The Hunted

Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks so much for the awesome reviews, gang!  They're greatly appreciated.  Big thanks to my betas Gigi Scott and gatorgrl91 for fixing my errors.

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So, this was hell, I thought as pain ripped through my body, and I swore my skin was on fire. I hadn't exactly thought I'd go to Heaven or wherever, but I hadn't thought I'd end up in hell either. I wasn't a horrible person. Okay, so I wasn't Mother Theresa, but there were plenty of people out there way worse than me. Still, this was far worse than I'd ever imagined. I'd always hoped that when I died that was it. I would be done, and there would be nothing. I was so fucking wrong.

It seemed that every move I made, no matter how slight, sent jolts of pain racing through me and made me want to cry out. But, I wouldn't. I refused to give the devil or whoever ran this fucked up place an ounce of satisfaction. So, I withered in pain and did my best to hide my fear. Eventually, I became numb and stared into the darkness, listening to the sound of my beating heart. I didn't know how long I'd been there—time had become irrelevant—but I knew it had been a while.

I drifted in and out of states of awareness, and it wasn't until I felt my heart racing that I began to grow really scared. My heart felt like it was trying to fly out of my chest, and the thumping and whirring of my heartbeat grew increasingly violent. Then, there was nothing. Silence met my ears, and I knew, in that moment, I was truly dead. I wanted to weep, but I found that I couldn't, and I prayed that Alice would forgive me for leaving her, and Edward would be okay. With those last thoughts, I sunk into the darkness, letting it take me.

….

"Alice?" I heard Edward ask, and immediately, I tried to open my eyes. Why was Edward nearby? I was so confused, and then I heard Alice.

"Two minutes and forty-three seconds," she said with a giggle.

I felt a frown form on my face as I tried to figure out what was going on. Why would they be in hell with me? It made no sense. But, as soon as I thought that, I got vague glimpses of what had happened to put me in hell. I remembered Victoria locking me up. The Cullens and Alice coming to the rescue, and I remembered Victoria biting me. Then, a horrible thought hit me. I'd heard about the change, even talked with Alice about it a little bit,about the horrible burning pain and the stopping of the heart. I told myself I was wrong. Alice knew how much I disliked vampires besides the few I'd learned to trust. She would never allow me to change. She wouldn't, would she? Was this what she had meant when she said she'd seen Edward and me working out? If so, I wished she would have warned me, so I could have prepared to become a monster.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, blinking a few times, confused by all the colors I was seeing and amazed at how sharp and clear everything was. Talk about seeing with new eyes. The ceiling above me was painted white with light traces of yellow hidden in it. It was a rather boring ceiling, but I'd never seen a ceiling look so pristine and clear. I blinked a few more times and gave myself a moment to take everything in without moving. I could hear and smell Edward beside me as well as Alice and someone else. Edward was pacing, and the floorboards creaked with every move he made.

Finally, I turned my head and looked at the man that I'd fallen in love with. His eyes and face were lined with worry, but the minute our eyes met he gave me a tender smile.

"Oh, thank God," he said. "I was worried that you'd never wake up."

Lord, he was a vision to behold. I'd thought he was good looking before, but now—now, he was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. Giving me another smile, he moved closer, and I suddenly found myself crouched in the corner of the room. I was unsure of how I'd gotten there, but I crouched there, terrified with small whimpers coming from me. I felt different and not like myself at all, and I hated it. Anger and rage welled up inside me, and I lashed out as Edward came closer. Snarls came from my mouth, and I was ready to attack anyone that came any closer.