42

14.8K 501 9
                                    

Bambi cautiously enters this grand, empty room of mirrors, Bella behind her. A ballet bar wraps around the walls.

"Girls, where are you?" Bambi whirls, trying to find its source. She follows the sound to a cleaning supply closet. She throws open the door to find a t.v. On screen a video plays, Bella, age 7, hides in the very closet the T.V. is in now, Bambi, age 7, sits at her side hugging her. "What's wrong?"

"She doesn't want to dance" Young Bambi states. The frame jiggles as Renee hands someone the camera. Renee, ten years younger, appears on screen and kneels next to the young twins.

"Everyone makes fun of me" Young Bella tells Renee.

"But you're a wonderful dancer"

"Mom, I suck" There is laughter behind the twins. Bambi closes her eyes and sighs, Bella spins, trying to locate James in the mirrors.

"That's my favorite part. Stubborn child, weren't you?" Bambi's face flushes with rage...and Bella's with relief.

"She's not here" Bella states.

"Sorry. But you really made it too easy" Visible in the mirror, he sighs, disappointed. Then he steps up next to them and points a video camera at Bella who clutches to Bambi's hand. "So to make things more entertaining, I'm going to make a little film of our time together. Borrowed this from your house. Hope you don't mind" James turns it on. "And... action!" Bambi tugs on Bella's hand and she flings her purse at him, and runs for the door. Bambi sets herself between the two of them. "Excellent! An escape attempt" James pushes Bambi aside and is then suddenly is right behind Bella. She freezes. "It'll break Connor's little heart" He smells her hair. Touches her throat.

"Connor has nothing to do with this" Bella argues.

"He will. His rage will make for more interesting sport than his feeble attempt to protect you" He's having too much fun to notice --the peppers spray in her hand. She spins around.

"No" Bambi snaps running towards her sister, Bella sprays him. Then she runs towards Bambi, as James reels back briefly. But he leaps over her and lands right in front of her. Amused, he flings her across the floor like a bowling ball. She smashes hard into a mirrored column. James captures it on film. "Bella!" Bambi shouts.

"Beautiful! Very visually dynamic. I chose my stage well. Still stubborn, aren't you? Is that what makes you special? Because frankly, I don't see it" James turns to Bambi and then advances towards her inhaling. "You on the other hand...."

"You're making a big mistake" Bambi snaps, James laughs.

"Oh?" he mocks. "Why's that?" Bambi looks to Bella and then back to James.

"No one hurts my little sister" Bambi scolds him, he glances to Bella with a smirk and then back to Bambi, who uses this slip in his attention to punch him in the face, it cracks like thunder as does his face. He flies backwards. Bambi doesn't waste a second and runs to Bella. James pushes himself up.

"Well done! You've succeeded in annoying me" he snaps and then in a flash is behind Bambi, he grabs a fist full of her hair and yanks her backwards, throwing her backwards.

"Bambi!" Bella shouts as her twin hits the wall, hard, it cracks, she hits the floor with a groan. He turns and stomps on Bella's shin! The tibia snaps! Bella screams in agony.

"Tell Connor how much it hurts" Abruptly, the camera is in her face "Tell him to avenge you"

"No! Don't.." James inhales as her blood pools. He leans in, hungry. Bella, half-conscious, watches him turn the camera on his own face .

"Cut! The end" Suddenly – James is knocked away from Bella. He rises to find himself face to face with Bambi. James charges her, forcing her up against a column. "What are you?" he asks leaning closer to sniff at her neck, she struggles back, pushing his face away from her. James smashes Bambi's face into the mirror until it cracks. She cries out lifting her hands to push her thumbs into his eye sockets, there is an audible pop and James stumbles back clutching his left eye. Bambi lifts her head, the cuts on her face healing instantly, James' good eye staring at her. "What are you?" he repeats. James grabs her throat and holds her up, Bambi's toes slipping against the floor as she struggles, chokes. He brushes her jacket over her shoulder and then bites, she screams.

"Bambi" Bella shouts, James pulls Bambi closer, her eyes flutter and she weakly pushes him away from her. Edward then chooses that exact moment to arrive, yanking James from Bambi who drops to her knees and groans. James responds by pushing Edward up against the wall.

"You're alone... because you're faster than the others. But not stronger"

"I'm strong enough to kill you" Edward counters as Bambi crawls her way to Bella, takes her sister's hand. Edward flings James backwards smashing through a free standing mirror -- into the doorway. Connor appears behind Bambi, he places a hand on her good shoulder, she looks up at him. He scoops Bella up as Edward pulls Bambi up, she wraps her arms around his neck as he leaps toward the balcony exit door, Connor right behind them when suddenly he and Bella are jerked downward. James yanks Connor violently onto the floor -- knocking Bella out of his arms as James flings Connor up into the top window -- embedding him in the casement and bricks. Connor groans and looks to Edward who looks torn between helping his brother and taking Bambi away. They share a mind link conversation and Edward turns to leave.

"No" Bambi begs. "Eddie"

"Connor's got her" he tells her before running out the exit door. Connor pulls himself up ready to jump back down when James crouches beside Bella. He grabs her hand, looking directly at Connor with a sinister grin -- he sinks his teeth into Bella's hand! She screams in agony.

.................

Bambi struggles against Edward hearing her sister screaming, Edward holds her tight to him.

"No" she snaps pushing against him, he groans and grabs her hands.

"Connor has her" he repeats pulling her closer, though he seems less then convinced, she cries against his chest, Edward pulls her jacket aside to look at the bite, it's already healing and the venom is dripping from it, he frowns a little. "Bambi" he whispers, she pulls her jacket over the bite and looks away. "Are you all right?" she nods a little and then shakes her head, he strokes her hair. "Carlisle just got there" Edward tells her softly. "She's going to be okay"

"Can we not tell them about the bite?" she asks looking up at him. "I'm fine....nothing's happening" she pulls down her jacket. "It's healing...I mean slower then usual but...." she looks up at Edward. "Please...I.." her eyes flutter a little. "I feel dizzy" Edward frowns down at her, catches her as she stumbles, he scoops her up, she sets her head against his shoulder. Emmett appears across from them. Edward listens to his mind and then nods.

"You okay there, tough girl?" Emmett asks, Bambi looks to him and shrugs.

"I'm going to put her in the car" Edward tells his brother who nods. Edward turns and carries Bambi away.

1: Skinny Love (Ed. Cullen)Where stories live. Discover now