Chapter 19

He was unsure if he was truly seeing what he saw or he was hallucinating, but he was unable to move afraid that the mysterious figure staring at him from the woods would attack him. James saw the terror manifesting in the facial expression of the human, he wondered if he would let the human suffer a slow and painful demise or kill him swiftly. James retreated from the shadow of the woods, Mike swallowed hard truly fearing for his life with the deadly glances from his strange stalker.

James went through the several way of killing his prey, though it struck him that he was a friend of Bella and that if he killed him in cold blood Edward would be in touch with his inner monster making him retaliate. There was no other option than to let him suffer a slow and painful demise enjoying every minute watching his victim cry out for help, but no help would come leaving the victim to a dim and hapless death. Every nerve in Mike had become paralyzed unable to react or even cry out for help. Even though he naturally would no words would form or even escape his lips. Mike had found the ability after recovering from his brief paralysis, but before he could yell or scream James knocked him to the cement unconscious. Before Mike faded into a black oblivion, he last saw his killer crouched next to him taking his limp arm and biting it. An odd, painful burning sensation raged in his lower arm then to his upper armed never ceasing to stop raging spreading like rapid wild fire throughout his body.

Edward abruptly broke the kiss, grimacing and gazing off into the distance as if he sensed a danger nearby. Bella stared intently at his face trying to figure out what thoughts were going through his mind.

"What is it, Edward?" Bella asked meekly.

Edward refocused his attention back to Bella and collected his uncontrolled thoughts pondering how to explain without panicking Bella which would cause her to do something irrational. "I don't think you were hallucinating when you said you saw James glaring at you from the safety of the darkened woods. He is somewhere here well waiting to ambush us or attack any person who accidentally crosses path with him. We need to find him before he hurts anyone now!" Edward firmly took hold of Bella's wrist dragging her behind him down the stairs of the school entrance. They stopped suddenly at the bottom of the stairs, too speechless to say a word when they saw Mike lying on the cement James crouched besides his unconscious body. Mike was going in and out of awareness, but a sweet caring voice helped him to stay conscious.

"No, get away from him, you bloodthirsty monster," Bella shrieked running to Mike's side, but Edward stood in front of her blocking her path holding her wrists firmly behind him. Fire raged in his scarlet eyes, James rose from his crouch glaring keenly at Edward with an evil grin upon his pale face hidden in the night's darkness. "Damn it, Edward! Move out of my way!" Bella tried to break Edward's firm grip on her, though her heels didn't help to make it anymore more difficult of a task. After a few minutes of fighting the grip, Bella groaned frustrated giving up on resisting reluctantly stood still.

Mike faintly spoke with the small ounce of energy he had left in his body, "Bella is that you?"

"Mike, stay with me don't you dare leave. I need you to stay awake, Mike!" Bella cried sharply as tears forming barely managing to choke out her phrase.

James was enjoying the painful, sorrowful scene between Mike and Bella slowly backing away into the shadow of the woods with an evil laughter. Edward finally broke his strong grip on her wrists once James was far away not being a dangerous threat to Bella anymore. Bella ran throwing herself next to Mike's fragile body taking his hand softly murmuring words of encouragement to Mike, who was barely struggling to stay alert. Sobbing Bella tried to stay optimistic, but even after begging incessantly to Edward to get the venom out he refused saying that it was too late the venom had already paralyzed any chances of revival slowly killing any defense his body had. Mike resisted the paralysis resisting his ability to move slight though he barely had energy to breathe in is state and moving took quite an amount of energy. Helplessly Bella watched as the Mike's face become pallor as the venom spread attacking his body. Edward watched from a distance wanting to comfort Bella, but he assumed the Mike's last dying wish would be is to spend time with Bella and not in the company of Edward also. Edward pondered about calling Carlisle since he could help though the venom had been him Mike's body for a while and had already done enough damage that nothing could stop the mournful inevitable.

Laboring for a single breathe of air, Mike had accepted his fate and was enjoying his last few moments of life with Bella by his side. Bella rambled on about various topics trying to distract him from the thought of dying since Mike didn't deserved to parish at 16 years old. He had a bright future waiting for him after high school. Within an hour, the venom had completely shut down all of vital organs making is difficult to even gasp for air. Crying endlessly, Bella begged between her sobs, "No, Mike fight you can't die! Not now when you have a bright future waiting for you!"

Mike sucked in some oxygen and choked out, "I had a pleasant life and you were a part of it. Just remember me as the loyal friend I've always been and that I'll always love you..."

"NO! Mike! Stay with me!" Bella yelled hoarsely as new lot of tears filled her eyes never ceasing to stop. She sobbed hard into her hands causing her to body to tremble.

Mike slipped into a coma state, his body numb from the venom sucking the life out of his fragile body. After forty-five minutes, Mike's breathing had completely stopped and all the color from his face had completely faded into a deathly pallor. Bella took his hand which became cold and realized that she'd lost her best friend. Edward took Bella cradling her in his arms letting her just cry and stroking her hair gently trying to comfort her.

"He's gone, Edward," Bella murmured into his chest.

"Ssshhh, its okay, Bella. Mike at least got to spend his last dying moments with his best friend. Don't worry I'm here" Edward spoke tenderly. After getting out all her tears, Bella no longer felt mournful, but anger was starting to set in exploding like minefields in her. She ripped herself away from Edward arm and angrily screamed into the pitch dark forest, "I'm going to make you pay, James! How dare you kill someone I care about like one of my own friends! You're a sick, twisted, psychopathic vampire! I swear you will pay, bastard!"

Edward restrained Bella wrapping his arms around her waist holding her back from running into forest after James aimlessly. Bella tried to wriggle out of Edward's strong grasp on her waist, but besides his strong grip her heels disabled her to running with little coordination possibly tripping over a tree root or running into a tree. Bella stopped wriggling and crossed her armed across her chest feed up that she was either too clumsy or too fragile compared to James to beat the crap out of him.

"Don't worry, Bella. James won't get away with what he did. We better call the ambulance to alert Mike's family about his tragic death," Edward suggested in a soothing tone.