A/N: The second chapter, which is complete.
A Special Thanks To: Idony, Stephanie, Mademoiselle Fiori, ThePenguinsJustThere, twilightobsessor101, uperspastic, Hellish Red Devil, kaypgirl, IncarnationOfPureBeauty, and Darkmoon144. Wow, not a bad turnout for my first chapter, you guys are the absolute best, I thank you for all of your support. Sorry it was a little confusing, I hope I was able to answer them when I replied back, and I hope I got to everyone one, if I didn't you're allowed to chew me out.
Disclaimer: I do not, nor shall ever, own the plot or characters of Twilight, which belong solely to the wonderful Stephenie Meyers.
Genre: Romance/Drama/Supernatural/Mystery/Adventure/slight Action/some Angst, sorry not very good at this part, my stories usually have about everything in them.
Rating: PG-13(T)
Summary: They say your senior year is the beginning of something new, the end of your childhood, and a great change in your life. Bella will find out how true those words are as she is forced to face things she only dreamt about.
Heart's Pain
By: Dark Huntress
Chapter 2: Encounter
The air was thick with tension as Bella stared at the trees that sped at alarmingly high speeds. But unlike her past, it no longer bothered her to the fact that they were running a good forty miles over the speed limit. She was with Edward, and no matter the amount of anger that was between the two of them, he would always keep her safe. Always.
Sighing, and slouching in the seat, Bella thought, trying hard to formulate a plan on how to tell Edward her situation. Tell him that it had returned after over a decade of being normal. It was difficult for herself to understand, to figure out what had suddenly brought on these images that had been shoved to the very back of her mind.
Twirling her fingers absentmindedly, she could feel the intense gaze of his now black eyes upon her face. Bella knew he wanted an explanation, but to be honest, she was sure she didn't want to give it to him. His angered eyes, even more so than they already were, were something she didn't want to face when she herself wasn't angered at him as well.
"I...it's not important," she knew it was futile, but fruitlessly tried to evade what was to come, couldn't he understand, she didn't want to brawl.
"Yes it is, or you wouldn't be reluctant to tell me," his voice sent a shiver up her spine, the ice that laced his words filling her with dread more than what she had been expecting.
"Edward, I don't know where to start, this is just as frustrating for me as it is for you," Bella cursed herself, wishing she hadn't taken that route to school this day.
His eyes seemed to turn away from her then, satisfied that she would answer him. The erratic thrum of her heart echoed in her ears, and Bella had to touch her palm to her chest, in an attempt to stop the horrid noise.
"I was seven the last time it happened, or, around then anyways. I had always had these, um, visions. They, told me what was going to happen before they did. I even predicted my grandmother's death when I was four. She passed away six months after that," her eyes never left the window as they turned onto the private drive that belonged to the Cullen's.
"But, like I said, it has been several years, but it happened again, and I don't know what to make of it. All the ones were relatively easy, I can never hear anything in these visions, only see and feel. But unlike the ones before, this one was difficult, I don't know what was happening, why, or even the result.
"Everyone was there, Esme, Alice, Jasper, Emmet, Rosalie, Charlie, and Carlisle. They were in a hospital, Carlisle looked to be rushing about, his patient, something was wrong. It affected everyone. We weren't there, or at last not in the scene that I saw, but I imagine we were of on the side lines.
"Everyone was sad, all were worried, and everyone seemed to go hysterical by whatever news Carlisle said to them. Like I said, I don't know who was hurt, why they were hurt, all I know is that something bad is going to happen." her cheeks were flushed, and small traces of tears were rolling down her cheeks, the fear of the unknown looming over her head.
"So, what, you have visions like Alice?" he seemed to sneer at this, disbelief etched on his perfectly angular face.
"No, not like Alice's. Alice can tell you the journey you will take in the future, its forever changing, what she sees isn't set in stone, mine is. I see the end result, no matter what course you take now, it had already been calculated in, no matter what you try, it will happen. I can't stop it, you can't, no one, it can't change, it won't," sobs wracked her body, and Bella was sure that at any moment she would break down completely.
The Volvo pulled to a halt, her unseeing eyes staring out the windows, watching the images that she could so vividly remember. The anguish, the heartache, the utter hopelessness as they all collapsed one by one. Their faces mixed with an eternal pain that she had never felt before, nor did she ever wish to do so.
His hand passed over her's, a gesture he hadn't done in quite some time. Grasping his in comfort, Bella let herself fall against his chest, crying as she let the emotions that she remembered flood from her body. The cool ice that penetrated her thin jacket was welcomed, the familiar feel of the cold wrapping around her body bringing the comfort that she so desperately needed.
Before she knew what was happening, Edward had lifted her and himself from the car, cradling her body against him. Bella felt her heartbeat speed up, her lungs gasp as she was curled even more so against this moving stone. The scent of his shirt fogged her mind as she slowly calmed from her fit, feeling the familiar closeness coming together. This feeling was something she yearned for, yet rarely felt these days as their biting words grew more and more. What had started as amusing, was quickly turning to fear by the others as they thought that only this could end badly.
Bella sighed, she knew that they were not in relationship trouble yet, but that was fast approaching as the difference in their species became more apparent. Each knew that deep down, that this would be the year that decided it all. He would either change her, allowing her to remain at his side for the rest of their days, or, she would graduate, move away and go to college, never to return to place she now called home.
Edward sat her down at this point, watching her as she swayed slightly, her head swimming as she shook from the chill of her heart. She couldn't imagine a life without the vampire that had captured her heart from the time he had whispered a hello to her. Bella felt herself slowly fading into the world of desperation as she held onto his muscled arm, anything to reassure herself that he was real.
She no longer needed directions in his home, already having visited it many times previous. She walked over in a daze, dropping herself in their newest couch. It was quite large, holding four average sized people with ease. The fabric was a velvet, and the cushions soft enough to feel as if it could swallow one whole.
Pulling a blanket that was meant for decoration around her quivering shoulders, Bella watched as the eloquent vampire sat next to her, slowly shifting her body to sit on his. His breathing, which he need not do, filled her nose with the scent that had kept her safe in the most horrid of dreams. The strength of his body made her feel safe, the protection of his power washing over her, allowing her muddled thoughts to clear once more.
Often she would wish to keep her overactive mind at rest, the continuous spree of thoughts often getting her into trouble. Looking at her shaking hands, Bella felt the house grow even more silent than usual. The breeze and slash of rain was nonexistent, a chilling pressure pushing down upon her as she desperately tried to hide from the outside world.
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
"How is she Edward?" jumping slightly, Bella opened her heavy lids, amazed that she had succumbed to sleep when her mind had been so full.
"Fine, I think, where's Carlisle?" the round figure of Esme came into view, her vision blurred as she tried to return to consciousness.
"He's at the hospital, seems they thought he better examine the body," Edward shifted slightly, barely moving her body an inch.
"Yeah, he said that he would rather anyways, you know, see if he could find out anything," it was Alice's voice that had now appeared, her inky hair shooting out in all directions as she bounced around the room.
"Where's Charlie?" her voice was a squeak, sitting up straight Bella felt her muscles groan in protest to her movements.
"He went back to work dear, can we get you anything?" the motherly instincts that lay heavy in Esme appeared once more, her love of humanity showing in her glowing orbs.
"No, I'm fine," pulling the throw about her tighter, and watching the gloom of the day settle to the gleam of night.
Silence reigned supreme as each occupant slowly left the room, leaving her alone with Edward once more. It was hard, hard for her to return to the silence when she wanted nothing more than a distraction to stop her thinking. Through all these years, when she had pleasantly forgot her woes, it was quite a sudden dilemma that sprang itself on her life.
Bella felt herself shiver, the images of the van filling her mind with a clarity that she found hard to conceive. The man had been terrified, the fear evident in his lifeless eyes, his mouth in a silent, disbelieving scream. All these though, she concluded, could be from a normal accident, but no skid marks were on the road as if he had tried to stop, and no reason he would have lost control.
Chewing her lip in concentration, Bella felt the movement before she realized that she was being placed back on the couch alone. Staring into his dark gold eyes in question, a chill worked its way up her spine as she felt the loneliness settle into her body once more.
"Carlisle's home, stay here," scowling at his comment, Bella watched his back fade around the corner, her legs itching to follow.
Crossing her arms, and drumming her fingers against her forearm, the silence once more cut into her flesh. Rolling onto her stomach, and staring dejectedly out of the window wall that stood to her right, Bella watched the nature of the night take hold. A sleeping owl opened his large round eyes, looking in at her motionless form before stretching and taking flight. A opossum with several small babies upon her back, quickly scurried from underneath one of the nearby trees, the gleaming eyes of the adult turning rapidly, looking for the owl from earlier.
A warm glow bathed her skin, watching over her body in a protective manner. The fading light of the sun nothing more than a small line across the sky that was fading the clouds into their darkest natures. A few stars sprinkled the sky, winking down upon the land that was filled with such secrets and deceptions of the mind and heart.
Bella picked up her backpack, shuffling through the contents, hoping to find a muse for her wandering mind. She had never been terribly talented in the arts, both of which she was interested in. Her hand had never given her the possession of the craft to script the images into images to show the world. Nor, did the Lord give her the gift of words, where she could tell her mind with descriptive language without the use of a large edition of Webster.
Doodling, that was what she was good at. Scribbling at the corners of her notebooks til pencil marks were too heavy and large for anything to be used on that page. Sighing in depression, Bella felt her mind give way to the world she wished to escape, to the place where she was forced to live the nightmares of torment.
A cold metal oozed through her skin, breaking through the warmth of her living flesh, falling dead, cooler than that of the deceased. Her lungs heaved and shuttered, sputtering as the gasps of oxygen fell short, slowing, slowing, slowing, dying away. Her heart was erratic, choking and slowing as each pump grew too heavy for the muscle to move. The numbing chill stilled her body, her eyes growing wide, her mouth open as she internally fought against the unholy feel.
A bright light gleamed at her, blinding her eyes, illuminating a male figure to her right. There were others, two in the backseat, all looking at the closing light. It grew swiftly, the small bead turning to a giant orb that raced to them. Bella found herself panicking, the fear tangible, beer lining the inside of the vehicle, sticking to the upholstery.
Her palms were sweating, the cold plastic of the steering wheel biting in to her flesh as if a searing dagger. People were moving around hurriedly, scrambling to escape the trap, the seatbelts halting their movements. Bella felt the burning bile rise in her, agony of the coming doom, biting fear of the unknown.
Crunching metal folded around her, burying her arms at her sides, squeezing, closing about, ribs snapping in two. Blood oozed from her nose, her breathing hard as she coughed up more of the crimson fluid. Bones snapped in her legs, breaking, twisting, and tearing. Glass littered her face as the shards bit her skin, digging deep into her. Blood flew on her, matting down her hair, slipping into her eyes, burning, the tears sliding as she saw it was not her own...but the other's.
It stopped, the numb taking over all physical pain as the world about her suddenly halted. Flames burst from the hood, threatening to burn her away, to take away the life that she cherished. Strong arms took her away, rushed her to the hospital, telling her to live, telling her to hold on. Her hand wiped away the burning sensation in her eyes, the bruised appendage unrecognizable, a cast around her slender wrist.
"Bella! Damn it! Snap out of it!" Bella awoke, choking as oxygen flew into her lungs, the blood rushing through her veins, returning the warmth to her corpse like body.
The Cullens and Hales looked upon her, worry rippling in their sea of topaz irises. Edward let go of her shoulders, the only black eyes in the group, his mouth grim as he studied her expression. The gnawing sensation that tore at her stomach left her hunched over and prone, her mind racing with the images, with the emotions, the pain, the scents, the sights.
Looking down at her cast free wrist, Bella silently wondered about herself, could it be she that was in trouble? No, she didn't go to parties, she wasn't the one that constantly got drunk, that had a guy that would do those things. And she distinctly remembered there being a male beside her, the other two she couldn't distinguish, couldn't place. But in the shadow of the light, in the shadows of the night, she had seen his form, black, but pure.
"Bella, are you alright?" Alice patted her dark hair, watching as the small human blinked away unshed tears.
It wasn't Edward, and from the evidence, it wasn't her. But who? Who had saved the person in the last second? What was coming to them? What did the light belong to? She couldn't see it, couldn't figure out what held the blinding white light that ended their lives, and almost ended the drivers. Someone she knew, someone that was familiar. Sweat beaded on her brow, but no matter, Bella found herself searching deeper, looking for a clue to the identity of the victims.
"Bella?" Alice had halted her motions, looking about the room for some sign of help as the others waited.
"I'm fine Alice, nothing for you to worry about," Bella pulled the other's hand into her own, leaning heavily upon the pixie figure.
"Are you sure, you had us all worried," Esme patted her shoulder, looking deep into her mortal eyes, searching for something Bella hoped she didn't find.
"I'm fine, I promise," Edward snorted, his dark eyes haunting as his cynical gaze took in Bella's shaken, but firm appearance.
"You're lying," his simple phrase made her scowl, her eyes darkening as she bit hard on her tongue.
"What do you know? You can't read my mind!" Bella's voice cut through the air, her fury washing over.
"No, but you're body reeks of deception," his voice was cold, heartless, a cut deep in her heart as she felt the numbing feeling of loss.
"Don't talk to me of deception, if you're allowed secrets, so am I!" Bella stood, walked out of the living room and slammed the door.
A satisfied grin worked its way across her pale features as she heard Alice's usual sweet melody scream at her stubborn brother. Bella felt foolish for storming out of their home, but at the moment, she felt it best to leave before they both said things they didn't mean. A certainty that was coming swiftly.
Opening the door to her rusted truck, Bella silently thanked whomever had drove it home, knowing it must have been real troublesome because of the speed. The engine roared to life, deafening her heart that drummed in her chest, adrenaline still pumping through her body. Her fingers itched to smash something, to break something, to tear it apart.
Shaking her head, and backing out of the drive, Bella found herself no longer paying attention to her surroundings. The trees were familiar, the slush of the road all to real, the smell of a Forks night melancholy. What was she going to do? Edward was pulling away, turning to his family, turning away from her. He had always had secrets, that she could deal with, but his temper was shorter and shorter, and no matter what he used to say, it was directed at her. He was frustrated at something, at her most likely, but why she had no idea. Could it be he had become tired of protecting her? Of her clumsy, life-threatening coordination?
Looking at the closed glove compartment, an agony like she had never felt before played before her eyes. In there, in there, held one future for her. Early acceptance from colleges, three in fact, filled the otherwise empty compartment. They had been opened, but none filled out. They were good colleges, ones she was honored to be accepted by, but to leave all this behind. Edward held her heart, he always had, and always would, could she give that up? Doubtful. More like impossible.
Bella slammed on the brakes, her seatbelt tugging on her shoulder as she went forward slightly. Her mind screamed at her, her sobs working their way up her throat as she banged her fist against the ancient automobile. Each day her relationship was growing apart, falling away, disappearing out of her reach.
Unbuckling her harness, Bella felt the wind rustle her air, bringing in the crispness of the cloudless night. A peace washed over her as she dried away the last of her tears, the sorrow momentarily put off as she looked at the dark forest. Each day she drove past these grounds, and each day the woods never felt threatening, but now, just as the moonlight lit the green world, Bella felt a chill work up her spine.
Something out there had murdered Mr. Thompson, their worried actions confirming Jasper's earlier suspicions. Somewhere, there was a being, whether human or not she was undecided, that had taken a life, and destroyed another.
Shuddering from the images, rather than the cold, Bella found her hand going to roll up her window, closing out the chill. Starting the loud engine that echoed in the stillness, she let the heat blast away the Arctic blast. Playing with a bracelet that her mother had given to her, she looked heatedly at two stones, one topaz, the other a dark onyx. Both had reminded her of the shading of her "boyfriend's" eyes.
A dark shadow raced at the corner of her eyes, catching her attention as she dropped her musings. Her heart sped up, her eyes taking in the surroundings, looking for a sign of disturbance. Silence meant her dull ears, but silence that was filled with a haunting secret. Unconsciously, Bella locked her doors, looking to the forest outside the passenger window.
A loud bang caught her off guard, as the truck shuddered under the force. Her muscles tensed as she tried to get her foot move towards the gas petal. Another groan of metal sliced through her hearing, the vehicle sliding slightly on the graveled road. A deep growl bounced off the, what she was sure, damaged metal. Bella found her voice gone as she thought of screaming, hoping that the vampires would hear her plea.
Screeching drew her attention away from the slipping tires, nails sliding across a chalkboard. Something sharp was slicing the side of the grandfather truck, torturing the already decaying body. Shuddering as she dared not to look out her window, another bang, loud as a gunshot went through the crying mobile.
All was silent, the trees watching in horror as the sturdy truck held its own against the force that they could only see. The wind halted in its movement as it held its breath in hesitation, in preparation, in astonishment. Movement set her nerves on edge as she tried desperately to do something that would rid her fear of this thing. A scream, her throat was too dry, to drive away, she was frozen, to give up, never.
Looking to her right for the first time, she saw nothing but a field filled with weeds, abandoned by a farmer that found the place too cold and wet. So silent, so still, unnatural in the world of noise. A great black figure hurdled at her glass, cracking it, spider legs reaching to the bottom. Bella screamed, her lungs working, her throat clearing. Black fur matted in disgusting residue, eyes of pure orange glaring at her, red stained fangs bared and ready. Claws that gleamed silver, legs that were powerful and strong, much larger than any wolf she had ever seen.
A shudder fell through the night as the ancient car tumbled down the slope and landed against a tree, the cab crunching under the weight.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
A/N: OMG! This chapter came along so fast once I started writing it, especially the part where Bella stormed out of the house. I hope you guys R&R! I promise, even though it may not seem like it now, this is an Edward/Bella.
Dark Huntress