Mortality

Hallucinations

The darkness is velvet, encasing me, hiding all light but the glimpse on the horizon. In that light is Edward, his back facing me as he slowly walks away. I run, calling out to him, going as fast as my legs can carry me. But with all the ground I cover, there is no actual progress made. It's like I'm sprinting in place. He's not even acknowledged me ... hasn't looked back, hasn't given a simple head tilt. Am I invisible? Suddenly I'm falling back, and he's looking down at me with his black, void eyes.

I can see my hand slowly wrinkle, shriveling to bone ... and then to dust. I fail. I can't reach him. My body becomes too weak for me to even breathe... hands all over me, around my neck, holding my unseen wrists behind me. Pain ignites my skin, on my arms and on my shoulder. I feel the puncture of teeth, fangs burying into my flesh and bone. And then a shock of lightning straight through my veins. It burns. I can't move, I can't breathe.

And from above, my light, my only sign of life. Edward reaches for me, too far to grasp even my clothing. I scream voiceless, tears streaming from my eyes. His face, stone-like and emitting a cold radiance, moves slightly with his lips.

" ... stay with me, baby..."

For the entire school day, Tyler Crowley follows me. He apologizes with every breath, pleads with his very eyes, wanting some way to make yesterday up to me. Doesn't he understand that I'm not injured? Or that accidents, you know, happen? Still, no matter how many times I repeat that he doesn't have to do a thing for me, he insists. I consider for a brief second having him do my Trig homework, but that would just be cruel. No one should have to do math twice over.

Come lunch, he's finally torn himself off my side and retreats to his table. And returns to take a spot at the far end of mine. Great...

"I can't believe you came today, Bella," Jessica says with a cheeky grin. "If a van nearly killed me, I'd still be in bed, or even shopping! Not like Doc Cullen didn't give you a note to use."

"Jess, all I got was a bump to the head. I'm fine. Hell, if it hadn't been for Edward, I'd probably be dead right now." From the corner of my eye, a blur of white and blue comes into focus.

"Uh, what do you mean?" Jessica practically laughs. "The guy probably ran over with the rest of us."

"Actually — "

"Bella's right, Jess," Tyler pulls her attention away from me, finishing his bite with one finger raised. "I saw him, he was beside her right before I made impact with ... with something. I didn't see what, but I know he was there with her."

The table goes silent. Heads slowly turn to me. Wait, no ... beside me?

"Bella..." Edward gently taps my shoulder and I glance up. He looks exhausted, and his irises aren't the bright, fiery red from yesterday. They're tarnished, like rust. His fingers drum along the bottom of his tray. "May I ... sit with you today? My niece is uh," he turns his head to his table, to the strangely pink-haired Rosalie — who is looking pissed off, "moody, and unlike the others, I can only take so much of it."

"I mean, if everyone else is cool with it." He looks at the others at the table, eyes flicking over them one at a time, his effect going from hard to soft by the time he looks back at me. We lock eyes, and for a brief second my skull buzzes. I flinch and close my eyes. And just like that, it's gone.

No one tells him he can sit, but he does anyway, with his single bagel and black water bottle. The rest of the table slowly adjusts to their usual conversations. I pick at my plate, trying to ignore the terrifying cold air that surrounds my new neighbor. I take the risk and peak to see if the person beside him is reacting to his aura, but he's the last person in our row. No one else is even close enough to tell.