Author's note: To anyone who thinks this chapter is familiar, I've simply re-uploaded it in case anyone affected by the email alerts issue wasn't notified that this story had been updated.
I'm baaaack! Thanks again to all the reviews and ton of new followers. I promised some action, so i hope this satisfies :)
Chapter eight
As the days passed, my dream started to change. I had been given a couple of days' respite from it following the car crash, but it slowly built in strength once again to hit me full force for two consecutive nights. Yellow was still the predominant force of the dream, but another colour had started to encroach on its territory. Splashes of white would make their presence known in a variety of ways. Sometimes, it would be a sudden flash, other times, a dim glow that slowly grew brighter. They'd dance and sway, blending together in a kaleidoscope of mystery until my brain decided to kick me out of my slumber.
As I ate breakfast that morning, I wondered why those hues were apparently of such importance to me. Neither was my favourite, by any means, but the dreams were making me realise their abundance in reality. From the refrigerator, to Alice's car, yellow and white were everywhere and my intrigue wasn't simply limited to those colours alone. The grass beneath my feet required yellow to achieve its colour. The grey sky was speckled with patches of white. The dream was starting to rival the Cullens for piquing my interest.
As I placed my bowl into the sink, I looked out the window and was greeted by a sight I had started to think a thing of the past.
Sunlight.
Great towering beams of it showered the small town of Forks in a golden glow. The sky was a delicate baby blue and I knew this was one time I was glad to see yellow. I opened the window and draped my arm over the window sill, basking in the warmth I had missed so much. It was amazing and brought a skip to my step as I showered and dressed for work. I made more effort than usual as I was planning to see Angela after work; nothing special, but rather than black trousers and a smart top, I opted for skinny jeans, t shirt and jacket. Her parents were planning a spontaneous holiday for the family before their daughter had to go back to university, so tonight was my farewell gift to her. We were going to have a meal, catch a movie and possibly end the night with a few drinks. Even though I knew I'd see her again in October, as well as when she returned for the next holidays, I was still going to miss her company. With Jacob still silent, I'd only have Alice left to really hang out with. Not that I minded, but variety was the spice of life, so they say.
Alice had been appalled when she found out I was planning to catch the bus to and from work, so immediately decreed she would be my chauffeur from now on. Unfortunately, today I had to rely on public transport as she was feeling unwell. I sent a well wishing text as I rode the bus to work, thankful that the journey was without incident. I was really looking forward to the evening's planned escapades and my shift felt twice as long as usual, made all the worse by Alice's absence during lunch.
Angela entered the bookstore roughly half an hour before closing time and we spent the remainder of my shift discussing which film to see. She was scanning through her IMDB app and the choices weren't all that great. In the end we opted for a horror flick called Crosshairs that looked so awful it just had to be good. As I got ready to leave, I had to promise Jerry I'd be in a fit state to work the next morning, although it was clear he took the oath with a pinch of salt.
La Bella Italia was our first port of call. It surprised me to think that, for all the times I'd visited this part of the US, I'd never actually got round to eating there before. We were seated at a small table right in the corner of the restaurant and the waitress serving us kept throwing badly concealed looks our way that I found hard to decipher.
"What is she looking at?" I whispered to Angela over my menu as the waitress, Amber, walked away with our drink order.
Angela watched her, chewing the inside of her cheek as she contemplated. Then a humorous light twinkled in her eye. "Maybe she's wondering if we're together," she mused.
"Together?" I wondered, not quite sure what she meant.
"Together," she echoed. "You know, like...lesbians." The last word had been delivered in a stage whisper and I burst into laughter.
"Seriously? Do we look like lesbians?"
"Well, they don't exactly have a uniform, Bella."
"I know that, Ange, but you know what I mean. She can't assume every couple coming in here is romantically involved, surely? God, imagine if I came in here with my dad."
Angela pulled a face of horror and we erupted into giggles. We spied Amber making her way back to us and I had to bite my lip to subdue my mirth. Luckily, I had time to compose myself as Angela was the first to be addressed by the waitress. A spark of evil flared within me as my friend started giving her order and I made ridiculous kissing faces at her. I had to admire Angela's strength of composure at that point, although I noticed she was biting her cheek quite hard to contain her laughter.
I was mystified by the food adorning Angela's plate. She couldn't remember the name and I couldn't recognise any of the ingredients, but she said it tasted good, so that was all that really mattered. I stuck with the safe option and had beef lasagne, which turned out to be a mistake when we started watching the film. Crosshairs was probably one of the worst movies ever made, its sole redeeming feature being its knowledge of how bad it was. Rather than try to inject any kind of credibility into the appalling script or story, the movie opted for cheap thrills and a mammoth amount of gore. I laughed and felt sick in equal measure for the entire ninety minutes, the bucket of popcorn I'd bought left untouched on the seat beside me. It wouldn't win any Oscars, but it was the most fun I'd had in a cinema for a while.
Angela was determined not to waste the money spent on the popcorn, so we snacked on it as we walked to the closest bar. It was only just past nine, so the bar wasn't quite heaving at that point. The last bus back to Forks left at eleven, so we had a good couple of hours to relax before heading home. Angela got the first round and, as I sat at a small table, I tried to remember how long it had been since my last night out. It was back in Phoenix, about a month before I left. It hadn't ended so well, hence the almost-three-months wait before doing it again. From my vantage point, I could see my friend waiting at the bar, subtly leaning away from the advances of the lanky red haired man beside her. The moment the bartender passed her the change, she was out of there like a shot, rolling her eyes dramatically as she took the opposing seat from mine.
"Looks like your night's planned," I teased, taking a sip of my beer.
"Not likely, Bella. You know the saying "the old ones are the best"? That doesn't apply to chat up lines."
I laughed. "Oh, God. Which did he use?"
"I can't even repeat it, it's so awful!"
After several swigs, I took a moment to get a last good look at my friend. It was odd, in Phoenix I'd barely given a thought to the people back here, too lost in my own shit to think about anyone-including myself-but, after the last few weeks, I realised just how good some of the people of Forks really were. I vowed to make sure that, even if I returned to Arizona, I would never lose contact with Angela again. I must not have hidden my study very well, because her eyes narrowed in speculation.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," I said, snapping myself out of my reflection. "I'm just going to miss you when you go, is all."
"I know," she agreed. "I am pretty amazing."
"Modest, too."
We both laughed, before Angela took my hand in hers. "Seriously, though," she said, all humour aside. "I'll miss you too. It's been so great hanging out with you again. You can't leave it so long next time!" she admonished with a smile I returned wholeheartedly.
"I won't," I assured her. "You're exhibition's not far away, after all."
"I know," she grimaced, all her insecurities rising. "What if people don't like my work?"
"What if they do?" I countered. "We've been through this-stop worrying, you'll be fine. Just enjoy it and appreciate the fact that your hard work is being recognised." I raised my drink as a toast. "To you," I declared.
"To us," she corrected and the sound of clinking glass accompanied our chuckles as we enjoyed the remainder of our evening.
We ran full pelt towards the bus stop, having gotten so lost in our conversations that we completely forgot about the time. The bus was just shutting its doors as we approached, banging the side to alert the driver to our presence. He didn't look too impressed at having to stop and open the doors just for us. How terrible it must be to have to do your damn job, I thought bitterly as I followed Angela to the back seats. Having to work the next morning, I had limited myself to only one beer, but the same couldn't be said for my friend as she rested her head on my shoulder. She wasn't trashed, but you could see she'd had a good time and the fact she'd only had a few drinks proved how low her alcohol tolerance was .I was glad she enjoyed herself and had to admit my night was pretty great night, too.
There were only two other occupants on the bus, besides us, making the journey peaceful and pleasant. Angela was almost asleep when we arrived at our stop and I had to hold her hand to lead her onto the sidewalk. Her house was only a few minutes away, so I walked her home to ensure she arrived safely.
"I'll see you soon," I promised as we hugged for the last time.
"You'd better," she demanded. "I need you there at that exhibition, remember."
I waited until the front door clicked shut, before making my own way home. Depending on the route, it was about a thirty minute walk, but the moon was out, the stars were bright and the gentle breeze felt nice against my skin. I hadn't brought my music, so settled for humming softly to myself as I strolled through the small town.
I was halfway through a Beatles tune when I heard voices up ahead. I thought little of it at first as this was a quiet little town, where everyone knew each other and nothing really happened. As I got closer, the voices got louder and I stopped to get a proper listen. The words were unintelligible, but I was able to ascertain that the party consisted of at least two men. They rounded the corner up ahead and I decided it would be safer to keep out of their path by crossing the road. The trees lining that side provided ample shade to conceal myself in and I jogged towards it.
Zipping up my coat and stuffing my hands into the pockets, I continued walking, bowing my head so my hair would form a curtain between me and them. My fingers curled around my house keys, ready to use them as a weapon if need be as I cursed my decision to take the shorter but more secluded route home. The guys could be perfectly harmless, most people in Forks were, but the fact that my dad was a police chief reminded me that, no matter how small the town, there was always room for trouble. Then again, being the daughter of the highest ranking police officer in town could also act as a deterrent. That thought required the assumption that everyone automatically knew who I was, of course.
I tried to keep my footsteps as light as possible, but it was hard to judge how loud they were against my deafening heartbeat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw them get closer and closer on the opposite side and they gave no sign of having noticed me. It was so tempting to start running, but I managed to keep my cool as our paths bypassed one another. When they were a few feet behind me, I risked a look in their direction and was satisfied to see I had gone undetected, which allowed a surge of relief to flood my veins.
I carried on and was just over halfway to my house when I thought I heard the sound of shifting gravel. Throwing a quick glance over my shoulder, I saw nothing unusual, but it was hard to tell amongst the long, dark shadows surrounding me. I chastised myself for being paranoid, but still quickened my pace-just in case. Minutes ticked by and nothing happened, allowing my heartbeat to gradually regulate.
The moment my guard slipped was when everything changed. Out of the shadows opposite, a figure came striding towards me. I barely registered the presence until the man was less than a foot away, arm outstretched and lunging for me. The iron grip encircled my bicep and my feet lost their grip on the ground as I was yanked backwards. I was pulled flush against my assailant as arms wrapped around my torso to pin my arms to my sides. I bucked and thrashed in wild panic as a gloved hand clamped across my mouth, silencing the screams I was preparing to unleash.
Survival mode kicked in and I stopped struggling for a second to grab the keys from my jacket. With as much strength as I could manage, I swung for his face. He cried out a curse of surprise and pain, his hold on me loosening. I shoved him away and started running. Adrenaline propelled me forward and I didn't dare look back. I'd failed gym at school, but at that moment I tore along the road like an Olympic athlete. All I had to do was reach a street full of houses and, hopefully, the presence of civilisation would scare him off. Before my goal could be completed, something barrelled into me and I was sent hurtling to the ground. The air flew out of my chest and I was pinned down by a knee pushing into my back. My limbs flailed in a vain attempt at freeing myself, before my entire body was flipped over. A hard slap to the face caused a violent stinging to blaze a trail across my right cheek, but it didn't stop me struggling.
His fist tangled in my hair and my face was pulled closer to his until our noses almost touched. A trail of blood travelled down from the deep gash on his left cheek, to run along his jaw line and drops of the salty liquid landed on my face. His dark eyes glowed with rage, but his voice was no more than a whisper as he spoke.
"You're gonna regret that," he promised.
Pinned beneath him as I was, there was no chance of escape, so I tried pleading instead. It fell on deaf ears as he started unzipping my jacket. I squirmed and wriggled, which earned me another slap and sobs fell from my lips as I realised I had no way of stopping him-he was simply too strong. His fingers reached the top button of my jeans and a fresh tidal wave of panic coursed through me. I started bucking again and he growled in frustration as the grip of his fingers repeatedly slipped. I may not have been able to stop what was about to happen, but I endeavoured to make it as difficult for him as possible.
Just as his digits clasped the zipper of my jeans, a gust of air blew past and the restraining weight pinning me down vanished. My jaw dropped as, from my vantage point, I saw my assailant's body fly almost ten feet in the air. Another figure was crouched defensively a foot or so in front of me and I wondered what fresh Hell had arrived. The moment my attacker started to attempt righting himself, the newcomer sprang, moving faster than my vision could comprehend. He was a blur as he grabbed the collar of my would-be rapist's coat to slam his back against the gravelly path. After grabbing the keys lying beside me on the ground, I had clambered to my feet and was ready to leg it when the faint whiff of a familiar scent tickled my nostrils. Curiosity battled briefly against better judgement and soon won out, forcing my feet forward to get a better look. The brawling pair was a short distance away and the gloomy lighting made identification difficult, but certain features of the newcomer's countenance sparked recognition.
As my steps neared, incredulity attempted to blind me to what I was seeing. I refused to believe the images passing through my retinas at that moment. It couldn't be-it just wasn't possible! The truth was staring me in the face, though, as, even in this light, the pale skin and flaxen hair were unmistakable. I continued to stagger forward and my voice echoed in the night air before I even realised I had spoken.
"C-Carlisle?"
The head whipped up to face me and what I saw stopped my heart. It was indeed Carlisle, but not as I knew him. His beautiful, angelic face was contorted into a snarl of pure, unadulterated fury and his eyes were such an unfathomably pitch black, they made the midnight sky shine like a bright sunny day. All semblance of mild-mannered Dr Cullen had vanished, to be replaced with a terrifying monster. He looked evil, menacing...inhuman. Those fearsome inky orbs locked with mine and my breath hitched in my throat.
I ran.
I didn't think, didn't listen, didn't stop. All my senses were numbed as I raced across the ground as fast as my trembling legs would carry me. The cold air whipped across my face, through my hair and into my lungs as I absorbed the oxygen needed to keep my limbs moving. I couldn't stop. I had to get away, get home, get into my room, lock the doors and hide beneath the bed covers. The first glimmers of light ahead signalled my arrival into the inhabited parts of Forks, but I didn't rest. My feet continued to pound the earth as my surroundings flew past.
My chest began to burn from my exertions, but I ignored it along with everything else until my eyes fell upon my goal-home. The front door keys were still clutched in my hands and, with one final boost of energy, I hurtled up the porch steps. Unable to control my speed, my body slammed into the door as trembling hands tested the handle to see if it was locked. Had I been in possession of my senses, I would have noted the absence of Charlie's cruiser. It took several attempts for me to get the key into the lock and turn it, but, once successful, I shoved the door so hard it crashed against the wall. I immediately slammed it shut and pressed my back against it, before sliding to the floor. My breath was coming in short, haggard gasps and every part of me shook uncontrollably. That was when the flashbacks started. The moment those unearthly black eyes entered my mind, I sprang to my feet and sprinted from room to room, top to bottom, ensuring every single window was locked shut. Then I checked the doors, before re-checking the windows, closing the curtains and switching off the lights. I even did something I hadn't done since my stroppy early teen years: I locked my bedroom door.
After circling the room with my eyes, I slid to the floor again and crawled over to the corner, tucking myself in between my chest of draws and the wall. I huddled there, knees brought up to my chin, arms wrapped around my legs and started gently rocking. My heart was hammering wildly against my chest as flashbacks of what I had witnessed assaulted my brain. I saw flashes of white, streaks of gold and the unflinching iciness of black. I couldn't even begin to grasp what had happened. Well, I could, but it was too bizarre to fully understand.
My frenzied thoughts were interrupted by a vibrating in my jacket pocket and I gathered enough of my wits to retrieve the phone. The trembling of my hand made it hard initially to read the caller I.D, but, as soon as my eyes absorbed the word Alice, I let out a scream and flung the device across the room. It landed with a soft thud on the carpet several feet away and I glared at it in terror until the screen stopped flashing. After a few brief seconds of respite, it rang again...and again...and again. I pressed my hands to my ears, begging it to stop. Then a thought occurred to me that made my stomach lurch. What if Alice came here?
The past few months returned in a blur of memories and I was confronted with every instance I had interacted with the Cullens. Everything that had seemed unusual before was magnified a hundred fold. The tremendous beauty, the unusual eyes, the smell. Every single little detail I had considered little more than quirky a few hours ago was suddenly so wrong, so odd.
Not right.
Jacob's words echoed in my head. What had he said about them?
"They're not the people you think they are."
It dawned on me then. He knew. He fucking knew and he hadn't said a word about it to me, just fed me cryptic clues. Breathing suddenly became a chore and I knew I was on the brink of hyperventilating. I had to do something, anything, before I lost my mind completely. I left my corner of sanctuary to grab my phone. My hand hovered over it for a moment, hesitating, terrified the screen would light up again. It didn't. Before I lost my nerve completely, I picked it up and scrolled through the contact list to find Billy. As I hadn't spoken to Jacob since our argument, I didn't have his cell number.
I pressed the call button, counting the milliseconds until I heard a voice through the receiver.
"Hello?"
"Jacob?" I gasped, my voice a breathy squeal.
"Bella?" he said, his concern eradicating any fears I may have had about him remaining angry with me. "What's wrong?"
I tried to answer, I really did, but the words just wouldn't comply. Tears started running down my face as I took in harried breaths. I consumed just enough oxygen to offer a strained response. "I-I...Jake,"
"Where are you?" he demanded. "I'll come get you."
I gulped in air, forcing myself to calm down and regain my sanity. I wiped the back of my hand across my cheeks to dry them. After inhaling on last deep breath, I answered. "I'm at home."
"I'm there," he replied and the line cut off.
I dropped the phone to the floor and waited. Time passed so incredibly slowly and being engulfed in the darkness-mingled with the fear and paranoia-heightened my sense of hearing. Every little sound made my heart leap into my throat. The phone rang and, yet again, Alice's number flashed onto the screen. I wondered again if she would come here. What if Carlisle did? I tried to force the idea to the back of my head and remember that Jacob would be here soon. And he'd better have some answers.
I was still trembling, but another emotion started to grow within the fear. Maybe it was a coping mechanism, but I was starting to feel angry at the whole situation. I wasn't entirely sure who that anger was directed at or why, but I knew I was getting pretty pissed.
A beam of light sailed across the window and the anger submitted to fear again as I tensed. I was too scared to look out the window to find out who it was. The phone lit up and it was an unknown number. I was too afraid to answer. What if it was Carlisle's or Jasper's number, or Alice had decided to use a different phone to trick me? A shout of my name from outside allayed all worry. I crawled over to the window and pulled the curtain aside to see Jacob stood there, looking up at me with his cell phone pressed to his ear. I scurried to my feet, unlocked the door and ran down the stairs.
Just about remembering to grab my keys from the kitchen table, I opened the front door and saw Jacob standing beside his car. Looking at him for the first time since the fight, coupled with all the turmoil I was trying to work through, left me confused, which in turn made me angry again. I strode over to him and he walked forward to meet me, only to retread those steps when I shoved him back.
"What are they?" I near enough yelled and he held his hands up defensively.
"Bella, what-"
"What ARE THEY?" I repeated, actually shouting now. "You know and you fucking hid it from me and..." I paused as tears welled in my eyes and sobs queued up in my oesophagus. "I...I saw him..." I wasn't looking at Jacob anymore as I tried to put into words what I had seen. "H-his eyes...his face..." My eyes were pleading as they returned to meet my friend's. "What the Hell is he, Jake?"
Jacob put a hand on either of my shoulders and looked me square in the eye. "Bella, I need you to calm down." Rivulets of water flowed down from my eyes and he cupped my face firmly in his hands. "Bella, please, I need you to just calm down and explain slowly. What exactly happened and what did you see?"
After several deep breaths I spoke. "I saw C-Carlisle," I said, my tongue tripping over his name.
Panic immediately flooded Jacob's features. "What happened? Did he hurt you?"
"No," I answered and it suddenly shocked me to acknowledge that fact. He hadn't hurt me; he hadn't hurt me at all. I knew Jacob was waiting for more, but I felt exposed stood outside the house. "Can we sit in the car?" I asked.
In answer, Jake opened the passenger door and let me climb in, before jogging to the other side and taking the seat beside me. He put the key in the ignition and looked over at me for permission. I nodded and the vehicle roared into life. I didn't offer any destination and he didn't ask, so we let the road decide. He waited a while, before glancing over at me, his eyes asking if I was ready to continue.
"I was walking home," I began. "And wasn't far from the house when some guy just came out of nowhere." I didn't elaborate that part any further. I wanted to remember as little about it as possible. "Then, he's suddenly pulled off me. I saw him literally get thrown into the air! I didn't see who it was at first, but then I sat up. He was crouched over the guy, nearly crushing him into the ground when I thought it might be Carlisle. I called his name..." I had to stop and swallow the lump in my throat. That pale, terrifying face blocked my vision. And those eyes. I knew they'd haunt my sleep for many nights to come.
Jacob was silent, taking it all in. His hands tightened on the steering wheel and I saw the knuckles start to turn white.
"So," he eventually said. "You've seen his..." he paused and his brows furrowed. He was searching for the right words. "True form?"
A shudder ran up my spine.
"And you want to know what he is, what they all are." It was Jacob's turn to take a deep breath. "This is gonna be hard," he muttered. A few minutes passed as he stared at the road and I could tell he was in deep thought. "Do you remember when Charlie would bring you over to the Res during your visits?"
I did. Every school holiday that I came to Forks, there would be a trip to the Blacks involved.
"Well," he continued. "You remember the barbecues we had, when most of the tribe would gather around the fire?"
Those had always been good nights. The adults sat and ate, while the kids would play until the sun set and everyone sat together. Even as a restless child, I had never had trouble sitting quietly to listen to one of Billy's tales. He was a gifted storyteller.
"Can you remember any of the stories Billy used to tell? I know it was a long time ago, but try."
I gazed ahead as I burrowed through all the memories contained within my mind. Unfortunately, for the life of me I couldn't remember a single one of Billy's tales. I looked at Jacob apologetically.
"Never mind," he said. "There's one in particular I'm thinking of. It's the legend of my distant Quileute ancestors. It talks about the Cold Ones."
I instantly thought of how cool any touch I'd received from Alice had been. Something else cold started to trickle down my spine and though my veins, to invade my heart. I stayed quiet as he continued.
"According to legend, the Quileutes are descended from wolves. The natural enemy of the wolf is the Cold One. They look very similar to humans, but there are a few differences. They're unnaturally beautiful, deathly pale and carry a sickly sweet scent. Basically, everything about them draws you in, entices you, makes you vulnerable. The Quileutes are said to be the guardians of this land, protecting the humans from the threat of the enemy. I'm not sure how much truth there is in that story, but I do know, as you've just found out, that the stories of the Cold Ones are one hundred percent true.
"The Cullens first came here decades ago, when my great-grandfather was still around. There were four of them back then, but Carlisle's the only original member left. The two with him now came later. He somehow managed to arrange a truce with the tribe, claiming their clan was different to others. They didn't hunt humans and sustained themselves on animals instead."
"Sustained?" I asked in a wary whisper.
Jacob's eyes found mine and our gazes locked. What I saw in those eyes told me everything else I needed to know. It was so obvious what he meant-the Cold Ones were the embodiment of the myth Bram Stoker had turned into pop culture over two hundred years ago.
The Cold Ones-the Cullens-were vampires.
A/N: How did that go? I hope you all enjoyed. At the moment, I think this story is rated T, but I'm wondering if this chapter means it should move up to an M. I'm not exactly sure what the rules are for each rating. Well, that's all for now folks, so see you soon :)