Into the Woods
By: Everleigh Allen
Chapter 14
"So what's up with your mother?"
Bella frowned, momentarily confused at the sudden subject change and started to fumble with her fingers. "What do you mean?"
"Are you going to talk to her?"
"I need to." Bella sat up, no longer wanting to lay down on such a fragile conversation. "I can understand somewhat of her actions, because I grew up with her. But what do you say to someone about their actions when they are in a difficult place and state of mind. After thinking about it, I think I need to just… try to let it go for now. She took care of me- however oddly- in the only way she knows how. If she didn't want me, she wouldn't have had me or kept me. At least that's what I am telling myself."
"I understand. I can't help but take part in the guilt. In an alternate universe, maybe I wouldn't have been there… wouldn't have met you until school."
"Ah, yes. That seems to be your theme today- alternate universes."
"They are infinite." He chuckles, running his fingers over Bella's cheek. "It's a good theme. To me it means things happen and maybe they would have- could have been different-"
"But they aren't Edward." Bella said with exasperation. "Our story has history but it's really just starting. Life is an ever changing thing based on our choices and the choices we put upon others."
"I know. I've lived over 100 years based on the choice of my mother and my adoptive father. I don't know that I would have chosen this life for myself otherwise. It's been a long time waiting for you to exist. I wasn't going to let anyone or anything change it."
Edward picked up Bella's hand but frowned when he saw the bruises over her wrist. He had to control the rage he was feeling.
It wouldn't help anything to be angry about it now, he kept telling himself, but later… definitely.
He couldn't wait for the next meet up with Jake Black.
"Well, in that case, in an alternative universe you would be in a crypt where I would be lost in the forest, alone… with no one to help me with the wolves."
"I like this universe."
"I like it, too." Bella smiled, leaning forward for a peck on the lips which he readily gave.
"So, back to your mom; you said she got you a gift?"
"Oh! Yes, although she really shouldn't have. I am almost afraid to open it."
"Why?"
"She said to open on the summer solstice."
"Is Renee into some kind of voodoo? She did have live in New Orleans and the south…" Edward looked away, playing with a strand of grass.
The little delicate piece of grass was wilted and disintegrated within seconds.
"Not that I ever saw, although she is an avid True Blood watcher."
Edward laughed for a second before turning somber. "I think you should open it early."
"What does Alice see about it?"
A few seconds later Edward's phone chimed and he took it out of his pocket and looked at it up with a grin. "Alice is inherently nosey."
"Can't see what it is?"
Edward sighed, "Oh, she probably can."
"Well, we have nothing better to do, let's go open it!"
"But we were having a romantic picnic."
Bella smirked. "Is that what we're doing here? Because I thought people ate at picnics, usually, not just talking and kissing."
Edward groaned as he sat up, ran his hand over his face, and mumbled, "I forgot to feed the human."
"It's just that you distract me."
Bella was chomping on a sandwich while Edward walked them through the forest.
Running was problematic with sustenance casualties.
Apparently Bella couldn't hold a flopping sandwich while Edward raced through the forest.
Edward blamed airstream turbulence.
Bella blamed Edward and his need to show off.
Luckily there was a second sandwich.
Apparently, Alice foretold the sandwich's demise Edward confessed.
Bella just rolled her eyes.
"So, what would happen if a deer came walking along, would you drop and ditch me to go eat it?"
Edward scoffed. "No."
"Why not?"
"Well, one, I would never drop or ditch you. That's just ridicules." He scoffed. "Second, the deer- or any other animals- would never go near me on purpose. I am a predator and prey tends to avoid us, except for you. You don't seem to have any self-preservation. And three, I am not thirsty. I glutton myself before I go to you to temper the need to want to eat you."
"Well, maybe my instincts are whack when it comes to you because you're not a scary-bitey vampire."
"Oh, I am very bitey and I can be very scary, but-"
"Yes. Your terrifying disposition is showing aptly. I am very afraid."
"But not when it comes to you, Bella! I can't bear to lose you." He said solemnly.
Bella finished her sandwich in silence, but choking it down since her throat was closing up. She couldn't bear thinking that Edward would want to harm her, but he was a supernatural creature and she was essentially his food.
"Tell me more about this 'mate' thing."
Edward smiled since the subject changed. "For generations the vampire species have sought after the one that they feel is their mate. We kind of talked about that before, so I will give other examples of human and vampire mating."
"So they're common?"
"Yes and no. Rarely vampires find their mates with other vampires. The dating pool for vampires is limited whereas humans are in abundant supply. You know how close I feel to you but in Carlisle's case he met his mate in her human life."
"Wow, really?"
"Mm, hmm. She had been brought in by her husband after a rough drunken night. It's not my story to tell, but there was some violence while she was pregnant and she was in to check on the unborn baby."
Bella gasped, tears pricking her eyes.
"Carlisle, of course, felt the connection to her right away. I'm sure she must have, too. He's very… compassionate but lonely and she's a natural caregiver. When they saw each other, they saw/ had what the other inherently needed.
When he had to tell her that the baby would need to be watched carefully to ensure its survival, he could only hope she would hear his unsaid plea to leave her husband.
She did not leave him, in that sense.
She did, however, lose her baby. Carlisle, if you remember, found her but her husband was dead still on the rocks of the cliff."
"I remember."
"So, Carlisle, ever the ladies' man, wooed Esme and she in turn chose to become a vampire and to live her life with Carlisle. Had she been able to have more children her choice of being changed may have been different, but she couldn't. She did see that I was there for her to parent and I humor her. But she's our mother ever since."
"I am glad they found each other."
"Yeah. Now, Emmett and Rosalie is a completely different scenario. Carlisle changed her when she was dying in hope that she and I would be mates.
Not his finest moment.
But she found Emmett who was hiking in the forest, after he had the unfortunate encounter up with a bear. The bear was killing him, trying to eat him when Rosalie came along- hunting. She carried his battered and bloody for about a hundred miles to Carlisle. Carlisle sired him, as well."
"Wait… So technically, since he changed you, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, and you- you all are related, at least by Carlisle's venom."
Bella felt Edward stop and then shudder. "That's just… gross. I can't believe we never thought of it that way."
She laughed, saying, "Giddy-up," and kicked her heels before Edward started walking again.
Edward stopped at Bella's house and they opened the front door to an empty house. She was happy to see that Charlie had not yet come home at all, and was still in La Push.
Thankfully there was a lack of horny teenage werewolves.
They were up in Bella's room when Edward noticed the collection of polished rocks in a glass jar. Edward tipped the jar and they fell into his palm.
"I didn't know you collect rocks." He said picking up an iridescent milky-blue one up, inspecting it.
Bella turned her head to look at him, "I don't. Those were a gift from my mother. I think they mean different things."
"What's this one?"
Bella walked over from the closet where she pulled out a small duffle bag, to Edward on the bed.
"Um, I think that's a rainbow moonstone. It means good luck, good fortune, and intuition basically. I can't remember all of what they mean, just in general. My mother had about a year of intensive studying them with Moonshine."
"Is there a story about Moonshine?"
"There are lots of stories about him." Bella laughed, shaking her head. "He's… different. But he and my mother are kindred spirits, or so she says."
Edward fumbled through several more stones before pulling out a plain quartz crystal. "How about this one?"
"Um, cleanses and absorbs negativity, charges the other crystals, yada yada." She said absentmindedly. She moved away and pulled a box from under her bed and stuffed it in the duffel bag.
"Ready?"
Edward eyed the box warily before standing up and saying, "Yep…"
"Hmm, I thought you would try taking advantage of me and the very empty house…"
Edward's eyes darkened. He stalked forward, closing the distance between him and his Bella.
"I very much want to take advantage of you." He leaned in cupping her face before his lips touched hers. Very gentle at first, just to tease her- just to taunt her. He pulled back just a bit; just enough for his tongue tipped out and grace her lip. Her body shuddered as she licked her lip where he had left a faint taste of venom.
It took several moments for her to find her head and when she did, she glared at the retreating Edward. "You're a tease, Edward Cullen."
He just snickered and led her out the door.
…
"I am so excited!" Alice clapped as she jumped, but it was like a flurry of movement for Bella.
"Calm yourself." Bella exclaimed, her eyes rolling as she passed Alice and moved through the front door and into the Cullen house.
"Oh! You'll love it, I see!"
"Alice!" Edward sneered, "You're ruining it with your dramatics."
"Oh, shush brother. It's not like you didn't see it in my mind!"
"Well, it could have-"
"Oh, I know, Edward. It could have hurt Bella!" She mimicked.
"Come on," he sighed. His hand was at the base of her back, leading her away until they traveled to the stairs. He then shifted behind her as she stepped up the stairs.
He may or may not be watching Bella's ass as she walked up in front of him.
Once in the room, Edward shut the door and they sat at the end of his bed.
"Alice isn't coming up?" Bella said, a bit nervously. She set the box down between them.
Edward shook his head, "No, she already knows what's in Renee's box."
"Well, let's get this over with." Bella sighed as she started opening the present, her hands almost shaking. She looked at Edward before she cracked the lid.
She opened it all the way, setting the lid to the side and moved the yellow tissue paper aside. There was an envelope that sat on top of another tissue wrapped present.
Carefully, Bella opened the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper. The card seemed to be hand painted in watercolors with a nature scene that resembled Forks in the background with blue skies and white clouds. But in the foreground there was a silver hand painted, design. It had three swirls that connected at the base, and went outward. In the middle was a yellow gemlike sun.
Bella frowned with confusion as she opened the card.
It was a poem.
Into the Woods
Deep into the woods, on Gaelach day
She laughed as she watched the wild bluebells sway
With a flick of the light doth chance a teasing fae
While into the woods watching, the dire one lay
With mirth and mayhem doth she play
Straight into the woods where the spirits slay
"What is that supposed to mean?" Bella asked Edward, turning the card over for any type of clue or explanation.
Edward shrugged but his eyes locked onto the poem trying to dissect it.
When he thought he had a few ideas he interrupted Bella's thoughts to insist she open the rest.
Bella opened the tissue paper to reveal a small jewelry box. She opened it to see a sterling silver pendant and matching earrings. It was very similar to the design on the front of the card. There was a gold little ball.
"Well, I know that this is Celtic Triskelion Jewelry," Edward said. "This is the sun and these are the seasons."
Bella smiled as she looked at the pretty jewelry, touching it lightly.
"What does it mean?"
Edward sat back, trying to recall the Celtic meanings. "Well, it depends on what she meant for it to mean, I guess, or what you want it to mean.
But it means things like: the sun and the seasons, or movement forward like past, present, future. It could mean power, intellect, and love. Or maybe it's a hint of warning, like creator, destroyer, and sustainer." He laughed, menacingly. "That's fitting considering what I am."
"Or what the werewolves are," Bella interjected, with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes or even something as simple as mother, father, and child. It can also mean creation, preservation, and destruction or the otherworld, the mortal world, and the celestial world. It's endless, really."
"Why couldn't she just be normal?" Bella groaned with exasperated laugh. "Here's a card with pretty flowers, "Happy Solstice Day," and twenty bucks!" she mimicked.
Edward didn't know what to say, so he went with, "I'm sorry, love."
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I like the jewelry. It's pretty. But the ominous poem that's open to interpretation is getting to me. She never just says what she thinks, there's always something to figure out with her."
"So, what do you think the poem means?"
Bella lay back onto Edward's bed. "I don't know. It's like she's trying to warn me of something, probably you." She snorted.
"Well, bluebells sway… they grow wildly in the woods during the spring and summer and the gift is a summer solstice gift. Maybe it's a warning?"
Bella sat back up. "I don't know. Because Eire is Irish, so Eire Day would be St. Patrick's Day, right?"
"It very well could be."
"But that would be in the spring. You said Blue Bells grow there then, too. So, what would, 'With a flick of the light doth chance a teasing fae" mean?"
"Ugh, trying to figure this poem out is like trying to figure Renee out. Impossible." Bella groaned.
"Was there anything else in the box?"
"Yeah, a few more stones that had to do with the solstice and a little wooden box."
"What's in the wooden box?"
Bella cracked open the box and pointed it at Edward. "See? Nothing. It's empty."
"That's weird."
"I thought so, too! But that's Renee."
"Huh." Edward took the brown wooden box and inspected it. He smelled the inside, but it had no discernible scents. He looked for any type of patent or signature, either. The etched top had several Irish types of carvings; several were the normal type of Celtic symbols etched into the background, but the one that matched her necklace was clearly front and center.
"Edward, you okay?"
Edward was searching the box fervently as if it was a puzzle and his brow was stitched so tight as if he was worried.
"What kind of religions was Renee into, exactly?"
Bella frowned, narrowing her eyes as she watched Edward. He carefully opened and closed the box before he turned it to look at the intricate hinges.
"She's very spiritual, I guess, maybe like a 1960's Hippie, but not with all the free love. She was more of a tree hugging, free spirit."
Edward was not convinced and grunted. "Anything specific?"
"Not that I remember." Bella said. "She said that things have energy, trees, plants, people, even rocks."
With that Edward's eyes darted to the set of rocks on the bed, wondering what each one meant.
He felt as if they all had meaning and that they were closely related clues.
"Sounds like Celtic Animism." Edward mumbled.
Bella pretended not to hear him, just musing over everything while she decided she was going to look it all up later.
"Okay, my brain is going to explode and you promised me a tour of your house."
Edward's head popped up and he smiled his yummy devilish smile.
"Let's get ze human food to go and zen I vill take you to my lair."
Enter evil, archetypical vampire laugh here.
"Your Bela Lugosi accent needs some work." She giggled, "Maybe we should just skip the food and go right to the lair?" She gave him a suggestive eyebrow wiggle.
"Well we could but if we do the only thing appetizing there would be you." He leaned in close, his breath cool over her heated skin and whispered in her ear, "I may not be able to control myself."
.
A/N: Let's give you something to think about and end it there. Ideas, thoughts? Do you like the gift? Things are about to get more interesting.
Below are the links to the jewelry and meanings or you can just Google the name: Celtic Triskelion
www . gaelsong product /150841/ celtic-midsummer
www . whats-your-sign triskelion-celtic-symbol-meaning . html
If you want you can Wiki Celtic Animism or go with the flow. Second, remember… Renee has to come back to Forks eventually!
If you've read any other stories by me, like The Decanter and the Doll, It's All Greek to Me, Sirens, or The Painter nothing seems to make sense until the very end. I am weird like that. It's a confusing- but hopefully- fun ride that only makes sense to me. Even though I am HEAVY with the Irish ancestor blood in me, I'm American and don't speak the language. I don't always get it right! So, with the poem I wrote, I was looking for a word that would fit with what I was going for, and thought Éire fit. So, according to my Irish friend, Greta, I should use: Lá Gaelach which literally means, "Day of the Irish one" But it doesn't rhyme, so it will be Gaelach day… Thanks, jansails/jan2 for setting me in the right direction! I was going off of: Éire (Gaelic) is the Irish name for the island of Ireland and the sovereign state of the same name. Oops!
P.S. I know a ton about crystals, actually, even though Bella is more aloof to them. I have a huge crystal collection that basically takes over the house! (They are even in my foundation of the home!) They can and often are used to clear and alter the energy of the space. For instance, I have a Smokey Quartz cluster that clears the energy of those entering our home. There's also amethyst, quartz, citrine, a Selenite lamp, and tourmaline there to help… not to mention the 30 or so spheres I have at the front door. They won't be a huge part of the story, but crystals have been used for years from the church, to royalty, and everyday use- even the simple gift of a sapphire to a spouse to insure "fidelity." (I laughed so hard when my sisters ex-husband gave that to her as an engagement ring. It's a fun little world to dive into.