Edward didn't know what he did wrong; he never did. This time however, his parents seemed to be pushed over the limit. Without warning, they had sentenced him to living out life in a closet. Locked in a dark, cold, empty room, Edward ceased to have any form of human contact. Time lost it's meaning. Every second felt like hours, every hour felt like days. It didn't take long for time to become completely irrelevant. Edward could not tell the difference between night or day. He had no idea that life could be this empty…this lonely.
Edward's eyes flickered open and the first thing he noticed was the up close view of his steering wheel. Feeling dizzy and lightheaded, he slowly sat up and let reality come back into focus. He saw Bella, tears flowing, looking completed panicked in the seat next to him.
"Edward! Thank goodness! I was so worried." Without thinking she threw her arms around him, trembling considerably.
"How…how long was I out of it?" he asked, unsure. Bella pulled herself up and tried to compose herself better.
"Only about ten minutes." She stammered. Edward looked shocked.
"I would have imagined hours." He whispered, still shaken and not fully aware of what was happening yet. He looked out the window and noticed that they were, basically, in the middle of nowhere. Off behind him on the distant horizon, he could make out the faded outline of the highway they had previously been traveling on. "What…happened?" he asked, bewildered.
"You lost control of the car. You slammed down your foot on the gas and wouldn't let go of the steering wheel. I managed to turn us toward this field…" she trailed off; Edward was clearly getting upset. His fists were balled tightly in his lap, shaking in anger. How could he have endangered Bella like this? Where had his judgment gone? "Edward. It's not your fault. You can't blame yourself."
"Then whose fault is it then?" he retaliated, disgusted with himself. "What if something had happened? If I had hurt you…"
"But nothing happened!" Bella argued back, unable to see why he was so worked up. "Frankly, we should be more concerned with you right now." Edward shook his head and climbed out of the car slamming the door; Bella followed him. "Edward wait! Where are you going?" she called after him.
"I don't know somewhere…away."
"Edward, please, get back in the car."
"You'd recommend me getting back behind the wheel?" he shouted, with a tone in his voice that questioned her sanity.
"Of course not!" she replied angrily, wondering how he would think that she would even consider it. "I'll drive."
"Drive where?" He asked her, exasperated.
"To go and see Carlisle."
"What good would that do?" he questioned scornfully.
"I don't know but obviously neither of us knows what to do. We need someone who can think rationally right now." Bella pleaded at him with her eyes not to leave, a frightened expression on her face. Edward deliberated for a moment. He saw the desperate look in her eyes.
"Fine." He retorted sourly. Bella looked at him a moment, near tears, and they got into the car silently.
They pulled into the hospital parking lot and Bella started inside, Edward following her sullenly. His surly attitude made her uncomfortable, and she knew he was using it to mask other feelings. They approached the receptionist in Carlisle's department and asked if they could see him. She glared at them murderously and Edward heard her thoughts complaining of how they were going to make people with actual illness's wait. Scowling, Edward stalked over to a chair and picked up a random magazine. He wasn't really reading it, but using it as an excuse not to have to look at Bella.
"Must you stare at me?" he hissed under his breath. Hurt, Bella looked away, watching the seconds tick by on the wall clock.
Finally, Carlisle was free to talk to them. Annoyed, Edward led Bella down the hallway to his father's office.
"Edward? Bella?" he asked, his eyes meeting each of theirs briefly, conveying perfectly his concern. "Why aren't you in school?" Edward shrugged angrily and looked sharply at Bella; she shrank away under his thunderous gaze.
"Edward…well we were driving, or he was driving really…" she felt like she was rambling and could feel Edward's irritated eyes bore into the back of her head. "And he sort of…had another, what should I call it, a vision?" She sounded stupid, like a little kid, but she was sure that Carlisle understood what she meant; he did.
"While you were driving?" Carlisle asked, alarmed. Grimacing, Edward nodded, clearly embarrassed that he hadn't had control of the situation. They stood in silence for a few minutes. "Bella, would you mind if I talk to Edward for a couple of minutes?" he asked abruptly. Taken aback by his sudden question, she nodded shakily and left the room.
Once she had gone, Edward sank into a chair and leaned forward with his face in his hands. Carlisle watched him, troubled, and noticed that he was shaking; he sat down next to him.
"What happened?" he whispered. Edward looked up undoubtedly distressed.
"It was frightening. There was nothing but eternal darkness." His voice was coated thickly with melancholy and grief. "Bella…Bella said that I was only out for about ten minutes, but it felt like the equivalent of days. The only thing I had was my cold and desperate thoughts." Carlisle felt helpless, how could he even begin to console his son? He had the feeling that, if he could, he would be crying. He looked absolutely traumatized.
"Where were you?"
"In a closet." Edward replied listlessly. "I---" he broke off. Pandemonium ensued inside of him. He was torn between reality and his mind. He knew that these so called flashbacks happened long ago, and for all he knew, could be figments of his own imagination; and yet they felt so real, as if they were happening right now. Besides, how could he possibly dream this up? He sighed heavily. "I don't know what to do." He muttered, becoming more languid, senses dulled. The faint yet persisting scent of blood drifting throughout the air in the room no longer bothered him. He rose and tried to cloud his morose demeanor; he couldn't have Bella pestering him with worry. Carlisle whispered that they needed to talk more at home. Edward nodded and left. He merely motioned to Bella with his eyes that they were leaving and did not speak a word as they climbed into the car for the third time that day. Bella drove off, realizing that she had no idea where they were going; school would not be out for another couple of hours. With nowhere to go, she turned down the path that would lead them to Edward's house.
The rest of the Cullen kids, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, seemed not surprised to find when they came home Edward and Bella on the couch, Edward with a distant look staring at the walls and Bella watching him anxiously. Either they had expected it or really took no particular interest to the matter. It briefly occurred to Bella that, other than Edward, Alice was the only one left attending school. She thought about where the others might have gone, seeing how they usually stay home, but was too distraught to be preoccupied for long. Edward still had not said a word to her since they left the hospital. They had come home and he had sat morosely on the couch. What else could she do but sit there as well; they had not moved all day. At one point, becoming aware of her hunger -she had skipped breakfast that morning-, her stomach rumbled rather loudly. Edward did not react to this at all, which only increased her apprehension. It seemed as if Edward had forgotten her presence entirely.
When she pulled herself away from his face again, the room had already emptied, all except for Alice. She motioned with hand for Bella to come over to her. Dazed, Bella stood, feeling somewhat lightheaded from not eating.
"Let's talk." Alice whispered comfortingly in her ear. Grabbing her hand, she led the hesitant Bella upstairs into her room. Jasper, who had been sitting on the couch waiting for her, politely left, his and Alice's eyes meeting momentarily on his way out.
Bella sat on the couch where Jasper had been, feeling very much like she was intruding. This was the first time that she had been in any of their bedrooms before, save for Edward's. Thinking of him made her heart feel heavy and she thought silently to herself that maybe she did need to talk to someone. Feeling suddenly grateful to Alice for caring, she tried her best to attempt to flash her a half-smile. Alice saw through it but smiled back in return, that same empty smile, with no emotion resembling happiness attached to it.
"How is he?" she asked, and Bella could tell she had been stressing over this all day. "What's happening?" she sounded almost afraid. Quickly, Bella explained what has going on to the best of her ability, wondering if Edward wanted her to, seeing as how he apparently had not yet shared with his siblings his dilemma. She dismissed her doubts promptly, deciding that Alice had a right to know. "I see." She muttered dismally when Bella had finished.
"I don't know what to do." Bella admitted. "I feel so powerless." Alice nodded in agreement. "He just started ignoring me. I thought…last night I thought that maybe he was going back to normal. But now…I don't know what to think anymore. It's so frustrating. I want to be there for him, but I don't know what to do. He won't let me in!" Bella put her face in her hands, crying. Alice put a hand on her shoulder somberly, sharing in her sorrows. Neither one of them could really do anything to help.
"Thank you for telling me." Alice said. Bella stifled her cries and nodded. "You know, I saw what he saw that first night, but since then nothing. I suppose I did not understand the severity of the whole thing. The pain he must be going through…those intense feelings. Can you imagine what it must feel like to be abandoned? Can you even fathom it?" Bella shook her head.
"Do you think that you could tell me what you saw?" Bella murmured inaudibly; Alice still heard her.
"I'm not sure…" Alice responded diffidently. "Edward may not want me to tell you."
"I know you respect his privacy, and I understand, but…please. If you could." Bella pleaded with her desperately. Alice smiled sympathetically and told her of the troubled vision; Bella's eyes widened.
"I can't believe someone would do that."
"I know. And apparently, that must have been mild. He seems so rattled by it right now. It may have been the original shock that shielded him but I don't think it affected him as much as it did today."
"What could be worse?" Alice shook her head mournfully.
"I don't know."
Bella descended down the staircase again and found Carlisle on the couch talking to Edward. She paused at the foot of the stairs, rocking on the balls of her feet, wondering whether or not to interrupt them. Carlisle, seeing her in his peripheral vision, beckoned her over to them. She sat down next to Edward; he was looking at his shoes.
"So what do you propose I do?" Edward asked, not looking up.
"I don't know. What do you think you should do?" Edward shrugged. "Edward, you know I can't answer this for you. Is there anything that you feel may help you?" He thought about it for a moment, wishing for the first time in a long time that he could sleep and just forget about things for a while. He shrugged again.
"Maybe…if I just got away for a little while." He looked up at Carlisle, unsure.
"I'll go with you." Bella volunteered quietly. As expected, Edward immediately protested.
"Bella, no. I can go alone."
"You think I'd let you go away alone in your condition? Look what happened today?" As soon as she brought up that morning's incident, she regretted it. She noticed Edward's eyes drop, in pain and humiliation.
"I think it would be a good idea if Bella went with you." Carlisle stated, breaking the awkward silence. Edward stared at him disbelievingly, he felt cornered. Finally, he nodded slowly.
"Ok." He said simply. Bella waited for more, but nothing came.
"Do you need to be alone right now?" she asked.
"No," Edward started gradually. "I've been distant enough today. I need some tiny part of sanity to cling to." He smiled at her; it was a hollow and meaningless smile.
"Did you have somewhere in mind when you decided that you needed to get away for a little bit?" Carlisle inquired, sensing that he did.
"My parents house."
AN:// I am so proud! Two days early! --gives self a high five-- And, I kept my 2000 word goal. /\/\ Once again, I would like to REALLY thank all of my reviewers! I'm almost positive that's why was able to update so early. I felt more motivated. (and plus, I wanted more…so therefore, a new chapter is needed…hehe)
So anyway, about this chapter: The ending was a surprise for me. I wasn't planning on going that way but I'm kinda pleased how it turned out. Although I am afraid I may have wrote myself into a hole here since this wasn't planned, but then again, some of the best stuff goes unplanned right? (please be right…jk)
KK, one more brief rambling. I swear halfway through this chapter I tried to switch to Bella's 1st person POV. –sweatdrop—I think it's because I picked up my copy of Twilight and flipped through it (note to self, don't do that. It makes my fic feel inferior. Haha) T'was driving meh crazy! OK, so, please review! I shall make my new deadline for chapter 4 by Sunday night. I do have a big project due Monday but I should be ok. :-)
Until Sunday!!
