Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, this is a purely fan made story, however, the plot of this story that does not directly involve that of Twilight, and the characters I have created, are mine, and I hope you enjoy reading about them.
Chapter 20- Painting Crimson
Rebecca POV:
After that the wolf-incident, things became a little more calm. My arrival had apparently stirred things up quite a bit according to Alice. In addition, she insisted that I not sleep on the floor again. I didn't really mind the floor, it was soft, compared to say dirt.
But, the guest room where I had woken up my first day here seemed much more appealing after Alice threatened to drag me to the mall for a shopping trip. I shudder to think of what she would have planned for a shopping trip. As it was, she gave me a few tee-shirts and two pairs of jeans after a lot of protesting from me. It was so awkward to be receiving gifts from someone, though they weren't even 'gifts', simply charity. After all, what had I done for their family? And what was I doing to pay them back?
Right, nothing.
Gee, now I just feel great, I rolled my eyes as Alice kept insisting things like 'no trouble at all'. Yes, Alice was welcoming, yes she was kind, yes she was absolutely hyper, warm, open, and amazing. But there are those who aren't. And in the words of the ones who knew me best,
"Drifting is the specialty, socializing is the difficulty, making connections is pretty much never, and surprises are guaranteed."
How I begin to miss my family at times where I must live amongst those who have their own.
I lay back on the soft bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time. The moonlight seeped in through closed blinds. Tired, my eyelids began to drift shut. The lines thrown about the room by the shades began to bend and dance. Dazed, I blinked once, and began to open to my eyes to blink again, but simply found myself dropping into the world of dreams.
The painted silver line, with a beginning and end began expanding and my vision panned out as the line ran for the non-existent horizon, darkening to the color of earth. I found myself suddenly on my feet, like the whole time I had been slowly exhaling, and now miraculously could suck in a sharp breath. My mind was flooded with sensory perception.
There was a wind tugging in all directions, my hair tangled around my face. The pale blue sky kissed the earth far, far away, the flat dirt went on as far as I could see in every direction. The smell of recent rain, and ash filled my nose. It didn't make sense, like a forest had burnt to the ground on this spot and nothing remind, but someone sweet spring rain embraced the earth beneath my feet not so long ago. The shriek of a bird above me drew my attention, it turned my head to see it fly into the sphere of the sun, casting shadows on the ground, growing larger as it neared me. Finally, diving it flapped it's wings twice and landed on my outstretched arm, wings in.
I reached out to stroke it's regal feathers, gingerly, slowly. The bird ripped into flames.
"Look what you've done!"
The sky darkened, my arm was out in front of me, still outstretched. The sun seemed to wither and die on the horizon. My body felt cold around me in the dream. The stars, though it had been day a second ago, began to slowly blink out. With each star that winked out, I felt as though a tiny pin pricked my heart. Pain started to lap at my mind, I heard the sounds of a violin smashing into the ground. Visions of red eyes danced around in my head.
On the ground, when did I get on the ground?
"Rebecca."
The mist, the dizziness and grey is gone in a snap. I am on my feet.
"M… mom…?" I whisper, unsure.
The woman tilts her head to one side. Her black hair catches the wind, but red eyes never leave mine. Her lips twisted into a smile that made my skin crawl. Sick.
"Is that really who I am to you, Rebecca?" She asked quietly, her voice a chilling soprano. "Your… mother? Didn't you kill my likeness on the spot, she did seem so much like me to you after all, didn't she? Damnit girl, the only thing Gabriella ever did wrong was look like me!"
I stepped back, "N-no! What? No, I never wanted to… mom, I just… was, I couldn't! I thought you wanted to kill me, you… you…" I stammered, horrified.
"I what, Rebecca? I don't understand? Hm, let's see, I gave birth to you, I died for you. I live and eternity of nothingness for you, and I never intended for any of it to happen." She said coldly.
"You don't know what it's like," I whispered harshly, "To grow up without a mother, to be stripped of everything in life!"
"Ah," She nodded, "Yes, how you left my poor husband."
"Left him!" I demanded, "I was nearly killed!"
She regarded me bitterly, "You're entire life you were nearly dead Rebecca. You don't get it, do you? You were supposed to die. You aren't supposed to be alive."
I stumbled back, away from her as she leaned towards me. She morphed into someone else, a grey cloak draped over her shoulders.
"But I can fix that, can't I, master?" A sweet and familiar voice asked. Jane smirked down at me.
"Jane? Jane, no it's me!" I pleaded, she smiled,
"Oh, Becca, you don't understand. You're not one of us, you're human, expendable. Why should we care? We never really did you see, you were just a tool, a fun little toy." Jane smiled wickedly at me. I'd seen it before, but she had always been in front of me, protecting me, threatening the person who was the danger. Now, it was I who was being threatened, the person on the receiving end.
"Jane, Jane… Jane, please," I begged, "Jane, you're my sister, I love you, my sister, please!" I was crying, why was I crying? Why was I begging?
Jane smirked down at me, "You always told me that my gift was for a reason, didn't you?" She whispered in my ear.
Pain. Blinding, splitting, searing, burning pain.
Stop, stop, make it stop! The thoughts are loud and clear in my mind, but cannot break free to my lips, I collapse to my knees, head in my hands. Every thought, every memory and feeling, swirls in my mind like an inferno, briefly in front of my eyes then painfully shredding itself apart. Like someone poured gasoline on my psyche and lit a match.
"Ahi!" Finally, a shriek breaks the silence, I can see nothing, feel nothing but pain. What is around me?
"Had enough?" I heard Jane ask.
Air rushed into my lungs. I was lying on my side, I shuddered, feeling completely helpless.
"Why?" I croaked.
I heard her sniff, "I've never liked weaklings, traitors." She mused, "You were always soft. Pity."
Something cracked, loudly. Demitri, his dark hair hung in his face, eyes bright with amusement. His foot presses down on my leg. I squirm, try to pull away. He steps down harder, and draws a shriek from me.
"Oh, this could be fun." He smirks.
Like a trapdoor, everything spirals into blackness. Peaceful.
"Rebecca…" A quieter voice. Annalise,
"Oh, 'lise!" I run to wrap my arms around her. She's stiff, doesn't move, confused, I step back. "Annalise…?"
"Didn't they tell you?" Her eyes were dark, "Tell you not to talk to strangers?"
Everything slowed down, Annalise wasn't the loving girl I knew. Her face was older, wrinkled, hideous, she had long yellow fangs like daggers. It was something out of a separate chapter of my horror-movie of a life. The girl I knew ripped into werewolf.
My world, slowly, memory by memory was being torn apart. How can you fight what you love? A pale blur leapt between me and the wolf. The two collided, and the wolf flew backwards. They both disappeared.
"You deserve it." The ghostly face of Garrett already fading into darkness, "Lying bitch." He glanced at the vampire who had saved me, fighting the wolf, then faded more, "But you don't deserve him."
"No! Garrett, please!" I shouted, trying to find him.
"You can trust me."
Dylan. Dylan, was fighting the wolf.
"YOU DON'T DESERVE HIM! Or anyone! You liar, TRAITOR!"
"I… what… you, but… look out!" The wolf leapt forward.
The entire dream ripped into flames.
"Can I trust you?" His voice broke on the last word. Then, the wolf fell on him.
"No, no! Dylan!" I lunged forward, my hands grasped at nothing more than smoke. "No!"
I shrieked. Fear, terror, pain, sadness, loss. All voiced in that cry.
I felt a pair of cool hands on my shoulder,
"Rebecca, Becca! Wake up!"
I jolted upright, feeling cold wet tears still sliding down my cheeks. A pair of liquid butterscotch eyes was on inches in front of my face. Dylan. My heart was still racing. Something was off, the dream had seemed so real. I shivered involuntarily, and curled into Dylan without a second thought.
Screw it, just hold me.
"What happened?" I whispered, one of my hands twisted in my hair, the other arm wrapped around my knees. An unnatural sense of terror had a hold on my heart like iron chains. Everything had come back at once, mom, Gabriella, Jane, Demitri, Annalise and Connie, the wolves… Garrett… Dylan.
"You were… screaming." Dylan said slowly, "In your sleep."
I squeezed my eyes shut, but couldn't force out the images of the fire, the death and destruction. Some caused by me personally.
Could you please call an ambulance…?
Resist, resist it!
No, can't… I caved, the taste.
I gasped.
My throat ripped into flames, agony. I was painfully aware of the living creatures downstairs, including Bella, the mutts and my Savel.
"Don't let me move." I hissed through my teeth, barely hanging onto the tiny shred of control I possessed. Having only dealt with actual thirst only one time in my life, I had almost no control. Especially considering that one time resulted in my slaughtering someone.
"What…?" Dylan started to ask. I looked up, he must have seen something in my eyes because he stiffened. In a split second, he pinned me to the ground. "JASPER!" He hollered, good thing to. I can't even begin to describe how badly I wanted to run downstairs and kill every breathing creature. Air whistling down my throat wasn't helping, it felt desert dry.
I was fighting myself, trying not to go instinctually aggressive on Dylan, but I could feel that just slipping away like water flowing down river.
"HELP!" Dylan shouted the moment he felt me begin to struggle against him.
Can he hold me? I thought desperately, oh god, oh god…
Without my permission, a snarl ripped from my throat and my back arched, tucking my knees into my stomach. I rocked back, then exploded forward, slamming both feet squarely into his chest.
No! Stop that! He cares, don't hurt him, STOP IT!
Tearing myself apart.
I was on my feet, trembling in place, resist! Can't. I leaned towards the door and felt myself start to run.
"NO!" Dylan slammed into me from the side. The floor beneath us splintered as we both struggled to gain the upper hand. It hurt so badly, knowing I was actually fighting him, but I couldn't stop. I could hear the heartbeats down there… I needed it…
Another pair of arms slammed me down, and another.
"Sorry, we were out." Emmett ground out to Dylan as I tried to throw them off me. Dylan was practically straddling me, his hands clamped down hard around my arms, Emmett had his forearm pressed down on my neck and Jasper was trying to keep me from kicking all of them in the face.
Concentrated waves of calm were radiating off the walls, but it wasn't exactly helping. I couldn't hold my breath anymore and inhaled. The pain was terrible, my head whipped back with a howl of agony.
"Don't breathe!" Jasper snarled lowly,
"Not an option idiot!" I panted out, "I gotta breathe!"
Ahhh! I can't stand this!
Someone got to close, I didn't even know who. But I bit them without even registering the thought first. Emmett jerked back with a loud curse, Dylan's grip got tighter. Too effortlessly, I flipped him over, so he was pinned underneath me, and hissed loudly, baring my teeth.
Jasper wrapped one arm around my neck and jerked me backwards. The floor cracked as we hit the ground. My vision lit up with light. "Not likely." He snarled in my ear. I thrashed and kicked, but he held his grip. Eventually Dylan and Emmett were back from their daze to help, and they had me pinned down more securely.
I could do no more than fidget and strain against them in my agony. Jasper instructed me to hold my breath as long as possible. But when I started to get dizzy, Dylan demanded I breath.
A low, longing moan slipped from my teeth, my entire body shuddered, "Ahhhhhhh…" I whimpered.
Edward stormed in, "You," He said scathingly, "You said you'd never killed a human before!" He snapped. "You were going to hurt Bella! No doubt! There was no hint of control in your mind!"
My lips trembled. How can I answer to that? The room was silent. Dylan's eyes widened,
"Don't loosen your grip, she's not in control." Edward said quickly.
My throat burned, still I was crying. I wanted to kill, and still I was regretting. Shit, this is tearing me apart!
"I didn't mean to." I croaked out. Edward's eyes softened slightly out of pity, I wanted to cry and run away. "I'm sorry." I whispered, my voice breaking.
"Okay, every calm down." Jasper said softly, his death-grip on my neck loosened, the calm began to eat away at the raging thirst. He gave a pointed glance to Edward, who pursed his lips before turning to leave. I was so ashamed. "Emmett, let go." Jasper said slowly. Cautiously, Emmett stepped back, his eyes never leaving mine, "Dylan?"
I made the mistake of meeting his eyes. He looked confused and… crushed. I winced. Please, please, don't let him leave me, I need him.
I might as well just go ahead and fucking admit it, seeing as I'm probably losing him.
I need Dylan.
Jasper let go, I slumped on the ground. A sob racked my body. Dylan leaned forward, hesitantly and wrapped his arms around me. I clung to his shirt desperately and felt him hold onto me as well.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." I repeated miserably. He just nodded and let out a long sigh,
"It's okay, no one here can really hold it against you."
I took me about an hour of just sitting there with Dylan and Jasper before Edward would let me leave the room. Well, I didn't actually leave, I was simply told that I could.
Needless to say, I was feeling like shit, not having gotten much sleep, and then getting my ass beat by the three brothers. Dylan, Emmett and Jasper were all down stairs with Bella. Discussing. Edward wasn't too thrilled with me, seeing as I wanted to (briefly) kill his wife. In all fairness, I apologized, he accepted, everyone understood and sort of brushed it off. But it was different for me, because… I felt like I didn't have the excuse of actually being a vampire. How can they say it was natural, expected, if I wasn't even like them? I should have half the thirst, so how is it I still caved?
It didn't take away the guilt of being a murderer, and now everyone knew. Because Alice had a vision of me telling her, and Edward heard it, and then told everyone…
I glowered at the ceiling, what am I?
I don't even know, can't say for sure. An uneasy breath made its way into my pillow. I heard a low scratching noise, as my pup pawed the door open. She ran over and hopped on the bed next to me. I sighed as she curled up in my open arms. I buried my face in her warm fur.
She whined, and pushed her muzzle into my shoulder.
I sighed inwardly, Sav yipped impatiently. I frowned at her, "Che?" I asked sourly. She grabbed a large chunk of my hair between her teeth and leapt off the bead.
"OW!" I yelled and jumped up, running after her.
Dylan-
I wasn't really all there, when my brothers and I were talking. I kept on seeing her face, frozen and terrified right before she told me to not let her attack Bella. She knew. How did she know? How did she hold it together long enough to tell me that. I was never that I control during my newborn years, in fact, Carmen specifically kept anything living hundreds of miles away from me.
Jasper looked like he was in pain, he glanced at me, "Hm, took you a while to come back to earth." He commented dryly. "She's having problems." Jasper jerked his head up at the ceiling.
"What do you mean?" I demanded shortly. Problems? Like she was flawed? I glowered at him, there wasn't anything wrong with her.
"Not that," He rolled his eyes at me with an exasperated tone, "I mean she's tired and confused, bitter, angry, depressed, whatever other words you want to thrown in there."
I folded my arms over my chest uncomfortably. Somehow, I already knew that. But there wasn't much I felt that I could do. In my human life, I'd never had 'girl problems'… so the idea of trying to comfort a girl was alien to me. I didn't exactly know where to begin. In high school, the boys I hung around rarely bothered to try to talk to girls, much less understand them. We used to refer to them as a completely different species… In all honesty, we pulled pranks on them, teased them, found other immature ways of amusing ourselves before heading out to cut classes and grab a smoke behind the gym.
I mean, really, my buddy Nick would trip girls in the hallways and make bets on what color underwear she was wearing when she fell over and her skirt flew up. In hindsight… that was not a very good thing to do.
Edward laughed, "Are you serious?" He chuckled,
"Oh, stop acting all high-and-mighty," I said shortly, "Just 'cause your mom raised you with manners doesn't mean anyone who wasn't is abnormal."
Alice cracked up, "You tripped girls in the hallway so you could see what color underwear they were wearing?"
I sighed in annoyance, "That was Nick, not me and we were in eight grade!" It seemed a weaker defense than I intended.
Alice laughed a little more, "Human boys and their antics."
"Because I was the only one who was a normal human." I muttered sarcastically. Jasper looked thoughtful for a second,
"Jazz?" Alice asked,
"Well… I certainly was that rude to ladies," Jasper said, "But I do remember throwin' mud all at our neighbors boy 'cuz he was a Yankee. Me an' my friends tried to run him out of town before his father blew a fuse." Jasper mused, Alice gasped and whacked the back of his head lightly.
"Meanie!" She scolded.
"He was a Yankee in our town… an' I didn't want no stinkin' Union wannabe messing up things around my family." Jasper grumbled in self-defense. Alice sighed and flung herself on the couch, sprawled out across her mate's lap. She rolled her head sideways and looked at me, as I was sitting on the carpet.
"You love her." Alice said quietly.
My non-existent blood ran cold.
"W-…what?" I managed. Alice only nodded seriously,
"You know I'm right. You hate being away from her, don't you?" She asked softly,
I sat up straighter. Love? As in… well, love? I don't 'love' her, I can't… that's impossible. She's… well… she's… violent and closed off, she wouldn't trust anyone, much less love someone. Most people find it comfortable to talk to me, that's just how I am. People seem more relaxed around me, but not her. She barely told me anything, no matter what I tried. I wanted her to be happy, yet she still pushed me away, and everyone else.
I could still hear her screaming at night.
She still cried and had flashbacks.
She would still avoid certain conversations and seemed to shut down at the mention of certain things.
Some part of me was pulled towards her, I didn't want to leave her. "I do..." I finally said,
"And you would do anything to keep her safe?"
"I would."
"Well then…" Alice smiled, "There you go."
"Not that simple." I groaned and leaned back until I was lying flat on the carpet.
"How so?" Alice questioned.
"It just… isn't." I growled lowly.
"Why not?" Bella asked shyly, I glanced up at her and she blushed, "I didn't mean to pry."
"It's fine, seems like everyone does." I grumbled, "It isn't that simple because she isn't that simple, Alice. Hell, we don't even speak the same language."
"She speaks English." Alice offered.
"We don't have the same first language." I muttered,
"That's romantic though, because communication is best expressed in feelings not words." Bella offered. I sighed, Bella was smart. She was far younger than me, but seemed wiser for some reason. My sister was very caring and benevolent, though her lack of self-preservation was sometimes dumbfounding. I wasn't sure what to make of her situation, but with Rebecca helping, maybe she would get the baby like she wanted.
Suddenly, the little fuzzy black wolf pup jumped off the ground and sat at attention, ears pricked forward.
"What's it saying, Seth?" Emmett asked off-handedly
"Ehhhh…" Seth tilted his head to one side and scrunched up his nose, "I'm I supposed to answer that question?"
The wolf turned quickly and locked eyes with Bella, who blinked in surprise. It whined loudly.
Jasper sat forward, which made Alice sit up. His brow pulled together in confusion, "It's… trying to tell you something." Jasper said skeptically.
Savel barked loudly and spun around, shooting up the stairs like a rocket (well, for a wolf of course, but she was fairly speedy).
"That was weird." Bella muttered,
"Says human girl who is idly sipping away at a cup of blood." Emmett chuckled.
"OOOWWWWW!" We all heard the yell from upstairs. This was followed by the sound of running footsteps.
Rebecca scrambled down the stairs, with her pup towing her by her long hair.
"Sav!" Rebecca hissed and pulled the dog away from her by the hemp collar. She stood up straight and smiled theatrically, "Well, how's life for all of you?"
Bella actually giggled quietly, some inside joke or something. This caused her to knock over the cup of blood she was holding in her hand.
Multiple hands lunged forward to grab it,
"I'll get i-… ah!" Bella began to say, but there was a sudden tearing sound and her breath rushed out in a gasp.
The cup hit the ground, dark liquid spilling all over the ground.
Bella gasped for breath, Edward flew to her side in a panic.
The mutts stood up, Jacob shouted something.
Jasper covered his nose and cringed, he leapt up to run out of the room.
Rosalie and Emmett sprung to their feet. Rose shouted that Carlisle wouldn't be back for hours.
Alice froze in place, a horrified look plastered on her face.
Bella convulsed suddenly, and choked out an ear shattering shriek.
The scent of blood was thick in the air, I felt my eyes widen, felt every muscle in my body lock in position. Don't move. Don't breath. Savel was barking loudly, Rebecca stood five feet away from me, forming a triangle between with Bella, herself and I. She looked terrified, small… like she was suddenly remembering something that took her many years back to her childhood.
Then, she rushed forward,
"She's going to stop breathing." She said rapidly, with a voice like steal, "If you want either of them to live, get the baby out now, then worry about her. She'll live."
I hope.
Nobody moved. She shot a glower so venomous and icy at my brother that it probably would have killed a normal human being, "What are you waiting for cretino?"
Cliffy, but guess what happens. Sigh… I'm not re-writing the books here people, simply adding the twists. She's not gonna die…
*Cretino means dumbass in Italian, and Che? means What?
Any questions on the Italian in any of the chapters? Feel free to ask me since I know that I haven't exactly been great about always putting translations. My bad, so I'm open for questions. :)
OKAYYYY… special alert. I HAVE A JOB AT A KIDS CAMP FOR TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AND THERFORE WILL NOT BE UPDATING UNTIL LATER ON IN AUGUST. Don't hate me, I love you all!
Hope you liked the chapter, please review!
Ciao! That means goodbye ;)
-Zeri