"Don't be scared Bells," Charlie chuckled as he hoisted Bella onto his shoulders. She was taller than everyone else; able to see over their heads at the flowers that bloomed in the night sky with every explosion. Bright reds, purples and pinks, blues and greens that littered the sky before they faded away to gray wisps of smoke; Bella could smell the barbecue in the air, the laughter in the air. "It's just fireworks. Aren't they pretty?"
Bella reached for them; tiny hand outstretched as a red firework blossomed before her. A brilliant red, bright against the night sky-
The screams echoing in her ears and for one strange moment, Bella thought it was Seth who was still screaming, strapped to the table. And then her mind remembered where she was: strapped to her own table, a body length mirror suspended before her. She could see the assorted bruises on her body: purples and reds, blues and greens tinged black –like the fireworks when you were little- , how they stood out against her skin. There were cuts: tiny little red lines between the webs of her forcibly splayed fingers, elbows, between her toes.
It was her screams, half muffled by the leather bit that had been shoved into her mouth. Her frantic cries as she struggled uselessly against her bonds, pleading for her life. No one even cast her a second glance. And then she caught sight of the sledgehammer.
Water everywhere: Bella sinking further and further beneath the surface. She reached upwards; tiny hand engulfed by the brightness of the sun that hung over. She was going to die here- Mommy and Daddy couldn't find her because she had run off; she wanted to go swimming because she was a Big Girl now. And now she was going to die-
-the feel of cold metal skimming against her skin, resting against her knee, if only for a moment.
"Do you know why we're doing this," a voice says and Bella wants to answer. She wants to answer by begging for her life. But all she can do is gulp, her throat struggling to work, the words unable to come out. "We're doing this because you have allied yourself to the enemy. Because now you are a threat; You, Miss Swan, will be the perfect tool for their undoing."
Her chest hurts and now she opens her mouth to scream; water rushing into her tiny lungs, head pounding as she clawed at the water. Tiny fingers flowing through nothing; feet now tangled in reeds that lurked at the bottom of the surface.
A shadow that blotted out the sun covered her; a man floating down to her, the sun lighting up his golden hair, the skin sparkling as he swam towards her-
-the light shone on the metal head held high over the doctor's head. Bella whimpered: a keen, piteous sound. One last begging; perhaps they would change their mind? Maybe they would realize that Bella wasn't a threat; that Seth and most of the others were good people, deep down. Mostly everyone was. And maybe they would let her go, that this was all just to scare her.
This was all some kind of horrible trick! And Bella wanted it to be over already. She wanted to be with her Mama and her Daddy. She wanted to be with the people who loved her. Surely, the Black Paradigm could stop, now that they knew she was innocent?
Strong, cold arms wrapping themselves around her; Bella now rushing towards the surface. Someone had saved her! Someone would always save her, right?
The scientist swung down.
Bella screamed; the crunch of her right kneecap breaking unbearably loud in her own ears. She screamed and screamed: wailing, trying to thrash about as the pain washed over her, wave after wave. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and Bella caught a glimpse of metal flashing against the light before she screamed again at the feel of the sledgehammer slamming down on her right shin; metal ripping through skin, bruising muscle, crushing bone. Bella could see the grisly remains of her own leg: bright red blood everywhere.
"Don't kill her," another voice sighed, clearly bored. "We need her alive."
"She is alive. This is just a precautionary measure."
Bella was crying, screaming; every tiny moment she made sent flares of pain richoectting through her. Bella caught a flash of brown hair streaked with blonde before the man's face appeared before her. Her brain struggled to register the pain how she knew this man; somehow, he seemed to familiar. Perhaps it was the facial features- high cheekbones, the thin brown eyebrows, or maybe it was the way he frowned, face almost turning green. But Bella had never seen the man before in her life-
"Erik," Bella whimpered, eyes going wide at the realization. This man before her looked a lot like Erik; not just the same facial features, but the same slim build. It was only the coloring of hair, his blue eyes and the heavy array of freckles across his cheeks that made him different.
"Sorry," the man whispered, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. "I'm so sorry for this."
"Hansen," another voice; a warning.
"God," another voice, this one belonging to the bored person from before. "His brother would never hesitate to do something like this."
The man flinched at the words, even as he lifted a syringe; the needle close to Bella's face. "Please forgive me," the man whispered, pausing for a moment, as if searching for the right words to say.
"Hansen! If you don't stick that fucking needle in her neck, right now, you'll go back to the hot box again!"
He leaned in close, shaking. His breath tickled Bella's ear as he spoke, voice soft, almost gentle: "And if you see my brother, tell him I love him."
The pinprick of a needle breaking skin was nothing.
You know, I can never figure where these things go. At the front? The end? Anyhoo, please enjoy the latest installment of Protecting the Bond! Hm, I wonder who Hansen's brother was: will he be an important ally? Will Bella die in captivity? Or will she soon escape? Read and find out 3 Thank you everyone, for reading thus far btw!Chapter 30! Makes me excited to see what happens if we make it to Chapter 50 ;)
Glad yall enjoyed it! Please review!