the darkness. "If you beg, I will kill you fast," he offered.

Beg for my life to be ended quickly instead of being slowly drained of blood like the man on the tree. It seemed like an easy choice to make. Yet, in some form of pride, I rose my head up and looked at those red eyes without faltering.

If I was going to die, then I wouldn't die the way expected of me. Begging for my life or begging for a quick end. I would die like the Spartan warriors, with pride. Without fear. I would die the strongest little lamb.

So what does one say before tempting death? "Kiss my ass," I told the vampire.

Laughter erupted from his mouth and he stood up grabbing my hair and jerking my neck back violently. "You stupid bitch," he said with a chuckle. "I will enjoy watching you die."

Closing my eyes I waited for it to just be over.

Then I heard a loud crash, like the sound of glass breaking. I felt something wet hit my clothes and slowly I opened my eyes. The moonlight had returned and revealed a sight to me.

The vampire was lying on the ground, his head completely severed from his head. His venom, which was a green murky color like slime, pooled on the ground causing everything around it to burn like acid.

But what could behead a vampire like that? Their skin was like diamonds. Nothing could do that sort of damage.

"Jason," a female Spanish accented voice said from behind me. "Poner a dormir a la niña."

Something pinched the back of my neck and slowly, my eyes closed and everything went black once more.


A/N: Who are Bella's saviors? What is strong enough to cut through a vampire's skin? You'll find out next chapter. See you later!