When the World Stands Still

Chapter two: Carlisle's Torment

A/N: This is where it should get interesting, though it might be a bit confusing at start, so don't shoot and PLEASE review. :)

And once more, thanks a lot for the reviews and especially to all those who really liked it. You know who you are. ;)

IMPORTANT NOTE: I'm increasing Zafrina's powers, her 'illusion' will be much more real, it will include smelling and touching the environment he is placed in, also being able to pick up the 'environment', his brain will register it as real, even if it is not. So it will be like a very lucid hallucination.

x.X.x

Carlisle continued to stare out of the window with a smile on his face, he was often entranced by the beauty of nature, unwavering and unchanging, always standing its ground. It was the perfect example of what a family was supposed to be. A perfect family like his.

He watched as his beautiful wife came strolling out of the trees, he was a bit surprised as he couldn't recall her mentioning that she was going to feed. "Esme!" He yelled softer than he would have if he wanted to get the attention of a human, though she would been able to hear him.

He was surprised when she didn't look up at him so he repeated his words; again, no reaction. He was about to repeat himself again when he saw a wolf, one that he didn't recognize, one that did not belong to the clan he had grown to love.

"ESME!" He screamed as he now flung himself from the window like a wild animal to protect his wife, to protect his mate and his soul from this unknown wolf, with obvious hate of vampires shining in its eyes. Carlisle bolted towards Esme; she was about 200 meters away from him.

When he was about 20 meters from Esme he saw the wolf jump her down on the ground and his brain went blank as he saw the wolf rip apart her body and in one unreal motion it was set aflame. Carlisle felt his heart stop for a second time, everything started to go slow as he saw his wife burning, screams still escaping her lips.

Could it be true? Could he be watching his wife burn? Screaming in front of him? How had she been set aflame so quickly? Had the wolves discovered a new way of killing Vampires quickly? Could this be true?

"ESME!" He screamed as he snapped out of his horrific thoughts when he finally reached her, the wolf standing menacingly in front of her burning remains and staring at Carlisle with a look of triumph and hate.

Carlisle ignored the beast as he shot his hands into the sweet smelling fire, grabbing for her remains, grabbing to save her from death, grabbing to save his heart from dying and dying himself. "Esme!" He yelled as he felt his body start to shake as if he was crying, but he couldn't. He couldn't even shed a tear over his wife's death!

Carlisle pulled pieces of her body out of the fire, charred beyond recognition; his own flesh melting in the fire as he worked to get her out. He ignored the pain surging through his body as he refused to believe she was dead. "Esme…" He whispered as his body was still shaking with invisible tears.

"Oh God Esme, please… no." He said as he looked at her burned face, it was pulled into a grimace of pain and disbelief and he almost felt like it was directed towards him. He looked down as his hands still lay in the fire; he deserved the pain he felt.

'Why did you let it hurt me? Why did you let it kill me? I thought you loved me?' A voice of pain said that could only be identified as Esme. Carlisle's head shot up as he looked at her charred head, expecting the lips to move, but it didn't.

He gasped as he realized she was speaking to him by other means. How was it possible? She was dead? His body racked with more sobs that would never emit tears as he let his hands lay dormant in the fire, watching as his flesh melted off.

"Oh Esme… I'm so sorry." He whispered as he looked at the wolf, he felt too hurt to feel anger, he felt too dead to feel like attacking the creature that took his wife's life and he had to admit that she was gone; there was nothing he could do about it as he looked at the remains. "I'm so sorry." He said as the thoughts of guilt surfaced in him.

If only he had sprung out of the window the second she didn't respond to his voice he would've been by her in time to save her from the wolf, he would've been able to hold her in his arms now and comfort her from the attack. He would've been able to save her.

He pulled her head onto his lap and continued to cry without tears, holding it protectively as he had finally taken his hands out of the fire, his flesh was melting off him like hot wax but he wasn't bothered, he wasn't bothered about anything but her; his lovely wife laying his arms, nothing but a charred head, nothing but a memory!

His reason for living was in his arms, dead and never to be returned. "Esme…" He whispered as he looked at the sky and his pain was so immense that he felt like it was unreal, nothing could ever compare to what he was feeling now.

"ESME!" He screamed towards the merciless sky and what he didn't notice was that he was crying, but instead of tears a trail blood ran down his eyes. He was the first Vampire in history to cry any liquid because of pain and loss; but then again he was one of the first Vampires to ever care for someone like he did, love someone like did and lose someone like he had.

"ESME COME BACK TO ME!" He screamed into the sky again as he continued to cry waves of blood.

x.X.x

This chapter is VERY short and I'm sorry for that, but there's a reason for everything and you just have to trust my reason.

As for the blood, it's ANIMAL blood he's crying as he doesn't possess human blood anymore, so the blood of his most reason kill is trailing down his cheeks.

And please, for the love of god and my self-respect, REVIEW. PLEASE? Pretty please? You can throw an idea into your review and I'll probably use it if it's good :D