Author's note: I am so, so sorry for the delay in posting this. I've just moved house and had a bit of upheaval at work, so, had to get my writing in where I could.

Thanks for all the lovely reviews; I love reading some of the different theories people are coming up with. I love that the story gets people's minds working :)

Chapter thirty five

It was hard to see in a room so dimly lit by the silvery rays of moonlight. From what I could make out, I was sat in the corner of an old derelict house, although I had no idea where the house might be situated. Having been unconscious for the entire duration of the journey here, we could have been in New York for all I knew. I hadn't been acknowledged since the unveiling of my captor's identity and had to make do with remaining silent, trying not to make the fear induced trembling of my limbs too visible. My hands were no longer bound behind my back, but in front and Edward had no reason to worry about me undoing the ropes, because he'd fastened them with such intricately tight knots, that it would've been impossible for me to loosen them.

Edward was currently exchanging angry murmurs with another vampire and I'd tried my best to ignore them, but couldn't keep my eyes off the devastatingly beautiful creature he spoke to. It was the hair. It tumbled over her shoulders and hung down her back like a mane of angry flames. I'd never seen a hair colour so vibrant that hadn't come out of a bottle and her temperament seemed to match the hair, as she seethed and raged, the volume of her voice rising with each word. I managed to catch a sentence or two, which only served to heighten my fears.

"They killed James!" she hissed. "I will have my vengeance, whether you help me or not."

There was no need for Edward to raise his voice. He was one of those who seemed to exude a naturally authoritative quality that could ensnare the attention of all around him.

"You will do as you are told," he replied in that remote tone of voice that made goose bumps rise all over my flesh. "Unless you wish to join your mate."

As hot-headed as the female appeared to be, she wasn't stupid and knew better than to push her luck, so settled for a scowl, before leaving the room at an inhuman speed. My eyes tried to follow her out the door and the vividness of her hair left a temporary mark on my vision. From what I'd heard, Edward had, at least, two other vampires helping him. Were they Volturi? I had no way of telling. I was still also none the wiser about what was going to happen to me. As of yet, I'd suffered no physical damage, but being thrown across a room by him a few days ago meant I wasn't ignorant of what he could do. I tried to chase the terrifying thoughts away and focused all my energy on silently praying for either rescue, or a means of escape to reveal itself to me. So far, neither had been forthcoming, but I had yet to give up all hope.

Just as one vampire left, another entered, but it was very difficult to see what he or she looked like. The only indication of sex was the voice; smooth and crisp, with a rich masculinity that served only to further pronounce the French accent he carried. It was almost as perilously mesmerising as Edward's and I tried not to let myself fall under its spell.

"You wish to see me?" the Frenchman queried.

There was no reply and I was unaware of Edward's position, until I saw him loom over me, forcing a gasp from my throat. For a moment, he simply stared at me, but his expression was impossible to read. My heartbeat started racing and that was when he lunged for me. I tried too late to shuffle away from his reach, but he clasped my arm and grabbed a fistful of hair, before yanking. A stab of pain blazed across the back of my head, as he pulled out a clump of my hair and, for the second time that evening, I tried my very best not to scream. Then his cold hand encircled my wrist and I started a futile struggle against his grip. With just a little pressure, he managed to cripple me completely and I could swear I felt the bone on my wrist fracture. Tears streamed from my eyes, as something sharp sliced across my forearm and I saw droplets of blood well along the small cut. The strands of brown hair clutched in his right hand were coated in the crimson liquid, before my arm was released and he strode back over to the other vampire.

I was left to cower in the corner once more, cradling my injured arm, as it throbbed painfully, yet, still I refused to verbalise the agony. It was the only thing I had control over in my dire situation. Edward retreated to the shadows and, although I couldn't see what was happening, the pair spoke loud enough for me to hear. Whether it was done purposefully, I wasn't sure, but wouldn't have put it past him.

"I want you to take this," Edward instructed and-I assumed-handed the hair over to the Frenchman. "And leave it somewhere for only the Cullens to find." There was a quiet rustle of paper. "Along with this."

"They outnumber us greatly," said the other vampire, making no effort to hide the concern in his voice. "If they find us, they will easily win."

"I know," replied Edward. "But, I have other ways of hurting them."

After speaking those words, he turned to look at me and the light hit his angular features in such a way, that he ceased to retain any human resemblance and revealed the hideous monster within; a monster intent on hurting me in ways I could never imagine. My heart leapt up into my throat and the solid wall behind me became my worst enemy. I needed to get away. Every second spent in that room was a second closer to death and I wanted to holler Carlisle's name, use my voice as a tracking beacon to lead him to me. I wanted him to save me and end this terrifying nightmare once and for all. The overwhelming fear allowed my mind to slip out of reality and enter a daydream, where Carlisle Cullen, the knight in shining armour, rode up to the tower on his white horse and saved Bella Swan, the damsel in distress, from the horror about to be unleashed upon her.

Sadly, reality returned too soon and Edward advanced faster than my mind could grasp. In less than a second, I was yanked to my feet and his face was barely an inch away from mine. The tips of our noses almost touched and I cringed away, desperate to create as much distance between us as possible. His palm cupped my jaw tightly, restricting all movement of my head, forcing me to face him.

"You look nervous, Isabella," he whispered. "Am I making you nervous?"

His eyes bore into mine and all I could see was scarlet. My earlier resolve started to vanish and I would have screamed the house down if it meant getting him away from me. Unfortunately, his fingers squeezed my chin so hard, my mouth was unable to open.

"Well, you are right to be nervous," he continued. "In fact, you should be terrified." His eyes widened with the wicked utterance of that last word. "Not so much for yourself-although, make no mistake that I will hurt you-but for your beloved Carlisle. Whatever I do to you will be mere child's play compared to the torture he will endure." The millimetres separating us were eradicated and his forehead connected with mine. I had to stop breathing, because his sweet scent was so cloying, it made me nauseous. I finally understood what Jacob meant about the sickliness of their smell. "Do you want to know the best part of it all? I won't even have to touch him. Just one look at you will destroy him completely!"

There was such enthusiasm on his face and I was close to vomiting, from both the terror and the nausea. I was going to die. My last moments on this Earth would be spent in excruciating pain, at the hands of the demented demon stood before me and, whilst my suffering would be great, the one to suffer most in the long run would be the person I wanted to suffer least of all. I revoked my earlier wishes of him coming to save me. I didn't want him here at all. Let me die, I would do so willingly if it meant keeping Carlisle and the others safe. I was destined to die some day and doing so in place of someone I loved seemed like a pretty good way to go. For that, I'd welcome death with arms wide open.

A stray thought entered my mind, then. It was small and offered the sole glint of silver, lining a black, menacing cloud. I'd told him I loved him. The last time I spoke to Carlisle, I had said "I love you". At least he knew. My second moment of reverie was broken by the increased pressure on my jaw and Edward was forcing my attention back to him. I was still terrified, more than I could even comprehend, but I was also regaining my resolve. Edward wanted to hurt me, to make me suffer and I had no doubt that he would succeed, but I refused to let him know just how much he was hurting me. I would do every single thing I possibly could to stop him from knowing just how much pain I was truly in.

"Hmm," Edward murmured. "Your mind may still be closed to me, but your expressions are as readable as ever." He studied my face for a moment longer. "So, you're going to play that game, are you? Well, I'm just going to have to work even harder, aren't I?"

With that, Edward ordered the Frenchman out of the room and my determination was tested to the very limit.

000

We were almost two hours into a search that had begun the moment we found the message in Isabella's room. Carlisle hadn't said a word since then and I followed suit, knowing that he would speak only when he had something important to say. We had split into pairs, with Alice and Jasper searching one side of the town, whilst we searched the other. So far, no leads had been discovered, but we were nowhere close to giving up. In fact, I suspected that, until Carlisle held the young woman in his arms again, he would never give up.

Every so often, I stole a quick glance at his face and was greeted every time by that impenetrable mask of determination. He wasn't frantic, as one would expect in such a situation. Instead, he was eerily quiet and calm, the only betrayal of his inner turmoil being the tautness of his jaw. Carlisle had always presented himself as a pacifist and his gentle demeanour meant it was very easy to overlook the dangerous nature lurking beneath the surface. It very rarely came out, but Edward had managed to unearth it at least once this past week and I knew, if they crossed paths again, Carlisle would unleash the full extent of his fury. Edward had done the one thing guaranteed to incur the wrath of his former mentor.

My own thoughts and feelings on the matter were conflicted, as I had once loved Edward Masen like a brother, yet, his recent actions left me appalled and, most of all, disappointed. When had he become so vindictive? What could he possibly hope to achieve with this course of action? I understood, even if I didn't condone the desire for revenge, but hurting Isabella certainly wouldn't bring Sapphire back to life. All it would do was alienate the ones who loved him most and were willing to welcome him back without question. My optimistic side hoped against all odds that we wouldn't be too late and this whole mess could be resolved peacefully, but the reality was destined to be the polar opposite.

We were making our way through the small shopping district of Forks, when Carlisle's trouser pocket began vibrating. In a flash, he had the phone clutched to his ear, letting the caller identify themselves, before putting Alice on loudspeaker. I knew Carlisle had done it for my benefit and it was remarkable that, even in his despair, he retained enough consideration for those around him to allow me to hear what was being said first hand.

Alice's voice came through the speaker in breathy gasps and a flare of panic went through me, as I contemplated the idea of them being attacked.

"We're okay," she reassured. "I just...I had...a vision..."

She trailed off and I heard the phone being passed to another, before Jasper's southern drawl filtered down the line. "Alice had a vision," he explained. "Nothin' crystal clear, but enough to reveal a few clues about the kinda place we're lookin' for."

"What did she see?" Carlisle asked and I could hear him trying to rein in the impatience.

"It came to her in blurred flashes," Jasper answered. "But, what she saw was an old, empty building. The room was very dark and Bella was huddled in a corner-"

"Was she hurt?" Carlisle interjected.

"Not that Alice could see."

I saw Carlisle's shoulders relax ever so slightly and he breathed out words of thanks to God. I placed a supportive hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. "Did she see anything that might tell us where this building is?" I asked.

"Afraid not, but I'm hoping that a description of the interior might help us narrow the list of areas we need to search."

Another moment of silence passed, as the phone was handed back to Alice and she began as detailed a description as she could give of the room she saw Bella in. It was old and empty, so we were looking for either a house or small warehouse that was currently unused. I was still relatively new to the area, so the information was of little help to me, but I hoped that the other three had managed to better acquaint themselves with Forks during their last few years here.

Once Alice concluded her description, Carlisle took a moment to absorb the information.

"I'm sorry it isn't anything more helpful," she said. The poor creature still suffered insecurities about the recent unreliability of her gift.

"No, Alice," Carlisle argued. "We need all the information we can get. Thank you and call if you find or see anything else."

"We will," she promised, before hanging up without bothering to say goodbye. She knew as well as I that there was no time for pleasantries.

Carlisle dropped the cell phone back into his pocket and we continued walking. After a few minutes, he suddenly stopped moving and the ceasing of motion was so abrupt, that I almost crashed into him.

"What's wrong?" I asked, but there was no reply.

Carlisle's eyes scanned our surroundings and he took several deep inhalations, before moving at vampiric speeds towards a nearby alleyway. I followed, wondering what was going on, until whatever he had smelt hit my nostrils too. He stopped at the mouth of the alleyway, his eyes darting left and right, before taking several steps forward again and crouching down beside a metal bin overflowing with trash. When I finally joined him, I saw a small white envelope clutched in his palm, with his name scrawled across the front in black capitals. Fear gripped my heart, as it was clear who the correspondence was from, but there was no telling what we might find inside.

Carefully, Carlisle pried open the seal and the familiar scent grew in strength. The contents were pulled out and I almost let out a gasp. In Carlisle's fingers were several strands of hair that, to human eyes, would have appeared to be dark auburn. With our eyes, however, we were able to see the truth: it was Isabella's chocolate brown hair coated in drying blood. Carlisle's fingers curled around the tendrils and he took another deep breath, his eyes closing in obvious pain.

Before I could get lost in despair, I took the envelope from him and removed a second object. It was a square of glossy paper folded into quarters and, when opened up, revealed itself to be another photograph of Isabella. It was in colour, but the quality was poor, probably due to the dim lighting of wherever it had been taken. From what I could see, she was lying unconscious on the floor, her hands and feet bound and there were no visible marks on her, but that meant nothing. Edward would have had to get her blood from somewhere and I doubted she was a willing donor. Again, there was a message for Carlisle, this time written on the floor beside her.

What is taking you so long?

I nudged Carlisle's arm to get his attention, but it took three more attempts for him to acknowledge the photograph. Although his eyes were looking in the direction of the picture, they seemed to be focused on anything but. He was lost in his own thoughts and his mind couldn't have picked a more inappropriate time to wander. The stress was clearly getting to him and he must have been finding it hard to process all that was happening amidst the panic enveloping him.

Deciding to ignore my companion's temporary mental debilitation, I searched the photo for clues and cursed its poor quality. I could barely make out Isabella, let alone any of her surroundings and released a low growl of frustration. What was the point in this game Edward insisted on playing? He wanted to know what was taking so long? Well, how about the fact that he gave us nothing to go on!

An impatient humming rang through the air and Carlisle's hand immediately flew to his pocket to retrieve the ringing cell phone. He put it on loud speaker again and it was Jasper's voice that echoed out the speaker. He seemed to be running.

"We've found her!"

000

"You know, when I first saw you, I thought this would be quick, simple and boring. Oh, how wrong I was!"

I could barely hear Edward. His voice was a distant echo in my ears and the room was a hazy blur to my watering eyes. I was unable to locate a part of my body that didn't hurt and he was nowhere near finished with me yet. My stomach was raw from the fists that had collided with it, my head pounding after hitting the opposing wall when he hurled me across the floor and my kneecap throbbed in agonising pain from where Edward had just crushed it beneath his foot.

And still I hadn't made a sound.

I knew it did nothing to discourage him, serving only to spur him on, but I was stupidly determined. It may have been the ultimate lesson in futility, but it was the only weapon I had against the demon stood across the room from me. He was faster, stronger and smarter than me, so my stubbornness was all I had to use. As blood continued to trickle out my nose from where he had backhanded me, I randomly wondered if it was affecting him at all. It was hard to tell, distracted as I was by the savage beating he gave me.

"Most people cower in fear, when confronted by me," Edward continued, strolling towards me again, like a tourist would along a fine beach. "Screaming and blubbering like babies. But, the most I've managed to get out of you, so far, is the occasional whimper."

He grabbed handfuls of my hair and pulled me to my feet. My knee protested furiously and I bit my lip, as more tears ran down my cheeks.

"There's got to be something I can do to change that," he mused in a dangerous murmur.

His eyes scanned up and down my maimed body, before he looked over his shoulder at the room. A gentle snort of amusement left his nostrils, before he ordered me to remain where I was and walked away. I dreaded what was to come. If he thought my silence was a signal of being unafraid, he couldn't have been more mistaken. I may not have been very vocal, but I'd never been more terrified. Oddly enough, though, I wasn't praying for death anymore. Now that I faced it, I desperately wanted to live, with all my earlier bravado about welcoming the end of my life flying out the broken window beside me. I supposed instinct was starting to take over.

A loud snap reverberated off the walls and quick footsteps signalled the return of my dreaded death sentence. He stopped so close, his body practically pinned me against the wall and his palm reached towards my face. I flinched, ducking my head to avoid the expected blow about to land on my cheek...but it never came. Instead, his hand gently connected with the skin of my face, before his thumb rubbed against my cheekbone in a vile mockery of Carlisle's affectionate gesture. I felt a surge of anger swell in my gut and I couldn't stop the contempt spilling out of my eyes. It didn't seem to upset him. If anything, the expression on his face seemed to suggest he found my displeasure somewhat adorable.

"You have some spirit in you," he remarked, a smirk playing across his lips. "It's well hidden, but definitely there, if you scratch away enough of the surface." His eyes circled my face. "I suppose I can see why he likes you...a little. I almost feel sorry for you, being caught up in all this, when none of it is really your fault. You're just a frail little piggy in the middle."

The thumb stilled and his hand slid round to cradle the back of my head. I gazed up at him in utter confusion and his scarlet eyes slowly moved closer as he spoke.

"In some ways, it really is a shame he fell in love with you," he whispered, his cool breath blasting my face. "The silence your mind offers is rather refreshing and you could have proved yourself very useful. Who knows, maybe when this is all over, I can start a new hobby of finding myself another shield. I know the Volturi would very much like to have such a talent amongst their ranks and wouldn't be all that happy if they knew I'd disposed of one. Probably best to keep your gift between us, hmm?"

I wanted to gag. How could he discuss my murder so casually? He really was a fucking psychopath and the menacing smile spreading across his face only confirmed it.

"But, I digress," he said, before a jolt of agony hit my left shoulder.

My mouth parted, but no sound came out. Despite my refusal to verbalise any pain around Edward, my current silence was unintentional. The pain was so bad, that it literally took my breath away. I had no idea what he had just done, but it hurt more than anything I had ever felt in my entire life. Eventually, my lungs slowly regained the ability to inhale oxygen and I began gasping for air.

"Oh, come on!" Edward whined. "Not even a sniffle? What a determined little wretch you are."

Beads of sweat began to roll down my face and I felt feverish and weak, unable to properly stand by myself anymore. The vampire before me was the only thing keeping me on my feet and Edward was about to say something else, when his face froze. He turned to look out the window and silence reigned supreme for a few moments, before a thrum of excitement encased his form. His face whipped back round to me and I gazed upon evil in its truest form.

"They're here!" he announced, looking positively gleeful, like a child opening gifts on Christmas Day. "Now, all we need to do is confirm that we are, too."

The object lodged in my shoulder twisted and a fresh wave of pain ran through my arm. What the Hell had he done? I couldn't even bring myself to look down at the source of the anguish, as it had immobilised me and, once again, I was incapable of verbalising the agony. My eyes squeezed shut and my mouth opened wide, so he could see just how badly he was hurting me, yet that didn't seem to be enough for him. He needed all five of his senses to be alerted to my torment and the fact that he hadn't yet heard me was beginning to seriously piss him off.

"Just one little scream is all I need," he informed me. "Just one itty bitty tiny call for help. They'll come a-running and all of this will be over."

Another twist, another jolt of pain.

"Why are you so stubborn?" he asked, all amusement gone. "It won't save you...or them."

One more twist, but I wouldn't give in. I'd never give in. Breathing was becoming a monumental task for me, so my silence was less to do with steely resolve and more the result of my physical inability, but I still managed to relish my success at riling him up. And, despite the fact that I was terrified and in greater pain than I had ever experienced in my entire twenty three years of living, I didn't want Carlisle to come here. I didn't want him seeing me like this. I didn't want this to be the last memory he had of me, using it to fuel the blame he would inevitably place upon himself. I didn't want him living an eternity filled with guilt and self-loathing; he deserved so much more than that.

"Just say his name," Edward pleaded angrily. "It's only one word, two syllables, easy as anything." His long, cold fingers curled around my neck. "Do it and I swear to end your life quickly."

I wanted to tell him that I couldn't do it, but was unable to form a coherent response, which he took for another show of defiance. Pure rage flared in his bloody irises and his pitch black pupils widened, before he let out a snarl of displeasure. His hand increased its pressure around my neck, beginning to restrict the airways and I felt the panic surge throughout my body. As brutal as my beating had been, it was nothing compared the horror of having a vital life source taken away. He was doing it slowly, offering me one last chance to relent, but I couldn't and he finally snapped. Faster than a bullet leaves a firing gun, he bared his teeth and lunged.

That was when I screamed.

000

The sound froze my soul. It was an agonised, harrowing noise that sliced through me like a dagger, but my distress paled into nothingness compared with the expression of abject horror on Carlisle's face. Any tint of colour his skin may have retained vanished completely and his eyes grew wide in alarm. We knew who made the noise and there was only one reason she'd make it, which leant far greater urgency to our mission than ever before.

Now that we had heard the scream, we knew exactly where to find Isabella and, with each lightning fast stride, I could feel the temperature of my venom rising in fury and disgust. What was he doing to her? I was now more thankful than ever for the vision Alice had received about Isabella's location and I found myself praying once again that we reached her in time.

Edward had managed to find the perfect spot to hold her. We were in a secluded part of Forks that I gathered very few people ever bothered to visit, meaning there was a very slim chance of any human witnessing the event. As the building entered my field of vision, I saw the distant figures of Alice and Jasper on my left, racing to meet us, but Carlisle didn't seem to even notice. His entire focus was on rescuing Isabella, but, as we reached the disused house, the screams had stopped, to be replaced with whimpers, howls and desperate gasps for air.

The sound of smashing glass interrupted the tortured cries and I sprinted towards the back of the house, to see a familiar figure hurtling towards the trees. Jasper immediately gave chase and, without a second thought, I followed. Edward was fast and I was forced to push my body to its very limit, but there had never been anyone capable of matching his speed. It was always something he'd prided himself on. The only one of us capable of possibly catching him was Jasper, who'd had to chase more than a few newborns during his earlier years as a vampire. My skills in tracking and hunting were far less refined, meaning that, as I ran, something managed to distract my senses so much that my steps faltered and I almost stumbled.

I stopped running, knowing I had already lost more time than I could ever recover. What I had just smelt was a scent any vampire would recognise, although it failed to arouse in me the insatiable thirst others of my kind would have felt. I sniffed the air, the coppery aroma still pungent and I worked out that it was travelling towards me along the path Edward had carved through the forest. It confused me at first. Edward couldn't bleed, so why did he reek of blood? The realisation came immediately after, slamming into me with the force of a wrecking ball and I span to race in the direction I had just come.

What the Hell had he done?

I returned to the house within minutes and barged through the open door, which was a moment away from falling off its hinges. The scent of blood was almost overwhelming and I held my breath as I made my way up the stairs. Oddly, now that I was here, all urgency had left me and I was suddenly reluctant to reach the top of the staircase. All four of us had spent hours agonising over whether Isabella was alright, but now that I was about to discover the answer, I wasn't so sure I wanted to know. I was scared of what that answer might be. From the mewling, I could tell she was still alive, but there was no guarantee that would be the case for long.

I forced my feet to climb each and every step and, as I ascended, I heard another sound mingle with Isabella's painful protests. It was the sound of strangled sobbing and I could tell they weren't coming from her. That was the moment I realised that we were too late.

The atmosphere shifted around me and I felt as though I had been transported into a dream world. Everything slowed right down and all sound became an echo of its original self. I reached the top step and crept towards the room, my disinclined body and mind battling against the determination to find out what had happened to the young woman. Finally, I reached the doorway and saw the back of Alice, her posture absolutely still. I had no need to look at her face to know the expression I would see painted upon it. Her aura projected frailty and utter desolation.

After a couple of excruciatingly slow steps, I reached her, but she didn't turn. Isabella had become silent now, leaving only the sobs to circulate the dark room and I shuffled past her, so that I could finally witness the result of Edward's malice. The sight that greeted my eyes was enough to cause my knees to buckle and I had to clasp the wall for support. I now knew the source of the sobbing and grief became an inadequate word for the scene unfolding before me.

In the middle of the dark room sat Carlisle, his back also to me. He was gently rocking backwards and forwards, head bowed and cradling something in his arms. That something was Isabella. Her left arm hung limply, the pale, upturned hand knocking against the floor in rhythm with Carlisle's rocking and it rang like a death knell. Amidst the pitiful sobs, I could hear him whispering into her ear, pleading with her to wake up. All he wanted was the smallest of signs to show that she was still with him, that she hadn't left him for good.

"Come back to me, Bella," he begged in broken whispers. "Do not leave; do not go where I cannot follow."

The room was silent, as we waited for some kind of response, but not a muscle in Isabella's body moved. She was gone and there was nothing we could do to bring her back. My own sorrow was rising in my chest and, mixed with the misery seeping from Carlisle's every pore, the melancholic atmosphere of the room was starting to choke me. I had to leave. It felt wrong standing there, watching such a private moment. I delved deep inside myself in search of the energy required to walk out of the room. Alice had already left, probably sharing my sentiments, although it was far worse for her. After all, she had been the one to first befriend Isabella and the girl had become the closest thing the diminutive vampire ever had to a best friend. Although our hearts no longer beat, they were not immune to breaking and broken they had. I wasn't sure how long it would take for them to mend after this, if they were even capable of doing so.

I reached the doorway, taking one last look at Carlisle. There was one broken heart that would never be mended. He had given it to Isabella and it died along with her. He was still swaying, still weeping and whispering incoherently into her ear and those pitiful sounds of despair followed me down the stairs.

"I'm sorry, so sorry...forgive me, please...so sorry..."

Even the closed door was unable to drown him out and I had to close my eyes to try and block the pain cutting through me with every word. I felt numb, as I left the building, letting the cold night air wash over me. I didn't know how we were going to move on from this, but there would be time to think about that later. This was Carlisle's moment and we would give him the time he needed. As I left the building, the cold night air washed over me and I closed my recently opened eyes once again. A vampire's memory was unparalleled and, for the first time I hated possessing such a trait. I wanted to erase this place from my mind, for it would always serve as a tragic reminder of the life that had been taken. Then I realised how futile keeping my eyes shut really was, because it didn't matter where I stood or what I saw, the events of this night had changed the world irrevocably and my soul felt heavy, as I mourned the loss.

With the extinguishing of one of its brightest flames, Forks had become a much darker place.

A/N: It's taken me ages to write this, as I spent the entire time panicking about whether it would flow and read right. I'm worried it won't do the emotional moment justice, but will let you all decide. Despite my own doubts and worries, I really hope you all enjoyed and will see you soon for the next update :)