Chapter Seven - The Ride Home
We were shortly joined by Carlisle. His thoughts were worried, bordering on frantic. He had no idea what was wrong, and he kept jumping from one idea to the next. I had no idea how to explain what had just happened to us, and I seemed to be the only one who had noticed that Carlisle was going spare.
So what happened, are you alright, son? He asked Edward. Unfortunately, Edward couldn't hear him. I nudged Edward and looked pointedly at Carlisle.
"Um Carlisle, we seem to have all switched gifts"
"it's not Christmas, Edward"
"Powers, I can't hear you Carlisle, I can't hear anyone, I have Bella's shield, and she has my mind-reading. Alice and jasper have also switched. I winced as I felt Alice's pain second-hand when she received the shock rolling off of Carlisle's body.
"Switched…gifts?" muttered Carlisle
"yes" Edward replied. Bella, can you hear me then? Asked Carlisle. My lips twitched towards what would have been a smile were I still capable of smiling at this point, and I nodded a little. "yes, I can hear you" I turned to Edward.
"I don't know how you put up with it—everyone, every day, all the time!" I gasped. At least we were speeding smoothly away from the school now. The majority of the incessantly chattering voices faded from my head, wand were replaced by the only three that I could hear in the car. Although there was still a faint murmur…oh good lord, I had just remembered something.
"Edward, how… exactly how far can you usually hear?" I asked my voice shaking.
"Not more than a mile or so, usually" replied Edward.
"A mile or so? D'you know how many people fit into 'a mile or so'?" I gasped. Edward chuckled humorlessly.
"Yes, I do in fact. Sorry, love. I wish I could make it better."
Then it clicked. He could.
"You can! You can use my shield!"
"Can I shield the entire one mile radius while in a moving car?" Edward asked in awe. I smiled a little.
"The moving car shouldn't affect the shield. Can you feel it?"
"No" Edward's forehead wrinkled in frustration.
"Oh"
Edward alone was completely silent for the rest of the ride home. My head was swirling with a multitude of thoughts and visions, none of them belonging to me. They filled so much of my mind that there was barely room for my own thought, and that was saying something considering the average capacity of the vampire mind. I tried to tune them all out and listen only to my own thoughts, but they kept boring through into my mind. I understood what Edward meant when he said it was difficult to tune certain thoughts out. It felt like they were pushing their way into my mind.
How is Alice feeling? I can't tell. On the one hand, at least I don't have to experience all the anxiety that I'm sure everyone else is feeling. On the other hand, I could calm it down, but I don't have my gift any more. Perhaps Alice can do it? But It's overwhelming enough just to feel the emotions swirling around a room on an average day, add all of our intense emotions today, and I'm sure she's already dealing with enough without adding one more complication. I—Jasper's thoughts switched to a vision of the entire car becoming even more panic-stricken I was right, it would be a bad idea. I wonder how Esme will take it… and Suddenly in Jasper's mind's eye (and consequentially my own) Esme was hugging us all fiercely, looking worried, and then gravitating to Carlisle.
I wish I knew how this was going to turn out. I wish I Knew who is going to talk first. It feels like I'm running with my eyes closed. The feelings don't help either. Jasper never explained just exactly what it felt like. I suppose there is no real way to explain how it feels to anyone who has never experienced it. I feel like I'm being swept away in a tide of emotions though. Its so disorienting. All I can feel is tension, I wonder how Jazz uses his ability to manipulate emotions.
I attempted to focus on Edward's silent thoughts for the remainder of the short ride home. I focused on not hearing him, and the other voices faded just a bit, and melded together into an annoying, but indistinct cacophony.