Chapter 10

The phone was ringing shrilly as I finally untangled myself from the sheets in my parent's old room. I grabbed the phone and picked up wondering who and why someone was phoning me when I only just fell asleep.

"Swan residence?" I answered and loved how that simple phrase sounded. As I spoke I had walked to the window and noticed that it was late in the day.

"Hello Bella." Alice's voice was worried and I froze in place what was wrong?

"What's the matter Alice?" I asked fear creeping into my voice. I tried to dismiss this as her trying to get me to go shopping but she was aware of my lack of sleep so that didn't make sense.

"We were worried it's been three days and you didn't answer your phone I know you were sleeping but well..." her voice trailed off and my eyes went wide. Three days! I looked over at Ren and she nodded to me as I sat down trying to process how I could have slept for three days.

"It's okay Alice thanks for the call." I answered automatically and hung up. Only after I put the phone down did I realise I had just hung up on her, oops. Tossing aside my lack of manners I concentrated on how I had slept so long and how I hadn't dreamed in that length of time.

You were dreaming but you don't recall. I do not know what you saw but it disturbed you greatly. They phoned several times over the last two days but you never seemed to hear the phone, Jacob and Billy also.

I picked the phone up again and quickly dialled their number and prayed I wasn't in trouble for being out of contact so long. The phone rang and rang but no one answered so I hung up. Moving downstairs I went to the old answering machine and pressed play. The only messages were from Billy and Jacob telling me to phone them back immediately. Trying again I got no answer, where were they?

Grabbing the keys for the Audi I drove down to the reservation and parked in front of the Black house. I knocked on the door and received no answer, beginning to panic I opened the door which was almost never locked and walked inside. It looked like it always did; nothing told me where they were. Walking around I saw no one and so headed back to my car and back home.

I was sitting in dad's chair as I let my fears consume me. I was worrying over nothing and it was silly but I couldn't get the sick thought of them being hurt or missing out of my head. Ren tried to comfort me but nothing worked I sat there in the dark and worried. After a while I fell into a numb timeless feeling and the day passed me by.

****

The cold hand on my shoulder brought me back to reality. Carlisle looked down at me and I manage a fake smile in return. I was grateful that I wasn't alone in the house any more, that someone else was here in this place. For a while I began to think that I was the only one left in the universe.

"How are you Bella?" he asked as he knelt in front of me. Worry etched his features and I immediately felt silly. I was causing a big deal out of the Black's being out somewhere.

"I'm fine." I said but my voice didn't sound right to my ears and I know he didn't believe me in the slightest. "I just freaked myself out over Billy and Jacob." Carlisle grimaced and looked like he had news that wasn't good. "What?"

"Sarah has brought up accusations against your sanity." He told me voice soft and comforting while his words sent chills down my spine. "Billy and Jacob went to contest it. They left this morning, Alice would have told you if you hadn't hung up." I blushed at that but I was lost in the thoughts of being forced into a psychiatric ward.

"She'll put me away." I told him tears beginning to follow down my face. "All it takes in a polygraph and I go on meds that won't work and then stronger and stronger meds until I'm not me any more." My voice broke several times as I spoke and I shook scared.

"She has no proof Bella. And with the accusations already against her no one will believe her." He told me trying to calm me down but I shook my head.

"My mother was nuts and I told the truth when I was younger, I told them I saw what she did. It's all written up, that's all the proof needed for me to be remanded to assisted living and medications." I told him desperately planning a way to get out of this. Pushing myself out of the chair I paced and tried to think, Carlisle grabbed me and held me to his chest. I fought him afraid, so very afraid.

"Bella calmed down. I won't let that happen. If it is needed I will testify against her claims." He told me as I started to go limp, tears streamed down my face as I shook my head. I knew that once this accusation came to light I would never be allowed to live on my own. There will be check ups and tests. I would live with the claim until I was old enough to be a legal adult and perhaps after.

"They'll use everything against me, my closed eyes, the old injuries, and my mother. You don't understand I'll loose everything because no one in their right mind lets a potentially unstable person live on their own. I can't ask that of Billy, even giving him money it's not fair to basically demand it. I won't and so I'll be a ward of the state once again." My voice was calm, empty and utterly broken. The tears began to fade and I felt numb, lost and so very alone. Sarah took everything, I should have known better than to think that just because some pieces fell into place that life would let me have it.

"I'll find away Bella, I promise." He vowed and I looked up at him shaking my head.

"Don't, it's not a promise that you can keep. And your not a liar Carlisle." I told him as I collected myself and waited to be taken from everything. I wanted to sleep forever if only to believe that when I woke it would be like before. That my parents would be there and love me, that I would be normal, not gifted, not special, average and plain.

I walked up stairs and collapsed on my bed pulling my old stuffed hippo to my chest as I begged for this to be a dream any thing but reality. Carlisle stood in my doorway for a while and then my body began to relax and I forgot everything. It was the nothingness I longed for that frightened me, what would I wake to find?