Oh my goodness, I should be shot, or at least hit with a very large stick. I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry for not updating sooner. I really thought I had updated a few times sense the last time I did. It has been over a year sense I posted a new chapter. I have a few excuses that include finishing another story, work, Europe, school, moving three times and all that jazz, but I really feel that this is still unacceptable. I really do apologize. I hope there are still a few people out there interested in this story. Please after you have read this chapter let me know with a review. I know I don't deserve a review, but please let me know what you think.
Brwneyedgrl
14 years ago
I let the fog swirl around me, enveloping me in a sense of solitude. I could hear the trees creak behind me although I could hardly see them. I could smell a deer near by, but its presence hardly fazed me. The cool air licked at my skin, and I turned my face towards the sky and let the light drizzle tickle my face. We had been living in the Black Hills, South Dakota for three years now, and the spring time was always my favorite, and it reminded me of Forks and my Edward.
We had spent the majority of our time in rural unpopulated areas sense our flee from the Volturi but the Black Hills gave me a sense of peace that I had not felt in years. To say I felt safe would be an overstatement, but I didn't feel scared here. After our time living with the Rolands, and our hurried escape, I didn't know if I would ever not have the need to look over our shoulder. I still felt a shiver roll up my spine every time I think back to the time that I ran back into Rosalie's room after Gideon had been taken. I had explained everything to her in a matter of seconds. Rosalie had grabbed my arm and her car keys and ran to Jaspers room, telling him we were leaving and that he either come with us or be left behind. I still don't know if Rosalie would have left him but I think Jasper felt her true and utter terror and was by our side and in the car with out hesitation.
The Rolands pursued us for months. We never stayed in one place for more then a few hours. We drove from Canada to Brazil, criss-crossing between the continents multiple times. We had been crossing South Dakota and had stopped to hunt in the Black Hills. We had been in an area that I later learned was called Mystic, when I found the note staked to the tree.
STAY with the symbol of four circles intertwined, was all that was printed on the thick parchment. I recognized the symbol instantly as a Celtic tattoo that Gideon had had on his wrist.
"Are you crazy Bella? You want us to stay here because of a note you found on a tree!" Rosalie screamed. I knew that she would react this way but it was the unsure look in Jasper's eyes that made me think that I would loose my fight.
"It's not just a note Rosalie" I tried to reason with her. "It's from Gideon, I know it. He felt horrible about everything that his family had put us through and he is trying to make up for it." I tried to stay calm, and I was proud that my voice didn't waiver.
"So let's just say that this note is from Gideon, you want us to stay here. Don't you think that would be a pretty good reason to run? To get as far away from this place as possible."
"No, Gideon was trying to help me when he was taken. He must have somehow escaped and is trying to help us."
"Or maybe they let him go and he is helping them find us." Jasper said in a low whisper. I turned to look at him but he would not meet my eye.
"You worked with Michael and Andrew. You spent countless hours with them. You also knew Gideon. Jasper tell me, do you think that Gideon was enough like his brothers to manipulate us and trick us." As I spoke these words I saw Jasper waiver in his conviction that Gideon would try to trick us.
"Jasper you chose for the three of us to go live with the Rolands. I think it is only fair to make the decision for the three of us to stay here."
"Jasper made that decision because he thought that it would help us find our family. Staying here is not going to help at all. Our family never lived here, there is no chance of finding any clues about them is this area." Rosalie growled.
"Well running around the Americas like chickens with our heads cut off is not going to help us find them either." I snapped back.
"You don't get to make this decision on your own." Rosalie snapped back just as fiercely.
"Bella is right. We can't keep running. We stopped running in the first place because it was not helping us find our family. If Bella wants to stay here, I will stay with her." Jasper stated evenly.
I couldn't help my self. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I don't know exactly why we are supposed to stay and what will happen, but I just know it is the right thing to do."
We stayed in an abandon cabin close to town until Jasper and I had worked and saved enough money to rent a small log house in the woods. Rosalie did not talk to us for 5 months and she refused to work or even leave our little safe haven other then to hunt. I think that if this decision had been made before our family was ripped apart she would have left, but as it was we were all terrified to be alone. We were frozen with fear of losing one more person we loved.
Today I was graduating from High School again. I had entered the local high school as a sophomore and had attended Stevens High for three years. The teachers had commented on how mature I was and how academically proud of me they were, they had worried though on how social distant I was. I still hold the memory dear of the time that my math teacher had called a conference with my guardian. He had been more then a little surprised when Rosalie had walked in with a huff.
"We are a close family, and as you can see close in age. So I don't see any reason why we should be worried that Bella chooses not to be friends with these hormonal adolescent apes you call high school teenagers." With that Rosalie had stormed out of the room leaving me to fight with all my energy the urge not to laugh out loud.
Other then that incident our life in the Black Hills had been peaceful and dare I say ordinary. After a few years Rosalie opened a mechanics shop, only working on classic cars. Jasper had joined a small law firm, handling small cases. I played the dutiful high school orphan that worked at the public library after school.
"Bella we have to go" Jaspers velvety voice carried out to me through the fog. I had not wanted to go to this graduation, arguing that I had already gone to my first one, but Jasper had argued that we had to keep up appearances. We had decided to stay here a while longer. The people were friendly but not nosey. Living in the woods offered an endless supply of deer and plenty of mountain lions and other big game. Even Rosalie had agreed that our long journeys had not led to any clues about our loved ones and that for right now our best plan of action was to stay in one place and let them find us. The thought of them being dead never entered our minds.
I walked back to our house, letting the white fingers of the fog wrap around me like a cashmere blanket. I entered through the side door but Rosalie was already pulling me back out towards her car. "So what now? What are you going to do now that you are a high school graduate?" Rosalie teased.
"I think I am going to write a book." I said as I wrapped my arm around her waist. "I think I have read enough books to write my own, and you know I think I have enough life experience to have something to write about." Rosalie just rolled her eyes, but I could see a smile playing on her lips.
"Get in the car you two. We are going to be late, and how many times does a girl get to graduate from high school." Jasper said in what I could tell was his 'I am trying to be serious but really I am about to crack up hysterically voice'. Both Rosalie and I just rolled our eyes at him. It had been such a long time sense Jasper had laughed, we were just happy to see that maybe someday he would laugh again.
I climbed into the car and out of the fog, the fog that promised me security. The silky wisps of white, that so reminded me of Washington, were almost like a promise that I would someday find my Edward, and that my brother and sister would someday find their angels also. But not today, for there had been no note that had said GO.
I know that it has been for ever sense I updated. Once again I apologies profusely. I don't even know if anyone is still reading this but if you are please let me know with a review. I really need to know if I should continue on or if I should focus on other things. Thank you all that have stuck with this story, because the author sucks at updates. Please let me know what you think. I know that this chapter seems a bit tame but I have finally decided exactly where I am going to go with this story and this is a very very (once again) very important chapter.