Chapter 9: Almost Wingless
I admit, I really miss how things used to be. I admit I want to accept the fact that things have changed. I want to move on, to push past all this emptiness in my soul and yet I don't want anything to change, I want to go back to how everything was before; when we were happy.
Elizabeth's POV:
Throughout the day, I was a walking mess. I didn't utter a word, not once. I didn't pay attention to my surroundings. My body walked on its own, leading me to the places I had to be. I didn't notice Isabella's or the Cullens' concerned expression. Nor did I notice Elijah and Jasper's heated conversation about hurting Sam. I didn't notice anything besides my own little world; a world where I had no one, where I was all alone.
It hurts; once again I'm hurting and there isn't anyone I can talk too, not with you gone. I can't seem to think properly, my emotions are all over the place, my head pounding and my heart; I feel it breaking over and over again. If you were going to hurt me this bad, why didn't you stay away? Couldn't you just stay hidden in the shadows, as you've done?
I would rather you took a knife to my skin that speaks those words so cold. 'I only came here to make sure that they didn't break their promise.' So you didn't care about me? Is that what you meant? 'Forget that I came.' You speak to me as if I were a stranger when for the past few years we've been close as it is possible for two people to be. You strike out as if I have crossed some invisible line in the sand. You look into my eyes and say whatever will hurt the most, and knowing me as you do that isn't hard to come by. Don't you know what you're doing? Can't you stop?
All I want is for someone to see me, to see that I am hurting. All I want is someone to hug me and to tell me everything will be okay, even if the world is burning. I just want someone to see that I am not okay, is it too much to ask?
3rd POV:
As the bell rang, the once quiet parking lot is now filled with loud students rushing towards their cars. A shivering Isabella and numb Elizabeth made their way towards Isabella's truck, passing the noisy students. As Isabella walked with her stepsister, she couldn't help but feel useless. Elizabeth's current condition was the same one Isabella remembered from back then; when she first met the young Elizabeth. Isabella remembers how Elizabeth was before her mother, Rene and she moved in with Elizabeth and Phil. She remember how Elizabeth ignored everyone and everything, kept her face blank from any emotions. Isabella remembers thinking how beautiful Elizabeth's eyes were, they held no emotions what so ever yet when she stared at you; you couldn't help but fall in a deep trance. Her green eyes were so bright yet so dull, she couldn't understand how that was possible.
Isabella was getting confused, Elizabeth was doing so well she was even smiling a couple of days ago, she why was she like this now? Was it Elijah? Isabella thought but shook that idea away. Elizabeth wasn't talking to him or to his family. Or did Sam do something to Elizabeth for her to be currently like this? Isabella sighed, it had to be Sam. Looking at Elizabeth, who was walking next to her, she remembers the time when Sam had ignored Elizabeth's emails. She remembers how hurt Elizabeth was when Sam wouldn't reply to her or answer her phone calls. She remembered how Elizabeth's once happy face quickly fell when she received the last email from Sam; her ex-best friend.
Once again Isabella sighed holding the golden onion closer to her chest, feeling even more useless. She didn't know what to do, she could call Phil and let him know about Elizabeth's current mood. But knowing Elizabeth, she wouldn't be so pleased with it. Again, she sighed giving up. Suddenly stopping, Isabella groaned causing the semi-distracted Elizabeth to turn to her stepsister. "I forgot my history book in my locker" Elizabeth raised her eyebrow as Isabella gave her the truck keys. "Start the truck will ya?" Elizabeth nodded as Isabella turned around.
This time it was Elizabeth who sighed and continued walking. Ignoring everything around her, Elizabeth unlocks the door but stops when something suddenly crashed into the windshield. Confused, Elizabeth looks at the front of the truck. Her confused expression turned to one of horror. Right in front of her was a small white dove with its wings ripped off.
Once again fear found her. It spoke to her in its cackling voice. It told her legs to go weak, her stomach to lurch and her heart to ache. Elizbeth's father once told her that there was nothing to fear but fear itself, but still, she could not silence its voice. She couldn't help but stare at the bloody dove with wide eyes.
From across the parking lot, Elijah stared at Elizabeth's back. The entire day he kept his focus on her, trying to protect her as best as he could. He knew that her encounter with Sam caused to her shut down; you didn't need to be a genius to see how it affect her. From Sam's thoughts, thanks to Edward, he found out that Elizabeth and Sam were once best friends. He found out that when Sam phrased he turned his back on Elizabeth; he only meant to protect her. He didn't want to harm her like he did with his imprint Emily. He stayed away, not returning her phone calls or replying to her emails. Sam knew that it would break her heart and her trust, but he needed to keep her safe. Edward told Elijah that when Sam was phrasing all Sam could think of was Elizabeth and her beautiful smile. So when he stopped talking to Elizabeth it took a huge toll on Sam, turning his heart black. But when he imprinted on Emily, she brought back some light into Sam's black heart but without Elizabeth's warmth, his heart will remain black.
Elijah understands Sam's decision but it doesn't mean he likes it. Watching Elizabeth emotionless was causing his dead cold heart to break all over again, causing him to feel pain. How he wanted to hurt Sam for hurting her, he wanted to rip his heart out just like he did with Elizabeth. But he knew it would only cause Elizabeth more pain, so he'll let him live for now.
Breaking him from his thought was a loud thud. "What the hell," Emmett said, confused as they saw Elizabeth turning around holding a wingless dove. She stared at the dove with a horror expression, slowly she looks up and turned around; almost as if she was searching for someone.
It can't be possible. God please, don't let it be him. Edward stared at Elizabeth with a confused yet alarmed look. Narrowing his eyes on her, trying to see what's going on in her mind. What he saw was confusing him; there was a man in a black suit with his back towards Elizabeth but somehow Edward knew he wasn't normal. He just knew that somehow this man was Elizabeth worst nightmare.
Out of the nowhere, a high pitched screech caused everyone to stop moving. Elizabeth lets go of the poor dove and turned to see a van; skidding on the icy ground, careening out of control, heading directly or her. Time suddenly fractures, compressing to stillness, then exploding in bursts of speed as...
Every student stops in shock, seeing what will happen. Isabella quickly turns around as she hears the screech; her body then freezes in fear and shock. Tyler desperately trying to gain control of his van, but when he realizes it's no use he shields his face. The Cullen stare with their eyes wide and without realizing it Jasper lets out Elizabeth's name as if it will be the last time he does. Elijah looking straight at Elizabeth with terror."No," he whispers, not believing what's about to happen to Elizabeth.
"Elijah," Elizabeth softly breaths out his name without looking away from the van. Tyler's van is about to hit Isabella's truck, with Elizabeth standing in between, when suddenly something knocks Elizabeth down, pinning her to the ground. Slowly she looks up and sees Edward on top of her.
Edward looks at Elizabeth and looks at her bright green eyes, taking in her flawless face. Something in him pushed him towards her, it was like it physically pushed him to Elizabeth. He couldn't let her die, he couldn't let her go, she became someone special to him without either of them knowing. Edward wanted to protect her from whatever is haunting her. He has seen somethings in her mind that confused him and alarmed him as well. He just wants to be there for him, he doesn't want her to feel alone just like he feels.
He also couldn't live with himself knowing that his brother's mate was about to die without him doing anything. He knew Elijah would kill himself if anything happened to Elizabeth. Within these short days, she became Elijah's sun. He thought of her every single day, he wants to make her happy, he wants to free her from the cage she desperately wants to get out off. Elijah wants Elizabeth but that can't happen if she's no longer with them.
As Edward and Elizabeth, both stared at each other, the world around them unfreezes. Everything happened so quickly; the van smashes into Isabella's truck then it spins around, once again coming towards the couple but then Edward's hand stops it, creating a deep dent in the side of the van's body as it shudders to a stop, a foot away from Elizabeth. For the first time in her life, Elizabeth witnesses the true strength of a vampire; Edward literally pushed the van away.
Silence, a long beat, void of any sounds wrap around them. Elizabeth looks at Edward, trying to absorb everything that just happened. Edward's fear for her is still alive on his face. Elizabeth's lips part, about to speak but then...
The screaming of the other students fills in the air, yelling for help. People leap to Tyler's aid, running towards Elizabeth and Edward. Elizabeth sees the dove on the ground, completely smashed as she would have been if it wasn't for Edward.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Mike and Eric ran towards Elizabeth trying to see if she was hurt. Mike grabbed her shoulders, looking all around for any blood but he was pushed away by Isabella.
Isabella took Elizabeth's hand causing her to look at her stepsister's eyes. There was something in Isabella's eyes that had Elizabeth worried. Isabella's eyes wandered up and down at Elizabeth's body and then she looked at her truck and van. Seeing the dent on the van, Isabella narrowed her eyes.
A few seconds ago, when Isabella watched Elizabeth's almost death, she witnessed the impossible. You know in the cartoons when someone moves so fast that all they leave is a blurred trail of colors. Well, that's how it was with Isabella when she saw Edward moving towards Elizabeth and van. It was all blurry colors but she knew what she saw. She saw Edward moving way to fast for any human, she thought that she was wrong but when she saw Edward getting up with Elizabeth she knew she wasn't wrong. Edward ran towards the danger and stopped her sister's death.
"Elizabeth..." Isabella starts to say but was cut off by Lauren, one of their friends. "I got the police on the phone." Without anyone seeing, Edwrad makes his big escape but it didn't go unnoticed by the two sisters.
Amid the chaos, Elizabeth turns and sees Edward's sibling staring at her. Jasper held Elijah back while whispering "she's okay, brother. Edward got her in time, she's going to be okay," in his ear as Elijah was staring at Elizabeth with guilt and horror. Rosalie watched her brothers and Elizabeth with worried but glared at Edward leaving the scene. Emmett and Alice stared at Elizbeth with concerned, they really liked Elizabeth and they didn't want her to get hurt, especially since they found out that she was Elijah's mate- soulmate. Alice spoke up causing everyone to get in their cars, but Jasper and Emmett had to drag Elijah away from the school as the cops and ambulance reached the school.
Watching Elijah and his family, Elizabeth couldn't help but let out a small breath. She looked around her and then at the smashed drove. She wasn't supposed to be alive but thanks to Edward she continues to live. She was about to die because she didn't watch her surrounding, she was about to be like the dove without wings. Once again that crimson red eyes man was giving her a warning, and this time she doesn't know what he means.
Is her time coming to an end? What did the wingless dove mean or what did it prove? Is he finally coming for her?