AN: I'm not even going to try to apologize because I have the feeling that it would be quite pointless to do so- I'll simply leave you to read the chapter. I do ask however that, after you finish reading the chapter, you take the time to read the Author's Note at the bottom as it will help to determine the course of this story. Thank you.
Enjoy the chapter.
0~O~0
Vile Beauty
Chapter 13: Missing
Edward's Point of View
0~O~0
I moved about the clearing restlessly. I had gone hunting in hopes that I would forget my worries, but as soon as the haze of bloodlust faded from my mind, it had returned with tenfold the strength and caused me to become extremely agitated.
I sat down on the frozen forest floor and let out a deep sigh; closing my eyes I began to search my dim human memories for the one thing that never failed to calm me down.
And there she was, staring at me with her bright green eyes, her auburn hair pulled back neatly; a warm, proud smile playing at her lips.
"That was brilliant Edward, well done," she pulled me into a tight hug, kissing my forehead before running her fingers through my unruly hair. "Please play it again for me," she said, releasing me and motioning for me to begin playing the piece.
I smiled and began playing the piano again, once in a while glancing away from the music sheet and keys to look at my mother as she looked at me with shining eyes while the sunlight played with the color of her hair and made her engagement ring shine almost as much as her eyes.
I smiled to myself at the memory; it was one of the few that I still had of my mother, therefore I treasured it greatly.
As I began to stand, I was hit by a sudden wave of nostalgia and I began to go through all my human memories as I walked back home slowly, so as to prolong my chance to view the images peacefully and without interruption or interference.
I walked inside the house quietly, briefly acknowledging Alice and Jasper's quiet greeting as I walked passed them. Jasper was reading a yellow novel and Alice was stretched across the love seat, her feet resting on his lap as she looked on her laptop for a particular antic necklace that she had seen in her mind.
I closed my bedroom door behind me quietly; only debating with myself briefly over the wisdom of visiting old memories. I walked to my closet and pushed aside my clothes and opened the entrance to my larger closet; turning on the lights and going quickly over some of the old things I had not seen in some time.
After several long minutes I reached the end of my collection and carefully removed the box filled with my final human possessions.
I took the objects out slowly, being careful with the delicate objects and I stopped cold when I saw something that should not have been there. I picked up the small piece of paper and unfolded it; in neat script it read, 'Missing something?'' I looked inside the box and noticed that I, in fact, was missing something- my mother's engagement ring.
I looked around and searched for any other disturbance in the room other than the one that I had caused. I groaned softly when I found none.
"Edward," the bell like voice of my sister called, "what's wrong?" I turned over to look at her as she appeared inside my closet.
"My mother's ring is missing," I replied with a defeated sigh. She remained silent and I acknowledge that as being the only form that allowed her to express her shock.
"How is that possible?"
"I don't know Alice," I sighed once again, "I saw no disturbance when I walked in here, who knows how long it's been gone." I became aware of Jasper joining us and I looked at him blankly as he came to stand behind his wife.
"Is anything else missing?" He asked, looking around.
"Not in here, I already checked."
"Alice, go check your belongings and ask the others too," she nodded and left. Jasper came to sit in front of me and we sat in silence for a short period of time as he looked at me carefully. "What else is bothering you?" I looked at him and shook my head slowly.
"I don't want to talk about it," I saw that he was about to protest so I added, "for now." He nodded silently and helped me put my things away before standing and stretching out a hand to help me up.
"If you change your mind, remember that I'm here."
"I will." I placed the box on the shelf and followed him out.
~o~
"I don't understand how someone could have broken into our home and taken things without us noticing it." I looked at Esme as she spoke, we were all perplexed by what had happened and so far, not one of us had come up with a reasonable explanation, not even Carlisle.
"I don't think any one of us understands," I said glancing at the ceiling.
We had moved into the living room over an hour ago when we discovered that the intruder had not only taken my mother's ring, but that he had also taken the bracelet Carlisle had given Esme on their first anniversary, a ring that had once belonged to Carlisle's grandfather, Emmett and Rosalie's first wedding bands along with Rosalie's engagement ring, a gold medallion that had been in Jasper's family for many generations before it was given to him when he joined the confederate army, and a small crystal encrusted gold locket that Alice had around her neck when she awoke to her immortal life.
The discovery had left us confused not only because there was no evidence of it, besides the obviously missing items and notes, but also because the items that were taken were not as valuable as other items that could be found scattered around the house, the objects had more sentimental value than anything else and that in itself left us more perplexed than anything. Why had those items been taken? Why had he left those notes? How had the intruder known that we treasured those items?
"We've gone nowhere in the last hour, we should just let this be until we find something conclusive." Everyone acknowledged Carlisle's words and began to depart in pairs when Alice gave a sudden gasp from where she sat on the love seat.
"I've found her!"
"She has no pulse and her skin feels cool to the touch."
"Her poor sister," a woman said softly to her two male companions as they stood around a body in the woods. "The woman will take it hard," she said with a sigh and moved from where she stood.
I sat up stiffly when I saw who the young woman on the ground was. Her eyes were closed and her skin had acquired a deadly pallor, it was no longer the light ivory color I had grown accustomed to as I sat beside her in our biology class.
I remained frozen in place as Alice began to sob from where she sat across from me, Esme and Carlisle quickly moved to her side as Jasper held her in his arms.
I could not speak nor move; the cold feeling of dread in my chest only permitted me to feel as much.
Published: March 6th, 2011
Edited: March 8th, 2011
AN: First off, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this Author's Note. I do realize that they are mostly annoying to read but I like to use them as a form of communication between the reader (in other words you) and myself.
I am currently facing a dilemma with this story- originally when I first thought of the story and wrote it down, I never intended for it to have a happy ending. Edward, Bella and 'Happily Ever After' never appeared in the same sentence at all. My reasons for this were as follows; in real life there is no such thing as a 'Happily Ever After' and if there is, then it doesn't last forever. I wanted to create a story were that was the case. In this story Bella has many of the qualities that would make her the 'perfect' character or a 'Mary Sue', the only thing preventing her from being such is that she doesn't care about anyone but herself, it's her greatest flaw. Thus she would never fall in love with Edward and there would be no 'Happily Ever After'. Bella was also intended to be the design for Edward's own downfall. As I've written the story I have found myself doubting if I truly want to go along with my original idea- I've discovered that I'm still very undecided and that has made writing the more recent chapters all the more difficult.
Now my problem is this, if I continue with my original idea then I will have absolutely no idea how or when I will end this story. If I go for the 'Happily Ever After' option then that will greatly simplify things for me and I would only have to change a couple of things on the upcoming chapters I wrote down a long time ago.
I recently got inspiration that would help me to write the 'HEA' ending so that only makes that option all the more enticing to me.
And this is where you come in.
I would really like for you to please review and give me your opinion on how you would like for this story to end. This story is on more than 40 readers' Alert List and even more Favorite Stories List, so there really is no excuse for there to be a lack of opinions.
I won't create a poll because quite frankly, no one ever really votes on those, so please leave a review.
Chapter 14 is already complete and I will update within the next two weeks; you have until then to give me your opinion (The lack of updates has not been completely fruitless). Chapter 15 is half way done and when I finish it I'm going to need to work on the direction the story will go.
Any now I finally leave you to it, please excuse the length of this Author's Note.
~Med.
P.S. I went through the chapters I have written down and (besides discovering that I will have to completely rewrite chapter 15) I have everything up to chapter 20 written down (I still have to plan and write down chapter 20 though). :)