Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Stephenie Meyer created it all.

Sorry about the glitches earlier today!

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Chapter 10: Bella- Run With Me

The pain was driving me to insanity, I couldn't remember my name, and there was darkness all around. Part of me registered that there was commotion and talking going on around me, but I just couldn't concentrate on anything but the pain. I feared that I would never escape it. There were times when my world felt darker and I couldn't do anything but scream to combat the declivity of perceived loneliness. Vaguely, I was aware of hands touching me, but the physical touch only made the pain worse. The venom felt like someone was vigorously scrubbing sunburned skin with sandpaper, it was hot and stinging and abrasive.

Eventually the pain stopped, it was still a slow process. The end of the pain seemed to get worse towards the end just as I thought it was getting better, but it did come to an end. I was still reveling in the stark contrast of the pain and that fact that I now felt fantastic when I took my first breath since the pain receded.

I felt hollow. I was so afraid to open my eyes; so afraid of the world I would see. So I just kept my eyes closed.

"She should wake anytime now," a loud voice said.

"Bella?" As soon as I heard it, I knew that was my name. It felt right. This person knew me, so I decided to take a small peek. I opened my eyes just enough to see out and was surprised how clearly defined my eyes lashes looked, thirty-one in the left eye, thirty-three in the right, I quickly counted.

What was I doing? I thought to myself, Right, I'm looking for the familiar voice.

I forced myself to focus.

As I opened up my eyes all the way, I saw five vampires huddled around me and I immediately jumped out of the area of danger. I crouched low and growled as a warning. I began to analyze my threats. Two women; a blonde and a creamy colored brunette, and three men; a kind looking one and one with a huge grin on his face and one that was tall with long dark hair. The third was the only that I knew. I couldn't remember his name, but I knew that I knew him. He began taking cautious steps forward and extended his hand to me.

I growled again, not because I didn't want him to come closer, but because he had four vampires to his back. It wasn't safe, I needed to warn him.

"Everything's okay, it's me and the Cullens, remember?" His voice was so loud, it sounded like he was screaming in my ear. I cowered and covered my ears. He was still inching closer to me.

Soon he was close enough and he knelt down right in front of me.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I shook my head, "I'm scared and my throat hurts, help me."

"Of course, you need to hunt. I'll take you," he told me.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" the kind man asked, "She just woke up and she's very strong. I could go with you," he offered.

"No! Not him!" I shrieked to my friend, "Maybe the other one?" The grinning one, although very large, looked much friendlier.

"Sorry, Carlisle. Looks like she's rather go with Emmett. Are you okay with that, Rosalie?"

Rosalie looked at me with so much sympathy in her eyes. It was a look that you would give someone who just found out they had a terminal illness, and I didn't understand it.

"That's fine, I could go, too, if you'd like," she said quietly, it was like she knew how loud everything was. I liked her.

"Okay," I said as I nodded.

I got up for the first time since I flew across the room. My throat was scorching like someone had put a white hot poker down it and it was dry and scratchy.

"I don't know how to hunt," I whispered to Laurent... yes, Laurent, that was my friend's name.

"That's okay, I'll show you," and he threw his arm around my shoulders and walked me out towards the back door.

"While you were changing," Emmett said, "we got a call from Alice, she said that they were on their way home with Edward."

At the mention of Edward, I had two memories come to mind. The first was of us sitting in a meadow, he was telling me he didn't want me to be afraid. The second was of us standing out in the forest and he told me he didn't want me anymore.

"Edward said he doesn't want me." My voice was small and almost inaudible.

We reached the river and Emmett and Rosalie jumped over it first, I watched them closely and then apprehensively jumped over it as well.

"They went ahead to make sure there aren't any humans, you might not remember but you asked me to make sure that you didn't eat any humans."

"I do remember that, but it's fuzzy," I told him.

Suddenly, I smelt something that was warm and musky. It made my throat burn, "What is that? I want it."

"Coyote, just close your eyes and take a deep breath. You'll know what to do."

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply and before I knew it I was running, following the warm scent of the coyote. Within seconds I was approaching a coyote with a bushy tail. When I was close enough, I leapt at the animal and it yelped as we tumbled to the ground. I just held onto the animal, unsure of what to do next. Laurent showed up then and I growled at him instinctively.

I gasped, "I didn't mean to growl at you!"

He looked at me confused and said, "What are you waiting for?"

Truthfully, I didn't want to get fur in my mouth but I would never admit that aloud. So I shrugged, the whole time the coyote was whimpering.

"Well, bite into its neck," he said it as if it was obvious.

I crinkled my nose and slowly bit into the pulsing artery in its neck and the hot blood flowed down my sore throat. It was so soothing. I began to suck greedily. The harder I pulled, the more limp the coyote became until finally all of its movements stopped as did the flow of blood. I needed more.

"Wait, before you run off, you have to take care of the carcass," he instructed.

I rubbed my throat and was about to tell him how much it still hurt.

"Alright, I'll take care of it this time, but just this once."

I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath just as Laurent had told me.

"I don't smell anything right now," I said with disappointment.

"We'll find something, come on."

We took off running together smelling everything around, the grass, trees, dirt, the dew on the leaves, but no animals. We decided to sit for a while.

"Laurent?" I said his name hesitantly, "I don't know who those people are," I confided.

"Sure you do, you just don't remember, probably because you haven't seen them in a while," he explained, "They're the Cullens and they're Edward's family. They want to be your family, too. You didn't want to come back to Forks, but you needed medical care. The kind only Carlisle could provide. I'm sorry I went against your wishes."

"That's okay, I don't remember of having a preference." I remembered being sad here in Forks, maybe that's why I didn't want to come back.

"Let's head back to the house, we'll probably find a deer or two on the way."

As promised, we found a herd of deer on the back. I drank two deer before I felt satiated and Laurent had one of the larger deer. He buried the carcass for me again.

I had hazy memories of Laurent carrying me as he ran and I was pleased with myself that I could now run with him.

When we got back to the house, Rosalie and Emmett were already there and the Cullens were discussing where they would go when Edward came back, I didn't have any input to add to the conversation so I just sat back and listened.

I wondered what would happen to me next.

We were so caught up in our conversation that we were surprised by the doorbell ringing. I could hear the wet thud of the human's heartbeat and I wanted it. Laurent grabbed me. Carlisle told him to take me upstairs and he would get rid of whoever was at the door.

We were in the top floor of the house but could hear everything from the bottom floor clearly, it was surreal.

"Charlie," Carlisle said and he sounded very surprised, "what can I do for you?"

"We got word down at the station that your family was back in town. Are you aware of Bella's disappearance?"

"Of course, sir, it made national news," he said slowly.

"She didn't come to you?" Charlie questioned.

I was feeling very anxious, I couldn't quite figure out who this man was. Foolishly, I took my first breath since the doorbell rang. My body was in motion before I could even process where I was going. I made it to the bottom of the steps before Laurent caught up to me.

"Don't!" he yelled, effectively drawing Charlie's wide-eyed attention to me. Laurent clamped his entire strength around my waist, but it didn't stop me from trying wiggle away. The man smelled so sweet. Emmett came rushing to my side to help Laurent restrain me.

"Bella? Is that you? What's going on?" He took a step closer to, sending his scent to swirl around me. I screamed in the pain.

"Let me go, I want him!" I screamed and Rosalie and Carlisle couched in front of Charlie.

"Charlie, it's not safe for you to be here, we need to get you out of here."

Charlie's eyes never left me, "Why are her eyes red? And that man," he pointed to Laurent, "that's the man the crazy police officer saw jump out the window with her! What's going on!" he demanded.

The adrenaline in his blood called for me and I fought against Laurent and Emmett. I screamed in frustration.

Esme came up the steps to try to talk to me and calm me, "Honey, hold you breath. It will be okay, it'll pass. Don't you remember your father?"

I pretended to still, I just wanted his blood. I didn't feel like myself at all as blood lust dominated me. I was growling like a wild animal. In that moment I was completely feral.

As soon as Laurent and Emmett let up, I lunged at Charlie. I felt a pang of guilt but it wasn't near as strong as the burn in my throat. Mid-lung I was knocked out of the air by Rosalie. She grappled with me until Laurent and Emmett caught up.

"What's wrong with her? What did you do to her?" Charlie accused, "Why doesn't she remember me?"

"Charlie, if you don't leave now, I'm going to take you home myself," Carlisle said seriously, "It's not safe for you to be here right now."

Charlie turned and walked out but said that he'd be back and he was going to find out what was going on. Emmett was still sitting on my chest while Rosalie held my arms down. Laurent was kneeling over my head.

"Think, Bella. That's your father, you would die of guilt if you killed him and you know it." He stroked my hair as he began to tell me stories, "Remember when you were little and he took you fishing and you accidentally knocked his worm bucket into the water? Or what about the time that he sent you a little girl's play make-up kit when you were around fifteen years old?" He kept reminding me of stories to distract me while Charlie, my beloved father, could drive himself and his delicious blood away from me.

It was then that I knew that we couldn't stay here. We would have to leave and if Edward wanted me in his life, he was going to have to come find me this time. Laurent, my loyal friend, obliged my request and we left as soon as we could pack some clothes from upstairs. We ran to the secluded forests of northern British Colombia where we hunted, played, and Laurent told me more stories of my childhood.

Most of all, we waited for Edward to come find us.

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Thanks for reading my story! Feel free to comment or PM. The next chapter comes from the beautifully tortured mind of Edward Cullen… and he has a lot to say!