My day has really sucked, so I worked on this chapter to help me feel better. Please tell me what you think.
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Chapter 9 Promise
My life was finally back to normal. I felt so relaxed and happy to be back home. I managed to get caught up completely in school, both my parents bought Carlisle's encephalitis story, and I was completely recovered from the flu. The entire process of reconstructing my life had been so effortless and quick, it was like there had never been any problems with James or Victoria. In fact I hardly had any memory of the time between coming home and the present.
I was at the Cullens house, at a celebration, which had been Alice's idea. There was a lot of laughing, and smiles. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood. The feelings of euphoria were almost tangible, and even the colors and lighting of the room seemed to glow exceptionally. I was in a good mood as well. It felt like there were no problems anymore, and the party wasn't so bad. Edward, of course, was at my side the entire time. As long as Edward was with me, almost any day could be a good day.
I suddenly had a bad feeling. the laughing stopped, and the good feeling was gone. I could swear I noticed everything become darker. The shapes of about seven or eight figures outside made me tremble uncontrollably. I almost lost consciousness when I spotted both Laurent and Victoria, through the large window, in the front of the group. They walked with malicious grins, and familiar cat like walks. The dark figures behind them were too vague to make out any features, or be able to tell who they were.
Everything happened too fast for me to keep up with. My entire vampire family flew out the door and proceeded to rip everyone apart. There was too much energy, too much movement, and the terror in my
body made clear thoughts impossible. The limited view out the window didn't make it very easy to see what was happening either. I watched a bloody mess of moving body parts appear as I gasped for air. The writhing arms and legs inched and crept to the torsos they had been torn from. I saw a disconnected hand flopping in a pile of blood, like a fish out of water. I could hear breaking bones, and sounds of tearing flesh. There was also a lot of vicious growling and snarling. All the parts were being tossed into a large bloody twitching pile, and after a few moments there was an enormous fire, that engulfed the pile of squirming body parts.
All the noise stopped, and all I could hear were my own breathless gulps of air. I was too petrified and dazed to even describe myself. The first thing my frozen mind began to think about was if all the Cullens were still alive and ok. What if one of them had been torn up and burned in that fire?
Edward was at my side in seconds after the fire had been started. "Bella I think we need to go somewhere and talk about something," he said quietly.
I was very relieved to see Edward next to me, but this felt so strange. Why was Edward saying this to me? I really wanted to know if everyone else was unhurt. Maybe I hadn't heard him right, my brain was working very slowly. My body was in agony from the exhaustion of being so horrified, and the the fear I felt had not left me. He helped me climb onto his back, and then ran at his super fast speed while my mind was still attempting to catch up with what just happened.
We didn't run for very long. Edward came to an abrupt stop in a small clearing in the woods, and I slid off. I was surprised my body was still standing, still functioning at all. My entire world seemed so unreal again. The sudden shock must have really taken a toll on me this time.
I heard Edward's voice, but didn't hear what he said. I starred at him, trying to understand.
"I said we can't be together, " Edward said angrily, as if I had told I didn't hear him. "You are not good for me. I am too dangerous for you."
No, this couldn't be true! I couldn't find my voice. I wanted to scream, beg, sob, or be able to do anything. I didn't even think I could walk. All I could do was stand there, immobilized and speechless, while I stared at him in disbelief.
"I need to leave you, Bella. Don't try to follow me. We will never see each other again, and I promise I will never endanger your life again." With those words Edward vanished from my sight.
I began hyperventilating. My chest hurt, my body hurt, everything hurt. I suddenly found my voice. "No Edward, come back!" I screamed "Don't leave me!" My screams became lost in unrestrainable sobs. I began to hear my own sobs more clearly, and I began to feel a bit more real. My sobs increased, and suddenly my eyes flew open.
I was in Edward's room, on his couch. It must have been some time in the middle of the night, because everything was pitch black, and I couldn't see a thing. My body trembled violently, and my breathing was still in fast uncontrollable sobs. My heart was pounding much too hard and fast. Hot tears ran down my face, and I had sweat forming over my entire body, and I still shivered partially from being cold.
"Bella, calm down, it was just a nightmare. I am right here," My eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and I saw the source of the concerned velvet voice.
Edward was kneeling next to the couch. His cold hands wiped sweat from my forehead, and stroked my face comfortingly.
I couldn't respond, because my breathing was still too frantic. Everything had seemed so real, I had thought it was really happening. I tried to calm down, as I told myself Edward's words. It was just a nightmare. He is right here. My breathing began to slow down. My heart rate slowed to an almost healthy level. I concentrated on Edward, feeling his hands on me told me he was still there.
"I'm not sure. Her fever has become worse, and she just woke up from a nightmare," Edward anxiously answered an unspoken question.
I was dimly able to see Carlsile approaching. "Bella, do you think you can sit up for a moment?" he asked calmly.
I didn't think I could speak yet, so I just nodded. Edward helped me sit up against the arm of the couch. Carlisle handed me a couple pills, and a large glass. I clumsily threw the medication into my mouth and raised the drink to my mouth with shaking hands. I took a sip, and found this time it was some kind of juice, probably grape. It tasted good, and I discovered how thirsty I was. It took me a while to finish the drink, because I could only take occasional sips in between my rapid breathing. By the time I finished the juice, my breathing was down to a normal speed and I was feeling much calmer.
"Thanks, Carlisle," I whispered shakily.
"Anytime," he said. "You should go back to sleep now. I think you'll be fine." He soundlessly left the room.
"Edward, you're not going to leave me, right?" I whispered to him. I just couldn't shake off the bad feeling I had from the dream.
Edward smoothly sat on the couch next to me, gathered me into his arms, and adjusted the blanket around me. "I will not leave you, I'm right here. Go back to sleep now, love. I want you to get better," he said soothingly.
"But I don't think I can," I whispered to him. "That nightmare bothered me too much. I just can't get it out of my mind."
"What was it about?" he asked. "Was it about Victoria?" his voice had a mixture of apprehension, regret, and anger.
"Part of it, but the worst part was when you left me. The pain I felt in my dream when you left was actually real, I've never been in that much pain in my life." As I said this, I pushed myself closer to him.
"I left you?" he said in a shocked voice. "Bella I would never leave you." he said sincerly. "I can't even leave you for a second. You're in too much danger right now."
"Danger from what," I asked nervously.
Edward instantly seemed to regret his last sentence. "It's nothing, you don't need to worry about it. Why don't you just go back to sleep now." He started to hum my lullaby again.
This didn't work to distract me. Something about Edward was too restless, he just was not calm. I knew he was just trying to distract me. "I'm not ready to go back to sleep yet. Tell me why I'm in danger," I spoke with my voice for the first time tonight.
Edward sighed and waited a moment before he answered. "Victoria wants to plan revenge. I was able to get a good look at her mind before she somehow got away from us, and she is so furious that I killed James. . . she wants her revenge by killing you." His voice and face turned from regret and apprehension to anger and determination," But I will not leave you for a second. I will keep you safe, and we will catch Victoria and kill her. She will never be able to even touch you."
I nodded, this news actually wasn't that much of a surprise. I kinda knew all along that Victoria was still a major threat. That was probably why I dreamed about her. But I had a dream about Edward leaving me too.
"Can you promise you won't leave me, even when Victoria isn't a threat anymore?" I begged.
He was silent for a short moment. "I promise I will never leave as long as you want me. I can see if I left, it would hurt you more than I imagined."
"That is all I wanted to hear," I whispered. I felt much better now. My muscles had relaxed, and the terror had completely left me, leaving extreme exhaustion in its place. My eye lids began to droop. "I love you,"
I whispered, as my eyes closed.
"I also love you, so much," he murmured. "I will be right here, and I will never leave you. I promise," he said again.
After he said this I must have fallen asleep again. My dreams returned, only this time they were just strange, or funny. They didn't feel very realistic either. I certainly didn't experience a dark haunting dream like that one again.
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A/N Edward never promised in Twilight that he would never leave. In my book on page 473. In the hospital, after Edward says something about how he is not strong enough to stay away, he still doesn't promise when Bella asked him to.
Bella thinks, "He did not promise, though- a fact that I had not missed." This was something I decided I would change. Hearing Victoria's plans for revenge, and seeing the effect on Bella from just a nightmare she had because she had a high fever are the main things that made up Edward's mind to stay. I also wanted to say, Bella got sick from the stress of the very long week,
