Chapter 10: A phone call and Victoria?
It was a couple days later over dinner that the phone rang. A woman asked for chief Swan, I shrugged and handed the phone to dad while I went to check the chicken dinner I was preparing. Almost an hour later dad came in the kitchen looking a little troubled.
"What is it dad?"
"Bella do you know of a small-town in Virginia called Mystic Falls?"
"Noop, can't say I have, why?"
"The woman that was on the phone? She's the chief of Mystic Falls and they have a lot of animal attacks and she looked it up for similar cases and found the ones we had here last year and called for advice"
I choked on my food. In a flash I remembered the 3 vampires that caused the chaos last year and how it was the Cullens that took care of it and not Charlie. After a few gulps of water I managed to calm my breathing enough.
"Advice? What did you tell her?"
"Actually she asked if I could go there for a couple weeks before spring break to help them and give pointers. She sounded pretty desperate"
A vampire? And my dad facing it alone with a bunch of small town cops? Hell no.
But maybe it wasn't a vampire? Maybe it actually is an animal and I'm blowing this all out of proportion?
"What did you tell her?"
"I thought maybe I should go. I didn't use my vacation time last year and I am pretty sure I can get 2 weeks off before Easter to go. Do you want to come with me? "
I didn't reply, I was still to convince myself that it wasn't dangerous. Dad mis impreted my silence and quickly added.
"Of course I can leave you alone, you're a big girl"
"I'll come with you"
I blurted out. I don't care if it's an animal, a vampire or Bigfoot, I'm not letting my dad out of my sight. We finished dinner in silence. I was pondering what the heck we're getting ourselves into and dad seemed pretty thoughtful too. Maybe the new position.
For the first time in a long while I did not sleep comfortably. I was tossing and turning for the most part. I managed to fall asleep around 4 am only to wake up at 7am my alarm clock. Oh joy! During my morning jog with Mike I told him about the job proposal Charlie got last night and he looked sad at the prospect of me leaving but as I pointed out we were only going to be away for 2 weeks. I'd be back for Easter break. School was abuzz with the spring break being near and unlike last year most of the students were outdoors in the sun.
During lunch I shared the news with Angie and Ben and they both had the same reaction Mike had. In the end they were somewhat happier because, as Ben put it,
"At least you'll be out of school longer" I had to laugh at that. Ben is a bigger bookworm than me and Angie combined.
The next days were the same. Dad cleared his vacation time with the police department, visited my school and was planned that Angela would take my homework, e-mail it to me, I'd do it and e-mail it back to her and she would hand it in for me once a week. Mr and Mrs Newton were positive with my time off work and I promised I'd take more shifts when I got back to make up for it.
When I told mom over the phone she was almost ecstatic. Virginia is about 2 hours away from Jacksonville and that meant she would visit or that I would, 'Dad and Phil in the same room? Not something I look forward to' but not everyone shared mom's enthusiasm. The first Sunday of March when dad announced it to Billy, he went so purple I was sure he was gonna burst a vein. Jake wasn't happier either. I think I managed to calm Jake but Billy wasn't so easy to cool off. A shouting match between him and dad occurred that resulted in dad storming out, throwing me in the impala and drive to the lodge for dinner and Jake rushing to his dad. I huddled in my seat when as we drove off I heard the howl of a wolf in the night.
With only a week before we left I started packing. According to the internet Mystic Falls had similar weather to Forks but it was a lot sunnier, I sighed with relief to that. I missed the sun and the heat, even though the cold doesn't affect me much anymore. Wow and I've only been here almost a year. Imagine if I lived longer, like dad when he came to take care of his parents and ended up living here all his life.
Dad was still upset about Billy and his reaction that we decided to drive instead of flying. According to map quest it is a 3 day drive. We would take my car since dad would be driven around by the chief that invited us. If we left Friday after school we would have more than enough time to sightsee the various places we'd go through and still be there in time. As I finished packing I looked at the bed of my truck.
5 big plastic bags were still there with all the clothes and accessories and what not Alice bought me. I didn't know whether I should trow them away or maybe return them. What I didn't want was to keep them. Smiling to myself I left a not for dad saying I went for a drive and I took the truck to the Cullen's place. Turns out I remembered correctly they had a large back yard with all the fire equipment. Not wanting to start a fire that would get out of control I was careful as I started a quick fire. I threw all the clothes in, the presents they had given me all over the year and with a smile all the shoes as I kept hearing Alice's voice in my head screaming
"No, they're expensive Bella, what are you doing"
To what I answered
"Freeing myself from you"
As all the items were burned the fire slowly burnt out. I opened the surprisingly unlocked front door and used a bathroom to clean myself up and left after saying goodbye. Feeling a lot lighter I got in the truck and slowly drove home. Two more days and I'd be on my way to something new.
Next day at school Mike announced that he was hosting a farewell kind of a party to his house and I couldn't say no unless I wanted the party to include the whole school instead of just us four. Mortified I nodded and he laughed. He would drive me around all day Thursday and Friday to school so that dad could keep the car and fill it up and load our bags and pick me up Friday for out road trip. My protests that I would be back in two weeks fell of to deaf ears as their answer was that we wouldn't see each other for 2 weeks and would have our weekly night out. Truth be told I felt the same way.
All day at school and work I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.
I felt eyes on me at all times. Even at the guest bedroom Mike allowed me to use to change in the party clothes Angie snatched from my house during lunch. The party was fun as we took photos of all of us and each other danced around and had a comedy movie marathon. I declined Mike's offer to drive me home as I wanted to walk and maybe shake this feeling. In the end walking home was a good idea as I was met face to face with Victoria on my back yard.
"Hello Bella, remember me?
She asked me in a sickly sweet voice while smiling so wide I could see all her teeth
"Victoria"
"It's so nice to run into you"
"Right, what do you want Victoria?"
"Revenge. Because of you James is dead. My mate is dead and you will pay"
My anger over shadowed my fear then and I decided to talk back, she seemed ready to kill me anyway.
"And you're going to kill me?"
"Exactly"
"Then you're as weak as Laurent was for running away"
She run to my face and stopped less than an inch away
"Weak?"
I had to work to stop my fear from showing
"Yes, a vampire killed a vampire and you want to kill a human for revenge. Go ahead; you can hold a pillow on my face while I sleep. It's effective but it won't make you feel better"
She was silent and I could see she was following my train of thought. I moved to sit on a lawn chair.
"I have thought about this a lot. I didn't kill James, Victoria. I may be the reason he died but if the Cullens hadn't whisked me away so fast, James wouldn't see it as a challenge. Do you really believe that if I had stayed at my home that night instead of running off that James would hunt me?"
"No. We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for that midget"
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing, it's over now, doesn't matter."
I didn't believe her but I was trying to get her to change her decision to kill me, I wasn't going to pressure her and get myself killed. My bite mark from James kept burning and it was distracting me.
"If I were you I'd pick someone in my own size. You can kill me if it makes you feel better but I assure you Edward wont care. He left me months ago."
"Which one killed James?"
"Edward fought him until he bit me. After that I'm not sure what happened, it hurt too much. Carlisle and Alice were with me, and I think" I paused trying to remember what had happened exactly" Emmett and Jasper finished it. But I don't remember, honestly. I only know what I was told. Even though some of it doesn't make sense"
I muttered the last sentence. If Victoria understood me she didn't comment.
"James bit you?" She seemed puzzled
I took of my jacket and extended my right arm showing her my arm and the scar.
"Yes, a little after Edward arrived and they started fighting"
She gently touched the scar and while the burning was now stronger her cold touch was also soothing. I made a mental note to see what was happening with that burning later.
"What exactly happened that day in Phoenix, Bella?"
I took a deep breath and started talking….
James had called me claiming he has my mother and I if I wanted her to live I had to go alone to a dance studio near my home where I took lessons as a kid. I managed to escape my guards and went alone. As I got in I could hear my mother frantically calling my name but before I could go to her I realised my mother wasn't there. It was only a video recording we had made a few years ago in California. I felt something behind me and I turned slowly. He was standing very still by the back exit, so still I hadn't noticed him at first. In his hand was a remote control. We stared at each other for a long moment, and then he smiled.
He walked toward me, quite close, and then passed me to put the remote down next to the VCR. I turned carefully to watch him.
"Sorry about that, Bella, but isn't it better that your mother didn't really have to be involved in all this?"
His voice was courteous, kind. And suddenly it hit me. My mother was safe. She was still in Florida. She'd never gotten my message. She'd never been terrified by the dark red eyes in the abnormally pale face before me. She was safe.
"Yes," I answered, my voice saturated with relief.
"You don't sound angry that I tricked you."
"I'm not."
My sudden high made me brave. What did it matter now? It would soon be over. Charlie and Mom would never be harmed, would never have to fear. I felt almost giddy. Some analytical part of my mind warned me that I was dangerously close to snapping from the stress.
"How odd. You really mean it."
His dark eyes assessed me with interest. The irises were nearly black, just a hint of ruby around the edges. Thirsty.
"I will give your strange coven this much, you humans can be quite interesting. I guess I can see the draw of observing you. It's amazing — some of you seem to have no sense of your own self-interes at all."
He was standing a few feet away from me, arms folded, looking at me curiously. There was no menace in his face or stance. He was so very average-looking, nothing remarkable about his face or body at all. Just the white skin, the circled eyes I'd grown so used to. He wore a pale blue, long-sleeved shirt and faded blue jeans.
"I suppose you're going to tell me that your boyfriend will avenge you?"
He asked, hopefully it seemed to me.
"No, I don't think so. At least, I asked him not to."
"And what was his reply to that?"
"I don't know." It was strangely easy to converse with this genteel hunter. "I left him a letter."
"How romantic, a last letter. And do you think he will honor it?" His voice was just a little harder now, a hint of sarcasm marring his polite tone.
"I hope so."
"Hmmm. Well, our hopes differ then. You see, this was all just a little too easy, too quick. To be quite honest, I'm disappointed. I expected amuch greater challenge. And, after all, I only needed a little luck."
I waited in silence.
"When Victoria couldn't get to your father, I had her find out more about you. There was no sense in running all over the planet chasing you down when I could comfortably wait for you in a place of my choosing. So, after I talked to Victoria, I decided to come to Phoenix to pay your mother a visit. I'd heard you say you were going home. At first, I never dreamed you meant it. But then I wondered. Humans can be very predictable; they like to be somewhere familiar, somewhere safe. And wouldn't it be the perfect ploy, to go to the last place you should be when you're hiding — the place that you said you'd be But of course I wasn't sure, it was just a hunch. I usually get a feeling about the prey that I'm hunting, a sixth sense, if you will. I listened to your message when I got to your mother's house, but of course I couldn't be sure where you'd called from. It was very useful to have your number, but you could have been in Antarctica for all I knew, and the game wouldn't work unless you were close by. Then your boyfriend got on a plane to Phoenix. Victoria was monitoring them for me, naturally; in a game with this many players, I couldn't be working alone. And so they told me what I'd hoped, that you were here after all. I was prepared; I'd already been through your charming home movies. And then it was simply a matter of the bluff. Very easy, you know, not really up to my standards. So, you see, I'm hoping you're wrong about your boyfriend. Edward, isn't it?"
I didn't answer. The bravado was wearing off. I sensed that he was coming to the end of his gloat. It wasn't meant for me anyway. There was no glory in beating me, a weak human.
"Would you mind, very much, if I left a little letter of my own for your Edward?"
He took a step back and touched a palm-sized digital video camera balanced carefully on top of the stereo. A small red light indicated that it was already running. He adjusted it a few times, widened the frame. I stared at him in horror.
"I'm sorry, but I just don't think he'll be able to resist hunting me after he watches this. And I wouldn't want him to miss anything. It was all for him, of course. You're simply a human, who unfortunately was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and indisputably running with the wrong crowd, I might add."
He stepped toward me, smiling. "Before we begin…"
I felt a curl of nausea in the pit of my stomach as he spoke. This was something I had not anticipated.
"I would just like to rub it in, just a little bit. The answer was there all along, and I was so afraid Edward would see that and ruin my fun. It happened once, oh, ages ago. The one and only time my prey escaped me. You see, the vampire who was so stupidly fond of this little victim made the choice that your Edward was too weak to make. When the old one knew I was after his little friend, he stole her from the asylum where he worked — I never will understand the obsession some vampires seem to form with you humans — and as soon as he freed her he made her safe. She didn't even seem to notice the pain, poor little creature. She'd been stuck in that black hole of a cell for so long. A hundred years earlier and she would have been burned at the stake for her visions. In the nineteen-twenties it was the asylum and the shock treatments. When she opened her eyes, strong with her fresh youth, it was like she'd never seen the sun before. The old vampire made her a strong new vampire, and there was no reason for me to touch her then." He sighed. "I destroyed the old one in vengeance."
"Alice," I breathed, astonished.
"Yes, your little friend. I was surprised to see her in the clearing. So I guess her coven ought to be able to derive some comfort from this experience. I get you, but they get her. The one victim who escaped me, quite an honor, actually. "And she did smell so delicious. I still regret that I never got to taste… She smelled even better than you do. Sorry — I don't mean to be offensive. You have a very nice smell. Floral, somehow…"
He took another step toward me, till he was just inches away. He lifted a lock of my hair and sniffed at it delicately. Then he gently patted the strand back into place, and I felt his cool fingertips against my throat. He reached up to stroke my cheek once quickly with his thumb, his face curious. I wanted so badly to run, but I was frozen. I couldn't even flinch away.
"No," he murmured to himself as he dropped his hand, "I don't understand." He sighed. "Well, I suppose we should get on with it. And then I can call your friends and tell them where to find you, and my little message."
I was definitely sick now. There was pain coming, I could see it in his eyes. It wouldn't be enough for him to win, to feed and go. There would be no quick end like I'd been counting on. My knees began to shake, and I was afraid I was going to fall. He stepped back, and began to circle, casually, as if he were trying to get a better view of a statue in a museum. His face was still open and friendly as he decided where to start. Then he slumped forward, into a crouch I recognized, and his pleasant smile slowly widened, grew, till it wasn't a smile at all but a contortion of teeth, exposed and glistening. I couldn't help myself— I tried to run. As useless as I knew it would be, as weak as my knees already were, panic took over and I bolted for the emergency door. He was in front of me in a flash. I didn't see if he used his hand or his foot, it was too fast. A crushing blow struck my chest — I felt myself flying backward, and then heard the crunch as my head bashed into the mirrors. The glass buckled, some of the pieces shattering and splintering on the floor beside me. I was too stunned to feel the pain. I couldn't breathe yet. He walked toward me slowly.
"That's a very nice effect," he said, examining the mess of glass, his voice friendly again. "I thought this room would be visually dramatic for my little film. That's why I picked this place to meet you. It's perfect, isn't it?"
I ignored him, scrambling on my hands and knees, crawling toward the other door.
He was over me at once, his foot stepping down hard on my leg. I heard the sickening snap before I felt it. But then I did feel it, and I couldn't hold back my scream of agony. I twisted up to reach for my leg, and he was standing over me, smiling.
"Would you like to rethink your last request?"
he asked pleasantly. His toe nudged my broken leg and I heard a piercing scream. With a shock, I realized it was mine.
"Wouldn't you rather have Edward try to find me?" he prompted.
"No!" I croaked. "No, Edward, don't—" And then something smashed into my face, throwing me back into the broken mirrors. Over the pain of my leg, I felt the sharp rip across my scalp where the glass cut into it. And then the warm wetness began to spread through my hair with alarming speed. I could feel it soaking the shoulder of my shirt, hear it dripping on the wood below. The smell of it twisted my stomach.
Through the nausea and dizziness I saw something that gave me a sudden, final shred of hope. His eyes, merely intent before, now burned with an uncontrollable need. The blood — spreading crimson across my white shirt, pooling rapidly on the floor — was driving him mad with thirst. No matter his original intentions, he couldn't draw this out much longer.
Let it be quick now, was all I could hope as the flow of blood from my head sucked my consciousness away with it. My eyes were closing. I heard, as if from underwater, the final growl of the hunter. I could see, through the long tunnels my eyes had become, his dark shape coming toward me. With my last effort, my hand instinctively raised to protect my face. My eyes closed, and I drifted.
As I drifted, I dreamed. Where I floated, under the dark water, I heard the happiest sound my mind could conjure up — as beautiful, as uplifting, as it was ghastly. It was another snarl; a deeper, wilder roar that rang with fury. I was brought back, almost to the surface, by a sharp pain slashing my upraised hand, but I couldn't find my way back far enough to open my eyes. And then I knew I was dead. Because, through the heavy water, I heard the sound of an angel calling my name, calling me to the only heaven I wanted.
"Oh no, Bella, no!" the angel's voice cried in horror.
Behind that longed-for sound was another noise — an awful tumult that my mind shied away from. A vicious bass growling, a shocking snapping sound, and a high keening, suddenly breaking off… I tried to concentrate on the angel's voice instead.
"Bella, please! Bella, listen to me, please, please, Bella, please!" he begged.
Yes, I wanted to say. Anything. But I couldn't find my lips.
"Carlisle!" the angel called, agony in his perfect voice. "Bella, Bella, no, oh please, no, no!"
And the angel was sobbing tearless, broken sobs. The angel shouldn't weep, it was wrong. I tried to find him, to tell him everything was fine, but the water was so deep, it was pressing on me, and I couldn't breathe. There was a point of pressure against my head. It hurt. Then, as that pain broke through the darkness to me, other pains came, stronger pains. I cried out, gasping, breaking through the dark pool.
"Bella!" the angel cried.
"She's lost some blood, but the head wound isn't deep," a calm voice informed me. "Watch out for her leg, it's broken."
A howl of rage strangled on the angel's lips. I felt a sharp stab in my side. This couldn't be heaven, could it? There was too much pain for that.
"Some ribs, too, I think," the methodical voice continued.
But the sharp pains were fading. There was a new pain, a scalding pain in my hand that was overshadowing everything else. Someone was burning me.
"Edward."
I tried to tell him, but my voice was so heavy and slow. I couldn't understand myself.
"Bella, you're going to be fine. Can you hear me, Bella? I love you."
"Edward," I tried again. My voice was a little clearer.
"Yes, I'm here."
"It hurts," I whimpered.
"I know, Bella, I know" — and then, away from me, anguished — "can't you do anything?"
"My bag, please… Hold your breath, Alice, it will help," Carlisle promised.
"Alice?" I groaned.
"She's here, she knew where to find you."
"My hand hurts," I tried to tell him.
"I know, Bella. Carlisle will give you something, it will stop."
"My hand is burning!"
I screamed, finally breaking through the last of the darkness, my eyes fluttering open. I couldn't see his face, something dark and warm was clouding my eyes. Why couldn't they see the fire and put it out? His voice was frightened.
"Bella?"
"The fire! Someone stop the fire!" I screamed as it burned me.
"Carlisle! Her hand!"
"He bit her." Carlisle's voice was no longer calm, it was appalled.
I heard Edward catch his breath in horror.
"Edward, you have to do it." It was Alice's voice, close by my head. Cool fingers brushed at the wetness in my eyes.
"No!" he bellowed.
"Alice," I moaned.
"There may be a chance," Carlisle said.
"What?" Edward begged.
"See if you can suck the venom back out. The wound is fairly clean." As Carlisle spoke, I could feel more pressure on my head, something poking and pulling at my scalp. The pain of it was lost in the pain of the fire.
"Will that work?" Alice's voice was strained.
"I don't know," Carlisle said. "But we have to hurry."
"Carlisle, I…" Edward hesitated. "I don't know if I can do that." There was agony in his beautiful voice again.
"It's your decision, Edward, either way. I can't help you. I have to get this bleeding stopped here if you're going to be taking blood from her hand."
I writhed in the grip of the fiery torture, the movement making the pain in my leg flare sickeningly.
"Edward!"
I screamed. I realized my eyes were closed again. I opened them, desperate to find his face. And I found him. Finally, I could see his perfect face, staring at me, twisted into a mask of indecision and pain.
"Alice, get me something to brace her leg!" Carlisle was bent over me, working on my head. "Edward, you must do it now, or it will be too late."
Edward's face was drawn. I watched his eyes as the doubt was suddenly replaced with a blazing determination. His jaw tightened. I felt his cool, strong fingers on my burning hand, locking it in place. Then his head bent over it, and his cold lips pressed against my skin. At first the pain was worse. I screamed and thrashed against the cool hands that held me back. I heard Alice's voice, trying to calm me. Something heavy held my leg to the floor, and Carlisle had my head locked in the vise of his stone arms.
Then, slowly, my writhing calmed as my hand grew more and more numb. The fire was dulling, focusing into an ever-smaller point. I felt my consciousness slipping as the pain subsided. I was afraid to fall into the black waters again, afraid I would lose him in the darkness.
"Edward," I tried to say, but I couldn't hear my voice. They could hear me.
"He's right here, Bella."
"Stay, Edward, stay with me…"
"I will."
His voice was strained, but somehow triumphant.
I sighed contentedly. The fire was gone, the other pains dulled by a sleepiness seeping through my body
.
"Is it all out?" Carlisle asked from somewhere far away.
"Her blood tastes clean," Edward said quietly. "I can taste the morphine."
"Bella?" Carlisle called to me.
I tried to answer. "Mmmmm?"
"Is the fire gone?"
"Yes," I sighed. "Thank you, Edward."
"I love you," he answered.
"I know," I breathed, so tired
.
I heard my favorite sound in the world: Edward's quiet laugh, weak with relief.
"Bella?" Carlisle asked again.
I frowned; I wanted to sleep. "What?"
"Where is your mother?"
"In Florida," I sighed. "He tricked me, Edward. He watched our videos."
The outrage in my voice was pitifully frail.
But that reminded me.
"Alice." I tried to open my eyes. "Alice, the video — he knew you, Alice, he knew where you came from." I meant to speak urgently, but my voice was feeble. "I smell gasoline," I added, surprised through the haze in my brain.
"It's time to move her," Carlisle said.
"No, I want to sleep," I complained.
"You can sleep, sweetheart, I'll carry you," Edward soothed me.
And I was in his arms, cradled against his chest — floating, all the pain gone.
"Sleep now, Bella" were the last words I heard.
"That's the last thing I remember then I woke up to a hospital and I was told that James was dead"
As I stopped talking I realised I was crying loudly against her shoulder. I pulled myself away and wiped my eyes.
"Why did they leave? "
She sounded genuinely interested to know. I took another deep breath and gave her a summary of what had happened the night of my birthday and the following days until the day he left at the woods. I kept crying but I wasn't strong enough to relive those memories.
Where are they now?"
"I don't know. According to the hospital they are at LA but I don't think so"
She laughed and for a moment I could see the real Victoria behind her fury and loss. She wasn't that bad. A moment of holding my arm she got up, bid me farewell and run off to the distance. I remained sitting there trying to figure out what the hell just happened.
