I have nothing to say... -_-
Before the Dawn - Evanescence (Have I used that one already?)
Chapter Twenty
Alice's POV
As the first drop of blood spilled, chaos erupted from the five vampires.
Jasper had his hands full pulling Jason away, April sat as far as she could without leaving sight, Francesca had her hands on her hips and was smirking at the situation, and Alice was at Bella's side, not breathing and aiding to her injury.
As he was pulled farther into the forest, Jason's snarls died down. No one breathed.
Alice ripped off her little sweater and quickly pressed it to Bella's wound as a makeshift bandage. Turning slightly, her eyes found April a few metres away, back pressed up against a tree. Her eyes were wide and her mouth shut to avoid inhaling. As Alice took in a little breath, the sharp scent of blood hit her fully, and it took all she had not to kill Bella at that moment.
Concentrate. She thought.
"April, call an ambulance!" Alice called, before bringing her attention back to Bella. She had now started coughing violently, and as something stained her shirt, Alice realised that it was blood. Bella made horrible choking noises as she tried to breathe in, and blood dripped from her mouth and nose. She didn't have much time – the knife had hit her lung and she was choking on her own blood. Pretty soon her lung would fill with blood and she'd die.
"The ambulance won't make it in time to save her." Francesca's cold and quiet voice came from behind.
"Shut up. She'll be fine." Alice growled. She was denying every instinct inside of her by putting her back to Francesca, but she really couldn't be worrying about her right now.
"No, she won't. She'll choke in, what, five minutes? Probably less. And even if she does survive longer than that, she's losing a lot of blood." Francesca nodded to the red stain seeping through the thin fabric of Alice's sweater against Bella's chest.
"Shut up! There's nothing else we can do! I can't carry her to the hospital while making sure she doesn't bleed to death, and I don't trust you to help!" she spat.
"That's where you're being stupid – I can help. You know I have...vast 'gifts'. I can heal her." Francesca stopped and stared off at nothing in the distance, as if she was continuing inside her mind.
"No. After you kidnapped and tried to kill her, tried to kill me and April, and actually killed Emmett, I cannot trust you!" Alice gently lifted Bella and brought her a few steps away – she couldn't go far because she had to make sure the sweater kept pressure on her bleeding stab wound.
"So you'd rather let her die in pain, than let me save her?" Francesca yelled, easily walking the two steps to Bella.
"She's not going to die!" Alice screamed. The other vampire just shook her head and crouched next to Bella.
"I swear, if you hurt her..." Alice left her sentence unfinished, letting Francesca imagine it herself. She just waved a hand dismissively and leaned closer to Bella. She placed a gentle, pale hand on Bella's wound and closed her eyes.
Francesca's POV
Stupid, stupid Alice.
Francesca couldn't heal Bella. Her gifts were dark and offensive, not angelic and healing!
She remembered when she had been banished from the Aeternas. The coven – or council – of seven vampires that secretly ruled the immortals. Like the 'Volturi' they would stamp out threats of exposure and keep order. However, they were older and stronger to the entire Volturi coven. Most vampires didn't know of the Aeternas, and that was how they wanted it. Their worst enemy were the Solfernus. Solfernus was a resistance against the Aeternas – they didn't like how they ruled, killing innocents and messing with humans and vampires alike. The only reason they were a threat was because their numbers were higher. Seven versus...hundreds? Luckily, the Aeternas had advantages. Being the first vampires, they had extraordinary gifts, such as those that Francesca possessed.
Francesca did not remember her original name. After so many years of fitting into different eras, she had changed it to her current name. And kept it so.
A lot of the Aeternas did this – Aiphos, one of the lower Aeternas, had renamed himself Phillip. It was not too modern, but the other leading vampires weren't happy about it. There had used to be eight Aeternas. Sofia, one of the youngest vampires in the coven, had angered Francesca. After a lapse of control, Sofia was dead and Francesca guilty. They banished her from their coven – and threatened to kill her if she was ever seen again. For one thousand years she had been in hiding, looking for some way to clear her name. And she had found it. Her ancestor, Isabella Swan, was identical to her. The Aeternas didn't need much proof, and so if Bella was a vampire and spotted by the council, she'd be dead in an instant. Everyone would think Francesca was dead, and she would finally be able to live in peace.
But first, Bella had to be a vampire.
Smirking, Francesca leaned down to bite her in the neck, sending a flow of venom into her system.
"No!" Edward Cullen's pained cry filled the forest.
Bella's POV
There was a sharp pinch at her throat.
It felt like a little scratch, but it seemed to become sore. After a while, it stung a bit, too. The whole time, Bella's eyes were shut, so she had no sight of the situation.
The pinch at her throat was getting warmer.
Hotter.
A little uncomfortable now...
Something seemed to be gnawing at Bella's throat...fire! She felt her whole neck burst into flames and screamed, swatting her hands about blindly. The fire got hotter and hotter, and Bella was sure that her neck was ash by now. She continued screaming in agony as the fire spread painfully slowly down through her body, circling around her heart.
"No!" A cry burst out of no where...familiarity rang in its tone.
"Edward?" came Alice's confused voice.
Edward? Edward? Bella gasped in a breath, but she felt a liquid rise in her throat. She couldn't breathe, and began coughing again. A copper taste filled her mouth, and she opened it in a painful sigh to let the blood pour out.
As the burning reached her heart, she stopped screaming, clamping her teeth shut. She would not give anyone the satisfaction of her pain.
Francesca's POV
"Given up stalking, huh Edward?" Francesca taunted, pulling away from Bella. She dodged Edward's leap easily, dancing out of the way.
"Not fast enough!" she laughed. "You should be grateful. I just saved her."
"No." Edward snarled. "You've damned her!" He lunged again, trying to grab Francesca as he went by. She took a quick step out of the way, smirking. Something clutched her shoulders from behind. Edward approached, and as he got within a metre she kicked out, using his chest as a springboard to flip over and get behind her attacker. He spun around too, bracing for attack.
"Jasper Hale." Francesca laughed. "Hello again. I thought you'd be busy with darling Jason." Now, two vampires were attacking at once. She could hold them off with ease without even using her 'powers'. Another joined in – Alice. She had left Bella with a cloth over her wound and bleeding at the neck, to help her brothers. Finally, Alicia toughened up and helped too. Francesca was surrounded.
Time for some magic tricks.
She focussed on a spot just outside their circle, and let herself transport to it through the air. Teleportation. The group of attacking vampires looked around confusedly, but when they saw her they continued their attack. Francesca continued teleporting through the trees, avoiding the vampires. Finally, Jasper grabbed her as she materialised.
"It's not nice to snatch..." Francesca murmured before she disappeared again. Finally, the game grew tedious and she teleported on the other side of the road as a large truck came by. Silently, she leapt and clung onto the side of it, where the Cullens couldn't see.
She made her escape.
Jasper's POV
Once Francesca was gone, Jasper examined the area and was hit by the full scent of blood. He held his breath and hurried to help different people. He told April to find Jason and take him far away, told Alice to get back to Bella, and to Edward he gave a dangerous task.
"Edward, there's still time. It hasn't changed anything – the venom, I mean. You can still save her." Jasper said quickly.
"How?" Edward whispered.
"The venom – you can...remove it. If you drink her blood, you can suck it out before it takes hold." Edward looked horrified.
"I...I can't!" he cried.
"Yes, you can." Jasper snapped, pointing at Bella. "Because if you don't, she turns into one of us." Reluctantly, Edward nodded slowly and made his way to Bella. If he couldn't stop, he'd kill her. If he didn't take enough, she'd turn into a vampire.
Charlie's POV
Charlie still hadn't heard from Bella, and it had been two days. He couldn't go to the police – he was the sheriff! He did, however, call all of her friends, call her mobile, and call the Cullens. He was currently on the phone with Carlisle Cullen.
"So Bella's not over there? I'm just worried, she's been gone for two days now..." Charlie mumbled.
"I'm afraid not – but Alice and Emmett have disappeared too. They won't pick up their calls..." Carlisle didn't hide his worry.
"What about...Jason? Oh sorry – I mean Jasper. Is he there? Or Rosy? Maybe Edward?" Charlie was desperate – and didn't bother to remember their names.
"Rosalie," Carlisle corrected. "And no, Jasper and Rosalie are on a trip to France for extra curriculum studies. Jasper was planning to go on his own, but I convinced Rose to go with him. And Charlie...Edward moved away a couple months ago." Charlie sighed in defeat.
"Alright. Thanks, Dr. Cullen."
"No problem."
Carlisle's POV
Carlisle ran a steady hand through his golden hair, eyes narrowed.
All of Carlisle's adopted children were gone. Jasper, because he was angry with himself for biting that man...
Rosalie and Edward, in sadness or anger that their loved one had left them.
Alice and Emmett...they were just gone. Along with Bella. Alice had probably gone after Jasper again, and maybe Bella and Emmett had left...but Carlisle really didn't know.
"I'm sure they'll come back in time," Esme murmured, soothingly rubbing his shoulder.
"I know but...it's unusual that they wouldn't tell us. Are we supposed to cover for them every time they want to leave?" Carlisle sighed and fell onto the sofa, sitting still. He started out of the huge glass wall and at a tree right outside. The window was open, and Carlisle expected Alice to tiptoe across that very branch and bounce inside, Jasper behind. He expected to hear the roaring fans from the television as Emmett cheered along with them. Edward and Rosalie's absence was normal. He felt as if he should smell Bella's blood – inside her body – and go along normally without wanting it.
Lastly, he wanted a normal day with Esme. His love. Enough with his children's problems. It was time to put Carlisle first.
Alice's POV
He did it. He actually did it.
Edward was able to stop drinking from Bella – and he managed to remove all the venom from her body. There wasn't a trace. Alice was filled with joy – but it didn't last. Her mind was brought back to the current situation; Bella had lost a lot of blood and was injured badly. She didn't have much time before...death.
Luck seemed to be rolling in quicker as a wailing sound of an ambulance approached. When it saw everyone, it stopped quickly and four people got out. One woman, the driver, and three men. Mostly doctors. Everything passed quickly – Bella was put on a gurney and loaded into the back, Alice was the only one that sat with her.
With Francesca gone, the rest of the vampires took the large family-sized car that Jason had brought. More luck – the keys were still in the ignition. Jasper nodded to Alice as they parted to different vehicles. Edward didn't go with them, but simply disappeared back into the forest. Emmett's body was still in the back of the car. As a vampire corpse, it didn't rot or change at all. It just didn't move. Bella was unconscious for the whole ride back to the hospital in Forks; she was put under by the doctors as they worked over her in the bumpy ambulance. Alice had to stay in the back, unable to see past the doctors.
She pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialled Carlisle.
"Alice! Thank God, I've been so worried -"
"Yeah, yeah – sorry. Um, I'm in an ambulance with Bella," in a quieter tone she whispered, "We were...captured by a vampire named Francesca. Carlisle -" her voice broke.
"What is it, Alice?"
"She killed Emmett. And Bella tried to stab herself, Carlisle. Then – Oh God, it was horrible. Francesca bit Bella. And then Edward came and...it was all so confusing..." Alice sobbed. She was talking quickly and unevenly, trying to squeeze a whole two days into a few sentences.
"Edward got the venom out of her. And Francesca just...disappeared. Bella's lost a lot of blood; we're on our way to the hospital."
"Shh, Alice, it's okay. She'll be fine. I'll be there – I'll talk to you later, okay?" Carlisle soothed.
"O-okay. I'll s-see you t-there." Alice stuttered.
Once they reached the hospital, Alice was pulled into a vision. It was fast and blurry, but she got something out of it.
Lucifer – also named the Redeemer. Alice had had a vision about him before. He could take away the thirst for human blood – and kill like Francesca could. But there was more in this vision.
"Please," a man sobs. "Please help her." He holds in his arms a charred body – thin pink lines spread across it. It's a dead vampire.
Lucifer stands above it, black hair gleaming in the weak light of the cave he stands in.
"Ah," he murmurs. "Giving life comes at a price. It is not easy. So I shall give you a price. Would you be willing to give your life, for hers?"
"Yes!" cried the man before Lucifer.
"Then we shall proceed." He places a hand on the body, and one on the vampire. He murmurs words in an unknown language, and a bright light spreads across the three figures. Lucifer sways slightly in his place. Finally, Lucifer steps back gasping. The man is still surrounded by golden light – and it gets brighter until he disappears with it. The previously dead body...is no longer burned. Her eyes are wide open and staring upwards.
"Awaken. Libera mortis. Be free of death."
Alice shuddered as she was pulled back into reality – the whole vision only lasted a second. Lucifer. The one who could save Emmett.
Alice had to find him.