Mute girl

Chapter fourteen - The sobbing place.

A/N I own legitimately nothing of the Twilight saga, it's all Stephanie Meyer's, and I'm just playing around with her characters. But, apart from the legal rights side of things, I have a few questions for you lot.

First, do you think Bella should keep living with the Cullens?
And second, do you want Jake to appear in this version (I will go with the majority on this one, so please do tell me)?

Thank you! Love,
                         Em. X

I ran through the trees, my feet flying faster than they ever usually would. Somehow I hadn't tripped over yet; but I ignored the useless thoughts running through my head and focused instead on the fall of my feet, the thump of my heart and the terrible ice-hot tears on my cheek.

I knew it. Said the snarling, broken girl inside of me. Of course they couldn't be trusted. No one can. There was another part of me — the part that only blamed myself — which told me that it wasn't their fault I was so pathetic, after all, what did I really think was going to happen? That I was going to move in with the Cullen's and live happily ever after? Fat chance. Even the girl I was before would have been able to see that coming, to see what they really wanted. Since when did I start being so stupid?

I was still racing through the forest; my breathe coming out in short, shaky sobs. Keep running, keep running. I chanted. Don't think, don't stop. I swivelled my head round to look behind me, but I couldn't see the familiar blur of Edward running. Why aren't they chasing me? I stumbled through onto a hiking trail, the ground considerably smoother than before. Shouldn't he have caught me by now?

But I kept running as long as I could, eventually tripping over a gnarled old root on the path. Crap, I thought, so I am as clumsy as before. I glanced down to my wrist — 3:14, my watch said — I'd been running for a solid hour, sobbing the entire way. I was still lying sprawled on the floor, my ankle twisted at a funny angle from when I fell. I didn't care though, I just wanted the pain I felt inside to stop.

I cried hard into the crook of my elbow; searing hot tears making tracks down my face and a terrible headache pounding alongside. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I banged my arm against the ground as hard as I could, trying to vent my frustration on the muddy pathway. Idiot.

But the numb, empty, void of a feeling wouldn't go away. It was eating at my chest, making me feel as though I was being ripped apart. Maybe if I stay here long enough I really will be ripped apart. I mused. I let out another halfhearted sob; suddenly able to feel the cold I'd kept out until now invading my skin. In my rush I hadn't taken a coat, leaving me frozen over now that I was no longer running. Or perhaps I'll freeze to death. I added. Quicker, I suppose, but at least I'll be out of this hell-hole.

I felt my eyes sealing shut with dried up tears, my heart slowing down as my mind stopped racing. Sleep or death... I wearily questioned. ... Either way oblivion...

But just as I was falling into the dark, a pair of strong, warm arms wrapped around me; lifting me up from the forest floor. "Oh Bella," whispered the husky voice, close by my ear. "You're safe now."