What If? A Collection of REALLY Short Stories: The Returning

Summery: What if Bella never jumped on her own? She tried, but never succeeded. Who came to her rescue? And what if Edward saw that Bella was okay? So, he never went to Italy… Then what?

Bella, don't. Please, don't. His voice hung through the air. I knew that whenever I did something dangerous, I heard him. I heard him trying to protect me. Yeah, right. Then he wouldn't have left.

I held onto the end of the knife, the safe side of it. Ha. I laughed at the irony. There was no safe side in the object I held in my hands. I looked at the object for a while, studied it, thought about it, and decided. If he's not going to be here, then I don't need to live, because I can't live without him.

Please, Bella. I'm begging you. Don't do this. He said.

"Well you know what Edward?! If you don't want me to do this, then why'd you leave me?! You're causing me to do this! You!" I yelled.

I held the blade to my stomach, the point killing to get into my skin. I decided to close my eyes and count to three, and did just that. I closed my eyes, took a couple of deep breaths, and counted down.

(This is Bella, thinking. This is Edward, thinking. She hears his voice…)

Breath…

No…!

"One."

Breath…

Bella! NO!

"Two."

Breath…

Please, don't do it! No! Bella!!!

"Th-." I never got to finish 'three' because just then the phone rang, and I jumped, startled, and dropping the knife, only to cut my wrist dropping it.

"SHIT!" I took a wash cloth from the kitchen counter, and applying pressure on the now deep cut, I rang to the phone. I stood before it, ringing, deciding whether or not to answer it. The caller I.D. said, Unknown. I picked it up and listened.

"Hello?" I asked in a whisper.

"Don't." The voice said. "Please don't." It was a light whisper, begging me. It wasn't clear enough to know whether it was a boy or a girl on the other line, but it sounded somewhat familiar.

"Who is this?" I asked, my voice again, a faint whisper.

"Stay safe Bella." The voice said, and quickly hung up before I could ask who it was and why they knew my name.

I went back into the kitchen, only to find the knife gone. I knew that it fell on the floor, but I hadn't moved it from there. I looked around to see if there were any more blades around the kitchen, but whatever I found before, was now gone. I sighed in defeat, and took the food that I found, sitting down and eating it.

I looked at the kitchen clock. It was Sunday already. Dawn. The beginning of a new day. A lonely day. A day without meaning to exist. Then I remembered. Charlie. Oh crap! I had forgotten to call and tell him where I was. He must be worried sick about me.

I decided to pretend to sleepover at Angela's. Charlie wouldn't suspect to call her, I hope.

I went over to the phone, and picked up, called Charlie's house and waited for him to answer.

"Hello?!" Charlie asked in a worried and panicked voice.

"Hello, Mr. Swan?" I asked, in a voice I hoped didn't sound like me.

"Yes...?" Charlie said, hesitantly.

"This is Angela Webber. I'm Bella's friend. Bella came over yesterday, and she seemed very troubled. She was suppose to go home after coming over, but she fell asleep and I felt bad for her so I let her sleep over. She was suppose to call last night, but I think she forgot. I'm terribly sorry we couldn't have contacted you earlier." I said.

"She's safe! Oh thank god! I was worried sick, I had the whole station looking for her!" Charlie said. Ouch.

"Yes, she's fine. Can she stay her till Sunday, before school starts? It might do her good if she talks with someone, she's opening up to me a bit." I asked, hoping my voice wasn't giving away anythign.

"Well, I don't know." Charlie said. I knew it. But he continued. "Do you know why she wasn't at school today? The school called. Told me she wasn't there."

"She said something abouot not feeling well. I didn't go to school either. It could be the flu or something of the sort. Don't worry Chief Swan, she's fine." I said, wanting to end this conversation now.

"Okay, thank you Angela. I'm glad she has such a great friend like you. Make sure she comes home on Sunday." Charlie said.

"She's still sleeping at the moment, and she seemed tired lately, I don't want to wake her up. I'm terribly sorry once again, Chief Swan." I said. Charlie sighed.

"Are you a 100 positive she's safe?" Charlie asked, worry etched in his tone.

"Yes, Chief Swan. She's safe." I replied. Crap, now I have to call Angela and tell her what happened.

"Yes, well, good bye then, I must go to work. Tell everyone to stop looking…" Charlie said, sighing in the background.

"OH! Chief Swan!?" I said, wanting to say one last good bye to Charlie.

"Yes?" Dad asked.

"Bella has a message for you." I said. "She said, I love you, and I'm sorry." I said.

"Sorry for what?" Charlie asked.

"I'm sorry." I said once more, before hanging up.

The last thing I heard was "Wait, sorry for what?! Tell me!" Charlie said.

Trying my best not to break down in tears, I called Angela.

"Hello?" She picked up on the third ring.

"Angela?" I said.

"Bella?! Is that you? Where are you? You didn't go to school yesterday, where are you calling from?" Her concerned voice as a friend, shattered what was left of my heart, forcing me to see that people still cared…

"Yea, I'm fine Angela." I lied. "I just… Ineededadayoff.Icalledmydad.IpretendedIwas you.Hemightcallyou,justtobesure,maybejustto hearmyvoice.Ican'tanymore,Angela.I can't!" I said in one big breath, really fast before I broke down in tears.

Translation: (I just… I needed a day off. I called my dad. I pretended I was you. He might call you again, just to be sure, maybe just to hear my voice. I can't anymore, Angela. I can't!)

"Whoa, Bella, slow down. Listen tell me where you are. I'll come get you, and we can talk…" Angela said, but I cut her off.

"Angela, I… just listen to me! I don't have much time. He sent out the entire station looking for me. I'm safe I assure you please, trust me when I say that, but I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend to be happy when I'm not. It hurts too much, and I cant hurt anyone of you. Please, I need time. Just till Sunday.." I begged Angela.

"Bella! Where are you?!" Angela asked.

"Please, Angela. Promise!" I begged.

"No, not until you tell me where you are! And why you lied to your father!" Angela said.

"I'm fine. I can't tell you where though. I'm stepping out for some air; maybe do something crazy for once in a while. I'm tired of being safe, I want to do something my own way. If the chief calls, tell him I was sick, and you were too. Tell him I plan to stay there till Sunday. And I stepped out." I said, getting ready to hang up. If I talked anymore, I wouldn't be able to do what I needed to do.

"Let me help you, please, just wait for me at your house!" Angela begged. Why did the last person I was going to talk to, have to be so damn kind?!

"NO! Look I'm fine, I just need to get out of here! I can't talk this damn place anymore. I want to leave, I don't want to exist, I want to DIE." I said, emphasizing the last word.

"Bella, please, don't talk like that. Please, tell me where you are, we can talked this through. I want to help you!" Angela said.

I had to end this now. "You all do don't you! You all want to be one's who get me out of my depressed zombie trance! Don't you! It's all about you, isn't it! What about me?! What if you cared about what I want?!? Why does everyone know what's best for ME?!?" I yelled into the phone.

"Bella…" Angela said.

"NO! I'm sorry, but I don't deserve this anymore. I don't deserve life. Don't look for me, you'll never find me. Just pray, that I make it up there. I'll always love you Angela, you were a true friend, here in Forks. Goodbye, and see you in many years, hopefully.." I said, and started to take the phone and put it back onto its base. As I did so, I heard Angela call out one more time.

"Bella, no! Please, don't-." And the line went dead. I took the phone and smashed it against the floor, making sure it was permanently destroyed. I quickly ran upstairs, falling and bruising myself a bunch of times. I had to make this quick, and get out of here before they come looking for me.

I ran into Ed- his room, and threw all the cds onto the floor, destroying them completely. I threw the lamp against the wall, the pictures of us in frames onto the floor and some against the wall, shattering completely. Blood went everywhere, because of my now open and even deeper and bigger cut. Some shards of glass from the lamp grazed my skin and cut it open, the red thick liquid pouring out.

After destroying pretty much everything in his room, except for his radio, and realizing that there was so much blood splattered all over the place, I stopped, and exited the room in a hurry. I ran down the stairs, falling down the last five or six steps, and tumbling down, breaking a rib and busting my head open in the process on the piano, leaving a bunch of blood on the keys and the case of it.

I tried to ignore the smell of the blood, and blocked air from my nose, breathing in deeply with my mouth. Knowing that if I tried to breath I'd mostly likely faint, and then wake up hours later at a hospital bed, labeled as "suicidal" and disappoint everyone I know and love, so I ran out the door.

I ran through the woods as fast as my little legs could take me, somehow running faster than I ever have in my life, as if the spirit was pushing me forward.

A/N: I deleated and rewrote this chapter. I didn't like it before. Any idea next. Shes gonna fall off the cliff, but then what? Do you want her to die, or no?

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