Chapter five
Run. Faster. Faster. Faster. Green and white swirled around me. Was I getting anywhere? Had I been here before? It all looked the same. I could hear footsteps behind me. They were coming! I had to move faster! My legs ached and my lungs protested. I was loosing. They were going to get me. Take me back.
I pushed myself harder and faster had I had eve before. I would rather die a quick death than go back to my cell and die a slow a painful one.
"Isabella," a man shouted and I could picture his anger twisted face. It was the man I had seen before. But at this moment I didn't let myself think from where. Just run! I screamed at myself. This is your chance to be free!
But my luck ran out.
As I ran I could see the trees clearing up. I was barely able to stop in time to catch myself. I was staring out over a cliff. Black water churned wildly below, cranking against rocks with splitting force. Fear, anger, and sadness swept through me.
My entire running was for nothing. I felt a tear run down my cheek and slip into the ocean showing it my sadness. It didn't care. I could hear them coming for me. I turned. I had given up.
Coming toward me was the group of people in white coats. I was done for my feet teetered on the edge of the rocky height causing small parts of rocky to crumble into the rage beneath. I waited for them to take me contemplating whether to let them or join the depths below. But I never got the chance to decide. The familiar man pulled a gun out from behind him. My eyes widened in fear and disbelief. If they were just going to kill me then why go through all this trouble to catch me?
"You should have stayed in that room where you belonged, Isabella." His grumbling voice was heard over the roar of the ocean. "You didn't have to bring their lives into this. Or are you just a murderer at heart?" What was he talking about whose life? He lifted the gun to me and pulled the trigger I squeezed my eyes shut, but I was not hit. I opened my eyes slowly to see a figure towering over me. Edward.
Edward stood with his arms held out in a protective stance. And at this point that didn't matter. Edward was standing in the way of the bullet. Tears filled his eyes from the pain and blood dribbled from his mouth. But he was smiling at me as though he was the happiest man in the world. His eyes held nothing but this.
"Edward…" I choked with my own tears.
"Bella," His heavenly voice was strained and gargled. "I am so glad you are safe." He spoke to me in a loving way, a departing way. Edward's eyes closed peacefully and he fell over the crumpling ledge. I reached out for him almost able to spring myself over but unforgiving hands held me back.
"NO!" A piercing scream filled the room. My eyes snapped open and for a moment I panicked. Tears were streaming down my face freely. Where was I? Then I remembered, Edward. Edward was dead. I started to sob uncontrollably. My Edward. My Edward. My Edward. He was gone all was gone. My angel. I needed him with me. Why he was gone and I, of all people, living?
I hated myself. I should be gone. I didn't deserve the life he had given me. I was not wonderful or interesting, just a girl who had been locked away most of her life. What did I do to deserve a second chance? Edward was the angel and I was just the useless girl. A beautiful killed because of me. That man was right. I was a murderer.
"Bella? Bella, what's wrong?" I heard a frightened voice come from my side. A woman… I cringed throwing myself against the back, glass wall but never breaking my blaring lament.
"Esme! What happened?" I heard the door slam open. Someone rushed over to my side. I must have gone crazy. It was my angel's voice. But I dared not to open my eyes and loose my delusions.
"She screamed, after a nightmare, Edward." Esme explained. And to my relief, I realized Esme was the woman's voice. Wait, relief? Wait, Edward?
"Bella," Edward cooed softly to me. I looked up into his topaz eyes. All my fear melted off me along with my frigid stance. I could see his face glistening in the moonlight. Edward was here. He was alive. My sobbing creased as I started into his eyes. I was safe now. Safe? Funny, I never thought I could use that word. He leaned down slightly. "There, see your okay." Edward smiled at me but it didn't show in his eyes. His eyes held pain and anguish.
"Now, tell me what has you so upset?" Edward asked gently. I looked up at him in fear. I didn't want to tell, not with Esme in the room, at least. Somehow Edward sensed this. "Esme, could we have a moment?" Esme seemed to leave eagerly to let Edward and I alone. "Bella what has upset you?" Edward asked me again. A different fear raced through me. What if he thought I was pathetic for having such a dream? But when I looked back into his sorrowful eyes I answered, willing or not I didn't know.
"I was running…" I started. "People were following faster than I was. Then the cliff." My thoughts of the cliff brought tears to my eyes but I know I had to get it out while I still could convince myself it was for the best. "A man he told me not to get others involved and I should have never run away. He had a gun. And he shot that gun at me." I started to bawl when I remembered the next part, but Edward took my tears as a different reason.
"Shh, Bella. You're safe now." Edward tried to calm me. But it wasn't my safety I was worried about.
"N-not m-me…" I blubbered to Edward. He bent down to look me in my teary eyes and they questioned me. "I wasn't shot…" I began again when I was able to somewhat control my quavering voice. Edward was about to speak his eyebrows pulled together in confusion, but I put my finger over his mouth a spoke again. "It was you. I whispered looking down and I felt Edward start. I dropped my hand. "I watched you die. You fell from the cliff and disappeared into the churning wat-er." I couldn't keep my voice from breaking down on me.
"Oh, Bella." I heard him whisper in a mixture of pain and one other emotion I had never faced before. He let me cry softly while he brushed back my hair and for once in my life I didn't cringed at the touch of another. "Bella, I'm hear and I am just fine. No, we are just fine." Edward told me slightly in a harsh tone. I looked up back in his eyes expecting anger or harness but instead they were heartbroken.
I moved slowly towards him not moving my eyes from his. Edward looked confused as I approached him with my wary expression. I stopped a few inches from him. My knees lifted me up till I was kneeling in front of him looking up at his eyes. Why were they so sad? I raised my finger to the dark hallow under Edward's eye. Touching my finger ever so slightly, it was cool and smooth. Edward closed his eyes under my touch and I lightly stroked his eyelid. Edward took in a deep breath and I pulled away leaving my arm hanging among the air.
"Sad," I whispered softly my head turning to the side in question. Edward's face was shocked, and I began to worry. Had I said something wrong? Should I apologize? But then I saw the sadness in his eyes being chased away with wonder.
"Yes," Edward whispered back. And I did the only thing that seemed right. I wrapped my arms around Edward's waist pulling him into a hug.
"Don't be." I spoke shyly but I meant every word. I didn't want to ever see him sad and aching.
"Ok…" Edward said back simply smiling at me. And this time it almost touched all the bleariness, turning it to a joy just as it was doing to my heart. And with that I slipped back into a dreamless sleep.
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