Harvest Moon

Little Mouse

I try to scream again, but this time successfully. I'm sitting up now in a dark room screaming. When I realize I'm not actually drowning I get ahold of my bearings and look around, I'm home. It's unusually warm. I look down and see Charlie's green heated blanket draped over me. The dial turned to the hottest setting. How did that get in here? How was I home, safely in my bed? It must've all been a horrible dream. It's the only logical reason that I'm still alive.

I reach out into the dark, fumbling for the heated blanket's cord unsuccessfully. I turn on my bedside lamp and spot the cord immediately. I yank it from the wall and watch the cords plug swing to the floor. Something in the corner of the room near my door catches my attention. 

It's Alice. 

I'm frozen. I must still be dreaming. I just sit in my bed staring at her in disbelief. Before I can speak, she's at my side. Her cold arms draped around me in an iron grip.

"Bella...?" She mutters into my neck.

"Is... is this real? Are you really here?" I manage to stutter out, still in shock.

"Yes, but Bella how are you... alive?" She asks, looking perplexed.

Then it hit me. It wasn't a dream, I really jumped off the cliff. Victoria really pulled me out of the water, but how did I get here?

"I.. I don't know." I stammer.

"I had a vision. I saw you jump off a cliff, and then Victoria pulled you out of the water. I saw her bring you here, and then I saw her...." Alice cuts off midsentence, staring of into the distance with pure fear in her eyes.  

"What? What did you see her do?"

"She, did awful things to you... She left your body here thinking Charlie would find you and call Edward. The moment I saw her decision I raced over here. I knew that I likely wouldn't make it in time. I came here to... move you. So that Charlie wouldn't be left to clean up what was left of you. " Alice spoke slowly, pain in every word. If she were capable of crying, my bed would be a river. 

I just stared at her, not saying a word. I felt like I couldn't breathe, like I was drowning all over again. 

When I'm finally able to speak, I ask the first thing that pops into my head.

"Does Edward know, did you tell him before you came here?" I was terrified to know the answer. I knew Edward was faster than the rest of the Cullens. If she made it here before him then she either didn't tell him or he genuinely just did not care about me after all. I suppose there was always the possibility that she did tell him and he's the reason that I'm still alive. Maybe he got to Victoria before she could carry out the awful plans that she had.

"No, he left us. He only calls every few months. Your death would've driven him right into the arms of the Volturi. He would have found out eventually anyways and hated me for the rest of time but I couldn't bring myself to tell him this." She explains, sadness filling her warm golden eyes.

"I wouldn't wish that hurt on you... or him.  I'm glad you didn't tell him, and I'm so sorry you had to witness her doing... that. But how am I still alive? If you saw Victoria k... kill me, then why am I not dead?" 

"She must have changed her mind last second." Alice says as she stands up.

"That doesn't make sense. Why would she change her mind?" I ask, racking my brain for any possible explanation.

Alice looks around my room, inhaling deeply through her nose. Then her face goes blank, her eyes staring ahead blanky. She was having a vision.

"Alice, what is it? What do you see?" I ask, standing up and taking her hand in mine.

"She was here, she was going to hurt you but she changed her mind. I must've got here just in time. She just made another decision. She is going to the Volturi. I see her talking to Aro. Victoria is telling them that you know about us, about vampires. Aro turned her away. The only reason she would go to the Volturi is because she thinks you're still protected. She knows that if she can't get to you, they can." Alice says, finally coming out of her trance towards the end.

"Isn't it like a law that humans don't know about your kind? Why would they turn her away."

"Aro has the ability to see every thought that Victoria has ever had. While he could see that you were with us playing baseball when she met us, he must think that Carlisle or someone in our family has plans to change you. The Volturi won't risk fighting us because of our abilities. I'll always be able to see them coming, the moment they decide to make a move. You're safe from them."

"Oh. So, I just have to worry about Victoria coming back..." I sigh, sitting back down on my bed. the heated blanket is still hot. "Hey, did you put this on me?"

"Victoria likely won't come back for a while since she thinks we are still protecting you... I'll stay with you for now and keep an eye on her decisions. I found the blanket in the closet. You were shivering in your sleep. Your clothes are kind of damp. I assume the water was pretty cold, why did you jump off of that cliff anyway? What were you thinking, how could you do that to Charlie?" Alice looks disappointed now.  

"I was cliff jumping, for fun. I didn't plan on hurting myself. I've kind of been able to see Edward every time I do something reckless... He appears out of thin air like a mirage, to tell me how stupid I'm acting. " I sheepishly admit, while gently rubbing the giant knot on the back of my head. 

"This breakup really did a number on you... Wait here, let me get you an icepack." Alice disappeared before my eyes but was back a second later, sitting next to me on the bed with the icepack already applied to my head. 

"Do you mean it? Are you really going to stay with me for awhile?" I stare into her golden yellow eyes, tears forming in my own.

"Yes, I will stay here as long as it takes to make sure you're safe. I will not leave until Victoria has been dealt with. Do you think Charlie will mind if I crash here for a bit? I don't want to hide the entire time I'm here, plus it would be nice to see him again." 

"Not at all, he'll be thrilled. He's been talking about sending me back to Renee so that I can get some distance from forks. I guess my depression has been... noticeable." I sigh, hanging my head. 

Alice pouts, wrapping her arms around me pulling me into a nearly rib cracking hug. "I'm so sorry Bella. Why don't you take a nice warm shower, put on some fresh clothes. I'll be right here when you get out."

"Okay, yeah. That sounds nice, I'll do that." I said, sounding almost convincing. The reality was I didn't know if I had the strength to get back into water so soon after almost drowning. I needed time to think though about the events of the day, and maybe cry. I grabbed a fresh set of pajamas and headed to the bathroom. A part of me fully believing that Alice would be gone when I got out.

I made my shower quick, crying briefly. Alice was right, the hot water was actually soothing. It calmed me down quickly, but my panic riddled thoughts brought back some anxiety shortly after stepping out of the shower. I'd never have the strength to ask Alice what she saw Victoria do to me in her vision. The pain in Alice's face told me all I needed to know. Victoria doesn't just want to kill me. She wants to torture me. She wants Edward to feel the loss that she feels. In her eyes, it's hunting season. She's the cat, and I'm the little mouse.