The Banshee -Paul Lahote-

Chapter 63

The world around her was cold and entirely dark. Mavis raised her hand but couldn't see what was right in front of her. It was terrifying not being able to see, especially when lost and alone.

The world was dark.

She could hear the sound of her heart beating. It was racing with fear. So many questions danced around in her mind. Where was she? How did she get here? There were no clear answers and no easy way to explain what was going on.

The world was cold.

Mavis knew if she could see, she would be able to see each breath that left her. Mavis was too scared to move and feared what might be hiding in the dark with her. There was heavy breathing, but she hoped it belonged to her.

The world was terrifying.

People have said that if someone is watching, you can feel it. She felt that way currently, and it terrified her. It was too dark to see. If someone were standing three inches in front of her, Mavis would be none the wiser. "Sophie," a voice whispered. "Sophie, I'm right here." Mavis turned around. "But you have to wake up."

Mavis gasped as she sat straight up in her bed. Her body was trembling, her heart still racing. The dream replayed over and over in her mind like a song on repeat. The darkness was gone. Her bedroom was illuminated by the moon and a few hanging lights. It wasn't cold either. The blue comforter provided a significant amount of warmth, but there was something else.

"Hey," a voice whispered. She jumped, not expecting anyone. Paul rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "What time is it?" He sat up as well, the comforter falling to his waist as he struggled to wake up.

Mavis glanced at the clock, "it's almost six." Soon, the sun would rise, and the day would start.

Paul mumbled something under his breath. "You okay?"

She nodded before speaking. "Yeah, just a bad dream." But it was more like a nightmare than a bad dream. Paul squinted as he stared at her. "What?"

He slowly raised his hand and touched her ear. "You're bleeding." His fingers were covered in blood.

"What?" Mavis touched her ear, and instantly the blood coated her fingers. She was bleeding from her ear. "Crap."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just-" the words faded from her mouth as she reached for a tissue. Her bedroom, the place she found herself currently, was off-limits to Paul, especially at night. It was Jasper's biggest rule. Everyone always found it ridiculous, but they didn't argue with him. Paul never broke that rule. He respected it and Jasper. "What are we doing in here?"

Paul tilted his head to the side, "what do you mean?"

Mavis couldn't remember how they got there. She hadn't seen Paul since the previous day. Why were they in her room? "No," she whispered. "You're not supposed to be in here." Jasper would be furious with her if he ever found out. Paul stared at her, and she grabbed his hand. "This isn't right. What's going on?" Nothing made sense.

He leaned closer, "I think you should wake up."

Mavis's eyes fluttered open, the sun shining down on her. She blinks a few times before sitting up. The rays from the sun illuminated her room and cast a beautiful orange glow. It was morning. The clock read 7:32 A.M.

Taking an unsteady breath, she throws the blanket off of her and to the side. It takes her a moment to process what had just occurred inside her mind. Everything felt out of place, and Mavis cautiously walked towards her mirror. Lifting her hair, she examined her ear. There was no blood, nothing. Everything was normal. 

It was just a bad dream.

Mavis can't shake off her uneasiness and slips on her slippers. Not bothering to change out of her pajamas, she rushes down the hallway and stairs. Her appearance is the last thing on her mind. All she wants is to see her family, make sure they're real. If they are real, then this couldn't be a dream. It had to be reality.

Stopping on the second to last step, Mavis finds what she's searching for. The Cullens are spread throughout the living room and kitchen. They were all lost in their own conversations. It's enough to calm Mavis down. "Woah," Emmett sees her first. "Someone has bed-head. You look crazy."

Mavis doesn't hear him, too lost in her thoughts. Rosalie notices almost instantly that something is wrong. It's in Mavis's body language. Her tense shoulders and shaking hands. "Hey, are you okay?"

Mavis glances at her, "fine. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Rosalie steps towards her. "Did something happen?"

"I had a bad dream."

"A dream," Carlisle walks closer. "What kind of dream?"

Mavis dismissively waves her hand, "nothing serious." Although, she isn't entirely sure that answer is truthful.

Rosalie places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to sit down or eat something?"

She thinks for a moment, "I might make some breakfast."

"How about we go to the diner," the blonde vampire suggests. "You love their eggs." That was true, "and it might be the last time we can go there, at least for a while." There's more to her words. Mavis can sense her fear. As if this is the last time they could ever visit the diner.

"That's an excellent idea," Esme agreed. "Your flight isn't for several hours. We have plenty of time before you have to leave."

"Sure, sounds great." She finds herself agreeing. Mavis agreed because something in Rosalie's tone scared her. "Let me go change." But she doesn't move, not at first. Mavis takes a few more seconds to hold onto reality.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," Mavis smiles. "I'm fine." But Mavis was far from fine, and it had been that way for a while. Only now was anyone starting to notice.