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Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer
I woke to the sound of dripping water. Still groggy from Alec's fog, I pushed myself up on one elbow and looked around.
Surrounded by four walls and a ceiling of what looked like pretty sturdy stone, the only opening to my cell was a windowless metal door in one corner.
I must be in Italy—In the Volturi city, I thought. And it doesn't look like I'll get out anytime soon. I sighed.
But wait! I'm strong….Is it possible that I can make my way out? I braced myself, then lashed out my fist and punched the door with all my strength. Other than making an excruciatingly loud clanging noise, it stayed put.
I realized that the Volturi must have specially designed these cells to hold vampires, super strength and all. I sighed again and sat down against the wall, straining to hear any sounds from others. No such luck.
I wondered how long I would have to stay here, cooped up and all alone. Maybe they would leave me here forever, or torture me with loneliness. I had to see Edward! Had he been killed? Were the others safe? I just couldn't think of life without one of my new family.
Leaping up, I began to pace the cell, occasionally slamming my fist into the wall in frustration. I yearned for some signal, any signal, from the outside world.
All of a sudden, I heard a key rattle in the door and turned with a snarl to face whoever was coming. The door opened with a bang, and I launched myself at my captors, only to crash into a flat, hard surface. Shaking my head to clear it, I looked up with shock to see that I had hit what looked like a near-transparent cobalt force field that had by now enveloped me in a almost clear egg-shaped capsule.
"Now, now, none of that, Bella Cullen," said a beautiful raven-haired girl who appeared to be operating the force field. She appeared around sixteen, and was slender and about five and a half feet tall, with her long hair in braids that cascaded down her back. But what caught my attention were her wide eyes—they seemed to hold, at the same time, all the trust and hurt in the world, and I wondered why.
"Come with me, please." The five guards behind her stepped aside to let us pass. The girl led me down a hallway. I saw quite a few other metal doors like the one to my cell.
As we ascended a set of stairs, the atmosphere distinctly became less gloomy, though my sense of unease did not let up at all. She led me down a few hallways and soon we entered a familiar room—one I remembered visiting on my quest to stop Edward from committing suicide.
"Bella, my dear child, welcome! Please sit down," a voice said. I turned and identified it as Aro's.
Still helpless inside my barrier, I reluctantly sat on the ridiculously lavish chair, which was covered in silk cushions and made out of the finest hardwood.
"I see you've met our newest addition, Alida. Quite a curious power she has, doesn't she?"
I nodded curtly.
"Just like your family. Edward with his thought reading skills, you with your shielding, Alice with her future-reading, Emmett with his strength, Carlisle, my old friend…and Rosalie, with her great beauty."
"How is that a talent?" I asked.
"Technically, it's not. But it would have been a pity to kill her like we did Esme."
"What?!" I felt my head go light with shock. "Carlisle will never forgive you! How could you! You monster!" I launched my self at Aro, only to smack full-force into Alina's force field. I went wild, let my feral instincts take over, but it was no use. The barrier wouldn't budge.
I slid off the chair onto the floor and buried my head in my hands.
"Bella, it was an unfortunate accident. Moira, well, she's lethal. And Esme just couldn't hold her off."
I sniffed. If vampires could cry, I would be bawling by now. I couldn't believe it. Aro must be lying.
"Liar!" I punched the floor with all my strength. It didn't crack. Wow, they must have built this whole place out of some supermaterial, I thought. It would be impossible to break out by brute strength.
"I know it's hard, but we must accept things as they are. Carlisle will get over it."
"He won't. Our family will never forgive you!" I turned around, my back facing Aro.
"Bella? Please turn around, it's rude"
"How can you talk about manners when you've just killed my mother?"
"She wasn't your mother. And like I said, it was an accident."
I snarled. "She was a mother to me."
"Bella, Bella…are we still bitter from the field?" Aro asked.
"I'm only bitter because you have separated me from my family, treated me like a prisoner, and taken away my free will." I slammed my hand down on the chair, but like the prison cell door, it didn't break. "Oh, and killed Esme!"
"Temper, temper, Bella dear. You see, I really didn't want to. It's just, your child—"
"Renesmee."
"It's just that Renesmee complicates matters a bit. She's been…difficult."
"You have her? How? Can I see her?" I leapt up and pointed an accusing finger at Aro. "If you have laid one finger on her—"
"Don't worry, my dear. You see, when we find her, we will treat her with great hospitality. And I assure you, Bella, we will find her. But without you and your family's cooperation, you will find that Renesmee just might not survive the ordeal of her capture."
"We'll never become part of the Volturi!"
"Well then, you'll never see your daughter again. I'm sure Jane will have a wonderful time playing with Renesmee before your daughter is killed."
I sank back down.
"Alina will show you to each of your family members' cells. You will explain the situation to them. They will comply to becoming part of the Volturi. You see, I am just fascinated with the assortment of talents you have in your family, and I'm quite sure they will all come in handy some way or another."
I stood up and made my way back to where we came from. But this time, only Alina followed. We were halfway there when she spoke.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I know what Aro's doing is wrong, but at least you're together, here, as almost a whole family."
Realizing the truth in her words, I prepared myself to tell my family the news.