Alissa Swan

Part 55

Jessica and I exited a zombie movie.

"I don't get why are there so many zombie movies," I said.

"It's, like, a metaphor? For crass consumerism or something," Jessica guessed.

I glanced at her.

"Not that you'd know anything about consuming. You didn't buy anything today." She looked at me.

"I bought something." I glanced at my small bag, with only a pair of socks.

"Socks don't count," Jessica replied. "'Course, I was surprised you even called."

"I've been kind of... out of it," I replied.

"Kind of? I mean, at first I was worried. Then I'm like, okay, she's still bumming? It's not like I wasn't going through things, too. Like Mike deciding he wanted to 'just be friends?' That was really hard and-"

"How 'bout a ride, girls?" A man spoke behind us.

Four rough-looking guys loiter out front next to their motorcycles. They were in shadow, and we couldn't see their faces.

"Move, Bella." I looked next to me. I had an illusion of Edward standing next to me, telling me this.

"Come on," Jessica said, stepping right into the illusion of Edward.

"I know them... I think," I told her.

"Can we just go-" Jessica pulled at my arm.

I shook her off. "I want to see something."

Much to Jessica's frustration, I began to cross the street toward the guys, frightened but drawn.

"Alright," one guy said. "We've got a taker."

The apparition of Edward reappeared in my path this time. She stopped.

"Turn around, Bella," he said. "This is dangerous."

But when I stepped backward, he faded. Testing my hallucination, I strided forward again. Edward's apparition reappears, striding alongside me.

"Stop. Now," he said to me.

I was almost smiling as I reached the guys, finally able to see them clearly. I stopped, realizing "You're not them."

With that, Edward disappeared.

"We'll be whoever you want, honey," the same guy replied.

A second guy pulled up right next to me on his motorcycle. "Ready for a thrill ride?" He extended his hand to help me onto the bike.

I hesitated.

Edward's apparition appeared on the other side of the bike. "Walk away. Go."

I looked at him with determination. I climbed on to the back of the bike.

"I can break promises, too," I said to Edward.

"Okay..." the guy said.

"Alissa!" Jessica yelled.

The bike lurched forward, going way too fast. As the wind blasted my hair back, I realized this might have been a mistake.

"Wait," I said to the guy.

He didn't hear me. He gunned the engine, going faster.

Edward stood in the road, directly in our path, more present, more clear than ever. The bike's headlight illuminated him, racing toward him.

"Stop - stop! - STOP!" I yelled at the guy.

The bike abruptly pulled up short.

"Hey, I didn't force nothing on you," he said.

I scrambled off, stumbling in the process. Edward was gone. The four guys then revved their bikes and peeled out.

I watched them go as Jessica stormed up. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" she asked me.

"I... saw something," I replied, almost to myself.

"You," Jessica paused, "Are insane. Or suicidal."

I was trying to figure it out. "The more dangerous... the more real it was."

"So, what, you're like an adrenaline junky now?" she asked. "Go hang-gliding or bungee-jumping. Don't be a complete freak."

An angry Jessica charged off. I watched the motorcycles disappear down the street.

He wasn't real. I knew that. I didn't care. I needed to see him. If danger's what it took, that's what I'd find.