Chapter Twenty
"Think she's dead?" Zack's whispered voice in the doorway had me sigh heavily. "Oh. Nope."
I knew why he was asking. Laying on Josh's bed, in one spot for over an hour wasn't something he saw very often. I never acted like this around them. This was the part of me they never got to see, but something about learning that my family's fate was nearly sealed made it hard to hide.
I was surprised, though. I very easily recognized Jasper's help, even here. He was out there somewhere, continuing to keep tabs on me even while I was here. I deeply appreciated that.
"No, I'm not dead." I grumbled, slightly annoyed and sitting up.
"Really, Leandra." Josh walked in. "What's wrong?"
I really didn't know how to answer him. This was something he'd never have to be faced with. His life and my life couldn't be more different. I just looked over as he approached, slowly sitting beside me.
"Why do you look like the world is ending?" He rephrased his question, and I looked down.
Because it was.
"Ooh!" Zack bounded in next. "Twenty questions. Is it a thing?"
"Stop." I muttered, drawing my legs up. I didn't want to joke around. I didn't have it in me.
Instead of continuing like he usually would, he sat down to my other side.
"I don't know how to tell you." I finally sighed, glancing over at Josh. "It's not really something I can tell you."
He nodded a little, looking down as well. He was thinking.
"Well, is there anything we can do?" He finally asked, and I looked over. "Any way we can help?"
"Besides shutting up." Zack added, smiling a little. "I'm not very good at that."
"I don't know." I replied sadly. "I don't think so. Everything in me is telling me to go back home, but I can't. I have to be here."
Josh smiled sadly, reaching over and hugging my shoulders. I allowed it, leaning against his side. That simple motion actually helped. However minimally, it helped.
"Don't worry." He said anyway, squeezing me. "No matter what it is, you'll be fine."
I wished I could believe that.
"How do you know?" I had to ask.
"Because I'll make sure of it."
Instead of replying, I just whimpered, unsure. I laid my head against his shoulder. I felt him look over at Zack, but neither of them said anything. Zack was better at shutting up than he gave himself credit for.
I hated making them worry about me like this, but I didn't have enough left to hide it.
I thought it would be impossible to sleep that night. Carlisle had promised, before he left, that he would call me in the morning before they went off on their tasks. I held the phone in my curled hand as I laid in Josh's bed that night, determined not to miss it. I was wearing the pajamas Alice had picked out for me, just because she picked them out for me. It comforted me.
Josh didn't even hesitate in letting me sleep in his bed. Having him laying behind me was actually comforting as well. I didn't know where I would end up after this, but wherever it was, the choice was not made lightly. I knew that, and I knew it could be a very long time before I see him again.
I fell asleep, but it didn't last long. My mind was so tired and sore, it couldn't give me a single dream, so that wasn't what woke me up.
I was startled, jumping awake at the sound of the doorbell downstairs. It being so late at night, I was instantly nervous. Nothing good ever came from someone showing up in the middle of the night. Especially not after what happened months before.
I was wide awake, staring toward the door. From underneath, I got to see the hallway light turn on, relieved Mark was awake as his shadow passed by the door. My heart pounded uncomfortably, but I trusted him to keep us safe if it was anyone that shouldn't be here.
"What the heck?" Zack grumbled from above us, and I heard him roll over.
Josh was awake as well, sitting up and watching the door like I was. He didn't ask and neither did I, but this must have been a weird occurrence.
I heard Mark's muffled voice wafting up the stairs, but I didn't hear who he was talking to. He didn't sound upset, so that was a good thing at least. His tone was his normal one, slightly hushed but not raised or tense. I took that as a good sign and let myself start calming down.
I closed my eyes, stifling a yawn. Maybe a minute later, I jumped again, surprised when the door opened. I looked over at Mark in the doorway. The hallway light behind him illuminating only part of the room.
"Leandra?" He murmured, keeping his voice quiet. "Honey, something's come up. Get your stuff." He seemed just as confused as I was. Apparently, I was leaving. I frowned in deep confusion, and half sleepiness. Was this part of the hiding process? I wondered where I was going, and who was here for me. My dad? Someone else?
"Aw." Zack whined a little, clearly disappointed. I was really confused, but I got up out of bed anyway. I shivered as I dropped my phone in my bag and zipped it up. After just waking from a deep sleep and being warm under a blanket, the room was chilly. I grabbed my shoes. I didn't even bother getting changed out of my pajamas, as the boys watched on in confusion.
This hadn't ever happened before.
"Hey." Josh called my attention before I could leave. I waited. "No matter what, okay?" I knew what he meant. I took a breath and nodded, and placed my bag on my shoulder. He nodded too, watching as Mark gestured me toward the door. I followed as he escorted me from the room, closing the door behind him.
Looking ahead of myself as I descended the stairs, I was surprised to find that it was Alice here to pick me up. Jasper right beside her, right in the entryway. I couldn't read their expressions, but they didn't look too worried. I was pretty happy to see them, even if I didn't know their reasons. I was always happy to see them. I was just glad it was them.
"Hey." I mumbled sleepily. "What's going on?"
"Long story." Alice replied. "I'll explain when we get there, okay?"
"Okay." I yawned, letting Alice take my bag. A long time ago, I'd had to trust them. Almost just like this. It was easy now. It was pretty weird to think about that now, though. It seemed like so long ago.
"I hope everything's alright." Mark said worriedly.
"It's nothing major." Alice assured him as Jasper took my hand. With a quick glance, I allowed it, and held his hand in return. It'd been pretty tense since the 'incident', but in the weirdest way, I still trusted him. I'd obviously meant what I said, but it was more than that. More like an unspoken understanding.
It was most weird because we left there on foot. There was no car there to get into like there normally would have been. Like there should have been. It was like they weren't even trying to keep up the human pretense. Alice eventually joined us, but I had no idea how she explained to Mark why we were just walking off. Or if she even did at all.
It was just a weird situation all around, but I trusted that they knew what they were doing. I followed along wherever Jasper led me.
We stopped the second we rounded the block. Out of sight, just in case. Alice pulled a sweater out of my bag and handed it to me. I took the hint and pulled it on over my head while she zipped it back up.
Almost before I could finish even getting it on me, Jasper picked me up. Slinging me onto his back. Instinct made me hold on, or I'd just fall, so I grasped my arm in my hand, locking my arms around his neck and clinging onto him with my legs, which he supported with his arms. I'd never been carried this way before, but it wasn't hard to figure out that it was probably easier for him to carry me this way.
I trusted him, so I kept quiet. Letting them carry me away in the middle of the night. I hid my eyes in Jasper's back, still not speaking in case it would irritate him. I was almost able to fall back to sleep like that, which surprised me.
"Give her to me." Alice's voice had me look up.
We were stopped now, but nowhere near town anymore. It was a lot chillier out in the forest tonight, and I wished I'd brought a heavier sweater. My mind, still fogged, was begging me to go back to sleep. Alice plucked me from Jasper's back easily, and I just went with it. I rested my eyes closed, rubbing them slowly.
"We need to request your permission." I jumped at Jasper's call. "Something's come up." We waited.
"What are we doing?" I asked sleepily. My eyes burned in tiredness. I could only squint them open, and it didn't occur to me how sedated I really felt. Weighed down, most of my emotion gone but the numbness only seemed to make me more tired. Almost like the curiosity didn't even really mean much.
"Shh." Alice told me, and I knew I wasn't supposed to talk yet. She'd explain, but it still didn't make any sense to me why she insisted on holding me, even though we were stopped. Maybe she figured I was just too tired to stand? I didn't ask, because I half worried about that as well.
"What's your request?" I jumped again at a response, looking over as we were approached from the shadowy trees ahead. It wasn't hard to recognize this stranger approaching as one of the wolves. He looked right at me as he came to stand only a few feet away.
"Sam." Jasper greeted tensely. "We need to pass through your land to the ocean. Escorted, of course, if it'll make you feel better."
"How many?" He asked after a moment.
"Only the two of us." Alice replied. She nodded toward me. "And her. For her own safety." Sam's eyes landed on me, and though I blinked tiredly, I held his gaze. I didn't want to say anything and mess up their chance if they were asking for a favor.
After a few long silent seconds, he looked to Jasper. "Alright. I'll allow you three through, but no others, and you will be escorted. Given who is with you, I assume I don't have to tell you how risky attempting something would be."
"We'd never." Alice assured him. "You have our word."
"Can I ask something?" Sam asked, his eyes on me. I wished they'd hurry this up. I wanted to go back to bed. Didn't they know Carlisle was going to call me in the morning? I didn't want to oversleep.
"Of course." Jasper replied, waiting.
"When you say this is for her own safety..?" He prompted.
"It's nothing like that." Jasper answered. "It's a long story."
"I'll explain when we get there." Alice spoke next. "As much as I can." Sam seemed deeply curious, but gave a nod as he turned.
"Wait here for your escort." He said. "There will be four. Five, counting myself."
"Thank you." Jasper nodded, and he left it at that.
We really didn't have to wait long. The moment I heard the crunch of paws on the underbrush ahead, we started running again. I barely had time to close my eyes before we were passing dark trees at nauseating speed.
When we stopped, the roaring sound hadn't stopped. Just changed, from that of wind passing me to water. I was puzzled to find that they'd taken me to the shore.
Alice carefully let me down onto my feet, and though I could hardly see a thing around me, I could clearly hear the sound of the waves nearby. Somewhere in the vast blackness in front of me. The feel and smell of the air told me exactly where we were.
I glanced over as I heard Alice walk away. Probably to go talk to Sam. I shivered, another yawn trembling free as I hugged my stomach. It had to be passed midnight. I looked up at the sky, and to my appreciation, the clouds were thin. I even got to see a few stars.
Jasper stood with me. We stood on the beach in the dark, and it made me a little nervous. I still couldn't imagine what on earth we were doing out here.
"Just relax." Jasper told me. "You'll be okay."
"I know." I replied, my tired voice hardly making it above the sound of the waves. "I'm just a little confused." I wrapped my sweater tighter around myself, wishing it was warmer. I was cold, even in my warmest pajamas.
Stupidly, I only then seemed to realize. Alice had chosen these pajamas for me for a reason. This reason. It only confused me even more to think about that.
"Over here." Sam called, also hardly louder than the waves. "I don't expect it back, so do as you please with it."
Jasper took my hand tightly and led me up the beach. I kept my eyes down, following his footsteps exactly so I didn't trip over anything that might have been in our way as we made our way over the damp sand. Everything was a shadow, including the rocks and driftwood littering the path.
It took me a second to recognize what I was being led to. Seeing what it was, I was even more confused. I kept surprising myself at how confused one person could possibly be.
A small rowboat sat nestled in the sand near a small group of rocks.
"I'll tow." Jasper volunteered, and Alice nodded. Reaching into the bottom of the boat, she produced a long coiled rope, handing it to him. He moved forward, too far into the dark for me to see what he was doing. I'd reached the point of uncomfortable confusion. I was fine with trusting them, but I needed some answers. Jasper secured the rope to the front of the boat with ease.
"Alice," I mumbled, watching Jasper remove his shirt quickly. "What are we doing? Where are we going?" Jasper tossed the fabric into the boat, and quickly uncoiled the rope as he kicked off his shoes and threw them into the boat next.
"I'll explain on the way." She assured me. "Get in." I tore my eyes away from the boat and looked over at her. I knew she could read the hesitation in my expression. She smiled, probably attempting to be comforting. "Go on."
"B-But I don't-"
"I promise I'll explain." She cut that off by lifting me off my feet and plopping me back down into the boat. "Right now, we have a very short window. Come on."
I hesitated a few seconds longer before I sighed. I found a narrow bench to sit down on, My back to the beach, facing toward the water. Alice set my bag on my lap, which I clung to. My cooperation was clearly very important to her.
I lost part of my balance when the boat was pushed toward the water, and the movement in the dark was very disorienting. The closer we got to the water, it seemed, the colder it got.
I watched Alice climb into the boat with me, and she paused to kiss Jasper quickly before sitting down across from me. It was colder here in the boat, and I wrapped my arms around myself as a rather strong breeze blew, blowing a little bit of the spray from the water over me.
"Head straight that direction." Sam instructed from the left, but I couldn't see him anymore. "You should be able to move undetected."
"Thank you." Jasper replied, nodding. "For everything."
I jumped a little as we quickly got moving, Jasper tugging us fully into the water easily. He didn't even seem to mind the fact that he was getting completely soaking wet in the water, so I decided not to complain about a little bit of mist.
Soon enough, we were moving steadily through the water, Jasper pulling the boat along as he swam. I might never have been on a boat before, but I sensed the urgency in the speed, which was explained by what little Alice had said so far. It was darker out here in the water, if that was even possible. I glanced back, toward the way we'd come. I couldn't even see the beach anymore. Just pitch darkness.
"When are we going back?" I finally asked in Alice's direction, squinting through the cold air passing me. "Not that this isn't fun and all, but I don't know what time Carlisle and Esme are leaving tomorrow, and I kind of don't want to sleep right through the call."
I wished I could see her facial expression when she sat quietly. She was so silent, I questioned that she was even still there. Maybe she hadn't heard me? Impossible.
"Alice?" I prompted.
"You won't be getting a call, Leandra." She finally admitted, and I frowned.
"Wait." I muttered. "Why not?" This was hard for her. I could even tell in the dark.
"Your phone isn't in your bag." She explained, and I immediately had to check. Before I could even fully open the side pocket it was usually in, she spoke again. "I left it there. With Mark."
"Why?" I was stunned, floored in disbelief. Why would she do that?
"Because it can be tracked." She answered.
"Then we need to go back and get it." I insisted. "Really, when are we going back? This is a bad time to-"
"We aren't." She finally sighed, and I froze for a second. Shocked, as well as confused. It took me a second to understand what she was saying.
"We aren't?" I asked. "What do you mean we aren't?"
"We aren't going back." She said, waiting a moment for that to sink in. "Leandra, trust me. This is the safest way."
I was stunned.
That didn't sit right with me. I whimpered, turning again to look back across the water toward the beach. I still couldn't see it, holding onto the side of the boat as the motion of looking back almost sent me off balance.
I couldn't make it back even if I was brave enough to try. The thought of just jumping into the water scared me enough. There was no way I'd make it back by myself. It was just something I couldn't do.
"Why would we leave them?" I asked incredulously. "That would have been nice to know! I didn't even get to say goodbye!" I was getting pretty upset now. Especially knowing I couldn't get back to the beach by myself. She'd known that, and she'd known I wouldn't even try. Which was why she waited to tell me until we were all the way out here.
"I don't know what Carlisle was thinking, but tossing you from place to place is a very good way to lose track of you. That plan never would have worked." She explained. I glared a little, not liking her doubting him. "Not only that, but if there is one person you don't want to meet, it would be Aro."
"You said that before." I grumbled. "But nobody will tell me anything about him." I sobbed, glancing back again.
"All he's ever wanted is a prophet of his own." She said, and I fell quiet. "He collects abilities, but a prophet is something he's never managed to find."
I shook my head.
"It doesn't even matter. Why-"
"Think about it, Leandra." She stressed gently. "Really think. Someone very important is under the impression that we broke one of the strictest laws our kind has ever had."
"From Irina." I snapped.
"Yes." She replied. "From Irina, who has met you before, and has been filled in on what kind of gift you have. You alone would be reason enough for Aro to show up, now that he knows what you can do. If he was upset at the fact that Carlisle already has a prophet on his side, what would that make you?" A spare?
"I don't care." I cried now, slightly surprised I could. Jasper, under the water, seemed to find it fit to let me cry again. Knowing how much this bothered me, and how much I hated this. It wasn't fair!
"You should." She countered. "I know you're upset. This kills me too, but I promised you that I would do whatever it took to keep you away from him, and I meant it. I refuse to watch him turn you into something he can use for his own personal gain."
I was outraged that they would drag me along with them as they abandoned those they considered family. Why would they choose to leave in a time like this?
The way she spoke, though, I had to admit scared me.
Each sentence from her mouth scared me even more. As much as it scared me, though, I could only think about the rest of the family facing them without us. Or at least, without Alice and Jasper.
My numbness earlier made me understand, as did the things Alice said to me earlier. She was saying those things because she knew the whole time that they would be kidnapping me, and the numbness was to make Jasper's job easier.
I felt almost betrayed, in a way. I would never have just walked away with Jasper if I'd known we'd be completely abandoning the others. Never. They knew this, and they took precautions to ensure my cooperation.
"Leandra," She said in closing. "The moment you see what's to come, you'll know exactly why we chose to take you with us."
I didn't bother replying again. I just hugged my stomach, looking down. I was mad, but at the same time, I knew there was nothing I could do.
"Can I ask why?" I asked, a few more tears escaping. "I just wanna know. Are we leaving just to hide from Aro?"
"No." She answered gently. "That isn't the only reason." That only crushed me more. My overactive mind could only come up with worst case scenarios. The other reason could only be that something was going to go badly wrong.
"But they won't know." I cried quietly. "Won't they worry? They don't know I'm gone."
She crossed the boat, sitting beside me now as she put her arm around me.
"Carlisle won't try to wake you with a call until he absolutely has to. Sam will get there in the morning before they even know you're gone. Sam will deliver the note I gave to him, and he'll tell them about you. They'll know you're with us, and that's all that'll matter to them. They'll know we're keeping you safe."
"I didn't get to say goodbye." I repeated. I rested my head on her shoulder, sighing a sob.
"I'm sorry." She said, rubbing my arm comfortingly. "This is the best way."
I didn't argue now. I wanted to go home, but they knew what they were doing.
"Alice," I mumbled, looking up. "What's going to happen?" She looked away.
"We're going to try to find answers." She replied. "Answers that might give them a fighting chance." That wasn't what I was asking, but her reluctance to tell me made me worry. I looked down now, trying to warm up my hands. "Remember the promise Carlisle always made you make to him?" I nodded sadly. "I want that same promise, Leandra. We'll find you someplace to stay that's safe, and sometimes, one of us won't be able to stay behind with you. We'll both need to leave you. I want your word that you'll stay put."
"I have nowhere to go." I reminded her. "So I have no reason to leave."
"Regardless." She insisted and I sighed.
"Alright." I said. "I promise." She gave me another comforting smile, hugging me a little tighter.
"You'll be okay, Leandra." She told me, and I looked down.
"It's not me I'm worried about." I couldn't even describe how sad I felt.
"I know." She nodded. "Just trust me, okay? I'm doing everything I can to help them." That didn't seem that true while we were leaving them behind.
Even as fast as we were going, it still took us hours to get to wherever we were going. I had no sense of direction, but at some point, I decided to try to sleep. If only to pass the time. I was so worn out, and getting pretty nauseous at the movement of the boat.
I curled myself on the bottom of the boat, using Jasper's shirt as a make-shift blanket and my bag as a pillow. I shivered at the air that swirled into the boat with the mist, stinging me through the fabric. I barely managed to snooze, and when I couldn't leave my eyes shut anymore, I rolled over and looked up at the sky.
The clouds had really dissipated, and I'd never, in my entire life seen so many stars. I never even imagined that many stars could be seen at one time.
Laying back like this, moving through the water as I stared up made me feel a little dizzy, and made me feel so small. Small, but not in a bad way. Staring up at all of the sparkling dots above us, I'd never had this feeling before.
That was the only thing that kept me from continuing my crying, or throwing up. The sight of the stars kept my attention until dawn started to lighten the sky. From the other side of the boat than I expected, which meant we were going very south.
"Sit up." Alice instructed me, so I did. She helped me get up to sit with her, gathering our stuff up right as I felt the towing stop. A second later, Jasper was back in the boat. Unfortunately, he brought a lot of water with him, which got my feet wet. I didn't comment on it, though. I just shivered in the early morning breeze, but the air smelled different.
Jasper rowed the boat from there, which told me we were close to land. Dawn was still about an hour away, but I knew he was in a rush. Sure enough, I watched the horizon get bigger as we approached a beach, right on the edge of a large city.
As soon as he stood back up, I knew this was it.
The city was larger than I'd ever seen before, even from what I could see, but we were far enough away from anyone on the beach that I knew no questions would be asked.
"Remember." Alice told me as we left the boat. "You promised." My shoes sunk into the fine sand, making it a little hard to walk, but I managed to make it a few steps away.
"Where are we?" I asked quietly, looking up at her.
"Iquique, Chile." She answered. "Here, we can find you somewhere to stay where you'll be comfortable while Jasper and I are gone tonight." I nodded in understanding. "We need to hurry, though."
Luckily, we weren't far from a hotel. There was one about ten minutes' walking distance from the beach. I was kept in tow, my hand staying firmly in Alice's hand, despite how tired I was. Jasper carried my bag, which I knew was as soaked as he was.
The beach was pretty deserted, aside from a few couples walking along the sand that never looked twice at us. It looked awfully touristy, from what I could gather from where we were.
We checked into the hotel with plenty of time to spare, as it turned out. We had more than enough time to get up to our very private, very large and spacious room, and close the curtains before the sun hit the building.
Apparently, Jasper and Alice had a fortune in cash of their own. I didn't know how that came about, but I didn't ask. They rented the suite for two nights, making sure it was the most private one they had. Pretty much soundproof, thankfully. Knowing I'd have to sleep, and knowing what that sleep could bring.
The room was on the top floor, and had a private balcony facing the beach, accessible by both the bedroom and living area.
Alice, without any prompting, left the room again. Muttering something about a change of clothes for me from the gift shop, which confirmed my thoughts about my bag.
I was still in my pajamas, which I'd nearly forgotten about. My pajamas and sweater had managed to get soaked through, even inside the boat. It was more uncomfortable than cold, though, and I already knew I'd need to at least change clothes before even attempting to sleep.
I was more than ready to just drink some water, and fall asleep, though. Even with how uncomfortable my pajamas were.
Jasper stood watch with me carefully while I wandered in and sat on the king sized bed in the room. He stood by the sliding glass doors leading to the balcony, the curtains drawn with only the bedside lamp on for light.
I didn't even have the energy to go into the bathroom to fill up a cup to drink. It was a fight just to pull off my sweater. I managed to, though, and remembered about the key around my neck. Intensely grateful that I remembered to leave it on. I pulled it out of my shirt, and looked down at it.
I liked looking at it.
"I wasn't even the one towing the boat, but I'm sore all over." I sighed after a few minutes, and Jasper smirked a little. I wasn't smiling, though. I was homesick. I hadn't even been away from home for more than a few hours, and I wanted to go back.
"Leandra." Jasper spoke, knowing exactly how I was feeling. "Come here." I forced myself to my feet, and slowly crossed the room. Just as I made it to the balcony, he pulled open the thick curtain enough to let me look out. I flinched a little as the bright morning sun met my eyes, seeming to echo slightly through my aching head, and I looked over the beach below as my eyes adjusted.
He was quiet as he let me get a good look. It was barely morning, and there were already plenty of people on the roads and packing the beach. I had to admit, it was a good distraction, and the sunlight was very warming.
I watched for a minute.
"This reminds me of Arizona." I mumbled. "Without the beach part. That was so long ago."
"How times have changed." He replied thoughtfully.
"But a lot is the same." I pointed out, looking over at him. "I'm not afraid of you this time, but I still hate being luggage."
"Luggage?"
"Just something to drag along with you." I clarified, and he looked over at me as well.
"You really have no idea how valuable you are, do you?"
I shrugged. The early morning sunlight played off the surrounding buildings, and the longer I stood there, the more I was able to see.
"You'll see in time." He seemed so sure. "Things will be different."
"I liked things the way they were." I muttered, and I didn't even need to look at him to feel his skeptical glance.
"No you didn't." He pointed out, and I sighed.
"At least then, we were all together." I glanced over to find him watching me. He fell quiet, so I knew I had a point. He was about to look away, but I spoke again. "Can you tell me? I have a ton of questions."
"There's a lot I can't tell you."
"If Aro has been looking for someone with a gift like mine, why hasn't he found one yet?"
"It's incredibly rare." He answered. "The fact that you and Alice even know each other is nothing short of a miracle. The chances of two prophets finding each other are astronomical, much less in this fashion."
"I didn't know it was that rare." I replied, surprised. I was also glad he decided to answer that one.
"It's very rare." He nodded. "And the fact that we have yet to see exactly what you're capable of, well.. We thought it was a good idea to hide you."
"What did Alice mean before?" I asked. "About not watching Aro turn me into something he can use?"
"Aro doesn't view people as people." He explained. "He sees them as tools for their potential use. If a person can be used to get him further ahead, he finds a way to get them."
"And he'd see me for my use?" I asked, and he nodded. I didn't really know how to reply to that. I looked back out the window for a moment before I closed my eyes.
"I don't feel any different." I admitted, looking down.
"You're conflicted." He agreed.
"I mean.." I sighed. "I'm supposed to be this valuable thing, but I don't feel any different. I don't know what.." I struggled to find the words. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be. I feel like.. I'm alive, but why? What do I have for anyone? What good am I?"
"You don't need me to tell you those answers." He understood. "You know them."
"Knowing and feeling are two different things." I reminded him.
"There's part of the conflict."
I nodded, and he sighed.
"Tonight.." He said after a moment longer of silence. "Alice and I are going north. You can't come along, unfortunately, but I know you'll be sufficiently occupied."
"I'll probably be sleeping." I mumbled, stepping closer to the sliding glass door.
"Tomorrow night, when we leave, we'll be taking you along, and leaving you somewhere more private." He continued. "The closest city there, would be Porto Velho in Brazil, fifteen miles away." That didn't mean much to me. "There's a little secluded house there available for us to rent. I think you'll be more comfortable there."
"How long will I be there?" I asked, still scanning the sprawling city.
"There will be times when just one of us goes, or when we stay for a day." He replied. "It's going to take us some time to get these people to trust us enough to tell us what we need to know." Again, that wasn't what I asked, but his answer raised another question.
"Who?" I asked, looking up at him. "What are you looking for?"
"They might have some information that will be pivotal to the visit from the Volturi." He explained. "Without that information, it'll be very difficult to prove what we need to prove." I looked back out over the beach, and the busy city below. The sunlight on my face was quickly warming my skin. I found it was getting uncomfortable, to be honest.
"I'll be good." I murmured. "You don't have to worry about me."
"I hope not." He said. "Because we brought you along to keep you safe, Leandra. If you're always running off to find trouble, that would make our job a lot harder."
"I know." I mumbled. "So don't worry. I know why you brought me along. I don't like it, but I won't make it harder on you."
"And I'm counting on you to try and work through your emotions enough to handle yourself while we're gone tonight." He added. "Because you'll be on your own."
"That's why you've been letting me feel things." I muttered in understanding. "I was wondering."
We both turned, looking back toward the door as Alice returned. I looked back up at Jasper, watching as he closed the curtain again. Successfully closing off the sunlight behind it.
"I can't call home, can I?" I asked quietly. His expression softened, and he sighed as he shook his head.
"I'm afraid not, Leandra." He said. "They can't know where you are, or what we're doing here. That's the whole point of taking you last night."
"Here, Leandra." Alice took my attention now. "I got you a set of clothes to hold you for now. Sometime soon, when we have some extra time during the afternoon, we'll visit the laundry." I nodded in understanding, heading over to the clothes on the bed. The pajamas I wore felt too sticky, still wet from the boat ride, even with the help of the sunlight.
"Get some sleep." Jasper told me. "I know you're exhausted."
"Shower first." I disagreed. "I smell like water. I hate it." I lifted the dark blue t-shirt, and light gray shorts and turned toward the bathroom.
By the time I came back out, the blanket on the bed had been pulled back so as soon as I stepped out of the bathroom, I took a couple of sips from the bottle of water sitting on the table beside the bed, and fell into the sheets.
I curled up tight under the thick blanket, and I promptly fell hard to sleep, setting everything aside for right then.
I dreamed mostly about the water and the stars. I still felt the movement of the boat, but it didn't make me nauseous this time.
Once my dreams changed, I really wasn't asleep that long.
There were still parts to this vision that I couldn't see, but I still reacted to. I don't know why I thought that would change since I wasn't at home anymore, but my loud sobbing cries made me face reality. I was crushed.
Something was going to go wrong.
The breaking of my heart was a strong indication, and a massive understatement. It was far worse than that. There was only one thing I could think of that would hurt that badly, but I refused to consider it. It just wouldn't make sense, no matter how hard I tried. I literally couldn't process it.
Thankfully, Alice was at my side in the time it took me to choke on a gasp for breath and fling upright in bed. Holding me while Jasper worked on my emotions. Somehow, the two of them as a team were able to get me calm enough that nobody who possibly heard me would still be tempted to call the police.
They managed to calm me down in record time, but there was still a good amount of time that I sobbed into a thick pillow, trying to muffle the sound. Trembling in my effort to shut the hell up.
"It's changed now, hasn't it?" Alice asked me, and I focused on my breathing, nodding. "That's because you're not there anymore. That changes things."
"Why can't I remember what I'm seeing if it still makes me cry?" I asked, looking up at her. I needed an answer to that one question. I needed to focus on something else besides the heartbreaking sadness and the panic.
"Because you're still human." She said. I'd heard that answer before, but I let her continue. "Visions come from a whole different part of your mind that you don't usually use while you're awake. When you're sleeping, it's easier for you to see them, because your consciousness isn't fighting it, but while you're awake and conscious, it's hiding it from you for your own protection. You know what it is, but only underneath everything." That was interesting.
"That makes sense." I mumbled, left over tears scattering down my cheeks. I gasped, sighing shakily as my tears renewed. "I want to go home. Something is going to go wrong, and I can't just leave them."
"I know." She murmured, hugging me again. "Believe me, I know. I want to be there so badly, too. Right now, though, this is the best we can do."
That was the answer I was going to get. I had to accept that I couldn't be there for them, and that destroyed me. I felt lower than dirt for abandoning them that way, even when I knew it wasn't my fault. I knew it wasn't Alice or Jasper's fault, either.
From what Alice told me, the one thing Aro wanted most was a prophet. What was to keep him from taking one of us as a keepsake? Like any bully, he could get away with taking something, or someone, that didn't belong to him. That thought alone made this whole thing seem necessary. I just had to keep reminding myself of that, and I knew it would take a long while, but I would eventually adjust.
Thankfully, nobody said a word about the noise I made. Either they couldn't hear me, because of the privacy of the room, or they just chose not to comment. I couldn't eat. Not after the night I had. I just wasn't hungry. I couldn't force myself to eat, either. I knew that wouldn't end well.
I got to go with Alice to the laundry room on our floor. Washed and dried, it only took one load to clean all my clothes along with the bag itself.
For the first time, I really took notice of the clothes Alice had handed me to pack. Everything was thin and light. Looking at three of the tank tops I never wore, how had I not asked questions? Lots of tank tops and cotton shorts. Only two t-shirts. That bothered me a little, but I figured I'd live with it.
If the sunlight coming through the window was any indication, this place was much warmer than home. I knew her choosing tank tops was just an effort to keep me cool, and not as a fashion statement. She thought of everything.
True to their word, Alice and Jasper left me that night. Leaving me in the hotel to recover the best I could by myself just after sunset.
I watched a little bit of TV, but turned it off when I started to miss Emmett. I did some wandering around the room. I was very tempted to just pick up the phone, but it didn't take long for me to discover that precautions had been taken there, too. The cord was missing.
The night had just begun, and I was already edgy. Leaving my emotions to myself without a distraction was proving to be very difficult.
So I slipped on my shoes, and I went for a walk.
Making sure I had the key to the room in my hand, I left the room, and I headed outside. It was surprisingly balmy outside, despite the fact that it was December. The humidity kept it warm enough.
I knew I wasn't wearing the best clothes to wander around the city, but I wasn't going to go far. I knew better than that. I was just out here for air and something to do. Although being out here made it harder to ignore my instincts to find any way to get home.
I'd go maybe a block away, and turn around. Head in the next direction, and turn around a block that way. Until I got braver, and I went further.
Walking, though, was helping. It made me focus on something else for a change, clearing my head as much as it could be cleared. That was an amazing feat in itself, but it wouldn't last. I knew that immediately. I knew not to get my hopes up.
Man, I was lonely. Man, I was homesick.
I didn't have anyone to talk to. No one I trusted enough to talk to, anyway. I was always so used to having someone available to talk to whenever I wanted. Now, without a way to talk to them, I didn't know what to do with myself.
I found my way to the beach. I wouldn't go any further than that, though, keeping the brightly lit hotel in sight at all times. I could find my way back to it, even in the dark. I kicked off my shoes once I hit the still slightly warm sand, crossing over it and standing at the point where the water would just hit my toes, and staring out across the dark, gently lapping water. I couldn't see much, but I managed to see enough to just watch.
I let my feet just rest in the edge of water, watching it come and go, not worried one bit about sitting out here by myself. I didn't see anyone else, and with the hotel so close, I felt comforted by that.
I was there for just over an hour. I could see the stars here too, but not like before. I found myself sitting on the sand, not minding the way the water would get my legs wet. Thanks to the shorts, it wasn't too uncomfortable as I looked up, watching the stars just as much as I had the night before. I didn't know what made them so fascinating to me, but I had an idea.
It was probably the small feeling it gave me. It was so different from the way I'd feel small before. It was the kind of feeling I'd feel in my stomach, and I didn't mind it that way. I'd never seen the stars like this before. It seemed to be the only good thing about this whole situation.
While I sat there, I thought about home. Everything about it.
I continued to sit there, eventually laying back. The sand was soft enough that it was comfortable to lay on. No rocks, or hard pieces to hurt. Just soft sand. It was easier to look up this way. I laid there for about another half-hour, knowing I'd probably have to get back soon. My fingers played with the key still hanging around my neck absentmindedly. Probably as a way to get rid of nervous energy.
"You okay, kid?" I jumped, looking over at someone standing there. I hadn't heard anyone coming, and the fact that he was able to get so close without me knowing made me nervous.
I sat up quickly, looking to the older man standing there. He looked maybe mid-thirties, but spoke perfect English. That was surprising to me when I remembered where we were. His shoes in one hand, he was otherwise dressed like he'd just gotten off work somewhere, and had been walking the beach. Seeing my reaction, he only laughed.
"Easy. Just checking. You've been here for awhile."
"I'm fine." I sniffed. "Been watching me?"
"No." He said, holding his free hand up defensively. "I've just been out here awhile myself, and haven't seen anyone around to make sure you're alright. It's nearly midnight."
"I'm fine." I repeated, easier now. He only seemed honestly concerned. I forced myself to my feet and grabbed my shoes. I was really not wanting to leave, but I couldn't help being highly distrusting of him. It made life easier.
"I was just making sure. How old are you?" He asked. He was trying to make small talk. "Out here to watch the stars? Nowhere better to do it."
"I should probably get back." I said, starting forward. Keeping him right in my sight.
"No, you don't have to leave." He said as I went to walk passed him. "I'll leave you alone now."
"Don't worry about it." I grumbled, making my way back up the beach. I was actually really disappointed. I had been looking forward to being able to stay for at least a little while longer. I was rethinking that, since I couldn't even lay motionless on the sand without someone asking me if I was still alive.
To my surprise, he followed me. I looked over at him as he arrived at my side. He said he would leave me alone.
"At least let me walk you back to the hotel." He said at my look. "A kid like you wandering alone?"
"A kid like me?" I demanded. "What do you know about me?"
"Whoa." He laughed, hardly phased. "I didn't mean anything by that."
"Then you should probably watch what you say." I walked faster. He seemed friendly enough, but I would prefer to get back to the safety of people. As much safety as they could possibly provide.
I knew from my time spent in Port Angeles that I was less likely to be bothered when I was around a lot of people, so I used that knowledge to my advantage, but I also didn't want to lead him straight to the room. The last thing I needed was for him to call someone. That would blow everything Alice and Jasper were trying to do.
Goddammit.
"Point taken." He said. "Where are you from?"
"The moon." I said, irritated. "I'm fine. You don't have to follow me."
"Do your parents know you're out here?" He asked. "Maybe I should inform them myself."
"No, you shouldn't." I snapped. "It's none of your business."
"But it is theirs." He countered. I glared up at him, stopping mid-step and turning to face him.
"I swear, if you don't turn your ass around right now, I will scream bloody murder."
"Go right ahead." He called my bluff. "You know, it would serve you right if I was some kind of sicko. It would certainly teach you not to go wandering around at night."
I didn't like that reminder. I'd run into a guy like this in Port Angeles last year. I didn't get the same feeling from this guy that I got from that one, but the words were the same. It was too similar, and I visibly tensed.
"Fuck you." I spat, turning back around and trying to walk away.
"Wait a minute." He followed, taking my arm. It was only instinct to pull my arm from his hand roughly and punch straight for his stomach. With him not expecting that, I was successful, and didn't stop to watch him crumble to the sand.
It was definitely harder to run on sand, but somehow I managed. Running as quickly as I could up the concrete steps that separated the city from the beach, not bothering to stop to put my shoes back on. I just carried them with me, and ran the entire way back to the hotel. I jumped through the front entrance to the hotel, and straight for the elevators. I was taking no chances, and I was glad I didn't. The elevator doors closed just as I watched him enter the lobby.
With as many rooms as this place had, I knew he'd never be able to find me. Just in case, once I got to the room, I double locked the door. It took me a minute, leaning against the door to catch my breath, before I could move further into the room.
Maybe I'd overreacted, but I wasn't about to underreact. Not when I was here alone, and not when I wasn't supposed to be. I was on my own, and tonight definitely made me realize that. I wasn't leaving the room by myself again. I would stay here.
I was alone the rest of the night, and the entire next day. After a few hours of nobody demanding I open the door, I started to relax a little, and I snoozed on the couch until dawn with the TV on. Not trusting myself to fall asleep fully.
I might have gotten an hour or two of very light sleep, so I was very cranky by the time they did get back that evening.
Only getting up to look out the little hole in the door, and unfasten the top lock. I walked away as they came in. Returning to the couch and laying back down.
"How did your night go?" Alice asked, closing the door behind them.
"Shitty." I replied tiredly. "Yours?"
"About the same." She sighed, sitting at my feet. I moved them to make room for her.
"When you take me to that house," I said, turning over to look at her. "Are there any other people around there?" I glanced to Jasper, watching as he went to the window. I didn't know what he was watching for, but if it made him feel better, I didn't care what he did.
"Not for quite some distance." She admitted, thinking I'd be upset. "The whole idea of moving you there, is for complete privacy. Something you can't get here."
"Good." I said. "Then maybe I can sleep." She patted my hands folded on my stomach, standing.
I laid there sleepily, watching Alice get to work packing my bag with the clothes I did use. Until I didn't want to watch that anymore, and I stared up at the ceiling.
"We're going to stop by the shop up the street to get you some other items you'll need." She informed me, and I sat up.
"Like what?" I asked, frowning a little. Shopping? Now? Couldn't they have just gotten those things on the way back?
"Really?" She asked. "You can't think of anything?"
"I'm so tired, I can barely remember my name right now." I snapped back, not appreciating her tone.
"The gift shop doesn't sell toiletries, Leandra." She pointed out and I sighed.
"Right." I mumbled, shaking my head. "I forgot." I had forgotten about that part.
"We'll just run in and get some." She said, zipping up my bag. "We can't take too long." That was fine by me.
Leaving the hotel that evening, the fact that they were with me helped me feel a little braver. There were a lot of people around at this time, walking passed us on the sidewalk.
Alice held my hand tightly, but I didn't really mind that. I held hers in return. I had no intentions of getting anywhere on my own, and I knew she felt better by that knowledge. Jasper walked along behind us with my bag, never keeping more than a foot or two of distance between him and us. I actually really appreciated it. He was like a moving wall. Keeping me from having to watch my back the whole way through the crowd.
It didn't take long to find the little store Alice had mentioned before. We got in, and I grabbed a pair of sandals to buy as well. She gave me a mildly questioning look.
"I won't need socks." I explained, and she nodded. Accepting that, she didn't mind. If wherever we were going was anything like here, I had a feeling I wouldn't want to be dealing with socks all the time. My feet were already hot.
We were out of the store within ten minutes, meeting Jasper out front. Unzipping the bag, I stuffed what I could into it, and zipped it back up.
"We'll get you more as you need more." Alice assured me, and I nodded. Alice took my hand again, and turned. Before we could leave, though, someone called behind us.
"Hey." I glared back at him. "I thought you'd left already." Just my luck, it was the stranger from last night. He was more dressed for work this time.
"I'm not alone this time, asshole." I snapped. "Keep moving." Jasper gave me a look, turning his eyes back to the man from the night before. Seeing how protected I was with these two, he hesitated, nodded, and left.
"Want to explain?" Alice asked as we started on our way.
"No." I replied flatly. I was only a little surprised when they allowed that. They didn't make me explain. Like they trusted me to have handled it.
Once they could run, we got there pretty quickly. This small, very small house in the middle of the forest wasn't bad. It was closer to where they needed to be, and very secluded, but even in the dark, it was hot.
When they left, I'd be so completely on my own, nobody would hear me, but that didn't bother me. Somehow, this little secluded house had running water, but I was advised not to drink it. It was safe enough to wash with, but that was about all, and electricity. Not a whole lot of anything else, though. Basics.
There were a whole lot of windows to this place. At least three large windows in each wall of the single bedroom house. Making the surrounding scenery plainly visible, but the windows seemed sturdy enough. A queen sized bed, a bedside table holding a small lamp, and a small four drawer dresser were the only articles of furniture the bedroom had to offer.
The little living room had a single sofa, table, and lamp. That was it.
Coming back out into the living room from looking around the place that was home until they finished whatever they were up to and took me somewhere else, I didn't like the look of dread on their faces. They'd have to leave me again tonight. I'd expected this, so I just sighed. Nodding.
"I'll be back by dawn." Alice told me. "I'll bring you something to eat." I just turned, heading back into the bedroom. I would do my best to sleep, but I knew waking up alone would be the hardest part of the entire situation.
This would be a very long night.
A/N: Well, this went a little smoother than I thought. Time passes quicker in the next chapter. I'm a little sad, to be honest. This story is coming to an end. Two more chapters left until it's over. Sad, I know. :'(
THANK YOU to my reviewers! Without you, I literally couldn't have gotten the motivation to continue. I'm seeing this through!
And who knows? I might find the motivation to continue on with next story. I know leaving it where I'm going to leave it will urk some people lol
Long A/N short, I'll be working on twenty-one as much as I can. I've pretty much got the rest of the story outlined, so that shouldn't take much time. We'll see, though.
Until twenty-one, my lovelies. :)