Tricks of the Dead
"So we can have a slumber party with girl talk, shopping talk, clothes talk, fashion talk, trying on clothes talk, actually trying on clothes and maybe a movie if we have time. You know as long as you don't fall asleep on me." Alice beamed half pushing me into the Cullen household, somehow our shopping plans transformed into shopping and then a slumber party, because both of us had very suddenly dropped down to eleven. Though I couldn't complain, mainly because it was one of Alice's plans and no one interfered with them, but I supposed I did like spending time with Alice. Though thankfully the shopping expedition was over early, for some reason almost every shop was closed. Someone mentioned the flu so I was suspicious.
"Wow, I never thought I'd see two teenage girls get so excited over a slumber party." Rosalie sighed the moment I entered the home, the rest of the family were going hunting and Alice was postponing her trip. A little part of me hissed that I was glad to be alone with Alice at night but ever since Death announced I loved her, because he knows better than anyone of course, I had been unable to shut that tiny voice up.
"I think it's cute. Everyone needs a bit of fun." Esme interjected with a warm smile, delighted at the sight of me and Alice beaming. However it did seem as if she was one of the few people happy, Carlise being the only other. Edward left the house the moment I entered, and shot me a dark look for good measure; he had been giving me the silent brooding treatment for quite some time now. It had been a great, enjoyable time as I didn't have to speak to him and a time I wanted to continue long into the future.
As for the others; Emmet had already left, Jasper had been glaring at both me and Alice since the moment I walked in, hopefully the bastard realised his days were numbered but I could only hope. The only other one around was Rosalie and she was never happy, it was her version of life. One she shared with Death in a way, both hating the world but silently caring about a few things. At some point I would have to get them to meet.
"Well we should be going, bye you two. Don't end up destroying anything, Alice." Carlise smiled as he moved to leave,
"Why me?" Alice asked looking confused and throwing her hands out
"Because I have more trust in Bella, have fun." Carlise chuckled before strolling out the door, leaving behind an Alice with a look of mock anger, then Jasper approached.
"See you Alice, love you." He smiled in a face which turned my stomach, Alice though looked oblivious.
"See you." She nodded and Rosalie shot me a quizzical look when Alice didn't give her supposed husband a hug, kiss or any sign of affection whatsoever. It made my heart leap and Jasper looked scared, I wanted to see that face again when Death gave him his punishment, one he had to let me design.
"Ok." Jasper reluctantly left the room and I could only suppress that satisfied smirk for a few moments, his power had to be weak now. Maybe, just maybe I could break it. Rosalie turned to leave,
"Goodbye children." She announced sarcastically but as she turned my eye caught her, you're explaining soon she mouthed before leaving the room in a dramatic flair. So she had picked up on something being wrong, I wondered how much she knew.
"Alice why have you got a sleeping bag?" I asked, she was unrolling two sleeping bags on the living room floor, she looked at me as if I had just asked the most stupid question in the world. Then again that look was coming from someone with a purple and pink pair of sleeping bags, both looked a little to flamboyant for my liking.
"It's a slumber party silly, it needs to look the part." Well that was all the explanation I was going to get and most likely the only explanation she had, though it was slightly strange as neither of us needed to sleep. For me it was refreshing and possible but I didn't need it, Alice however couldn't sleep.
"Ok, how much more logic are you going to bring into this?" I asked sweetly, Alice beamed at me.
"Bella! You're trying to be clever, good for you. You can do it if you really work at it." She told me with an affirmative nod and a wink which left me out of responses. Instead I moved to sit on the couch,
"No! on the floor, we need to play the part." Alice warned in a stern motherly tone, complete with wagging finger.
"Of what eight year olds?" I wondered aloud rolling my eyes, it did seem as if we were playing the role of kids. Then again Alice was a big kid in all but appearance.
"More like eleven but hey whatever floats your boat." Alice shrugged before jumping to the floor and crossing her legs. From there I found myself entering a conversation which changed topic every few seconds. It started with general fashion, led onto my love life and everywhere in between. From the conversation we ended up playing games, games which often focused on me answering questions about personal matters. Why I left Edward, who I found attractive and how pretty I thought Alice was.
"Your dazzling." I told her without a trace of humour and winked at her, while flashing the sweetest smile I had. It must have had an effect for the girl looked dazed and her eyes slowly but surely became more and more vacant.
"Alice," I said, there was no response and only when I shook her did she journey back to reality. It was as if then she had forgotten what I said, though I wasn't convinced as clothes came up again and the ones that weren't on show became a particular hot topic.
"Ok and go." Somehow Alice managed to talk me into doing a catwalk for her, first I had been given a dress to wear, then a number of skirts which got shorter and shorter. Then before midnight had been reached I was wearing swimwear, the most revealing kind.
"Oooh, you know if you went to the beach in that every guy there would be watching." Alice complimented the second she saw me and then when I thanked her a devious smirk played on her face.
"Though that's not all they would be doing." She commented while I twirled. Instead of responding I slowly and purposely moved closer and closer to her, putting on a slow and seductive dance show and by the time I had finished Alice was just staring at me.
"What, see something you like?" I asked with the same devious smirk she tormented me with only moment earlier. Though once again she slipped into that vacant stare but this time I just couldn't stand it. I was torn between anger, that someone had done this to her, hurt that she was stuck unknowingly in a loveless relationship and then there was another feral feeling which flooded through me. I moved in closer, then in one violent and forced act I slipped my arms around her neck and locked her in a kiss. One which was responded too within a few moments and electricity, power and a hundred other feelings erupted within me.
Then as I revelled in that sweet comforting feeling there was a vibrant flash and then I was falling, my eyes began to close and my head hit the floor. For a few crucial seconds my mind seemed ready to fall into unconsciousness, then I managed to claw myself back to standing position. Alice was on the floor, shaking. Her eyes were rolling in their sockets, her mouth was trembling and twitching.
"Alice," I called for her, though there was no response. She was seizing, shaking, at one point her hand caught the table and it shattered.
Do something Bella my mind ordered but I had no idea what to do, how could I help her? What did you give a vampire when they were? It came to me then and there, I had one thing which I didn't even need and Alice could thrive on. My eyes fell upon a glass shard from the table, in one swift move I made a long cut on my wrist.
"Bella," Alice tried to protest as I put my bloodied wrist into her mouth. I felt an intense pull and Alice was drinking away.
Meanwhile
In the office which had become a tension point for a few long days shock broke out, the two guards watched as their screens burst into life. Lines and data moved in erratic confusing patterns and then after a few long seconds the screens erupted in sparks, the room was filled with light and then it died down. Leaving no data, no chart, indeed nothing whatsoever. One of the guards picked up the phone.
"Lady Fate, I think the Alice-Jasper has just been solved."
Morning
Alice had been out like a light all night, other than the occasional noise and shiver there was no sign she was even alive and I had no idea what happened. She was somehow asleep, I had hoped Death would show up and help me but no.
"What have you done?" A voice which sent a chill down my spine entered the room, it was impossible and the dark cold nature of the voice told me all I needed to know.
"It's over, you bastard." I snarled and sure enough Jasper was standing there, looking ready to cry, scream or worse. I stood up to my full height, my wrist was now healed and I just glared at him.
"No it's not. She is my wife." He protested, I wondered just how he knew his hold had been broken but I didn't care, the fact he was here proved to me he had lost.
"No she's not, you forced her using your powers. Everything you did was fake and I'll see you punished for it." I vowed with a stare which could freeze ice, Jasper didn't flinch he just looked at me. Fixed me with a look I just couldn't explain.
"How did you find out?" He asked but I didn't answer, I didn't actually have any explanation but even if I did I wasn't going to give him one. I just watched as he began to pace, I was stood in front of Alice; guarding her in a way.
"Why did you do it?" I asked eventually, why would he do this? It was the one thing I never quite got.
"I needed a mate and she was..." he tried to explain himself but there was no way he could now, I just wanted to rip him apart piece by piece.
"You're disgusting," I spat "And you're done, you'll never hurt her again."
"I never hurt her once, everything I did she wanted." I couldn't believe him, he would try and justify everything by saying he didn't hurt her? I wanted him to suffer more than ever.
"Oh shut it, if you want to try to excuse what you did then talk to someone else, someone who doesn't hate you. Manipulating her and me doesn't do much for my opinion of you." I told him and he paused,
"You know a lot more than I thought Bella, I want to know how you found out?" Jasper smiled in a sick way which made his quizzical look make me even more sick.
"Well I wish you luck with that, but we don't have that long." I told him with all the venom I could muster. Knowing Death he would act quickly to make sure Jasper didn't have a chance to nearly destroy his legal system again.
"No we don't." Jasper spoke those words and then before I could blink he was next to me, his hand reached out and pulled me closer. I tried to kick out, punch back but he was still a vampire and immortality did not give me his strength. I tried to fight and it seemed to amuse him slightly and in one swift motion he wrenched me behind his shoulder and as if I was nothing I felt him speed away, with me locked in place. He had just kidnapped me.
