-Chapter 15: The Flood-
I got back home late, though not as late as Charlie. It was almost an hour until sunrise when he pulled into the driveway and shuffled inside. I was in my usual dormant position on my bed, staring at the ceiling, when he nudged open my bedroom door and tiptoed over to the foot of my bed.
The light cast from the open door was strong enough for him to see me in bed, but weak enough for me to peek at him from behind my eyelashes without him realizing I was wide awake. I studied him as he studied me, wondering if he was alright – wondering what could possess him to creep into my room in the early morning. It wasn't unusual for him to check on me, but it was only ever a quick glance through the cracked door.
The floorboards creaked as he moved around to the side of the bed, the heat from his body radiating out from behind his clothing and brushing against my right side. I closed my eyes instinctively, not wanting to be caught awake in this strange scenario.
Charlie's large hand pressed gently against the top of my hair, his thumb barely touching my forehead. He let out a sigh and retracted his hand, maneuvering as silently as he was able to move out of my room. I listened as the door to the bathroom clicked shut and the shower groaned to life, the curtain sliding back and forth as Charlie climbed in.
I stayed in bed for the next few hours, watching the light filter brighter as the sun slowly rose over the horizon and trying to fight the urge to run away from Forks. I needed to stay as normal as possible for the next few weeks – no attention, strange behavior, or anything odd. I had to be plane-Jane high school girl who is just as shocked as the rest of the community when, and if, Jessica's remains were found. I groaned and rolled over on my side as I remembered the other threat I needed to watch out for.
The wolves.
I'll admit, I did overestimate them and their ability to take me in a fight the first time I met them. Paul wasn't easy to kill, but he certainly wasn't difficult, either. The beasts that roamed Phoenix made the Quileute werewolves look like puppies. But as a pack of wolves fighting together, I wasn't as confident.
They were physically weaker than I was and were flesh and bone, but they were fast. Their jaws were sharp and powerful, and several sharp, powerful jaws snapping at me with a speed faster than I could manage could pose a danger to me.
And I had killed one of their members.
They were going to find out. There was no question about it and no doubt in my mind – and even if there was, they would still suspect me. Sam thought I could have been responsible for Tacoma, so it was very good odds that he would point his finger in my direction again. And this time he would be completely right.
"Bella, are you up?" Charlie's voice drew my mind away from my grim thoughts. I sat up in bed as he knocked softly and opened the door. I did my best to look disheveled and groggy as he came inside.
"Uh, yeah," I mumbled and swung my feet to the side of the bed, stepping onto the cold, wooden floor. I barely had time to stand up before Charlie's arms wound themselves snugly around me, causing a burst of air to rush out of my lungs from the unexpected impact. "Uh…"
"Sorry," Charlie pulled away from me and dropped his arms. His eyes were red around the edges. He coughed awkwardly and shifted his weight. "There were a few more attacks, Bells."
"What?" I said dryly, configuring my face into something I hoped resembled shocked and horrified. "When? Where?"
"Two people outside Olympia and two more ten miles from Port Angeles," Charlie grunted. "Jessica Stanley is missing – her car was abandoned near the scene. I'm sorry, Bells." Charlie gripped my shoulders, obviously trying to be comforting.
I didn't need to bother with a false mask of shock this time. Two attacks at the same time? A jolt of panic went through me; was it possible that I killed more people in Olympia and just didn't realize it? I had barely recognized what I was doing when I ate Jessica; it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that it could have happened again. I took a step back, out of Charlie's embrace.
"Olympia?" I asked. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," Charlie ran a hand down the side of his face, the whiskers on his jaw grating against his palm. "I got the call this morning from Olympia PD – said it was the same as the one in Tacoma."
"What about the –" I cut off, swallowing the guilt. "What about the other attack? Was there any…uh…gore?" We both cringed at the word, but only Charlie's face drained of color. He looked nearly vampire-white. Charlie only nodded. I turned away from him to give him a moment to compose himself, padding over to my window and peering out at the gloomy morning outside.
"Bells," Charlie's voice called. I turned back around. "I know you're eighteen now, but I need you to stay in town until these attacks stop. I just couldn't…" I nodded and moved closer.
"I will…dad," I reassured him. Charlie looked down, a tear trailing down his face and running over his mustache. He looked completely lost and helpless in that moment – so far removed from the police chief of Forks I had grown up knowing.
"It could have been you, Bella," Charlie whispered. "I saw what was left of her on the side of the road and her car on the shoulder. I could have lost you." I blinked my eyes to keep the unnatural murky, ink-black tears from falling. I gave Charlie a hug, knowing he needed the tactile reassurance that I was still here.
I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that he thought Paul's blood and gore left on the side of the road was actually Jessica. She was dead, so the conclusion everyone seemed to be drawing wouldn't hurt anyone else – at least not any more than they were already hurt. I wondered, though, how the multiple tufts of hair that weren't consumed could be attributed to Jessica's remains. I suppose it was only logical to assume it was her until it could be tested.
Charlie left for the station soon after our little heart-to-heart; he would be in and out of his office all day and probably tomorrow as well. The investigation was still very much ongoing, and probably would be for the next several months – more, if whatever was killing these people wasn't stopped. I had bitten my tongue at the thought; I was one of those things out killing people.
I had spent most of the time since Charlie had left to research whatever I could on the Olympia attack. There wasn't much: just the same generic statement the police were giving out to the news and internet blogs. No names were released – no connection between this attack and the Tacoma one was suggested, though many of the comments on each story pointed out how similar the two were.
I felt on edge, my body prepared to fight or run, and I could have sworn someone was watching me. The mass at the back of my neck shifted as I glared at the computer screen, half-using it as a mirror to check what was behind me without turning around. I listened intently, but there wasn't anything to be heard. I forced myself to relax; the shit was hitting the fan from all angles, but I needed to keep a clear head.
A muffled chirping sound came from somewhere outside and I froze in place, listening. It chirped again and I went downstairs and through the front door, my eyes darting across the tree line. The sound rang out again, coupled with a rumbling sound, and a smile started to creep up on my face, replacing the wary look I had been wearing.
The iPhone was tucked inside the glove box of my truck, right where I left it. I unlocked the device and peered at the three missed calls – all from Alice. I hit the redial button and held the phone up to my ear.
"I thought you were never going to answer," Alice said with an annoyed tone. I huffed into the speaker in amusement.
"Took me a while to find the damn thing," I muttered, closing the truck door as softly as I could. "Did you want something?"
"Yes," Alice hesitated for a second and let out a sigh. "The wolves called a meeting; I think they know you killed Paul." I groaned and leaned against the frame of my truck, banging the back of my head against the rusted metal.
"Awesome," I said dryly. "Do you need me for the 'meeting?'" I questioned.
"Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie already left," Alice informed me. "I think you need to come over, Bella. I can't see what is going to happen since the wolves and you are involved, but I have a bad feeling."
"I'll be right there," I told her, ready to hang up and run when a sudden realization hit me. I groaned again. "I have to take my truck, though. I don't want Charlie freaking out if my truck is here and I'm not."
"That's fine; just hurry."
I closed the phone and darted inside, scribbling a rather large note and sticking it on the front door so that Charlie wouldn't miss it.
Dad,
Alice invited me over to her house. Call over there if you need me. I'll be home for dinner.
Bella.
When my truck finally wheezed up to the Cullen mansion, I cut the engine off and creaked the door open, stepping outside into the brisk, winter air. Alice's voice was loud enough that I could hear it from somewhere inside the home; she was arguing with someone.
"Damn it, move out of my way and let me through!" Angela's voice nearly screamed. My steps faltered. "I need to know! I swear to god, if you don't let me go…"
"Angela, please," Edward's low voice begged.
"No," Angela said with finality.
The door swung open and Alice flitted over to me and turned halfway around so she was in between the door and me. Her face was plastered with worry as her head swiveled back and forth. I wasn't sure what to do, so I stood silently beside the tiny vampire without saying anything.
Angela stumbled through the front door frantically, as though her legs were trying to mimic Alice's superhuman speed. Edward followed behind her, watching carefully. Angela's eyes were red and swollen and her face was filled with accusations, all directed at me. I had the decency to look down – I had a perfectly good idea what she was upset about.
"Did you do it?" she questioned accusingly as she reached me. "Did you kill Jessica?"
I looked back up at Angela, her eyes swimming with rage and sadness, but also with hesitance. Obviously one of the Cullens had told her I was involved – or one of the wolves, though I doubted they would give the message with Angela and leave it at that. But yet, I could tell she didn't want me to have done what she knew in her heart that I did.
I nodded.
Angela's soft and pliable fist hit my left cheek before I could really react.
Her punch didn't hurt – it felt more like a tap on the cheek than a slug in the face – but her message was clear. Her cry of pain seemed to shock me out of my bewilderment and I winced along with her as she cradled her hand. I attempted to step forward to see if she was alright, but was stopped cold by the feral snarl that erupted from Edward.
Angela was pushed back by Edward as he blurred toward us, the human girl landing a few feet away, completely disoriented. Edward's fist mimicked Angela's, traveling much faster and harder, and connected in the same spot on my face. My head snapped around from the harsh blow, and I could feel the web of tendrils under my skin stretching and rupturing from the rock-hard punch.
I must have somehow fallen to the ground, because I was suddenly face-down in it and struggling to stand up. I winced as my caved-in face popped back into place with a wet sucking sound, but didn't have much time to ponder my healing rate. Edward came at me again, snarling as he lifted me up and hurled me away from the house. I hit the ground and slid a few feet, but by the time I hit the mud I was ready for Edward's next attack.
My right foot planted in Edward's gut as he blurred over to me, eyes black as night. A whoosh of air blew out of his mouth at the blow, and he staggered back. I took the opportunity to spring into a crouch, prepared for anything Edward threw at me.
"Stop!" Angela's voice cried. Edward stiffened at the sound and the barest hints of yellow materialized inside his obsidian pupils. "Don't!"
Edward couldn't see his mate, since he had his back to her, but the girl in question was being restrained by Alice as she tried to run over to us. I straightened up slowly and took a step back, raising my hands in a non-confrontational manner as a quiet growl rolled out of Edward's chest. He allowed me to move away from him, but he watched me like a hawk as I went.
"I'm not going to hurt her," I whispered. "I wouldn't." Edward's eyes narrowed.
Like you wouldn't hurt Jessica?
I flinched at the obvious synchronous rebuttal, even though it wasn't said aloud. My eyes lowered again and my hands dropped. I couldn't fault Edward for looking out for Angela – it was the smart thing to do. Even I wasn't completely sure I was safe to be around.
"What's going on with the wolves?" I asked aloud, wanting to shift the focus off of me.
"I think you can guess," Edward gritted out, making an effort to calm down as he moved back toward Angela and wrapped her in his arms. "It's probably about your indiscretion." I wanted to open my mouth and tell him Paul attacked me first, but he was right: I did start it by killing those people in the van.
"They'll be back soon," Alice spoke, her eyes glazed over in a vision. She looked at me when she came back to the present. "Carlisle is going to want to talk to you…I think." I frowned, unsure how reliable her visions of me could really be, since she said she couldn't see me at all.
"We should wait for them inside," Edward muttered as he loosened his grip on Angela, who I noticed was shivering in the winter air. I nodded my assent and followed the three inside – Angela leading the group with Edward and Alice acting as a buffer between her and me. I wasn't sure if it made me more uncomfortable or assured.
It was awkward, to say the least, standing around inside the massive, quiet living area with two vampires and a human. Nobody spoke. Angela and Edward were sitting close together, seeming to be in their own little world as Edward held Angela's right hook in his hands. Alice wore a look of concern on her face as she stared out of the massive window that overlooked the front yard – no doubt trying to see the future, even though I constantly blocked her powers.
I was selfish to stay here, compounding the Cullens' problems with the wolves and the people of Forks. I wasn't spiraling in a pit of self-loathing as I considered how much trouble I had brought with me; it was the honest, objective truth. I needed to leave.
Thoughts of Charlie combated the idea, but it was a losing battle. My anonymity was already at risk – barely hanging by a thread – and the wolves wouldn't stop. I wasn't convinced they would hurt Charlie to get to me, but then again, I had killed one of theirs. If I wasn't here, there would be no point to hurt my father.
As my decision cemented in my mind, Alice gasped. Everyone seemed to be watching her as she froze mid-vision. My eyes darted to Edward, who I had hoped would give me a clue as to the details of whatever Alice was seeing, but his face was stony and cold and gave nothing away.
"You're leaving?" Alice whispered as the vision ended; her eyes were wide and confused as she looked at me.
"It's better for everyone if I do," I nodded slowly, cocking my head to the side as I considered her vision. "And I thought you couldn't see me."
"I can't, which is why I was confused when our futures began to get clearer," Alice narrowed her eyes at me. "And it's absolutely not better for everyone if you leave!"
"She's right, Alice," Edward came to my rescue. I had to keep myself from scowling at him as he argued my case to leave Forks. "She's drawing too much attention to Forks. It was bad enough that she killed Jessica," Angela flinched at the mention, but Edward continued. "But with her killing Paul…"
"So we'll fight them!" Alice hissed. "They're no match for all of us!"
"No!" Angela practically shouted. Edward shook his head and re-secured his mate in his arms.
"That's completely impractical," he argued. "You would want more violence and death over peace? All Bella has to do is make sure her father doesn't look for her when she leaves, and almost all of the problems fix themselves."
"We should at least wait to have a vote on it!" Alice argued back. "You don't get to make these kinds of decisions for all of us, Edward!" I sighed and stood up, drawing everyone's eyes.
"You don't need to vote," I shook my head. "Leaving is the right thing to do. As soon as I can figure out how to explain to Charlie that I'm leaving, I'll go."
"Bella…" Alice looked mildly hurt at my decision, though I knew she could tell there was no changing my mind.
"It's not like I'm going to drop off the face of the Earth, Alice," I rolled my eyes to make light of the situation and pulled out my iPhone. "And I still have the phone you bought me – you can call me as much as you want." Alice gave me a sad smile.
"I know, it's just –" Alice froze again, glazed-over eyes coupled with a mouth turned open in horror. "No. No!" Edward hissed and whispered something to Angela, who seemed confused and shocked.
"Alice!" I blurred toward her and gripped her shoulders. "What is it? The wolves?" She shook her head.
"I don't know," she moaned, her voice spun at vampire speed; her eyes were still unfocused, but she was still halfway here. "We need to go! They're attacking Forks!"
"What?" I asked, not understanding what she was talking about. "Alice! What's going on? Who is attacking Forks?"
"Please, don't fight me on this," Edward said to Angela, his voice rising in the background as Alice took off running through the front door, cracking the wood as she flitted away. I trailed after her, moving my body as fast as I could.
"Alice!" I screamed as I ran, quickly losing ground as she outpaced me. "Fuck!" I pushed my muscles to the limit, causing my limbs to ache and the biomass that made up my legs to unravel, trailing streams of black and red tendrils behind me as I shot through the woods.
Luckily, Alice had gone into another vision and had completely stilled halfway to Forks – I nearly crashed into her from the speed I was running at. I gripped her arms tightly and pushed her up against a tree, making sure she couldn't make a run for it again.
"Alice, what in the hell is going on?" I shook her slightly as her eyes re-focused.
"I don't know!" Alice exclaimed, eyes wide. Behind me, I could hear Edward's approach as he cut through the wind. "I couldn't see what was attacking; I could only see what Forks will look like when it's over." She shivered.
"I called Carlisle," Edward said as he approached Alice and me. I released my grip on the small vampire and stepped back. "I told them what Alice saw; they're on their way back now, and want us to wait for them."
"It'll be too late," Alice replied, pulling her hands through her short, spiky hair.
"We don't know who or what is going to attack Forks, Alice," Edward argued. "We need the numbers."
"Charlie's there right now," I butted in. "And Angela's family! I'm not just going to sit back and wait because it's safer." I snarled at him, my arms rippling and transforming my hands into razor-sharp claws.
"Fine," Edward agreed reluctantly. "We'll check it out, but we're not going in to fight them; not until we know what is going on."
"They're coming in from the South East," Alice informed us. "We should get moving." We all agreed and sped off, traveling at a speed I could keep up with.
My head tingled as we ran, and chills went over my skin. My claws flexed at the sensation, but I shook it off – I needed to have a clear head to fight whoever had encroached on my territory. I blew out a stream of air at Edward's edict not to fight, mentally growling at his perceived position of authority over me. I wanted to rip his arms off and show him how much his commands meant to me. I could do it right now – his back was to me as he ran in front. It wouldn't be difficult at all to lunge forward and…
I blinked, shaking off the violent impulses. I needed something to direct my inner monster – a meat bag to let out my frustrations on. All these thoughts and threats against the people I cared about were getting to me.
Edward slowed down abruptly, crouching low before springing up into a tree. Alice and I followed behind him, my claws easily shredding the bark as I hoisted myself up to the high branch he was positioned on. My head turned to follow his gaze, and a familiar shriek of loathing shot through my veins as I looked across the shallow valley our enemy was traversing.
It was them. It was me.
It was the infection.
End notes: Alright, so here's another chapter just for you. We're chugging right along, and very soon the 'bad guy' will be revealed. I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me for sort of ignoring the Victoria plotline. We'll get to that a bit later, but there are bigger fish to fry.
This chapter would have been pumped out sooner, but I recently got into a Halo fanfiction frenzy and actually started writing one out of the blue (I have like 2 chapters done already). It's not posted yet, but if you like my writing and you like Halo, maybe you'll like me writing Halo.
There weren't many questions that I felt needed to be answered in the reviews, but I felt it was my duty to reply to at least one of them.
Guest: "killing jessica was useless and this chapter didn't really work, you can't say its bellice story anymore because that thing is not bella and never was, so change this to a alice/oc"
My Reply: "No."