CPOV

The days blurred.

I didn't know whether it was day or night.

I attempted to keep track of time with the flow of my period, but I easily gave up.

It hadn't been until what felt like forty eight hours after I was trapped that the Cullens were thrown into a cage next to mine.

It had been enough to pull me out of the catatonic state I remained in, but not for long. I felt empty, tired and numb. I couldn't fully comprehend what had happened, and my stomach did nothing but turn when I tried to think about the fact that I had fallen for it. I had fallen for Alec.

I had fallen for his tricks. He'd been one hell of an actor, and I was the foolish audience member that was sucked in by his gracious looks and smooth dialect.

The worst part was that, I was, in fact, in love with him. I loved him.

I felt so sick, that I had vomited when I came to that realization, and how I never questioned it. I never questioned if he was acting or not. There was no room for doubt, because the feeling he had given me had felt so real. The warmth, the electricity.

I was now convinced that Alec had never felt that. But, boy, had he been the greatest deception I had ever seen.

"Cheyenne, are you all right?" Carlisle asked me after I vomited for the third time.

Felix was the one who brought me food every day, but I hadn't eaten one morsel of it.

I didn't even want to explain the pain of the reality that David was gone. That hurt almost as much as falling for Alec's lies.

I'd sobbed until my throat was raw, and my eyes were dry. My chest heaved with painful gasps, and I had yelled David's name for hours. I mumbled about how sorry I was, and how I never hated him.

I even told the empty air that I loved him, too.

But, none of it would ever bring him back. It almost felt as if I cried and screamed hard enough, he would come jogging down the stairs with his cheesy grin, tan skin, bright brown eyes, and goofy spirit.

But, I had betrayed him. I had defended Alec against David, and it was my fault that he was dead.

I blamed myself entirely, and I beat myself up. I became angry with myself, asking why I had to believe some vampire I had hardly known over my best friend, who I'd known for years?

How could I have been so stupid?

How could I have ever thought that I could fall in love with a vampire, and get out of here freely? How could I have turned my back on David?

He had every right to betray me. I had no right to betray him. He'd been trying to protect me, and I'd told him to give Alec a chance. I wished that I could go back and stop myself. Because then, David wouldn't be dead, and my future wouldn't be nonexistent.

I was fairly certain that I was going to die; I'd given up. Without David, I had no drive to even try and escape. There was no point. Alec was right; not even the most powerful human could stop this. I wasn't powerful at all. Heidi had been wrong.

Where was all this power she spoke of? It didn't exist. And for all I knew, Heidi was in on Alec's little game, too. Hell, everyone most likely was.

I just propped myself against the wall, sipping from my small water bottle collection. Every day, Felix brought water with my meals. I'd opted to save the water, and ignore the food. I couldn't eat. I could sleep all I wanted, but my mind was only filled with nightmares of David's screams, his body being ripped, and an even bigger pile of loved ones staring back at me while Aro cackled in my face.

Carlisle attempted to talk to me for the past few days, but I couldn't even bring myself to respond. I didn't have the energy. All I could do was sob when he tried to bring up Alec or David. Whenever he tried to comfort or encourage me, I screeched, and then fell into my catatonic state once again.

"It would help if I could influence her emotions. We could get her to talk," I heard Jasper utter, and not even his familiar, Southern accent could bring me any comfort.

Alice sat in the corner of their cell, her tiny legs pulled up to her chest, and her fingers pressing against her head as she tried to look for a loophole. That's what I assumed, anyway. She had apologized profusely, saying that she didn't see the change in the future until it was too late. I realized that explained her expression when I left with Alec that day, but it didn't change anything. I wasn't necessarily mad at her. I didn't know what I was feeling. I felt like I couldn't feel anything anymore.

Was this what Alec felt like? Feeling absolutely nothing, and enjoying it?

It almost seemed as if it was better this way; to feel nothing. Because then, I didn't have to be hurt. I didn't have to feel the pain. But, Alec and I were very different, and I couldn't do anything except feel. My emotions could be numbed, but never turned off.

The only thing that told me Ray was alive was my continuous meals. Unless, of course, he was dead and someone else was cooking.

I sent out an apology to Ray, too. I'd failed everybody. Most of all, I'd failed my brother. I was so sure that I would escape, and every single sure plan I had was thrown back in my face. I was paying for the consequences of my actions. I allowed the words of Heidi, Eleazar and the Cullens to fuel me with hope that was never possible. I had no power. I was a puppet. Aro would only use me for a weapon, if he chose to keep me.

That's all I was, all I felt like: a weapon.

"All I am is a weapon," I hummed, a delirious tune forming on my lips. "Shoot them down 'til I end up alone."

"What?"

"She spoke!" Esme cried.

"Cheyenne. Are you all right?" Carlisle asked again. I could see him in my peripheral; his knit sweater and jeans never changed, not since the day following the ball.

"Just leave her, Carlisle. I told you she's left us all doomed," Rosalie spat with venom in her voice. "This was all a mistake."

"Rosalie," Carlisle chided, but it held no fight.

"We're not giving up," Edward said sharply. "If you had any compassion in that shallow head of yours, you'd help us instead of complaining."

Rosalie hissed, and Edward hissed back.

"Bella. I hate to say it, but she looks like you when Edward left you," Emmett said, his deep voice echoing across the chamber. "She looks dead."

I barely heard their whispering, and tuned them out. The mumbling hum left my lips again, repeating in my head over and over again like a broken record.

All I am is a weapon. Shoot them down til I end up alone.

All I am is a weapon.

All I am is a weapon.

All I am is a weapon.

It was sick and twisted; I didn't care what happened to me at this point, but I knew one thing was for sure: I wasn't going to be Aro's damn puppet. I wasn't going to join his psychotic little clan. They were evil; all of them. They were heartless, cold, selfish and ruthless. They sought to do nothing but hurt, kill and destroy, all for the sake of power.

Any hope I had of escaping like Carlisle and Heidi's friend did, died the moment that cage closed.

"Cheyenne," Carlisle tried again. "I won't say anything else to try and get you to talk. I just want you to try and eat something next time. Anything. And if you don't want to do it for me, then do it for David."

I said nothing, and instead turned my back to them.

If David was dead, I would be, too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~S~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My period eventually ended, and I assumed I'd been free of it for two or three days. The pad in my underwear was soaked with blood, and I had robotically ripped it out, regardless of the Cullens being present.

I rolled it up and threw it at Felix spitefully when he brought me my tray of food. Alec had been there, surprisingly, and he'd only stared at me with that same satisfied, cold, unfeeling smile. It only caused my insides to erupt in pain when my eyes landed on him, but I wouldn't let him see it. For once, I'd used my numb emotions to my advantage, and gave him the coldest stare back.

You son of a bitch, I thought to myself.

Felix's face was blank and professional. He usually said nothing when he brought my food, but always commented when I didn't eat anything.

"Aro's not pleased with your lack of eating," Felix announced, his voice businesslike. "He would like you to eat, or else there will be consequences."

That was the first time I'd felt any type of motivation to move.

I found my limbs moving robotically as I strode to the front of my cell, my eyes staring straight into Felix's.

Those damn, demented, evil crimson eyes that had betrayed me. He'd been part of this, too.

Determinedly, I gathered saliva in my mouth and spat in his face. He didn't move, or blink.

"I don't give one single shit what Aro wants," I spoke for the first time in days, my voice sharp, cold, and icy, but dead. I sounded utterly dead, and I couldn't register the fact that I was cursing. "If death is what he'll give me, then I'll gladly take it. I'd be free of you and everyone else here. So, you can tell Aro that he can go fuck himself, and that I'll be waiting."

I picked up the tray from the floor and dumped it over, shoving it through the bars, where it clattered onto the floor. Just as I was about to turn my back, Alec swung the cell open effortlessly, striding in with purpose. I braced myself, defiantly clenching my fists as I stared at him with a dead glare.

His hand came up, too fast for me to see, and struck me across the face. His hand was cold, hard, and unforgiving, and I cried out. The stinging pain felt like I'd been hit with sheet metal, and I tumbled to the ground, a wave of shock washing over me at the action. I held my cheek, my eyes wide as I heaved out gasps, the pain radiating the entire right side of my face.

No. I will not damn cry, I thought, willing myself to keep the tears in. I only heard Alec's cold, icy voice as he leaned down and spoke into my ear.

"You would not dare try to defy him," Alec hissed, low and threatening.

It was the same tone he used on every one of my enemies, and now it seemed that I was one.

"You have run out of gracious pardons from us, human," he continued, firm and frightening. "I suggest you start showing respect, or you will suffer much worse than that. You will only wish you could cease to exist, the way that I do about you."

"You son of a bitch!" Emmett roared at them, a loud, metallic screeching sound coming from their cage. "If I ever get out of here, it's you and me, Alec! You're dead, you hear me?!"

Felix and Alec said nothing as they departed, the tray in Felix's hand.

I felt my body slump to the ground, the blackness closing in around me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~S~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I came to, the first thing I felt was the aching pain in my face.

I groaned, my vision blurry at first, and it slowly cleared up as I blinked.

"Cheyenne?" Carlisle whispered. "Cheyenne! Can you hear me?"

My body felt heavy, and it took me four tries to finally sit up. I held my cheek, my eyes searching my surroundings until they landed on him. I nodded slowly, grimacing.

"Are you having trouble focusing?" Carlisle asked urgently. "I want to make sure you don't have a concussion. Alec struck you fairly hard."

"No," I mumbled. "My face aches."

"Look at my finger here," he instructed, holding it outside of the cell. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three," I answered, and he nodded.

"Any sleepiness, or dizziness?"

"No."

I stood, feeling myself wake up more, but I felt horrible, and it finally clicked.

Alec had slapped me.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Esme asked worriedly, her face troubled as she watched me. "She's bruised, Carlisle!"

"I've had worse," I said dully, my hand seeming to burn my skin as it came to my face again. I shook my head in a daze, feeling even more hurt and betrayed.

Alec had truly turned on me. He had never loved me, or even liked me. I'd known this for a few days now, but it was hitting even harder. He was cruel at first, and then so incredibly tender with me.

And now, he was one hundred percent brutal. Just like Jane.

"We need to start forming a plan to get out of here," Carlisle said, looking at his family.

"Yeah, like I'm gonna let Aro win this," Emmett threatened, his giant fists coming together.

I just shook my head, the bitterness of David's death echoing in my heart. "He's already won. He took David from me. I was supposed to get him out first. Without him, it's not worth it. It's just not. Shouldn't you have all be able to get out of here, anyway? You have inhuman strength."

"The bars are sealed with vampire venom. It's indestructible," Carlisle informed me. Emmett let out a loud growl, and slammed his fist into it. It didn't budge.

For the first time in days, I felt my eyes prick with tears, and I leaned my face against my hand that was resting on the bars. I felt a sob escape me, the feeling of loss washing over me. I didn't want to be feeling these things, so why was I?

"Carlisle," Esme pleaded, a sob in her own voice.

"Cheyenne," Carlisle spoke. "You can't bring him back. I'm sorry. But, what is it worth if you don't fight? David fought for you. I'm sure he'd encourage you to do the same."

As I sobbed, falling to my knees, I suddenly remembered the words David had uttered. His last words to me. The words I had completely locked away and forgotten in my dark, numb state.

"Forget everything I said! Fight! Get out, all right? Do you hear me?"

I love you. No matter how much you hate me.

Do you hear me?

Do you hear me?

Do you hear me?

I hear you.

The only way out was to fight. And to fight, I had only one weapon: my gift.

A gift I'd refused to use, because it only made me feel like a monster instead of an artist.

You do hold power, dear human, Heidi's voice echoed in my mind. You just do not realize how much of it that you hold. I think that if you were to really dig deep inside of yourself, you could see how powerful you truly are. And not in the way Aro wants you to be. The way that you already are.

The way that you already are.

She was insinuating that I had control over my gift.

A new feeling began to form, build, and emerge. A swelling feeling that almost cushioned the pain and betrayal I'd been feeling. It covered my pain, my loss, my grief, and although it didn't take it away, it overtook those feelings and sparked something tiny within me. The tiniest flicker of something I hadn't felt in what felt like years now.

Hope.

Do it for David, Carlisle had said, and I hadn't been listening. He was right. I may have lost him, Alec, and my friendship with Felix, but I couldn't lose hope. I couldn't stop fighting, because that's exactly what David would want me to do, whether he was dead or alive. He loved me, even though I didn't return his romantic sentiments. I loved him in a different way, and I couldn't be selfish. I might as well have been Rosalie.

I had to fight. If I didn't, what was all this for? What good would it do to just let Aro win? What good would it do me to turn a deaf ear to David's words again? That's how I got here in the first place.

I couldn't let him down again. Even in death, I had to keep fighting for him.

I wiped the sleeve of my hoodie across my face, standing to face them again. I opened my mouth to speak, but the sound of heavy footsteps quieted me. I turned toward the sound, seeing Felix appear with another tray in his hands. He opened the door, setting the tray down and closing it without a word.

Both of us cast a short stare at one another, and when he departed for the stairs, I spoke up.

"Felix," I whispered, moving to the front of the cage. He stopped momentarily, barely turning his head in my direction.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked brokenly. "Were you ever my friend? At all?"

He turned his head fully to me, giving me a blank look. He didn't answer, instead retreating back up the stairs after a few moments passed.

I slumped, anger flaring through me as I turned to pick up the tray and trash it again. When I reached down for it, my hand shoving underneath the plastic, something caught my eye, stopping me.

There, next to my prepared meal, were two white pills with the familiar red letters stamped on them.

Tylenol.

But, it didn't answer my question. It only left me more confused.

Later, we attempted to discuss any type of escape plans, but nothing would work. We had no fire, or any type of elements to help us, and squeezing through the spaces between the bars was impossible; the space wasn't wide enough, even for Alice.

It wasn't until the next evening that I had found the iPod in my pocket, and started keeping track of time as best I could. There was no use in trying to message anyone, even Cassie, since I hadn't spoken to her in over a month, and she'd know I would eventually be dead. Sure, Ned could have told her and everyone else that he saw me, but he never knew what happened to me after that. He never would find me. It would be impossible for them to know I was here.

I hummed to myself, knowing that I couldn't sing. I kept humming that same tune over and over again, the words creeping their way into my mind.

All I am is a weapon.

I shoot them down 'til I end up alone

"I seem fine," I mumbled. "But, I can't take the highs and the lows."

David, I can't take this anymore. I don't know if I can fight. This is so hard without you. I always had you to fight for me, but fighting isn't as easy as you made it look. Why did you have to die? This is all my fault.

If only my voice worked the same way my humanity did; protecting me by canceling out everyone's gifts.

It wasn't fair that I was gifted with my humanity, and David couldn't ever get his back. He couldn't get his life back.

My heart twisted painfully, and a silent sob washed over me.

The only sound I heard was my sobs, and the endless amount of apologies I incoherently mumbled before sleep took me under.

It ain't gettin' any better for Cheyenne, is it? Yeah, I know.

I had someone ask me in the reviews how Aro knew that Alec was faking his feelings for Cheyenne. The answer is: Aro knows all😉 it's his castle, after all.

As always, I love seeing your reviews. It really makes me excited to see what you all think. Please keep reviewing and letting me know what you think! New chapter is already in the works!