Evasive Darkness

Chapter Ten - The Chase

Chapter Ten – The Chase

My eyes flew open and it took me a moment to figure out that I was back in Forks. I tried to get my breathing under control but I was hyperventilating. I couldn't think. All I could see was that poor girls face as she hit me. The pain was still burning in my mind but it was only a memory – I wasn't in any pain.

Am I dead? I thought and I ran my hands along the length of my body. It felt that same as always. It felt real. I wouldn't be here if I was dead, I tried to tell myself but I couldn't stop the nausea from rising in my stomach. I only just made it to my toilet before I was sick.

"Please don't let me be dead," I said aloud. I didn't know who I was asking. I wasn't religious or spiritual. I like to think that humans were all biology and chemistry. "I want to see Eleanor again." I felt my voice crack as the shock of what had happened to me sunk in. "Please," I was begging now. I was begging my empty bathroom. "Don't let that girl have to carry around the fact that she killed me. She doesn't deserve that. It was my fault. I promise to always look before I cross the road from now on."

I took a deep breath. There wasn't anything I could do for now. I would just have to wait until I went to sleep. I quickly got changed, not even bothering to look at what I was wearing, and I went downstairs to the kitchen.

"Wow," mum said to me as I sat down across from her at the table. "You don't look like you slept that great."

"I didn't," I mumbled at her.

I drive to school in a daze. I wasn't too worried about being in an accident. I was already, at the worst, dead and, at the least, in serious pain. As I parked in the car park it was nearly empty.

Something caught my eye out of the emptiness and I felt my stomach turn over. A flash of wild red hair as it passed through the office doors.

"No, no, no." I groaned and I ran towards the office. I wasn't sure about what made me suddenly want to stop Bella getting beat up. Maybe it was the fact that I was unconscious somewhere seriously injured. I knew that James wanted her and he would die. Everything was already set into motion. There was no reason why I couldn't make it a little harder for him. Maybe even save Bella a little bit of pain.

"Help!" I screamed as I pushed my way through the office door. I wasn't sure why I blurted out 'help'. Maybe something along the lines of 'stop you're putting Bella in terrible danger' would have been more appropriate but the office lady – someone new – and Victoria both turned around to look at me. Victoria's black eyes narrowed and I felt my breath stop as I looked at her. She was wild and she was bent over the receptionist like a cat about to pounce. The receptionist looked almost relieved for an excuse to move away from Victoria's intimidating glance and she hurried to my side. I must have looked like somebody in need of help. She tried to make me sit down on one of the available seats but I was rooted to the spot. Victoria's gaze was rendering me immobile. She was more beautiful and terrifying then I had imagined.

"What's wrong?" asked the receptionist, glancing sideways at Victoria.

"Vampire," I whispered under my breath so quietly that the receptionist couldn't hear me but Victoria's head snapped upwards and a small smile pulled across her gleaming lips. She inhaled and I knew that she was remembering my scent. In an instant she stalked out of the room impossibly fast. The receptionist exhaled audibly and looked relieved.

"Tell me what's wrong dear," she said again while she looked at me with concern. "Do you feel sick?"

"No false alarm," I told her quickly and I loosened her grip on my arm so I could leave.

"Are you sure?" she asked dubiously, "You're quite pale."

"I'm sure." I tried my best to make my voice sound confident but it still sounded weak and shaky. I hurried out of the office before she could stop me with more questions. The school was now buzzing with students going to their first class. I stood helplessly outside the office and it was as if I was torn between two lives. I could go to my class and join in with my friends and their mindless gossip about the dance on the weekend and I could put Bella out of my mind. I didn't know what was going to happen to her now that I had stopped Victoria from being able to tell James that Bella lived in Phoenix. Short of me guarding the office all day I doubted I could stop her from obtaining that information some how. But there was something else niggling in the back of my mind. It was the look Victoria had given me as she left the office. When I had regained enough composure to be able to process thought I noticed the look she gave me as she stormed from the office. It was a mixture of curiosity and anger. It was anger so intense that it made my blood run cold and my stomach curl.