Chapter 3

Preparations

It was in just seven hours that we would either walk to our deaths or to our reliefs.

I just wanted to make sure Bella, Hazel, Alice, & Jasper were safe and not with the Volturi anymore. I knew Alice, Jasper, & Hazel could probably fend for themselves especially Alice and Jasper but Hazel and Bella were small and Bella was weak against the Volturi (no offense to her). And yes even though Hazel could fight for herself I was still very protective of her because she was my little sister and like I mentioned before it was an older brother sort of thing. She called it being a little too overprotective of her but I just shrugged.

We still had to figure out what we were going to do about the Volturi. I still tried listening for Hazel, Alice, or Jasper's thoughts in case Renata let her shield down again.

I remembered one time we were at the funeral of a girl who lived in our old neighborhood and she was killed in a tanning salon accident when the beds caught on fire and actually this guy was there and he said he felt like it was his fault and if he had seen their humanity they wouldn't have felt the power to look so good…to impress him. I knew it sounded weird but I somehow feel like how he felt according to Jasper. I felt like this was my entire fault because of Bella and if I had recognized her humanity I wouldn't have been so stupid and brought her into our vampire world.

But no I had to be stupid and selfish and just…ugh! We decided to take a walk around Volterra and see some historical places even though we'd been over them about 500 times. We were all very anxious in getting them back from the Volturi and at 14:00 Italy time (5am Forks time) we went across the street to the Volturi castle. Once we were there I heard something… my sister's voice.

"EDWARD! You're here Bella is dying to see you and I am beyond that. Don't think it is going to be easy because it isn't the Volturi had told us what they are planning and it is not pretty. Use everything you have wise because they are watching you…watch out. Right now I am sitting in jail with Alice and Jasper and Bella is in the room with Felix knocked out as usual. I don't want to freak you out but they keep her like that all the time. I hope you don't think of me as weak for this but I'm a little scared and Jazz is trying to calm me down. I want to see you Edward…please come…shield got to go" she said and then I realized that now Renata was only shielding the Volturi and the prisoners (meaning my siblings and Bella).

Heidi greeted us and herded us to the semi – entrance hall that they used for humans.

"Wait there" she snarled and we stood there.

"She's getting Jane, Alec, Felix, & Demetri" Emmett thought to me.

"Do you think they're planning our deaths as we speak?" Rosalie asked in a very low whisper way too low for any humans to hear.

We stood there…I wasn't so sure how long it was until Heidi came back for I had not paid any attention. Alec, Felix, Demetri, & Jane accompanied her and she herded us to follow her. Each one of them had a hand on us.

I tried reading their thoughts but they were shielded out by Renata (of course) she was probably shielding plastic and not dome. We were pushed into the elevator

"Hang in there Hayz I didn't forget about you" I thought. I hoped Jasper was keeping her calm. I was dying to see him as well as Alice and of course and most definitely Bella.

Jane kept smirking the whole way in the elevator and I knew where this was going…they had us right into their little trap we would probably be forced to watch some videos and stuff. I prayed it wasn't going to be the videos of them on the roller coaster because that would be way too painful for me to watch.

Heidi opened the door and we saw Marcus, Aro, & Caius were all sitting in their royal seats and were joined by their guard. Aro motioned for Alec to do something but Alec smirked and motioned not yet. Renata was smirking and in the room as well. I guess she knew what she was doing…blocking me it was very frustrating and I growled.

"Carlisle! Esme! Rosalie! Edward! Emmett!" Aro said in his cruel yet cheerful voice.

"What a pleasure it is to see you" Marcus said in his bored tone.

Aro motioned to Alec once again and Alec pulled down a screen.

"NO!" I growled and Jane made me feel pain.

"Please!" Esme begged and Aro made her stop.

He switched a tape into the projector and made us sit down on the floor with our senses being cut off by Alec except for hearing & seeing. It was odorless, tasteless, & no feeling could be described.

"They are never going to save you now" Jane was snarling in Alice's face and Emmett was seen growling. Alice had Hazel in her arms.

"And as for you little…little parasite child…baby" she snarled at my little sister.

"I am 12 years old…really 100 for that matter so therefore not a baby" Hazel tried to stay calm or was being calmed by Jasper.

I would've laughed if the circumstances weren't so tough.

Emmett was whacked…violently and hard and he turned away but Felix forced him to watch. Jasper covered Hazel's eyes.

"What's happening" Bella screamed and we heard her screaming some more.

"Listen up and listen carefully you are in Volturi custody whatever the Volturi says to do…you do it end of discussion or you get this…" Jane snarled and made Hazel feel pain.

"STOP TORTURING HER!" Jasper and Emmett shouted together.

"Fine" Jane said and turned to Alice.

"JUST LEAVE HER ALONE…LEAVE ALL OF US ALONE!" Hazel shouted and Jane snorted before locking the cell and put a fire thing on it…so if they touched it they burn.

The video faded and I think by that time I wanted to just scream…it was antagonistic what I had just watched it was horrifying it was…

"EDWARD! EDWARD! EDWARD ANTHONY MASEN CULLEN!" I heard and I knew of course who it was…Hazel the shield had gone down again.

"Edward help please! It's getting worse and I know you're here. I'm so scared they told us when they killed you we would go down…I almost feel as if Michael is going to come back or something. I'm going to try everything I can but it's no use I'm just a stupid weak…" and her voice trailed off again.

Hazel! She needed me! I felt like I was letting her down.

This time Jane and Alec both smirked and I put my head down…wanting to fight but then again being nailed to the floor by Alec who was cutting off my sense of texture and soon after…sight. I couldn't see anything and it was too dark.

The world of darkness is a painful place. When you have officially given up you might just want to go to darkness and never show up in the world forever…to somehow disappear by maybe being dismembered and slowly burned…no I am not describing my death I am describing the way I wished I died right now.

I felt ashamed for letting Hazel, Bella, Alice, & Jasper down but this was too much I couldn't imagine how they were handling it. Suddenly I feel the floor give out from beneath me and I hear laughing…Jane that was why she was smirking. Rosalie's screams are drowned out by loud rock music being played by the Volturi for more torment. I land in a pile of old matches and dismemberment tools. Plus a book of the every little detail of all the lives of vampires…every single one. Emmett came up behind me.

"Woah!" He said blowing the dust off the book which had been there quite some time.

"You think" I said.

"What is it?" Carlisle asked helping Esme and Rosalie back up.

"A vampire index of all have the rightful authority the Volturi will catch you to pay your price" Emmett recited.

"You read Latin!" Rosalie asked more surprised than anyone but I knew Emmett did and he'd been keeping it a secret as part of his "big bro manly" act.

"Come on Edward we don't have time for this" Rosalie complained.

"OK fine" I said.

But Emmett thought ,"please give me the book Eddie I can hide it good!" and I nodded before passing him the book.

We walked through the darkness and regained our senses because Alec was not in our presence however I knew this was still in the castle…in the basement used as a solitary confinement. An axe came swinging down and we all ducked for cover except Rosalie who was a little too late and was screaming while being chased.

"HEY STUPID AXE!" shouted Emmett coming at the axe before being caught up and thrown up to another area.

"EMMETT!" Rosalie screamed before going on an axe to get Emmett and Esme was sucked into a thingy so Carlisle sacrificed himself. That only left me and I saw a dark staircase…I can hear them.

I know they are up the staircase I also know that it is dangerous and I have to go fast so I dash up. I am thrown into a black hole and know I am going to die for sure until I see Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, & Rosalie they are behind a wall using it as a cave almost. I see them again and I get into the cave and pull the concrete wall shut…nothing no match for my strength.

I felt as if I had just walked into a horror movie. Everyone's expression was somber…even Emmett's. Rosalie's wide open eyes were complete with fear and anger. Carlisle's expression beat anyone's his was fear, sadness, & just guilt. Esme's was just like Carlisle's I felt something click…something wasn't the same about me.

There was a rush of frustration and anger I was sick of the Volturi's rules just because they say it's right what they're doing…causing pain to us while they torment us…I' m sick of it.

My brother is suffering in the castle while my two sisters are probably angry and scared wanting to fight and my Bella scared out of her wits feeling I have failed her. Carlisle's arm is around Esme's shoulder and Emmett's arm is around Rosalie's now I know how Hayz felt…just thinking about her makes me want to die. Why did it have to be her? My sweet careful sister; who always put everyone first why couldn't it have been me?

Instead she was suffering and I was feeling sorry for myself. I was feeling worthless but the truth was I couldn't imagine what it was like for her…I developed a plan…I heard voices…I heard elastic recoiling.

"Eddie" came the voice of my sister.