Dark Waltz- Chapter 2
A/N: You guys are all amazing... I sort of wondered whether or not the reader count would decrease since I've been gone so long (I was prepared to accept whoever decided to read, though I wasn't expecting such high numbers!) and I'm glad to say that you guys have outdone yourselves! I'm so glad with the response...
A little secret about me- the more encouraging, illuminating and positive reviews I get, the more I'm tempted to write and update. Seriously... I've been trying to hold out for one new chapter per week, since my course load is heavy and I want to be a few chapters ahead of what's posted (just in case I don't get time to write for a while, I can still post for you guys). But, as usual, I've flaked out of my decision and decided to post chapter 2 early. I know how MAD it makes me to be left with a bunch of questions at the end of a chapter, and I always forget that even though I have everything more or less planned out, you guys aren't so lucky, and you don't know where this is going.
Anyways, enough of my rambles... enjoy the chapter!
BPOV
Danielle held my hand the entire way, and before I was even remotely ready, we arrived at what Carlisle called his "sitting room". As soon as I saw it, I grew even more tense and nervous than I already was.
It was a large, airy room with lots of windows, but those weren't what bothered me. All around the room, there were armchairs, stools, couches and loveseats, arranged artfully in a circular pattern.
It looked like the counseling room.
My right hand moved to my left arm, gently rubbing the still-sore marks covering it.
I shivered.
"Have a seat, and I'll go grab my wife," said Carlisle, smiling kindly as he left the room.
Danielle sat down quietly on the sofa, and to my surprise, the male driver also came in, sitting down in an armchair.
"Sit down," said Danielle kindly, patting the seat next to hers.
I shook my head quickly and retreated back against the wall, almost in the corner. Danielle simply watched me, as did the driver, as Carlisle returned with a lady behind him. He shot me a confused, slightly worried glance before he sat down graciously on a loveseat, leaving the lady to smile at me.
"Hello dear," she said softly, her voice matching her face. She also had blue eyes, though hers were much darker than her husband's, with light-brown hair and a heart-shaped face. She looked like a kind lady, but as I stood in the corner of her sitting room, I couldn't be sure. I simply watched her fearfully, making her smile sadly as she sat down next to Carlisle. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, leaving me to observe this strange interaction.
Why would he want to hug her?
I let it go.
"Well, everything you'll need to know is in that file," said Danielle quietly. "You already got the basics?"
"Yes," said Carlisle. "We read it over."
"Good," said Danielle cheerily, looking over at me again.
"Are you sure you don't want to sit?" she asked kindly.
I shook my head quickly, determined not to sit down in that circle with the blonde-haired man and his kind-looking wife.
Who knew what else he had in this house.
"Alright," she said kindly. "Her medical records are still as shady as before," she continued.
I frowned at the word "medical".
"I expected as much," said Carlisle sadly, opening the file and producing a paper with all-too familiar writing covering it.
It was his writing.
"It's only a copy," said Danielle quickly, seeing where I was looking. "He's gone."
I stared nonetheless as Carlisle glanced up at me carefully.
"This is it?" he asked sadly, taking out a few more sheets of paper covered in the Doctor's untidy scrawl.
"Yes, but we'll be in contact as soon as we get anything else," said the driver, speaking for the first time. "Any other additions you make to those records will need to be faxed down to us."
He handed Carlisle a card with what I assumed was his name and contact information.
"Thank you," said Carlisle quietly.
"Anything," repeated the driver seriously. "Any dental appointments, fillings, optometrist appointments, general checkups, prescriptions, whatever she ends up needing."
Carlisle nodded seriously, glancing over at me again.
"Any details we could use for the trial would be great too," he added, shrugging. "We have a few testimonies, but nothing too concrete at the moment."
"Alright," said Carlisle, nodding once more as he closed the file and placed it gently on his table.
"She won't testify," said the driver sadly, glancing over.
I shook visibly as the word returned once more, remembering how he'd tried to coax me into going to court.
I didn't ever want to see him again, and I knew that if I spoke out against him in public, he'd most definitely have something nasty for me later on.
"Do you have any questions for either of us?" asked the driver quietly, glancing at both Carlisle and the lady.
"I don't think-" started Carlisle, right before a quiet buzzing sound came from his pocket and he reached in.
I tensed, waiting for what I knew was coming.
He pulled out a small silver rectangle, glancing at a small screen.
"Excuse me for just a moment. Work." he said apologetically, flipping it open.
It was a telephone.
"Doctor Cullen," he said kindly.
I froze, my eyes glued to him.
"Oh dear," said Danielle softly, standing quickly as the kind lady looked at me worriedly.
"Relax, honey," said Danielle quickly, walking forward. The driver watched me as well, looking upset as Danielle approached.
"Relax," she repeated as my breathing turned hoarse and my whole body shook with fear.
He was a doctor.
…Doctor.
"Doctor Cullen is a very nice man," she told me sincerely, looking right at me as Carlisle closed his phone again, watching me seriously.
"Don't leave," I pleaded softly, speaking for the first time in this room as I grabbed onto her arm. She sighed.
"Honey, you're very safe here." she said gently. "Doctor and Mrs. Cullen will take very good care of you."
I stared at her, wide-eyed and panicking.
What else did Doctor Cullen have in his pockets?
"Now Isabella…" said the Doctor menacingly, glancing around the large room.
The counseling room.
I was seated on a hard-backed chair as Felix, the orderly, sat across from me, smirking. Two more patients were in here as well, each as silent and tense as me, although they were older.
Much, much older.
"What did I tell you about speaking out?" he asked calmly, glancing around the room.
The lady I knew as Betty shivered at the other end of the room before she grabbed her hair and began to rock, muttering to herself worriedly.
"No speaking out, no speaking out!" she whimpered, her wild eyes meeting mine. She moaned and shook her head as the other strange man- the patient- blocked his ears and clamped his eyes shut.
"I'm sorry!" I cried, making him sigh.
"Don't you yell at me," he warned dangerously, reaching into his pocket.
There it was- and I panicked.
"Enough!" he shouted angrily as he moved his stun-gun towards me, the electricity cackling as he brought it down on my arm…
"No," I said, watching Danielle wildly. Sighing, she removed my hand from her arm and gently held it in her own.
"Mrs. Cullen will be even kinder than I am," she promised, making me shake my head wildly, sending my hair flying in all directions.
"Relax," she reminded me as I tried to control my breathing, as she'd taught me all those months ago. I managed to succeed, and she smiled proudly.
"That's it," she said.
I stared right at her, my eyes meeting hers frantically.
"Cole and I need to get back to Phoenix," she said sadly, glancing at the driver.
Cole. That was his name.
"Why?" I asked childishly, making her smile sadly.
"Because we live there," she explained patiently.
I stared at her.
"You live here now," she reminded me, making me nod sadly.
"We'll be back to see you," said Cole, standing from his place on the sofa.
I watched him as he turned to Doctor Cullen and his wife.
"Anything you want cleared up?" he asked, sounding tired. Both shook their heads, standing up as well as Danielle let me go.
"I'll see you soon, Isabella," said Danielle quietly, offering me a kind smile before she stepped back.
"Bye," she said.
"Bye," I whispered, feeling the fear and anxiety returning.
The two- Cole and Danielle- said goodbye to Doctor and Mrs. Cullen as well, but I wasn't listening as I examined the room and tried to stop myself from running after Danielle and jumping back in her car.
I didn't want her to go.
Before long, I heard the large front door closing before there was the sound of the car starting up, and through the window, I watched the black vehicle moving back down the brick path- away from me and my new "family".
I was only alone for a moment before Doctor Cullen and his wife returned, both quiet and careful.
"Isabella, honey?" asked the lady, looking at me carefully as she stepped closer.
She looked almost tearful as I remained pressed against her wall, watching her every move.
"I'm Esme," she told me quietly. "Carlisle's wife."
So she was the "Esme".
"Would you like to sit?" she asked, gesturing to the sofa.
I shook my head quickly.
"No thank you," I said.
"Are you sure?" she asked sadly.
"Yes."
"Alright," she said, glancing at her husband, who was still watching me.
"You can sit," he told me gently.
I was scared of him and his voice, so I did exactly as he said, perching myself stiffly on the sofa cushion.
"There," said Esme gently, sitting at the other end of the couch.
I was glad she didn't insist on sitting too close. I liked my space.
"How've you been?" she asked.
"Fine," I lied, making her smile.
"That's good," she said gently, glancing at her husband. He watched me as he sat down at the other end of the room, in an armchair by himself.
I didn't like his watching.
"It's dinnertime," said Esme softly, glancing at the clock on the wall.
I couldn't read it.
"Are you hungry?"
I watched her, confused, not replying as I glanced at the doctor. Instead of telling me what I should say, he simply watched me for my answer. I felt tears pop into my eyes as I debated what I should say.
If I said no, she'd be angry at me for being ungrateful. If I said yes, I'd be in trouble for being greedy.
"Oh, honey, don't cry!" said Esme sadly, looking at her husband.
"Sorry," I said quickly, flinching violently as she reached out and took my hand in hers, sitting closer than she had been before.
"You don't have to answer," she assured me, squeezing my small hand lightly. "Don't feel pressured."
"Okay," I said quickly, not sure exactly what she meant.
Pressured to do what? She'd asked a question and I'd failed to answer…
"You can eat whenever you'd like to," she said softly. "Just let me know when."
I nodded, knowing very well that I'd never be so bold as to ask for food when it wasn't offered.
"Do you remember Alice?" asked Doctor Cullen suddenly.
I jumped in surprise before I answered.
"I don't know," I replied honestly, my voice shaking with every word.
"Do you remember anything at all about her?" he asked again.
"One thing," I whispered, ashamed of how little I remembered of the sister I'd lived with for six years of my life.
"Alright," he said, shooting me a kind smile before he stood up and left the room, effectively shocking me.
"Alice is upstairs," said Esme happily, a small smile on her face as I stared at her.
I'd forgotten that Alice was here.
"She's been so anxious to see you again," she said gently.
"Oh," I said, feeling very inadequate.
"Don't feel nervous," said Esme. "Alice knows you might not remember much."
Did she?
"Okay," I whispered, just as two sets of feet appeared on the staircase.
The first ones were the eerily familiar feet of the doctor, but the second pair were much smaller, and much more feminine.
Alice.
A girl in her late teens glided down the steps, sparking the memory of the park incident in my head once more. Her face was very similar to the one I'd seen in my memory, although it was much less round and more defined. Her eyes were as brown as I remembered and as bright as ever, and her hair- the short, feathery spikes- were the same as before.
"Bella," said the high, girlish voice. I simply watched her, not knowing exactly what to say. She didn't seem to mind my silence and simply came closer to me, smiling hugely.
"God, I've missed you," she said happily, kneeling down in front of me. Doctor Cullen was watching us closely, observing both Alice and myself as I watched her, trying vainly to remember something more about her.
She watched me closely for a moment before she sighed and frowned a little, sitting down on the floor before me.
"You really don't remember, do you?" she asked sadly, making me frown as I hesitated.
"Alice, don't push her," warned Esme softly, glancing over quickly.
"Only a little," I whispered, avoiding her gaze. She smiled softly, much more subdued than before as she reached out gently, taking my hand.
Why did everyone hold my hands?
"You'll remember eventually," she said confidently, standing up and seating herself on the center cushion, where Esme had been moments before.
I sat stiffly, unsure how I should react.
Before I had the chance to decide, Alice reached out both her arms and I felt my body jerk back, scared of what those arms could do to me. Alice, looking confused and sad, drew back quickly as I leapt out of my seat, trying not to panic as I knew I would.
"Bella?" she asked quietly, standing up as well. She took a step forward, and I automatically stepped back, feeling the intense terror.
Who knew what she had that could hurt?
She simply watched me for a long moment before she sat back down, obviously unsure what to do.
"Why don't we show you to your room?" asked Esme tensely, breaking the silence as I glanced over.
I had no idea who she was talking to, so I simply fell silent and waited as she and Alice stood up, glancing at me.
"Come on, dear," said Esme kindly, smiling at me as I took a hesitant step forward. Alice watched me closely as I expertly avoided the area around the doctor's chair, following both women up the stairs Alice had come down before.
"You'll have a room on the third floor," said Esme gently, smiling at me.
She was very smiley.
Without a word from me, I followed the two of them up the stairs, all the way to the third floor, where I was led to another, dark-wood door. Esme opened it up quickly and both she and Alice stepped inside, letting me follow.
The walls were a light blue colour, and the bedding matched. I had no idea what sorts of things were in there, besides the shelf full of books, and I nodded carefully.
"Do you like it?" asked Esme nervously. "If not, we can change it up," she offered.
"It's nice," I said carefully, having never seen anything to compare it to.
My old "room" was in the ward, with everyone else. I wondered who else shared this room with me…
"Are you sure?" asked Esme, sounding much happier at my approval.
I nodded quickly as Alice, much quieter than before, moved to one of the other doors and opened it up.
"A closet," she said cheerfully, pointing out the clothing to me, "and a bathroom." She opened the second door, showing me a tiled room with a toilet, bathtub, counter and sink.
"It's nice," I said again, glancing at Esme as she smiled.
"I'm glad you like it," she said softly. I nodded.
"Are you eating dinner with us?" asked Alice suddenly, turning towards me quickly.
I watched her, unsure what she meant by that.
"What?" I asked, confused as I watched my sister, making her frown.
"Are you eating with us?" she repeated, making me even more confused than before.
"I don't know," I said honestly, making her frown quietly.
"Are you hungry?" she tried, making me shrug.
"When do you usually eat?" she asked again, making me sigh as a tear fell.
"When we're fed," I said quietly.
It was her turn to be confused, and she stared at me.
"Alright, dear," said Esme, stepping in as Alice glanced at her.
"Where'd you go?" asked Alice curiously, making me stare.
"What?" I asked again. Esme watched me carefully before she glanced at Alice, shaking her head.
"Now now, Ali," she said gently, offering my sister a small smile. Alice nodded and fell silent, still watching me warily as I glanced at the wooden floor.
"Would you prefer us to call you Bella, or Isabella?" asked Esme quietly, glancing at Alice and her pet name.
"Bella," I said automatically, remembering how the Doctor had called me "Isabella".
"Okay," said Esme, obviously happy with me answering a question. "Are you tired?"
"Yes," I said quietly, sniffling as I glanced at the floor again, avoiding her gaze.
Would she keep me up now, for answering like that?
"Alright. Why don't you get changed into some pajamas, and you can lie down for now?" she asked gently, moving to the closet. Inside, there was a dresser as well, and she opened the third drawer, pulling out a pair of purple pajamas.
She handed them to me, smiling kindly as ever before she turned on the bathroom light and let me inside to change.
I walked inside warily, examining the walls and other visible things as the door closed behind me with a snap.
I jumped, feeling acutely nervous as I took off my clothes quickly, determined that no one would walk in on me naked.
Taking off the undergarments as well, I put on the new, soft pajamas that were so different than the ones I was used to. When I was dressed, I gently scooped up my dirty clothes, frowning when I caught a look at myself in the large mirror.
I looked sick.
My face, always white and pale, was even more so today, and my dark brown hair was lying down my back. The curls it sometimes sported had been brushed out by Danielle this morning, making it even more lank and flat than it usually was. Even I saw the fear embedded in my own brown eyes, and as I examined the rest of my body, I became hyperaware of the scars.
The pajama top I had on was short-sleeved, leaving the needle marks and stun-gun burns visible for all to see. Both arms were covered in various marks and bruises, and I wondered if seeing them would give the doctor and his family any ideas…
"Bella?" asked Esme from the other side of the door, making me jump as I cracked the door open. She and Alice were both still standing there together, both of them looking slightly wary.
"All done, sweetheart?" she asked kindly.
I nodded, using my dirty clothes to hide my arms from her.
"Oh!" cried Esme, seeing my burden. "Sorry, the laundry basket is in the closet," she explained, opening the closet door once more. She pointed to a wicker basket in the corner and I slowly walked towards it, hesitating before I opened it up and tossed the clothes into the bottom of the bag. I closed the lid carefully, making sure it was on properly before I crossed my arms in front of me and backed out slowly.
Alice's eyes widened as she took in the pearly white, red and sometimes purple scars on my arms and I swore I heard her gasp. Esme simply avoided them, smiling gently at me as she led me towards the massive bed and turned down the thick covers.
At least she wasn't Felix.
"Have a good sleep, dear," she said kindly, letting me slide under the sheets. Before I could, she reached over and pulled the covers up over me and turned off the bedside lamp, leaving only the moonlight to shine through the large window.
"Thank you," I said quietly, making Esme smile as she backed away, giving Alice a small smile of her own.
"Goodnight, Bella," said Alice kindly, looking more upset than she had before I'd changed.
"Goodnight," I whispered, not too sure if she heard me. She and Esme both left the room together, closing the door behind them as I sighed, looking up at the white ceiling.
Before I could so much as think of growing anxious of my new surroundings, I felt the familiar sleepiness creeping into my system, and I promptly fell asleep.
A/N: I sort of like the Bella I've created here... I never intended her to be quite like this, but hey! Any writer knows that characters can take on a mind and personality of their own... she's observant, but naively so. She sees a lot, but she doesn't know exactly what she's seeing or how to interpret and react to it.
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