SEPTEMBER 1995
Bella POV.
She forgot again, she always forgets. How is this fair to me, why do I have to walk home from school because my mother forgot about me again?
Sometimes I wish I knew my father then life would probably be a lot easier. I wouldn't have to feed myself all the time and I wouldn't have to make sure all the bills are paid, and I wouldn't have to clean the house by myself and maybe just maybe I wouldn't have to be the parent all the time. I may only be seven, but I was already tired of life.
I started the long journey home, I checked the watch that I got for my birthday last year. It read 3:30 it would take me about an hour and a half to walk home and 30 minutes to do my homework and the I would have to find something to eat because, if my mother left me here it also means that she is not at home, so I guess that would be a good thing for me. It's not that I hated walking it's just that I didn't like having to walk home from school, my problem is how long it would take to get home. Other than that, I liked walking. I loved the wind blowing through my hair and then sun beating down on me. But I don't think the sun liked me much because I was still pale even though I have lived in California my whole life. But alas I was never meant to be a nice tanned Californian.
It was almost dark when I finally reached my neighborhood, I only had a couple more streets to walk, before I reached the house. I heard a noise behind me, but I kept walking I didn't want to turn around. I walked for another five minutes before I got the feeling of being watched. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing up and I the burning under my feet started. I started running, I learned a long time ago that when, my feet started burning like this it meant that I had to move and move fast. As soon as I got to the end of the street the burning in my feet stopped suddenly. I whipped around out of breath from running but I didn't see anyone or anything behind me.
Still feeling weird about what happened I decided that I was just going to keep running home. When I finally got there, I ran around the side of the house to get the spare key from under the big rock in the backyard. I moved the rock around to get the key, only to realize that it wasn't there, I dug around in the mud around the spot. I kept looking but I started panicking realizing that my mom probably hadn't put it back again. Frustrated I gave up, I guess I would be spending another afternoon at the neighbor's house again, waiting for my mother to remember that I was still alive.
Before I walked over to Ms. Giants, I checked the back door. Telling myself that it wouldn't hurt to check. I ran up the steps and tripped landing on my hands and knees. "Dammit, not again" I whispered harshly to myself. Ii hate getting hurt but half the time it wasn't my fault. It was stupid gravity. Why couldn't it just leave me alone. Sighing I got up to inspect my hands and knees. Bringing my hand closer to my face I tried to pull out the splinters, but my fingers were too big to get them. After trying for about three minutes I gave up I could do it later when I got inside. I continued up the stairs carefully this time. As I walked across the deck to get to the door I realized that it was open. I crept forward slowly, not knowing what I would find when I got inside. I stood in front of the door with baited breath wondering if I should go in or not. Pushing aside my fear I wondered inside. As soon as I stepped over the threshold my palms started sweating and my feet turned cold. I stopped wondering if I should go any feather. I knew something bad was about to happen. Something bad always happens when my feet turn cold and this time I wasn't sure what it was or what it could be. Instead of turning around and going back outside, I kept walking into the house and through the kitchen, pass the dining room, and then out to the living room. As I got closer to the stairs my feet kept getting colder and colder.
I kept going knowing that if I didn't I would never know what had happened in the house. I could barely feel my feet when I got to the bottom of the stairs. Shaking slightly because the cold was starting to spread, it was my body's way of telling me that I was moving to slow. I walked up the stairs as fast as I could, it still took a while because I was shaking so hard. As I finally reached the top of the stairs I could see a puddle of blood and small drips leading away from the puddle towards my grandmother's room. I was terrified now I didn't know where the blood was coming from and what had happened, but I kept moving forward knowing I had no choice because If I didn't I would keep getting colder.
I crept forward slowly knowing that if i tried to move any faster i would fall over. I walked to my grandmothers door with my heart pounding, my feet freezing and my eyes blurring. I stopped right outside her door, i knew that i had to go into the room but i was terrified of what i would find behind the door. I stopped again and took a deep breath. I put my hand on the door knob and slowly turned it. I closed my eyes and pushed open the door. " nana?" i called out. "Nana are you in here" after not hearing anything i opened my eyes to see that the room was empty. I sucked in the air in the room and noticed that it still smelled like blood. The coppery and iron smell was so strong i stumbled into nana's room. I put my hands out to brace for impact. As i fell and landed on m y hands i felt a sharp pain shoot threw my arm and heard a crack. I screamed and rolled over and grabbed my arm pulling it close to my chest. I could feel it throbbing now.
I realised that i was still cold. I quickly scrambled up of the floor and went in to nanas bathroom to see if there was anything i could use for my arm in there. As i pushed open her bathroom door the smell of blood hit me in the face. I turned my head and let loose another scream. She was lying on the floor her eyes were open and glassy. Her lips were blue. I ran over to her and dropped down next to her. " Nana get up, wake up nana" i kept telling her while i shook her body "NANA GET UP" i screamed. She wasn't breathing anymore. Forgetting about the pain in my arm i ran downstairs a out the door and over to Ms. Giants and started pounding her door with my good arm and screaming "HELP HELP ME PLEASE". I was still crying and screaming as Ms. giants opened the door. "Isabella what's wrong dear your grandmo…." She stopped mid sentence as she finally looked at me. She gasped "Isabella what happened are you hurt?" i shook my head no and i grabbed her hand trying to show her. " You have to help me she's not breathing she's dead, My nana is dead" i wailed.
" Isabella child calm down we have to call the police quickly where is your mother?" i looked at her i shook my head again " I don't know. I don't know she didn't pick me up from school i came home and she wasn't there and now my nana is dead".