The Lagrangian Point
Disclaimer: Twilight and all relating characters are property of Stephenie Meyer.
Story Notes and Warnings: Please read this as it will be posted with additions and changes often. This story is currently rated T. If there is a change in rating, you will be informed one chapter ahead. If you find a major mistake, please inform me. Thanks.
Author Notes and Warnings: Ah, I'm sorry for taking so long. And I know this chapter is short and probably confusing, but I do hope you enjoy it because I'm working on the next one! Thank you for reading and reviewing.
2. TWINS
The airplane landed half an hour later, and Alice skipped off the plane while I followed lamely behind. I looked like a dog who had just lost his bone, and my body felt like it was losing bones by the minute. I needed to see Edward, but I was miles away and without my wallet of Edward pictures.
I don't know why, but everything seemed so depressing. I turned to look at the McDonald's, and Ronald stared back as though he was plotting a terrorist attack. Even Burger King's crown looked like it was made of broken glass.
"Alice, come here and look at Burger King," I mumbled. No one responded. I looked around and I saw people (great observation skills), but not Alice.
I stood there for a moment thinking that she would materialize if I stayed in one position, but after five minutes people were staring as though I was a lost cause.
It was then that I decided to ask around, and then grab the bags and wait for her by one of the exits if asking turned up no luck.
I pursed my lips and took cautious steps forward, afraid that I would slip and fall or crash into someone I couldn't see. Sitting for such a long time takes a toll on the body, and I could feel the pulling and strain of my thigh muscles as I wobbled towards a young man dressed in the Airport Security uniform. If he had seen her, he would probably know where she went.
I approached him and he turned in my general direction. His eyes widened dramatically and my brows furrowed. Was there something on my face? My chest? My legs? Did I look that disheveled? I cursed inwardly; he didn't have to be so obvious about it. Subtle hints or maybe a whisper would be sufficient. My frustration level quickly rose as I neared, and I opened my mouth to greet him when I felt my legs give way.
Scrawny fingers grabbed hold of my thigh, but those too were brought down by the force of gravity and I soon found myself tumbling forward with at least eighty pounds on my back. My hands jutted out to catch my fall, but the little bag I was carrying went forward along with my hands and I closed my eyes tightly and prepared to kiss carpeted floor.
I let out a surprised squeak as the wind was knocked out of me. Huffing and slowly opening my eyes, I noticed the position I was in. My body must've been forty five degree angle. This either meant that I had gravity defying abilities or someone with great balance was holding me. To my dismay, it was the latter. My eyes quickly matched its gaze with that of a little boy.
His gaze stunned me.
His eyes were so familiar. They were the brightest shade of gold I had ever seen - much brighter than any of the Cullens or a member of the Volturi. They captured me, held me in, and grabbed at the edges of my thoughts surrounding Edward. Ever so quickly, I was brought out of reality and into the realm of the illogical, the unbelievable, and the impossible. This was a place that I had been brought to several times before and had become accustomed to. This was a realm where characters that seemed to only exist in fiction novels were given shape and thought.
This boy was not human.
He must have realized that something was off because he smiled at me and pushed me lightly so that I was vertical to the ground. The eighty pound thing that nearly gave me a concussion was now standing beside the boy who saved me.
I must have been seeing things. They were identical. One was tugging his ear, and the other had a gash across his forehead.
And there was no blood.
I mumbled something. Then I fainted.
I awoke in an unfamiliar place and panic set in almost immediately. I hadn't the faintest idea of where I was or could be, and the fact that I was comfy and could only hear the light thrumming of a machine nearby suggested that I wasn't at home.
Several feelings hit me as I opened my eyes. First was disorientation; next was confusion. The white ceiling spiraled into a void in the centre and vibrant colours sprouted and encircled the expanse of my sight. I wondered briefly if someone had drugged me, but the ceiling's presentation seemed so enticing and it was inviting me to reach out and stroke the ribbons of colour that I left that thought to dissipate amongst others. As I contemplated reaching for the surreal, I realized what implications my fleeting thought from before brought about.
Was I the victim of a kidnapping? I couldn't remember much. It hurt too much to try to think back to before the present time, and I figured that doing such a thing would cause the tangling ribbons to stop their sultry dance. But the thought didn't recede. Instead, they gained a tangible body and yelled, demanding my attention. I could not ignore it - it was just as annoying as Alice had the potential to be when she wanted her way.
I sprung up to survey the area. Then I cringed. Searing pain tore at my spine, and I slumped back down into the soft covers and the comfort of the pillow. I stared at the ceiling (hoping against hope that the colours would return) while I waited for the pain to cease, but instead it fell to a dull throbbing that was even more inconsistent and unexpected. I breathed out deeply and slowly brought a hand up to hover above my face.
My fingers, in my line of sight, distributed the light that brightened the room and the bandage wrapped around my wrist became more pronounced. It was darkened with splotches of blood but that was not what caught my attention. Slightly puncturing the skin, only partly protruding from its confines under the protection of the bandage, was a white object. The point where it touched my skin tingled and when I experimentally stretched my fingers to their full length it stung.
It aroused my curiosity and I reached for it with my other hand. When my thumb and index finger clamped down to pull it free, the door opened. In less than a second, my arm was tugged roughly away from the object. I winced, but the surprise overpowered the pain. I glanced at where the tooth
was. Correction: where it used to be. I narrowed my eyes and turned, about to scold Alice for treating my frail body that way, but the words died in my mouth.
If female beauty could weaken the best of men, then it also applied to women like me with no exception.
She instantly reminded me of Rosalie, but this beauty was no comparison. It was the type that awoke all senses with its mere presence. This beauty was pure; it did not come from surgery or the constant use of products. It radiated confidence and I was drawn to it. I wanted to caress her prominent cheeks. If I wasn't nearly immobilized, I would have done so.
I must have looked like an idiot because she sent me the most bemused expression before backing up slightly. Even her smirk pulled me farther down into infatuation. My lips parted in preparation for words - most likely praise -, but nothing came. I simply stared at her smiling eyes. They were the most exotic shade of green I had ever seen. They couldn't have been contacts. They seemed like ...like the eyes Edward could have had.
"You are very perceptive." Her lips slowly curled into a smile and she took a step forward to lessen the space between her and the bed. She bent over, her slim fingers grasping the bed's rails and, reaching forward, she grabbed my chin.
The action caused a surge of dizziness to overwhelm me and I blinked twice to regain my line of sight. My eyes tended to conk out when my body was under pressure, and right now that simply was not an option. This woman was intimidating. Her presence alone must have frightened people. Who would want to be in the same room as her?
Certainly not me, but I was.
I flinched and attempted to escape her hold, but my head was unable to move as her eyes pierced mine. Her fingers were cold. There was no way they could have been normal body temperature. Her finger slowly ran over the prominent bone above my cheek and I shivered. She seemed to take pleasure in my fear.
"It is my nature to feed off of the emotions of others, Girl. Among other things."
She had three sentences now that I didn't understand. As of yet, I barely managed to string two coherent words together, never mind form a sentence. How could she respond to anything if nothing was said? Unless ...
The woman snapped her head to the right so quickly that I wouldn't have noticed if it was not for my tendency to overly admire beautiful people. She released her hold on my head and I cocked it to the side slightly. A young boy stood at the entrance, scowling fiercely as he shoved a hand through his curly hair. His hair was just as perfect as hers. It shone so intensely that I had to restrain my hands in order to not reach out and steal a precious lock.
I now had the opportunity to look at the woman who nearly gave me a heart attack simply by being in the same room. She could not have been more than thirty. Her skin looked like porcelain and it seemed to emit tiny beacons of light. She probably did not have a fondness for make-up, and I didn't blame her. She could turn the heads of everyone on the street even if she just woke up and walked to the store. Her hair was up in a perfect bun save for a loose curly piece that formed a long bang in front of her eyes. Even her clothes radiated her beauty. She must have had something equally expensive under the long black fur coat she wore. A long chain that wound around her neck cascaded down her front and it hung right in front of her bosom. Dangling from the chain, the words like mother, like daughter glittered in the light.
I looked up and almost gasped when I found her staring at me again. She smiled.
I watched her leave the room. The woman must have signaled to the boy because he nodded and tugged on his ear. After she turned down the hallway, he approached the foot of my bed. He squatted down until I couldn't see him, and then he suddenly leapt. I looked like a deer in the headlights as my head followed him up and then down. He landed softly on the rail, his hands grasping it. He was in a crouching position and the way he did such an act with ease was slightly disturbing.
He looked me up and down and nodded appreciatively. I didn't quite comprehend; I was wrapped in a blanket up to my chest and the rest wasn't exactly pleasing to the eye. I swallowed the condescending words arising in my throat and spoke softly.
"Who are you?" And why are you so beautiful?
The boy grinned at me. He glanced behind him before performing a strange acrobatic move that had him back on his feet in less than a couple of seconds. He walked to the side of my bed and sat in the chair the woman previously occupied.
"Luke."
"Well hello, Luke. Is your brother all right?" The question asked itself when I realized that this boy was the one who saved me earlier.
He smiled. "Mhm, he's quite the fighter, so don't burden yourself worrying about him. But I must ask what have you been eating lately? To have broken my dear brother's tooth – ah, it brings back human memories."
He must have seen the expression on my face because he let out a quiet laugh, mature and soft. I had so many questions to ask him, many pertaining to his manner of speech and his age, but that fact that I left that disaster with a tooth lodged in my skin gained my attention faster.
"Is that what that woman took from me?"
He raised an elegant eyebrow, replying, "Oh, Katherine? It certainly seems so, since she rushed past me earlier with such a determined face." He paused for a moment, staring at me intently, and then continued. "And it seems you have many questions for a boy who doesn't act his age. Shoot away, madam."
Now I was really confused. I tried to string together some sentences in my head just so that I didn't sound like an idiot when they came out, but my brain failed and my mouth started moving.
"Are you a vam – no, no. How old are you? You seem old, but you can't be because you look like you're five. Oh, that came out wrong - sorry. I feel dizzy - really dizzy. Is there a place I can sit? Or stand? Aren't I already lying down? Why would I need to stand? Aha …"
He leaned over and pulled the sheet closer to my head.
"Go to sleep. It's just an affect of the poison," he whispered as he stepped back and headed towards the door.
I nodded my head slowly, agreeing, and closed my eyes.
Alice told me that I had been sleeping for over a day, and that she was by my side most of the time. She seemed to be in a worse condition than me; she kept a frown on her face as she gave me some water, and would always talk to me under her breath, as if we were being watched.
Her face was static when I explained what I could remember of Luke and his brother, and that Kathleen or Katherine lady. I asked for her opinion on it.
"Bella stop worrying. I'll tell you what I think when you're feeling better."
Apparently I was feeling better because the doctor came in a few minutes later and announced that I was discharged. I asked him what my injuries were, and he listed them off smoothly as he read the paper.
"Just a few bruises, ma'am. We just had to clean out a wound that was caused by an unknown object – no one likes an infection." He smiled coldly at Alice, and she let out a dry laugh. "The reason you were here for so long was because you kept losing consciousness, but just a lack of food and dehydration can explain that."
"No poisoning?" I blurted. Both Alice and Dr. Keran (as it said on his name tag) sent me an odd look.
"No poisons were found during testing, Ms. Swan."
I nodded dumbly and he smiled at me (probably wondering if it was a good idea to let me out now) before he left. Once we were alone, Alice turned to me.
"Poisons?"
"Luke said I wasn't feeling well because of poison."
I stared at Alice to gauge her reaction, but she revealed nothing.
"The doctor said you're fine so let's go."
We grabbed our things in the Airport and left, grabbing a taxi and heading towards our hotel.
The remainder of the trip did not make me feel any better. I felt like I was being choked as I sat beside Alice, and that deepened my guilt.
When we got there, I called Renee and told her where we were. She was ecstatic of course; it was in her nature to be that way. Unfortunately, her lovely voice worsened the headache I got on the ride here and I felt as though I was going to bring up the contents of my stomach. Alice noticed this and brought me to the bed.
"Really, Bella, stop worrying so much." She rolled her eyes and that was enough to confirm my suspicions.
She was annoyed at me - that much I could tell. Yet, knowing that I gave her more than enough reason to be upset, I still felt like this was partly her fault too. I could not explain why I felt that way but deep down, somewhere that I couldn't reach, somewhere opened when Edward was missing from my life and closed when he returned, it laid in wait.
I wanted to know what this all meant; what I was talking about - where this was coming from, but it was as elusive as it was on the plane. It taunted me - whatever itwas. It grabbed at the edges of my memory, calling me forward, whispering, and then it disappeared, fleeting, gone.
Something was definitely wrong with me.
I mixed a sigh and a grunt as I turned myself over to lie on my stomach. I could feel Alice's eyes on my back as she stood at the edge of the bed, pulling up the sheets to make sure that I was locked down. A smile ghosted over my lips and everything was momentarily forgotten as I drifted off to sleep.
Alice must have said something, because I responded with a yes as she placed the phone beside me.
Then I was gone to the place that was beyond everyone's grasp, including Edward.
Next Chapter: PHONE CALLS.
Revised & Edited: March 21st, 2008.
