A broken mind

Early morning Jasper brought Bella downstairs. He was carrying her, one arm underneath her knees and the other arm surrounding her back. Her head lay on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed. Edward knew they were both worn out. They had talked for a long time. Edward almost felt the connection Jasper made with Bella. It was so strong, it was almost tangible.

'Esme.' Jasper called softly.

She came rushing towards him.

'She asked for you.' He whispered softly.

Esme took her from Jasper.

'Mommy?' Bella said sleepily.

'I am here, sweetheart.'

She sighed and closed her eyes again.

'Edward, can you take her to Carlisle later. He is in the hospital, but wants to examine Bella again.' Esme asked.

He nodded.

'I will go with you.' Alice offered.

Bella was walking in between Alice and Edward from the hospital door to the parking lot. She was holding both Edward's and Alice's hand. Carlisle had examined her again, but had found nothing. Edward wondered for the second time how that was possible. Was her body protected from her own gift? Carlisle had stayed behind in the hospital to finish his shift. They walked slowly across the hospital premises. It was a nice day and there were some children playing outside. Suddenly both Alice and Bella's body went rigid. Edward stopped in his tracks and watched their vision in Alice's mind.

He saw the children that were close by with a ball. One boy lost the ball and ran after it. The ball rolled towards the road when a car came speeding around the corner. The boy ran on the road after the ball, exactly in front of the car. The collision was unavoidable. The boy was going to die.

Both Alice and Bella were free of the vision, but Alice was thrown into another vision immediately. Edward felt Bella's hand pull out of his. Edward saw the new vision. The boy still ran onto the road, but this time he was pushed out of the way by Bella. The car collided with her body instead of the boy. Her body flew over the road and remained still and broken after the collision. Blood pooled under her. Bella was going to die.

No! Edward stop her!

He didn't have to be told that. Bella was running towards the road. Edward used his speed to overcome her before she did more than ten steps away from them. He caught her in his arms. She struggled against his grip.

'Edward! Let go of me!' She yelled, angry tears on her cheeks.

'No.' He said calmly.

There was no way he would ever allow her to sacrifice her own life for that of another.

'Please, don't let him die.' She begged.

Edward glanced from the boy, who was close to the road now, to Bella's face. The look into her eyes was incredibly hurt. He suddenly realized with complete certainty that if they were going to let the boy die, they would do more damage to Bella mentally than all their dreams of their pasts together. It was going to destroy her.

Alice had run towards them and was holding Bella too. He saw the vision change for the third time, followed closely by his actions. He only had tenths of a second left. He needed to avoid a collision at all cost or there was no way to avoid exposure. Right in front of the road he took a low jump, parallel to the road and picked the boy up during his jump. The car hit his brakes but Edward and the boy were already out of his path. He landed on his back next to the car and pretended to roll to a stop, protecting the boy with his arms and body. The roll was what was normally happened and he needed to make the rescue as believable as possible. The driver stared at them in shock. Edward pulled himself and the boy up and searched him for any injuries. The boy's eyes were big with fright.

'Are you hurt?' Edward asked gently.

The boy didn't respond and instead began to cry.

Edward carried the boy back to the side-walk. In the meantime the driver had recovered and stepped out of his car.

'Oh my God, are you two alright?'

Edward nodded to the man.

'We were lucky this time.' He gave the man an angry look. 'I would prefer it if you would drive slower next time.'

The man stiffened, suddenly remembering the reason why he drove like a maniac.

My wife! I need to bring her in!

'I am really sorry, but I have to go. My wife is in labor.'

He pulled open the car door and took out his very distressed wife. They rushed towards the hospital doors.

All for the better. Edward thought. He wasn't going to ask questions in this stressed condition. Edward looked at the child again.

'Where is your mommy?' He asked.

The boy still didn't answer. His thoughts were incoherent. The other children were rushing towards them. A few years older girl pulled the boy in an embrace.

'He is my brother.' She said softly.

Edward was relieved he could leave the boy in her care. They needed to leave as soon as possible.

'Make sure he is alright and go back to your parents.' He ordered.

He read the girl's mind to make sure she would follow through with his command. It seemed it was safe to leave now. He walked back to where Alice was still holding Bella.

'Let's go.'

Back in the car, Alice started to have the conversation she had with Bella a few times before.

'Bella, I know it is hard, but we just can't do this.' Her tone was hard. 'If we are exposed, the punishment is death.'

Edward hissed. Bella didn't need to know that.

I am sorry Edward, but she needs to understand the consequences of her actions.

Bella stiffened and her eyes filled with tears.

'I am sorry, Alice. I didn't mean for that to happen.'

It was the first time anyone of his family was angry with her. She didn't handle it well. Tears flowed freely on her cheeks and she gave Alice an apologetic look. It was also the first time that Bella's pleading look was not enough to melt Alice down. Somehow what happened had struck a nerve on Alice and Edward didn't understand her severe reaction. Alice didn't even understand her own reaction.

'Please forgive me Alice.' Bella sobbed. 'I can't help it. I have to.'

'What do you mean, you have to?' Edward asked shocked.

'I just have to.'

How can this be happening? She has to save every human about to die, until she is death herself? What kind of fate is that?'

Alice blinked when a new vision hit her. It was Bella struggling with yet another dream.

No, not again. Not this soon. Edward thought devastated.

Alice's posture went completely rigid when she saw whose past Bella was going to live through tonight.

It was Alice's past.

Bella interpreted Alice's rigid posture wrong and shook her completely panicked.

'Alice, Alice, please, I promise to be more careful next time.' The desperation in her voice was difficult to hear. 'Please, don't be mad.'

'Oh, Bella.' Alice whispered, her voice broken.

She pulled Bella in an embrace.

'I am sorry.' Alice said quietly, kissing the top of her head.

'Sis! Sis!'

A small girl came running towards her enthusiastically. She smiled broadly to the girl.

'Come quickly! I want to show you something.'

The little girl grabbed her hand and pulled her with her.

'Slow down! You are going to pull my arm off.'

The girl chuckled and began to run. Her short black hair bounced around her head. They were so much alike. The girl was a little version of herself. She loved her little sister more than she loved herself. They ran into the woods until they came to a large tree. In the tree a few boys from the neighbourhood were building a shelter.

'Isn't it beautiful?' Her sister asked. 'Can I go up there? Please.'

'No. It is dangerous and you are too young. Besides that, you shouldn't be playing in the forest, you know that.'

Her sister began to plead, but she didn't hear it anymore. It happened again. In her head new images intruded. She saw the boys building the shelter. They were laughing and were dangerously careless. Suddenly one of them staggered backwards and fell. With a sickening thud he hit the ground, his neck broken.

She shook her head to rid herself of her vision. Her sister stared at her with big fearful eyes. Her lips trembled.

'Mommy told you, you couldn't do that anymore.' Her sister said dreadfully.

She sighed and looked up to the boys. They were laughing just like in her vision.

'Hey you up there.' She called. 'Go down, it is dangerous.'

They stared at her for a moment.

'Or what, we will fall down and die?' One of them answered sarcastically.

'Actually, that is exactly what is going to happen.'

'We know who you are. People say that you are crazy.'

She flinched away from the insult and the boys laughed. One of them staggered backwards and she saw her vision come true. The thud she had heard before intruded loudly in her ears. Her sister began to cry. The boys were in complete shock and stared down. One of them recovered from his shock and gave her a furious look. She staggered back a few paces.

'You did that.' He shouted. 'You said he was going to fall and die and it happened. You are a witch!'

Fear was suddenly a very prominent emotion. She had to flee or the boys might crucify her. She took her sister's hand and pulled her with her. They ran as fast as they could, followed by the shouts of the boys.

They ran into their house completely panicked. Their mother was startled by their panicked intrusion.

'What happened this time?' The mother asked them annoyed.

She didn't respond, afraid for the punishment that was waiting for her if she told the truth. The gate of their house was rattled loudly.

'Witch! Witch! Witch!'

The shouts of the boys startled her mother further.

'What happened?' Her mother asked again angrily.

'I tried to warn them, but they didn't listen.' She mumbled.

The eyes of her mother narrowed suspiciously.

'Did you do it again? You did, didn't you? I told you not to.' She shook her head disapprovingly. 'The consequences are yours this time.'

Her mother turned her back to her and walked away.

'I can't help you anymore.'

Her sister cried harder and she took her in her arms.

'Shh, shh, it will be alright.'

She waited anxiously and in a few minutes the shouts died down. She exhaled relieved. Her sister calmed down too. But their relief was misplaced.

Later that day someone knocked on their door. Her mother opened and she heard a voice.

'I am here for your daughter.'

Her eyes opened in fright.

'Yes, come in.' Her mother answered.

This wasn't happening. The sting of pain shattered her heart. Three men walked in and she shied away from them as far as she could.

'This is her?' The middle man asked.

Her mother nodded.

'Leave the room!' Her mother ordered her sister.

Her sister shook her head, her body shaking with fear.

'What are you going to do to her?' Her sister asked with a trembling voice.

'We are taking her somewhere we can make her better.' The middle man answered again.

Her sister looked from her mother to the man to her, not knowing what to do. The middle man waved the others forward. They walked towards her and grabbed her arms. Calmly they began to drag her out of the house. She suddenly understood the severity of her situation and she began to scream.

'No! No! Mommy! Please don't do this! Please, I swear I will not do it again! I swear!'

She struggled against the arms with all her strength, but they stayed around her in an iron grip. Slowly but decisively she was dragged out of the house. She stared her mother into the eyes, pleading and shouting. With a last nod, her mother turned away from her. It was like a sentence that fell over her. She was lost. Nobody was going to help her. She stopped struggling, feeling the pain of her mother rejecting her.

She stared into the eyes of the girl she loved more than everything. She knew it was the last time she would ever see them again. Her sister ran towards her, but was stopped halfway by their mother.

'Sis! Sis! Let her go!' Her sister crumbled to the floor. 'Don't leave me! Please, don't leave me.'

She couldn't take it. Tears blurred her vision, while she saw her sister moving away from her. Their mother dragged her away. The pain was overwhelming. She screamed out the moment she was dragged out of the house. Her mind broke and if she wasn't crazy before, she most certainly was now. Slowly the darkness came. It surrounded her until it finally enveloped her completely. There was nothing left but darkness.