CHAPTER 2

We reached home in a couple of minutes. I collapsed onto the couch and covered my face with my palms. "What have I done?" I whispered. Edward gave Renesmee to Rosalie and sat down beside me to pull me into his arms. "Sshh," he said, and kissed the top of my head comfortingly. "He's going to be fine, Bella." Alice sat down on the other side of me. She said,"I told you, Bella, he's going to be fine. I can see Carlisle wheeling him into the emergency room, and I can see him waking up."

Despite their assurances, I was guilt - ridden. He'd already looked weak and bruised when he stumbled out of the forest. If only I hadn't been distracted by that symbol...

"There was a weird symbol in the sky," I said suddenly. "I was looking at it and didn't notice the boy on the road until it was too late. I thought it was fireworks, but now that I think about it, I realize that it didn't disappear like normal fireworks do. It was there when we left, and it's probably still there now."

"Hmm," said Alice, I thought there was a greenish tinge to the vision. Was it green in color?" "Yes,I confirmed. "It looked like a skull with its mouth wide open, and a snake emerging from it like a tongue." "It seems familiar. Can you draw and show it to me? No, wait, I'll ask Nessie." It was a sign of how upset I was that I didn't get angry at Alice calling Renesmee by her nickname. Alice walked over to Rose, who was still holding Renesmee.

"Nessie?" she said. "Can you show me what this symbol looks like?" Renesmee put her hand on Alice's cheek to perform her unique ability to be able to show people what she was thinking about. An exact reversal of Edward's ability, who could see and hear people's thoughts. He could hear what every person within a mile radius was thinking, except me. As much as he wanted to, he could never hear my thoughts. It was the first thing about me that had caught his attention when I first moved to Forks, Washington.

Alice stood still as Renesmee showed her the symbol. She remained silent for a few seconds before she finally said,"I've seen it somewhere, I know it. But I don't remember where I did. I'll run a search on it." She flitted upstairs. Meanwhile, Jasper began to do his work, and I felt a wave of calmness wash over me. I took Renesmee from Rose and cuddled her in my arms. I leaned my head against Edward's shoulder. He put his arms around both of us. Renesmee cuddled deeper into my arms. The warmth radiating from her half-human half-vampire body soothed me. Soon I heard soft snoring in rhythm with the beating of her heart. I slowly sat up, trying not to wake her. "I need to go back home and put her to bed." I murmured. Esme flitted to my side.

"N o need, dear. She can sleep here tonight. I'll set up Edward's old bedroom for you." She had the room ready in less than five minutes. I carried Renesmee upstairs and laid her down on Edward's former bed. When Renesmee was born, Esme had built a home for our family. It was a dainty little cottage, a little away from this house, renovated and redesigned by Esme. She'd built a nursery for Renesmee, too. Edward and I would put Renesmee to bed and spend our nights there.

I returned downstairs and asked Edward, "Where's Jake?"

Edward said,"He left about an hour ago to meet up with Sam. Apparently, there's something strange going on in the forests."

Remembering where the green light had come from, I asked,"Do you think this has anything to do with what happened today?" "Could be," Edward mused. "but I hope it doesn't."

"The boy's admitted now. Carlisle's treating him now, as well as a number of other doctors," Alice called from upstairs."...and I'm having no luck tracking down that symbol." "What do you see about the boy?" "I told you he'll wake up soon." Alice said as she came back downstairs.

"If the boy has been admitted weren't there any complications regarding how he got hurt?" I asked, worried. "I don't know, Bella," Alice sighed. "I see the future, not the past." "Carlisle will manage it," Edward assured me, rubbing my back reassuringly. "We'll just have to wait till morning to know the details." Alice said. "I'm sure the news won't be that bad."

I was glad I was a vampire because if I was human right now, I'd have collapsed with exhaustion, and would have spent the entire night in unconsciousness. But since I wasn't human anymore, I sat on the couch all night, with Edward's arms around me, watching through the glass wall and waiting for the first rays of the sun to appear above the horizon.