Hollow || Edward Cullen

05. Ache

Alice narrowed her eyes at him. Seriously? She thought.

He almost smiled at his sister's annoyance. He decided that it was, indeed, his curiosity that pushed him to sit next to the girl.

"Why don't you 'fare well' with fires?" Edward asked in a low, casual voice.

Lynna's jaw went slack. Was the jerk with staring problems really asking her that?

"That's none of your business, Cullen," she sneered as she glared at him.

Alice was glaring as well. "She's right. It is none of your business."

Edward rolled his eyes at the both of them. "Whatever," he grumbled bitterly before leaning back in his seat.

Noah and Paige looked up from their notes with quizzical expressions. Edward started glowering at the golden-haired girl, trying, in vain, to sift through her hushed thoughts. Once again, his head started throbbing. He was livid. Why couldn't he read her mind?! And since when could vampires get migraines?!

Stop glaring at her. That's so rude! Alice scolded him.

The mind-reader paid her no mind. Lynna was becoming self-conscious under his stare. She could feel her anxiety rising.

"I can't do this," she whispered angrily as she pushed herself away from the table, scooting the chair against the floor.

As she stood up, she bumped right into Ashley, who stumbled back. Lynna grabbed Ashley by her forearm to steady her. As she did, Lynna's eyes went wide and a blank expression fell across her face as she stared into the distance. Alice immediately knew what was happening- she was having a vision. Edward watched the human girl with intrigued eyes.

In the vision, there was blood. So much blood. She could hear muffled sounds in the distance; it was laughter. Through the trees, she could see a fire. The bonfire. As she looked to the ground, trying to find where the trail of blood led, she saw her- Ashley. Her face was ashen. Her brown eyes were open and lifeless. She was lying in a pool of her own blood; her red hair was splayed around her like a bloody halo.

As Lynna came to, her grip on Ashley's arm tightened. The cheerleader scowled as she tried to shake the psychic off.

"Let go of me, freak," she sneered.

Lynna's eyes were wide with panic. Jasper picked up on her nerves causing Edward to stiffen. The mind-reader was immediately at her side as he took in her aghast expression. He wasn't sure why but he felt panicked as well. The numbness he was accustomed to gave way to stress; anxiety.

"Lynna?" Edward spoke her name almost softly.

The girl blinked rapidly before she locked eyes with Ashley. She placed both of her hands on either arm of the bewildered cheerleader.

"Ashley, you have to listen to me." Her voice was low and serious.

The red-head's face twisted in confusion. Lynna inhaled a shaky breath before continuing, "You can't go to the bonfire. Whatever you do, don't go."

||Lynna's P.O.V||

Bile rose in my throat as I looked up at Ashley's disbelieving face. Her jaw went slack before she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Why not?" She challenged.

I shook my head frantically, desperate for her to believe me. "You just... can't." My voice was pleading.

Her eyes narrowed even more before she brushed me off and took a step back. She folded her arms across her chest and scoffed.

"Why? So you can have Tyler all to yourself? That's not going to happen." The bitterness in her voice was undeniable.