15. Cave

Esme took Alice and I outside to the backyard after I warmed back up. Even though it was July, it was still cool. It was a different kind of cold than in New York, and I could feel the cold inside my bones. Esme had mentioned that it was usually warmer in August.

"Hey!" Jasper called to us as if we were lifelong friends.

I looked at him in surprise, and Alice looked at me like she wasn't sure if Jasper was actually talking to us.

"I'm really sorry about before…" Jasper said quietly when he was closer to us, "Do you want to come and see our cave we made? Rose and I have been building it since school finished, but we need help to finish the roof"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Esme smile, pleased by Jasper's friendliness. I did not particularly want to go, but I also did not want to insult Esme.

"Sure," I said wryly, and I took Alice's hand as we followed him,

"Do you think this is a trick?" Alice whispered to me,

"I'm not sure, but I think if we play with them it will make Esme happy"

She nodded, "Yeah, that's true I guess. I just have a bad feeling about this"

Jasper led us to a large hole in the ground. Rocks lined the hole, making it look like an inverted cave.

"Do you two mind going inside and putting these small rocks inside the cracks?"

I nodded, but I did not want to climb in. The entrance was small, and the bottom looked fairly far down.

Alice climbed in first. She seemed even more as apprehensive as I did, but she too wanted to make Esme happy.

Jasper looked uncomfortable as he helped me inside. He looked like he wanted to pull both of us out, but some outside force stopped him…

The hole was a lot deeper than I expected. It was at least a foot taller than me, and neither Alice and I would be able to climb out.

It went dark as soon as we started putting down the smaller rocks.

"Hello?" I shouted

"Now you two losers will be gone" Rosalie called down to us in a mocking voice, "Now we can live with Aunty Esme and you two will be gone"

Alice and I turned to stare at each other. Her instincts were right, as usual.

The cave was covered by what looked to be long pieces of plywood. The sun shined in the cracks.

Alice skricked, louder than I ever heard her.

"It's the same, it's the same, it's the same" Alice repeated over and over again. She automatically took off her jacket and placed it on my head.

"Don't leave me" She said, tears streaming down her eyes as she screamed.

It took me longer than it should have to realize what she was remembering.

Alice did not remember the accident like I did, but she remembered crawling around the debris and taking care of me.

I tried to sit up, but she wouldn't let me move.

I started to scream with Alice, desperate to get her out of this place.

I tried to be strong for her. I couldn't start crying. I couldn't allow myself to remember. I had to focus on saving her.

It felt like hours had passed. We continued to scream as loud as we could. She eventually let go of me and we tried to climb out, but neither of us could get a tight grip on the rocks. Alice tried to put me on her shoulders, but she couldn't stand back up with my weight crushing her.

"If we don't get out of here," Alice said in between her sobs, "Remember that I love you. You are the best brother I could have asked for…" She trailed off, her sobs over taking her.

The sun began to set. Our throats were raw from screaming. We both curled into balls, and moved as close to each other as we could. I rested my head on her shoulder, and she put her head on top of mine. She held out her hand wordlessly and I took it.

When I closed my eyes my mind started to release all the thoughts I was oppressing.

What if we were never found?

What if Carlisle and Esme wanted to get rid of us?

What if Esme wanted children who were related to her by blood?

"Alice! Edward!" I heard a voice say.

They were far away, I nudged Alice awake.

"Do you hear that?" I whispered

"Alice! Edward!" I heard again.

We both tried to call back, but our voices were too weak.

The voices sounded like they were getting further away, and Alice sobbed

"Don't leave me," She whispered.

I had to save her.

I took in as much air as I could and screamed. Every part of my throat ached, and my body fell over from excursion.

"Alice? Edward?" voices repeated, getting closer to us. Neither of us could say anything back.

Someone pulled the plywood out of the way, and Carlisle and Esme climbed into the hole. They both embarrassed both of us, and they both started crying. I could feel both of them kissing us repeatedly, and the feeling of their warm tears.

They pulled us out of the hole and wrapped us with blankets. Neither of them ever took their hands off of us.

Alice turned her head to me and mouthed thank you to me. I tried to wink, but I was not sure if it worked.

I was aware of the other people around after I began to relax. Police officers and paramedics were surrounding us, and other people who I did not recognize watched us and cried. Uncle Eleazar and Aunty Carmen were right beside Carlisle and Esme, and they both seemed concerned about us.

Esme held me, but was still holding ALice's hand. Carlisle was holding Alice and running his hand along my cheek. Both of them were still crying, but they looked… happy.

Esme and Carlisle reluctantly handed us to the paramedics. They took our temperature and examined us, and gave us silver blankets, and I could see a reflection on myself through them. My lips were bright blue, and my skin seemed to be a light blue colour.

I looked over at Alice, and she seemed to be the same shade of blue as me. I hadn't realized I was cold.

"They don't have hypothermia" A deep voice told our parents, "but they might go into shock"

"We will watch them carefully" Carlisle responded,

"Yes, do that. And please bring them in if you notice any changes in them. We look forward to seeing you for your first shift, Dr. Cullen. Your fast actions are what saved them today"

Carlisle nodded, and then he came and picked us both up. He walked through the house and did not look at anyone. I could feel eyes looking at us, but I couldn't look back at them.

Instead of walking to the basement, Carlisle put us in the car.

"Where are we going?" Alice asked,

"We are going to stay at a hotel for a little while, love. In a few weeks we will move into a house with just the four of us" Esme sighed, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have let you out of my sight, but I had no idea Rose was that… angry"

"It's not your fault," I said, trying to copy the way Carlisle reassured her, "You didn't know"

When we got to the hotel, Carlisle got us dinner and Esme gave us each a bath. Instead of them sleeping in the other bed. They both laid down next to Alice and I and circled their bodies so they were protecting us.

"I love you" I said as I let my eyelids drop

All the arms around me flexed in response, and I let myself fall asleep.