Adieu – Go Ahead, Rip My Heart Out
Extracurricular activities meant that Emma had a lot of time to spend with humans. It wasn't completely abnormal and she found that when in the company of a certain social circle, the blood bags weren't totally boring. Today, they had coerced the half breed to attend the pep rally before cheering on the numerous jocks at the varsity basketball game. It didn't sound appealing at all but it was something to do, so Emma agreed and set a time.
The schedule had worked out perfectly. Most of the Cullen clan had other plans and it just worked to their benefit that they wouldn't have to babysit the witch right after school was out. Edward had planned a special anniversary dinner with Bella and the others had a planned social gala to attend alongside Carlisle. The time frame would allow someone to pick up Emma from the school without any worry of protection. The Volturi wouldn't dare abduct the girl in the midst of all her peers.
The night had gone mostly as planned. The vampires and the half breed parted ways as the bell chimed through the loud applause of her peers and the high school band blared out the fight song. The school mascot performed a short routine as the students filtered themselves out of the bleachers. Emma had just picked up her bag when soft drawl penetrated her brain. It wasn't more than an airy whisper, as if someone had pulled her hair away from her neck and blew a cold path of breath from her neck to her ear. Emma scrunched her eyebrows together and ran to catch up with the other girls. When she reached the parking lot, the half breed noticed that most of the Cullen cars had already pulled away in a loud screech in an effort to go home and change for the big night. Unfortunately, social status was something Carlisle had to keep up in order to live a semi-normal life. And being the publicly known adoptive father of so many children, he seemed to draw the attention of the bigger names within Forks.
"Emma! Let's go! Bethany already bought the tickets!" Emma nodded and glanced back once more in hopes of spotting her safety net but found nothing but a sea of rival colors flooding the pavement.
The game had been pretty intense and their school won by a shocking second half that included absurd fouls and an epic three point shot performed by the star athlete. The crowd had gone absolutely wild as the school colors were tossed up into the air via tissue paper confetti and the school song was chanted proudly. It was during the celebration that the airy whisper returned again, sending a deathly chill down Emma's spine. She searched the bleachers for the owner of the velvety drawl haunting her mind but found no one. She wrote it off as paranoia and returned to the excitement of their homecoming win.
After the game, Emma denied the offered rides home with the explanation that someone was going to be picking her up any moment now. Thirty minutes slowly passed as the players began to shuffle out for a night of celebration. Again, a few of the players asked if Emma needed a ride but she declined and sent another text message to Carlisle's phone.
Meanwhile…
Carlisle felt the vibration of another text message being sent to his phone as he made his way towards the front doors. A large man blocked his only exit and pushed a hand to the receiver in his ear. He gently nudged the doctor back towards the crowd.
"I'm sorry sir but there was domestic threat made on your family and we can't let anyone leave until the grounds are secured by the authorities." The elder vampire shared a worried look with his adoptive children as the doors were locked, keeping them from getting to Emma. Danger was amidst them.
Back at the school…
Emma sighed heavily and checked her clock once again. The last vehicle had just pulled away with a promise that they would see the witch Monday. As a chilled gust wind fluttered throughout the parking lot, Emma wondered if that was true or not. Something…something she couldn't quite put her finger on, was putting her at unease. The wind picked up a bit and the half breed decided she would just walk home, laying out traps of magic behind her. She would start by creating a locked door on the outskirts of the forest, revealing anyone who could be following her.
Emma had just set the last trap, creating an alternate scent leading away from her own path when the presence of the vampires hit her. The thoughts of five different blood suckers traveled through the woman's mind and they were heading straight for her. Her lean legs suddenly matched the beat of her heart and she ran; ran from imprisonment. The shrubs underneath her feet crumpled as they pounded against the worn path. A small cloud smoke escaped her mouth as her lungs clawed at her body for the relief of air. In the distance, Emma could hear the sounds of sticks cracking and the earth trembling in fear at the entrance of the pack of Volturi hunters. Two of the demons set forth following a perfect replica of the witch in the opposite direction while one other followed the smell of her lavender and cinnamon perfume. It would lead him towards the west of town and straight into the wolf territory. Emma secretly hoped that Jake and the others would take care of him. That only left the two vampires tracking her and her legs once again burned with the adrenaline of outrunning her hunters.
Night was upon the witch as a full moon hovered over her form and the stars teased her from the perch in the sky. Her heart was beating faster than it ever had in her lifetime and her chest felt like it was about to tear open and introduce the art of breathing. The smell of the ocean suddenly flooded Emma's nostrils and she halted just before the edge of a cliff came into view.
"What's wrong little bird?" The eerily calm voice of Jane echoed throughout the space between her and Emma. Her petite form emerged from the shadows followed by another man cloaked in darkness, keeping his face turned away from both women. Emma's arms came up in surrender and she smiled sarcastically.
"You got me." Two more figures stepped up to the plate and Emma felt the weight of defeat. She was outnumbered and tired of running. But Emma wasn't the kind of girl to be cornered like a defenseless animal, either. She lashed forward, bracing herself for an attack. Jane pulled a single fist out in front of her and uncurled it slowly, revealing a light blue powder. With the utmost grace, she blew the soft substance into Emma's line of vision. For a moment, her eyes were fine but soon her sight blurred and a stinging sensation brought her to her knees. She rubbed and rubbed but it only seemed to make the pain worse. The witch's concentration was broken and she could feel her magical traps diminishing.
"Emma…cherie…don't step back." The Southern drawl was evident and the sweet mixture of kindness and deceit was caught at once. Emma jerked when she heard the voice and tried to shake him and the pain from her body. Her foot slid back and the ground gave out a bit. The waves could be heard down below crashing against the solid rock in a never-ending battle of strength. Confusion set in and Emma began to panic. She was cornered and yet none of the hunters were attacking her. "Emma…please." The half breed grinned as Ethan's voice poured into her brain. There was nowhere to go now except…
Emma smiled sweetly through a tear streaked face and kissed her middle finger in its bold salute before faking an attack. She abruptly turned and leapt from the cliff side, her arms gracefully extended in a sparrow-like pose. With the poise of a fine dancer, she dived into the hands of the ocean. Ethan fell to his knees at the edge and scanned the waves for the body of the girl he once loved. A few feet out, he finally spotted her, back stroking her way down the coat with the same smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Jane walked calmly up behind him.
"Take the others and meet her at the beach." Ethan turned his head to meet her gaze and shook his head.
"Emma knows this land like the back of her head. She's in constant communication with it and she'll know which places she can go." Jane tugged at the lengthy blonde locks and pulled his head back until his jugular was exposed.
"Do you doubt the abilities of the hunters?" The southern man shook his head and went to find the others.
Within the Pacific, Emma watched the hunters scatter from the cliff. She let the salt water swallow her up and lead her to a safe place. Two hours later, Emma was scraping the sand and dragging her ragged body up to dry land. She lazily rolled to her back and let her lungs catch up with the rest of her.
"Mrs. Pacific…you're a cold, hard bitch." She gratefully thanked her lucky stars that the only obstacle she had to face now was the icy temperatures surrounding her. Just as she sighed contentedly, a light flurry of snow began to nip at her wet figure. "Are you kidding me?" She pulled her body into a standing fixture and cursed the day snow ever fell in this state.
By the time Emma had reached the outskirts of town, her hair was matted down to her skull and a light frost covered her usually lustrous locks. Her pale skin was now deathly looking and she could feel her wisdom teeth chattering to an unusual beat. She could no longer feel her legs but she somehow knew they were moving. Her body ached and her chapped lips were cracking. A good inch of snow had fallen amongst her and she prayed that she would run into people soon.
And then she felt it. She felt the bright aura of her longtime friend as she dropped to her knees. Her energy had left her long ago but Emma somehow found the strength to pull herself up the small hill and to the deserted grassy knoll across the street from the diner Edward was parked at. Sure enough, Emma spotted the couple exiting the establishment and she extended her arm in hopes that the vampire would notice her or feel her presence. Her voice tried to creep out but nothing escaped and tears welled up as she watched Edward drive off with Bella in tow. The snow underneath her began to give out and she desperately tried to cling to something but failed miserably. Her tired body tumbled down the hill and made impact with a tree at the bottom. Emma groaned and lifted herself up into a sitting position. The snow began to fall harder as she curled up against the tree. Was this the end of it? THIS was her final chapter? With such a grand escape, Emma had hoped that her life would be extended a bit. But it seemed that this was what fate had in store for her: an interpretation of a Popsicle. She drifted off into a soft sleep with the expectation that this was going to be her grave.
Most girls wish for the knight in shining armor but Emma had never expected her werewolf in shining fur to find her that night. But a warm nudge pulled her from her cold sleep. She tried to focus on the shape in front of her but it seemed that even her eyes were frozen. Two masculine fingers checked her pulse and she lightly grabbed at the wrist they belonged to.
"Emma? What the hell happened to you?" She simpered to the best of her abilities as Jacob Black's voice entered her mind.
"You…" she cleared her throat as her vocal chords cracked. "You said…you didn't…want me." Jacob eagerly scooped her up into his arms.
