A/N. Sorry for the delay. I've been mega busy and haven't had much time to work on this.
Anyway, here's the new chapter.
Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer.
All will be explained in due time.
Good things come to those who wait.Chapter Three
'Nothing in life is certain'. I never got that statement. Doesn't that statement imply that it is a certainty in life that everything in life is unpredictable, thereby the only certainty in this world is randomness and chance? If that's true then the statement can't be true, because there is at least one thing in life that is certain, chance. Well chance had dealt me a terrible hand! I knew before I even opened my eyes that I wasn't at home. I could tell before the memories came flooding back to me that something was wrong. The atmosphere was tense. The air was almost buzzing. It made me uncomfortable in my own skin. I wanted to fidget but I was scared to move. What's wrong? Then it all came flooding back. The chase through the trees. Being pinned down. Being surrounded. Her. I felt my chest tighten as my eyelids shot open. I wasn't outside any more. I was inside, I could hear a television playing somewhere below me. I guess I was upstairs. I was on a bed. There were so many cushions around me. Right, so I'm inside, on a bed upstairs...bedroom! I must be a distant relation of Sherlock Holmes, my powers of deduction are amazing! I lifted myself up onto my elbows. It was only then that I realised I wasn't in restraints. I looked around the room. There was a dresser on the far side, it looked like an antique, the mirror was beautiful. I could see the wooden carvings around the edges. Hundreds of roses, it was so elegant. There were what appeared to be various hair products scattered over the surface of the dresser. On the other side of the room was a large desk, paint brushes and dozens and pencils, sketch pads were piled high and a ball of what looked like clay sat on a small tray towards the back of the desk. The walls of the room were a soft yellow, a few shoes were kicked into one of the corners and photos lined the wall next to the bed I was currently occupying.
It was definitely a girls room I was in. The heels in the corner could attest to that fact. I shifted my weight and swung my legs over the side of the bed. It was the biggest bed I'd ever seen by the way. It looked bigger than a king and as I was perched right on the edge of the bed, I couldn't even reach the floor. I dropped down onto the polished, hard wood floor. No sooner had my toes settled into place than the bedroom door swung open. Alice was there, arms folded and eyebrows furrowed. My heart skipped half a beat and my stomach dropped. I instinctively clenched my fists at the side of my body and let my weight fall onto my back foot. Ready to strike or run, whichever the situation called for. Seeing my slight change of stance, Alice's face softened just a little bit. Her features were plain now, unreadable.. A gentle hand came to rest on her shoulder and she glanced at it before lowering her eyes to the ground. The man from before, Carlisle, stepped into the room.
"Bella, please remain calm. We will not hurt you." His hands were raised in the same fashion as they were outside. I relaxed my fingers just a little bit but remained on my guard. I had to get away! I had to get back to Charlie.
"There are matters we need to discuss." He motioned for me to take a seat on the bed behind me. I had no other option. I was outnumbered, outmatched and somewhere I didn't know. I had to wait for my moment and this wasn't it. I slowly lowered myself back onto the bed. I gripped the edge of the mattress, trying to stop myself from shaking. Carlisle looked back to Alice who still stood in the doorway. His lips barely moved as he spoke to her.
"Would you fetch Edward please, Alice."
I glanced to Alice, I could feel the fear flooding over my face. "Why Edward?" The fear was in my voice. Maybe this was about revenge, payback for throwing Edward into that car. Both Alice and Carlisle looked at me, Alice her eyes widened and she tilted her face to the left slightly whilst Carlisle's eyes scanned my face.
"You heard that?" I nodded, swallowing hard. My fear was increasing exponentially with every passing second.
"Interesting..." Carlisle's eyes seemed to glaze over for half a second. He blinked and smiled politely at me.
"There's nothing to fear Bella, as I said, we will not hurt you." Carlisle grabbed a chair and pulled over to sit in front of me. He was about six feet away, a safe distance but I still would not relax around these people.
"To prove that we mean you no harm, how about we answer the many questions that you must have, and, in return, I hope that perhaps you might answer some of our questions. However, it is entirely your decision Bella." I was confused. This wasn't exactly the interrogation I had been expecting.
I spluttered, trying to find the right words. "I...uh...what? Aren't you going to kill me?" Alice growled slightly. At least it sounded like a growl and Carlisle's mouth fell open slightly, his honey-eyes dimming.
"No, Bella! We would never hurt you let alone kill you!" Carlisle voice was harsher than before, but it wasn't angry or mean, just...shocked.
"Who are you people?" I looked between them. Alice's eyes dropped from mine. "Were you sent after me?" My heart was pounding. My vision was beginning to focus again. My body was preparing itself. I moved to the very edge of the bed, readying my body for rapid movements should I need to. I'd already formulated a plan of escape. An entire wall of the room I was in was comprised of glass panels. A window-wall. That would be my escape. I'd get them talking and then leap for it. Just as I tensed my leg muscles, flexing my toes ready to dash forward, Alice appeared right in front of the glass panel I was aiming my body towards. How did she know? I looked at her quizzically, my hope fading.
Carlisle didn't seem to have any inclination of what I'd been plotting and he seemed not to notice the change in my mood either. Or if he did then he didn't show it.
"We're the Cullen's, Bella. We're a family. Nobody sent us to find you. We've lived in Forks for a while now. I work at the Hospital, my wife designs peoples homes and my children all go to Forks High." There was something about the way his voice lilted when he spoke, every word he said somehow sounded like a private joke that wasn't meant for me. Out of the corner of my eye it almost looked like Alice was smirking. But when I glanced over her face was blank.
"You guys aren't...normal." I was glancing between them now. Trying to catch a glimpse of anything that might indicate deception or a forth-coming explanation.
"No we're not. But then neither are you." It was unnerving how silent Alice was being. Was she just a body-guard for Carlisle?
"No I'm not normal," I was staring Carlisle right in his eyes now. "But I have a heart beat." Carlisle's chin tilted and I saw Alice shift her weight slightly. I'd hit a nerve.
"What makes you say we don't have heart beats?" It was the first time Alice had spoke since I'd opened my eyes. Her voice was like an exquisite slap to the face. It knocked all the thoughts out of my mind and I swear it made my heart beat ten times faster. Why did she have that effect on me? Maybe she was a witch or something.
"I can hear that you don't have a heart beat." I was gaining in confidence. I was onto something now. They looked as uncomfortable as I felt.
"Well you are quite a distance away from us Bella." Carlisle sounded like all the therapists I'd seen on TV and in films. He was trying to placate me.
"I have exceptional hearing." I lifted my chin in defiance. I wasn't going to let him get to me. I wasn't going to drop my guard. I wasn't going to be beaten.
"I have no doubt. OK Bella, so we've established that we're not exactly normal and that we lack certain circulatory processes that other people possess. Now may you permit me to ask you a question?" His voice was sweet but stern, he definitely sounded like a doctor. I nodded at him. I noticed a muscle in my leg was twitching. I must be really tense...well duh!
"Thank you...who are you?" He cocked his head at me, examining my features, sizing me up. I opened my mouth and gold-fished. Open, close, open, close. Should I? Shouldn't I? Should I spill my secrets? Shouldn't I? At that moment I heard a familiar sound. A high pitched double whistle, followed by a second double whistle. Charlie! Our signal. He'd found me. Alice and Carlisle turned to face out of the window, trying to discover where the sound came from. This was my chance. I threw myself off the bed, barrelling towards Alice. I caught her around her waist and we smashed through the glass together. Instinctively I wrapped my body around hers, trying to shield her from harm. We fell through the air and landed hard on the grass beneath the destroyed window. I jumped up and ran. The whole incident had taken less than half a second. Nobody was following me, I was headed for the trees. I could see Charlie, he was perched on a branch about twelve feet off the ground, he had a UMP45 levelled at the house. He was aiming down the sights, ready to pick off any targets that might enter his field of vision. The trees were getting closer. I could hear foot-falls behind me but it didn't matter. This time I knew I was faster. I just had to keep running, don't look back. My hair was flying past my face, getting caught on my lips, and around my ears. I ignored it. All that mattered was getting to Charlie. He was climbing down from his perch now. I knew he'd have a car waiting nearby.
"Wait!" It was Alice. She was the one chasing me. Only her. Where were the others? There was something about her voice, it sounded desperate, frantic. I slowed, I stopped, I turned. She was just standing there, maybe thirty metres away from me. She looked so small and vulnerable. The beautiful house acted as a magnificent back-drop. Her petite frame, the fading light, she looked like an angel. Her skin that was dazzling a few hours ago had a faint shimmer to it now. I wanted to go over there, I wanted to be near her. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of those confusing thoughts. I had to turn and run
"Bella, please." Please? Alice was pleading with me? I was really confused. Her face was smeared with desperation. What was going on. Her eyes were wide, her hand was outstretched towards me. I took a step forward, mesmerised by the scene in front of me.
"Bella?" Charlie's voice snapped me out of it. I fell back into my previous position. I stole one last look from Alice, her beautiful golden eyes were now pitch black. I turned on my heels and ran towards Charlie. Alice didn't follow me this time.
We drove home in silence. Charlie's heart was pounding so hard and fast I was scared that he was going to have a heart attack. He kept glancing in his rear view. We weren't followed. Never the less he drove out of town and along a few dirt tracks, trying to confuse anybody if they were following us. Forty minutes later we were back at the house. Charlie had his UMP45 drawn and was methodically searching each and every room. We were alone. Charlie let the gun slide across the kitchen table. He ran his hand through his hair. He was starting to show his age. There were wisps of grey appearing in the chocolatey mass and worry-lines were stretched across his forehead and under his eyes.
"What happened?" His voice was strained, tired. I never realised until now that Charlie was getting old. I felt my heart twinge. I tucked my hands into my pockets and explained everything that had happened. From my disturbing realisation at school, exposing myself to Edward, the chase through the forest, the chat with Carlisle. I told him everything...except the effect that Alice had on me. I couldn't find the words to explain that and when I thought about it I found myself becoming uncomfortable and embarrassed so I just omitted it from the story.
"Jesus Bella! Your first day at school and you run into people with no heart-beats who sparkle! What next? Unicorn riding lessons?" I smirked at his remarks. He had a point. If I wasn't living it, I'd think that my life was some story or film...something so far beyond reality that it was purely for entertainment.
"What are we going to do Charlie?" I was becoming anxious. I didn't like not knowing things and I especially didn't like not having a plan.
"I don't know Bells. If they'd followed or if they'd been waiting for us then I'd get us out of here sharpish. But look, there's nobody here. They didn't come after us. I don't think they're from the Institute, I think...I think they're something else." He was gripping the back of a chair now, flexing his muscles biceps slightly so he was bobbing up and down.
"Something else? There are something elses? GM babies aren't enough for this world there has to be something elses too?" I was seriously starting to question my sanity right now.
"I think maybe we should just lay low. We've settled here...well to an extent. We'll keep our distance. You be on your guard. I'm going to get you a car or something so you're not always waiting for me after school. This is a different situation. Not one I was expecting. We just need to...I don't know...get more information before we make a decision?" He was babbling, that meant his brain was working at roughly about ten thousand thoughts a second. Poor Charlie, if only he had my superior cognitive abilities, then he wouldn't babble and his eyes wouldn't bulge like they are now.
I walked around the table and placed my hand on his, calming him down. He smiled at me gratefully, grabbed his UMP45 and swiftly unloaded the weapon. He strolled out of the kitchen and upstairs. I knew he'd spend the rest of the night cleaning his guns, checking that every one of them worked. That was how Charlie faced unknown situations. He made sure he was ready to take on a small army and then ask questions later. Well that wasn't me. I wanted to ask questions now. If we weren't going to leave and we weren't going to fight then I was going to investigate.
Midnight came and went. I could hear Charlie pacing in his room. Every now and then there was a quiet scraping noise and I knew he was pulling his curtains back, checking the surrounding areas. Oh Charlie, always the diligent soldier and the devoted father. I pulled a dark hoody over my head and tied my converse up. I silently pulled my window open and dropped to the ground. Luckily the night-life in this part of the world was pretty noisy. Owls, insects, the scurrying of smaller animals. It all muffled the noise I was making. I pulled my hood over my head, framing my face and tucking my hair down the back so it didn't get in the way, then I set off through the forest. I was acting under the assumption that the Cullens had the same abilities as me, if not better. Sight, hearing, smell, strength, speed. I acted accordingly. I made sure to go against the wind so my scent wasn't carried. I made to sure to take slow, deep breaths to stop my heart from beating too loud. I stepped on the moist ground to keep my footsteps muffled and I made sure that I was wearing nothing that would reflect light. This was all training that had drilled into us at the Institute. Blend in, hide, never give anything away.
I wound my way through the trees. I was headed back to their house. A few minutes later I could smell fabric, I could feel the buzz of electricity in the soil. I was getting closer. I saw the lights from the house before I saw the house itself. It was a warm glow through the trees. I made sure to stay a good distance away. I grabbed hold of a branch in a near-by tree and lifted myself off the ground. I climbed as high as I could and made myself comfortable. I just needed to watch. I needed to know what and who I was dealing with. A part of me was screaming that I was here for one person in particular. I'll admit, I was disappointed when I didn't see her in the house. I saw Carlisle sat at a desk, reading a huge textbook. Edward was downstairs at a piano and everyone else seemed to be sat around the TV, playing what looked like Call of Duty. I smirked. From here they looked like a normal family. I felt a little dirty spying on them like this, then I reminded myself they weren't normal. They were like me, different. I pushed those feelings down and scanned the house. I was making mental notes of all of them. How big they were, how intelligent they seemed. I was so deep in my mental notes that I didn't feel the eyes on the back of my head.
"I'm not in there you know." I spun around, almost falling off the branch. Alice was one tree over, sat cross-legged on a moss covered branch.
"Stay away from me." That's right Bella, act tough even though you almost just voided your bowels .
"I was staying away from you. You came to my house." She was smiling sweetly. I didn't like it, it made everything cloudy. I could smell her sweet scent. Roses, lilies, cinnamon.
"I...what are you?" Now was as good a time as any to get the answers I so desperately wanted.
Alice giggled innocently, rocking back slightly on her branch. On impulse I leant forward, wanting to make sure she didn't fall back, but she was always in control of herself and kept herself firmly on the thick branch.
"Do you really want to know?" I don't know what was happening. A few hours ago this girl was the enemy. I was getting frustrated. I nodded furiously at her. I didn't want to know. I needed to know.
"Well catch me if you can then." She dropped down off her branch and hit the ground running. I chased after her. She was fast. She pulled ahead instantly, weaving her way through the trees. She was mouse-like in her movements. Smooth, slightly bouncy and playful. She kept looking back at me, smiling and laughing, I couldn't help but smile back. Without realising it, this had become a game, I was having fun!
I was gaining on Alice, my strides were bigger than hers and I was closing the distance between us. Soon I could almost reach out and touch her. I did. I grabbed her around her arm and spun her round to face me.
"Got you!" I beamed triumphantly, I was breathing heavily, my heart was thumping in my ears and I could feel the blood pooling in my cheeks. I had the biggest grin on my face and it was matched by Alice.
"So you did." She reached up and pulled a small twig out from my hair. How embarrassing! Bella the feral child. I grinned sheepishly and slowly released my grip from her arms. She didn't step back, she didn't move an inch.
"What do you think I am Bella?" Beautiful...did I think that or did I say it? I froze. She didn't react so it must only have been a thought.
"Urm...little? I honestly don't know. I've seen enough in my life to know that anything is possible. I'm leaning towards robot." She laughed loudly and I got a blast of her cool breath in my face. I inhaled deeply, savouring the flavour. What was wrong with me? I stepped away slightly.
"I'm not a robot. I'm something else."
"Yeah that's the popular opinion." She looked at me with a puzzled expression on her face. I was beginning to wonder why I wasn't on guard, or in a defensive position or at least.
"Let me give you some clues. I have no heart beat. I am exceptionally fast and strong. I have unbelievable hearing. I can see three miles in pitch blackness. I've met Charlie Chaplin." The odd one threw me. Charlie Chaplin, he had been dead for decades! Did he have a son? Was there a tribute act? The it hit me like a punch in the face. Fast, strong, no heart beat, Chaplin which meant she was old...no freaking way! I was scared I was going to pass out again. I stumbled backwards tripping over a hidden tree-root and falling towards the ground. Before I landed, Alice had jumped forward, a look of worry etched across he flawless features. Her arms wrapped around me and she cradled me gently, breaking my fall and holding me protectively against her body.
"It's not possible." I breathed my incredulity, verbalising my shock and comprehension. Alice's face fell, disappointment obvious. My heart sunk a little. How was all this possible?
I stretched my way out of her arms. Straightening myself out and inching backwards.
"I have to go." For the second time today, I turned my back on Alice Cullen and ran into the woods.