Into the Woods
By: Everleigh Allen
Chapter 37
Bella sat on the couch in the Cullen living room glaring from one vampire to another.
She had had enough of their beatific stone faces that smiled at her with a false easiness. There was nothing normal about the way they were acting and it was as if everyone was just waiting for something to happen.
"Demetri is on the cliffs," Edward sighed even though he didn't need to.
It became instantly apparent why they were all on edge.
The nomads.
"Edward said there's news?" Bella asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Oh, yes." Alice nodded happily. "Felix and Demetri are going to give life without oppression a go!"
"What?" Bella asked, looking up at Edward to reiterate but he seemed to be distracted, looking at Alice, but in a haze.
He's reading her mind.
She went to grab his hand, but in an instant he was across the room before she could even blink. The movement made her gasp and sputter, turning to look for him with worry and sudden anger.
"You're keeping something from me!" She accused. Her hands were fisted as she looked between the two vampires.
"No. We're just having a silent discussion and everyone is getting up to speed. We'll have company soon, so we'll talk soon, privately, once everything's clearer."
Bella huffed and moved toward the couch and flopped herself on it before pressing into the pressure points on the either side of her forehead.
Everything was so messed up.
Her life was turned upside down.
Her boyfriend is a hundred year old teenage vampire.
Her childhood friend is a teenage werewolf that eats said vampires.
Her mother, the same woman who had jinxed the land with some weird charm or spell then gave her daughter only rocks to protect herself, was upstairs in a coma.
The vampire who attacked her mother was lounged over the couch and played a game on his phone.
Was everything happening because she opened the box too early?
Whose box was this really?
Pandora's?
Bella scoffed as eyes drifted toward her in confusion.
She shrugged her shoulders, "Pandora's box, indeed." She laughed without humor. "What's going to happen with my mom?" Bella looked at Alice, "Is she going to wake up?"
Alice frowned and looked at Edward.
Edward moved toward Bella and wrapped his arm around her.
"We don't see her waking up-"
Bella gasped cupping her mouth with her hand. Her eyes were wide and searching.
"Demetri thinks Renee may be his singer and or mate, but he went after the vampire James who's after you because of me.
"The dirty one?"
"Yeah," Edward scoffed, "In more ways than one, it seems."
"What do you mean?"
Edward looked down at Bella with dark, worried eyes. "Didn't he look familiar to you?"
"What? No."
Edward sat back into the couch, seemingly lost in thought for several moments.
"Bella, I thought you knew so I didn't say anything but James thinks he knows you. That's why he went after you… well, us. I just figured it out when I got to the house and put it altogether."
"Put what altogether?" Bella whispered, afraid of the answer. She tried to recall if she had seen the vampire who recognized her.
"Bella," Edward sighed, "James is a tracker. And we just made this the most exciting game in the world to him. He thinks you're the same, brown eyed girl with the pigtails that he saw all of those years ago."
Bella grabbed his hand and this time he allowed it.
Visions, convoluted as they were borrowed by Alice, showed a man with darker hair, black eyes, and a late-eighties, early-nineties style of clothes. He was escorting her mother to the house after their date and they were laughing lightly as he walked her to her door. That's where a little Bella was waiting with large brown eyes and red balloon printed smock.
"He was wearing a wig, today." Bella gasped. "That's why it wasn't like other vampires. That's why he was gross and messy. He was trying to disguise himself from me and my memories."
"Yes," Alice said. "He was going to take your mother then, but you opened the door and surprised him. I can't tell if he was stalking her to get some dinner or to go after her sexually-"
"Or maybe he was using her to get to you." Edward interrupted. "He could have been after you the whole time and he had to get around her, first. Maybe he was gaining trust-"
"Oh my gosh!" Bella gasped as her memory started flicking pictures and words and putting the long lost memories from childhood with the memories of the day.
His name was James Lawson from Georgia.
The stalker who as Renee said wouldn't leave her alone.
The same one who sat outside her school.
The same one that sat outside their house in his old beat up car.
Renee moved many times to get away from him, dragging Bella along. But he always seemed to find them and showed up randomly.
Until one day he was gone.
"Edward!" Bella cried out a weird screeching sound, "He's Renee's stalker!"
Alice cackled. She cackled with her head back and eyes closed. Then, she stopped and put her head straight forward and glared at Bella. "No. He was your stalker… my stalker… Victoria's stalker. Get the drift?"
"No."
Bella waited but no one answered. Edward just turned sharply before whispering, "Bella, he's collecting people that show that they have apparent gifts in their human life, which would be amplified if they were to be changed into in a vampire. You're mother probably has a gift, as you do as a shield."
"But he could have killed me a long time ago, why now?"
"Maybe he doesn't want you dead! Maybe he wants to change you into a vampire!" Edward scoffed, "You were a kid when he met her and maybe his attention was on her because of how she dabbles in spells and the like, but his attention was diverted to you, Bella. He was waiting for you to become an adult. He was probably stalking you all this time to see what, if any gifts you have and then change you."
"He must be a little like Eleazar and read people's gifts." Carlisle mused, "It would explain Alice and Victoria. Both are gifted. He probably did date Renee to get closer to Bella."
"But he left-"
"Yes, giving a false sense of safety, but now he's back." Esme exhaled.
"He's probably been here scoping out Charlie." Emmett laughed, "Doing a little recon."
"That makes sense," Rosalie nodded, "he must have heard that Bella was coming to stay with him and was lingering in the background biding time."
"And now I am here and so is he," Bella shuddered.
"And he's come to collect." Alice added ominously.
.
"Right now?" Bella screeched looking around at each vampire around the room with abject horror. "Like, he's here now to collect… me?"
Edward put his hands over his face and dragged them down, feeling the tension as it rolled through him.
"Soon," Alice said cryptically with a confirming nod.
Bella never wanted to attack someone more in her entire life. Alice stood stoically in a deep vacant haze.
She glared at them, hating their resigned stature as she was freaking out. "Shouldn't we run? You know, go somewhere they are less likely to go to, like Arizona?"
"Why Arizona?" Alice looked confused, her eyes finally focusing on Bella.
"Because you sparkle in the sun?" Bella raised both arms as if to prove her point. She was losing her patience. It was as if the vampires could care less that she was in any danger.
Esme just huffed, turning to look out the window. "That wouldn't really hinder us, Bella. Once the sun comes down it's free rein on you for James. Not to mention vampires could seek reservation under hats, scarves, and gloves. Jasper, for instance, and many other vampires maintain various ranches in Arizona and Texas as well as many other sunny places, just as they have had for hundreds of years without notice."
Carlisle sighed. "Running is not going to stop them, unfortunately. Nothing will stop them now. We may need the werewolves, after all."
The idea of involving the wolves in the guarding of Charlie was put out there before and quickly dismissed as they were unpredictable at best and at worse- accepting their help would essentially dissolve the protection order that Bella had on Jake. Allowing him or his wolfie friends around her didn't seem like a viable answer.
No.
No, there had to be another way.
And what if they took her from him? Edward thought, worriedly before he looked at his family and finally landed on Carlisle. "We can't ensure Bella's safety with the wolves. They are too impulsive. They could take her and hide her. We'd have to break the treaty to try to get her back."
Emmett sat up, with wide eyes, "That might be the whole idea."
"I don't see why we need to protect all these humans, anyway." Rosalie huffed but everyone just ignored her as she typed away at her laptop. She was causing a bit of lust from her writing and Jasper was trying to ignore it and concentrate at the issues at hand.
Edward growled, glaring at Rosalie and then at Jasper who had the decency to look away.
"Stop, son. We'll think of something." Carlisle thought as waited for Edward to look at him. "There's nothing needing to be done now. One of the most proficient trackers is on James's tail and when he returns we can make our next decisions then."
Edward gave Carlisle a raised eyebrow. "And what about Victoria and Laurent?" he mumbled almost silently and watched a minuscule frown appear and disappear on Carlisle's face.
He put his palms together as if he was deep in thought. Finally, he shrugged and thought, "Perhaps Charlie could stay with Sue on the reservation or at here at our house?" Carlisle thought with a slight raise of his eyebrow.
Edward shrugged.
That could be a more sensible answer but Charlie had a job that he was expected to be at. No way could any vampire or even a wolf ride-along would be an option for an undetermined amount of time.
"I see Laurent going to Alaska," Alice said with a wave of her hand. She had grabbed a magazine and was sitting at the desk flipping through it. "I see him meeting Irina and staying there for a bit. He was growing tired of James and his games, anyway."
"Earth to Edward!" Bella sighed as Edward finally looked up at his girl. "I want to see Renee." She whispered, suddenly nervous. She wasn't sure what she would see upstairs and she was worried about the fact her mother may not wake up.
Edward nodded before standing up and watched absently as Alice's visions of the visit trickled through their minds simultaneously.
"I just need to get something out of my bag." Bella said, turning toward her purse and kneeled down. She pulled out a little canvas baggie full of Renee's precious crystals and rocks and then got up and walked to Edward. He led them up the stairs and into the room that Renee was in.
"I'd like a moment alone with her, please." Bella heave a sigh at the door, hand on the knob, as she looked up at Edward imploringly.
He didn't want to leave her side, but finally relented after seeing the insistent look in her eyes.
"Of course," Edward whispered as he stilled at the door. "I'll just be down stairs trying not to listen but totally listening." He smirked and Bella gave him a slight smile and a nod.
"Maybe you could go figure out what Victoria's up to?" Her eyes held such hope so he could only nod solemnly before he turned and left.
Bella walked in the room and shut the door behind her before she turned and saw her mother lying in a hospital type bed with monitors steadily beeping in time with her heart beat. She had an IV sticking out of her arm and some weird crescent scars that seemed to shine silver in the light of the room.
It was from where Jasper had bit her and then sealed the wounds shut with venom before she fell to the ground.
Renee was still not awake days later even after a blood transfusion and ceasing the medical inducted comma. She should, if she was going to, wake up soon.
"Hey Renee, Mom…" Bella sighed as she pulled the chair next to the bed closer. She picked up her hand and noticed it was rather cold and flimsy. She could also see the tiny, silvery crescent bite marks from the fairies, too. "I'm here, you know… finally." She laughed humorlessly.
She turned her mom's hand to the side and placed a few of the stones and crystals in it.
"I brought you some of your rocks since I know you love this kind of stuff." She scoffed as a tear escaped, lining her face, "So I brought a few that may be able to help you, now. So here's hoping that they work."
Bella took the baggie of stones and poured them out onto the palm of her hand.
She picked up the first stone and laid it in her mother's palm. "Here's a black obsidian stone which I guess absorbs anger and fear. I figure you need that since you may be lying there fuming mad at everything that's happened and happening and can't do anything about it." She plucked the small green stone and continued, "Here's your favorite peridot stone, which gives off joy. It promotes physical healing, balance, and releases emotional tension. Next, I chose rutilated quartz for you to bring strength with love and promote transition, petalite for divine protection." The cold stones sat on her cold palm looking completely useless. "And finally, pink tourmaline, which helps create joy and enthusiasm for life. But I always thought that about you, anyway. You were always so enthusiastic on all aspects of life, as obtuse and strange as they may have been at the time. I know you were just shielding me from things out of your control and searching… for something. I hope you'll someday find it. Find some content-ness."
Bella sobbed, curling her mother's hand over the stones.
"Maybe you should add the carnelian stone," Demetri scoffed as he slipped in the room and causing Bella to gasp with a jump backward and jostling the bed.
Bella narrowed her eyes, trying to recall the stone he was speaking of. There were just too many to remember. Before she realized that he shouldn't be in the room, let alone in the house.
"What-" Bella sputtered
He shut the door behind him and moved forward through the room. "The carnelian stone gives energy, enhances creativity and sexuality, recycles past life experiences, and so on and so forth." He said with boredom.
"You can't be in here." Bella whispered, "You should be out looking for James."
Demetri shrugged and moved forward looking at the woman lying on the bed before him. "You look like her." He mused as he took her features in with scrutiny.
"Are you here to kill her?" Bella squeaked. "Do they know you're up here?"
"Oh, I am sure of it," Demetri scoffed.
Bella frowned not knowing what his answer was referring to. "She's married... to a guy named Phil, you can't just take her."
Demetri shrugged and moved to the other side of the bed. He could see the scars on her wrists from Jasper's bites, the rocks in her hand, and the thin, weak veins that lined her arms.
"Bella," Demetri sighed, "I've been alone over a thousand years. Do you think I want to wait a moment longer for her, let alone for her to divorce the Floridian?"
Bella gasped and sputtered, turning as if to guard her mother from the vampire.
"Alice says she will die in a matter of days," He continues. "She sees this going two ways, neither suits you."
"What do you mean?"
Edward took that moment to walk through the bedroom door followed by Alice and Esme. Edward moved to her side in an instant and reached his arm forward. Bella took it warily.
It was as if someone let off a bomb in her head! There was screaming. Bella screaming as Demetri jumped on her mother and began biting and licking her in various places on her body. He then turned to Bella in blood-lust and went to attack her.
Bella released Edward's hand.
"That's just one scenario." He frowned.
"How about you just tell me the other one," Bella's voice was shaking as her legs suddenly threatened to give. Edward picked her up and moved her to the other side of the room and laid her on the couch.
"The other is that you say goodbye to your mother, now, and we walk out of the room and let Demetri take his mate away from here before she dies. She is going to die, either way, Bella. Carlisle will file a death certificate and Charlie will provide an accident report of her car going over the cliffs."
"Charlie?"
"He's downstairs now. Rosalie and Emmett went and got him. He'll be staying with us until Victoria is located. That is if she ever gets located. Alice seems to think she may take this opportunity to get away from James."
"Where is he?"
"Downstairs, obviously, seeing how I am here."
Bella sneered at Demetri's sarcasm with disgust and then turned to Edward.
"We have that situation under control. Charlie will be up in a moment so you both can say your goodbyes."
Bella let out a sob, covering her mouth with her hand, finally realizing all of this was real.
"Demetri is taking her away to one of the other Cullen homesteads in the Arctic Circle. It's remote enough that she won't accidentally hurt or hunt- another person."
"Why does he have to take her? He should keep her here,"
"The treaty is at risk if they stay here. You, Charlie, and all the other town's inhabitants are at risk. The newborn stage of vampire is hugely risky due to the blood-lust. I can't- we can't- risk it."
"But the spell," Bella sobbed, "it's hopeless. We don't-"
"We'll figure it out,"
Just then the monitors went on as the heart rate dropped and then flat lined.
Demetri pounced on Bella's mother as she lay motionless. Bella started to scream as Demetri started to bite and seal the wounds. He turned toward Bella and growled, red eyes glowing before turning to black.
Edward grabbed his mate and ran to the window and jumped out of it and onto a nearby tree.
Charlie's car could be heard crunching the gravel as it squealed, trying to get away from the Cullen house.
A/N:
I don't claim to be an expert on crystals, though I have a few certifications, etc. etc. and have a HUGE crystal, tektite, fossil, collection with many rare and priceless specimens, yada, yada. In fact, if I see you in TFMU 2020 Austin, I'll be the one dressed all whimsical and flowery and in crystals!
Anyway, it's Renee's vibe and her belief system is not for everyone and to each their own. Bella was trying to comfort her mother and kept the stones close to her- even if she didn't believe in it.
Anyway, that's it for the night… you next week- if not before!