BELLA- Daydream in Blue
I don't know how it happened but one minute I was lying on my bed next to Jacob and the next I was in the meadow with the sun shining on my face and the warm grass tickling my arms.
I sat up, looking around at the familiar clearing in the middle of the forest. The meadow was in full bloom and wildflowers coated the ground. Their colors seemed so much brighter then they had the last time I had been here. I reached for one nearby and plucked it to get a closer look.
It was a lily, but not the kind I had seen around Washington. It was bright fuchsia shot through with yellow; it looked exotic. I held it to my nose and breathed in its rich, foreign scent. Now that I looked around, the rest of the flowers were strange, huge blooms of bright and vibrant hues. The meadow was the same as it had been before, but the flowers were unfamiliar.
There was a rustling at the edge of the clearing and I turned to see a shadowy figure moving through the trees. I slowly got to my feet, trying to decide whether or not to run. But before I could choose, the figure disappeared completely. I stood frozen amongst the exotic flowers for a few minutes, trying to decide if I had imagined the shadows. And then I turned around and there he was.
I had never seen Edward look like that. His skin seemed to shimmer in the sun, different then it had been the first time he took me to the meadow when it had sparkled like diamonds; now it shined like silk. His skin was still the same beautiful shade of porcelain, but there was color in his face now. His eyes were the most dazzling shade of topaz.
"Hello, Bella," he said.
"Ed—Edward," I stammered. "What are you doing here?"
"Aren't you happy to see me, Bella?"
I stared into that familiar face that I had traced so many times in my daydreams, the glorious face that had once made me so happy.
"Of course I am, but…but I thought you were in Alaska?"
"I came back, Bella." He took a step towards me, his eyes fixed to mine. "I came back for you."
And as I stared into his face, it seemed to change. The familiar lines of his eyes, the laid-back ease of his smile, suddenly seemed bizarre and twisted. His smile turned into a leer and he took another step towards me. Instinctively I took a step back.
"What's the matter, Bella? Didn't you want me to come back?"
It suddenly seemed very difficult to draw a breath.
"Of course I did Edward, but…" I couldn't comprehend what about him had changed but it was as though he had shifted from the man I knew and loved to a predator I should fear.
"Bella," he whispered, reaching a gleaming hand out towards me. "I've missed you."
I was frozen now, like a deer in headlights, trapped in the gaze of those beautiful golden eyes. I had no choice but to surrender. I took his hand.
"Come, Bella," he said. He led me a little ways through the flowers and we sat down amongst them, still staring into each other's eyes.
Edward reached up a hand and stroked the side of my face; I relished the touch.
"Do you know what I missed the most about you?" he said quietly.
I shook my head.
He lay down on his side and I moved with him. I lay on my back in the warm grass, staring up into his beautiful eyes. He leaned towards me and brushed his lips over my collarbone, inhaling deeply.
"I missed the way your blood smells," he whispered against my skin.
Somewhere inside my head I knew I should be afraid. I knew I should try to get away, do anything I could to get myself out. But part me also knew that was impossible. And so I lay trapped in Edward's gaze as he slowly sank his teeth into my throat.
I sat up, gasping for breath, my hands flying to my throat.
"What's wrong?" said Jacob, awake immediately.
I leapt, having forgotten he was there. His eyes darted around the room and, having made sure everything was all right, turned his gaze back to me.
"What happened?" he said.
"It was—it was just a dream," I said, still trying to catch my breath. I felt a wave of calm wash over me as Jacob ran his big warm hand soothingly over my back. I knew I was safe now. "I'm fine."
Jacob nodded and leaned back into the pillows, looking exhausted but relieved. I lay down next to him, comforted by his presence. But when I closed my eyes, all I could see were those shining topaz eyes as Edward drank my blood.