Chapter 5- Burning Discoveries
I had collected sticks along the way hoping they would light. By the time I found the right place for it, a small clearing where it wouldn't start a bush fire and started piling the sticks. While doing so I noticed that they had dried during the run. 'Perfect'. It wasn't long before I had collected a large pile of sticks and gathered them in the centre of a small clearing. Rubbing them together in a very caveman way I broke the sticks...
About half an hour and a separate pile of broken sticks later a fire was roaring away menacingly. I took a deep breath although didn't know the point. Half an hour usually is not enough time to think things through, for a normal person. But I wasn't a normal person anymore, I had the ability to move fast and talk fast, apparently that involved thinking super fast as well. My final decisions is that I was nothing more than a thing and it had to end. If we were in the olden days I would have been burned at the stake for being a witch. The fire somehow seemed appropriate.
I moved close to the fire feeling the heat. One last deep breath, one last questioning thought followed by images of the deer, and of Edward. 'No one human could have done something like that to the one they loved' "this is it" I moved fast and sat in the middle of the fire. I felt the flames licking at my skin, the acid smell of burning hair filling my nostrils. The smoke filled my lungs, but no coughing resulted. Proving again that I wasn't human. The heat was intensifying, burning away everything that I was, becoming me. I could handle the pain, compared to the last three days this was tolerable, and it would be quick. I was waiting for it to stop, for something to happen, but what eventuated was not expected. I felt a tingling sensation, opening my eyes and looking down at my arms I saw the blisters disappear, I reached my hands up to my head feeling my thick brown hair, unsinged. 'This is new' I stood up and stepped out of the fire. I was still on fire but, despite the heat, no longer felt the pain, I turned to put out the fire and as I thought about it, the flames dimmed to burning coals. But I was still on fire. I listened to the forest around me and heard the distant sound of flowing water, heading for it at fall speed I jumped in letting the freezing water put out the flames. Floating in limbo for a brief moment feeling the chill through my body, I decided to head to the surface. Kicking my legs I moved up slowly only to hit something hard, realizing that I couldn't make it to the surface. Looking up I saw a sheet of ice covering the surface. Panic washed over me as a I tapped against the ice in a futile attempt to get through. To get to air. Then it hit me, what did I need air for? I let myself sink as I laughed at my own stupidity, 'this really is something you have to get used to'. Eventually I swam the to ice once again and, pulling my arm back, I punched the ice, shattering it. Moving up and getting out I made one final decision for that day. Whether it was right or wrong, I was going to go back to Edward.
Before the knock even rang through the house, Alice was there to answer it. Edward had come home earlier sporting a black eye and worried about Bella. Explaining how she had freaked out and, after punching him a little, ran off as fast as she could claiming her end. It was a relief to know she was just on the other side of the door.
On first appearance she was a wreck. Dripping wet, twigs through her hair and hooked on her clothes. 'Are her clothes burnt?' Alice wondered as Bella stood there. "come in" Alice said after the initial shock of first site. She moved in slowly, but she was confident now, her new instinct's had kicked in, she was no longer her old self, human. She was one of them now, she had the strength and confidence that came with being a vampire. Jasper could feel the confidence coming off of her, but it was mixed with uneasiness. She was new after all.
Walking into the room Bella looked around, everyone was sitting in the living room, Edward was standing just inside the doorway. Smiling she moved towards him but paused just in front of him, unsure of what to do or say. I mean she had just beaten him up, had she gone to far, pushed him away, did he hate her? He didn't even pause to pull her into his arms. She was grateful putting her arms around him "I'm sorry" she whispered into his chest. Shh he said as he stroked his fingers through her wet hair. After what felt like a perfect forever, someone in the lounge room behind them cleared there throat. Bella turned to face the room giggling awkwardly. "hey" she said looking around the room. Moving away from Edward towards the family.
"We're so glad your home" Alice said putting her arm around her back leading her to a seat.
"Yeah" Emmet says, "couldn't not see you again after your impressive job on Edward, and then out running him" he was laughing, teasing his Edward as brothers do. Bella laughed at the welcome then stopped looking apologetically at Edward. "But whats with the BBQ look?" Emmet finishes gesturing at her burnt clothing. Bella looked down, "Were you testing?" He suggested for her.
She smiled "yeah, i knew you guys had some tricks up your sleeves but i never knew you were strong enough to resist fire" the oddly curious and confused looks on the faces around her didn't help. 'OK so mentioning the possibility of having put it out myself is off'
"We can to a small extent, it takes a lot to hurt us and we heal quickly when we are. But i don't suggest you stand in the middle of it for any length of ti..."
"You what?" Edward cut in. only able to pick up bits of her thoughts he heard about what she had done. Bella just shrugged and said "light the fire, I'll show you". Esme moved and started lighting the logs in the fireplace, while everyone just continued to look confused. Once it was lit Bella wasn't quite sure what she was doing but she moved towards it. She held out her hand just before it and watched the flames jump to her hand. She turned around her hand in front of her, shocked to see the amazement on the faces of the people before her. She turned quickly closing her hand to extinguish the flame and like before looked at the fire place wanting it out. The flames obliged. "you did that just then didn't you? You put out the fire, you held it in your hand" Jasper said, a huge smile on his face. "that is so cool" he looked around the rest of the room, then Carlisle before returning his gaze to her and her hand. When no one else said any thing, like a small child Jasper said eagerly "do it again".
"I cant theres no fire, I cant just hold out my hand and think fire..." as the thought crossed through her mind the flames appeared once again in her hand. Bella stared in bewilderment as the orange flames danced in my palm. "or apparently I can"
"Pyromaniac" Emmet coughed from the couch and everyone laughed. Bella turned and gave him a mock glare.
Standing up and moving toward her Carlisle examined the small flames carefully, "OK can you, um, put that out now please" he said looking about the room, thinking about the interior of the house.
"Relax Carlisle, she can just put it out if any thing happens, you saw her do it to the fire place" Bella met his gaze and saw her own love reflected in Edwards eyes.
We all sat in the lounge room talking and laughing for hours. I was happy, i was sitting on Edwards lap, holding his hand's. Jasper and Alice were on the couch next to us. Emmet was sitting on the seat with Rosalie on the floor in front of the arm chair, leaning back on his legs he gently rubbed her back as we talked. Everyone was comfortable, there was no longer any awkwardness. Everyone could show how much they loved one another, no false presences, no embarrassment. Just love.
Everyone was laughing at a crack Alice just came back at Emmet with after he insulted her. I looked back into Edwards face, kissed him gently on the lips and pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. She knew without a doubt that she was in the right spot and that she wasn't worried about living for eternity, because she got to do it with the man she loved. The convocation continued all night long and for most of the next day, they had nothing but time now.
'and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it with you' she let Edward hear her thoughts. Smiling her pulled her closer again and they were kissing. She felt the fire within her stirring and heard the fire in the fireplace behind her crackling as it spontaneously combusted.
Everyone was content and the conversation was still going strong till a brief knock on the door caught everyones attention. I was up and before i knew it standing ready to open it before it sunk it that this wasn't my house. I went to pull back and heard Alice say "Bella just answer the door from behind me. I opened the door to an empty porch as a rustling sound caught my attention i looked down and saw a dozen of the most beautiful deep red roses i had ever seen and a card with my name on it sitting delicately on top. I scooped them up returning to the lounge room and noticed that the atmosphere had changed dramatically. Silence hung in the air and the tension could have been cut with a life. Edward was suddenly clenching his fists and she felt a wave of calm spread out from Jasper. "OK, in new at this, but even if i were human i could feel the stress in here. Whats up?"
"It's him" Carlisle said suddenly standing at the bottom of the stairs. Shaking her head lost once again i say, "care to elaborate on that one?"
"we cant" Edward says through clenched teeth. "we don't know who it is or how they know us, or why they wanted revenge." 'revenge?' she allowed him into her mind for that question. "we don't know who they are. But what we do know is that" he took an unnecessary deep breath "who ever it is, they're responsible, i mean. They're the one that killed you." i stood there in shock for a moment, who ever sent me these flowers is a murderer, my murderer. I looked down at the roses, now tainted with blood and watched as they burst into flames in my arms. "Bella" Alice says jumping up to help me. I shake my head bringing my mind back to reality, looking down at the now singed shirt. "Thats my shirt you know" she says, i look up to apologize and see that she is smiling rather than annoyed.
"I'm sorry" I take a step backwards brushing the ash that was roses off my hands. "I guess i still have to get the hang of this new power of mine. I never was good with white clothes." she laughed. I was smiling although reality had come rushing back. I thought of everything. The night i was taken, the pain i went through, my first kill, running away, coming home, my parents. "Oh my god Charlie. What time is it?" I say looking for a clock.
"Time to go check on Charlie" Edward says. "you have to tell him about the camping trip you came on with us and how you hope he got the note" he had a sly smile on his face. I just laughed weekly knowing he was right. I was going to have to lie to Charlie a lot now to keep this secret. 'this is going to be fun' i moved towards the door and grabbed my coat, well Alice's coat that she lent to me with the rest of the outfit. I was amazed at how well they fit my newly built body.
'How the hell am i going to explain this' i thought to myself on our way to my house. "i thought we covered that... You came camping with us." I looked at Edward
"that was a stray thought, not intended for you," I say this with a basic tone, no hurt intended. "besides camping is where i may have been, but hello, don't i look different as well?" i mean i know i feel different and i know my muscles are suddenly more toned. I mean i haven't even looked in a mirror yet" 'My God' the thought only just occurring to me 'You haven't even seen yourself, your new self in a mirror yet'. Edward just laughed at me. I glared at him "this is new to me remember?"
"all to well" he says sadly his tone of voice changing. I light a small fire in my palm and push it into his arm breaking him out of his reverie . "hey" he pulls his arm away "that hurt you know"
"yeah I'm sure, about as much as a pinch to a normal person. There isn't even a mark" I say rubbing his arm smoothly with my hand.
"well how can i argue with you when you do that?" he asks me as i lean over and kiss him softly on the lips pulling back ever so slightly i whisper to him "you cant". With that i move back over to my position on the passenger seat and stare out the window at the tree's seeing everything in a new crystal clear way, and i mean everything. Even at this speed i could take in the detail in the bark on the tree's, see right into the forest rather than ever before. And, for the first time ever, Edwards driving did not have me on edge.
We made it to my dads house faster than i would have hoped. 'Funny how traveling at 100km/h does that' i thought as i got out of the car and put a smile on my face. Walking up to the house at normal speed i felt Edward right behind me. Charlie opened the door before i got there swooping me up into a huge hug. "Bella. Thank god i was so worried about you. I got home yesterday early to surprise you and you weren't there. Where were you?" he says pulling back a bit his voice getting stern now. He glared momentarily at Edward. 'Get us inside now' i think desperately. Edward steps up obligingly "how about we go inside and explain everything. Perhaps you didn't find the note that Bella left for you yesterday morning." Edward lead them inside and I stayed back a bit. "are you OK" Edward asks me as Charlie walked through the door. I shake my head. "blood. I could hear his blood, smell it in him." I said almost crying but stopping myself easily. Edward put his arm over my shoulder as we walked inside behind my dad.
"That was probably a bit close for you so soon. But its OK, just keep a distance and we'll be out of there soon" I nodded and put on a brave face. Together we moved inside and the explanation began.