Chapter 13: The Bubble Girl

Bella sped through the forest at speeds that still left her in awe, even a month into her new life. The trees blurred into streaks of vibrant green and earthy brown as she dashed past them, her senses heightened to an almost overwhelming degree. The wind whipped through her hair, and the ground seemed to fly beneath her feet. Life was still difficult, but she was slowly getting a handle on everything.

The thrill of running, the sheer power she felt with each stride, was still so new to her, and she marveled at it, loving every moment. As she ran, she could hear every rustle of leaves, every chirp from birds, and even the distant heartbeat of a deer as she raced through the forest. Her new abilities were truly a gift, though they came with some pretty heavy and awful burdens. But in these moments of freedom, she embraced the gift wholeheartedly.

Seeing a cliff edge in front of her, she smiled and picked up her pace, launching herself off the edge. For a brief, glorious moment, she soared through the air, the forest spreading out beneath her like a vast, green carpet. Gravity eventually took hold, pulling her down, but she landed perfectly on the balls of her feet, her body absorbing the impact with ease. She continued running, the death-defying jump feeling as natural as breathing. She loved doing this, and the excitement of those brief moments when it felt like she was flying would never grow old.

Bella still required constant feedings to maintain her rational mind, but she had found that her sanity wasn't completely abandoning her now when she smelled the scent of humans. Several times, when she had caught that delicious aroma, she had paused, trying to hold herself still while her mind screamed at her to run, bite, and suck. She hadn't yet come close to winning that internal battle, but each moment of resistance felt like a victory, a positive step in her quest for normality.

Currently, Bella was in Pennsylvania, after stays in New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. A time schedule of four days seemed to work well for her. For the poor souls who encountered her, she was now burying them much deeper in the ground, hopefully never to be found. Then she would move on to another area. This type of existence was incredibly lonely, and she didn't know if she could have done it without her mom as a lifeline. Being able to speak with her daily did wonders to ground her, reminding her of how life should be.

Bella often found herself in the quietest parts of the states, where human contact would not be an issue until it was time to make it one. The great majority of her last month had been peaceful, with her days and nights filled with the sounds of nature, which in her solitary life now acted as her constant companions: the rustling leaves, the distant hoots of owls, and the gentle murmur of streams. Each new location offered a brief respite from her predatory instincts, but the cycle always resumed.

She also spoke with Charlie more often, much more than when she went to school or lived in Phoenix. While he initially had many objections to her current lifestyle, he was slowly coming to the realization that she could, in fact, handle herself in the world. He really had no idea that she was now the strongest person in the world and seemingly invulnerable to boot. At least in the first month of her new life, she had not found any weaknesses at all in regard to her new body.

Bella believed she had figured out most of the peculiarities of whatever she was, but new surprises still occurred. To her continued confusion, she hadn't once had to go to the bathroom. She could only surmise that her body somehow used up all the blood like gasoline in a car, and that's why she had to feed so often. Still, it weirded her out not having to go.

The other really unusual trait so far was that she had not slept once since she became like this. If this persisted—and it appeared that it would—it made her sad to think she would never be able to sleep again. She had always felt so refreshed after waking up from a good long sleep. Now, even though she always felt refreshed, the simple pleasure of drifting off into dreamland seemed forever beyond her reach.

When Bella spoke to her mom, her cover story was that she was backpacking across the country. In a way, that wasn't entirely a lie; she did have a backpack she used when traveling, carrying all her worldly possessions. Luck had been on her side at one of the first houses she stayed at in New Hampshire, where she found a working cell phone and charger. Now she could call her parents from the same number wherever she went. Hopefully it wouldn't be reported stolen and disconnected anytime soon.

From the beginning, Bella decided she would not reveal what had happened to her over the phone. If she ever did tell her mom, it would have to be in person, and she was definitely not ready for anything like that.

With reluctance, Bella had also begun taking all the cash her meals had on them. She had no use for the money yet, but she believed sooner or later she would. This added another shame to her growing list, but it had allowed her to amass a stash of over $2,000 so far. She made it a point never to look at the IDs of her victims. She had a growing suspicion that she would never forget any of these difficult early days of her new life, and she didn't need names to put with the growing number of faces that haunted her when she was alone with her thoughts.

With the sense that her control was slowly improving, Bella knew that as soon as she felt she was ready, she would be switching over to taking out criminals. The number of people she had already killed was staggering, and she knew she had a lot to repent for. One of the few realizations that kept her focused on the future was her determination that as soon as she could, she would focus on taking out those who harmed others in society. Maybe she could do just a little bit of good in the world to counterbalance all the wrongs she had committed.

Besides the issues with eating, Bella loved her new life. The freedom to travel and see the country was invigorating. She could run to the highest mountaintop or swim to the deepest part of a lake. One of the biggest surprises of her new life came when she found out, while swimming for the first time in New Hampshire, that she didn't need to breathe anymore. This discovery had led her to feel her chest for the familiar thump of a heartbeat, only to realize she no longer had one.

The absence of a heartbeat had freaked her out. She had spent hours sitting by the side of the lake, pressing her fingers to her wrist and chest, waiting to feel that reassuring pulse, but it had never come. The idea that she didn't have a heartbeat was unsettling, and it had made her wonder if she was a zombie. Zombies did supposedly eat human flesh, but…

No, for the time being, she had settled on the belief that she was a vampire. If not that, then James and that crazy woman must have been aliens who had abducted her to do experiments on her... No, she was sticking with vampire until someone told her differently.

After the shock of learning she didn't need to breathe anymore wore off, she had quickly embraced it. Seeing the large lake in front of her, she had dove right back into the water. She swam down to the deepest part of the lake, marveling at the underwater world in a way that no humans ever got to see. The fish swam around her, unbothered by her presence, and the water plants swayed gently. She stayed under the water for the rest of the day and into the night, thinking. She knew eventually she would have to head to the ocean so she could see the beautiful marine life. Eventually, she had surfaced when her hunger returned, but it had been one of the most unusual days of her new life.

A few days later found Bella running through the forest, reveling in the freedom to go wherever she pleased and do whatever she desired. The sky was overcast, casting a gentle gray light over the entire landscape and sparing her from those pesky sparkles, much to her delight. The cool, damp air filled her lungs as she sprinted through the dense foliage.

In the distance, a large mountain loomed, its peak shrouded in mist. Bella set her sights on it, eager to explore the mountaintop and take in the scenic views of the lands around her. She had taken many pictures on her phone. She just wished there was someone she could share them with. She wasn't out looking for food, as she had already eaten earlier that morning, her hunger thankfully sated for now. While running, she spotted a deer and her fawn grazing a good distance away and came to a halt, admiring the serene scene. The mother deer lifted her head, ears twitching, but seemed unbothered by Bella's presence.

Bella loved watching wildlife in their natural habitat. Each encounter was a reminder of the world's innocence and beauty, something she clung to amidst the violent chaos of her current existence. Her favorite animals to watch were bears, especially the little cubs with their mothers. The cubs were so cute as they played with each other, their clumsy antics bringing a smile to her face. It was like having a front-row seat to a National Geographic show.

Seeing the deer brought back the memory of the first time she had encountered a deer during that first week of her new life. She had been running through the forest, when she stopped short, her eyes locking onto the beautiful animal not 30 yards away. It had frozen too, its large, dark eyes staring back at her, probably unsure of what to make of her. The sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on its tawny coat. As they stared at each other, a thought had entered her mind: What if she could feed from animals instead of humans? Animals had blood too. While the thought of killing the creature tore at her heart, as she had always loved animals, she knew it would be better than killing an innocent human.

Determined to test her theory, Bella had sprinted forward. The deer tried to flee, its muscles tensing for flight, but it didn't get more than a few yards before she slammed into it. The impact was swift and brutal, her newfound strength overpowering the animal instantly. Not wasting any time, she had bitten into its throat and started to drink. The warm blood flowed into her mouth, but to her great disappointment, she had retched, coughing up the blood, which tasted foul and repulsive. It was no use; her stomach clearly couldn't handle the different type of blood.

As she continued coughing, she looked over at the deer now on the ground, and her heart broke. She had hurt the deer badly when she ran into it, and sadly, it was still alive. The pain in its eyes was a mirror of her own turmoil. The deer's labored breathing and the shallow rise and fall of its chest made her feel a deep sense of guilt. She felt so bad, but she knew she had to put it out of its misery. Kneeling down, she gently stroked its fur, feeling the softness under her fingers. "I'm so sorry. I just had to try," she whispered, her voice filled with regret, before quickly snapping the deer's neck, ending its suffering. Since that day, she had given animals a wide berth, only watching from a distance to ensure their safety.

As Bella watched, the deer and her fawn started to walk away, their delicate steps barely making a sound on the forest floor. She smiled softly, admiring their grace. But as she watched them, the wind shifted, and a different scent invaded Bella's nostrils. Her eyes widened as the most heavenly aroma enveloped her senses. Oh god, she thought. She wanted it so badly, but she forced her legs to lock in place and really think before acting on instinct.

It was incredibly difficult, with her brain screaming at her to find the source of that smell, but Bella clung to her sanity. She rationalized that she had already eaten just a few hours ago; she didn't have to be a slave to her instincts. This was her chance to resist and maybe talk to whoever the source of the smell was. She needed to learn control, or she would forever be killing innocent people.

Every fiber of her being urged her to give in, to satiate the burning thirst that consumed her, but she fought against it. It was the most difficult thing she had ever done, but Bella started to slowly walk toward the smell. Her steps were deliberate, each one a test of her willpower. Eventually, she saw in the distance the distinct orange shirt that signified the man was a hunter. She recognized the type of jacket immediately, having unfortunately encountered many hunters during her own hunts through the forest.

She kept her mouth tightly closed, determined not to inhale as she advanced slowly. She definitely wouldn't be using her nose. She could do this; she did not have to be a killer of the innocent. Silently, she approached the man, who was turned in the other direction, focused on his own brand of hunting. The man had not noticed her yet, preoccupied with scanning the forest for game.

It was terrifying, and she prayed she could do this, but so far, so good. She had never gotten this close to a human before without losing control. As she advanced, her hopes were rising. She was silent in her steps, and now only ten feet away, she was about to try speaking when she stepped on a tree branch, which snapped with a loud cracking noise under her foot.

Before she knew what was happening, the hunter whirled around, his shotgun leveled at her. Bella barely had time to register the explosion as the gun fired, the deafening blast echoing through the forest, and she saw the barrel was pointed directly at her chest.

Scared beyond belief, Bella had no idea if her skin could withstand bullets. Before she could move, her heightened vision tracked the projectile speeding toward her. In a fraction of a second, she braced herself for impact, but just as it was about to hit, she saw it stop, deflecting off something invisible and harmlessly hitting the ground to her right. What the hell? What had just happened?

Bella stood in shock, her mind racing to process what she had just witnessed. She looked up at the hunter, who also wore an expression of wide-eyed disbelief. The man's face was pale, his mouth agape as he tried to make sense of what he had just seen. His hands trembled as he kept the shotgun leveled at her.

Bella took a tentative step toward the hunter, but he reacted in fright. "What… what are you?" he yelled, his eyes wild with fear, his voice trembling. He began to back away, his movements jerky and uncoordinated. "Stay back!" the hunter shouted, his voice rising in panic. "I shot you... Stay the hell away from me! I'm… I'm warning you."

Quickly, Bella raised her arms in a gesture of peace, trying to show the man she meant no harm. But before she could move again, the retreating hunter stumbled, tripping over a raised tree root. He fell backward, his arms flailing as he tried to regain his balance. The shotgun slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground as he instinctively used his hands to cushion his fall.

That was when Bella smelled it—not just the scent of the man, but the unmistakable aroma of fresh blood. He must have cut his hand when he landed. Bella's eyes widened as all rational thought evaporated, replaced by an insatiable thirst. She pounced.

In an instant, she was on him. The man screamed, a sound that barely registered in her frenzied mind as she bit into his throat, her teeth sinking effortlessly into his soft flesh. The taste of his blood, warm and rich, flooded her senses, and she swallowed mouthful after mouthful with fervent eagerness. The metallic sweetness was intoxicating, overpowering any remnants of her humanity or rational mind.

The man's arms flailed weakly against her, an annoyance she quickly rectified by bringing one hand up to grip his head, pulling it back to get a better angle. His movements ceased instantly, his body going limp, but she took no real notice as she continued to drink greedily, lost in the euphoria of the moment.

As the flow of blood slowed and eventually stopped, reality began to creep back into Bella's awareness, and she realized what she had done. Damn it, she had been so close to resisting. She noticed she was straddling the man's waist, holding him upright as she drank. She looked at the man—oh god, it looked like she had wrenched his head back and broken his neck; his head was fixed at an unnatural angle. She hated when she hurt them more than was necessary.

It was then that she noticed something pressing against her center. Looking down, she recoiled. Eww, the man had an erection. Bella quickly stood up, grimacing. That seemed to happen to some men in the throes of dying; she didn't know why and really didn't want to learn the answer.

As Bella stood over her unintended meal, her eyes were drawn to the shotgun lying off to the man's left, and the memory of what had just transpired rushed back to her. She looked back to where she had been standing moments before, replaying the image of the bullet flying straight toward her, only for it to veer off course inexplicably at the last second. What had happened? It made no sense to her whatsoever.

Determined to unravel the mystery, she decided to take the gun with her, along with the extra ammo the man had been carrying. She would conduct some experiments back where she was staying to see if she could recreate the circumstances and figure out what had occurred. Glancing down at the lifeless body, she let out a sigh. She hadn't wanted this to happen. Control was something she desperately needed to master, but every failure like this... She shook her head, knowing she needed to work harder; mistakes like this were not an option when she was dealing with people's lives.

She could acknowledge that she had resisted much better this time when she was at a distance. Thinking it over, she resolved to continue practicing, learning to live being close to the constant torment. But for the time being, she would refrain from approaching people just to say hello. One day, she told herself, hopefully soon, but she would need to be stronger before she took that next step in her journey.

As she scanned the area, her gaze settled on a patch of what looked like soft earth beneath a large oak tree. It seemed like a proper spot for a burial.

When Bella returned to the house, she immediately headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. After she was clean and refreshed, she went to the dining room where she had left the gun. As she picked up the shotgun, the cold metal felt foreign in her hands—it was the first gun she had ever held. Memories of the man pulling the trigger flashed through her mind, his movements quick and precise. She mimicked his actions in her head, thinking it seemed easy enough to use.

Determined to test it herself, Bella stepped outside into the crisp evening air. The sky was tinged with the orange hues of the setting sun, casting long shadows across the yard. She aimed the shotgun at a knot on a tree roughly a hundred yards away and squeezed the trigger. The shotgun roared to life, the sound reverberating through the stillness. The bullet struck the tree knot dead center. She nodded, satisfied with the gun's accuracy.

Devising a plan to shoot the shotgun while standing in front of it at a distance proved to be an intriguing and somewhat fun challenge. She used strings to rig the shotgun, ensuring it would fire without her directly handling it. For her first test, Bella positioned herself just off to the right, where it would appear the shotgun blast was aimed at her but would actually miss. She didn't want to risk getting hit. After all, she wasn't certain if she was truly bulletproof.

Getting into position, she held onto the string and pulled it slowly, her eyes fixed on the shotgun. The weapon fired with a deafening boom, and she watched as the bullet sped toward her. To her amazement, just as before, it veered off course, after bouncing off some sort of invisible barrier before it could reach her.

"Holy shit!" she exclaimed, stunned. It must be me, she thought, her mind racing. What was that? It seemed like some sort of invisible bubble had appeared when she was scared, protecting her from harm.

Determined to understand this newfound ability, Bella reset the experiment. This time, she focused intently on herself, trying to feel any unusual sensations. As the bullet approached, she felt a faint tingling in her head, a subtle pressure that seemed to coincide with the bullet's deflection.

Sitting down in front of a cluster of rocks, she tried to understand this newfound ability. She closed her eyes, concentrating on all the sensations she had felt. Finally, she found the tingling in her head, which was faint but present, like an instinctual response just beneath her consciousness.

Working for hours just sitting on the ground, trying to manipulate her brain in strange ways, was actually quite fascinating for Bella. She sat cross-legged on the cool, damp earth, the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind providing a soothing backdrop to her intense concentration. She kept her eyes closed, breathing deeply, as she focused inward, trying to figure out this strange, protective bubble. It felt surreal, like she was tapping into a part of herself she never knew existed.

She would never have guessed that she had any sort of powers, let alone something as incredible as an invisible bubble, or that such a thing was even possible. This was some science fiction-level shit, reminding her of those X-Men movies. If she was a vampire, she thought, she might be considered a mutant in a way—she had been human and then changed into something else entirely.

The evening air was cool against her skin as she focused intently, her brow furrowed in concentration. She continued to try and isolate that faint tingling sensation in her head that seemed to correspond with the bubble. Each time she managed to evoke the feeling, she felt a subtle shift in the air around her, as if the very atmosphere responded to her thoughts.

After hours of intense concentration, Bella finally made a breakthrough. She watched in astonishment as a rock in front of her suddenly sliced in half. How had she done that? She picked up the two halves of the rock, turning them over in her hands. The sliced areas were perfectly smooth, as if they had been cut by a precision laser. Whatever she had done, it was incredibly powerful if it could slice through solid rock with such ease.

Excitement surged through her as she continued working on it, only taking a break around 10:00 at night to call her mom. The brief conversation grounded her, providing a touch of normalcy in her otherwise extraordinary day. As soon as she hung up, she returned to her spot, her focus unbroken as she worked through the night and into the next morning.

By midday, her concentration was so intense that she almost felt like a weariness had settled over her. She was definitely hungry. The mental exertion was taking its toll, but the results were worth it. From that first slice, she had continued experimenting, learning she could direct her power with increasing precision. Each successful attempt filled her with a sense of awe and empowerment. She could slice rocks with a mere thought, her mind acting as a blade sharper than any knife.

After a quick, filling meal, Bella dove back into her practice. She pushed herself hard, testing the limits of her abilities. Halfway through the next day, she discovered that she could also push and pull objects with her mind. It was incredibly difficult at first, requiring all her concentration and effort. But the longer she practiced, the easier it became. Pushing rocks came more naturally, but with perseverance, she managed to pull small rocks toward her as well.

She spent hours moving those small rocks around on the ground in front of her, the act both challenging and exhilarating. Each successful movement brought a surge of satisfaction, and she found herself laughing out loud at the sheer joy of it. It was hard work, but it was also great fun. Bella felt like she was in a dream, exploring the full extent of powers she had never known she had.

Morning came again, the sunlight filtering through the trees and lighting Bella up like a disco ball. She stood up, realizing she had been sitting there for a full day, lost in her experiments. She felt like she should stretch to get the knots out of her muscles, but she knew she really didn't need to. Using her mental powers took a lot of energy, and she was famished again. She picked a direction at random and ran, the forest blurring around her as she moved with supernatural speed.

A half hour later, she came out of her haze, her hunger sated. She looked down at the dead man with pity. At least she hadn't broken his neck this time. As she was about to search for a spot to dig a grave, a thought occurred to her. What would happen if she used her newfound power on the man? Curiosity piqued, she focused on the man's forearm. In her mind, she envisioned the slicing move she had practiced on the rocks, and a red line appeared where she had aimed.

She bent down, nudging his arm. Damn, she thought, seeing that his forearm was no longer attached to his body. The cut was clean, straight through the bone. Intrigued but still a little disgusted, she picked up the severed limb to study it closer. The precision of her ability was astonishing. It was clear her power was lethal to humans.

The sight of the blood starting to coalesce around the open wound made her want to lick it like a lollipop, but thankfully, she refrained from engaging in that indignity. She placed the arm back on the man's chest and stood up, resolving to dig a grave.

Three weeks later, Bella's skills had improved even further. Pushing and pulling objects with her mind had become like second nature, as easy as moving her own limbs. She could now manipulate objects with a flick of her thoughts, the invisible force bending to her will. The forest around her had become a training ground, littered with evidence of her progress: rocks neatly sliced in half, small boulders displaced from their original positions, and trees with branches that had been sliced and diced as she practiced.

The new challenge she had taken on after realizing she could do it was lifting and moving objects through the air with her mind. This ability demanded a great deal of her mental energy, requiring much more intense concentration and focus than simply pushing or pulling objects and definitely more than slicing, which took no concentration at all. Bella sat cross-legged on the forest floor, her eyes locked on a fallen pine cone. She furrowed her brow, concentrating on the sensation she had come to recognize—the faint tingling at the back of her mind that signaled the activation of her powers. Slowly, the pine cone wobbled, lifted slightly off the ground, and hovered in midair.

The effort was immense, and she could feel the strain in her mind, like a muscle being stretched to its limit. With a deep breath, she directed the pine cone to move to the left. It obeyed her command, floating through the air with a slow, deliberate grace. Encouraged, she tried moving it in a circle, but the motion caused her head to ache, and the pine cone dropped back to the ground.

Undeterred, Bella picked another target—a small rock. It quivered, then rose into the air, and she guided it to float in circles in front of her. The rock spun and twirled, following the invisible path she set for it. The more she practiced, the more fluid and natural the movements became.

Her surroundings were quiet, save for the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirp of a bird. The tranquility of the forest was a stark contrast to the whirlwind of activity in her mind. She marveled at the power she wielded, the sheer force of her will transforming her environment. Each successful attempt filled her with a sense of wonder and pride. She would not merely survive—she would master her new existence.

As the day wore on, the sunlight filtering through the canopy above, Bella continued to experiment. She lifted twigs, stones, any small object she could see, creating intricate patterns in the air with them. The forest seemed to dance around her, responding to her commands.

By dusk, she was satisfied with her progress. The mental exertion was immense, but each day she grew stronger, more adept at wielding her powers. Her thoughts drifted to her parents, her friends, and the life she had left behind. She wondered how they would react if they knew what she had become. Would they be afraid? Would they accept her? She imagined one day going back home to see her mom, showing her all that she could now do. The thought made her smile, and she stood up to go inside, wanting to talk with her about her day… well, a watered-down version of her day at least.

Having superpowers like she did had Bella starting to question if there were even other beings like her out there. The idea troubled her as she practiced her abilities, pushing the boundaries of what she thought was possible. If vampires or whatever she was had superpowers like this, why hadn't any humans ever seen them before? Why were there no stories in human history about superpowered beings, except in movies and comic books? An even bigger mystery loomed—why hadn't people with powers like hers taken over the world centuries ago? It would have been so easy.

Bella pondered these questions as she sat relaxing on the porch of the house she was staying at, the evening sun casting long shadows across the yard. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of pine and damp earth. She stared at the distant treeline, lost in thought, while a rock floated next to her, spinning in small circles. Maybe James had been an alien after all, and they had flown away, leaving her alone in the world. The realization dawned on her that perhaps they had intended to vaporize her when they took off in their spaceship, but the bubble she now knew she possessed had protected her. That could explain how she had woken up in the middle of that explosion. The memory of the fiery blast flashed through her mind—the heat, the deafening noise—but she had emerged unscathed.

The authorities had still not been able to explain the source of the explosion. Some of the houses she stayed at had computers with working internet connections, and she liked to keep track of the developments in the investigation. She remembered sitting in a cozy, dimly lit study in a house in Vermont she had stayed at, the glow of the computer screen illuminating her face as she read through every news article and government report she could find on the incident. The details were always the same—no clear cause, no suspects, just a massive, inexplicable explosion.

I hope you enjoyed Bella learning about her powers. She will never stop practicing, always striving to become better. In her next chapter, even though it hasn't been a year, we'll see Bella in the big city. She feels she's ready and can restrain herself from going after innocent people. Let's hope she's right. But next we'll be going back to 1943 to check in on Edward and another Twilight character. Reviews or comments are appreciated. I really enjoy reading your feedback.