Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original thoughts, and my Edward Cullen shrine… XD

Chapter 10- Waking up

It was happening again and as much as I tried I couldn't stop it. I was running, but my legs felt feeble and wobbly. It was as if I was running in slow motion. He was behind me; his breathing even while mine was becoming erratic. I tried to run faster but it was no use. He seized me by the shoulders and slammed me into a wall. I cried in agony as he stared into my eyes, his smile devilish.

"This is how it should be," he hissed, his voice inhuman, almost unrecognizable. "The human is the prey," he spat, clasping his hands around my neck.

I gasped for air. "Please stop," I choked out, but he didn't hear me or maybe he didn't want to. The crushing feeling of my windpipe distracted me. Suddenly a loud crash pierced the room and his grip loosened. I could hear someone yelling, but my thoughts were unfocused and incoherent.

I gathered my strength and kneed him hard. He was only phased momentarily, but it was just enough for me to free myself. I fell from his grasp hurtling towards the floor. But I hit nothing, and I kept falling. The floor was absent. I was falling through darkness; I could see absolutely nothing. My body began to accelerate. I tried to regain my balance, but I found myself almost paralyzed from the speed. I shut my eyes hoping it would end.

I came to a halt when my body crashed to the ground. I snapped my eyes open to find myself lying on my bedroom floor tangled in my sheets.

"Bella?" It was Edward's worried voice coming from my windowsill. He came over and picked me up, placing me back in the safety of my bed. "I heard you fall from the street."

"I was dreaming."

"You didn't hit your head or anything did you?" He said this while sweeping hair away from my face obviously looking for some sort of gushing head wound.

"No, my head's fine." I didn't mention the burning sensation creeping its way up my left elbow.

He looked at me, his expression soft with a hint of worry. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes." It came out surprisingly confident. "I had the same dream. Well, almost the same dream. This time it was different."

"Different how?"

"I was being choked." It still felt as if his hands were around my neck. I tried to block the morbid thought out of my head. I sighed exasperatedly. "I just can't understand why I keep having this dream."

He wrapped his cool arms around me and I sunk into him, feeling as if for that one moment I had not a care in the world. "Maybe they mean nothing. If you forget about them maybe they'll go away." I pulled away form him to see a small smile on his lips.

"What made you change your mind about it?"

"I don't know. I just have this feeling."

"I would much rather go by superhuman feelings than mine."

He laughed as I leaned back against his stone chest.

"What time is it?"

"A little after five. You should really go back to sleep."

"No." I said this a little too anxiously. "I don't need to go back to sleep. I think I'm going to take a shower." I left him no room to protest. I quickly grabbed my things and headed towards the bathroom.

I sighed contently as the hot water cascaded down on me. I let go of all my thoughts and just concentrated on the rhythmic shower. I lost track of time, seconds creeping by turning into minutes, minutes quite possibly turning into an hour. I knew I had been in to long when the sun started to peek through the window, flooding the bathroom with natural light. Once dressed I stepped out into the hallway. It was pitch black, there was no sunlight coming through the windows. In fact, it looked as if it were still the dead of night.

"Edward?" There was no response. I took a step forward slipping on something. I fell, landing hard on my left side. I rolled onto my hands and knees trying to stand up. The slick substance clung to my fingers. I stood feeling nausea rising up in my stomach. I brought my now wet fingers to my face. The sickening scent of salt and rust filled my nostrils. Bile began to creep up my throat and my head spun. I tried to find the bathroom door in the darkness. I grasped the doorknob turning it furiously, but my slick, bloodstained fingers wouldn't allow the knob to move. I took a deep breath as the room swirled around me and I tried my best not to get sick.

Suddenly a great force seized me backwards.

"Bella?"

My eyes opened to see Edward gripping me by the shoulders. I stumbled slightly and my foot slipped from under me. I felt nothing under it as Edward's grip tightened and he pulled me forward. I turned to find myself standing at the top of the stairs.

"Bella? You were sleep walking."

I looked at him and suddenly felt extremely weak. "Edward what time is it?"

"Quarter after midnight. Bella are you ok?"

"Yea." I tried to suppress my need to throw up. "I was just dreaming I guess."

"About what?" Thoughts rose within me. I really hated to lie to him, but freaking him out was not an option.

"I really don't remember. I've only done this once before. I was little; I almost locked myself out of the house. Luckily I woke my mom up." The lie sounded good to me, and apparently Edward bought it because he only smiled.

"You really scared me. Maybe Charlie should put up a baby gate."

"Oh shut up." I instantly began to feel better.

"You should go back to sleep."

"Yea." I heaved a fake yawn so he couldn't see how shaken up I really was.

Once in bed, Edward wrapped his arms around me. I immediately felt safe and let my mind drift. My eyes slowly shut as I succumbed to sleep.

I awoke to find myself buried in the light blue fabric of Edward's shirt. He chuckled noticing that I was awake.

"You were interesting last night."

"Interesting how?"

"You talked. A lot."

I buried my face back in his shirt, not even wanting to know what I had said.

"Don't worry. It was nothing too embarrassing."

"Don't tell me."

He pulled me away from him to study my face. "Really?"

"Yes. Some things are better left unknown."

He laughed as he pushed hair from my face. "Well you just put a damper on my plan. I was hoping to see you blush."

At this I covered my heat, flooded face. Edward laughed. "That's what I wanted to see." He pulled my hands away and kissed me briefly.

"School?" It was muffled by his lips.

"I'm afraid so Bonnie. We're already going to be in trouble for skipping yesterday."

I smiled. "Can't you work your charm and get us out of it?"

"They might suspend us." He scoffed. "That would be wonderful."

I wrapped my arms around him. "I wouldn't mind- although I think Charlie would. I could just see him. He'd say I'm not allowed to see you anymore."

"Do you really think that?"

I nodded sadly into the front of his shirt. "He doesn't trust you. You heard him say that."

He tilted my chin up so that our eyes met. "Bella, I respect your father but I honestly don't give a damn about what he thinks of me. My only concern is for you."

A tiny smile crossed my lips.

He smiled warmly. "Better?"

"Much. Thanks Clyde."

"Anytime Bonnie. Us rebels got to stick together," he said in a corny accent.

I felt as if all eyes were on us as we walked into school. There were plenty of whispers to confirm my suspicions. Everyone knew about yesterday. I tired to act like I didn't care, which is what Edward was doing, but I couldn't help but fear what would happen once we entered first period.

I took my seat feeling the eyes of every person burning into my back. The bell rang and the class grew quiet as the teacher took roll. I sat in anticipation and in dread. I knew that at any minute something would happen. I was actually starting to make myself sick with worry. Edwards clasped my sweaty hand in his grip and eyed me curiously.

"Are you ok?"

I thought for a minute about how I was going to answer him and decided on the truth. "No. Edward I have never been in any kind of trouble in my life. Charlie's already furious at me. What's going to happen if we get suspended?"

"Bella I'm sure that everything-" Suddenly the classroom phone rang, making me jump out of my seat. The class snickered at my nervousness. I studied Ms. Crawford carefully, watching the fuzzy caterpillar on her face scrunch.

"Ok. I'll do that. Thanks." The soft click of the receiver sent me back to reality. She pointed her chubby sausage- like fingers at us before speaking. "The two of you need to go down to the office."

The walk to the office felt extremely long. I squeezed Edward's hand so hard that if he were human he might have screamed bloody murder. It was raining now, the cold drizzle sticking mercilessly to my skin. I veered closer to the buildings hoping the wind couldn't reach me. Edward wrapped his arm around my shoulders blocking out the rain. We approached the front office, my heart hammering in my chest.

"Ms. Cope?" She turned to see us both standing there, my hand still clutching Edward's tightly. "Someone called down to Ms. Crawford's room and said they needed to see us in the office.

She thought for a moment, her face baring a puzzled expression. "No one asked for you, I'm the only one here. All the office staff is at a brunch."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Even the principal?"

"Yes. Everyone's gone. I'm the only one." She sounded disappointed that she had been left out.

"Oh well Ms. Crawford must have been mistaken. Thanks Ms. Cope."

"Oh you're welcome," she swooned sounding somewhat like a crushing schoolgirl.

We exited the office and I eyed Edward. "That was weird."

He thought for a moment and rubbed the back of his neck. "I have to admit that was odd. And Ms. Cope was telling the truth. The principal hasn't been there all day."

"Maybe it was a prank. You know, someone calling from an office phone just to be funny."

"You mean students that work in the office?"

"Yea."

Edward's lips twitched but a smile never took shape. "Stay here. I'll be right back." I watched him head towards the office, what he was doing I was unsure of. He returned only seconds later with a look that could most definitely kill.

"Edward what-"

"There are two people that work in the office this period."

"Who?"

"That Jack guy, and that dreadful loser Mike Newton."

Hearing his words made something click. Jack had been in my English class that one day, and then I never saw him after that. He must have had his schedule changed. I was curious as to why.

Edward's anger broke my thoughts. "I'm gonna kill that wretched little-"

"Wait-what-who?"

"Newton. He sold us out Bella."

"We don't know that for sure."

"Oh I do. I'll bet he saw us leave yesterday and found a phone and called your house and tried to sound authoritative. Charlie would have bought it. He would have been too angry to be skeptical."

"Yea. That makes sense. But let me talk to Mike ok?"

"Why? I swear to you Bella he's so low it's sad. He deserves to get what's coming to him."

"I don't want to have to explain why my boyfriend just killed one of Forks High's most popular."

He grinned widely. "I wouldn't kill him, but I hear Chinese water torture is big this year."

I smiled at his lightheartedness as he wrapped an arm around my waist. "What do you say you and I wonder aimlessly for a little while longer?"

"Until the bell rings?"

"Precisely."

I nodded my head at this statement as a chuckle escaped his mouth. "Know where any janitor's closets are?"

"Oh you're real funny."

He gave a white, toothy grin. "Do you think that-"

"HEY!" The voice carried all the down the corridor and bounced loudly off of the brick walls. Edward and I turned at the same time to see Jack running from the main building. He stopped in front of us slightly out of breath. He eyed us momentarily before speaking. "I need to tell you something."

A/N: cue the suspenseful music… haha Ok so I'm sorry that this is a cliffy, but I needed to end this chapter here b/c it would really long if I didn't! Also I beg for forgiveness! I am so terribly sorry that I didn't update like I said I would but stuff just got in the way (I'm sure everyone understands this.) I'm doing stuff for band and I just got back from vacation yesterday and well yea things are a little hectic right now, but that's no excuse for me not updating so I am truly sorry! Hopefully chapter 11 won't take nearly as long (I know it won't!)

Thanks soooooooooo much to all the reviewers! I love reading your comments and ideas and if it weren't for reviews, this story wouldn't have made it to 10 chapters!(i'm planning on having 20)I'd like to hear some theories if you have any. I'll tell you if you're right or wrong and I might just give some clues if you get close (I'm curious to see what you think, or f anyone's figured out what's really going on) (Kara (darn you and your fast cable!) you can't tell any secrets since you know the whole story!)

Thanks for sticking with me!

Laura