CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Bella
Note left on the nightstand, warmest clothes on, including a woolly multi-colored bobble hat knitted by Gran which has grown with me, I follow Edward's exit through the window but nowhere near as gracefully. Jupiter has sensed something's going on. He's outside the door grumbling about not being let in but thankfully not loud enough to wake the parents.
When my feet touch the ground, they slide from under me. Only Gran's bench saves me from falling on my butt. The guilty patch of ice shimmers in the moonlight. Taking extra care now, I pick my way to the stables where Ranger and Star hear my footsteps and snort a welcome. I guess they're anticipating an early breakfast. Sorry, guys.
"Hey," Edward says when I appear. "If that's getting ready in a rush, I'd hate …"
"Don't you dare complain," I interrupt. "I'm still half asleep. When was the last time you woke up and had to get dressed in a rush, oh, sleepless one?"
"Over a thousand years ago – sorry."
I can't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of his reply.
"Aren't you freezing?" I ask. Edward's attire consists of a light jacket, a thin cotton shirt, cream this time, and what look like pants made of material more suitable for a summer afternoon not the first frost of winter.
"I'm fine," he replies. "I don't feel the cold.
"Of course you don't," I reply facetiously, and let him witness one of my eye rolls for a change. "So where are we going?"
"Away from here."
"Obviously, but how?"
Edward's comment last night about wanting to 'take me somewhere' begs that question. I can't see horses or even a horseless cart nearby.
"I can run fast, Bella, but don't be concerned, I'll carry you. Are you okay with that?"
"What!" I respond, but before I can say anything else, he pulls me onto his back, ensures my gloved hands are clasped under his neck, and with his hands clutching my thighs which he's wrapped either side of his waist, he sets off at speed. I can't prevent myself from screaming with surprise. I've never been so exhilarated, or cold, in my entire life.
After crossing Uley's farm, where we frighten the life out of his herd of dozing sheep, Edward heads towards the forest which by now is filling my field of vision. I've kept my eyes open up to this point but once we are under the canopy and Edward has to twist and turn to avoid the trees, some of which are enormous, I have to close them or I'll be sick. With my sight gone, the sounds and scents of the forest become more profound. I'll have to ask him to do this again. This is amazing.
We've only been inside the forest for about five minutes when I sense Edward slowing. I feel confident enough to look around me when it's plain we are moving at a humanlike pace. I'd already suspected we were close to water so I'm not surprised when Edward comes to a halt beside a fast-flowing river. Below us, and for about a hundred yards on either side, rushing water tumbles over a rocky cascade until the forest swallows the swollen river.
Edward gently lowers me to the ground but doesn't let go until he's confident I'm steady on my feet. My face must be blue but the rest of my body feels okay which surprises me. While I'm wondering why Edward has brought me here, the first rays of morning break through the trees followed by a brilliant flash. It's only then I spot the remains of what would have been an enormous house and I'm guessing this is where Edward used to live. The strength of the morning light reflecting on shards of glass poking up from where windows used to be, cause me to shade my eyes. Even in this state, it's easy to imagine what a magnificent building this had been, and situated in a truly idyllic spot.
"This was our home," Edward shouts over the roar of the water. He points to the river. "This used to be a gentle stream, and the trees surrounding the house were almost all fir and pine back then. The forest has changed so much but I still love it. One day I'll come back and rebuild this place."
"It's beautiful here," I reply. "Why did you move away?"
"I'll tell you very soon, but not here. Jump on my back again. We're not going far, just a bit further into the forest."
"I do as I'm told. Edward doesn't speed this time but runs at a normal pace, however with more confidence than I ever would over such uneven ground, and uphill as well. We're heading toward the mountains - I can see the top of one directly in front of us. After about half a mile we reach the border fence which I'd rarely laid eyes on before. Edward doesn't slow as expected, but speeds up as we approach and shouts "Hold tight." The next minute we're soaring skyward. Screaming, and with my eyes tightly shut, I wait for the crash landing. Thankfully, Edward drops lightly onto soft ground and continues running as though this is nothing out of the ordinary.
"So you do fly then," I shout in his ear.
Edward laughs and shakes his head. "Unfortunately not. That would be one skill which could be very useful."
We've only traveled about a quarter of a mile up a gentle gradient when Edward slows to a walking pace. Still clinging to his back, he carries me through a belt of thinning trees until we reach a wide clearing where late-flowering wildflowers surround a small, picturesque house, that sits comfortably in the center of what can only be described as a meadow. From this distance, the house looks as though it's been built with stone rather than wood, but still with a sloping shingle roof the same as the houses in Lympi. As I'm staring in wonder at what's before me, I feel like I'm inside a painting, and for a brief moment, I contemplate whether this last hour had all been a dream. Maybe I'll wake soon and then be miserable for the rest of the day imagining this is what life could be like if Edward took me away from Forks.
Edward helps me down and takes hold of my hand. I'm too stunned to say anything. Over and above being in this beautiful spot and alone with him, in the back of my mind are the implications that come with being on the wrong side of the border fence. Drummed into all Lympians from an early age is that a transgression such as this would result in serious consequences, but only if the Elders found out of course. Dismissing such misdemeanors from my thoughts, I'm determined to enjoy whatever happens next, whether it's a dream or not.
"Who lives here?" I ask as we walk hand in hand through the flowers.
"No one permanently now. My family built this house after the catastrophe as a place to go if any of us wanted space away from the family, or for privacy. My brother and his wife lived here for a while and I often spend time here when my mental health needs self-care. In my opinion, this is a perfect place for meditation, recuperation, and healing. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Mental health?" I question as I don't know what he's talking about. "What's that?"
"Depression, anxiety, mood swings. Don't you suffer from those?"
"Some of the time, but I have pigs, chickens, horses, and a farm to look after. If I asked Charlie for time off for my mental health he'd laugh at me. 'If you can get out of bed you can work,' is what he would say."
Edward doesn't respond, he just grips my hand more tightly. I notice then he's trembling. Is this an important moment for him? Maybe he's taking me to meet his mom and dad. Oh heck, I should've made more of an effort at five or thereabouts in the morning. What am I walking into?
On the doorstep, Edward looks down at me. "Do you feel comfortable going in?" he asks.
"Why shouldn't I?" I reply. "Is there someone or something behind the door that might frighten me?"
"Not someone, but there are things in there you will never have seen before which you might find confusing. Don't worry though, nothing will hurt you. Are you ready?"
Jeepers, this is so weird. I doubt whether my imagination could ever dream up this situation which is confirmation that I really must be awake.
Edward pushes the door open and leads me inside. At first glance, the hallway looks no different than any number of houses in Forks, until I spot what looks like shards of glass hanging from the ceiling. Before I have a chance to ask why they are there, the shards blaze with a light so bright I have to look away.
"Ouch, Edward?"
Edward presses what looks like a button on the wall and the light goes out. He presses it again and the light comes on.
"Explain will you, please?"
"It's an electric light, Bella, powered by a generator situated behind the house. The generator is powered by liquid gas, which by today's standards is an ancient set-up. Electricity is produced by different methods including nuclear, which I told you about before. Electricity powered the Old World and continues to power the new. My family was angry that Lympians were denied this source of energy when the community was first set up, but I'm running ahead of myself. I'm not going to say any more about Lympi until you've had something to eat. You must be hungry by now."
To be honest I hadn't even thought about food, which is unusual for me. Edward beckons me to follow him through a door leading off the hall. What greets me is a room full of shiny cupboards where I cannot make sense of anything other than a wooden chopping board and a glass container filled with about ten familiar implements that Mom would use for cooking, such as ladles and a whisk.
Edward wanders over to a tall silver cupboard and opens the door. A light comes on inside and I'm blasted with cool air. "Do you eat eggs?" he asks. I nod, too confused to speak. "Toast?" I nod again. "Sit at the table," he orders. I do as he says which is timely. My legs feel like they're about to give way.
Edward takes a bowl from a shelf and breaks three eggs. After using the whisk, he places the bowl inside a box-shaped contraption on the surface next to the shiny cupboard and presses a button on the front. The inside of the box lights up and I can just see through the door the bowl turning slowly. I don't bother asking for an explanation. While this is happening, Edward drops two slices of bread in another contraption and then pushes a lever until they disappear. I'm so confused.
While Edward is watching the toast and eggs, I pull off my gloves, hat, and jacket. Looking around I can't see any evidence of a fire but the kitchen - if that is what this room is called - is pleasantly warm. How could this be? I have so many questions about this house. They'll have to wait because the discussion on how Edward, or me, or us both together, can put an end to the Elders' control over Lympi must take precedence. That is far more important than how my eggs are being cooked.
"Aren't you having anything?" I ask when Edward puts the plate in front of me.
"No, but I'll explain why later. While you're eating, I'll tell you about where I live most of the time."
"Okay," I reply with a mouthful of toast and scrambled egg, which is edible but nowhere near as nice as what Mom makes, and there's no butter.
"My adoptive parents and the rest of my family live in a city that before the catastrophe was called Seattle. Most of the old city is still under seawater, so a new Seattle had to be built further south and inland. The city has buildings covered in glass that from a distance you would think reach up to the sky. There are carts without horses and machines that can fly people through the air. It's a different world, Bella, but even though everyday life is easy compared to yours, if I'm being sincere, the way you live is far better than how city folk live. Alright, city folk have all the modern conveniences … would you believe this house would be considered an ancient relic to how they live now? The appliances I've just used would be museum pieces …"
"Museum?" I interrupt.
"That's a place where you can see artefacts, sorry, objects, from a long time ago. Anyway, about fifty thousand people live in and around the city …"
"Fifty thousand," I exclaim.
"Yes, it's an average-sized city. There are much larger ones further inland. I'll get some maps out later. When you've finished eating, I'll show you pictures of my family and where we live which will give you a good idea of what life is like beyond the border."
I was fascinated at first but now I'm ever-so-slightly furious.
"So what you're telling me is that Lympi is a community that for some reason has been cut off from the rest of the world, and while we have to live without … without … electricity and probably a thousand other things I can't even imagine, you guys are living in cities of glass as though the catastrophe never happened?"
"Yes, but even worse, not all of Lympi is living like you – the Elders have electricity and I presume all the gadgets you see in this kitchen and probably much more. The Compound has sophisticated generators to power their accommodation, which will have fridges much better than this one. They would certainly need an efficient cold store to keep all the lobsters you catch fresh, wouldn't they?"
I can't eat the rest of my breakfast. I'm sick with anger. When I think of Mom in her kitchen cooking on an ancient wood-burning range when she could have a shiny box that would do it all for her, I'm incandescent with rage. I'll never catch another fucking lobster again. I'll throw them back into the sea rather than let an Elder enjoy such luxuries.
"You're angry I can tell," Edward says as he takes my plate away. "So to compensate for some of your fury, I'm going to make you a drink I'm sure you'll love, and then we can sit somewhere more comfortable where I'll tell you more. Okay? So while I'm making your drink, have a wander around the house on your own. There's a bathroom on the top floor if you need to freshen up."
Angry! My knuckles are so tight while I'm walking upstairs that I'm surprised the bones aren't poking through. I'm not a violent person, but if an Elder crossed my path right now, I'd flatten him or her, the mood I'm in – stuff the consequences. Just looking at this beautiful bathroom makes me want to weep. Stupid me, it took me a while to work out why there were two faucets. I soon found out. Instant hot water! Imagine, not having to fill a bath with buckets from the copper. If Charlie saw this, or Uncle Michael, or even Samuel, I wouldn't need any further evidence to start the uprising. Jeepers, if I could only take back proof of what they're missing to Forks.
While I'm wiping my hands on the softest towel I've ever touched, Edward calls from downstairs. I've only had the chance to look in one other room where there's the most beautiful bed I've ever seen. I'd sleep there for a week given the chance. As I'm heading downstairs, I wonder whether Edward has it in mind to make use of the bed. He said he would wait until we were out of earshot of my parents and Jupiter. Well, that's that problem covered. Am I ready though?
"In here," Edward shouts from behind a half-open door. He's sprawled across a dark blue sofa made from a material I don't recognize. The rest of the room is nothing like any room in our farmhouse, apart from the chairs. Everywhere there are objects I couldn't even begin to guess what they're used for, all powered by electricity I presume. Before sitting next to him, I run my hand across the arm of the sofa. The material is even softer than the towel.
"Velvet," Edward says, anticipating my question. "It's difficult to source even for us city folk now. I believe this material was made in China."
"China?"
"A very big country on the other side of the ocean. Now what else do you want to know?"
"Everything I suppose, but before we talk about how I'm going to start the uprising, are you able to tell me how and why Lympi became what it is?"
"That would mean going back a long way," Edward replies.
"I don't mind. It's still early and we've got all day."
"Okay," Edward says then leans forward to pick up a cup filled with what looks like steaming mud."
"Try this first, but be careful, it's hot."
"What is it?"
"Taste it and I'll tell you."
Warily, I take a sip. A fiery yet silky liquid slides across my tongue where I let it rest before daring to swallow. It's sweet, and rich … and … oh jeepers, what is this? I take another sip and another. Edward laughs at my greediness.
"It's hot chocolate, Bella. Allegedly, women prefer it to sex."
"Well, I wouldn't know about that," I reply without thinking.
Oh heck, my cheeks must be on fire, and not just because of the chocolate. I'm sure Edward has noticed but I carry on drinking so I don't have to follow up my unguarded comment. Forget about fridges, strange ovens, and instant hot water, I'll fight the Elders just for a regular supply of hot chocolate. Come to think of it, I'd only have to get the women of Forks to drink one cup, and they would probably batter down the walls of the Elders' Compound by themselves.
Edward pulls me close and slides his arm around my shoulders while I finish my drink. I'm glowing now. Edward's cold body though reminds me that he is not human. Before he starts answering my questions about Lympi, I need to know what he is and how he came to be like he is. He takes the empty cup from my hand and places it on the table. I turn so I can look into his eyes. I know he won't lie to my face.
"Edward, what are you if you're not human?"
"Do you want me to tell you that first?"
"Yes, but before you say anything, I want you to know that I don't care what you are, even if the answer scares me."
Edward strokes my hair before kissing me gently on my lips. His eyes fix on mine, and then he says quite calmly, "I'm a Vampire, Bella, but I'm positive that word means nothing to you."
"A Vampire?"
"Yes. I was born in 1901 to human parents in a city called Chicago which is about two thousand miles away from here. My father died when I was very young so I was brought up by my mom. When I was about fifteen, this country got caught up in a terrible war that had been raging on the other side of the world. By 1918 it was all over. A virulent disease followed our troops home, my mother caught it and died. I had just turned seventeen. Not long after, I caught it and was taken to a hospital where I was left in a room with several others to die. That's where Carlisle, my adoptive father, found me and turned me into a Vampire to save my life."
"How did he do that?" I asked.
"I'm going to be truthful, Bella, but the next bit might scare you, okay?"
I nod my head and prepare myself.
"Vampires produce venom, just like a snake. If a Vampire bites a human, he or she can transfer the venom into the human's body and that human will then become a Vampire. It's a very painful process for the human and it takes days. An experience I'll never forget. When I came round I was like a wild animal for months, but Carlisle looked after me until I was safe to be on my own."
"Why were you unsafe, Edward? Did you want to hurt yourself?"
"Not myself, Bella. I wanted to hurt humans. Now this is the really scary bit. Vampires don't eat normal food, we only drink blood. We can exist on animal blood which is how my family survives now, but some Vampires prefer human blood. When a Vampire attacks a human, he or she will invariably kill that human in the process."
"But you only attack animals?" I blurt out to disguise the shocked reaction Edward must be reading in my eyes.
"Yes. Does doing that bother you, Bella?"
"Not bother; I'd be a hypocrite if it did. I eat meat and fish, but someone else does the killing for me. I just can't get my head around the idea that someone like you would attack a human for sustenance. How often do you, do you …?"
"Depends on how active I am. I'm not hungry right now for instance."
Edward does a strange thing then. He bends forward so his nose is almost touching my neck.
"This is very fortunate Bella, because your blood smells divine."
My reaction is to recoil from him. Whether his last comment was a joke or not, I didn't find it funny. The realization that Vampires are predators, no different from a wolf or a mountain lion, is slowly becoming real and I'm alone with one, miles from my family or any other help. I can't look at him while I wrestle with whether my feelings for Edward have changed because of what he's just admitted.
We sit in silence for which I'm grateful. Edward must realize that I'm conflicted. I'd already accepted that he wasn't 'human,' and assured him only a minute or so ago that I wouldn't care what he was, and he'd been truthful. But even in my wildest imaginings would I ever have guessed that the boy, man, Vampire, that I'd fallen in love with would be a killer? How could I reconcile that with what I'd been hoping for, which is a life with Edward as my partner?
"Are you afraid?" Edward asks after a while.
How do I answer? And then I recall Edward saying something about how it was normal to be frightened of something you don't understand. I take a few deep breaths before looking up at him. There's panic as clear as day in his eyes and by that, I know he would never hurt me.
"Yes, I'm afraid, Edward, but I trust you, and I think I love you even more now because of your honesty. I don't want you to tell me anything more about yourself now, because there's an enormous bed upstairs that needs ruffling up somehow and I'm not leaving this house until it's wrecked.
I don't think Edward's feet touch the stairs more than twice before I'm thrown on the bed.
"Is this going to be better than chocolate," I ask innocently while he's looking down at me.
Edward slides over my body and then raises himself on one arm.
"You'll lose count of how many times better when I'm finished with you," he growls before wrenching his shirt over his head. Buttons scatter across the polished floor. His body sparkles in the morning light.
Oh my!
Ooooh!
Joan x