Blood Moon [a Twilight Saga FanFiction]

Catatonic - Esme's POV

I HUNG UP THE PHONE AND QUICKLY DIALLED CARLISLE'S OFFICE NUMBER.
     "Be free. Be free," I repeated.
     Elizabeth had sounded so... dead? Something was wrong. Something had happened in Milwaukee.
     "Dammit!" I shouted when Carlisle didn't answer.
     I knew I wouldn't be in control if I went to the hospital myself. After all, I was supposed to be missing, or at least dead. It was at that time that Verity returned from her run, she chuckled at me as she came through the door.
     "Is everything alright?" she asked.
     I tried the main Hospital number and prayed.
     "Ashland Memorial, Rich-"
     "I need to speak with Dr Carlisle Cullen, please," I sighed.
     "May I know who's calling?"
     It's not like I could give them my name. They were still looking for me and Verity after the shooting at the school dance.
     "I'm his cousin? Elizabeth," she wouldn't mind me using her name. Right? "Please, hurry, it's a family emergency."
      Verity stood quickly behind me.
     "Is something wrong with mum?" She asked.
     I didn't look at her. I couldn't. Not until I understood what was happening.
     "Esme?" Verity called.
     Had Alice seen something? Was Carlisle okay?
     Elizabeth had sounded like her world was shattered, she hadn't even spoken at the beginning.
     I hadn't heard anyone with her; if there was anything it was some sort of fabric blowing in strong winds.
     No. Nothing was wrong with Carlisle. Mary Alice hadn't seen anything.
     Something had happened in Milwaukee.
     "Doctor Cullen-"
     "Carlisle, it's me," I said quickly. "Something's... wrong."
     "Are you alright?" he asked, instantly worried.
     "I'm fine. You... your sister called. Carlisle, Elizabeth called."
     "Did Mary see something?"
     "I don't think so, but..."
     "Spit it out, Esme!" Verity yelled. "Are my parents okay?"
     Carlisle sighed.
     "It's okay, my love. Take a deep breath and tell me what's happened," he said softly.
     Just his words, even if he wasn't here beside me, his words made me feel safe, warm... Like I was melting into his words and voice.
     "I think something's happened in Milwaukee," I stated. "She called and at first there was nothing. All I could hear was fabric blowing in the wind, actually now that I think about it, it could have been canvas? She only said your name, well... she sort of choked it out. But she said your name and then, and then she must have dropped or broke her phone because it the line went dead."
     "Something's happened to them?" Verity whimpered.
     "I'll be home as soon as possible, Esme. I'm on my way now. We're going to Milwaukee."
     "Edward..."
     "I'll pick him up along the way. Stay with Verity, your faster and stronger than she is, keep her there and don't let her run off on her own. We'll be home soon."
     The moment he hung up I turned to look at Verity, she wasn't looking at me but she was crying.
     "I'm not stupid. I'm not running off to Milwaukee on my own. I'll wait for Carlisle and Edward to get here," she assured me. "Esme... if... if anything's happened to them while I'm here, I... I don't know what..."
      I pulled her into a hug, wishing I could take her pain away. Her fear. But all I could do for her was be there for her until Carlisle and Edward got home and we were able to get to Milwaukee.
     She pushed herself out of my arms and walked over to Carlisle cross, where she knelt and lowered her head in prayer.
     She was still praying when Carlisle and Edward got home. The boys instantly joined us inside, where Carlisle immediately ran to my side, a comforting arm around my waist, Edward went to get Verity's things. Something I should have done while waiting for them.
     "We're running to Milwaukee?" I asked.
     "It's faster than the drive," Carlisle informed me.
     Verity stood from her prayer and took the bag off Edward when he rejoined us downstairs.
     I had hunted as a vampire before, so I have run with my new strength. But to run, without the thought of a feed, was a different feeling.
     I could see, everything, every little grain in the tree, every ant, leave, stray twig or root. The distinct pattern of a spiders web glittering in the moonlight.
     And yet, part of me reminded me that even though I was immediately, once again, awestruck by the sights, my mind reminded me that I had experienced all this before. In another lifetime.
     The reminder didn't make any of it any less amazing.
     With my strength, one of my strides equalled three of Edward's, so I could see his grin as he ran. And I understood it. I understood the freeing joy of running at this speed, how I never ran out of breath, how I knew exactly where to put my feet so I would not trip...
     It was thrilling.
     Once we reached Milwaukee, however, we slowed down. From a distance, we could hear talking. Humans up at this hour?
     "Don't breathe," Carlisle instructed me when he and Verity caught up with Edward and I.
     Afraid of myself, I immediately stopped the flow of air through my lungs. It felt wrong, uncomfortable. But I'd rather feel uncomfortable than...

     Don't think about it.
     "What's going on?" Verity asked as we continued to move through Milwaukee towards Elizabeth and Igor's house.
     "What's going on?" Verity asked.
     "Get to Elizabeth," Edward said through his teeth. I looked at him, he looked pained.
     "What is it, Edward?" Carlisle asked.
     Were we close enough for him to hear the humans thoughts?
     "The school, it fell into a sinkhole last night," Edward stated. "From what I heard, which isn't a lot from this distance, Igor's down there." Verity whimpered. "And Mary may be as well."
     "Oh no," escaped from my lips as I turned to Carlisle.
     His face was perfectly composed as we pushed to get to Elizabeth faster.
     It was saddeningly easy to find the house. Not even a yard away, trees started to look very damaged with scratches, branches torn clear off. And the closer we got to the house, the less trees started looking like trees and more like splinters.
     I froze when I saw the house. A building I had never seen before but that didn't make the sight any easier.
     Windows were smashed, the door was reduced to splinters. There was canvas, torn apart, some had caught on glass, but there were a few painting sitting outside. Books... what looked like shattered ceramic.
     "Mum," Verity gasped as she ran straight past me, directly inside.
     Carlisle hovered by me before he joined his sister inside. He brushed my back with a comforting hand and somehow, that simple gesture, gave me the strength to go inside.
     She was standing exactly where I thought she would be, in front of a broken telephone. Still as a statue. The only movement was the wind moving her hair.
     "Mum," Verity said again, hugging her mother. Elizabeth didn't move to hug her back.
     "Who did this?" Carlisle asked.
     She didn't respond.
     "She did," Edward answered instead. "She's too afraid to move, she fears she'll snap again. No one was hurt, but she is afraid that if she loses control again, more will be broken than before."
     "Liz, do you know what happened to the school?"
     "She has theories," Edward said for her. "Mary Alice is down there. She warned them to get back from the sinkhole. Igor didn't hear her in time."
     "What are the theories?" Carlisle pushed. He approached his sister and rested a reassuring hand on her back.
     "An act of war, a burst pipe, a freak accident."
     "Wouldn't Mary have seen a burst pipe or a freak accident?" Verity asked.
     "She's trying to not think about that," Edward muttered.
     "Sorry, Mum."
     And still, Elizabeth didn't move or react.
     "They'll be okay," I tried to reassure her. "They're vampires. If Mary Alice survived the first fall it is safe to say that they survived the second."
     "She knows," Edward sighed. "However, it doesn't ease her worry."
     Silence followed. The only noise was Verity's heart and the flapping of broken canvas and curtains.
     The first sign of life amongst any of us, was Verity, yawning. It was the first time I had seen her really yawn.
     "You need to sleep," I said softly.
    "No. I want to stay awake. I want to stay with-"
     Elizabeth cut her off by actually moving to return the hug her daughter was still giving her. I moved closer to them myself when I noticed Elizabeth's shoulders shaking with her silent sobs.
     "Why don't we clean up for her?" I offered. "Igor nor Mary would like to come back to a house looking like this."
     Carlisle turned to me with a smile, and Edward nodded.