(21) Impression
Palo walked in! Palo! Damn him and his freakishly odd times to enter a room. Palo walked straight to Alejandro and had a vehement expression on his pale face. He spoke furiously in Spanish. He didn't stop but rambled on and I couldn't keep up with my limited Spanish.
I sighed heavily and slowly turned to face the ceiling. My hand was aching again and I focused on controlling the pain. I heard about people that could compartmentalize the pain with their mind. It wasn't working! The throbbing was bone deep. I wondered if the bone would set right or would the doctor have to break the bone again. If I lived!
Alejandro huffed and yelled in Spanish. Palo left and Alejandro leaned towards me. He snapped his fingers above my head. The crack was loud and insulting. I flinched and looked at him.
"Palo, has informed me that it is getting too treacherous to be in this house. We are moving our agenda and that means you need to get ready." Alejandro spat and whirled his body towards the door. He barked a command in Spanish and Malirosa flittered through the door.
"Take care of her." He muttered and gave me a quick look. He glared at me and left the doorway. Malirosa followed his gaze and rolled her eyes.
"Get up." She ordered and grew impatient when I carefully pulled myself off the bed. I was relying on my left hand to pick myself up. She swept me off the bed and cradled me against her body.
She darted down the hallway. I got a quick glimpse of the vampire house. It was dark, brooding, and sparsely filled. The hallway was carpeted and the wall had a solitary mirror that had a gold border decorated with carvings.
Malirosa set me inside the huge bathroom. There was a claw tub in the middle of the room. I stood in the doorway. I saw Malirosa turn the water off and I caught sight of the water. Brown water! Oh my god!
"Hurry up get in we don't have that much time." She protested and her heels clicked loudly in the bathroom.
"I'm not going in there. The water is brown. This is inhumane! You can't treat people like this. I won't even get clean." I argued and saw the brown water sloping back and forth in the tub. My stomach rolled and I'm pretty sure I would of threw up if I had solid food in me.
"It's not dirty the water is just old." She explained huffing and narrowing her eyes at me.
"Old water does not turn brown. There is a problem with the filter system or the sewage backed up. Seriously I could get sick and die. Not that I wouldn't mind death. Malirosa please, it's so disgusting." I pleaded not once looking down at the putrid water.
She brought her hand up and pinched the bridge of her nose. She stood still for a couple of seconds. Utterly still! "If you do not get in that tub right now!" She pointed her finger at me. "I will break your other hand." Her tone became a deadly whisper.
"Okay." I mumbled. I tried to pull of my shirt but it was hard to do it one handed. I got the left side over my head and concentrated on the right side. I was heaving my shoulders up and down. Wintry hands pushed my left hand away and pulled my shirt off.
She finished stripping me and stood back. She leaned against the counter and waited while I inched closer to the tub.
Don't look down, Bella. I repeated to myself. Don't think about it. Just do it! I went forward and wasn't paying attention. I bumped my knee against the edge of the tub. I gasped and started rubbing my knee.
"I can't do it. Do you have any bottled water?" I suggested desperately and saw Malirosa take a deep breath.
"Estúpida!" She walked over to me and lifted me. She set me in the water. I froze and cringed because the water sloshed up my nose. I closed my eyes and became a rock while the water flitted against me. She threw in a soap bar and placed some shampoo bottles on the floor.
"I can't wash my hair." I muttered and moved my hand in the water trying to seize the bar of soap. It kept sliding on the porcelain bottom.
"I will be so glad when this charade is done!" She cried and bent down. She whipped the bottle off the floor and pushed my head in the water. While I was struggling to breath again she poured the shampoo on my head.
It felt like cinderblocks were gripping my head. She was tugging my hair and pulling my scalp. I was wincing and clenching my teeth. She dunked my head in again and poured the conditioner on my hair.
"Stop! Just stop!" I yelled and moved my hand to try to block her hands. "I'll finish your going to rip my head off!"
"I'm just trying to help you." She said sourly and moved back to the counter. She examined her nails while I struggled to finish conditioning my hair. The act was finished thankfully and I grabbed the towel perched on the edge of the tub.
I wrapped myself tightly and stood awkwardly while Malirosa checked herself in the mirror.
She walked to me and took me back to the room. On the bed was a white gown and shoes by the foot of the bed. The gown looked like a nightgown and very plain. I sat on the bed and asked Malirosa for more pain medicine. She brought me the pills and some water. She walked out of the room and I unfolded the nightgown. It was long and almost silvery in the light. It had a bodice with roses etched into the lace. It looked like expensive pajamas. I slipped my feet through the opening and pulled up. My hair was drying in the warmth of the room.
I leaned forward to retrieve the shoes on the floor. I decided to take a break. I didn't want to think too much. Thinking was a bad thing right now. It led to morbid thoughts that I couldn't deal with. I focused on my assurance that Edward would save me. Wouldn't he? I hated that I was questioning this.
I saw Malirosa enter the room again and she sat beside me. She pulled out a clutch with make-up and I focused on not cringing as she swiped my eyebrows with shadow and painted my lips with colored gloss. There was no other choice. Refusing would just lead to more trouble.
"Let's go." She said and waited while I got up from the bed. She was being quiet and moody which was fine with me. The less I had to talk to her the better off I was.
I followed her fast pace trying to focus on not tripping while she walked in front of me. The shoes were not helping. They were three-inch heels that I would never wear even to a fancy event. They were wobbling I looked ridiculous walking in these shoes!
I saw that the living room was also bare except for a velour couch with a burgundy covering. The place was a haunting not a home. Malirosa stopped at the door and I went through. We were outside in the stifling heat. It was night and the air was muggy swirling little dust clouds in the field.
She put me in the van and we drove off. I barely had time to secure myself when the van stopped. The door opened and Palo picked me up. He carried me to the narrow arches above a wooden door. A church?
I stepped inside and saw the soft glow of candles illuminating the church walls. The shadows of people sitting on the benches was creeping the shadows upwards. I gulped. I turned to Malirosa and she was expressionless. I couldn't do this! This was the end!
I stumbled and Palo sat me in a chair. He removed his vest and walked into the double doors off to the side.
Malirosa put a small veil on my head with a clasp. She smoothed some of my hair. This was wrong. I'd rather die now. I didn't want to live not like this. I didn't want to be a monster.
I heard the Spanish music start and my limbs froze. I won't do it. They cannot make me walk down this aisle! There is no way! Edward please if you love me save me! I don't want to live without you!
Palo gripped my good hand and dragged me to the door. My feet would not cooperate and I stubbed my toe on the door. I cursed and glowered at Palo.
I saw Alejandro waiting at the front. He was in an elegant suit with his hair brushed away from his face. He had a blood red rose pinned to his lapel. His pale skin was somehow darker and his eyes were red crimson.
I was getting weak when Palo pulled me up the aisle. He smirked at me and held out his hand. I couldn't make myself reach for him. I was panting my breathing was all wrong. The simplest movement took all of my energy.
I turned to the crowd curiously wandering what kind of people attended the ceremony. Vampires? Prisoners?
I surveyed the crowd and saw the red eyes flicker in the candlelight. Vampires it is! I saw an old woman with a black veil over her face. Two men in the back row sitting stiffly malevolent expressions on their faces. Three women who were crossing themselves from the beginning of a prayer. A young woman was sitting in the far corner. The dim light wasn't giving me a clear view of her face. I could however see the soft billowing caramel color hair that reached her shoulders. Soft caramel colored hair? I sucked in a deep breath. My heart started beating out of control!
