Hey again. This is my last week in England, so that means faster updates! Yay! I may go back to weekly Sunday/Monday updates, but I haven't decided yet. This one is worth the wait anyway.
Six: Helpless
Since her episode with Victoria during her senior year of high school, Bella developed a slight aversion to airplanes and airports. Which was why, with the money she now had, Bella chose instead to ride a train down from Washington to California. The remainder of her classes finished for the semester, and Bella had found a nice little apartment to stay at until the school year began. So, packing everything she needed, and putting the apartment up for rent, the day of her departure finally fell upon her. It seemed surreal at first. As she awoke to the sound of her alarm clock, it echoed at first as a strange noise in her dream before her eyes shifted open. Even after she shut the clock off, a part of her still thought the alarm belonged to her slumber. Slowly, her mind started working properly and she sat up, bringing her knees to her chest.
Boxes of all sorts littered around her, her suitcases packed and repacked for the day's journey. She would get on the train tonight and arrive in Los Angeles about thirty eight hours later. The night before, as she was putting away her things, she couldn't help but feel an overflowing excitement, grinning and randomly bursting into whatever song was playing on her iPod. Though this day promised to be sunny, Edward popped over for one last good night together, and then left before she awoke that day. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why she felt a sudden unsettling dread. She stared at the empty sheets beside her, her fingers touching the faint imprint that he had left behind. His smell still lingered there, a dent in her pillow showing where he had slept that night. Taking another look around her, so many memories flooded back to her. The sounds of lingering laughter filled her memories, the haunting images of so many happy times suddenly coming back to her. Flopping back down on her bed, her eyes lingered on the ceiling. Should she look around her room too much, she may start crying.
But thankfully, she'd have a distraction all day. Forcing herself from her bed, Bella left just in time to meet Charlie and Jacob downtown for lunch. Though Bella had plenty of money now (as far as her father knew, she just happened to find that comic book at a yard sale) her father still insisted on paying for the meal, which Jacob was more than happy to take advantage of. Honestly, Bella could have ordered nothing, and still feasted on Jacob's unlimited buffet. She rolled her eyes as he wolfed down (no pun intended) his third hot dog.
"I guess I'm glad to see that nothing's changed, but you don't want to eat the restaurant out of business, do you?" He merely smiled, his teeth open to show the bits of bun that were shoved in his mouth like packing peanuts. Her eyes turned to Charlie. "Really Dad. You should let me pay for a little bit of this. With how much he eats, you won't have a paycheck anymore."
"I think I can handle a little over eating," he said with a smile. "You worry too much. Enjoy yourself, yeah? That's why we're here."
"I am, Daddy. Don't worry." She sipped at her chocolate milk shake, her eyes turning out the window at the city beyond. "It feels weird... Leaving. It's going to be completely different."
Charlie nodded, taking a bite of his own hamburger. "Yeah. But you shouldn't look at that as a bad thing." Wiping the mustered off of his mustache, Charlie cleared his throat and continued. "The world is going to open up for you, Bella. Your entire life is going to be flipped upside down. You should be ready to embrace it. You know, prepare for anything!"
She smiled sweetly. "I know. And I am. I'm just going to miss it here as all."
Jacob, after swallowing the lump of food in his mouth, took a sip of his soda before chiming in. "We're going to miss you too. Which is why you'd better visit us for breaks and holidays."
That made Bella smile. Promising she will, she grabbed the dessert menu and began to scan the various different cakes and ice creams. For the most part after that, Bella was delightfully side tracked from the day ahead of her. It seemed as though Charlie and Jacob weren't the only ones who came up to see her off; Jessica and Mike happened to swing by as well, having heard the news through the grapevine. Two years since high school and the pair was still a couple. Jessica gave a tearful goodbye speech to her friend, and began planning all kinds of trips for them down in California. With the way she went on about it, she'd be practically living there if she had her way. Bella only smiled weakly, hoping that Jessica was only half serious. But after goodbyes aplenty, the sun set, and the time finally came for Bella to leave.
She gave one last hug to her father and wave to her friends before turning and heading down to the ticket counter. That heavy feeling of depression fell on her the minute she got her ticket, and she sat herself down, waiting for her train number to be called. Her eyes drifted to the big clock against the wall, watching as the seconds ticked into minutes. In twenty minutes, her train would begin to board, and in thirty eight hours and twenty minutes, she'd be on her way to a new life.
"I guess this is goodbye."
That voice that she loved to hear so much, that cooed to her as she slept, and calmed her in her darkest hours, floated out behind her. She didn't need to turn around. Instead, she smiled bitterly, staring at her fingers as they traced the black ink of her ticket stub. After a moment of silence, Edward sat beside her, his cold hand resting on the back of her neck. It made her shiver in the most wonderful way, and she leaned against him, nuzzling her nose beneath his chin. Her hands pressed up against his hard chest, wishing now more than ever that she could feel a heartbeat. As they embraced, the sound around her seemed to drown out, and she closed her eyes peacefully. Happy to just... be.
"It won't be forever," she said softly. Her voice was weak and frail, but she refused to cry. Reaching up, she laced her fingers through the strangled strands of his hair, listening to his deep breathing. "I'll come back. For visits and things..."
From his chest rumbled a small, breathy laugh. "Ah Bella... If only you saw the world like I do." Pulling away, he traced the back of his fingers against her rounded cheek. "I know what's going to happen. You'll come back, and you'll visit. And we may even still be in love for a while more. But sooner or later, you're going to live. And I'll be proud of you. But it won't be the same between us. It never will."
Bella clamped her teeth on the inside of her lip so as to keep it from trembling. She tried to look away, but he tilted her chin back up, giving her a sweet and tender kiss. "Don't feel bad," he said softly. "This was an amazing adventure. I'll always love you, Bella Swan..." He ran his fingers through her hair. "But it'd be cruel not to share you..."
"All passengers on the south bound Amtrak to Los Angeles station, board Track 3. This is the first boarding call for Amtrak south bound 192."
Those words chilled poor Bella to the core, and she clutched Edward tighter. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to stop the tears that sat on the tips of her eyes. Edward held her just as tightly, his breath gently sliding past her ear. When they pulled back, Bella and Edward stared at one another, before the vampire pulled them back into one last, sweet kiss. The warmth of his inner mouth made Bella melt with yearning, her heart hammering desperately in her throat. Oh how could she leave this man? This wonderful man, who cared and loved her. How could she abandon him like this?
But this was right. This was how it was supposed to be. Breaking away, Bella gave him one last, misted look before forcing herself to turn away, grab her bag, and start heading for the train. She was able to keep her composure for the most part. But the minute she closed her cabin door and set her bag aside, Bella collapsed on the bed in her sleeper car and cried into her pillow. It was a good three hours before she actually fell asleep, sheets wet and eyes puffy.
Aside from such a pained goodbye, Bella was determined to make the most out of her day and a half train ride. Unfortunately for her, there was no internet on the train, or else it would have been a lot more bearable. But at least she had a couple books and movies to keep her occupied. Ultimately, it was a fairly boring train ride. Until the second night.
She had just finished her dinner from the cafe car and was heading off to bed for the evening. She'd already crossed the state line, and was half way through California all ready. According to the porter, she'd arrive in Union Station by noon the next day. Yawning, Bella closed her door and laid down in her bed, picking up the novel on the table beside it. Dracula again. She didn't know why she wanted to torture herself by reading about vampires, but she took some solace in the story. Flipping it to her bookmark, she began to read where she left off.
We shuddered with horror. I could see by the tremulous light that even Van Helsing's iron nerve had failed. Arthur was next to me, and if I had not seized his arm and held him up, he would have fallen.
When Lucy – I call the thing that was before us Lucy because it bore her shape – saw us she drew back with an angry snarl, such as a cat gives when taken unawares; then her eyes ranged over us. Lucy's eyes in form and colour; but Lucy's eyes unclean and full of hell-fire, instead of the pure, gentle orbs we knew. At that moment the remnant of my love passed into loathing; had she then to be killed, I could have done it with savage delight. As she looked, her eyes blazed with unholy light, and the face became wreathed with a voluptuous smile. Oh, God, how it made me shudder to see it!
Bella's eyes would have gone on, but a sudden creak rocked through the train, and her focus was thrown off. Blinking, Bella looked through the window of her door. She stood and pried it open to look out into the hallway. A haunting absence greeted her amidst the rackity-clack of the wheels beneath the train car. It was a hollow sound. Pacing itself at a rhythmic, mechanical heart beat, clacking and shaking as it went along the tracks. Bella gripped the wall tightly with her fingers, surveying it one last time before shutting and locking the door tight. After a moment's pause, she drew the curtains in front of the door window and returned to her bed. She listened carefully, but when no other sound found her, she went back to reading.
With a careless motion, she flung to the ground, callous as a devil, the child that up to now she had clutched strenuously to her breast, growling over it as a dog growls over a bone. The child gave a sharp cry, and lay there moaning. There was a cold-bloodedness in the act which wrung a groan from Arthur' when she advanced to him with outstretched arms and a wanton smile, he fell back and hid his face in his hands.
She still advanced, however, and with a languorous, voluptuous grace, said: -
"Bella..."
Bella's head snapped up immediately. That was no crack of the train. Putting the book aside, she stood up straight and peered out her side window. Nothing but dark countryside. But she would not take chances. Quickly, Bella rummaged through her makeup bag and pulled out that same, silver cross that had been with her all these years. Wrapping it around her neck, she knelt down beside the stool that sat at the foot of her bed. With as much strength as she could muster, Bella kicked and yanked on one of the legs until it came loose. Then, desperately, she also pulled out a small pocket knife that she got for a birthday and began carving away at its point. All the while, her eyes darted from place to place around her, bouncing back to the window again and again.
Finally when her stake was carved, she grabbed her phone and quickly found Carlisle's number. It ran for what seemed like ages, Bella's heart hammering in her mind. "Pick up pick up..." she begged softly, crouching down by her bedside. Sweat gathered in the palm of her hand, and she gripped her stake tighter to try and keep it from swelling. Finally, just before it went into voice mail, Carlisle's voice came on.
"Bella?"
"Carlisle!" she said frantically. "I think Alec followed me. I think he's here on the train!"
What Carlisle said next, Bella could not make out. Bits and pieces of his voice flew in and out through the receiver, but nothing decipherable. Looking out her window, Bella saw why. The train had suddenly rushed into a tunnel, the sound of the metal wheels echoing off of the rocky walls around them. Bella stared at her phone in fear to see that absolutely no bars remained. Shakily, she put it back and clung to her stake for dear life. Every sound became more and more menacing, every shift of the train throwing her off balance.
That's when ten sharpened fingernails suddenly pierced through the roof of her sleeper car.
Bella cried out in surprise, before scrambling to her feet and yanking the door open. With no one down the hallway, she fled, not bothering to look behind her. Where she would go, she didn't have a clue. Somewhere, anywhere, that she could hide. But then, just as she reached the door to the baggage area, the form of Alec flashed in front of her, materializing out of thin air. Bella screamed and stopped herself just before they could collide against one another. With a sickening grin, Alec pushed his hand forward and gripped her throat, digging his nails into her flesh. He slammed her back into the side of the hallway, pulling her an inch off the ground. She choked and sputtered, fighting desperately for breath. But she was not done for yet. Nearly a split second later, Bella launched the pointed end of her stake straight through Alec's heart.
He stumbled backwards, releasing Bella and letting her fall to her feet. Slowly, she backed towards the luggage area, watching him. Waiting for him to die. But slowly, that look of shock melted into a grin of defiance. Standing up straight, Alec wrapped his fingers around the stake. "What kind of flimsy creature do you take me for... little girl?" With a tug, he yanked the stake from his chest, a small amount of blood falling from his hole. Bella watched in horror as he tossed her only weapon aside without care. Close to tears, Bella yanked open the door to the luggage storage and thrust herself inside. But it took only a moment before Alec was on her, grabbing and yanking at her body mercilessly. Behind them, she could hear the shouts of others, but it only brought her more fear. He would kill whoever got close!
However, the humans who tried to intervene did not get far. The minute Alec had a firm grip on her, something happened around Bella. A puff of smoke quickly encased her, and she was jerked into a strange, warped nothingness, making her body stretch and her ears pop. Before she knew it, she was somewhere completely different; a forest, it looked like. Somewhere where no one could possibly find her.
Somehow she was able to jerk her hands away, which in turn caused her to stumble backwards, tripping on her own two feet. The horrible, twisted face of Alec watched with glee as something hit her heel, sending her flying backwards down into a wide hole in the ground. Almost like a small cave. Hidden from the world around her. Her body rolled and rolled until she was flat on her back, coughing up dirt that found its way into her mouth. The small bit of light that made it through that opening was suddenly blocked by Alec's imposing figure. Bella's wide eyes followed him as he came forward. She tried to rush away, but Alec grabbed her by the throat yet again, pinning her down. This time, air was even harder to get to, and her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. She looked up, spitting and coughing as he gripped her neck tight enough to snap it. Through some means, she found her voice.
"A...are you going... to kill me?" she choked out.
Alec's face filled with even more malicious pleasure, his red eyes glowing with lust in his shadowed face. "No," he purred. His tongue came out, licking his hungering lips. "That would be far too simple..." Leaning downward, he let that long, wet organ salivate all over the crux of her neck. Bella shut her eyes, so many horrible images and sickly feelings coming to her. It wasn't long before those familiar fangs pierced her neck. She screamed, that frightening feeling of euphoria coming over her.
Her body convulsed, trying to fight off that orgasmic sensation that spread throughout her. But it was no easy task. As blood drained from her body, so did most of her will. Yet when he finished, she still managed to whimper and try to scoot herself away. But Alec was far too excited and strong to let her go. Instead, he pinned her by her shoulder, his other hand going in between her legs. Harsh shivers ran up her spine as his thumb nail creased its way down the hem lining of her jeans. She shut her eyes, trying to block it out, but only felt those pants being ripped from her body. At this point, she was sobbing, absolutely and completely alone. Alec licked her bite wound affectionately before taring her underwear away as well. Forcefully spreading her legs, he dug his nails into her cheeks, shaking her head until she opened her eyes, staring petrified at the vampire above her.
"I'm going to make you live instead."
For what seemed like hours, Bella's body was in non stop pain. After the first ten minutes, her voice could no longer scream, her inner throat wrecked and torn from doing so. Alec's laughter filled her ears, as did the sounds of her breaking and bruising body. He bit anywhere he liked, drinking greedily, but not enough to kill her. His hard, unforgiving body ravaged her weak one, taring her apart from the inside out. Blood that was not drank spilled from her split skin, seeping into a damp puddle beneath her thighs. His breath ran over his lips and nose and ears, infecting her with terrible, horrible smells and sounds. Ones that latched onto her very soul.
Finally, Alec stopped. He raised himself from her wretched body, looking over her. At this point, Bella had become numb. She had no strength in any part of her, except to breath and to blink. Her eyes stared blankly above her at the ceiling of dirt, her lips dry and paled of their natural color. Bella's clothes were now all off, and budding, purple bruises blossomed along her pale skin, as well as several little spots of mirroring pin pricks. Alec wiped his mouth on the back of his wrist and sat on his knees, buttoning his pants back together. His grin was now stained with splotches of pink and red.
"You truly are a delight," he hissed. By now, the rays of the early morning were starting to seep through the opening of the cave. Alec turned to spy them before shifting back to Bella. Leaning down, he left a long, searing kiss on the corner of her mouth, and then turned and left. Leaving Bella to die.
For three days she laid there. She had no energy to move whatsoever. Only to sleep and wake. She didn't even have the stamina to cry. How she lived after such an ordeal was a mystery to her. As she laid on the floor of her cave, she watched the world turn and change outside the opening. Every once in a while, an animal would cross her path. Usually a rabbit or a deer or a fox. Nothing came for her. Not even a bear to put her out of her misery. The cold of the night made her skin crawl, and by the second day, her hunger was causing her stomach to curl within itself. But Alec's attack literally left her paralyzed for seventy two hours. On the third night, Bella was sure she would not awaken in the morning, when off in the distance, she heard a voice.
"Bella...! Bella...!"
Bella had no voice to call out, else she would have. Instead, she laid there, eyes glued to the woods outside, and prayed that the owner of that voice would find her. It took only a moment more before two feet found their way to her cave. "Bella!" came a familiar cry. A silhouette bent down to look at her. She could see gold eyes fraught with worry, and she felt a relief wash over her numb body. Edward was almost too shocked to move, before he rushed to her side and encased her in his arms.
"Oh... oh God... oh..." He looked almost physically ill, pulling off his jacket to wrap around her. It took a warm, salty drop on her face to realize that he was crying. Bella had seen him cry only once. And it was not at all like this. This human, uncontrollable weeping as he brought her to his breast. Carrying her close to him, Edward emerged from the cave, still crying hysterically, as he called out for the others. At this point, Bella could hear the voices of the rest of the Cullens, but her eyes were going blurry. The whole world around her started to spin. And after a moment of inaudible chatter, she passed out in Edward's cold, hard arms.
Told you this one got dark. Leave those reviews!
~T.