Chapter 9
"Administration will be taking disciplinary action-,"
"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH," several shrill voices complained.
" I haven't done anything wrong," I screamed with stinging eyes. Anger made my eyes tear up, but I was fighting back
"Take her away and lock her up until we figure out what to do with her."
I kicked and screamed as shadowed faces tried to haul me. Aro just waved his hand boredly as if my life was just a piece of garbage to be taken out to the trash.
"This can't be legal! I've done nothing wrong. It's…it's…against the law.
"I AM THE LAW.
"Don't test me. I won't stand for juvenile delinquents such as yourself. Now take her away. Far away where I never have to see this filth again."
Murmurs of approval echoed throughout the room. A dry choked sob escaped my tough exterior as my legs went limp in agony. I was dragged backwards and forced to face forward, forward into the faces of my executioners. The metal of my suit clinked offbeat to the perfect rhythm of the black clad officers on either side of me.
I felt nauseas. Even colorless, the courtroom still made me dizzy.
Black faded into white.
White darkened to black.
Both colors with unidentifiable beginnings or ends.
Combining.
Becoming one.
My dragged feet did not hinder the officers in the slightest. These soldiers. These machines.
No thinking. Just moving. Just doing. That's their motto; that's their mantra.
The machines were making turns invisible to me through the dark I kept tripping on my own feet from the heavy weight of my suit, but they held their grips on my arms and never changed pace. I became numb and closed my eyes and let them carry me away.
000
-BREAK-
000
After what seemed like hours we arrived at what must have been the dungeon. A single cell underneath a single light bulb was the first and only thing interrupting the dark. The soldiers rushed me forward, one opening the door, the other tossing me carelessly inside. As soon as they slammed the door behind me I could hear their machine like symmetrical clicks of their boots as they marched away.
I got up from my hands and knees, thankfully with no injuries because of my iron protection. Looking around, an iron bench surrounded me, a steel pot I assumed was to be used as a toilet, and a bowl full of murky water along with some moldy bread. Sighing, I felt the hot air trapped in my helmet make my face sweat. I lifted the facemask, removed the helmet and went to sit down.
Sitting down, the added pressure of my weight caused the rusted ancient hinges of the bench to break off. As the iron collapsed I lazily rolled off onto the floor. I began to half-heartedly take off my iron suit. Crying exhausted me.
I was exhausted but unable to sleep.
I tried not to think. Trying not to think about the present situation. Trying not to think about how I would escape, or even if I did, where I would go afterward.
Closing my eyes, all I saw was red eyes. Shrill inhuman voices were all I could hear. Screams. I curled up into a ball and started to rock back and forth. 'I won't cry. I won't break down. It's not worth it. I'll get out of this.'
Oh, who am I kidding?
---))))000((((---
Echoes from the bars of my imprisonment woke me up from my semi-conscious daze as one of the machines hit the bars with a riot baton. I don't know how long it had been since I'd moved but I was achy all over and the added weight of my iron suit which I hadn't moved from atop of me didn't help matters.
As I struggled to get out of the pile of rusty metal which was making deafeningly loud noises, I heard an argument start up outside my cell. I strained my hearing but the armor was still making tremendous noise at the tiniest of movements. As I moved to the edge of my imprisonment to hear better the iron dragged along the concrete floor, following me as if magnetesized.
"She has done nothing wrong and you know this. Let her go. You can't keep her imprisoned like this-"
Edwards voice came through loud and clear. Why was her here?
"I will I do as I please," Aro said. His voice seemed to be right in front of me, but despite my efforts I could see nothing through the dark. "Question my authority any further and I will force you to leave…." He paused for a moment. "I'm beginning to believe you want a replacement from my court."
"I don't care about your damn court Aro."
"You will address me as your highness, peasant. Don't test my patience or you will join her in that hell hole."
"This is her life we're talking about," Edward pleaded. "Please."
"There's nothing I can do. I won't make a mockery of my court. All the preparations have been made, announcements sent out, money spent. I will not be made a fool for your mistakes."
The armor was still moving and rising from the ground, trying to latch onto me. I flung the shoulder coverings across the cramped room. It crashed into the metal basin and proceeded to drag again lazily toward me.
"Nothing can be done," Edward asked hopelessly.
"Unless you have a replacement." Aro said with a voice I could imagine would be said with that sickly sweet smile. Their voices seemed so much closer but I still couldn't see anything but black more than two feet in front of my face.
"Me."
I screamed.
"NOOOO"- I became muted as the helmet covered my head, muting my voice. I again threw the cursed thing, literally, away from me as far as possible and proceeded to try and squeeze myself through the bars hindering me from two people arguing over my life.
They continued on as if they couldn't hear me.
Aro began to laugh.
"Funny you should say that seeing as how you're the reason she's here. Unless I'm mistaken you are the one who gave her the armor knowing full well the rules of my court stating she could in no possible way become a knight from her previous status."
"Just accept the offer." Edward growled.
"Fine. I hope you are well aware that you will be taking full responsibility. If you accept all consequences then you will be serve her sentence as well."
Edward was silent.
"Death sentence."
I screamed out in agony once again as I worked my way outside the iron bars with iron shin guards clinging to me, trying to work their way back onto my body. I sucked in my breath, saying to myself, 'No more'.
I began to talk myself through it. 'There isn't even a cell. Even if there is, it's no match for me. I can go. I can get out.'
I can go.
I can get out.
I can do this.
I can.
I kicked with all my might as I sucked in as much of my body as I could squeeze out of the prison. The bars seemed to move along with my demand. I collapsed onto the dark ground and started screaming for Edward. Telling him he couldn't.
Couldn't go.
Couldn't leave m-
"And why can't I," he bellowed.
He appeared in front of me about thirty feet away. I stumbled a few steps out of surprise.
He was taking slow, measured steps. A light was bobbing above his head following him as he walked toward me.
"How can you…of all people…have any possible reason for me to live?"
"You are needed here Edward. Don't try and convince yourself otherwise, because it's not true."
"Who? Who needs me? Carlisle? Esme?"
He stepped closer.
"Jasper? Alice? They all have each other Bella. They'll forget me easily. Our kind is easily distracted," he said with a disgusted smirk turning his back to me.
"You're lying to yourself. They need you just as much as…"
"As what Bella?"
And suddenly as he turned back to face me, we were at the top of a waterfall. There was now color all around me. My eyes blinked at the sudden stinging attack Water was gushing everywhere, splashing into my face. I was so astonished at first that I didn't even realize that I was cold.
I could feel temperature.
"What can possibly be affected by the loss of my existence?" He threw his arms up in the air in question, as he spun in a circle. He came to a slow stop and stared at me coldly.
"Why are you defending my life after what I've done to you? Do you enjoy being masochistic?"
"Edward, when did I ever say that you brought me pain," I said with a sigh.
"I took your life for my own enjoyment." He spit out the last word. "I would say that would be the epitome of my sadistic ways."
"You saved me."
"You're sick Bella. You're suffering from some…Stockholm syndrome or something."
"Wait what? Since when has your family been anything but hospitable to me? I don't believe Esme ever saying that I was imprisoned or that I had to stay. I chose to stay because for the first time I felt as if I was part of a family. That I was cared for. Esme…the way she accepted me…as if I was her own…It's unreal. Unless you're questioning Esme' sincerity"-
"Don't bring Esme into this. She has nothing to do with this situation."
"She has everything to do with this. You are her son. How could you put her through that pain…"
"She has Jasper and Emmett," he whispered.
"But I…I have something to tell you but I…I don't know…"
He ignored me.
"I am eternally sorry Bella," he sighed.
"Just listen to me Edward. There are people here who…people who love you…you can't just use death to solve your problems, because it won't."
I was crying freely now.
"You say you're sorry, that you don't want to cause anymore pain, well think of the pain that your death will cause…"
And then I choked. The physical marks of a vampire. The rock hard skin. We couldn't even feel physical pain if we tried. Suicide was impossibility for our kind.
I gave out a small half sob half laugh, hysterical from relief.
"It won't even happen, can't happen Edward. You know jumping will have no effect on you," I said pointing to the edge of the waterfall.
Edward gave me a halfhearted crooked grin. He stepped forward till his face was inches from my own. He raised his hand bringing it to my face and cupped my cheek as he brushed it with his thumb.
He brought his hand back and examined his thumb. There was a tear on it.
A tear.
He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together and rubbed his wet hand through his hair, combing it. Now with both hands. He sighed.
I stumbled back a few steps at the realization.
Edward went to the edge and looked back to me as he walked backwards slowly.
"In dreams…anything is possible."