Surprise! This is my first attempt at something drabble-ish. It's more of a personal challenge, because anyone who knows me knows brevity isn't my strong suit. ;) Each chapter is exactly 500 words, which was haaard, guys. It'll be short and it's unbeta'd. Each and every mistake is my own. Thirty-one chapters plus an epilogue will update daily through October.
While this wasn't beta'd, I did have a few lovely ladies preread. Many thanks to 2brown-eyes, BitterHarpy, DrivingEdward, Maplestyle, and on the early chapters, Honeymoon Edward. You ladies rock! Xo
This little story was inspired by a prompt over on The Fic Lab on Facebook and an image I was playing with in an app. The prompt was "Texts from last night."
And for those of you waiting for updates on my other stories—ASPtL, especially—I'm sharing the words that are coming to me. *shrugs* The last year has been a struggle to make new words, so I'm writing what's speaking to me. There's no reason to remind me of the other unfinished stories I have in progress at the moment. I've certainly not forgotten about them.
Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.
Summary: Something evil happened that night, under the canopy of trees, but Bella's foggy memories are too terrifying to be believed. And the texts from her husband have left her with more questions than answers. The only thing she knows for certain is that whatever destroyed her life that night is still lurking. Her escape will be more difficult than just being pulled out of the woods.
Out of the Woods
The caw of a crow echoes in the distance. The cool, wet soil filling my fingernails is a sharp contrast to the papery leaves I encounter as my hand curls against the muddy earth beneath me. My head pounds and my muscles don't want to cooperate.
I'm cold. So very cold.
Taking a shallow breath, the heavy, brackish air seeps into my lungs as my eyes flutter open.
The canopy of treetops soaring above me in the bluish-gray morning light, standing sentry to my supine form, is as unfamiliar as it is soothing.
Still, I have no idea where I am.
My last memories flash through my mind like a flip book.
Celebrating Edward's birthday.
Drinking a little too much for a Wednesday night.
Sneaking off and letting him take me in a dark corner of the club's alley.
Chaos.
Screaming.
Red eyes.
A malevolent smile.
I sit up, dizzy, unsteady, my heart thrashing erratically in my chest. My head is heavy and my vision swirls, spots forming before my eyes. With trembling hands, I jerkily claw through the leaves and twigs, searching for my phone, desperate to get help.
"Help!" I cry out, my voice hoarse and broken, eyes stinging. "Anyone! Please, help me!"
A gust of wind kicks up, rustling leaves and branches and blowing my snarled hair into my face. Fresh mud cakes my already dirty knees, my filthy skirt, as I crawl across the forest floor.
Cast off at the base of a tree is my mangled purse, the wrist strap shredded, the fabric covered in mud. But nestled safely inside is what I'm so desperately searching for.
The signal is weak, a single bar, flickering as I struggle to hold my dying cellphone above my head, but it's enough. I'm so focused on whether or not I have a signal, I don't notice the date in the corner of my screen.
It's Sunday.
I also don't see the text until I unlock my phone.
Please forgive me
Those three words make my heart seize.
Opening the app, there are more, and as I read each one in reverse—
I'm so sorry
I'll come back for you, baby. I promise
I don't know where they've taken me. I don't know where they took you!
Did they hurt you? They promised they wouldn't hurt you
Oh god it fucking burns
I don't know what's happening to me.
—the memories that follow those in the alley become clearer.
Sinister laughter.
Edward's head tossed back in absolute agony.
Sharp teeth.
Blood.
But it's a foggy memory, one I'm not sure is real or one of my own making, that sends an icy tendril of dread up my spine.
Edward pulling away from his favorite place on my neck, licking at the crimson staining his lips.
My voice, raspy and thin, calling out his name as I reach for his retreating form.
His voice, strong and musical like I've never heard it.
"Sleep, my love. I'll come back for you."
