Back to the Start
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Lost
What Bella saw next was shocking. It would come to haunt her nightmares for months to come. Out into the sunlight stepped a human-like figure. His skin, white as bone, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface. His pale blue shirt was unbuttoned to the waist, revealing his sculpted, incandescent chest. Her eyes moved slowly upwards, taking in his face, which compared to his glittering torso, proved unremarkable, except for his strange burgundy eyes, which darkened almost to black as he stared back at Bella. His long, dirty blonde hair was tied behind his neck in a ponytail. His feet were bare. He stood at the edge of the meadow, a perfect statue, carved in some unknown stone, smooth like marble, glittering like crystal.
This wasn't the dark Edward from her dreams, but a close representation to it.
And then she felt Jacob grab her hand, pulling her back toward the blackest part of the forest. His palm was hot and sweaty, his russet skin shiny with perspiration. It beaded on his forehead, his eyes were overbright, glistening as if he was running a fever.
"Jacob, what's wrong?" Bella pleaded. She resisted as he tried to pull her forward. She didn't want to go into the dark.
Even as she spoke the words, she felt an eerie sense of déjà vu, picturing the frightened face of the boy from her dreams. But this was all happening now, in real time.
"Run, Bella, you have to run!" He whispered, terrified.
"Tell me why first?" Bella cried, her heart thumping madly with fear.
Then three things happened simultaneously. Bella's hair ruffled with the light breeze, just as two more glittering figures emerged from the forest edge, one male, one female. They quickly orientated themselves around the first male, clearly displaying who was the leader. The second male was easily the most outstanding of the trio. His skin, olive-toned beneath the pale pallor, his hair a glossy black, he was much harder muscled than the first male, his perfect teeth flashed white in the bright sun.
The female was wilder, her eyes shifting restlessly between both men, and Jacob and Bella in the distance. Her most distinguishing feature was her chaotic red hair, which quivered in the slight breeze. Her posture was distinctly feline, she reminded Bella of a cat about to pounce on an unsuspecting mouse.
All this Bella took in, in a matter of seconds.
And then…. then there was Jacob.
Just like in her dream, to her horror, Bella felt him let go of her hand and yelp. Shaking and twitching spasmodically, he fell to the ground at her feet.
"Jacob!" Bella screamed, dropping to her knees beside him. "Jacob!" She tried to reach for his hand, but he rolled away from her.
"Run, Bella, run." Jacob rasped, his eyes wide with terror.
"No!" Bella sobbed in anguish. She crawled toward him on her hands and knees, panic-stricken and fearful as she was, she would not leave him. "I'm not going anywhere without you." She had completely forgotten about the three glittering, marble statues, watching from the other side of the meadow.
The first male glanced in disbelief and aggravation at his companions. The red headed female remained on edge, her eyes flicking furtively to the two men and then over to Jacob and Bella on the ground.
Jacob was still pleading with Bella to run. He moaned, clutching his stomach as if it pained him. "Please go, Bella. Please – "His pleas were cut short as his whole body shuddered in one giant spasm. Instinctively, he scooted away from Bella, just as she reached out to him once more.
And then, with a sharp tearing sound, he exploded. He burst out of his skin to the sound of Bella's petrified screams-shreds of black and white cloth blasted up in the air. It happened so quickly that if Bella had blinked, she would have missed the entire transformation. One second it was Jacob lying on the ground, and then it was the gigantic, russet brown wolf – so enormous that she couldn't make sense of its mass somehow fitting inside Jacob-it was the very same wolf from her dreams.
Bella was completely spooked. She remained rooted in place, one hand raised in front of her where she had been in the process of reaching out to Jacob. The wolf's eyes were dark, nearly black. It gazed at her for a fraction of a second, it's deep-set eyes despairing-the black-brown eyes of Jacob Black.
Then, before Bella had a chance to react, the huge wolf took off in one graceful leap, sprinting across the grass with a few powerful bounds, snarling and snapping so loudly that Bella's hands flew up to cover her ears. He headed directly for the three statue-like figures still lined up on the other end of the meadow. They were backing toward the trees, looking as spooked as Bella, then as one, they swiftly turned and vanished into the green depths of the forest, with the enormous russet wolf snapping dangerously at their heels.
And just like that Bella was alone.
Her knees remained buckled underneath her, she fell onto her hands, hysterical sobs catching in her throat. She knew she needed to leave, but couldn't make herself move. Her arms and legs were shaking violently, and she didn't know how to get back onto her feet.
Her mind couldn't get past the fear, the horror or the confusion. She didn't understand what she had just witnessed. It seemed the same dream that had been haunting her nightly for weeks had been more of a premonition.
A cold breeze whipped through the meadow, swaying the grass like something was moving through it. Bella scrambled to her feet, backing away even though the wind brushed harmlessly past her. Scrambling in panic, she turned and ran headlong into the trees, following the path that she thought the russet wolf would have taken.
The next few hours were agony. At first Bella tried to pay attention to where she was headed, heavily focused on finding the russet wolf, the wolf that used to be Jacob. Unfortunately, she quickly got confused, and soon found herself lost in the deep and menacing forest. Her hands were shaking so violently with fear that every few minutes she had to stop- the sound of her squelching footsteps in the mud, the quiet whisper of unseen things moving in the leaves- making her feel faint.
The call of a jaybird made her leap back and fall into a thick stand of young spruce, scaping up her arms and tangling her hair with sap. The sudden rush of a squirrel up a hemlock made her scream so loud it hurt her own ears.
Bella longed for Jacob. Yearned to see his cheerful face. To feel his strong arms, wrap around her in one of his comforting hugs. Oh, how she missed him! Oh, how she wanted to rewind, to start the day over again, and prevent this horror show from ever happening in the first place.
At last, there was a break in the trees ahead. Bella came out and found herself back right where she had started. She was in the meadow again, had literally wandered around in circles. She felt fresh tears welling in her eyes. She collapsed to her knees, sobbing into her hands, her shoulders trembling in her anguish.
It was her tears that keep her soul alive in the furnace of the gut-wrenching pain of Jacob's absence. Bella cried until she had no more tears to shed, then curled up into a fetal position, mumbling Jacob's name over and over as she closed her eyes in weary defeat.
The next time Bella opened her eyes, she noticed that the light was fading, the encroaching trees of the dark forest casting shadows across her frozen body. She was cold, so cold, and about to get colder.
"You're awake." A familiar velvet voice said in relief.
Despite her exhaustion, Bella bolted upright, a tremor of fear rippling through her body as she realized she was no longer alone.
"Its okay, Bella. Its okay." Edward crooned softly, talking to her as one would talk to a frightened animal. He took her shoulders as she looked up at his face. "I'm here now. You're perfectly safe."
"Leave me alone." Bella protested weakly. She could feel the chill from his fingers seeping through the thin material of her shirt.
Edward ignored her request. "Let's get you out of here."
"No." Bella protested again, injecting a little more force into her tone this time. "I have to wait for Jacob. Where's Jacob?"
Frustration crossed Edward's face and showed in his voice when he answered. "I tried to warn you about Jacob Black. You were lucky you survived the encounter unscathed." His jaw tensed. "You really are a danger magnet."
Bella cringed away from him as he reached for her. Her heart raced as she tried to fight him off, but before she knew it, he proceeded to sling her on his back, like some kind of baggage.
"Hold on tight." He warned her.
And then he was running.
Bella had never feared death before, it was nothing to how she felt now. He streaked through the dark, thick undergrowth of the forest like a bullet, like a ghost. She was forced to clamp her legs and arms tightly around him to prevent herself falling off. There was no sound, no evidence that his feet touched the earth. His breathing never changed, never indicated any effort. But the trees flew by at deadly speeds, always missing them by inches.
Bella was too terrified to close her eyes, though the cool forest air whipped against her face and burned them. She felt as if she were stupidly sticking her head out the window of an airplane in flight. And, for the first time in her life, she felt the dizzy, faintness of motion sickness.
Then it was over. They had reached the edge of the forest, miles, and miles from where she and Jacob had entered it that morning. Bella saw the glint of the silver Volvo parked by the side of the deserted road.
"Exhilerating, isn't it?" Edward's voice was high, excited.
He stood motionless, waiting for Bella to climb down. She tried, but her muscles wouldn't respond. Her arms and legs stayed locked in place, while her head spun uncomfortably.
"Bella?" Edward asked, anxious now.
"I feel sick." She gasped.
"Oh, sorry." Edward gently loosened her stranglehold on his neck. Then he pulled her around to face him, cradling her in his arms like a small child. He held her for a moment against her will, there was no resisting the iron strength of his hold, then carefully placed her on the springy ferns. "How do you feel now?" He asked.
Bella's response was to puke at his feet.
Edward sighed resignedly. "Put your head between your knees."
Bella tried that; it helped a little. She breathed in and out slowly, keeping her head very still. She felt Edward sitting beside her and shuddered. She didn't know how much more she could take. The moments passed, and she eventually found she could raise her head again. There was a hollow ringing in her ears.
"I guess that wasn't the best idea." Edward mused.
"You think?" Bella muttered sarcastically as she closed her eyes to block him out.
Edward laughed; his mood suddenly radiant. "Open your eyes, Bella."
He was like Jekyll and Hyde, the way his mood changed in any given moment, Bella thought to herself as she slowly opened her eyes again. She was shocked to see his face so close to hers. It was too much, she jolted away from him, her anger overriding her fear.
"How dare you take advantage of me!" She snapped, rising unsteadily to her feet. "Keep back!"
Edward's eyes darkened with indignation. "Take advantage of you?" He demanded. He caught her chin in his hand, his cold touch sending goose pimples racing across her skin. He studied her guarded expression thoughtfully. "I was the one who rescued you, Bella." His jaw was clenched in acute restraint, yet he didn't lapse from his perfect articulation. He held his face just inches away, dazzling her. "The very least you could do is thank me."
"For what?" Bella retorted, eyes blazing with fury. "For nearly killing me? We could have hit the trees at the speed you were going."
"Silly, Bella. I would never let anything hurt you, even a stray branch." Edward chuckled. "Running is second nature to me, its not something I have to think about."
Bella tried to disengage herself from his tight hold on her chin, but he refused to let her move so much as an inch. She kept her eyes on his, watched as the humor faded in his.
"What are you?" She whispered hoarsely.
Edward looked deeply into her eyes, his tone softening. "You already know."
Bella gulped, not wanting to say the word out loud, not wanting to believe, but after everything that had happened, how could she not? "You're a vampire." She choked out.
"Yes, I am." Edward confirmed with a grim smile.
Bella was nearly suffocated buy the sweet fragrance coming off his skin. He finally released her face, and she stepped back, breathing raggedly.
"I believe you are intoxicated by my very presence." He said with a playful smirk.
"Nope. Not a chance." Bella replied vehemently.
Again, his mobile features transformed, his expression became highly irritated. "You are telling me that you are not affected at all?" He questioned, drawing closer to her again, eyes smoldering.
"I am affected, but not in the way you think." Bella stepped back from him, tone hardening. "I despise you."
Edward smirked. "Then why are you trembling?"
"Because I'm cold." Bella retorted.
Edward didn't answer, merely raised his eyebrows disbelievingly.
Bella wanted to scream out her frustration. She was getting desperate. It was late. She was worried about Jacob. She had no idea where he was. Or how he was. If he was in danger. Or even where to start looking. And here she was, stuck in the middle of nowhere with a freaking vampire. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Edward's demeanor softened. "Let's get you in the car and warm you up. Then I'll drive you home."
"I can't go home. I need to find Jacob." Bella argued. "You seem to know more than you're saying. Tell me!"
Edward's lips thinned as soon as she said Jacob's name. "There is nothing you can do for him, Bella." He replied with little empathy. "He's not safe. You need to forget about him. Now, please, get in the car and I'll drive you home."
A/N-thanks for reading!