A/N: Welcome people to another chapter! Sorry if this one is a bit short and dull. Because it's from Ally's perspective, you don't get much from what Bella experience in the book. Hence the shortness of the chapter. Hopefully you like it though! Kasey, I included something in this chapter just for you. Do you know what it is? I sure as hell hope so! And yes, this is a bit more like the movie than the book, I realize that. But the book's version didn't really fit in as well here as the movie's version did. Enjoy, read and review! More chapters to come soon! I was going to write something else, but I forgot. If I remember, I'll add it on! x L.
The darkness engulfed me. I tried to fight my way through it, but it was impossible.
I could hear voices, far away and distant. I wanted to call out to them and say, "I'm here! Don't forget about me!" but my tongue seemed to have turned into sawdust. My mouth felt dry, my eyelids heavy.
As I started to regain consciousness, my head throbbing, the voices became louder. "Bella, Bella? Bella where are you?" That voice was unfamiliar. It was the next, high pitched voice that I knew.
"Mum?" I heard running footsteps. "Ally? Where are you?"
I moaned, trying to lift my body up. It didn't work. My body felt like lead. The unfamiliar voice kept talking. I managed, even though it was painful, to sit myself up so I was leaning against the cool glass of the mirrored wall. Everything hurt. My head, my chest, my arm. I opened my mouth to warn Bella, but my voice was hoarse.
"Bella!" I croaked, my voice breaking as it was carried through the studio.
She heard me, and turned around. "Ally? Ally!" Her footsteps echoed along the wooden floorboards as she came to a halt in front of me. "Oh my God, Ally! What happened, are you okay? Where's Mum?" Her fingers came across my forehead and I winced.
"She's – she's not here," I gasped for breath. My ribs were killing me. "It was a trick, Bella, to get you here. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Bella's face visibly paled. "James?" she whispered. I nodded in reply.
A shadow loomed behind us and my eyes widened. With all the strength I could muster, I pushed Bella out the way before James could get hold of her. "Run!" I yelled, as Bella scrambled to her feet.
James yelled out in disgust, and my own reflex kicked in. I managed to dodge James' arm, pulling myself up and onto my feet. I swayed, almost falling back down.
"Ally!" Bella cried, rushing towards me. I screamed for her to stop, but James stepped in between us, cornering Bella by the mirrors.
He started muttering something to her, something my human ears couldn't pick up. Bella's head was turned away to the side, not looking at James.
He held up a video camera. "Borrowed this from your house. Hope you don't mind," James sneered. I snorted at the odd words. Because Bella would hardly be worrying at the moment about a stolen video camera.
"Beautiful," he said, talking more to himself. "Very visually dynamic. I chose my stage well." I kept my back against the mirrors. I had to do something. I knew, somehow, what would come next. Looking around, I saw an old piece of chair leg on the ground. I hobbled over to it, picking it up and turning it over in my hands. It was smooth and long.
James had been speaking to Bella. Now he yelled out. "Tell him! Tell him to avenge you!"
"No, Edward, don't!" Bella yelled back. A loud crunching noise filled the room and Bella was on the floor, screaming in pain. I gathered up my strength and ran across the room to where James was kneeling down next to Bella, hand on her leg. Not thinking, I cracked him one over the head with the piece of wood. It didn't have the desired effect.
His face full of anger, James turned around to face me. My eyes widened, and his hand shot out, pushing me into the mirrors at full force. My body flung in the air again, the glass shattering on impact. I fell with a scream of pain onto the falling glass.
I moaned in pain. My chest felt as if it were on fire as I turned my head to look at Bella. James was standing over her grinning at me as he picked up her limp hand. "No! No! Bella!" I screamed, trying to move myself in the way. James flung me back again like I was a rag doll. I felt my wrist hit the floor with a snap that echoed through the studio.
James had his nose on Bella's wrist. There was blood pouring from it. "I'm surprised Edward never had the guts to turn you himself. You smell sensational." Bella whimpered, too weak to fight. I wasn't giving up though. I'd been beaten and bruised like this before. I wasn't dead yet, and James would have to get through me before he turned, or worse, killed Bella.
James still had his grip on her wrist, but now it was lower, by his mouth. "Alexandra, haven't you always wondered about the power of our venom? How it spreads, inflames the senses. Wouldn't you like to watch as your friend becomes one of us?" He sunk his teeth into Bella's wrist.
My own cries were drowned out by Bella's screaming, and I pushed myself once more off the ground and pushed James off Bella. Her arm limply fell back to her side, but she kept on screaming in pain. James yanked me off his back, not bothering to catch me as I once again fell to the ground.
It was all too much for my body. I felt the darkness slide over me again, taking me away from the harsh screams and the sadistic laugh.
---
Screams woke me up. They wouldn't stop, hurting my ears. I moaned and tried to turn over. All I wanted to do was sleep.
"Whoa," a soft voice whispered to me. "Easy, tiger." Someone's hands stopped me from turning.
I snapped my eyes open. The screams were louder now, and there were other voices, all of them drowned out. From one corner of my eye I could see a blinding orange light, shadows moving and darting around it. I moved my head to where the screams were.
Bella.
She was thrashing around on the ground, the shadows of people by her side. It was then I remembered James' lips turning upwards in a cruel smile as he drained Bella while she screamd in pain.
"Bella!" I cried out, scrambling to sit up. Pain shot through me, and I doubled over. Strong hands caught me before I could fall back. "You aren't going anywhere, missy," I heard that same voice say, firmer this time.
"No! He bit her, he bit Bella!" I argued, wincing as I tried to escape from the arms that held my waist.
"It's okay, Ally. Shhh." I realized I had started to sob.
"Bella!"
One of the strong hands went around my chin and to my left cheek, touching my face ever so lightly. I felt my face move with the hand, until my right cheek was resting on the person's cold chest. I grasped onto his shirt, the sobs coursing through my body. I knew he was shielding from seeing what was going on, but as I turned, I caught Bella's open eyes.
Edward was trying to suck the venom out of her blood, Bella's screams still penetrating the air. Robert's hands were over my hair, down my cheek, my shoulder, soothing me, rocking my aching body. I closed my eyes. I wanted the screams to stop. I wanted the bright orange light to go away. I wanted the pain to fade away. All I wanted was for Robert to never stop rocking me.