Edward and Bella: together at last 4


He came to me, wrapping me securely in his arms as we sobbed without tears.

“I am so sorry Bella. I never should have put you through pain like that. Never.” he whispered.

“Edward, I’m confused,” I said dumbly, and he lifted his head from my shoulder to look at me with a curious air.

“About what?”

“Is Rosalie speaking or am I crazy?”

“No, she’s not speaking Bella. She was before but__ “

“Where are the voices coming from? They’re everywhere!”

“Pardon me?”

“The voices. I hear voices…”

Alice entered the room then, her face cautious.
“Hey, Bella. How do you feel?”

I stood up and came to her side faster then I had ever gone without falling in my life. I touched her cheek. Many years of visions, thoughts, and life experiences danced before my eyes.

“Whoa,” I breathed when it was over.

‘What is Bella doing? I’d understand if she were anxious to see me, but just a touch to the cheek? That’s a little out of character for our exuberant, emotional Bella...’ Alice’s voice spoke without moving her lips.

“Edward,” I said while facing him again with wide eyes. “I can hear them. Alice, Rosalie, everybody! I can read their minds!”

All of the people in the room stared with their mouths hanging open. I listened to what ran through their heads, though I couldn’t find the voice I really wanted to hear.

“But I can’t read yours,” I said calmly to Edward; the disappointment heavy in my voice.

Next I went to Rosalie, hesitating.
“Um, Rosalie?” I said appraising her thoughts.

“What?” she replied faintly.

“Do you mind if I … if I touched your face?”

“Well… not really?” She spoke unsurely, her thoughts careful.

“Thank you.”

I stroked her cheek as I did Alice’s although this time I was not startled by the sudden torrent of thoughts. Some were hostile thoughts and memories through the years, such as when she killed the men who had raped her in her last human moments, or when she had first known me. Though others were happy: days with Emmett and the whole family, her first run, her first hunt.

All of her thoughts since she was a little girl went flashing by my eyes in a few seconds.

How exquisite. “I can do what Aro does too!” I exclaimed. Aro was another very high member of the Volturi, and he could hear every thought that somebody had ever thought just by touching them. This was turning out to be very exciting.

When I looked around all of their dark eyes were trained on me.

“What?” I said suddenly self conscious. Rosalie and Alice’s thoughts were puzzling, flitting around to different explanations and excuses.

“Isn’t that funny?” I questioned, looking to Edward. “I can do all of the things that other vampires can’t do to me. With one exception though.”

I couldn’t find his voice through all of the thoughts I was hearing. Nor did I see all of his thoughts when we embraced. His face was still the shocked mask that had first appeared when I mentioned the voices. A new epiphany popped up in my mind as I flitted to his side, new grace replacing my former clumsiness.

“I wonder if I can do what Jane does.”

New horror spread across all their faces. Jane, another member of the Volturi, could create the illusion of intense torture with just a pleasant look at her victim.

“I don’t want to try it out though,” I admitted even as I contradicted myself in my head. “I couldn’t stand doing that to a person.” A new plus: the ability to lie.

Edward stood to face me, finally speaking since the first time since I had told them I could hear their minds.

“You can’t hear mine?” He said while curiosity burned in his voice.

“No,” I told him matter-of-factly. “Probably because you can’t read my own. An eye for an eye I suppose.”

“Yes,” he said chuckling in my ear.

The room was at a stand still none the less. I had to break the sudden silence, because all of the voices in my head were driving me crazy!

“I can’t believe it! I haven’t fallen in over five minutes!”

Everyone in the room cracked up, including me, though I was truly surprised. Up until now with vampire grace and precision taking over my body, I was the clumsiest person alive. Even if I was walking across flat ground without anything to trip over; I could always find something to trip over, usually my own feet.

Just then Edward looked into my eyes confusedly. What would lead him to that reaction I had no idea so I waited until he explained.

“Your eyes,” he murmured, so silently I thought he was speaking to himself.

Alice spoke next. “What Edward?”

“Bella’s eyes! They aren’t red, they’re… gold, like ours are now.”

“What!?” I gasped. He must be mistaken!

I walked at human pace to the mirror on the wall and looked at my new self. Truth be told, the eyes that looked at me from the shocking, beautiful, angelic face of the woman I now was were liquid topaz. The eye color of a civil vampire. Instead of the usual mark of an unsophisticated newborn, I had eyes showing that I had never tasted human blood. Even the evidence that blood had once run through my veins was no where to be seen; lost in my now stunning reflection.

Through my new crystal clear, perfect vision I could see every detail about my body and appearance. My face was striking, with full lips tinted crimson on a pale face and marble skin. My hair was maybe a shade darker then I had noticed on previous occasions and had a slight curl at the tips; long dark lashes framing my unusually golden eyes. The feeling of my limbs being stretched had changed them, giving me muscles tone that wasn’t there before. I held my fingers out to the edge of the mirror and squeezed the thick wooden frame between my index finger and my thumb, gently. At least I thought I was being gentle. The wood between my fingers didn’t put up any resistance except for a crack in protest as it became saw dust in the palm of my hand. A bitter smell caught my wandering attention.

I sniffed the air, biding my time, until I found a rather strange scent. I turned to face the bed that I had been thrashing around on for hours and dashed over to smell it.

“Is that really how I smell to you?” I asked while taking a look around.

“Yes it is,” Edward replied. “Exquisite, correct?”

“No, it’s… rather peculiar. I smell my strawberry shampoo, but then I smell…”

I can’t believe that they thought I smelled wonderful. To myself, I smelled terrible and I couldn’t stand the human scent. I was turning out to be the strangest newborn EVER.

‘Twilight’ © Stephenie Meyer


‘Together at Last’ © Bernadette-Cullen