the sequel to pretty brown eyes is out now.
are you ready for more?
...
As I settled onto my personal blanket, nestled against the damp sands of La Push Beach, I found myself enveloped in a serene panorama that seemed to extend infinitely before me. The tranquil scene was adorned with the youthful laughter of children, their playful figures scattered across the shore, frolicking with an unbridled enthusiasm that transcended age. The gentle waves of the sea whispered a harmonious melody, which mingled with the carefree giggles of the young ones, creating a symphony of pure bliss. Laura, ever the vibrant soul, played alongside the older children with an exuberance that seemed to defy the very fabric of time. Despite the years that had painted a rich tapestry of experiences upon her, she remained a beacon of unadulterated joy, a testament to the timeless spirit of youth.
The children, a delightful concoction of boundless energy and unblemished innocence, darted to and from across the beach. Their smiles were as vast as the horizon itself, and their unrestrained giggles and shouts of exhilaration filled the air with a contagious happiness that was as invigorating as the briny sea breeze. My own offspring, born from a life that had been tumultuous and unpredictable, were remarkably at peace, losing themselves in the simplicity of the games and the warm embrace of their kinship with their cousins. Witnessing their unbridled delight brought a tear to my eye and a broad, nostalgic smile to my lips.
Our extended family had claimed a cozy enclave along the shoreline, a patchwork of vibrant blankets laid out in a pattern that mirrored the vibrant mosaic of our lives. The adults, once the epicenter of the chaotic whirlwind of youth, now presided over this slice of happiness with a gentle, knowing pride. Their gazes followed the children with a protective warmth that spoke volumes of the deep connections that bound us all together. The ambiance was steeped in a profound sense of serenity and belonging. The overcast sky, rather than casting a gloomy pall, bestowed upon us a soft, ethereal luminescence, as if the heavens were basking in the contentment of our gathering. The air was cool, yet imbued with a comforting warmth, carrying the faint aroma of the ocean's embrace, and whispering the promise of adventures still to unfold. The rhythmic lullaby of the waves crashing upon the shore served as a soothing backdrop to this tranquil tableau, inviting us to relax and revel in the moment.
The ambiance was steeped in a profound sense of serenity and belonging. The overcast sky, rather than casting a gloomy pall, bestowed upon us a soft, ethereal luminescence, as if the heavens were basking in the contentment of our gathering. The air was cool, yet imbued with a comforting warmth, carrying the faint aroma of the ocean's embrace, and whispering the promise of adventures still to unfold. The rhythmic lullaby of the waves crashing upon the shore served as a soothing backdrop to this tranquil tableau, inviting us to relax and revel in the moment. Pondering the winding path that had led us to this idyllic scene, I understood that every hardship faced, every victory claimed, every tear shed, had been in pursuit of moments like these. Our collective trials had forged an unbreakable bond, a bastion of love and unity that was reflected in the joyous play of the children. This tranquil afternoon on the beach was the culmination of our shared odyssey, a tangible representation of the strength and resilience that love had bestowed upon us.
My heart swelled with a warmth that seemed to permeate my very core as I contemplated the preciousness of this moment. The love of my life, Seth, our children, and the sprawling family we had created together, all nestled within the embrace of this breathtaking, untamed landscape. I knew that I could not wish for more from the intricate tapestry of fate that had been woven around us. This was the epitome of contentment, the very essence of what I had been fighting to protect. The setting sun kissed the horizon with a warm, golden glow, bathing our sandy sanctuary in a light that seemed to encapsulate the purest essence of joy. As the celestial orb dipped lower, casting a serene hue upon our haven, I offered a silent prayer of gratitude for the blessed life that had been granted to me. This was a moment that would serve as a bastion of calm in the tempest of life's challenges, a beacon of happiness that I would carry with me forever.
As Naomi Vivian Black, the female alpha of the Quileute pack, I reveled in the chaotic yet beautiful tapestry of my existence. Love, family, and the enduring bonds of friendship had shaped me into the woman I had become, and as I gazed into the distance, I felt an unshakeable sense of peace. This was my destiny, a life filled with love, adventure, and the fierce protection of those who held my heart. No force could ever corrupt the sanctity of what we had built together. This was my eternity, my forever, and I would fiercely safeguard it from any who dared to threaten our harmony.
Until we meet again...
"Oh so ... naive." I murmured.
Bella hummed beside me on her own blanket as she read her book and adjusting her sitting position again. She wanted peace so she could read. I felt myself shift, and transform. Not in the way you're thinking and not into what you're thinking. Bella glanced at me and her blue eyes widened immediately and she paled. I heard her heart begin to frantically beat in her chest before I lounged on her. Her screams were cut off by guttural choking as her blood poured into my mouth from the open wounds, I created the taste of her flesh...
Finally… no more games.
…
somewhere
?
…
I couldn't tell you the last moment I truly felt happy. At peace. Happiness ... happiness is a lost foreign language as the meaning of the word happiness. There are other things that go with happiness but other versions that co-inside with happiness that people crave but I can't remember what they are. They say it ... what are they? …
What are they ?... I can't remember what they are…
I swear I know them but ... my mind is ... I need to sleep.
…
I opened my eyes to darkness. I remember what they are now. Peace. Love. Freedom.
Safety.
That's what they are ... but ... there were no such things. I know they don't exist. I was living proof of it. Not that anyone would ever find out. There was no hope that anyone would find out where I was and where I have been all these years. The pieces of my life. Actually, the pieces of 'my' lives. These fragments move in forced, controlled ways, as if something behind a cloaking barrier is manipulating me. Whatever or whoever is back there feels like they're using some form of telekinesis or even mind control to orchestrate everything. But that's what it was, the power behind the veil. My head-my physical brain-feels like it's being squeezed or constantly battered. I'm so worried, so scared, trapped in a deep hole where I can't breathe and struggle to find something to hold on to. Every attempt to climb out of this darkness feels futile, like trying to leap over an opening to death. I feel like a terrified child, buried deep within a fortress a hundred miles underground, locked in a cell.
Well ... I am locked in a cell...
I chuckled to myself, relishing in the dark humor of it all. Everything, the cell, the fear of being within a cell, my life, this world, everything. I released a quiet breath hysterical single chuckle at the choking cracking of warning snarls from the Ghouls residing in the shadows of the cell. I went silent and listened to the following ringing tone of silence. The utmost, complete, and utter silence of the approaching, just watching. Stalking, lurking. It was terrifying but now ... it's not terrifying. Not as much as it had been for so many years, but I am so ... accustomed and broken that it's not terrifying. They were friends sometimes, barely, I could count the times on my fingers. I almost chuckled again at the dark humor, I could get everything I wanted if I just picked a Ghoul to mate with for the rest of existence and join their army. Everything in Ghoul standards, training to amplify my powers, sex, portals to eat and get myself clothes, my own house to shower, sex, sex, training, sex, training. Yup. That's it.
I almost laughed again.
This cold, I shivered and shifted position to press my back against the stone pillar in the center of the room under my loose chains going into the lock above my head by a thirty-foot chain. I watched as these pieces of me and "my" life served as 'me', all while knowing I've been here since the very first shift in reality. The Naomi who woke up at the arrival of Gija experienced three distinct sets of events, each weaving through different realities at once.
Within the Marvel universe, all the corresponding characters of the Avengers would say, their power would split the universes into oblivion. But this isn't the Marvel Universe; I'm trapped here with my natural enemies-Ghouls. Ghouls are ancient beings, something entirely different from human-equivalent aliens invading Earth. A Ghoul is like a giant in their true form but not from the green pea, more like creature's that can reach the height of 10 to 14 feet tall, muscular, and lanky beyond compare, creatures were unnatural eye colors or if they had any color in their eyes. With powers that ranged in levels and origin. They're akin to vampires, werewolves, or shapeshifting warriors, but their true nature has been obscured over time, with records of their existence faded away or buried. Ghouls are creatures from hell, a form of demon that takes their existence and the games they play very seriously. Many, like Gija, take pleasure in watching others suffer while I find myself forced to "coexist" with them. That plunge into darkness, when she declared the absurdity of the tournament, marked a turning point. It was never the real me, and it never will be.
In those moments of reality's shift, they managed to take crucial parts of me, elements that shaped my identity, stripping away anything that would raise suspicion about their true selves behind their cloaking and mind manipulation. The first set of events I didn't witness; I was tortured in ways I can hardly bear to recall because I kept trying to escape and also abide by their lifestyle as a slave for things I don't want to speak. As for the second and final set, I was present to witness the utter humiliation of my name, the chaos, the complete lack of everything that defined who I was and what I was capable of doing. For years I've watched and watched everything fall into a state of acceptance of their power, just the way they wanted, just to return home in time to prepare to devour every person within the towns. Eliminate the populations within five minutes. My cell is cold, it seeps into my skin. It's made out of smooth black stone that glistens with millions of cracks under the thick barrier to reveal what they used as lights; the cracks were reflecting flashing light on a pitch-black diamond that was shattered, and all the colors of the rainbow remained to sparkle in its glorious appearance with the creeping presence of darkness.
I was chained in that same black stone around my ankles and wrist to the wall with a chain that reached at least thirty feet, but I had at least ... so long to go to reach the door of my cell. I was sitting on the ground with my legs bent to my chest, and my arms around me, and I was in the only pieces of clothing they would allow me to wear. Battered undergarments that were tied together. I chuckled to myself again as I thought about the last time I tried to rip the chain from the wall and head for the door and then started to laugh harder as I remembered the Ghoul that came after me from within the shadowed corners of the room. I started to laugh manically as tears fell from my eyes consistently, my crazed laugh bounced off the walls and unleashed the ghoul that was waiting for an opportunity to silence me. Silence me as in slices into my body with the sharpened nails of his enlarged hand and takes the opportunity to have his way with me. And then I was silent while I watched my blood drip from my wounds and onto the black surface glowing in bright, rainbow colors in the outline of how my body was positioned, and the ghoul would return to his hidden depths. I would feel my insides mend together as I lost heavy amounts of blood as I watched my black hair soak in my blood as I healed motionless. Then the ceiling would open up to the sky, the only time I would see the clouds. 382,996 times, no, 382,997 now. I have been doing the same thing for 382,997 times.
The ceiling opens up for many different reasons, to show the sky, and to project visually events through the perspective of a selected ghoul with a certain ability to create harm and watching through the barrier of a selected person that was in my life. A name ran through my head, a thought trying to be inconspicuous and insignificant, but another name ran through my head following it with a pause. Those names weren't insignificant, the way the correctness and the reaction of my body for a few seconds made me realize that. It was a different type of torture that I no longer reacted to, I stared with disinterest on dangerous levels of complete emptiness in my soul. When the ceiling would unfold to reveal the sky, it was the only time I would see the rain from the clouds, feel the earthly moisture, and cleanse my body. It would be the only time I was allowed to scream, the lightning and thunder drowned out the volume of my cry. It would always increase when I did this, it was the only one of my powers that would reach the other world. I haven't been able to receive electricity, you know like Raven from Mortal Kombat.
Alice. I repeated in my head and keeping my gaze on the sky. The cold rain pelting my face.
The knowledge of my powers of the weather change with the assistance of my vibrations during distress is unimportant, just as much as my existence at this point, but I can do it though. I can feel it though, the electricity, the power conjugated within me. And then I would relax, and then the rain would calm to a drizzle and the ceiling would close up. Then it was dark, and I was looking at the door where the twenty-mile-long hallway with cells residing on each side, the walls, ceiling, and floor of the hallway were radiating light just like the area under me. Then I would fall asleep until they brought me food, barely enough food to call a meal ... And the routine of torture and phasing and torture; while I phased my shoulders and hips would dislocate, and then a Ghoul would smash them back into place. I would release power to heal me in minutes and hold them off until my powers ceased, and I was tortured in various sinister ways before I watched the ceiling open up while I laid there healing from the injuries that were inflicted. This is a continuous loop. A prison of looping events for the rest of my existence.
I commenced to laugh at my own dark humor again as the fourth set of the never-ending tournament began above me, the usual wake up, the freak out and then the investigating to eliminate target, it was a never-ending death sentence from hell. This time as everyone woke up in 2006, the Naomi clone was confronted about Gija's death and the lie of the tournament being over, and that 'me' was avoided, disowned and insulted. Characters disappeared... And I was going to be pounced on by a couple ghouls who came into my view until I felt a snap within me that silenced my laughter and made my body jolt. I honestly don't know what it was that made the decision for me to just go silent.
The ceiling closed up again and the silence returned.
Alice.
A long moment of silence.
Bella.
The silence seemed indefinite.
...
I don't know how I slept for, but I slept ... how many time was it now? ... Eight, it was eight. Eight times in between the usual routine. So, it's not 382,997 times, it is now 383,005 times. Those names, Alice and Bella are the first names I think of every time I open my eyes, sometimes I whisper their names.
Those thoughts were anchoring names that assisted me in enduring the torture. Sometimes I think I can a woman watching the torture, she yells, and she cries but she's muted. I don't know her. Sometimes the pain was too much to stay conscious and I would wake up to the rain. Sometimes I heard clashing of powers and unraveling of mechanical locks and sometimes the ground would shake underneath me. Or it was silent, and dark.
I rolled onto my stomach from my side and manage to pull myself toward the pillar with the help of my chains in a crawl until I could lean my back against the pillar, the frigid air swirled as I relaxed letting my head rest against the black pillar beginning to glow. I closed my eyes and breathed through the sickness that consumed me.
When the sickness subsided, I was able to relax against the pillar again. I counted every breath I inhaled as I drifted to sleep, I inhaled five time when I heard the ceiling opening above me. I opened my eyes to the rain falling down from the ceiling with dull light from the grey clouds illuminated the empty room. I use to ... I use to worry about forgetting things, I use to worry about the fear of something ... like me. A shell, dead in so many ways but I have gratefully accepted it, not being able to feel ... it was the only way to survive this. The clinking and clacking sound of the ceiling unfolding rang through the room before the rain came pouring down with the presence of the rainforest treetops. I lifted my head, my hands released the chains with tender wrists, and folded my arms across my torso, I gazed in the direction of where the door should've been, but it was just a wall with the sheeting rain making the floor glow to coat the ground with light and mist ribbons of combining powers and communication. I was shielded naturally to the communication and most of the power.
Another one of the reasons why I have been tortured, they wanted to know why after so many years of isolation from the world, how I was able to shield myself like a vampire. Years of insolation? While like I said records have been lost over generations, naturally I had no idea what they were talking about, I only knew what ... he had told me. I can't remember who he is, but I knew them because of him. Gija was the first Ghoul I have a scent of, had any knowledge of. Not that my knowledge matters anymore...
The ceiling closed up.
"Where are they?"
There's about 10 fully transformed Ghouls around me. Different shades of blue, different shades of purple, different shades of green, different shades of red of their eyes.
"Where is he?"
"Who are you?"
All I said was, "No."
I screamed at the nails hooking into the top of my right thigh and slicing my thigh open down my knee, down my shin and to my foot. My head spun and I screamed at the claws digging into my stomach and slicing it open. They let me bleed and bleed and bled until I was on the brink of death, greeting death so openly ready for the peace that follow, but I was healed again to endure more torture. I lay there as the ceiling reopened again and the rain came pouring down. Clothes were thrown next to me, dishoveled and soaking in my blood and the rain. I shifted forward and reached out to the clothes and tucked them into my stomach,
Am I ... real? This any of this real?
I felt the pumping of my heart within my chest. The rain made my body feel loose and relax after some time of focusing on the rainfall and instead of the sickness churning my stomach harshly. My eyes closed as a deep-toned sound rang though my ears and bounced around my skull and vibrating throughout my body. I felt another snap jolt through my body as I fell asleep to the rain pouring over me.
I felt myself fall backward as I went unconscious.
…
La Push, Washington
march, 2017
Naomi Vivian Black
…
"Naomi? Naomi, can you hear me?"
My eyes snapped open to the voice. A blonde vampire was looking down at me, he was blurry and my vision seemed dark. I could see the light pouring in from the windows but it's dark. He flashed a light in my eyes as I began to gasp for breath. I know him. I started gasping harder as my mind folded with memories I wanted to forget.
"Naomi?" The vampire asked again. "Naomi, can you hear me? It's alright, you're safe."
"Carlisle?" The name came out of my throat, raspy, and cracked.
The vampire leaned down closer and smiled at me, relieved, "It's me, Naomi. It's all of us."
"Us?" I kept gasping with my eyes looking everywhere I could without moving my head.
"Yes, all of us." He confirms in a politely calm tone.
"What's wrong with her?"
"Why is she doing that?" That sounded a lot like… I don't know but I know that voice. "Is she okay?"
"Can she see?" That sounded a lot like Laura.
I don't know what the first voice was.
"Laura?" I croaked through a gasp.
"She's in shock. Carlisle her vision-"
"I know, I know."
"Mimi?" I heard Laura chorus.
"Laura…" My eyes closed and sleep consumed me.
…
Laura
…
I gazed up at the portal that opened up on the ceiling, spreading cracks through Carlisle's study along the ceiling and the walls as the portal pulsed with untamed energy. The Cullen's and the remaining Quileute was here, all here for her, all here to make sure we got her back. The chains sprawled out on the barrier of the forming portal, her blood was beginning to seep through the clear barrier. The fact that she was naked didn't matter at all, the fact that she was right there mattered most of all. Gika threw her arms open wide and the portal opened fully, and she fell through the barriers, the chains falling away from her body and her blood splashed down on the mattresses propped on the floor to catch her.
She fell from the portal and bounced on the mattresses three times as she hyperventilated for breath and her blood continued to pour out of her wounds. Gika closed her arms, slapping her hands together and and making an x with her arms to close and seal off the portal. Her stomach was open with five deep gashes and continuously pouring out blood that was seeping into the fabric of the mattresses, her left leg was mangled and her ankle was barely attached her leg. I stepped a couple steps forward, briskly, to go to her side but Seth grabbed my arm and pulled me back to his side.
"Naomi?" Carlisle calls, tense, as he takes out his flashlight and Esme stands by with medical supplies. Naomi's eyes opened and she continued to hyperventilate, "Naomi, can you hear me?"
I glanced over at Edward who stared at her, listening hard and wincing here and there. Naomi began to cry hysterically, I can see her eyes flashing in every direction but Carlisle. Why is she looking around like that? Can she see?
"Naomi?" Carlisle looked down at her as he wrapped a belt around her upper left thigh and tightened it. "Naomi, can you hear me?" He flashed the light in her eyes again.
"Carlisle?" She croaked.
My heart started to flutter with hope in my chest, tears welling in my eyes.
Carlisle relaxed, he smiled down at her, "It's me, Naomi. It's all of us."
"Us?" She asked, calmer but the tone sounded critically dangerous and she was still hyperventilating even though Carlisle just gave her shot of something.
"Yes, all of us."
"What is wrong with her?" Jacob demanded, tense and beginning to tremble head to toe with Paul, Quil, Embry, and Leah at his sides.
Seth stepped forward, his hands quivering in anxiety, "Why is she doing that?" His face was contoured in anxiety, "Is she okay?"
"Can she see?" I asked.
"Laura?" Naomi inquired, her eyes flickering everywhere.
She heard me. Tears fell from eyes like mini rivers and I started to gasp.
"She's in shock. Carlisle her vision-" Edward started.
Carlisle cut him off, "I know, I know."
"Mimi?" I asked twisting my arm out of Seth's grasp and dashing over to the mattresses, Esme pushed me back before I jumped onto the bed.
Naomi's flickered in my direction before her eyelids began to close and her eyes rolling into the back of her head. "Laura…" she murmured before she went silent.
Is she… dying? Is she dead?
"Mimi?!" I shouted reaching out to her as Esme picked up off my feet and I felt a cool breeze and I was being placed onto the couch downstairs. "No! Mimi!"
Esme put her hands on my shoulders and pushed me back onto the couch, "Laura, sweetheart, Laura, stay here. Stay here. She's okay."
I gazed back at Esme's worried golden eyes and looked up at the ceiling, "She remembers me. She needs me."
"I'll come get you when Carlisle is finished patching her up but you have to stay here, honey. Do you understand?"
I didn't say anything but stared at the archway of the living room. I remembered the very first moment we realized that she was gone, the very moment when we all realized she had never been here in the first place. I remember the moment I had been angry with 'her' because she said she killed Gija only to find out that Gija was Naomi the whole time. I remembered those moments vividly but I didn't want to think of them now. She was here and that's all I cared about. She was here and she was no longer a prisoner for the past 11,000 years since the very first shift of reality. She was the only one they had taken from our massive group, she was the only one that had been interested enough to allow her into their cave. She endured years of torture, she endured years of watching all of our lives being torn apart without being to provide help.
She was here. She was safe.
Bella came rushing into the kitchen with Alice by her side and they started taking out every food item within the Cullen house, a huge slab of beef and chicken, pasta, potatoes and rice with various choices of vegetables and fruit. Bella was trembling just like Seth and Jacob had been, her dark eyebrows were in a permanent furrow and I can tell she was trying not to cry.
"When she wakes, she is going to want to eat." Bella says, absentmindedly.
Bella ordered Alice around the kitchen as they started preparing a feast, Seth and Leah joined in on the cooking while Esme kept me distracted and entertained to the best of her ability with little games and the television. Jacob and Embry left to fetch Billy and Charlie, I heard them saying something about Naomi needing to see friendly faces to feel more relaxed in her skin when she wakes. The house started to smell of seasoned meats and vegetables and distracted me from all of the worries that were swimming rapidly throughout my cranium.
"Slow and easy, Naomi," Carlisle instructed calmly, walking her through the open archway of the living room.
I stared with my shoulders dropping as I watched Carlisle assist Naomi who staggered even in his straight, slow and steady direction to the dining room table.