Disclaimer: She owns it, not me.
Chapter Two: The Dream
As I walked through the desert, sun warmed my skin. I was wearing a flowing white dress and no shoes. The sand slid through my toes feeling soft and hot, but not uncomfortable. I wasn't sure how long I had walked, or how I had gotten here in the first place, but as I crossed another dune my breath was taken away by the magnificent sight of the Great Sphinx.
It was majestic to behold in the sun, just the sheer size was unconceivable. Its great paws stretched out in front of it awaiting an embrace that would never come. At the same time it beckoned you in, telling you it was okay, that it would protect you from all, safety was what it offered.
Its head looking out for eternity, keeping watch over the desert. Through storms and wars it never wavered its sight never blinded. The cool stone alive in a way that made you think that it watched your every move and if you step out of line you were doomed to unimaginable fates that man could not comprehend.
The body of a cat was disproportionate to the head that it wore, but this wouldn't make it less perfect. The lion part screamed to be stoked, but at the same time, was poised to attack. The beast part was both deadly and serine at the same time. Dangerous and protective without overwhelming the senses of the innocent.
Overhead a hawk flew high in the sky, screeching at its prey as the wind passed under its large wings, and I couldn't help but think what it would be like to cover the world with everything underneath me. Soaring so high that the wind was my only companion. The beauty of the thought almost brought tears to my eyes.
I knew where I was going now. I was going to see David. I had missed him so much that I came here to see him. I was no longer content with waiting. I would find a place to help him in his work, so that we could be together.
"David." I called out. "David, are you there?"
"Issa?" He appeared out of a dug out cavern beneath the breast of the great beast. "Issa, what are you doing here?" He was covered in dust and dirt and grim, but he was still as handsome as I had ever seen him. His dark hair was slicked back from the sweat, but his blue eyes sparkled at the sight of me.
"I missed you and I thought I could help some." I looked around trying to see behind him. "Where's Stan?" I asked. Usually Stan was right on David's heels with a notebook and a pen in hand.
Something passed behind David's eyes but it was gone before I could place it. "Oh… He's around." He said with a shrug. "Well, since you're here let my show you the sight." He held out his hand and I hesitated for a moment.
David seemed different. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something. His appearance was the same. He carried himself just the way he always had. Even his voice was the same, but there was something off.
I shrugged off my neurosis and grabbed his hand. "That would be nice." A smile lit his face, but again there was something in his eyes. I gave him a small smile back, and we moved through to the cavern that he had just come out of moments before.
The cavern had been dug with great precision, but when you first walked down into it there were rigid edges for about a foot in. It was apparent that stone had been chiseled and blasted to enter the antechamber.
After that initial foot, the stone was smooth and almost polished. There was painting on the wall, in blues and yellows, reds and gold. This passage had been lost to time. Nothing had touched it for thousands of years. Even sand storms of the region had missed this beauty.
There were glyphs on the walls, but David was pulling me down the passage so fast that I couldn't decipher them. He looked like he was excited about something and the fact that I was there made everything more perfect. "Where are we going?" I asked.
"You'll see it and everything will make sense." He said.
Cryptic much? But I shrugged it off and let him pull me further underneath the sphinx. The air around us was cool and somewhat stale, but not unpleasant. Truthfully, the only thing that bothered me was my feet. There were pebbles on the ground, and even though they were rounded and smooth, they were still uncomfortable to walk on.
David seemed like he was in his own world. "Did you know that the Ancient Egyptians believed in immortality? They thought that the Pharaohs were gods and lived on forever." The suddenness of this conversation startled me at first but he went on. "This room," he said as we entered an expansive room with high ceilings and burning torches along the round walls. "was a room that they kept for what they called the kiss of immortal life."
The room's walls were covered in glyphs and paintings of pale Egyptians. These were different then anything I had ever seen. The pale Egyptians were of inhuman beauty. They were tall and had hair of all colors. Instantly I knew what they were. The ancient Egyptians knew of vampires.
In the middle of the room was a table that was about waist high, and a throne that sat right next to it. The table looked to be made of marble or lime, but the throne was made of gold. It was adorn with small golden figurines and elaborate vines. In some parts of it the gold had been stained green. Other than that - the chamber was empty.
David stood in the middle of the room looking directly at me, that same look still behind his eyes. I was starting to feel uncomfortable. "The priests would bring the dying Pharaoh here and place him on this table, and bring in seven virgins for sacrifice. The gods Osiris the god of the underworld and Horus the patron saint of the existing pharaoh would take human form. They would all be locked here for seven days, one day for each sacrifice. When the priests returned all the virgins would be dead and the Pharaoh would be ready for mummification, and to start his trek into immortality."
All too quickly things changed. The torches started going out one by one. I followed the diminishing light as they went out and suddenly there was only one left. David was instantly in front of me, gripping my shoulders tightly. "But they never came back did they Issa?" He fumed.
"What?" I asked dumbly. He was starting to hurt me.
"You knew about them and you didn't tell me!" He yelled shaking me hard. My head launched back and fourth, and the room started spinning.
"David… Your…your hurting me!" I begged.
He laughed in my face and began dragging me towards the stone table. Before I knew what was happening, I was pinned underneath him and he had straddled my body so that I couldn't get away. "You should have told me. I could have lived." He seethed.
The look that had been hidden came to the forefront of his eyes and I recognized it instantly. It was hate and anger. "No David I couldn't tell you." I pleaded for him to understand, but his grip just got tighter on my arms. "Please baby, you're hurting me!" I begged.
He lifted me up by his hold on my shoulders and slammed me brutally back down on the stone. The shock that radiated through my shoulders, neck, and back of my head made my eyes close, and a waive of nausea passed through my body. I felt wetness hit my face. And I knew that it wasn't tears. It was to thick.
I opened my eyes and instantly saw the front of my dress was slowly turning from white to red. More fluid was on my face and I instantly knew what it was. I fought to look up and meet David's eyes. What I was met with tore a strangled cry from my lips.
David's eyes were cloudy and contained no life. His throat was torn out as it had been in the morgue and his blood was pouring out onto me. "Let.. me …give … you … a … kiss." His voice was a whistle as he tried to pronounce the words with out the use of a throat. It was raspy like you would imagine from the long dead.
"no. No. NO!" The words got louder as he got closer, and I fought against him in earnest. Struggling against his iron grip, and making no head way in the process. I was only managing to hurt myself in the process.
"Bella." He rasped. "Bella." His voice was changing. "BELLA!" David had never called me Bella.
"DAVID!" I screamed as I sat straight up in my bed fighting still against invisible attackers, and sheets that held me captive. A loud sob bubbled up from what seemed my very soul and I wailed in the agony that I felt. My head shook back and forth with the denial that I held for my sanity sake.
This wasn't my fault. This was all coincidence. David's death had nothing to do with me. It was just a set of unfortunate circumstances.
"Bella?" I hadn't realized my eyes were shut. The velvet voice assaulted my senses. I decided that clamping my eyes tighter to avoid what could only be my imagination calling my name. I noticed that I was shaking my head for a different reason. I was trying to shake off my mind's way of dealing with my husband's death.
Conjuring my ghost was not even close to the way to deal with it. "Bella please look at me." His voice was gentle and commanding at the same time. It reminded me of the times I would do self destructive things just to hear him, years ago. I couldn't help but snort out a laugh at the current set of circumstances that brought my ghost back in my time of need.
That was until I felt a pair of cool stone arms wrap around my shoulders. His smell was intoxicating; my thoughts of him had never been this vivid. I could feel his cold breath on my neck, which meant that he was closer then I originally thought.
I felt his hand cup my face and tilt my head towards the source of his scent. I decided that it was time to take a chance. After all that was my new mantra, taking chances. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes to the most glorious and blinding sight I had ever beheld. Well at least in the last six years that is.
My ghost sat not even two inches from me, with concern etched in his beautiful face. Six years had not marred the intense beauty that was his essence. I still couldn't say the name, even in my mind. Some wounds needed to remain closed. To tell you the truth I wasn't sure how I would handle it, and I was unwilling to try at that particular moment. But damn was he gorgeous, my ghost.
"Bella, what can I do?" HE asked.
That was a great question. What could he do? I was vaguely aware of the tears that were still streaming down my face. I cursed them for blurring my vision and distorting the Adonis that sat next to me.
I shook my head in response to his question. I didn't trust my voice not to squeak in his presence. He was just so… words failed me at that point but my traitorous blush filled my cheeks. I hadn't truly blushed in for ever, what the hell.
He looked so sad, helpless and I wanted do what ever was possible to make him better. Shit I wanted to do what ever was possible to make me better. But I had a better question, "What are you doing here?" My voice was stronger then I thought it was.
"You needed me." He said it like it was the most normal thing in the world. He said it like it was a 'ask and ye shall receive' type of thing. He even shrugged. Cocky bastard.
I was about to ask where he had been for the last six years, especially the initial eight months when I needed him the most, when a huge crash came from the direction of the kitchen.
"Sorry, my bad." A voice that could only be attributed to Emmett called out. "Pan slipped."
"Pan… slipped?" I looked at my ghost in question.
"Well you didn't really eat anything yesterday so Emmett thought that he would make you breakfast." An apologetic look crossed his face. "He's been in there for two hours and one of them was trying to learn how to turn on the stove."
That got my attention. I shot out of bed fast enough to give me a head rush. I noticed that I was wearing pajamas. Another blush crept into my cheeks thinking about who had undressed and redressed me. "Alice." My ghost said.
"Alice." I said I padded out into the common room that led into the kitchen to find Emmett and Jasper arguing in whispers. "What the hell is flour?" Emmett asked.
"I don't know but the book says that you need some." Jasper countered.
"Well… go pick some up and bring it back. We will put it in and then stir in the eggs." Emmett said forming a plan.
"I already put in the eggs, three of them." Jasper said looking into the bowl. "I'm not sure that looks right."
I glanced at the bowl and spotted three full eggs sitting there in a pool of oil. Shell and all, not even cracked. At that point I decided to an intervention was in order. Who the hell told vampires that can't eat human food that they could cook?
"Um, guys?" I said timidly. At first they ignored me. "Guys!" I said with more force, but still they bickered back and fourth. Then I pulled out a genetic trait that I got from Charlie. I place two fingers in my mouth and blew. A loud whistle sounded through the small area and I had three pairs of golden eyes fall on me. "GUYS!" I yelled.
I finally had all of their attention. Then it occurred to me that I had all their attention and I blushed deeply. What was it about these vampires that sent me back to being a seventeen year old girl? "Thank you for the thought and everything." I said adding a sweep of my hand around the mess that was my kitchen. "But right now I think that the only thing that I could stomach is toast and coffee."
I looked at Emmett who was still holding a cook book that I had no idea where he got it from. He had a huge grin across his face, so big in fact that his dimples shown through. It was contagious and I felt my own smile spread in return.
"Bellie!" He held his arms wide and rushed over to me. His arms scooped me up in an almost bone crushing hug. "I missed you Bella, How the hell have you been?"
If I could have breathed I would have been able to answer in some sarcastic witty matter, but the fact was that I felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head. "Can't…Breath." I said through clenched teeth.
"Oh, sorry Bella" Emmett actually looked like the big kid that he was. He placed me back on the floor and rocked back and fourth on his heels.
"It's okay Emmett. I'm as good as can be expected, thanks for asking." I stroked his arm reassuringly and peaked around him.
In the corner, as far away as he could get, stood Jasper. He was looking sad and at the ground. I knew what he was thinking. I knew why he looked so guilty. I briefly wondered if he had been living with this for the last six years. Then I got my answer, he looked up and a jolt of guilt swept through the room.
I moved around Emmet and walk till I was about three feet from Jasper. He still refused to meet my eyes, his head shaking back and fourth. "Bella I'm…"
I held up my hand. "Stop. Don't you even try to apologize to me. There's nothing to forgive. I have never been angry with you. I understand what happened. I love you." I closed the distance and threw my arms around him. I felt him stiffen for a fraction of a second before he returned my embrace.
"Thank you." He sighed. "You don't know how much that means to me."
"Well…" I spun around and glared at my ghost," If I had a chance to talk to you six years ago I would have told you myself. It might have saved us both a lot of suffering."
"Hey he got an I love you." Emmett mock pouted.
"Aw Emmett what's not to love about you? You're the best big brother bear there could be." Emmett's chest poked out and swelled in pride and happiness.
"He turned to my ghost and clicked his tongue, "And none for you." He said like a parent scolding a child. I ignored their banter and walked over to the coffee pot. There was a a dark liquid in it but I wasn't sure if it was coffee, I mean it smelled like coffee, but it was a little… thick.
I turned to ask who had made the coffee but I was alone with My ghost. "I think they forgot the filter." I said offhandedly. I poured the sludge into the sink and started again.
While the coffee was dripping through I used the toaster and made my toast. After all was put together I leaned against the counter and chewed my toast half-heartedly, while sipping my coffee.
"Do you want to tell me about your dream?" My ghost asked.
"Do you want to tell me why vampires attacked and killed my husband?" I countered.
He visibly flinched. I was sure if it was because of the word killed or if it was because of the word husband. But I couldn't understand either, or bring myself to care. "Look, what are you going to do?" I asked
"Do?" He asked puzzled.
"Yes… do. My husband was killed by vampires and I want to know what are you going to do?" He was acting as thick as the coffee that I just poured down the drain.
He walked over to the counter and started placing things in the sink. "Are you finished?" He asked pointing at my half eaten toast and half drank coffee. I nodded and he placed them in the sink with everything else. It occurred to me that he was avoiding.
"Why are you avoiding my question?" I asked narrowing my eyes at him.
"I'm not avoiding your question Bella. I'm simply not going to answer it." He said giving me his most innocent look.
"What? So you're just going to leave me in the dark? Glad to see nothing has changed with you Ed…" I stop myself from saying his name to prevent the fissure from erupting in my chest. Still he stood there slowly washing dishes not looking at me and then it stuck me, "You're not going to do anything." It wasn't a question because I knew it to be the truth.
"No we're not." He confirmed. "We are here to save you."
I could feel the tears prickling behind my eyes. I was hurt and angry. How could this family, that I had considered my family all those years ago, claim to reviver human life and let my husband be assonated with out prejudice. Was he really saying that my life meant more than David's?
"The vampires in question were protecting our anonymity. David was too close to uncovering us, and revealing us to the world." He said searching my eyes for understanding. What he found I was sure he didn't like.
"Your telling me that it was justified that my husband got his throat torn out. You're telling me that you and the family condone this kind of behavior?" My anger was rising and it was mixed in with the grief. It was easier to hate him because he was in front of me. "I guess I really didn't know you at all. Get out of my home, now." My voice was calm and level, but there was an underlying acid to it that I didn't even know that I was capable of.
My ghost moved to embrace me and that was when all the flood gated open and names and memories that I had been holding at bay came forward. "DON'T TOUCH ME EDWARD!" I screeched. "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
He shrank back like I had struck him. I took a deep breath and went on, "I guess you really are the monster that you always said you were." Again my voice was level again. "Just leave, I'll figure it out on my own." And with that I left the kitchen and locked myself back in my room to wallow in my self pity. Then after that I needed to come up with a plan.
The dream that I had was brought to the fore front. Could I have told David about vampires? Would he have believed me? Was it my fault that he was gone? There were so many questions and not enough answers. The place to start would be the dig sight. I also needed to get in touch with Detective Massri, and see if there were any new developments.
I knew that there wouldn't be, but I really needed to get David and Stan back to the US to have a proper burial. I couldn't help but think there was more to this then just trying to keep vampires secrets, I needed to find out what it was. Yes I might die in the process but I've been half dead for the last six years anyway. My life with David had brought me back from the oasis, It defiantly did not suck, and he deserved better then he got.
I reached for my sat phone and dialed the number I had been dreading. I waited as the other line rang and rang. A very cheerful voice answered the other line. She was soft spoken but the happiness radiated to me, "Hello." You could hear the smile on her lips. I choked up inside. This was one of the hardest things that I ever had to do, "Mrs. Daily? It's Issa. I have some very bad news."