Disclaimer: I don't own the Lizzie Borden House or the Cullens. Stephenie Meyer owns the Cullens and I have absolutely no clue who owns the Lizzie Borden House, but, no lawsuit-provoking-things intended

Chapter 8 truth and ghosts

Bella POV

It was now about noon on Sunday and Edward was packing up my stuff, getting ready to leave and meet the others at the Lizzie Borden house and catch the plane to go back home.

I really didn't want to go back there but we were only going to be there for about an hour while we waited for the others to pack up and get in their cars. I could do this. I can do this. I will do this. Now I feel like that little train - I think I can, I think I can. Yeah, nice, now I'm a stupid little train. Being a fragile, scaredy-cat human is bad enough, now I have to be a stupid little train too? Just wonderful.

I kept talking to myself, thinking about all those stupid little children books and how much I was like that train just a minute ago. I don't know how long I sat on the bed thinking about this, watching Edward packing around me. I didn't care right now. I was thinking about the scariest things I have ever heard, watched, or seen - trying to prepare myself so I wouldn't faint again. Knowing me, I would faint. No doubt about it and no amount of preparation could prevent that. It was inevitable. I was sure Edward knew this, but he kept hoping and trying to calm me every time I got too freaked out. I started thinking about this place somewhere in England, some sort of castle where the ghost of a mother and her two sons were seen and heard frequently, roaming the halls. Edward heard my heartbeat and breathing accelerate as I thought of this and he came over to kiss my forehead, which didn't calm me at all, but distracted me.

"We don't have to go back, you know," he said, "We could just go meet them back at the house." Yes, we could, but I wanted to get over this fear and stop fainting at the mention of the Lizzie Borden house.

"I want to get over my fears." I stated for what had to have been the millionth time this hour. One stupid little house was not going to make me faint and keep me from seeing my…family. Yes, they were my family now, and Edward was my fiancé. The wedding was next month. Wow, time flies when you pretty much live with a family of mythical immortals that are over 100 years old.

He resumed his packing and I sat back on the bed, preparing myself more. I started thinking about the Lizzie Borden house now, knowing that this would prepare me best, when I remembered something from seventh grade, when my friends were obsessing over ghosts and they believed in them.

Flashback:

"Hey, Bella, listen to this rhyme we found online last night," Katelin, and Carolyn said - at the same time.

"Okay, sure, go ahead," I told them. Cat looked nervous, Kate looked eager. Kate always reminded me of Alice, always bouncy and hyper. Cat reminded me of myself really, she hated makeup and makeovers almost as much as I did.

Then they took a deep breath and started, perfectly in synch:

"Lizzie Borden had an ax,

She gave her mother forty whacks,

And when she saw what she had done,

She gave her father forty-one."

End flashback.

"Lizzie Borden had an ax,

She gave her mother forty whacks,

And when she saw what she had done,

She gave her father forty-one."

Remembering this little rhyme a wave of sadness swept over me, thinking of my friends. And then fear, thinking about the source of this rhyme, and how true it was. Though it was never proven who had killed Mr. and Mrs. Borden, even over 100 years after their death, most people believed it was Lizzie and that she had done exactly as the rhyme said.

I looked up and saw that Edward was done packing, and I was in his arms. He was staring at me with a worried and confused expression - probably seeing my rapidly changing expression and sensing my distress. I looked back at him and smiled. He smiled back, his perfect crooked smile, that made my heart stutter, then he leaned down to kiss me. When he broke away I was gasping for air and he chuckled.

"Ready to go, love?" he asked, putting me down. I groaned.

"Not the slightest bit. Lets go," I said and took his hand and grabbed his vibrating cell phone out of my pocket. It was a text, from Alice. It read:

Bella, Edward,

I c u guys have finally decided 2 come back from wherever u r.

Now hurry up and get bak here, Rose is gettin impatient that we have 2 w8 4 u and she is debating whether or not 2 just start running with Emmett, rather than w8 4 u guys and then get on a plane. Hurry up!!!

Love ya guys! ;-)

Alice 333

I sighed and handed Edward the phone. After he read it, he chuckled and said, "Well, lets not keep them waiting, shall we?"

We walked out the door and since he didn't have a car - he ran here carrying me - we would have to run back. I hope I wont get sick. We had to run for about an hour - if we ran straight without stopping. Edward stopped after about ten minutes, and at first I had no idea why but then I realized I was feeling slightly nauseous, like I might throw up. Of course Edward was probably watching me and noticed the slight green undertone of my skin, so he stopped, so I could get over my slight motion sickness.

"I'm fine. Keep going," I muttered and he murmured an "okay" and picked me up again. Before I knew it we were racing through the forest again. About 30 minutes later, we were getting closer to town, and I was getting nervous, thinking I would faint again.

When we broke through the last of the trees and into the town, Edward put me down and wrapped his arm around my waist. We were a few blocks away and I could see the house and the Volvo up ahead.

Alice was waiting in front of the house for us, on Jasper's lap on the steps. I assumed Rose and Emmett were inside, Rose impatiently waiting.

The second Alice saw us, she jumped up and started coming towards us. When she got to us she embracing me in a hug, squealing.

"Oh, Bella, I missed my sister soooooo much!" she squealed, "And I know you have only been gone for a day, but I still missed you so much. And you have definitely taken advantage of the fact that Edward thinks you are beautiful no matter what you wear, but you need Bella Barbie time, tonight, as soon as we get home, Rose will help." she said this all pretty fast, and I being a human, struggled to hear her bubbling voice as she spoke her thoughts.

We walked into the house and as soon as we entered, I heard Rose scream. What would make a vampire scream? Oh. My. God. This is the Lizzie Borden house. Lizzie Borden haunts this house. Rosalie had seen Lizzie?!?! I ran after everybody else, to see what she was screaming about, and, sure enough, the second I entered the room I saw the ghost of Lizzie Borden.

Her skin was ghostly pale, like the Cullens', and sort-of translucent-ish, she was wearing old fashioned clothes and her hair was up in a strange bun-like up-do of sorts. I screamed when I saw her and stumbled backwards, into Edward's arms. I buried my face into his chest.

* * *

I guess I fell asleep in the car because the next thing I know, I was in the Volvo, with Edward's arm wrapped around my shoulders.

When I awoke fully Edward reached over and kissed my cheek. I leaning into his side, cuddling into his cool embrace. The car was stopped.

"How long was I out this time?" I asked, realizing that we could have missed our plane.

"Only about the whole car ride," Alice said. Wow

"Hey, Rose, did you see the ghost too?" I asked, turning my head to see her.

"Yeah, but I only screamed to scare you guys, I wasn't scared," she said. I think she was lying, because all the boys burst into laughter. Edward had probably read her mind, jasper probably felt her uneasy emotions, and Emmett was probably thinking of Rosalie's face when she saw the ghost.

"Yeah. Right. You were more scared than Bella!" Emmett said, chuckling.

Rose glared at him. "I was not scared!" she screeched, stomping her foot - causing the cars to jump off the grund a little. "Oops," she muttered.

Edward heard something in somebody's thoughts and he burst out laughing again.

"Well…there has been… an awful lot of…supernatural activities…this weekend," Edward said between his laughter. I must be missing something. Emmett and Rose looked embarrassed, Alice and Jasper looked confused, like me.

"What are we missing?" Alice asked.

Edward had calmed down by now so he answered.

"Rose and Em broke their bed early this morning…and the guy believed them when they said it was supernatural activity!" he said, still laughing a bit.

Okay, now I know the truth about what happened here while we were in a cabin, in the middle of the wilderness.

"Come on, we're gonna miss the flight!" Alice said, grabbing my arm and dragging me forward.