Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all…
Thanks to all the people who sent in a review. Though I never got my 10, the few I did get were great.
Speaking of, someone sent in an anonymous review named 'Yo it's me'. Not too sure who that is (I'm bad, I know), but if the person could PM me telling me who they are that would be great. :P
Chapter 18 is here, so enjoy!
Chapter 18: Love in Affliction:
BELLA'S POV:
~~~ Cold. So cold. And dark.
Everywhere I looked and Everything I felt was nothing. I was empty, I was numb.
Something, SOMEONE brushed my shoulder and I jumped away, my piercing shriek disappearing into the night. Or what I assumed was night anyway, I couldn't tell.
Suddenly, through the numbness I felt one thing, as sure and sharp as the glance of a killer; fear. Unmistakable fear.
"Isabella Swan". The sound of my name made me turn on instinct and what I saw made my blood run cold.
Eyes. Burning, red eyes peering out to me from the darkness.
Instantly my breathing began to come in short, desperate gasps and I began to back away from the horrid sight before me. I squeezed my eyes shut praying that when I opened them next, the fiery eyes would no longer be there.
It had the opposite effect. Upon opening my eyes I was greeted with the sight of no less then a hundred of the same, crazed expressions glaring back at me from the surrounding darkness.
I felt someone seize me from behind and when I tried to scream their hand came over my mouth. I struggled, but their grip was too strong. I beat them, but their skin was tough as iron. I cried, but their heart was as cold as ice.
I was roughly and unexpectedly turned to face my captor and was hit with a confusing wave of déjà vu. Instantly images of a horrid car wreck and the red headed woman before me flashed through my mind. Though I knew nothing of these images, I couldn't disregard the feeling that they were important, and I hoped that when the right time came I would find out the true meaning behind them. But before I could dwell on the matter, the fierce women holding me hostage slowly began to smile, and removing her hand from my mouth brushed my hair from my neck.
As she lowered her lips to my jugular I heard her distinctly whisper the words, "Check mate"~~~
Shrieking I sat upright in bed, clutching the covers to my chest.
Edward's sweet scent lingered in the bed sheets and as I breathed deeply I slowly began to calm down. Glancing around the room in desperation, ensuring myself of the fact that no unwanted visitor was in there with me, I was struck by the seriousness of the situation I was in.
I was scared, and I had been from the first encounter with the supernatural at the masked ball. Though many of my recent thoughts had been preoccupied with Edward, and in a mall way, Jacob, I still had difficultly forgetting the mess I was in. The fact that Edward had acted so weirdly the previous night, and that now I was now having nightmares, somehow put everything into perspective. And let me tell you, I did not like what I saw one bit.
As I sighed heavily the door to Edward's room swung open and Esme hurried in, followed by Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie. Edward, as usual, was no where to be seen.
"Bella?" I looked up as Esme as she reached my bed, and noticing the fear in my eyes her motherly instinct automatically kicked in. Sitting on Edward's bed beside me she pulled me into a comforting hug, all the while whispering soft consolations to me. I hugged her tightly, cherishing the moment and the brief comfort it brought. When she pulled away her face bore a silent question and as I glanced up at the rest of the Cullen's I saw the same expression on each of their faces.
Looking down at my folded hands in my lap I took a deep breath to regain my composure before glancing back up at Esme.
"The woman." I said, my voice breaking slightly. As Esme laid a comforting hand on my shoulder I took another deep breathe before continuing. "The woman, in my dream? She had…she had this look in her eye. Like she absolutely loathed me. Like she wanted me disposed of. That and her overall appearance were the two most memorable things about her."
I saw Esme share a worried glance with Carlisle before he stepped forward asking me, "What exactly did she look like Bella?"
I bit my lip before continuing, "She looked, almost…well, almost catlike. Wild. Her hair was a fiery red mane, a mess of leaves. And her eyes, they were-" I stopped as my voice began to shake. I heard Esme's quietly tell me that I didn't have to continue if I did not want to.
I shook my head, no. I wanted to tell them. I took yet another soothing breathe and then felt a wave of calm wash over me. Looking up at Jasper I smiled slightly and he nodded in return.
"Her eyes were red. Like blood. Glowing red and murderous. It was scary." Red like Edward's eyes had been yesterday, I silently added to myself.
"I can imagine it would be scary." Alice chimed.
"Yeah…though not as scary as this, right Bella?" I glanced up at Emmett to see him pointing to Rosalie's face and tried to hold back my smile as Rosalie gave him her best "Just you wait" glare.
"No Em, way scarier then that." I said and winked playfully at Rosalie when she turned her infuriated gaze on me.
Emmett's booming laugh filled the room, Carlisle rolled his eyes, Alice bit her lip and Jasper had his eyes squeezed shut in anticipation on Rosalie's outburst. Esme however, ever the voice of reason, gave Rosalie a stern glance and then looked back at me.
"Well, I doubt that you will be able to fall back asleep, and considering you're now feeling a little better, how about you come downstairs for some breakfast?"
"Breakfast?" I asked in surprise turning to glance at the large clock mounted on the far wall of the bedroom. It read 6:00am. I felt like I had just fallen asleep and to be completely honest I could have slept for longer. Though it was too early for breakfast I did not want to disappoint Esme or face another nightmare were I to return to bed, so I accepted the offer and followed my family back downstairs.
EDWARD'S POV:
I was in no hurry to return home. I knew my family, Esme especially, would be extremely worried, but I needed time to clear my thoughts.
My night had been severely unpleasant, to say the least, and through the words and actions of my mistress it was evident that her patience was wearing thin.
I knew that if I left Bella unattended for the briefest of moments, if I left Bella in a state of vulnerability, my mistress would intervene and attack. The multiple threats stated to me last night left me with no doubt on the matter.
I groaned in frustration and turned to strike a tree beside me. Every time I was controlled by the red-headed woman, it would seem that the following day I am left with no sense of direction. I knew nothing of where I was, though I acknowledged the obvious signs of being situated in a forest, and was left with my instinct to guide me home.
I caught the sudden scent of a near by mammal, a small deer I assumed, and impulsively began to track it. I had been forced to drink large amounts of fresh, human blood the previous night as a means of torture, and my eyes were now more red then they were golden. I needed to return them as close to their normal colour as possible, hence hunting the deer was my best option.
I saw movement in my peripheral vision and in a fraction of a second had turned to run in that direction, seeing my prey for the first time.
Increasing my speed and tensing my legs in preparation, I pounced on my kill. The deer struggled beneath my body but my grip held fast and as my teeth broke through the soft skin on the back of its neck and warm blood began to flow steadily through the wound, the animal's movements began to lessen. All the while, I fed.
I do not know how long I spent hunting in the forest, chasing after deer in the hoped of minimizing the red shade of my eyes, though by the time I was nearing my home, I knew it would be no less then midday.
I soon began to hear the relieved thoughts of my siblings and parents and was also able to recognise the stable sound of Bella's heart beat among them.
She's safe, I thought and sighed in relief, Bella's safe.
JASPER'S POV:
The amount of emotion displayed on everyone's face was unbearable to witness. What made the situation worse however, is the fact that I could feel each and every one of those sentiments. From Esme's concern and Bella's confusion, to Emmett's silent anger.
Bella, upon finishing breakfast, then returned upstairs to shower and dress. I hadn't been present the previous day, but if her paint splattered clothing was any indication of what her, Alice and Rosalie had gotten up to, then I'm relieved I was absent.
Soon after this, we heard Edward approaching the house and breathed a mutual sigh of relief. He had been through close to hell the night before, no doubt. Though the fact that he had returned home in a one piece (quite literally), was comfort to us all.
As my brother's eyes met mine when he passed through the doorway, it became obvious that we shared the same thoughts; something had to be done about the red-headed woman, and fast. The curt nod he gave to me before seating himself onto one of the empty sofas, added to the self confidence I had in my plans.
This plan of action had been present in the back of my mind for some time now. In fact I was so determined to make my ideas a reality that I had even discussed them with Emmett, however briefly. Despite the fact that he fully supported the idea of attack and was predictably enthused by it, there was still one question holding me back; how?
This woman, though she did not obtain the ability to foresee our decisions, did indeed obtain the ability to change our choices to suit her. And that could not have made things more difficult or daunting.
True, I had had experience fighting, both before and after Carlisle had changed my life. True, I had experience fighting with both newly changed vampires and those of our kind who had been changed decades before I had met them. Though I had never fought against someone who had personally invaded my home, threatened those I loved and held a power equal to if not greater then those acquired by the members of my family.
If there was one thing I was positive of, however, it was that I would, with the help of my brothers, find a way to defeat this woman. And that if all else failed, I would not go down without a fight.
BELLA'S POV:
I sighed heavily and squeezed some more shampoo from the bottle and onto my hand. Third time lucky, right? Hopefully I would get all of the paint out of my hair this time.
Lowering my arms I turned the hot water faucet on further, hoping that the heat would relax my pained arms and relieve the stress from my shoulders.
I loved warm showers. I could stand under the hot water for hours on end, lost in my own thoughts and as a result losing all sense of time. It was because of this that by the time I finally turned the taps off and reached for a towel to dry myself with, there was barely any hot water left and I had absolutely no idea what time it was.
Upon drying myself, dressing myself and sighing in relief when I discovered that there was no trace of paint left in my hair, I proceeded to hang my towel on the rack to dry and exited the bathroom.
Edward's bed remained the mess I had left it as earlier, so I decided to neaten the room a little. Straightening and re-plumping the pillows I noticed the note Edward had left me lying in among the folds of the doona. I picked it up, folded it in half twice and then placed it into the front pocket of my faded jeans.
I reached down and pulled the puffy doona cover up and over the pillows, suddenly remembering my jacket; the one I had placed on the end of the bed before going to sleep the night before.
Looking down towards the base of the bed my jacket was no where to be seen. Before I allowed myself time to panic I pulled up the cover, hoping that my jacket would be concealed underneath, though I found nothing.
I stopped for a moment, hands on hips and thinking of any other possibilities as to where my jumper could have disappeared to. Then smiling slightly and shaking my head at my naïve approach to the situation, I slowly lowered my self onto hands and knees and glanced under the large bed. And there is was.
Reaching out and pulling the paint covered jacket from its hiding place, I abruptly lost my balance and as a result fell onto my side (quite heavily and painfully, might I add).
It was then that I saw it. At first I thought I was simply picturing things; my imagination running away with me, or my fear in the events of the past few days affecting me again. I even squeezed my eyes shut and re-opened them, thinking what I saw would have vanished when I glanced under the bed again. When that failed I even pinched myself, hoping that would wake me from the awful fantasy I was experiencing. That didn't work either.
If none of those things proved to me that I wasn't dreaming, nothing helped to solidify the authenticity of the situation more then what happened next.
As my outreached fingers finally came into contact with the surface of the intricate navy blue and black mask lying in the shadows, I gasped loudly and shied away from the visor, almost as though an electric shock had passed through it and into my body.
Vivid pictures from the night of the masquerade ball flashed through my mind. Images of the mysterious stranger I had danced with; the one who wanted to know so much about me. The one who tried to kill me. The one who I was positive was the same man that had shared kisses and embraces with me only the previous day.
Pulling the mask from its place beneath the bed, I moved to stand shakily, and heard a sharp intake of breathe sound from behind me. I spun round to see no other then the culprit himself standing in the doorway.
I looked at Edward, shaking my head back and forth in pure disbelief.
"Why?" my whisper, so quiet, would have remained unheard by any human, though Edward was not a human.
"Bella-" he choked
"WHY?" I screamed, my voice cracking. "Why did you do this? You, you were the man at the ball, you danced with me, and talked to me! Dammnit Edward you tried to hurt me! All this time you've been attempting to keep me away from Jacob when it should have been you I stayed away from!"
I saw the desperation in his eyes, the hurt, as he stepped towards me arms outstretched as though in surrender, as though he wished to pull me into an embrace. An embrace I refused to yield to.
"No!" I flinched away from him and placed my hands out before me in argument, the midnight blue mask in my grasp a painful reminder of all hurt he had put me through and lies he had uttered.
"I can't-" again, my voice broke without permission and I sighed deeply in an attempt to calm myself. "I can't believe I didn't see this before. I mean you disappeared so often that I couldn't help wondering where you were going and why you were going there, but I ignored the facts. Even yesterday when you practically acted like some crazed killer and barged out of the room, I still turned a blind eye to all the evidence, even though it was all right in front of me. That's just it…I was blinded; blinded by my faith in you. It blinded me from your suspicious actions and blinded me from my true feelings towards you…"
As I muttered on, my hysteria increasing by the second, I could see Edwards mind racing ahead of mine and seeing what was coming before it had arrived. But even Edward's abnormally high IQ was not sophisticated enough to figure out a way to make me stop what I would say next.
"It's all been a lie. Everything, done by you and by me, has been a lie. You never really cared for my safety or for my feelings at all. And I never cared for you. I was blinded…I convinced myself I had full confidence in you, that I was safe with you, that I loved you…"
I saw surprise register briefly in his eyes as I said this, but even that was not enough to make my stupid mouth stop moving.
"I've been blind to so many things in my life and every time I've fallen I've simply gotten back up, dusted myself off and kept going, promising that I would never make the same mistake again and that I had learnt from my error. But it would seem that I always found a way to screw up again and again, and every time the consequences would get worse. But this…I can't do this!" I waved my hands out frantically before me to emphasise my point, before trying and failing to suppress a sob.
Edward, all the while, had remained quiet, and white hot fury bubbled inside of me at his lack of words, lack of emotion, towards the situation. I looked up at him so he could see the anger I was feeling …but then I saw the look on his face; the look of a broken man. A man who was trying, and failing horribly, to be brave and ignorant to the situation at hand.
"I'm sorry…" I managed to whisper, before dropping the haunting mask onto the wooden floor and running out of the bedroom.
I managed to vaguely register the sound of Edward softly speaking my name as I roughly moved passed him. Managed to somehow keep my balance as I stumbled down the staircase. Managed to hear the surprised and confused reactions of the Cullen family as I rushed passed them out their homes front door. Managed to run blindly into the surrounding woodland and ignore the whipping of thin branches on my face and arms and the stinging of the cuts they made. I managed to stumble into an odd, eerie looking clearing and fall somewhat gracefully to my feet before retching in what was a no where near graceful manner. I managed…At least that's what I told myself.
I don't know how long I lay there, on the soft, rich smelling forest floor before I opened my eyes to find myself surrounded by near complete blackness. The only confirmation I had that I was someplace semi-familiar to me was the dark, ghost like shapes of the trees on the edges of the dead looking field, confirming I was in a forest. Though that's pretty much all I was certain of.
It was cold too. So cold.
Suddenly, I felt something brush my shoulder and jumped in fear, holding back a scream.
The whispered sound of my name was carried towards me on the slight breeze and I looked around me anxiously, praying that this was just another one of my vivid nightmares. Though the roughness and abnormal coolness of someone's hands closing around my neck from behind instantly confirmed the realism of my experience, and I realised that this was no dream. I realised that I was in danger, and that I had no where to go and no where to hide.
I was trapped. Trapped in a world, of horrific and recurring déjà vu. A world, where it would seem, my nightmare from the previous night was morphing into a reality that was worse then the dream itself.
I tried to scream but their hand came over my mouth. I struggled, but their grip was too strong. I beat them, but their skin was tough as iron. I cried, but their heart was as cold as ice.
I was roughly and unexpectedly turned to face my captor and was hit with the same wave of memories as I was in my nightmare. A car wreck. Red eyes. The fierce woman before me. The only difference was that these images seemed to make a little more sense in reality then they did in my dream, though I still remained uncertain about their full connotations.
But before I could dwell on their representation, the vicious women holding me hostage slowly began to smile, and removing her hand from my mouth brushed my hair from my neck as she had only hours before in my sleep.
As she lowered her lips to my jugular I heard her distinctly whisper the words, "Check mate"…
…Only this time when I opened my mouth to scream, I never woke up.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Thank you so much for reading guys (and for hanging in there while you waited for me to update), I appreciate it more then you know!
Please review! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter…
Thanks again and I'll update as soon as possible,
Krissy
Heart of Diamonds