SEALED WITH A KISS
CH. 10
J.P.O.V.
Disclaimer: I own nothing Twilight, Stephenie Myers has all claim to original characters.
A/N: I've had trouble with this. How it would pan out, or if it even would. I know it's so hard losing sparkling moronic characters that are incredibly insecure and jealous of your every breath. However, this is not the dilemma at hand. I'm trying to breach the boundaries of the genetic predisposition for shape shifting/were, to only those inside of the close knit community of La Push, WA. Without further hesitation, a filler chapter at best...~Sarai C.
Twenty-four hours, had it really only been one day? It was the most tiring, dragged out day imaginable. It seemed more believable that I was a werewolf, and not that Bella was a skin walker. Yet, here Bella was standing before me looking identical to the blonde leech she had shredded to pieces just a half an hour ago.
"You really are a skin walker aren't you?" The familiar voice rang out from the other side of the hallway, closer to the kitchen.
Bella and I looked simultaneously toward the source of the question, a pale, sick looking Renee. Her face was full of worry, and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. I couldn't blame this woman, I was trying so hard not to phase, my body was shaking as I felt the urge, but I ignored it as best I could. Bella gave me a look of confusion then approached her mother. For each step Bells took toward her mom, Renee took two back. This wasn't going to be a good reunion for them.
"Why are you backing away from me Mom? This isn't one of those times you make a run for it, not time for self preservation. You need to tell me what is going on with me, because I know you have the information I need. Tell me what you know!" Bella demanded. She was all business, folding her arms across her chest. A slight yellow ring was invading the now crystal blue iris, I was getting worried. "Start talking Mom!"
"Let's sit down for a moment, I'm just a little shocked right now." Renee took a seat at the dilapidated kitchen table, placing one hand over her mouth. Her color was something out of a cartoon, it was greenish, like she was going to be sick.
Sitting down, I took in Bella's appearance, it was highly disturbing. The ring was growing, out weighing the blue by a long shot. Veins in her neck were protruding, and beads of sweat were forming in her hairline. Her body now shook as her anger peaked. Unclenching her jaw, she yelled. "I don't have time for this! LOOK at me! I want answers, and I want them now, we have a meeting! OH! The meeting, how can I go there like this? Speed it up Mom, now!" OK, now I was scared too! Bella's eyes were completely yellow, like they had been when she kicked...
"Tanya, the one you took the form of, she was my grandmother's little sister. Your great aunt. I remember seeing pictures and your grandma would talk about her, and how one day she had just disappeared. She went to school, was supposed to pick some bread up from the market on her way home, she never returned. She never even made it school. Tanya was seventeen, had the whole world to look forward too. She was being courted by a boy that had moved here from Lord knows where. He was mysterious, had these golden honey colored eyes. My grandmother said she didn't trust the boy. He wouldn't come into town on days when the rain ceased. He never really spoke much to the family, wouldn't even come to dinner to meet their father and mother. He wasn't human, my grandma told me he was a vampire. I believed her, it was after all, part of your culture.
"When you came to Arizona last year, and Edward was there at the hospital, I knew something was off. I could already feel you changing. The thing is, I wasn't quite positive of what I was seeing. You see, the Quileute boys here, they aren't the only ones who do cool things in the heat of the moment. My family comes from a long line of shape shifters, we can take on any form we like. Unfortunately, that also means we get a little stir crazy, we need to be able to move around. Your Dad knows about this by the way, so don't get upset thinking that I just up and left him on account of being able to shift. Back to the story though. My aunt was a smart girl, always getting good grades, she watched children in the neighborhood to earn extra money, but when that boy came around, she was lost. She stopped eating properly, didn't sleep enough, stopped watching the kids, and even slacked in school. It was very one sided, this relationship she had. The boy would keep her from friends, and made her dependent on him, like she couldn't breath without him. It made grandma sick.
"For nearly a year the boy would come around, sneaking in through her window, and watching her at all hours of the day despite what she might be doing. When Edward wouldn't leave the hospital room, I was beside myself. At first I thought he was so devoted to you, but then when Jacob called your father and asked him about you, Edward's demeanor changed. He was very upset that another boy would be so concerned about you. He never let on to you about this, but your Dad and I seen it all happen. He was like a two year in a store throwing a tantrum over not being able to have a piece of candy. He was infuriated, and by what, Jacob showing concern over his best friend in the entire world? What was it he said you did? Fell out of a plate glass window? Give me a break, even I knew that was far fetched." Renee, sat back in the chair, one arm over the back of it. She looked better, her color was beginning to come back in her face. I think the overall shock of seeing Bella must have made her feel like she was losing control.
"So what are you saying then?" Asked Bella through clenched teeth.
"I'm saying that shape shifting has its benefits. I found out what your little sparkle toy was up to out there in Arizona. Setting up the attack so that you would be changed for the Vulturri. He set you up Bella. The only reason it didn't happen was because the others were nice enough, caring enough to step in and save you from blinded decisions. Guys like Edward have a name, wife beater. If he had been given the chance to live, really live, he would've no doubt beat his spouse and even their children. He took my aunt because she was weak, a lot like you were. Tanya was lacking in the self preservation department, unlike me. I took initiative, I tracked him, and I found what I needed. He was a damn fool. Thank you so much for growing up and getting over him. Or you'd be in a gray hooded cloak right now, killing your friends and family.
"I think that you will find all you need to know in that book right there, but for the sake of all who know you, I will tell you whats going on with you Bella. To become a skin walker, you have to kill someone in your family. You can change freely into anything, a fly if you wanted to be on someones wall. You had all of the symptoms. I was hoping I would get here in time, to help you through all of this. Charlie was trying to send you back to me, so I could deal with you in my own environment, also so I could protect you from the leech. You have a fever, your moody, not so clumsy anymore. Those yellow eyes you have, mean you're furious, and the shaking means we should probably get you calmed down." Renee was silent for the first time in awhile, but something was different, something was off in this situation. There was more that she wanted to say, but she continued to look at Bella. I turned to look at Bells too, it was not good.
Bella's pupils were growing rapidly, and she was shaking violently. She was sweating all over her body now, her face screwed up in pain.
"It burns so bad, GOSH, it's everywhere now. UGH! I want so bad to just give into it..." She stood up, her body blurring as she did so.
I got up too, grabbing Bella's hand and dragging her out of the tiny room to the front door then out into the lawn. I had to get outside so she didn't phase into, well, I don't know what. Her features were distorted, half her aunt, and half herself. She began to dry heave. She had nothing left inside her stomach, the leeches earlier made sure of that. Before the action started, I decided to put the package from Renee into the rabbit. Upon my return I was greeted by a crazed, blurring figure on the ground. Renee was yelling at me to be careful, to stay back before something awful happened. As Renee was getting carried away, I began to unbutton my cut offs, tossing them aside and standing directly in front of Bells. Her hair was almost completely her own now, and her face was back to normal too, save for her eyes. I took a deep breath, capturing the scent of a Cullen.
"What the hell is wrong with you bloodsuckers?" I yelled into the air, feeling the burning begin to pull in my stomach.
"I was just concerned about Bella, I needed to know if she was turning into..." The little pixie came bounding out of the forest, looking completely beside herself.
"Yeah, well, you're a little late. Some communication from everyone would've been nice about a year ago. Hell, even a couple of days ago. Its too late, I have to help her handle this. Watch out." I yelled and let the fur burst forth. I was instantly linked with Bella..
~Jacob~ "Bells, you have to give into the burning. Let it become you. You have to or we'll never move past this, you have to be in control of it. I'm here to help you. I promise, I'm not going anywhere. I love you."
The scene before me was heart breaking. Bella writhing in the dirt, covered in blood and bile from dry heaving. She hadn't had anything to regurgitate when she had dry heaved. Her features were distorted again, mixed with something or someone else. There was only silence from her, no thoughts, no pictures, no screams. Nothing. I was scared, she wasn't open at all to me, she was in agony and she was trying to protect me from seeing it, feeling it. I came to her side, and licked away the drying blood from her face, she didn't move.
~Jacob~ "Bells, if I don't know what's going on, I can't help you. I need to help you, I have to. Please? Let me feel it, please?" I begged her like a child.
Slowly, I felt the pain, and the urge to claw out of my flesh. I could see into Bella's mind, feel her pain. Phasing was a whole different thing for her, not at all the same as it was for a wolf. My body was useless, but I kept telling Bella to give into it, to let the change happen, despite the burning all over.
Her eyes rolled up into her head as she let me feel her fire running through her entire body. Consuming her body from the inside out. The flesh began to blur, she was becoming something. I tried to stay with her, to help her through it, but my mind couldn't take any more. I passed out.
Alone on the highest cliff, the one that only the bravest boys in La Push would dare to jump from, the wind whipped against my heated flesh. Each gust lapped at my nearly naked form, cooling my skin just slightly, it felt delicious. Something inside of me wasn't whole though, I was broken, and the one who could fix it was gone. This must be how she felt. All those months ago when everyone tried to understand how she could let Edward's departure break her. The pieces of my soul were shattered beyond repair, a tear escaped my gloomy eyes, drying as it ran down my cheek. Shutting my burning eyes, her face filled the void of my eyelids. Her smile so fresh in my mind, beaming brightly, glowing with life and laughter. We had only just begun to share our lives with each other. We only had a few weeks. It was bliss, simply incomparable to anything I've experienced on this earth. Remembering when the hooded figures took my beloved from me, ripped her soul from my own, I pushed my feet into the stoney edge and leapt into air. I had no regard for myself any longer. The air took my breath away and I welcomed it, I wanted my breath to be gone, so when I crashed into the icy waters below, my lifeless body would be swept away. I had no such luck, inhaling one last time before I half attempted bracing myself for the impact.
Colliding with the oceans surface brought me back to the pain inside of me, it was even more unbearable than before. I begged the Gods to let the salty waters take my life, snuff out the flame of my life. My pleading was fruitless, no merciful response came. I let the oceans waves rock me back to shore with little effort on my part. For a long time I lay there on the beach, allowing the tears to flow freely, as I remembered her being taken away from me. The cloaked leeches stealing her away, killing our family, and friends, all that we had held dear. I was so lost in the memories, I hadn't noticed the foot steps or the change in the atmosphere. I alone would be able to hear them, I was the only one left. It didn't matter anyway, I would let them kill me, I had no will to live anyhow, no one to live for. That's when I heard the voice, it lulled me from my wallowing. My misery was put on hold for her, it was almost too good to be true, her sweet soprano tone assuring me things would be better, and she was here to help me. It had to be true, my heart felt better already, my soul was a little less jagged and raw.
"Jake, I knew I'd find you here. I missed you so much." Her sweet voice brought me to my feet, I was ready to go to her.
Stepping forward was my soon to be, would have been, bride. Barefoot, and in a flowing white dress, her creamy arms bare, exposed to the frigid temperature. She was just inside of the tree line waiting with the cloaked ones. She was a striking contrast to them her beauty was soft and delicate, while the others were ugly in every scense. As she began to move forward, out of the greenery, the sun came out from behind a cloud, beams of light and warmth touching the pebbles on the sand and warming them. Bella's exposed flesh made my breathing stop, it glittered in the light beams, and the wind blew once more. The treacherous scent of bleach and sugar assaulted my nostrils, causing my body to shiver and shake with the need to destroy. I was greatly outnumbered, I would no doubt be dead in a matter of minutes if I phased now. Without caring one bit, I gave into the burning from the pit of my stomach, letting the fur break through the tanned skin, shredding my shorts.
"Aren't you happy to see me? I thought you would be happy I was finally here with you. I missed you so much. I miss everyone..." Her words trailed, and she looked out over the water to the shore line of the town that she grew up in. There was no one there now, just a deserted ghost town. "I miss so much, I need you Jake, your touch..." Again she was lost in the scene across the water, shells of what used to be homes. Scorched by the Collector's minions.
A smile spread across her stone face now, she wasn't my Bells anymore. Her teeth shone brightly in the sun, venom glistening on the perfect rows of white. The others laughed, and fell back into the trees once more. She moved forward, gracefully. The urge to rip her apart was beginning to overwhelm me. It didn't matter anymore, the woman I loved didn't exist anymore, she was gone. I was gone.
Heaving my great mass at Bella, I bit into her hard flesh, tearing the bite completely away from her body with a loud crack. She laughed at me, then tossed me aside like I was only a gnat. Again I lunged, taking another chunk. Still Bella laughed at me but did not try to toss me away as before. Repeating the movements, lunging, biting, pulling, until finally she was a pile of rubble, smoking in the cool breeze.
I was reduced to a sobbing naked heap of a man, my body tense and aching. The smell in the air was thick, nauseating, not that of a burnt leech, but it was grossly potent and familiar. It smelled like wood and bodies. Standing, I became aware of my surroundings once more. Night had fallen and I was once again on the edge of the cliff, looking down upon my home, my land, but there was nothing left. It was a wasteland, a funeral pier. The hooded figures emerged from the smoke of my decimated former home, and came forward to the beach below me. The earth was barren and dry. The fire burned high into the sky, eating away at anything living in its path. Slowly, glowing marble hands removed the hoods to reveal themselves to me. Bella was the leader, she looked evil and menacing with her crooked smile and bright red eyes, the hem of her cloak was saturated in the blood of those she had failed. My blood would soon be soaking into the coarse fibers that swathed her venom filled body.
"Come now Jacob. We have work to do." This was all she said to me before those red eyes were even with own.
THE BROKEN
by Coheed and Cambria
I follow your every move
In a stride that wills disguise
Little markings clue the find
Your red lips speak of painted figures
The teeth of mangled little listeners
The thoughts that hide your rusty scissors
And hooded men singing honesty
Across this violence
Obscurity has no here
The world looks better when you're falling
Grace to comfort enough to crawling
Divided we must pray for the broken, no one can fix us
We are, we'll always be the wronged
Blah blah blah blah
Blah blah blah blah
Your touch seethes of emptiness
The callous tips against the brush
The world's now breaking off to crust
The world looks better when you're falling
Grace to comfort enough to crawling
divided we must pray for the broken, no one can fix us
We are, we'll always be the wronged
We're conspiring, oh
Where was your heart when we needed it most?
Live in denial and I'll be your ghost
There is nothing to let go
Only time will let you know
If you're worth anything and you know then
That I'm giving up way too early
Let the axis turn you free
And destroy everything you love
The world looks better when you're falling
Grace to comfort enough to crawling
Divided we must pray for the broken, no one can fix us
We are, we'll all, we are, we'll all
We are, we'll always be the wronged
A/N: I wrote the dream sequence before I even heard the song playing. I just so happened to be listening while I was typing, and it was on during the dream sequence. It was a sign. Thanks for reading. I love you all dearly. ~S.C.