The Rites And Bewitchments Of Bella Swan

Dreams And Other Things That Make No Sense

(Author's Note -- Though Kept To A Minimum, A School Shooting Is Attempted In This Chapter. No One Dies. I Promise.)

I am asleep in my bed.

Yet, I am awake.

I hold the amethyst wand in my hand. It's cool to the touch. I hold it, slightly embarrassed at the things I do with it, but only I know that. It feels sooo good against me and inside me. The anticipation of tasting myself is there, but it seems to speak to me, in an unspoken way. It's sort of like information is being dropped into my head. It's kind of hard to explain. There I am, not knowing, and one second later there I am, Knowing Things.

I have to take the amethyst wand with me to school tomorrow.

There is danger tomorrow.

I argue with myself, somehow. This precious heirloom, that I do incredible things with, is important. It needs to stay home. No. There is danger tomorrow. You must have it with you. It has formed a connection with you. You have bonded with it...so to say.

Connections? Bonded with me?

Then I knew. Under the moonlight. Naked. Inside me. It knows loyalty only to me.

There is danger tomorrow.

It will protect you.

I woke up, late. I gathered up my clothes, showered as quickly as I could, and was almost out the door when I remembered.

There is danger tomorrow. It will protect you.

I tried to leave it behind, thinking I was crazy. I was halfway out the door when the amethyst wand came flying at me. I don't know how I caught it. I tried setting it back on the coffee table and as soon as I turned my back it was in my pants pocket, as if it had been thrown and landed perfectly. I let myself forget about it, got my keys, jumped in the car Phil had lent me so I could get to school and joined the teenaged hell that was high school.

Home Room Period was history. Boring, as always. I got in my seat just as the tardy bell rang, and the lesson began. I have to admit I tuned it out, but the guy two seats in front of me seemed...off...

Second Period was algebra. That's all I have to say about that.

Third period was physics, which was math with science mixed in. It was cool hearing about time travel theories and why they wouldn't work in the real world, but the teacher was a geek and liked showing episodes of Star Trek and Doctor Who. The same guy from first period was in this class, and he seemed...angry.

By the time fourth period was up, I was looking forward to lunch, even if it was government food, and I nearly tripped over myself after putting my books in my locker as I was preparing for their third rate pizza offering and as I went down the guy from my earlier classes caught me.

"Be careful, Bella."

The images then came out of nowhere.

Guns.

Blood.

Massacre.

Funerals.

Him.

"Hey, thanks...what was your name again?" I asked. He looked anguished. He didn't have any real friends. I can't say I did either, there were people I knew and they knew me and we were casually friendly, but...he...whatever his name was...didn't.

"Thanks, again."

He stormed off back to the lockers.

It's About To Happen.

I didn't know what to do. Do I run and hide? Do I tell someone. He opened his locker, pulled out a backpack I'd never seen before, put it down on the floor, and unzipped it.

You Need To Do Something Before It Happens.

He pulled out a pistol, turned to me, and stared at me blankly.

"I'm sorry about this, Bella. I always loved you, and you don't even know my name."

He pulled the trigger.

I don't remember what happened next. I truly don't. I can only say what I was told that happened as it appeared on the security cameras. His name was Devon. He pointed the pistol at me. As he did, I pulled the amethyst wand from my side pocket. I pointed it at him as he pointed the gun at me. He fired off a shot.

The bullet was deflected into the glass windows to my left before it even got near me. The window shattered. Another shot was fired. Another bullet deflected. It went into the ceiling, breaking a light. This happened seven more times. As Devon stepped closer, the bullets were deflected more quickly and rapidly. Alarms went off. The school went into lock-down mode, as teachers told their students to lock the doors and move what they could to keep the door from being pushed open.

The final bullet exploded in mid-air, shrapnel backfiring into Devon's face and hands. He was injured, and bleeding.

I stood there, shaking, the amethyst wand still in my hand, pointed right at him when the school resource officer found me and tried to claim what he had thought was a weapon.

I didn't understand the dreams. I didn't understand what I was told. I do now. School was cancelled for the remainder of the week, lockers were searched, and I and the others were made to undergo grief counseling for the remainder of the week.

It was a miracle no one was seriously hurt that day, the news said. No one, except Devon.

That evening, after Mom and Phil had hugged me, and did their best to comfort me, I sat in my locked bedroom, the amethyst wand in my hand. It had saved my life. A freaking magick wand from my great-grandmother had saved my life.