The Kitchen Table
It had been years, centuries even, since any of us had been human. Yet still, we all held onto bits a pieces of our pass humanity, clinging to old habits as if our very existence depended on them. The kitchen table was one of those habits. To a human, the kitchen is the heart of the home, central to life in almost all capacities, a place to prepare food, eat, socialize, work, and come together as a family. To us Cullens, the kitchen had mostly transformed to a facade for the rest of the world, but the table was still ours, still the center of the family. It is Around the table where we decided to take in Alice and Jasper, where we decided to enter into a treaty with the wolfs, and where we decided to both move back and leave Forks. And it was here, around our newest black lacquer table, where we would all come together again for the first time since making that harsh decision last September.
This table wasn't as lavish as Esme usually preferred, but then again, she had bought it in a haste. It was simple, round, dark and muted, crafted entirely from one large piece of raw wood with eight high back chairs positioned neatly around it. If you ran your fingers over the top you could still feel the roughness of the tree grain, and in running my fingers over the surface I found a slight solace which allowed me sit with Alice while she awaited the arrival of my family. She was beyond distraught, lost inside her swirling visions of death and destruction. Even though being out of my room seemed to suck the air right from my chest, Alice needed me and so I remained by her side, tracing the lines of a tree that I was probably already older then it was when it was ripped from the ground.
Luckily, everyone arrived back within an hour, having rushed home immediately following my call. They didn't even wait to hear what was wrong, knowing that if I had bothered to use a phone then it must be important. I heard Jasper's approach first, he was running at his full speed, his thoughts running haywire right along with him. Why hadn't she called me herself, whats going on, what did he do... Edward, Edward can you hear me yet? So help me God if Alice is hurt because of your self-loathing bullshit... His steps were erratic, clumsy even for a vampire. I could hear him sloshing away through the mud, breaking sticks and boulders as he ran. I didn't blame him for thinking whatever was wrong with Alice was my doing. It was logical reasoning.
I was surprised to hear the tell tale soft wisps of Esme's graceful prance come up right behind Jasper's thumping. She had never been a fast sprinter, so she must be running on the fumes of pure love and concern. I felt a pang at the thought that she would undoubtedly be feeling more pain in a moment, I didn't know how much more her sensitive soul could take. Sensitive soul, just like my Bella I thought as I momentarily allowed some panic to creep into my mind. I had been avoiding thinking about what all of Alice's hellish visions could mean for my love, but it was an avoidance I would not be able to keep up for much longer. Be strong, keep a cool head, I told myself, you have yet to see an image of the west coast, she will be ok. You will have time to get to her, be strong, keep a cool head... I continued to chant as I awaited the coming ambush.
"Alice, Alice baby I'm here, where are you?" Jasper screeched as he tore through the front door, splintering the wood with his unchecked strength. One second later he barreled into the kitchen, screeching to a halt in front of the table. The site of him torn and tattered in the high couture clothing Alice had bought for him would of normally set her into a frenzy. But today she remained sitting in the hard backed chair, stone still, trapped inside her own head.
Just then Esme floated in to asses the situation. "My babies" she cried out coming over to my side. She knew Jasper would be there for Alice, I was her main concern and I hated that fact immensely.
"how long?" Jasper hissed to me. I did not wish to speak, already feeling highly overwhelmed by Alice's images and the incoming thoughts of the rest of my family. But Jasper was desperate, squeezing onto the back of Alice's chair causing the wood to creek and wither under his hands.
"an hour, in and out. Its visions of... of... I don't know what... war I guess and it will happen soon." I mumbled out to him. Esme shuddered with the noise of my voice and placed her cold hands upon my head.
"Where?" she whispered.
"Where? Where? Who fucking cares where Jasper roared. Look at her- she has never been out that long before."
"Jasper baby calm down. She will be fine, you just need to talk her out of it ok? You know you can do it." Esme coached, completely ignoring his repeated use of her most hated profanity.
Jasper is by the most rational strategic one of us all and so it only takes one calming encouragement from Esme it right his nervous enough for him to take the appropriate action. Leaning down, he gently placed both hands on either side of Alice's porcelain cheeks, pressing his nose against the tip of hers. "My sweet little fairy tale listen to my voice please, I need you to come back to me... close it off baby just for a little while, close it off and talk to me, let me help you darlin..." He continued on softly cooing words such as this until Alice's visions started to dim from my head bring forth bits and pieces of Alice's unique inner voice.
Edward, tell him I am ok. Tell him I am coming back soon, I just need a few more moments. I need to see more... just a little more... her strong loud inner voice beakend to me. Her voice always made me smile, it was so very deep and loud, such a contrast to her actually voice and reminded me that my little Alice wasn't so little on the the inside.
"She is in there Jasper, she is ok, she wants a few more moments. Just hold her hand and wait. When the others get her she should come around." I gruffly whispered to him.
Jasper sighed and nodded slightly to me. "Such a stubborn little pixie" he said to no one in particular before picking Alice up and sitting himself down in her chair. With his legs extended onto another chair he allowed Alice to stretch out on his lap, cradling her snugly on his lap. Alice's body immediately molded to his, her awful visions remained, but morphed somewhat to have a warm golden hue surrounding them. It made it slightly easier to stomach all the carniage running through my head, carniage which I had to pay attention to at all costs.
Esme pulled a chair closer to me and sat along side us in waiting, drumming her fingers lightly against the table top. I could already hear the approach of the others, they were still about two miles out though. There could only be one reason why they had fell so far behind, Rose must be busy being difficult. Thinking of my beautiful bitchy sister made me feel utterly exhausted. She would not be happy having to rush back home thinking that I had cracked up again, he patience for sharing the "light" as she like to think of it was running very thin. I had been taking way too much of the families time lately. But still, I loved Rosie dearly and had always had the advantage of being able to see her for her true self. I knew, almost as well as Emmett, that Rosie talked a good game on the outside soley a means of protecting herself. She had a good heart I just thought it was a shame that most of the world would never see it.
Son, I will be there in 30 seconds I hope you are ok. Carlise's thoughts interrupted my musings on Rosie. We stayed behind for a few so that your sister could finish up her kill I hope that was the right decision. He was worried, as always, about how to best take care of all his children needs at the same time.
Eddie, Eddie Eddie, you couldn't stand to not be the center of attention for one day huh?... though I do hope he is not really harmed... Rose's inner voice battled with itself as she grew closer to the house. I knew Emmett would be right behind her, strong, silent and supportive. Together they all whipped into the kitchen, a cold breeze trailing behind them. And without a word they quickly filled the remaining seats at the table. Now there was just one empty, the one that should be filled by my mate, my Bella.
"Well, what is it this time my dear needy older brother, and I do hope it is good... poor Emmett was just about to get a huge mama bear" Rose snickered to me.
"Awwh Rosie don't," Emmett injected, "Look at Al, something really is up now doll." He played with her perfectly manicured fingers as he spoke, knowing that she would feel bad momentarily and wanting to soften her blow. Rose looked towards her favorite sibling, oh shit you idiot, its Alice not Edward. What is wrong with you?
"She is alright Rose, please calm down I can't take much more negative emotions" Jasper said through gritted teeth.
"Well what the hell is going on with her then?" Rose said twisting awkwardly in her chair.
"It appears as if she is just stuck in a vision dear" Carlise spoke, resigned and worried. He looked to me with eyes full of questions, we are waiting son.
"Shes... shes.. seeing..." I began to stammer only to be interrupted by Alice's tiny exhausted voice.
"Hell, I'm seeing hell on earth" she whispered before snuggling her face into the crook of Jasper's neck. I was relived to no longer be responsible for to translate for her. "We, we only have two days before it starts... and I can't figure out what IT is or WHO is doing it... all, all I know is that many, many humans will die. The cities will burn... world, world wide..." Her small body was trembling so violently that it caused the table to shake and shudder as if we were being hit by an earthquake. I could feel Jasper trying despertly to send out calming waves to her but it didn't seem to be elavting much of anything at all.
"No Jazz, I don't want to calm down, I want to help, we have to help all them, they are too weak they... too many will die... we must do something" she sobbed resting her head roughly down.
"Alight my lovely girl we all want to help, but in order to do so you must calm down a little so we can figure things out." Carlise was always the voice of reason in our family. "Focus on Jasper Alley let him help you so you can help everyone else." Alice nodded silently to our father, but she was unable to hide her annoyances with him. "Take her upstairs for a few minutes Jasper, when she is ready we will be here." It didn't take long for Jasper to listen to Carlise, they were gone in a flash of white light probably before Alice had even had time to process his words.
"Come on Edward how bad is it, are we gonna get to see some action" Emmett joked, trying to do what he does best, and make light of the situation. But inside he was worried, his mind antsy and fidgety. Even before I could answer him he was up walking towards the tv with the intention of scanning the news channels.
"Come one Bear, don't worry about this silly shit" Rose whined. "Since when do we give a damn about anything the humans do to each other,... well except maybe for the stock market. Edward you should get on that, move some money into the weapon companies like you did during the last world war.." She was rambling now, trying hard to put out her tough girl fight. But her mind, was paying attention to the sounds of CNN from the living room. There was breaking news on, as is always the case, but of course it was trivial fluff at best. An unexplained power outtage in Paris. No the humans had no idea what was coming.
"No Rose, money is not going to matter anymore." I quietly stated. "It won't mean anything, this is... real."
"Tell us then Edward, enough self-loathing tell us what she saw." So my job as being a translator is yet to be finished I thought bitterly before turning myself into robotic mode. It was easier to divulge into this if I tried to block my families mental responses out. " The visions are chaotic at best, just glimmers of... of.. aftermath. It is all carnage and mayhem, death and destruction. Washington appears the most, but there are other places as well, New York will be gone, Miami, Chicago, Paris, Rome, Tokyo... I think, I think it is nuclear because of the flashes she is getting." With that statement Emmett turned off the tv, silently coming back to sit by Rose.
"I see Korea, and Moscow, I see... I see Aro too... Aro is aware of something. He is, he is stockpiling humans at the Volutrie tombs." My family was audible gasping now at my shocking words, but I was unable to stop by this point. "There will, there will be survivors, in each city, but not many. They will flock to somewhere dry... some dessert I don't now where... and, and there still has not been any vision of the west coast... of, well of her." I added almost inaudibility. But I knew my family had heard me as clear as day because with those words everyone's minds jumped to the place where mind had always been, to my beautiful Bella.
We should warn her Carlise though, We have to save my baby Esme screamed to herself, Stupid, Stupid ass you just left her so weak and alone, Emmett growled. Alice will never forgive me or him if she dies, Jasper worried from upstairs. They were all right of course, I should never of left her.
"Alice, if you can hear me, get your ass down here already and start looking specificlly for Bella's future," Rose's voice sang out sharply yet twinged with an oddly loving tone. What Edward, she thought to me, we have been through enough shit for this human to let her die so damn young. I'm a bitch but I'm not a heartless bitch.
I am trying Edward, Alice screamed to me through her thoughts as her and jasper came back tot he table. She was struggling to focus her mind onto Bella, and I prepared myself for the obvious pain that would come with the sight of her face, slowly digging fingernails into the table, pulverizing the wood.. I knew it would hurt to see her shining face again but it was a hurt I longed for. She has to be ok, she has to be ok...
In an instant, a brief flash of her beautiful heart-shaped faced appeared behind my eyes. But this was not the vibrant love of my life that I remembered, this woman was sickly and sunken. She was cowered in a strange place, huddled over an oddly shaped pile of clothes, and looking as if the life was quickly seeping out of her pores. And then, just as quickly as she had appeared in my head, she was gone, replaced by an never ending void of darkness. Esme's table never stood a chance, "Noooo" I screamed in agony before throwing the table up against the kitchen ceiling. It cracked in three pieces before falling back down to the floor, no one bothered to move out of the way of the debris. And no one needed to ask what I had saw.
"I will be going now, I think this discussion is clearly over." I said quietly to everyone before dashing towards the door. They all knew better then to try and stop me. But as soon as I hit the forest floor I could feel the vibrations of two of my siblings following behind. There wasn't anytime to figure out who had followed, I had to get to Forks before it was too late.