A/N: I have decided to update exactly once a week until the story is over. If I don't, feel free to submit as many comments as you can stand and flood my email. That will probably help get my butt in gear.
Disclaimer: Is it normal to be hungry in the middle of the night? It's 1 a.m. (on a schoolnight; I'm SO hardcore!) and my stomach feels as if it is attempting to dissolve itself from the inside. (Fun Fact: the acid in your stomach (assuming you're human) is hydrochloric acid, which is corrosive enough to dissolve steel.) My abbs of steel may not be (I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT) able to take this abuse much longer. I may have to break out the jelly-rolls of gold (which is known for being soft and heavy).
Chapter Twenty
Impossibilities
Embry's P.O.V.
"ANNA DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME! I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DO I WILL GO WITH YOU!" I shouted, red blotting before my eyes. If she died I had every intention of following her across. Life without her was so terrible that it wasn't worth living. I pushed myself to run faster. This was all my fault, if she died because of this I would never forgive myself. I had been stupid, not paying attention, and her father had jumped me. Despite that, Anna didn't deserve to die. Her words still echoed in my head, I love you.I didn't deserve that love. I deserved to be there, dying in her place. Her soul was slipping away, pulled by the icy grips of death. I could feel her fading away, despite the severed imprint. I buried my face in her ebony hair, tears soaking into the waves. "You can't die," I whispered. "You just can't."
I pushed myself to run even faster, cursing her father. I prayed they weren't out hunting, he had to be there. All of the previous dislike I had for the Cullens was dwarfed by the need I had for someone to help Anna. Human doctors couldn't help her because she simply wasn't human anymore. Then I heard her heart stop completely. NO! the thought radiated through me with more power than anything. YOU CAN'T DIE ANNA! YOU CAN'T.Then a miracle, one tiny heartbeat. I felt our imprint reweave itself out of the emotions that surrounded us. A ragged breathe entered her mouth, her chest rose slightly. Through the imprint I felt the overwhelming agony that spread from the gaping cut in her back. Above that I felt the love, the happiness that even if she went I would live. The emotions that I didn't deserve. If she died I would forever be guilty of causing her death. I ran harder, she just wouldn't die, plain and simple.
The Cullen's territory hit me like a wall. Their sickly sweet scent filled my nose, making my almost gag. I shook my head and ran harder, I was almost there. I crossed a fresh trail, the big one, Emmett maybe. There were no new trails from the doctor, maybe he would be at their house. The mind reading one would be able to figure out what was going on. Anna's pain seeped into my being, making it difficult to move, let alone run, but I kept going. There was no other choice than to keep going, until I found someone that could help her. The sickly sweet smell increased as I neared the house. I could see it just ahead through the forest. I poured the last of my energy into making it there. Through the imprint, the pain threatened to make me pass out. Like a fire, it spread up my spine, despite the fact that I had received no injury.
They were there, waiting. The doctor stood in front, looking at me in anger and question. I knew why, I had broken the treaty, it didn't matter though, if he could save her, nothing would matter but that, if he couldn't, I would be dead anyway. I stood there for a moment, right in front of them, holding her still body in my arms. Her heartbeat got fainter with every second, her breathes more and more jagged. I walked up the steps, the pain was burning everything away. Already the edges of my vision burned scarlet. I had tears running down my cheeks. Everything swirled sideways as the ground rushed toward me. The doctor and the small one ran forward, one of them caught me while the other gently lifted Anna from my arms. The small one's face appeared in front of me. Just before everything disappeared, I whispered, "Save her." Then the pain overwhelmed me in fire and burned away everything I saw.
Anna's P.O.V.
I felt icy cold hands lifting me away from Embry. No, I thought, I didn't want to leave him. I blindly tried to fight back, but I couldn't move. The pain in my back stopped everything. Something turned me over. The pain sent an agonized scream through me. The hands held me down like steel bindings. Coldness poured into the gash that marred across my back; everything was fading into blackness, not gold. I was cold, not warm. The darkness covered everything, separating me from my body. I tried to stay awake, to stay conscious, but I felt myself slide away, engulfed in the darkness.
Edward's P.O.V.
He brought her to us near dead, crossing over the territory to get here. I had heard him easily; Embry's mind had been screaming at me. Save her! Save her! Save her! Save her!It had been confusing at first, but then I had realized what had happened, sort of. She had saved him because he had been stupid. He had managed to get out of it with barely a scratch. She was dying. I couldn't help but be angry, it had been his fault. If he had stayed with the pack, he wouldn't have been attacked. She wouldn't have had to save him.
I shook my head and walked into the living room. The scent of blood was strong throughout the entire room. Already, everyone except Carlisle and me was gone, unable to take the potent smell. We were left together, being the only ones strong enough to take the smell of fresh blood. We both feared that she had lost too much blood, and she would die, but Carlisle was persistent. Twice her heart stopped; twice he had to use an AED to restart it. It was amazing that she had lasted as long as she did with so little blood left. She had lost so much when Embry brought her here. But neither of us could deny it, she was going to die.
The very thought of the pain that would inflict on Embry made me shudder. Long ago, I had seen a wolf after its imprint had died. There were not words to describe the pain he had been feeling. I knew, knew, that it was impossible for her to survive. Despite that, Carlisle refused to quit on her. He worked constantly, attempting in vain to save a dying woman. Already we knew she wouldn't live long enough to complete the change. no amount of venom would be able to help, and the wolves would never forgive us if we turned one of their own. There was nothing we could do.
Anna's P.O.V.
So cold. I was so cold. Nothing else could enter my mind. Just cold. The darkness surrounded my like I was trapped deep under the Earth, where the sun never touched. I couldn't feel anything, like all of my senses were gone. Despite the cold I felt an overwhelming urge for something. I felt thirsty, like I was both burning and freezing at the same time. I needed something to quench the flames, of both fire and ice. I needed healing. In the infinite wasteland of inky darkness, there was none. Only pain.
If only I could have said goodbye,I thought. I wish I could've said goodbye to Embry, just one last time. We hadn't truly spoken since before I had gone walking in the woods, but that seemed like an eternity ago. I did not know if I had spent mere moments or long years in the darkness. There was no passage of time, only lances of icy pain laced with fire. They seemed to be focused somewhere, but I couldn't recall what it would have been. The pain had burned away all of my memories except Embry.
Then, with infinite slowness, a world pieced itself together before me. At first I couldn't even tell anything was happening. The darkness lightened, blown away by invisible winds. Scents came back to me slowly, the spicy smell of pines, the warm smell of dirt, the crisp smell of rain. Grasses grew out of nothing, followed by trees, then vines that crept up the trees in ethereal tendrils, each as fine as a strand of hair. Lush, over-bright, green leaves sprouted from the vines and flowers covered the floor. Each petal was pure white with a touch of yellow, cinquefoils. They sprouted until it seemed like the ground was an ocean of yellow between the trees. I could feel the flowers twining around my feet, holding me in place. All of the pains that had surrounded my faded away, pushed back by the sun slowly rising above the horizon of trees.
Out of golden ribbons of light, a woman was formed, until the ribbons soaked into her skin, leaving her glowing faintly from within. I blinked, trying to realize what was going on. Was I finally dead? Was I in heaven?
The woman smiled and stepped forward. Her voice was like the rustle of leaves on an autumn day. "My child." I stared at her in confusion. She looked like a woman I had never seen before, not my mother or the Dream Catcher. She correctly interpreted my expression and explained, "I am a creature of many forms." She said, her figure flickering in and out of existence. When I could see her again she had become the woman I had seen in my dreams before. The Dream Catcher. She walked forward and kissed my forehead. "My child." She said holding my shoulders, forcing my to look into her eyes, which changed like flashes of lightning. Leaf green one moment, then the soft cream of lilies. Before I could even take a breath, they had changed again, to the same yellow as the flowers.
"You are not yet finished on their earth." She said, her eyes flickering the gray of the sea. "You must return, and you must heal." I stared up into her eyes as they became the color of stones at the bed of a mountain creek. Gold was gathering in ribbons around her, swirling through unseen breezes.
"How?" I asked. I felt strangely calm considering I was dead. I knew beyond a shade of doubt that the knife wound was killing me. Somehow, this didn't scare me anymore.
She gave my one last hug around my shoulders. "Only one thing can quench the flames of death. That is all I can tell you, but can figure out the rest." The golden light swallowed her, leaving behind a space that smelled distinctly of rain and mountain streams. Everything faded away and the pain returned, stronger than before. I felt my heart take off like a deer in the forest. My eyes snapped open, assaulting me with my senses. Everything smelled over-sweet. The ceiling above me was a dull beige. Around me I heard complete silence, except for the sound of quiet, husky breathing. My fingers clawed at the cold tabletop below me, struggling to get a grip against the pain that returned in lances of fire. My mouth gaped open and closed, trying to suck in a breath. My lungs inflated a small amount, finally, taking in some oxygen.
The woman's words echoed in my mind. Only one thing can quench the flames of death. The thought jumble together than broke apart in my mind, burning away with the fire. My mind itself burned with fire. I needed to stop the flames. The Dream Catcher's voice sounded in my mind, like water, stopping the flames. Quench the flames.To stop the fire, to heal, I needed something.
The thought struck me with such force that my back sent lances of fiery pain up my back. Water. I needed water. Only water can quench the fiery pains of death. I rolled onto my stomach, falling off of the table and landing on the floor. Pain shot through all of my, making my gasp there helplessly for a moment. I wretched myself up to my hands and knees, barely seeing anything but the space directly in front of me. I could smell water near the house, life-giving water. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw two people, unmoving, but standing up, like they had been frozen in place. I ignored them and kept going, towards a way out. I felt blood soaking across my back, already making me feel dizzy. The edges of my vision was graying.
The door, thankfully, was open wide to the forest just beyond it. A small river ran only a hundred yards away, but it might as well have been miles. There was no way I could make it a hundred yards. I have to, I tried to convince myself, but I didn't have the strength. No one could give me that strength; I had to do this alone. With trembling hands, I took a step forward, then a second, then a third. More blood soaked down my back, leaving behind little scarlet rivers. Every step sent shock waves of pain throughout my body. Fueling the fire that burned inside me. I was so close. Only a little bit farther. My arms shook, threatening to give out. Just a few more steps. My arms shook even harder, ending the tremors throughout my entire body, I was so tired. With a trembling gasp, I collapsed on the riverbank, mere feet from life. I slowly, excruciatingly, lifted my arm out from under me. My entire body quivered as I reached forward, digging my nails into the soft mud.
Pulling myself forward, I nearly cried out in pain once again. Trying to stretch out sent even more fires throughout my body. I needed water to put it out. I felt it, cool and crisp, lapping at my fingers. I pulled myself a little farther, feeling the water cover my entire hand. The coolness seeped into my bones, cooling the flames. Bit by bit, I pulled myself farther, until I could feel the water cover me completely. The fires flowed away with the stream. Leaving me there, gently sinking to the bottom, black vines coming together over me. I closed my eyes; I wasn't dying this time. This was different; this I welcomed.
Embry's P.O.V.
I was so cold. That didn't make any sense. I was a wolf; wolves couldn't get cold. Ever. I tried to remember what was going on but the world seemed distant, numbed by the cold. All I could remember was fire, so much fire. Something felt missing, like it had been cut away. What was missing?
I vaulted awake in seconds. Anna. ANNA! My eyes searched around the room, looking for something I already knew wasn't there. Where was Anna? The room all around me was empty, in dull shades of white. Cold, sweet smells filled my nostrils, over-whelming me. I stood up, but my legs shook, threatening to give. Staggering back, I caught sight of a window, a familiar jet black wolf behind it. Sam. I shook my head and stalked out the door; I didn't care about Sam. I cared about Anna. I could smell her, wafting through the air, but fading. She hadn't been there for a long time.
Sam lifted his head and howled. In the woods I heard the rest of the pack howling in response. He planted himself firmly in front of me, directly in the path of Anna's scent trail. I attempted to move around him, nothing was more important than Anna, but he continued to block my path. I growled at him, and he growled in return. "Move," I said it without any respect that I used to have. It didn't matter that he was my pack leader. He was between me and Anna. Sam didn't move.
A sickly sweet smell filled my nose as I slowly crouched down, ready to fight Sam if I had to. I turned towards the woods and saw the doctor walking out, both hands held in front of him. I closely studied his face, but it was closed. There wasn't a hint of if Anna was okay. "Where is she?" I whispered, scared to take my voice any higher. A blond one appeared behind the doctor, somehow bringing a numbing calm with him. I growled at him. This was the one who changed people's emotions; he was making me feel things I shouldn't. "Where is she?" I repeated again, louder. Anger at being kept in the dark built in me, like a fire burning away the calm. Whatever the blond one was doing, it stopped. Subtly, but unmistakeably, he sank down into a fighting stance and bared his teeth slightly. I couldn't take the silence anymore. "WHERE IS SHE?" The doctor stepped back, but then spoke.
"She disappeared." he said shortly. "We don't know how, but she disappeared. We are doing our best to look for her, but you need to stay here and heal." The blond one sent waves of calm towards me, trying to drown out my anger. I growled openly at him and turned to the doctor.
"What do you mean she disappeared?" I said in a carefully controlled voice. If she was dead I would be able to live with myself. Then, my voice deadly quiet, I asked the one question I feared. "Is she dead?"
"We don't know." Replied the doctor. Before he even finished speaking I was sprinting down her scent trail. Sam couldn't react before I swerved around him and continued running. He and the blond one chased me, the doctor behind them. I was coming towards the river, faster than any human ever could. The blond one appeared out of nowhere behind me, grabbing me around the waist. I react instinctively by phasing into my wolf form, breaking free of his grasp. I fell forward on my two front legs and ran after Anna's trail. Sam's voice was only vague in my mind. I shoved the blond one too the side and reached the bank. I turned full circle, searching for her scent, like she truly had disappeared.
I froze. Anna was gone. I turned my face down to the earth. Why did everything have to be this way? I stared into the murky water, plants swayed gently on the bed of the river. Then, the weeds slid away to reveal a pale face. I jumped and stared into the water. Anna's pale face was slightly morphed through the deep water. Without a thought, I dove into the water, determined to find her, even if it wasn't real. Unseen currents pushed me downstream and up, away from Anna. She laid there unmoving, her eyes closed gently as if she was sleeping. Only her face was visible beneath the black vines that surrounded her. Her hair gently swirled around her face like seaweed. Her faced looked peaceful, almost happy.
I struggled to fight the strong current, swimming despite my lungs screaming for oxygen in the frigid water. My eardrums burst as I reached the bottom. The current pushed harder, sending me backwards before I could grab onto a rock embedded in the bottom. As I grabbed it, the rock came free of the soft clay beneath it and tumbled toward me. I jerked to the side to avoid getting hit and grabbed onto a plant. Before it could come loose, I pulled myself forward and grabbed another plant. With each stroke I got closer and closer to Anna, but the current got stronger. The plants wove themselves together over Anna, hiding her from me. Thick vines wrapped themselves around my ankle, dragging my away. I was being pulled to the surface. Anna's face disappeared entirely beneath the plants, taken from me by things I couldn't understand.