WHO IN THE HELL WROTE THIS STORY
Disclaimer: The Cullens, the Swans, and most of the characters mentioned in the story that are known from Stephanie Meyer's Saga beloved Twilight, are all hers and hers alone. I neither have nor wish to pass in them off as mine. I do appreciate the fact that she did bring them to life and allows us to play with them our imaginations. The only thing I will claim is the current storyline.
This chapter has been beta'd by dowlingnana and her work is making the story flow more smoothly. The next few chapters will be dedicated to my beta for all of the special help she has given me above and beyond the "call of duty".
Esme didn't say anything to anyone about what going to be taking place that night, so, after Bella made an appearance they both left, unobserved after a while. Bella got comfortable while Esme went on to her room. It wasn't long before her husband joined her and informed her that the boys were busy with other interest at the moment. That was when Esme told Carlisle about Bella staying in Elizabeth's for the night. He was quiet for a pause of a heartbeat then worried about her being okay after the apparition appearance two nights in a row, even though, it hadn't appeared tonight.
It was the stroke of midnight that this discussion was taking place; so, both decided to go check before calling it a night. A knock on the door of the young child's room went unanswered. A second knock had the same results, so, they assumed that Bella might be asleep, but, to be sure they quietly opened the door. The sight that befell their eyes shocked the couple.
The door had been locked from the inside, so, Esme had had to retrieve a reserve key for them to open the door, but, nothing was out of place except for one thing. There was no one in the room.
CHAPTER 9: BEING TOO CURIOUS
The couple didn't want to alarm anyone unduly by alerting the guests, especially, Rosalie and Alice, to the current problem. They tried passing back and forth all sorts of possibilities, but, none truly made any sense because of the locked door. How could this be happening again? What was it about this one room that caused the disappearance of its inhabitants? First, the young owner, Elizabeth Cullen, and now a guest, a famous author, no less, and that would really bring a lot of unwanted publicity. But, what seemed to be the biggest questions at the moment were; what happened in this room once again, how to tell her family, and what explanation that made sense could be offered?
Carlisle left his wife in young Elizabeth's room while he went to get his sons. Damn, a mystery that has existed for nearly three hundred years seems to be repeating itself all over again, but, with a guest this time. Is it possible that the Swan family tree could somehow be connected to the Cullen family? He was thinking to himself as he was searching for Edward, Emmett and Jasper. He needed to make sure that all of the other guests were accounted for, especially the two that was associated with Isabella Swan.
It didn't take him long to locate each of the boys and alert them to what had happened. Edward had been in his room thinking about things that had happened between him and one sassy assed, dark haired, brown eyed, bewitching woman and trying to work out what he could do to improve her opinion of him. And to say that the information Carlisle gave to him about Bella's disappearance didn't hit the all time favorite list. Edward had to work hard to control all of the emotions that were stirring around in his body. The anger, the fear, the sense of possible loss and an unnamable emotion; they were all running rampart throughout him and he felt as if they were about to swamp him, bring him to his knees, never to allow movement, override all else he knew, take absolute control and kick commonsense out the door. It was hard to put into thought or words what his father's revelations had set in motion. A raging storm was brewing and demanding attention in his mind and emotions while attempting to squeeze the life out of his heart altogether, but, he knew he couldn't allow that to happen; not now when he was needed the most.
While making an effort to collect himself enough to question his father further they both heard Emmett and Jasper coming up the stairs to head to their own rooms. They had to pass by where Edward and Carlisle were so they remained in place with the door to Edward's room open. As they started to pass Carlisle calls out to them to tell them to come into the room. When both have entered he then proceeds to inform them, also, of the situation.
"Okay, any ideas as to how we are going to handle this?" Emmett asks the first question then follows up with, "Shit, how am I going to be able to tell Rosalie that her cousin is missing?"
"Tell Rosalie? Think about me having to tell Alice. This isn't going to win any of us any brownie points anytime soon. That's for damn sure. We need to find Bella before something bad happens to her."
During all of the upheaval going on at the main house, Rosalie and Alice were contentedly getting ready for bed and hoping for a peaceful sleep tonight unaware that Bella was missing.
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Bella had stashed her things she felt she would need for the night being spent in Elizabeth's room in a hall closet downstairs before mingling with everyone for the evening. However, it didn't take long for her to decide enough was enough and headed to get her things before retiring which was really nothing more than a snack or two, some water, a small flashlight and a jacket to help keep her from getting chilled during the night. She was thankful that Esme was still willing to keep her word and let Bella stay the night in the room.
As she closed and locked the door from the inside she walked over towards the window seat to sit and look around the room. She wanted to get a feel of the place and imagine what Elizabeth might have done as she was getting ready for bed and to retire for the night. She pulled on her jacket before sitting down and put the snacks along with the water into its pockets.
It didn't take her long to get restless and to begin prowling around the room. Knocking here and tapping there, checking fixtures along with any cracks that might be visible. She was looking for any hidden panels in the wall, behind furniture, anything that would give her another possible way in or out of the room. But, after spending some time looking and nothing turning up, moving to one side after pushing what to be trigger buttons, or, signs of furniture having been pushed to one side and scraping the floor, Bella walked back over to the window seat and sat down again.
She leaned back and quietly asked aloud, "Elizabeth, what did you do that night? What happened that was different or out of the ordinary that caused you to go missing?" Bella knew with every instinct she had shouting out at her that there was another way in and out of that room. There had to be for someone to come and go without being noticed.
But, the room remained silent. No answers were forthcoming, so, she got up and did another circuit around the room, looking once more as she had earlier, knowing damn well that what she was looking for was in plain sight, but, somehow, was being overlooked by everyone.
Sitting down once more Bella closed her eyes to begin picturing the house in different scenarios. Starting with the first time she had seen the house coming up the drive the day they had arrived. At the end of each wing on the corners was a cone shaping in the roof, almost like towers with the corner sections being rounded to match the roof shaping. It was in one of those areas that Elizabeth had her room as if she was a princess to be placed in a tower for safekeeping. It was with that thought that Bella took a moment to smile before letting her mind continue on into the different angles of the mental pictures she was recalling.
Remembering asking Esme as she had taken Rosalie, Alice and her on a tour of the house what was at the top of the tower shaped sections. Esme had replied, "Nothing. Just the foundation for creating the roof in that area as it is." And as she had gotten to those thoughts of the conversation in her mind, Bella's eyes snapped open. Suddenly, instinct was speaking again and telling her loud and clear that she was on to something.
Jumping up she looked out the window and looked outside, but, all she could see was the one tower in a distance at the other in of the house and in the other direction another tower, but, it was much closer since it was at the same end as Elizabeth's room and the cone shaped roof over her room.
Excitement started coursing through her veins as she again began searching the room and this time she included the closet. Looking around, moving clothes this way and that, tapping on the walls then pressing on odds and end of inlays lining the different areas of the wall in closet. Finally, she looks up, frowns, walks out of the closet to the window and while leaning forwards looks up to the roof above the room. Once more walks back into the closet and smiles.
Reaching up she finds purchase in the small recess that she notices and she pulls down. If she hadn't been paying close enough attention it would have been easily overlooked as it had been in the past by everyone else. The little trap door comes down with stairs going up. Hesitating only a moment, Bella climbs up the stairs to see what is above, and as she is completely on solid flooring above, the little door with the stairway closes to become hidden and sealed once more.
Looking around Bella sees a room that is feminine in appearance, but, while having that light airy feeling to it the air in the room is stale and musty. Once more looking around, but, taking her time this go around, Bella begins to notice a lot more about the room. She sees where in one section some slats and a crack like the roof would slide open partially and that a telescope is positioned underneath that area. Next to that she spies what appears to be a lot of notes written in a childlike penmanship that is done in a beautiful script. Reading them Bella sees that Elizabeth was keeping notes concerning the night skies.
The excitement she is feeling in finding this little hideaway of Elizabeth's is almost overwhelming because though it might explain why Elizabeth was missing from her room at the time her parents checked on her, it doesn't explain why her parents thought they heard a sob and a cry of pain.
Surely, they would have looked up here and known about this place unless someone other than the Cullen family had built it. And that person along with Elizabeth had kept it a secret. That had to be logical because it wasn't mentioned in the telling of the disappearance or in the tour of the house upon their arrival. So, it stands to reason that no one knows of this secret place. Other hidden areas that had been specified to be built, yes, there was knowledge, but, not here.
There were a few pillows scattered around the room, now covered in thick layers of dust and a small pallet spread in one corner with a small table and chair pulled up close to the telescope. But, taking all of this in, Bella knew that she had more to discover here, so, she took a couple of minutes to look around before feeling a draft of cool air blowing. Moving over more towards that area she begins to run her hand along the wall, feels a small type of switch and presses. The wall moves slowly but steady to open onto a small landing with a winding stairway leading downwards.
Stepping out onto the narrow landing the panel behind her closes so she pulls her flashlight out of her jacket pocket while at the same time being thankful that she had thought to bring a jacket. Bella starts making her way down the staircase, slowly, but, steadily as it seems to be a bit weak in places. She finally comes to an area that has collapsed and as she begins to think of what she needs to do the stairs where she is standing begins moaning, groaning and cracking before it starts falling with Bella still standing on that section.
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Throughout the night all five Cullen's along with trusted members of the staff search for the missing woman, but, turn up nothing. And, it is with the coming of dawn that they each realize they need to inform Alice and Rosalie of the disappearance of Isabella Swan, their cousin. Of course, the rest of the guests will have to be told as well, but, it is the two young women and how they will take the news that is stressing Esme and the rest of the family more than anything else.
From what little the three women had told of their family history, it was known that a very strong father figure was a constant in their lives and he would have to be told of the situation as well.
A storm was about to be let loose upon the Cullen household and nothing or anyone could stop it. It was coming and the rage that was building could be felt already.
A/N: What is going to happen now? What will Charlie do? What about Rosalie and Alice? Is Elizabeth going to make an appearance and help find Bella?
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