Chapter Fourteen.

Bella

All night I lay awake thinking about Angel's words and I guess I'd already suspected my problems were something to do with the world of the vampires. It was obvious, the blood, the knives, I'd just pretended not to understand. I couldn't see any of the Cullens doing this to me, after all I'd left Forks and the only person I'd hurt was Edward. I hadn't wanted to upset anyone but I couldn't stay with things the way they were, it just wasn't fair on Edward or myself and the guilt every time I saw Alice was crippling. To this day I didn't know why it happened but it had and that changed everything. I could ring and speak to Carlisle or Esme I supposed but something held me back.

What if this was the work of the Volturi? Maybe it was punishment for learning the truth about the Cullens but I thought it was more likely they would simply kill me and be done with it. On the other hand this could be the work of Victoria or Laurent, both of them had escaped as far as I knew and maybe they wanted revenge for their friend's death. Again it didn't feel right, they were too ruthless, too vicious, to play mind games. Victoria might rip off a few limbs before she killed me or drain my blood but psychological warfare? No, that just didn't ring true. And that brought me back to the Cullens once more. All this activity in my brain was just making me feel sick and I put my headphones on hoping the music would drown out the thoughts I was having but of course, it didn't work.

Saturday was quiet, I stayed in afraid if I went out something might happen in my absence although Renee and Phil wouldn't be home until late. There was a team picnic in the stadium and they invited me along but I really didn't want to leave the house, I was scared, especially as Angel had told me there was worse to come. I couldn't imagine anything worse, unless she meant someone died. At that thought I stopped myself, there was no way I was going there! I tried to keep myself busy wishing Aggie hadn't had to go out of town with her family, someone's birthday I think she'd said although I hadn't been listening properly. So, I cleaned the kitchen, did the laundry, tidied my room and even weeded one of Renee's small flower beds, the ones that usually died because she neglected them after the enthusiasm of the first few weeks wore off. Then I prepared some lunch for myself and sat down with a book relieved I hadn't lost any time yet today.

I guess I should have known that was a bad thing to congratulate myself on because the next thing I knew it was four in the afternoon and I wasn't in the lounge any longer but standing at the wash basin in my bathroom with a razor blade in my hand. I dropped it crying out and then felt the sting of the cut. Across my palm was a deep slash, blood dripping into the basin turning the water in there red. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it round my hand then searched for the antiseptic and plasters I knew were in the first aid kit in the kitchen. What the hell had I been doing? It scared me to think I could just as easily have slashed my wrist without knowing and the tears that ran down my cheeks were fear not pain.

It took ages for the wound to stop bleeding but there was no way I was going to the emergency room. I could hear it now,

"How did you do this Miss Swan?"

What would I say? I keep having blackouts and I slashed my hand while I was having one? Yeah right, that would get me a one way ticket to the funny farm. I cut up some plasters to make strips that would hold the edges of the cut together then bandaged my hand deciding that when Renee asked what I'd done I would explain that I dropped a glass and when I went to pick it up I cut myself. Anxiously I watched the white bandage praying it wouldn't start to turn red but thankfully it didn't so my strips were working.

I knew Aggie wouldn't be home until late and I could hardly ring her cell phone to tell her I was cutting myself now, especially if she were at a party so I shut myself in my room jamming a chair under the handle to make it more difficult for me to get out if I had another blank period and locking the window shut. I had no choice now, I would have to speak to Angel again and then depending on what she said pluck up the courage to ring Carlisle. If something was going on he would be able to find out hopefully. My hand throbbed and I cradled it to my chest, my life was a mess, a scary mess, and I had no idea how to protect myself, not from me anyway.

Alice

I had been enjoying Bella's distress and as a result I hadn't been keeping my eye on the rest of the family and their doings and it seemed that had been a big mistake. The vision hit me like a sudden rush of icy water and sent shivers running down my spine. It also woke me up to what I'd been doing in my petty minded vengeance. It wasn't Bella's fault, none of it was, she was as much a victim as anyone if not more. Yes I'd been livid when I saw them kissing unable to decide which of them had instigated it but neither were really to blame. These things happened and we had no control over them. How could I punish her for something beyond her control? Bella had been my friend and here I was trying my hardest to send her insane. It had to stop now and then I had to find a way to put right the terrible wrong that had been done although I knew it wouldn't be easy. My pain, Edwards pain, had put in motion a dreadful series of events that if not altered would mean the deaths of not only Bella and Jasper but other innocent parties too.

I rang my friend and cancelled the fun and games,

"Sorry Katie but its over. Something has happened and its dangerous for you to be involved. You need to move quickly, get away from Bella and stay away, as far as possible."

"You're scaring me Alice. What on earth could be dangerous to our kind or have you just gone soft on me? I was enjoying myself with your friend Bella."

"You should be scared. I'll still pay you as agreed but the job is over."

"Very well, it was getting a little boring I guess but if you ever need help again..."

"I'll know where to come, thank you."

That over with I checked just to make sure and saw to my relief that Katie would indeed leave, I didn't need her death on my conscience, it was stabbing me enough as it was.