Blood Moon [a Twilight Saga FanFiction]

Runaway

CARLISLE SAT AND TOLD ME MY OWN STORY FROM MY DREAM. How I had told his wife, who in turn told him because she thought he should know that bit of information about his sister... which annoyed me but I let it slide, that I had my baby on the streets and attempted to give it the church to care for and look after, only to watch Father kill the baby and attack me when I tried to stop him.
     Carlisle told me how apparently it made me turn to the monsters of the night, start pleaded for them to end my life, tempting fate.
     And it had me thinking, how was the situation different now?
     I had an immortal somewhere outside the church, hopefully looking for me, and then when he finds me, watches over me. Or turns me, either way, I'll be happy. A brother trying his hardest to take care of me in a dangerous situation, Elling doing the same thing.
     Really the only difference was the roof over my head, food in my stomach, and my proximity to my father, who apparently kills my child.
     And I knew that if I stayed, Carlisle and Elling would be hurt trying to protect me.
     "Carlisle, I have to get out of here," I muttered. "I can't have my baby here."
     "Why not? Elling and I will protect you and the child from-"
     "That's why," I argued. "I can't risk you or Elling getting hurt because of this. I won't be able to live with that. We both know how far Father will be willing to go, I have to believe that he will kill my baby again, just like last time, only this time he may try and kill me as well."
     "I won't let that happen-"
     "I will not see you hurt trying to protect me!" I yelled. "I need to leave, tonight. The sooner the better."
     I was halfway up the stairs before he stopped me.
     "Liz."
     I turned to face him.
     "My mind is made up, Carlisle, I'm leaving."
     "I know," he sighed. "But wait until after tea. I know a place you can go to."
     "I'm not going to risk putting your friends in danger-"
     "You won't. Trust me. Just stay for tea."
     I knew that if anything were to happen to me and my child, it wouldn't happen tonight, so I agreed and went to join Elling finish up tea, though it still hurt to move.
     Carlisle walked through the kitchen, ignoring us as he walked through.
     "Is everything okay?" Elling asked.
      "I'm leaving tonight, Elling. Maybe I'll come back when it's over, but I can't stay here. So Carlisle's taking me somewhere I can hide out until-"
    "You can't go!" Elling gasped, staring right at me. "You have to stay here."
     "I can't, I'll die. Father will kill both me and the... you know."
     "You'll die if you go as well. Elizabeth, maybe you didn't understand me through the emotion you were feeling at the time of discussion, but your mother died at childbirth, her mother died at birth, as far as I'm aware, so did hers. Your mother, your grandmother, and as much as I know you're great-grandmother, all women who died during childbirth."
     "So, you think I will as well?"
     "All died giving birth to their first child. I have to believe that yes, you will too."
     Fear settled, making me want to be sick again. But then I remembered something in Carlisle's story... my story.
     I lived to give my baby to the church, lived to watch Father kill it.
     "I won't," I sighed. "Elling, I'll be fine, I know I will."
     "How? So many women before you died in their first childbirth, you-"
     "Because none of them had a brother," I started from the top of my head, just to make her drop the conversation. "Carlisle was born first, yes?"
     "How did you kn-"
     "So she should have died with him, instead she died with me. I have a brother, so we must be different in some way. So, I appreciate your panic, but I'd rather spend this pregnancy safe, and away from someone who pushes me into boiling pots of water and walks away from my screams."
     I began focusing on helping with tea, only for her to take over.
     "Rest... Elizabeth, all your mothers died giving birth to their first daughter-"
     "Elling, let it go. I'm leaving, you know as well as us that I'm not safe here, and neither is this baby."
     She didn't bring it up again, I could tell that she was eager for me to stay and sorry to see me leaving, she kept looking over at me and back to Carlisle as we watched him and Father eat. Father just kept staring daggers at me, at least I would be out of his reach before bed. Otherwise, I'd be afraid he'd steal me away to abuse me again, or worse, kill me.
     So, after tea, I went to eat and clean up with Elling as Carlisle and Father did their own things until Father retreated for bed.
     Then Carlisle came down with a lit lantern and a satchel.
     "Take this," Elling said holding out the glass bottle she had me drink of the night before to stop the curse. "I can buy another and you need it more than we do. Especially without your brother around."
     "I'll see you later, Elling. Thank you, for everything."
     I hugged her goodbye then Carlisle led me out the door and into the cold streets of London. Neither of us talked as we walked close together with nothing but the lantern and the lit street lights to guide us.
     I had no idea where we were going but I trusted Carlisle's fully. When we reached the small cottage of a house, I still stayed behind him, hiding in the coat he had thrown over my shoulders as we left the church.
     "Carlisle, you said no friends!" I hissed as he knocked on the door.
     "They won't be in any danger, Elizabeth, I assure you," Carlisle said.
     The door swung open and in there stood a man about our age, perhaps older, but he grinned in surprise when he saw Carlisle.
     "Carlisle! My dear friend! Come in out of the cold!"
     Carlisle turned to face me, making his friend look at me also.
     "They can come in, too. Come on, you'll both catch your death out here."
     "Thank you, Johnathon," Carlisle said.
     He reached out his hand to me, and I cautiously took it as we walked in.
     "Laurel! We have visitors!"
     A younger woman came around the corner with a grin on her face.
     "Welcome! But I worry, why visit at this hour?" Laurel asked, wiping her hands with a rag. They had just eaten.
     "We need your help. But you have to promise that this doesn't leave this cottage? You both take this to the grave or my Father will banish and shame you."
     "Why? Carlisle, what's going?" Johnathon asked.
     Carlisle nodded to me and I took my cover off, both gasped in shock looking between Carlisle and me.
     "Impossible," Johnathon muttered. "Your mother died at your birth."
     "But you look so much alike, besides your obvious difference in sex," Laurel mused. "Twins?"
     "Mother died giving birth to her," Carlisle explained. "And Father threw her onto the street-"
     "How have you survived so long?" Laurel asked me.
     "Not important. What is important is that she needs a safe place to stay, can I trust you two to help?"
     "Of course, Carlisle, but why not with you? She is your sister-"
     "Something tells me that the Father will not be happy to see that a child he put on the street to die, has survived this long and has found her way home," Laurel interrupted Johnathon. "Of course, she can stay."
     "There's a catch," I stated quickly, just in case Carlisle didn't want to bring it up.
     "Elizabeth-"
     "If they're going to shelter someone who should be dead, they might as well know all the finite details," I snapped at my brother. "I'm pregnant."
     "I mean no offence to your sister, but Carlisle, you honestly expect to look after a slut?"Johnathon growled. "Tell her to stay with the father!"
     "She can't," Laurel said and slowly approached me. "Can you?"
     I could only shake my head. How could anyone be so kind and understanding to someone they'd never met?
     "We'll help you," Laurel said.
     "Laurel-"
     "If we cannot help a stranger care for her baby, how can we be expected to take care of our own when God finally blesses us with one?" Laurel argued.
     "You're trying to have a baby?" I asked in surprise.
     "We've been trying since the wedding, nothing's happening. We pray but... I believe we're cursed-"
     "Then taking care of me is a blessing for you," I stated. "For my child cannot stay with me."
     "Why not?" Johnathon asked.
     "A story for another time."
     "Will you help?" Carlisle asked.
     "Of course, we will," Johnathon sighed. "You're our friend, Carlisle."
     Carlisle thanked his friends, hugged me goodbye, promised he'd see me tomorrow and then left, leaving me in the care of his friends. And suddenly I was more nervous than anything.
     "Can I get you anything?" Laurel offered as Johnathon walked towards the seating room. "Food? A drink?"
     "Um..."
     "How about I show you where you will sleep," Laurel said suddenly, with a friendly smile.
     The moment she mentioned sleep, I felt more tired than I had in my whole life.
     "That sounds amazing."
     "Follow me."
     The cottage, albeit small, was cozy, not cramped.
     I felt safe inside the little wooden walls. Down the corridor, I was lead to a smaller room with a singular bed and a bookshelf.
     "I'll get you something to get dressed into, you look about my size," Laurel said before rushing off.
I couldn't remember her coming back, because the moment I laid down to test the bed, I drifted off into a dreamless, curseless, night sleep.