This Is Who I Am

Chapter Six

I'm in a very hot room. Everything around me is suffocating me. The smoke in the room is heavy and I can barely see a thing as I try to get off the floor. The impact threw me straight to the ground, making me slam my head against the floor very hard. I groan, holding my pulsing head between my hands. My head is pulsing, I can feel the blood up to my brain and my vision is beginning to blur. All I can hear is a slight buzz along with a zing. I'm trying really hard to remember how to breathe but it's almost like my body isn't responding. What the hell just happened?

I grip the desk, pulling myself to my feet and knocking over some picture frames. The entire room is spinning when I stand up, I can't steady myself. I grab hold of the wooden desk, groaning at the pain in my pulsing head...

Water. There's water falling from the ceiling. Why is there water falling from the ceiling? What is that loud noise going on the hallways? It's almost like... An alarm?

"Edward!"

That snaps me out of my daze.

"Edward!"

Someone is calling my name.

"Edward, where are you?!"

It's coming from the other side of the door. I try to swallow but my mouth is really dry. I encourage my legs to make the small journey from the desk from the door where the stranger is calling my name but they don't respond.

"Edward, where are you?!"

"Here!" I yell, earning a bigger pain in my head. I stop my tracks, gripping my head between my hands again. I can't do it, I can't walk. The pain is too much. "Help... Help me..." I breathe through my mouth, trying to control my racing heart beat.

"Edward!"

I drop completely on the ground, letting the water fall on me like ice buckets but I don't move. I can't move. My body isn't responding to my inner screams, to my pleas. The world around me starts to feel heavier and heavier, to the point where I can no longer feel the water drops. My eyes get heavier and I can finally feel my heart rate slow down.

The door flies open, allowing the consuming flames from the outside rush in like a stampede of wild animals.

"Edward!"

* * *

I can feel her taking my hand between hers. I  feel her warmth against my cold skin. Her hands rub mine and her soft lips press against my knuckles. I want to stroke her face so badly, I want to kiss her and tell her I'm okay, but I can't. I can't move. I can't open my eyes, I can't see her. I can't move my hand to hold hers as tightly as she's holding mine. I can't give her comfort, not when she's crying beside my bed next to my motionless body.

"Your hands are so cold, baby," she whimpers against the skin of my hand, rubbing it with hers. "You must be so cold..."

I start dozing off into a deep slumber but not before hearing her tell me, more like beg me... "Please, wake up..."

Ava...

"Edward!"

I open my eyes and look into a pair of terrified and watery brown ones. Bella is covered in ashes and scratches, hovering over me with her hands gripping my face between them. When I open my eyes, she let's out a sob and lays her head against my chest.

"We have to go!" That's Emmett. He's helping Rosalie up. "Come on, this place is gonna go down!"

Bella drags me to my feet. I see the chaos around us when I look up. The flames are fighting their way out of the kitchen, the people are screaming from the inside, banging on the closed door. The customers are ducking on the floor, protecting themselves from the flames. The smoke is getting heavy, making it very hard to see. I can hear the ambulances coming but they're not near enough.