Chapter 6 - Penalty
Bella's POV :
Victoria came down into the musty, dirty room. The cobwebs were everywhere and she had to pull some down to enter the dark, foul smelling area. This was used mostly for storage. All their old unwanted things were shoved in there.
I hope I can remember where he is, she thought to herself as she dusted off her hands and began to wonder where they last left him.
"Siiixxxx.", she called him, purposely trying to sound like the mother he so hated and remembered. She smirked, glad that James had told her about his real name. It always wounded him when she used it.
"Where are you ?", she sang out, as if they were playing a game of hide and seek. She moved a blanket…no…he wasn't there.
"Wakey wakey…", she called, looking around, "Come on…Momma wants to play with you."
"Here.", a very weak, whisper of a voice finally wafted into the air…like a mist….
She followed the sound…moving other things out of the way…and she saw the black tarp crumpled in the corner. Now she remembered…
Taking hold of the tarp, she pulled it up and there he was…on his side…his eyes closed.
It was shocking to look at him now…once so lovely and sparkly, clean and white…
Now she was looking at something quite different.
His hair was no longer its lush, shiny mess. Now it was matted and flat…hardly any color to it at all. Not feeding regularly will do that. The half of his face showing was the burnt side. It was black and brownish in color…some red muscle showing beneath the skin that wore off there near the cheekbone…the eye on that side missing. It was burnt and round for a long time…but perhaps the rats ate it out…or it just withered and fell out. For laughs, they decided to leave half his face alone…and it was beautiful for awhile…but now it just looked worn and waxy. His eye on that side was fine…usually black in color in the pupil when it was opened.
He could not sit up or move on his own. His arms were gone…his entire legs were gone too. Now all he had was his tongue and his penis. Jane won that argument. It was left on only to torment him. To hurt, to remind him of what he used to have…and never would again. Now, if they let him orgasm, it was more hurtful to him than anything else they could do to him.
His body was very thin and looked a bit emaciated around the stomach area…it wasn't often they fed him. He didn't complain about that anymore.
Gone were the perfect pecks and six pack abs he used to have. And his ass, once the best feature on him…was almost concave now.
"There you are.", she sighed as she looked over him with distaste.
He opened his one eye and his lips formed a harder line than a second ago.
"Sit up.", she grabbed his oily hair and pulled him up as he cringed…she set him on the stumps that used to he his inner thighs. He was naked and covered with cobwebs.
"Euu, you're all webby.", she said, dusting the thin wisps of spiderwebs off his body and out of his hair.
"Thank you, Goddess.", his voice was so monotone…so devoid of life…and a personality…that was all gone. Had been for a long time.
Victoria dusted off her hands, as if it disgusted her to touch him. It did.
His eye was like glass…no one home.
"You thirsty ?", she shook a little plastic water bottle with a straw in it. There was red liquid inside.
He wanted to say no. But it had been so long since he had anything to drink. His inner voice spoke for him.
"Please.", he croaked, a long, red tear falling from his eye.
"Open up.", she brought the straw to his mouth. His lips were so dry and cracked that he had to pull them apart to open his mouth.
The straw went in and he used all his energy to suck on the plastic thing. It took him several tries to actually move the blood from the bottle into the straw and into his mouth.
It was coming…and he tasted it. It was cold and old tasting…and it was no human blood. It was an animal…and not even a good animal…it tasted of rats or some vermin. It was bitter and stale…but he gulped it up…because it was all he had now.
To him, it was everything…and he took a small breath.
"Thank you, Goddess.", he said again, closing his eye as he sucked again…happy with the scraps he was being given.
"Oh, wait I forgot…", she grinned, putting the bottle down next to him where he couldn't get it…his eye watched her helplessly…his mouth wanted more of the drink…but she was going over to his right.
"You need your pictures.", she reminded, finding them and setting them up around him on top of boxes…they were in wooden frames…the lever in back holding them up so he could see them again.
He closed his eye, knowing what they were. Did she think he would ever forget them ?
One of them was a wedding photo of Bella with her husband, a handsome man in a black and white tuxedo…she was glowing and lovely in every way…a gorgeous white lace gown on her perfect body. In another picture, the same man was with her, in a policeman's uniform, holding her in his arms, bridal style as she looked surprised and happy. Next Victoria set up the pictures of them with their children…family photos in front of a fireplace…two boys and a cute little girl that looked just like her.
He exhaled and wanted to pretend that none of this bothered him. But it destroyed him…it did every day.
"There you go.", she smiled at him, enjoying his pain.
"Thank you, Goddess.", he said blankly. Suddenly the blood wasn't that important to him anymore.
"You're welcome.", she dotted his nose, picking up the bottle again.
"Let's go…finish up.", she gave him back the straw…and his eye looked dead inside as he drank the rest of it.
"We have some plans for you today.", she announced, "It's Halloween so…you know…you'll be the ugliest and scariest thing at the party."
Halloween. Flashes of a dance rose up in his mind…a dark angel coming down a staircase…smiling at him…Bella licking his claw necklace…the heavenly fuck in the field outside…
The party tonight would be anything BUT heavenly. He knew many of these parties. He would be the freak…the thing that fucked and sucked the unfortunate human victim that Jane or Victoria disliked for some reason. The half dead half alive creature that did whatever they told him to…the ugly thing that made them scream when they took it out of its box. The thing the other vampires laughed at and asked, "What IS that thing ?"
That was his public life now….in private, Jane and Victoria would just torture him to his limits. Mentally and physically. He had long ago lost his attitude with them…now he just obeyed everything…waiting for them to be finished with him…and let him rot in the basement until next time.
"Goddess ?", he managed to choke out the word, his voice not the velvety rich sound it was before.
"What, Six ?", she asked, taking the empty bottle away.
"Please…", he used all his emotion and put it in that word…"Please…can it be today ?"
"Can what be today ?", she put her hands on her perfect hips. Her clothes were all leather and lace…black and white…her hair was perfect, her skin radiant.
She knew damn well what he was asking. He'd been asking it every single day for years now. He was always told maybe tomorrow…and tomorrow never came. But it was the same thing he did to them when they asked for release.
"Please…", the word came again, "Please…can't you kill me now ?"
She smirked, liking to hear him say it.
His eye looked down, probably at one of the pictures of Bella…he looked like he had no hope at all. She loved that.
"You can't die today.", she said cheerfully, "There's a big part you have to play at the party tonight!"
He blinked and another tear fell…a light red tear…just a tiny bit of blood in it.
"And you'll do a very good job tonight.", she ordered, "You'll be very scary, won't you ?"
"Yes.", he agreed emptily.
She kept watching him.
"After the party ?", he asked, a little note of hope there.
"Six.", she called him and he shuddered at the sound of that, "It's only been a little over 15 years. That's nothing. You have a lot more coming."
He just looked down…not responding.
"Don't you think so ?", she asked, testing him.
"Yes, Goddess.", he agreed without any tone at all in his voice.
"Maybe soon.", she promised…again…and a little smile came to her glossy lips. This is just what she always wanted…him…in Hell…ruled by her.
She came closer and touched the burnt side of his face…frowning.
"I think it's trying to grow back.", she thought aloud, "We'll have to burn it off again soon."
"Yes, Goddess. Thank you.", he breathed, not caring at all.
"Don't worry, we'll ugly you up some more for the guests tonight.", she pulled on his hair at the top of his head.
"Kiss me.", she demanded.
Instantly, his dry lips opened and she leaned in…the second they touched hers she pulled away.
"Ughhh", she wretched, "Sick. So dry, it's like kissing a dry piece of shit. And you smell."
He exhaled slightly…that bothered him. He was always so vein before he lost it all.
"I'm sorry, Goddess.", he looked down, still pouting over the denial of his execution that he dreamt about every day.
"So sad.", she looked him over, "You were so beautiful once…the most gorgeous thing I ever saw…now you're just…disgusting."
"Thank you, Goddess.", his voice whispered, brokenly.
"Do you miss it ?", she fluffed her hair a little, "Being beautiful ? Having your limbs ? Do you miss being a man ?"
This was more of the mental torment they so loved heaping upon him. Although, nothing was more cruel than these pictures they kept bringing in. Bella having her lovely life…not even remembering him at all…he was so happy for her…but at the same time….it devastated him to see it.
"Yes, Goddess.", he answered, numbly.
"Stop looking so blank.", she criticized him, "You better have some personality for the party tonight…Jane will hurt you if you're not good."
"I will.", he promised with a hollow voice.
"Maybe if you do a real good job tonight we will discuss…ending your…(she laughed)…life.", she dangled the carrot in front of his nose again.
His eye looked up at hers now. A glimmer of hope wasn't much…but it was all he had.
"Show me your personality.", she snapped her fingers.
Instantly, his face turned violent and he showed his gnarled teeth…they were almost gray in color…he hissed and growled…trying to bite at the air in front of him.
"Alright.", she grinned, "Not bad."
He stopped, like a toy that was switched off.
"Let's see that cock.", she reached down and inspected it, touching it and pulling on it as he closed his eye and cringed.
"It's all shriveled and dry.", she observed out loud, not leaving him a drop of dignity as she pulled on it…making him exhale with a small sound of pain.
"Does this even FEEL good ?", she asked him, curious.
"No Goddess. It hurts.", he said with no fight left inside him as she continued.
"Oh.", she said, "Good. It would be amazing if it fell off inside one of these little bitches tonight. Don't you think so, slut ?"
"Yes, Goddess.", he agreed, "It would be…amazing."
"Well maybe we'll loosen it up a little before the party…", she kept squeezing the head as she pulled on it.
"Come on.", she grabbed him by the hair and lifted him off the box he was sitting on. He groaned in pain as she let him dangle by his hair as she took him up the stairs, "Jane wants to hurt you for awhile before the guests show up."
I sat up, screaming, my body shivering with perspiration. It took me a few minutes to realize that it was just a fucked up dream. I even texted unknown to make sure. It was 3:14 am but I knew he wasn't sleeping.
"Are you alright ?", I texted. And I waited. The three dots appeared, letting me know he was texting back. I sighed in relief, waiting.
"Fine.", he texted back, "Are you alright ? What's wrong ?"
"Nothing.", I texted, "Fucking nightmare again."
"We are going to take care of that tonight.", the text came back. I knew what he was talking about. For days now I've been having nightmares about him and Jane and Victoria…he was trying to help me, talking to me…doing his best Dr. Carlisle thing…but it wasn't helping. This was the worst one yet.
What would've happened to him…if they had their way. It tore my intestines out just dreaming it….it was fucking horrible. And it came so close to happening.
"Thank you, M.", I texted, shivering because I almost typed the word Goddess instead.
"YW 317", he texted back with a smiley face with horns on it.
The last nightmare was fucked up too. The moment that Jane and Victoria were sawing off his arms…and then his legs…while he screamed and bled…I wasn't sure if a vampire could bleed…but that's how my dream showed it. Then they cooked up his limbs and forced him to eat them. Either I have a real screwed up mind or a vivid imagination.
Even Master didn't seem to enjoy me telling my nightmares to him. He would always say, "I hate that you were involved in all this. I'm so sorry, Bella."
He blamed himself, he hates himself for the danger I was in…I knew that. But it wasn't helping my dreams. I knew what the dreams were telling me…danger was coming…it was coming back to get us again…maybe not tomorrow…but soon. I wanted to be able to protect him next time…I couldn't bear to be helpless and weak again…what if we didn't win ? If James showed up…I could not fool him like I did Jane and Victoria. Even they were hard to trick. Not that Master helped, telling them to their faces that I was lying to them. I understood why. He wanted to protect me too.
I had to become a vampire. Now. He never entertained my request but he had to listen to me. It was for his own good.
"I will NOT end your life merely so you can be my immortal newborn bodyguard.", he said to me that night, his tone like a father's.
"What kind of weak shit would I be then ?", he asked, almost to himself, "I've survived for 265 years before you came along…I will be fine."
"You almost-", I began.
"I almost started to feel a little pain as they had me in one of my own cages.", he belittled it, almost rolling his eyes, "I had the situation under control. I was playing them against one another. In a day or so, I would've had them separated."
"Before or after they were going to slice off your arms and legs ?", I countered.
"That was an empty threat.", he huffed, "As mad at me as they were, I doubt either of them could've been that insane."
"You don't know that.", I shot back, "After forty years of waiting for their revenge ? They could've done ANYTHING to you."
I felt tears rise up in my eyes.
He came to me and wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly to him. I buried my face in his shirt and sniffed.
"Baby, please…", he comforted me, "I'm alright. They're gone now. I know it was scary for you…it was for me, too. But it's over now. Do you trust me to protect you ?"
He lifted my chin so I could look into his perfect white face.
"Yes.", I said without thought.
"I failed you.", he said sadly, "I know that. But it will never happen again. I promise you with all I am. You will be safe. If I have to tear down the world and rearrange it all, you will be safe from this moment forth. I will be ready…if James comes here. I have already begun to put things in place. But, Bella…it's been 265 years…he hasn't come after me at all. Even if he does, it could be fifty years from now."
"Or two weeks.", I argued.
He looked confused.
"They waited until they saw you happy.", I reminded him, "Once they saw that, then he let Jane and Victoria go after you. James will know that you're still happy. He'll come."
Master looked gravely back at me.
"If that happens, I will kill him.", he informed, "But you will be far out of the way when that occurs."
"What ?", I asked.
"Soon you will meet a friend of mine.", he said, taking a breath, "He will protect you if for any reason…I can't…anymore."
I squinted, not liking the sound of this.
"What does that mean ?", I asked.
"His name is Emmett.", he began nervously, "He-"
"You're going to GIVE me to another vampire ?!", I shouted, the rage fueling me, "Like I'm some
puppy ?!"
"No, it's not like THAT!", he shouted back, raising his voice…I hated the way that sounded.
"He will keep you safe.", he said, "He will—"
"Own me ?", I asked, raising my brows, "Fuck me ?"
"NO!", he frowned more, "No !"
"If you die and he steps in to MAKE ME SAFE…", I used air quotes for the last three words, "Do you think he won't want something in return ? For all his trouble ?"
"No, he won't.", Master informed.
"Well, I guess then I'll be just fine, as long as I have SOME vampire owning me, it really doesn't matter WHO it is then, does it ?", I tried to make a point.
The argument really went off the rails after that. In the end, I actually stormed out and went home. For two days, we weren't speaking to each other. It was the worst time of my life. Even in gym class, Mr. Cullen snubbed me and didn't answer me. I felt like we were at square one again.
"Mr. Cullen.", I said to him that first day after our argument, "You didn't tell me what position or team I'm on."
He acted like he didn't hear me at all. He made a very loud scratch in his book with his pen after I addressed him.
"Really ?", I asked, not believing that this man was 265 years old…but he was still a man after all.
I was about to go choose my own team and position but then his voice dryly said, "Figure it out yourself…you're so good at that."
He walked right away from me when I turned to face him again. I was hurt but I was more angry. And that always brought tears to my eyes.
Two nights went by without him…and I was dying. On the third night he texted me.
He was smart enough not to order me to do anything.
"Can you please come outside for a moment so I can beg you to forgive me ?", his text asked.
That was surprising. I should've said no, made him ask a little bit more. But I wanted him so badly I couldn't make him beg.
"Yes.", I texted back…and I walked slowly outside…going to the woods.
When I stopped walking, I felt his head bowed and resting on my back. I tensed, the tears immediately coming back into my eyes as he whispered to me.
"I'm so sorry, Bella.", his voice was soft and fragile, "I hate that I've put you into this danger…I agonize over it every second of every day. I'm supposed to protect YOU. Maybe it's my ancient brain or pride…I don't know…but I'm mad at myself…not you…I didn't mean to hurt you…to treat you so cruelly."
Without a word, I spun and clung to him, my face in his chest as he gently put his arms around me, stroking a hand down my hair.
"I could never be mad at you.", I said, "I miss you so much."
"God, me too.", he responded, his voice full of emotion, "I can't believe how long two days could feel…I've been miserable without you."
"Really ?", I looked up at him and smiled, loving the sweet look in his eyes.
"Really.", he admitted, stroking my cheek with the back of his hand, "Let's not do this ever again, yes ?"
I smiled.
"Yes.", I agreed, "We should always talk it out. Not do the silent treatment thing."
"That was my fault.", he looked ashamed, "I don't know what got into me. I was angry, thinking you didn't believe in me. And I hate arguing with you about changing you into a vampire. I was an idiot. And I would NEVER GIVE you…to anyone else…God or man or otherwise…you're MINE."
A flicker of sadness came across his face and then he added, "I mean…if you…still want to be…"
Is he serious ? It made me laugh a little that he looked so vulnerable. He had me at hello. LOL.
"Crazy boy.", I used his nickname on him now and I took his face into my hands, "I believe in you completely…and I AM yours…forever. Get used to it."
He smiled and looked so happy. I had to kiss him.
Later I told him, "That dream was devastating. I almost couldn't BREATHE just dreaming that…you don't know how…"
I kept seeing him the way he looked in my dream…not the outside, the burns, the missing limbs…it was his face…his eyes…his voice….so devoid of life or hope…or joy. That's what killed me the most.
"Do you think I don't think of it ?", he asked me, "I had a good amount of time in that cage…considering what my future was going to be. I deserve it…that's true…but…I know what you're saying. If it were the other way around, I would go insane thinking about it too. By the way, the one thing that made it all bearable was the fact that YOU would be alright…safe…and happy. If that dream did come true, I would still have that…and I would be fine with the rest of it. I would gladly rot away for five million years for you. James may never come. Or he might. Either way, I will have to face it."
"That's where you're wrong.", I argued back calmly, "WE will have to face it."
He looked at me with a strange expression…as if he couldn't believe I'd want to get involved in such a disaster.
"The last two days, without you…", I breathed, "Have been like being dead. I can't live without you."
"I felt the same way.", he kissed my hand, "I even tried to pretend to hate you again…even in gym class I thought it would be easy…but I'd rather be on fire than to do that again."
"So…we're in this together.", I pointed out, "Whatever is going to happen to YOU…it's going to happen to me, too."
He looked sick at the thought of that.
"I want you to teach me to fight.", I stated.
He frowned again.
"Absolutely not.", he denied me again.
"Why not ?", I asked.
"You cannot FIGHT a vampire, are you insane ?", he almost choked on the words, just thinking about it.
I tried to speak but he kept going.
"Even if you TRIED to fight with James, which makes me QUEASY thinking of it, he would tear you APART for just attempting the THOUGHT of it.", he was not angry, he was just freaking out.
"Bella…", his voice was tender suddenly as he held my face, nose to nose with me, "Please…remember…I watched this man murder six women right in front of me. Six women that I loved. I love you so much more than I have ever loved ANYONE. He would THRILL in hurting YOU. He would make it slower and more terrifying than the dream you had about me. I could never let you be in that position…just thinking of it makes me sick. Can't you understand that ?"
I felt ashamed of myself now. He had died that day, too, but it wasn't even a thought in his mind…only the pain of losing the ones he loved.
"Yes.", I answered, "I understand."
"I was even considering leaving you…", he said, "Leaving this school…to go and find him myself and take care of it before he comes anywhere near you."
I thought of that and hurt inside. He would be gone…forever maybe…it could take him a lifetime to find James…and if he lost the fight…I would never know if he was alive or dead. The thought of it made me ache inside.
"But he would find a way to get here while I was gone and get all of you.", he shared, "I know it. I can't leave you alone, unprotected."
"I'm glad.", I said, staring fiercely into his eyes, my hands clutching his, "I don't want you to leave me."
"I can't.", he shook his head, looking trapped and embarrassed about that.
"Can't?", I decided to lighten the mood, "Did I hear the word…can't ?"
He smiled a little, looking away.
"Shut up, Swan.", he muttered, amused.
"I don't want to hear that word in your vocabulary again.", I mocked Mr. Cullen.
"You just need a thorough SPANKING, that's what YOU NEED.", he tossed me over his shoulder and leapt high into the air…climbing up higher and higher into the trees as I screamed, clutching onto his back with my fingernails.
END OF CHAPTER 6