Chapter 15: What Happened?
Carlie
One minute I was watching my dog squirm around in the worst kind of pain. I'm screaming his name out. Then everything faded to black.
My eyes felt extremely groggy when I opened them again. I couldn't remember much of what happened before I lost consciousness. Only that Cujo had been crying out in the worst, most horrific pain I'd ever heard him in before. I was ninety nine point nine percent sure that I had run towards him. I could barely hear my sister calling out my name. Then I remembered no more.
Next thing I know I'm waking up to what at first appeared to be a low rumbling sound. I opened my eyes slowly. I blinked a few times and my blurry vision came into clearer focus. Several feet away from me was Cujo and the pup I had named Lady. Both dogs had their eyes open but they laid there despondent.
I lifted my head a little and looked to the left and saw Nessie looking no better than I felt. Eric wasn't to far away from her either. Thank God he was awake as well.
"Are you okay?" I mumbled. But I guess Nessie still heard me because she gave me a thumbs up. I tried to look and make sense of where we were.
Messier got up and rubbed the back of her head. She held out her hand toward me and I gladly took it. My legs trembled badly and I fell over. My sister, who was a lot stronger than I was, caught me before I collapsed again.
"Thanks,"
"Of course,"
I felt nauseous and dizzy now that I was standing. The babies began to kick like crazy as if they were feeling the ill effects of whatever was wrong with me.
"I think you should take a seat," Nessie suggested.
"Where?"
"Right here," she helped me sit down in the seat closest to us. An airplane seat. It was then that I realized that we were on an airplane.
"Where are we?"
"We're on an airplane," she said.
"But where to?"
She took a deep breath to calm the nerves I could even see growing within her. "I think I know," she looked like she was about to throw up. "But let me go help Eric up. I'll be right back,"
The jingling sound of Cujo's collar and tags startled me. I looked back to see him standing up and shaking his entire body. Bits of fur and drool went everywhere. Lady mimicked her father's actions.
Cujo came and placed his massive head on my ever growing belly. I winced at the memory of him squirming around on the ground in pain.
My heart skipped a few beats when I heard footsteps until I realized that it was just Eric and Nessie. "What's going on?" Eric asked. "What happened? Why are we on an airplane?"
"I wish I knew,"
"I think," Nessie gulped nervously. She took a deep breath. "I think we're going to Italy," I didn't think I'd ever seen Nessie looking so scared before.
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Well if we're getting kidnapped or something I can think of a lot worse places to end up in than there,"
"No you don't understand. That's where the Volturi live,"
"Okay. I don't understand. What is a Volturi?"
"The Volturi are basically the royal family of the vampire world. They're the most powerful vampire coven in history. They make the rules,"
"Vampires have rules?"
"Mainly just one and that's to keep the existence of vampires, and hybrids like us, a secret from the human world,"
"So is this because of me then?" Eric asked. "Because I'm a human that knows?"
"If I had to guess on the reason then I'd say yes. I'm almost one hundred percent certain of it,"
"Okay so my brother knows. What's the worst that can happen? Vampire prison or something?" I laughed.
"No," she said. "There's only two possible outcomes for a human who knows. Turn that human into a vampire or silence that human permanently,"
All of a sudden I felt like I couldn't breathe. I looked at my younger brother as the reality of what my sister was saying began to settle in. "And I hate to say this but more often than not they go for the second option,"
"So what are we going to do?"
"I don't think there is anything that we can do," she said. Eric looked like he was about to pass out. "We're in trouble to. I'm sure of it,"
"How? What did we do wrong?"
"We allowed a human to live knowing the truth,"
"Who are these Volturi anyway?"
"There's three that make up the royal family. Aro, Caius, and Marcus,"
"There's only three of them so why is everyone so scared of them?"
"Three of them that make up the royal family. The Guard is something else entirely,"
"I'm confused," I admitted.
"So am I," Eric added.
Even Cujo tilted his head.
"The guard act as protectors to the Aro, Caius, and Marcus. They're also the executioners of those who break the law. They're all exceptionally gifted just like my parents, Alice, and Jasper. You remember that girl we saw in the woods before we passed out?"
"Yeah,"
"That's Jane. She has the power to torture you and make you feel like you're being burned alive at the stake just by making eye contact with you,"
"Is that what happened to Cujo?" I wanted to vomit at the memory. I hugged Cujo as hard as I could. He licked my face.
"It is," Nessie nodded. "Jane is a very sadistic person who loves to torture,"
"I want to go home," my voice broke.
"I know,"
"I wish you'd say something positive like we'll be home soon,"
She looked down. "I don't want to lie to you. The possibility of us leaving Volterra alive is a near impossibility,"
My stomach was churning. "All because of some stupid rule? And what about Cujo and Lady? I can't let my dogs die either,"
"Ha," she laughed darkly. "In a way I think they're the safest out of all of us,"
"I don't understand,"
"No dog in the history of the world has ever gone after a vampire. Dogs, like all other animals, naturally flee when they sense a vampire. Not only is Cujo brave enough to fight a vampire but he has the strength and speed of one also. He also has the mind and intelligence of a human. As do his puppies. My dad confirmed it earlier when he met Cujo,"
"And you think that's going to save him?"
"I'm almost certain that's why he and Lady are not dead already. Novelties are few and far in between for them. I have no doubt in my mind that Aro will want to meet Cujo and see for himself,"
Though my dog was two hundred pounds I felt the overwhelming urge to protect him at all costs. Lady licked my leg and I picked her up. I held her close to my chest like I used to do with Cujo when he was just a puppy himself.
We all jumped in our seats when we heard someone walking toward the back part of the cabin where we were. It was a boy wearing a dark cloak. He had a V shaped badge on his cloak. At least his eyes weren't red or black.
"He has a heartbeat. My God he's like us. A hybrid,"
A loud gasp escaped Eric as the hybrid boy walked past us. "It can't be,"
"What?"
"No it can't be him,"
"Can't be who?"
"I think that's my brother. It looks like him but a lot older obviously,"
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes. Mom would've died giving birth to him if he hadn't bitten her in time. Then my mom gave me up shortly afterwards to protect me. I was only four at the time but I remember,
Before either of us could say anything we felt the plane begin to descend. In just a few hours we'd be dead.