A/N's: Please be warned that this chapter has dark content and graphic images may be produced from my kickass descriptions and dark imagination. (chuckles) Oh and James is back!!

Major thanks to AcrossTheSkyInStars for being a brilliant beta and friend. Tanya, I love your fic 'Forgive me, please' and I can't wait for the next chapter. You made me cry with the last one and that's the first time that's happened since I started reading fan fiction.

Ch24 The rescue

Edward crouched lower, bending his knees with his hands held high and directly out in front of him. His stance was one of defence and I knew then that whatever was in those caves was not on our side.

He sniffed the air, and tilted his head, his eyes narrowed as he listened to sounds that only his vampiric ears and sixth sense could detect.

Carlisle shuffled his feet, eager to move towards his wife and whatever threatened her. Edward's head spun round to face him and he growled, the movement distracting him. Carlisle held his own hands up as if in apology and then kept still, as did everyone else behind us.

No one moved and I realised I was holding my breath, not daring to make any noise. I didn't know what was in there and whether they could hear such simple sounds like breathing. I knew that Vampires could and I'd recently learnt of the existence of other supernatural beings, so who knew how attuned their senses may be.

I was conscious of my heart beating erratically in my chest, thumping hard against my ribs, and I wondered if they could also hear that rhythm. Did the sound of my heart, all our hearts, endanger us?

I glanced at Carlisle and noticed beads of sweat gathering on his forehead and slowly trickling down his neck. His skin was pale and he looked terrified, but ready to fight. The wait was killing him.

Edward finally moved but we could not keep up. With a roar, he bounded forward and was up the entrance of the cave and shifting aside a huge boulder which had been placed over the doorway, before we'd even acknowledged he'd gone. Carlisle was next to burst into action and tore through the blackened corridor with a cry, followed closely by Hale.

Scared, Mary Alice stayed back as a troop of guard's raced after them, and the rest remained in the forest, securing the area.

I was torn between staying with Mary Alice and chasing after Edward. Charlie was still at the mouth of the cave with Irina, and both came over to comfort Mary Alice. I looked at Irina and noticed she was watching me. Without a word, she nodded her head once and I took it as confirmation to go.

I ran as fast as I could down the length of the narrow corridor and stopped at the doorway. The heavy boulder Edward had removed was resting on the opposite wall and I marvelled at his superior strength in being able to roll it aside single handed. If it had been attempted by the guards it would've taken at least twenty men to move it.

As I stepped inside, I tried to take in as much of the scene before me as I could, my eyes sweeping across the cave and its inhabitants.

I was thankful Mary Alice had stayed outside, for the horror within was like nothing I had ever seen.

A few feet in front of me lay the bodies of two young men. Their clothes were torn and dirty and their feet bare and cut as if they'd walked a hundred miles without shoes on. They lay on top of each other and I doubted they had fallen into place like that. It was obvious they'd been dumped like discarded refuse and left to decay, for no one cared.

I stepped round them, unable to tear my eyes away, and as their faces came into view, I blanched at the milky glaze over their hooded eyes. These boys had been dead a while, and as I took a shuddery breath, the cloying stench from months of stale air, drenched with the odour of rotting corpses, assaulted my senses and I staggered back a few steps, only to trip and fall over another one behind me.

I felt my bottom land on the spine, but there was no give, the body was unnaturally hard and still and as I realised exactly what it was I had tripped and landed on, panic set in as I scrambled away, kicking at it with my feet as if that could erase the disgust taking hold of me.

I was able to free myself from the body, but as I moved backwards, my hand brushed the cold, unmoving fingers of another. I screamed and scurried forward again, knocking the body I'd just climbed off, and I made the mistake in looking down at the hand, reaching out in death towards anything, but right now it was towards me. Its colour was no longer pink and healthy, but now green and sallow. The bones jutted up from beneath; seeking their freedom from the leathery sack that was once their fattened skin.

I felt my stomach contract, and turning onto all fours, I heaved my empty stomach until my body realised it had nothing to give, not even fluid. The dry heaving hurt and I sat back on my knees, drawing in deep breaths, tears streamed down my face as I tried to look anywhere but into the empty eyes of the dead.

"It's a tomb," I whispered, forcing myself to look behind me and past the first three bodies I'd had the misfortune to stumble upon.

Ahead of me, the floor dropped, and then beyond that, it rose up higher and onto different levels. At the far reaches of the cave, which was circular in shape, were areas hollowed out in the rocky walls; like cubby holes where blankets and belongings had been placed. People had lived here for the better part of a year. They had claimed their beds and had forgotten the joy of daylight as the fetid air suffocated them. I had been inside for mere minutes and I craved the fresh, sweet pine smelling oxygen from outside.

The entire place was illuminated by torches ensconced on the walls and I was able to see that the cave was sectioned in layers, each level covered with either a body or belongings. Some I couldn't be sure of. Were they the remains of a life in the form of bags and clothes, or were they now just human remains?

Edward appeared by my side and helped me to my feet. "You should've stayed outside," he said.

I nodded my head in agreement and chastised my decision to race in here after him. I would never forget this scene for all of my eternity. "What happened to them?" I asked, tears falling down my face and choking my throat with a lump I could barely swallow past. "Was it – James?"

Edward shook his head. "These people mostly died of natural causes, some of malnutrition, some old age. This was by the hand of James, Bella, but not in the way you're thinking."

"Did he just leave them here? What about the others? They had to live here – with –with – that!" I pointed at the bodies closest to us. "What madness is that?"

"He didn't care, Bella."

"Oh my God, Edward - Ava - Ava was here - she was here and she saw – all –" I couldn't finish. The idea that a child had witnessed the decomposition of her fellow cave mates was too horrific. I couldn't even fathom what was here. Then I remembered why he had rushed inside. "Edward, what was in here? Are we safe?" I clutched at his shirt, my eyes frantically searching the caves for danger, but all I could see around us was death.

He shook his head as I spoke, rubbing his hands up and down my arms, trying to calm me. I felt like I was unravelling and had no control. In all my thoughts about what may lay in wait for us here, I had never imagined this.

"They escaped, heard me moving the boulder. There's a back exit which I only realised when one of the men thought of it. Then they fled. I got inside, but chasing after them was my last thought when I saw this." He gestured around us.

"Who was it?"

"The guards who left with James after he was bitten."

"So they're neither dead nor changed themselves then?"

"No. They were looking for food though."

"Here?"

Edward nodded.

"For him?" I asked in a whisper.

Edward nodded again.

"Then he survived?"

Edward didn't speak, nor did he move his head, he just stared at me, as if trying to understand my possible reaction.

"You say they were looking for food," I continued. "What did they hope to find?"

"There were 65 people locked in this cave almost a year ago, and at least 20 are still alive."

"Where?" I looked out across the cave and to the other side where the guards were checking each body for signs of life.

I spotted Carlisle amongst them. His eyes scanned the piles of carcasses before him, but they rested only fleetingly on any who appeared male or old. Finally, he paused on the form of a woman. She was several levels down from where he stood, and from my place, I could see she had curled herself up into a foetal position before death had claimed her. She had a brown blanket wrapped around her and was only distinguishable as a female from the long, curly, caramel-coloured hair fanned out on the floor around her head.

With a strangled cry, he leapt from the ledge he was stood on and down each one thereafter till he fell on his knees by her side. His hands hovered over her broken form, tears soaking his face as he sobbed his wife's name.

"Esme," Carlisle raised his hands and rubbed at his eyes, trying to clear his blurry vision so he could gaze upon his beloved's face one last time.

Each man and woman, who had entered the cave to search amongst the dead, stopped to watch the devastating scene. Carlisle had imagined his wife would be waiting for him, strong and beautiful and happy to see her husband and daughter again. He had always known he would be bringing her home, despite the adversity he had faced; this thought had been his one constant. It had never occurred to him that he would be bringing home her body instead, and as that realisation dawned on him, I gripped Edward's hands as tightly as a human possibly could as Carlisle finally reached out and gently rolled the woman onto her back.

His face trembled as he gasped for air, his lips moved but he made no other sound. His hands lifted from her arms but remained in front of him as if he was unsure of what to do next.

"Daddy!"

We all turned to see Mary Alice stood on the precipice of the ledge just inside the doorway. She looked pale as she stared at the body on the floor beside her father.

Carlisle shook his head and slowly got to his feet. "Baby, it's –" he choked, bending to rest his hands on his knees he struggled to draw in air. Without raising his head, he held his hand up requesting she bare with him. After a moment Carlisle straightened and walked slowly towards us. He climbed the ledges till he faced Mary Alice, and cupping her face in his hands, he openly cried in front of his daughter.

"I need to see her!" Mary Alice sobbed, grabbing at his hands, trying to move around him.

"It's not her," he whispered.

"I need to see her!"

"It's not her." He repeated. "It's not her. It's not my Esme. God forgive me, but thank you." Carlisle raised his eyes to the ceiling above us.

"What?" Mary Alice sobbed, but without comprehending Carlisle's relief, she pushed his hands away and raced from the ledge down towards the body of the woman.

"Mary Alice!" Carlisle cried but she didn't stop, she needed proof. Just as she was within touching distance Hale caught hold of her, stopping her and pulling her back against his chest.

"Let me go," he sobbed, "I need to see her. I need to see her."

"Shh," he cooed softly, pressing his cheek against her head and rocking her slowly from side to side. Mary Alice finally stopped struggling and slumped against him. "It's not your mama, baby," he told her. "Let this woman be. Leave her to rest in peace."

He turned Mary Alice to face him and kissed her forehead, then lifted her chin so she could look him in the eye. "It's not her."

Mary Alice broke down, burying her face in his shirt as he rocked her back and forth, letting his arms comfort her. The grief that had bubbled close to the surface in the days leading up to this needed a release, and even though she was no one we knew, we each found ourselves grieving for the girl with the caramel hair and her lonely existence in this life.

I prayed she would find her meaning in the next.

As we stood lost in our thoughts, I noticed Edward raise his head and look towards to the back of the cave. I remembered what he'd said about another exit and felt fear grip my stomach one more time. Edward sensed my apprehension and looked down at me. "Wait here," he instructed and leapt from the ledge over to other side.

The men stared at him incredulous; the drop alone would've broken a human bone if they'd fallen, so taking the more rocky terrain, they each followed him up to the back of the cave.

Edward stopped near an oval shaped boulder, and resting his hand against it, he moved his head closer and listened for a moment before looking behind him to check I had stayed put. When he was satisfied that I had listened this time and remained in place, he reached out and shoved the boulder aside.

At first I couldn't see anything but blackness inside the space the giant rock had covered. It was almost like another room hidden at the back of the cave and I wondered what Edward had heard in there.

Suddenly, with a feral cry, about half a dozen people rushed out of the darkness and towards us. They flew in all directions and at the guards who waited below. They carried weapons, some just rocks and sticks but others had bayonets and swords. Each was ready to fight for what was left of their lives.

Mary Alice screamed and raced over to my side, and clutching onto each other tightly, we watched in despair as the other prisoners attacked those who had come to rescue them.

The guards and women tried to defend themselves without hurting the prisoners but I feared each was too far beyond rationale thought to comprehend.

Luck was on our side as the fight quickly died in each prisoner, malnutrition and lack of exercise overtaking the adrenaline that had driven them forward when Edward had opened the door, fading to just acceptance.

Once I realised it was safe to move, I guided Mary Alice into action and raced down to the others, offering blankets and food, water and bandages, as each prisoner eventually allowed the reality to sink in. We were the good guys and they were finally saved.

They took our offerings with either extreme gratitude or silence. I could only wonder at the things they'd seen and heard where only silence could comfort them now. They had waited a long time for freedom and probably even doubted it was finally here.

Carlisle moved from each person, checking for injuries and instructing the guards and women on how best to treat and clean the patients. Some guards began clearing away the bodies lying around us. The job was unpleasant. Some were easy to shift, having died recently, their remains were still intact. Others had died weeks, maybe even months, ago and their corpses lay dry and brittle.

I tried to ignore the operation; the sight of so many dead was incomprehensible, so I focused on the living and how I could help them.

Carlisle carried on checking his new patients, and each time he approached a female, he hesitated momentarily as if to ready himself for the possibility that it was Esme. It lasted seconds for it was never her.

When he'd tended to every person there he turned towards Edward and pleaded with his eyes for the answer. Edward stared back at him, and I recognised the look of agony stretched across his features as he gripped the wall in front of him. His fingers had imbedded themselves in the rocks as if they were merely clay.

Carlisle also recognised his demeanour and stepped forward. "Edward? Where is she?"

Edward shifted his eyes towards the blackened room where he had remained stoic since removing the boulder. I followed Carlisle and made my way over to him. Just as I reached him, I noticed Edward was not breathing. His breath was held and his body was tense. I stroked his arm and tried to get his attention. He seemed so intently focused on the room.

"Edward?" I kept my voice low but he heard me, his dark eyes found mine and I recognised the struggle in them.

Looking past him, into the room, I tried to focus on what was still inside, but it was simply too dark. I glanced back at him and noticed he had started to tremble. I knew that whatever was inside couldn't hurt me otherwise Edward would be moving, yelling, or carrying me to safety.

No, whatever was inside only threatened Edward, and I swallowed past my fear and cupped my hands together, beckoning the light, just as I had back home with him the morning before we'd left. Rather than blue, this time the orb was a pale, golden glow, floating brightly in my hands and I held it inside the doorway to illuminate the space.

There, stood with her back against the wall, was a woman. She was skin and bone and wearing a long nightgown. Her feet were bare and dirty. Her hair hung in waves around her face and shoulders, and despite being caked in dirt and grease, was still thick. Her eyes were wide and her hands were by her side as she stared back at me, her mouth slightly agape as she tried to understand what had happened.

I felt a knot of fear grip me and I hurriedly looked back at Edward. I knew now why he looked fearful, why he had gripped the walls so tightly, moulding the rock to the shape of his hands.

Edward was a vampire, and the woman who stood in the cave was covered head to toe in fresh blood. Her face was smothered in it, with pieces of body tissue adhering to her cheeks and chin. Her neck was glistening in the light that I held out to her and her nightgown, which had once been white, was now a shocking red, as the material had soaked up the fluid splayed across her.

"Go!" I told him, and without answering me, Edward took off. He needed clean air to breathe and the blood covering this woman was too fresh and too near for him to maintain control.

I had only ever seen Edward struggle when near me, and in a bizarre way, I had handled his desire without fear, but watching him struggle to resist her made me feel sick to my stomach.

I walked towards her, holding the light out so she could see me as clearly as I saw her. I walked to her side and noticed her eyes didn't follow my movements. She still stared blankly ahead, seeing something no one else could see.

Carlisle appeared in the doorway and gasped. "Esme!" He ran to her and quickly moved his hands over her form, checking for the injury from which she bled. He pulled her to the door and out into the dim light of the cave. It was not ideal but better than the shadowy room. "Esme, Esme – where is it, darling? Where does it hurt?"

His hands raced over her arms one at a time, and turning them over he checked again. He moved her hair aside and checked her neck and then her back and stomach, her legs and head.

"There's nothing," he told me. "There's no injury."

Mary Alice ran over with water and cloths, and sobbing, she started to clean her mother's face. It took a while to remove the blood but finally Esme's hands and face were clean.

"Mama," Mary Alice whispered. "What happened to you?"

Without a word, Esme stood and walked back into the shadowy room. I beckoned the light again, and alongside Carlisle and Mary Alice followed her inside. She was stood at the very back of the room and was looking down at the ground. As we approached, the light cast a glow over the area she occupied, and at her feet was the body of young boy. The darkness had covered him when we'd first found Esme, but now my light highlighted his frailty.

Carlisle raced over to him and turned him on his back. His throat had been slit from ear to ear and I struggled to maintain composure. He was no more than 11 years old and did not deserve to die such a horrific death.

Carlisle lifted the boy in his arms, trying desperately to cradle his head as it rolled back too far, the cut was so deep the spinal cord has been severed. The head threatened to come apart as only the membrane of skin at the nape of the neck kept it attached to his body.

Carlisle walked towards the doorway. He stopped and surveyed the area, his eyes finding Hale as he returned from instructing the guards who were still outside.

Hale's smile faltered as he saw what Carlisle was holding, and for a moment, all he could do was stare.

I let the light die out in my hand. At the same time, the light was extinguished in Hale's eyes. "No," he murmured, stepping forward slowly, shaking his head from side to side. "No," his voice was nothing more than a whisper but it reverberated around the walls of the cave.

"Jasper, I'm so sorry," Mary Alice sobbed as she watched him reach Carlisle and the boy in his arms. Lifting his own arms out, he waited till Carlisle lay the boy in his embrace, and turning, he walked towards the corridor and outside into the forest.

Each guard who was stood close by moved aside as Hale walked out into the open. He carried the boy far into the trees and we all followed him in silence. Eventually we reached a clearing, the trees surrounding the grassy knoll were circular, and with no canopy of leaves and branches overhead, the sun was able to shine down, basking us in warmth and light.

Hale dropped to his knees and hugged the child to his chest. I couldn't hold back any longer and sobbed with him as he rocked back and forth. The comfort he offered the boy was pointless. He was gone from this world and hopefully in a better place now, but Hale needed to grieve, and so we let him be.

As the day began to pass and twilight drew near, Hale placed the boy on the floor, then walking towards the trees, he took out his blade and began cutting large branches free and throwing them into the centre of the clearing. Without a word, the men started to help until finally they had constructed a pyre. The women came forward and handed Hale blankets which he wrapped around the body and secured it tightly. Standing, he held the boy close one last time before carefully placing him on top of the wood.

He took a torch from a female stood at the edge of the clearing. She had brought it out from the caves with her and Hale used it now as the ignition for the man-made crematorium he and his guards had erected.

The branches were damp and took a while to ignite, but eventually the flames caught hold and swept their way up the kindling and over the body of the boy. Without instruction, we bowed our heads.

Carlisle whispered a prayer and his words carried forth the solemnity of the moment. "And so we commit his body to the fire, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. In sure and certain hope of the Resurrection."

"My brother," Hale whispered as he closed his eyes, no longer able to watch.

Xxxx

Night settled overhead like a dark blanket spread across the forest. We sat in the clearing, preparing food and shelter as it was too late and too far to walk these people back to the village. They were far too weak and traumatised and everyone needed rest and sustenance. The guards had taken it in turns to cleanse the caves of the dead and others had started digging graves. Carlisle had questioned Hale on the decision to bury them, thinking the decomposition would tempt more than the wildlife, but Hale explained a funeral pyre for over thirty people could attract much worse.

The fire that consumed Peter was small, and although just as dangerous, it at least could be mistaken for a campfire. We would not be able to disguise anything bigger. Curiosity could bring us danger.

Edward had yet to return, and although I was concerned about his state of mind, I waited patiently for him to come back to me.

I helped clean the wounds of the injured. Carlisle was kept busy, tending to their cuts and administering advice for those weakened by more than their recent ordeal, and I eventually made my way over to Mary Alice and Esme. They sat further from the fire than the others; Mary Alice with her back against a tree and Esme with her back to Mary Alice's chest.

She combed her mother's hair with her fingers, threading them into the matted tresses and then gently drawing her hand down to the ends. It took time and patience, but finally Esme's hair looked soft and wavy again, cleansed of the blood and dirt that had adhered to its surface earlier. She had bathed in the nearby stream, and with the help of her daughter, she had managed to rid herself of any last trace of the macabre incident that had covered her from head to toe. Mary Alice had handed her a clean gown and slippers and then wrapped a shawl around her mother's shoulders.

As they sat beneath the tree, the expression on Mary Alice's face was one of content but Esme looked haunted, her eyes filled with the ever replaying image of what had happened just as we'd arrived.

I sat in front of them and smiled tentatively at Mary Alice, which she returned. I held out a cup of steaming broth towards Esme but she made no move to take it. Her eyes remained transfixed ahead. The only sign that she was still alive was the flutter of her eyelids as she blinked every few seconds. Her skin now clean, looked so pale and almost translucent. She had missed the sun dearly and it showed.

"Esme," I spoke softly and moved to place my hand on top of hers but just before I actually touched her she pulled hers away and rested them higher up her lap. I ignored the rebuke and continued to talk, she had been through a traumatic ordeal and we would never fully understand what she'd seen. "Esme, you need to eat. It's chicken soup and it's hot. It'll warm you up and help you sleep."

I held out the cup again but she didn't take it. "Carlisle asked me to give it to you. I think he'll be upset if I take it back."

Her eyes flickered to mine, and slowly focused on my face, she looked down at my outstretched hand and finally she took the broth. Cupping both hands around the edges, she took a sip and closed her eyes as the warm liquid heated her body from the inside out.

"It's good," she whispered and my eyes shot to Mary Alice's. It was the first words Esme had spoken and Mary Alice could barely contain her excitement.

"Mama," she moved Esme's hair over her shoulder and kissed her mother's cheek. Esme smiled gently and continued to sip her broth but didn't speak again.

We sat in silence for a while until Carlisle came over to join us. He'd finished his rounds and carried with him broth for all of us. Esme had finished her cup and placed it on the floor beside her. She rested her head back, tucked under Mary Alice's chin.

I took my cup from Carlisle and gratefully sipped the steaming soup, feeling the delicious warmth spread from my throat to my stomach but it was only the warmth I enjoyed. Blanching, I hid my body's rejection behind my hand. Excusing myself, I walked a little, away from the group. When alone I purged what I had drunk which, thankfully, wasn't a lot.

Making my way back to the clearing, I sat next to Mary Alice again and gazed up at the stars overhead. I wondered where Edward was and if he would return before dawn. I missed him.

"He called me mama," Esme's voice surprised us all and we turned to look at her in wonder.

"Who did mama?" Mary Alice asked.

"He called me mama and he helped me. Every day he brought me water and every day I treated him like one of my own. Him and the baby, they were my sole reason to survive in there."

Carlisle swallowed and looked away. It was hard to hear her story but we were entranced.

"At first, I looked after them because they were children, they were innocent and helpless, but in truth I was selfish. They gave me a reason to wake up every day because hope dies, you know?" She looked over at Carlisle, and leaning forward she took his hand in hers. "Hope dies Carlisle, it fades so fast, but each day you can still catch a glimmer of it, and you cling to that, but eventually there's nothing left to hope for. They gave me hope and I clung to that. I was convinced, in those first few weeks, that you would come for me and take me home again, but weeks turned into months, and soon I forgot to wait for you."

"I'm so sorry," Carlisle broke down, pressing her hand to his forehead he closed his eyes and wept for the time they had lost, for the pain she had felt and for the disappointment; it had taken so long to get to her. Was it too late?

"Rosalie came, it was a surprise to see her there but she couldn't help, she had to hide so many times, when the guards arrived. But she still came and she held her baby and begged me to take care of her.

"But then Ava got sick, there was so much sickness in there and people started to die and I knew she would too. Rosalie came and I told her to take Ava to you. She was almost caught leaving the caves. People became hysterical thinking they could leave with her and the guards came but she managed to sneak away, and that was the last I saw of her. Did she make it? The baby, is she alive?"

"Yes," Carlisle nodded, lifting his head so his chin rested on the back of her hand, "she survived. She is well."

Esme crossed herself, "Oh thank God."

"Thank God?" Carlisle asked, incredulous. "How can you thank God? How can you believe in him after all of this?"

"I am here, as are you. That's all I need to convince me now. I never thought I'd see you again, not in this lifetime."

"Will you ever forgive me for not coming sooner?"

Esme pushed herself away from Mary Alice and pressed her free hand against Carlisle's cheek. "I am here," she whispered. Carlisle looked up at her and let his tears fall freely as she caught them one by one on the tip of her fingers. "As are you."

Moving quickly, he gathered her in his arms and squeezed her tight, and Esme held him with just as much force, just as much love. Her belief that he was actually here finally dawned on her and she gave into the tears that had stayed away.

"He was just a boy," she sobbed. "He was just a child."

"Peter?" Carlisle pulled away and wiped her face, Esme nodded.

"Carlisle, he died trying to protect me."

"What?" Spinning around we saw Hale stood behind us, watching the moving embrace between husband and wife. "What did you say?" He asked her again.

Esme shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Her breath came fast and uneven, I doubted her ability to tell him what had happened but Hale was desperate and needed the truth.

"Jasper, can't this wait?" Mary Alice stood and approached him but the look on his face spoke volumes of his desolation.

"I need to know," he simply said.

"The guards, they came to take some of us. We'd never been moved from the caves before and we were scared. They locked some of us in that smaller cave, at the back - then made their choices. I was one of them but Peter – he flew at them, in a panic – he –he tried to stop them – but they – they..."

"Esme, shush, Esme it's ok, you don't need to tell us."

"Yes she does," Hale rebuked, his hands clenched into fists at his side.

Esme stood and held her hands clasped together in front of herself, begging Hale to understand. "They held him down and asked him to make his choice – me or him – I screamed at them to let him go but he chose." Falling to her knees Esme sobbed. "I ran at them – I – I tried but they – they- cut – him," her sobs stole her breath and she struggled to get her words out. "He was just a child but they - they cut – him, they cut him – they – cut- him."

Carlisle ran to her side and held her close, trying to soothe her, comfort her, and take away the images that replayed over and over in her head.

It was too much to witness; I turned and ran into the trees. I heard Charlie behind me calling my name but I continued to run, letting my feet carry me further and further away.

The guards had come for food. That's what those people had been reduced too – food for James. Why and how they had not succumbed to his new born desires was beyond me.

I ran until I reached the stream and pushed myself on, ignoring the icy cold as it bit into my skin, I wadded across and onto the other side. I clambered up the bank but the mud was slick and my feet were wet and I slid back down, this time soaking my skirts up to my waist.

Sobbing and shivering I clawed my way back up, clutching at grass to lever myself. I lay panting on the river bed and wondered again at what evil existed to allow such atrocities to occur. I felt so alone and couldn't help but blame myself. Where would these people be if I had never come here?

Hearing a sound behind me, I sat up and rubbed at my face, believing Charlie had come to find me. Standing, I turned and my heart stopped.

Five men stood before me, and I recognised four of them as James' guard.

Stood front and centre was James.

His clothes were torn and his hair hung freely around his shoulders, long and blonde and thin in texture. He had never let his hair down when outside the privacy of his rooms. It had always been contained with a leather tie, but now it billowed in the evening breeze. His hands were at his side and his chest heaved as if he felt exertion.

His body looked different than before. He had always been a toned man, but slender, which deceived his strength. Now he looked larger, taller, and solid. It may have been my imagination, but the evil that was present in human James seemed magnified in this new form.

His mouth was slightly agape and his eyes as black as the night. He stared at me with such ferocious intensity.

I thought of Edward and prayed he would arrive like my black knight to rescue me from this nightmare. I thought of Charlie and Irina and felt sad that my family would be separated again when we had only just found each other.

I knew I was about to die, there was no way out.

I considered fleeing but knew that would lead them back to the group. Of course, I was slower than him and he would probably catch me before I'd even taken my first steps, but James liked the chase and I would expect nothing less than for him to want to play cat and mouse with me.

He had enjoyed my terror as a human, and by the look on his face, he still did.

James stepped forward and tilted his head to side. With his mouth still slightly open, he smiled crookedly at me.

I watched, terrified as he licked his teeth and purred, "Isabella."

End A/N's: The 'Eddie & Bellie Awards' are now open for nominations as well as another awards group called 'The Shimmers'. I've posted a link for both on my profile. Please, please go and nominate your favourite fic's and authors for the recognition you feel they deserve. The Eddie's are for completed fic's (Hint hint Enigma by Claire Bloom) and the Bellie's are for WIP (Cough Spellbound).

Don't forget to come and feed your fanfic addiction over at the FanFicAholics Anon group on Facebook.

I recently read somewhere that to say anything about your reviews was considered a little sad and not professional at all but I don't care, I have to say that I love all of my readers and reviewers and you truly inspire me. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I guess its official – I'm sad and unprofessional! lol