Hymn for the Missing
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Part One-You Are Not Alone
Bella drifted toward the open back door. Fascinated by the play of light coming through the open gap, she held out her hand, her fingers splayed wide as if she could capture the very essence of the sun within her palm. The honeyed light drew her forward, the sparkling rays bringing her to the very edge of the door. So enamoured was she by the rare display of light, she forgot all about her mother's warnings to not leave the house without an adult.
In the state of Washington, under a near constant cover of clouds and rain, the sunlight was a rare occurrence. Forks was no exception. A thrill of excitement rippled through Bella as she did the forbidden and stepped into the unknown. A gentle breeze ruffled the brunette strands of her hair, making them blaze a golden brown.
The sunlight continued to come as woven strands, free and united, flowing like a river and capturing Bella's heart. It created a tapestry of colours. Each tree was a masterpiece, each wand of grass something magical. It was a whole new world to explore, better than her normal everyday world, which consisted of the house and its immediate surrounds. Her mother, Renee, was not one to wander far, not bothering to hide her abhorrence at the place she had been forced to settle even from her own daughter.
Bella's eyes rested upon golden arcing rays, knowing the dark is far and ever lit by stars. It is the illumination that gives vivacious hues to this world of living art. She followed the light, her hands extended in front of her. She paid no heed to where she was going. The sunlight continued to conjure the most brilliant of mosaics, reflecting from each leaf and wisp of cloud. It was as if there was a pure joy in the light, as if it were happy to create art where it shone, warm and steady. It was as the smiles of friends, as fresh rain after summer sun, something to quench and soothe all at once. It pushed all thoughts of her parents troubled relationship from her young mind. The bitter arguments she'd overheard between them late at night when they thought she was asleep were forgotten as she followed the light.
"Bella!" Renee's screams turned the air blue when she found the back door wide open and her five-year-old daughter missing. Her fingers sank into hair the colour of corn. She ran outside, barefoot, forgetting to put on her shoes. The grass on her soles was soft on soft, warm on warm, a gentle tickle as each giving wand formed a cushion of green under her feet. Each strand moved in the summer breeze as easily as her hair, the waves and rustling as alive as her unsteady breaths. She had only turned her back for a second while she answered the phone-although, in reality, it had been much longer. "Bella, baby! Where are you?"
There was no sign of the little girl. It was quiet outside. Eerie almost. A light mist was beginning in the air. The sun that had so attracted her daughter was hidden again by clouds. It was drizzling with rain now. Renee spun in circles as she continued to cry Bella's name. Tears stung her eyes as she picked a direction and began to run. Surely Bella couldn't have gone far? She was too small, too fragile, and too shy to have wandered off alone. She was normally such a clingy child. Renee couldn't understand why she had gone outside alone, or how she had even managed to open the back door without her noticing.
"Bella? Answer Mommy, baby." Renee searched frantically, heading one way than another. In her panic she delayed calling for help, so certain was she that her precious child was somewhere nearby.
Her eyes drifted toward the rich brown earthen hues of the forest in the distance. She quickly discounted it. Bella would never have gone in that direction. She was afraid of the dark. Renee stumbled toward the front of the house; the soft grass replaced by hard tarmac under her feet. Cars whizzed past her on the sidewalk as she continued to call Bella's name. Renee's hair began to curl in the fine rain as she wandered around in another circle.
"Baby, speak to me. Bella, please."
With every passing minute Renee became more distraught. She was at her wits end. Where could Bella have gone in such a short space of time? She dropped to her knees in despair as the rain conjured a sweet pattern upon her skin, the thousands of liquid globes reflecting the fear in her eyes. This was like her worst nightmare come true. "Oh baby. Come home." She whispered hoarsely. "Please god, help me."
There were lights everywhere, held by the crowd walking with him. It felt like a parade. Or a funeral procession. As soon as that thought entered his head, Charlie shuddered. They would find her. They had to. But it had already been over thirty-six hours since Bella went missing. Any law enforcement officer worth his salt knew that the first twenty-four hours were the most critical. Any moment after meant diminishing hope, that something catastrophic must have happened.
Even though he was trying to concentrate on the here and now, Charlie couldn't help but blame Renee. She had fallen into a catatonic state after finding Bella gone. Instead of contacting him right away, he had come home from work to find her sitting on the sofa staring into the middle distance. Vital hours had been lost while she sank into melancholia. When he finally dragged out of her what had happened, she became hysterical and had to be sedated by Dr. Gerandy.
A huge search had been conducted. The whole town was out searching for her. Charlie had wanted to head up the team, but specialists had been brought in from out of the area. They warned him he was too close to the case and it was best left in more experienced hands. He knew the procedure. Renee's explanation of how Bella had even managed to open the front door was vague at best. He felt his anger spike again.
"We'll find her, Charlie."
Charlie felt a heavy hand settle on his shoulder. He turned to find Billy Black standing beside him, his dark brown eyes unwavering. Along with Harry Clearwater, Billy had rustled up most of the able young men on the reservation to come and help in the search for his daughter. Charlie didn't know what he would have done without them. Whenever there was a major crisis in his life, they were always there. Always.
"Where is she, Billy? Why can't we find her?"
"We will find her. The young can be very resourceful." Billy squeezed his shoulder.
Charlie nodded, trying to hold onto hope. When he looked at his oldest friend, he always felt like he was seeing two people rather than just one. There was the guy with the lined face and the white smile that everyone else saw. And then there was the direct descendant of a long line of powerful, magical chieftains cloaked in the authority he'd been born with.
"Come on." Billy pushed him forward. "We should keep moving."
The rain brought a richness to each hue, the browns deepened in a way that soothed Bella's heart, bringing a steadiness to her soul. The grass under her feet turned glossy, reflecting the light, a new bright shine to their wands, softly waving in the breeze. The rain brought a freshness, each drop a heaven-given gift for each part of creation. She raised up her hand, tilted her face toward the treetops, feeling water and sunshine together. As she did so, a song as old as time stirred within, one that felt as if it meant "thank you" and "love" all at once. Perhaps this was joy, a happiness that felt pure.
Bella continued to wander the forest. The tall trees a hug of browns, a shelter of extended limbs, beauty resting beneath foliage hues, the forest was a protective mother, the promise of holy sanctuary. She was totally unafraid. Sure, that nothing could harm her here.
Upon the forest floor lay trees of yesteryear, fallen in storms long forgotten. The seasons had been harsh, stripping away the bark and outer layers, yet rendering them all the more beautiful. They had the appearance of driftwood, twisting in patterns that reminded Bella of seaside waves; even the colour of the moss was kelp-like. They were soft, damp, yet when she touched them her fingers came away dry. It was like she was journeying into her own personal fairy tale. In a way she was. Nothing seemed real. The only thing missing was the fantastical creatures that should inhabit such a magical place like this.
Just as that thought entered her head, she saw him. Laying on his side amongst the fallen trees. The big bad wolf. Her first instinct was to run. He was huge. He probably had huge teeth. She would be his next meal.
But something stopped Bella from running. Her natural empathy came to the forefront upon further examination of the huge animal. It didn't look fierce. It looked…sad?
As she crept closer, Bella realised that it wasn't just sad. It was injured.
"Oh, you poor thing!"
She watched the painful, steady rise and fall of his huge barrelled chest. Blood was matted on his fur, down his legs and chest. The red liquid oozed out of several vicious looking gashes along his flank. It was hard to make out the colour of his fur as the wolf was caked in dirt as well as blood.
Bella didn't know what to do. How was she supposed to help it? She worried her lower lip with her front teeth, contemplating what to do. As she continued to wonder, the wolf opened his large brown eyes and looked directly at her.
As her eyes connected with his, all her worry and uncertainty vanished. She stood still, becoming immersed in the wolf's weary stare. Her world shifted on its axis, everything paling into insignificance except for the wolf. She didn't realise she was holding her breath in awe, until the wolf's eyes closed again, releasing her from the stranglehold of his intent gaze.
"Hey, wolf!" Bella whispered, stepping lightly forward.
The wolf made no move to respond. His chest continued to rise and fall. Slower this time. Bella began to panic that he was dying. She trotted over to him, closing the gap between them.
"Don't die, wolf." Bella pleaded. "Not when I've only just found you."
She crouched down in front of his head. His eyes remained closed. The only sound was her erratic breathing. Bella tentatively reached out, her small fingers trembling slightly, and touched the fur on the side of his face. A thrumming hum resonated in the wolf's throat at her touch.
His fur was both soft and rough, and warm against her skin. She ran her fingers through it cautiously, learning the texture, stroking his neck where the colour deepened. Now she was closer she could make out the glimmer of red in his fur amongst the caked dirt and blood.
"Don't worry, wolf." Bella reassured him in another soft whisper. "You're not alone. I'm going to look after you." It was at that point that an overwhelming tiredness came upon her. Bella yawned. "Maybe I'll just have a nap first, though." She curled up by the wolf's side in a foetal position and closed her eyes.
A/N-thanks for reading!