Chapter Text
Windswept
Part One
Death is Unfair
Bella had never wanted, or even considered immortality without the Cullens. What was the point of having eternity if she couldn’t spend it with Edward? Her breath fogged out in front of her, hissing through her clenched teeth as she cursed the unfairness of it all. Somewhere through the haze of hurt, she could hear raised voices, Jacob was crying. Something, Laurent probably, was burning. The pain was growing ever-stronger, fire roaring through her veins. Jacob scooped her up. She could tell it was him from his smell, steady and reassuring, and because he was murmuring to her as he lugged her along.
“Bella, Bella, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” His voice was shaking and his breath was unsteady. She wanted to tell him to put her down, his skin was far too hot, it was making the agony she was feeling so much more intense, but if she unclenched her jaw she knew she would scream.
Finally, he stopped, laying her down on cold (not cold enough) earth. Her fingernails dug into the dirt at her sides and she could hear Jacob, still crying. She wanted to tell him to stop, if anyone should be crying, it was her, but she couldn’t.
“I don’t know how much of this you can hear.” Jacob said, his voice was shaking, “I’m so sorry this has happened to you, Bella. I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough. I’m so sorry.” He broke off, breathing heavily, “I’ve taken you outside of Forks, away from people. If- when you wake up, get as far away from here as possible. The pack let you leave because I- because you’re important to me, but if you hurt anyone then we will stop you, by any means necessary.” Bella felt his lips press to her forehead, he was saying goodbye. Tears welled in her eyes, this was all so horribly unfair. “Goodbye, Bella. I’m so sorry.” he murmured one last time. She heard him turn, walk away.
She was alone.
Bella lay, back pressed uncomfortably against twigs and pine needles, in the silent woods, for three days. She didn’t think much during that time. Once the venom had kicked in, the only thing that she could really focus on was the pain. It overwhelmed every sense in her body, until finally, with a dull, anticlimactic thud, her heart stopped, and she sat up.
The world was HD television. It was crystalline. It was beautiful. Bella sobbed, hunched over as tearless shakes wracked her body. She was a vampire, she was alone.
Finally, she stood. How had she ever thought that these woods were quiet? There was a cacophony of noise. The rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, the sound of an animal grazing somewhere in the distance. She honed in on that last sound, feet moving before she had truly processed it. A buck stood in a meadow, dark eyes glancing around cautiously as it fed. It didn’t smell particularly appetising, but the idea of feeding on a human didn’t appeal to Bella, no matter how much the burning in her throat begged for it. She pounced.
It didn’t feel like she was moving quickly, more like the world around her had slowed down. The buck didn’t have a chance to turn it’s head and look at her before she was on top of it, teeth sinking into it’s unprotected neck. The buck’s legs buckled and the two of them collapsed to the ground. When Bella stood up, her sweatshirt was soaked in blood. She frowned down at it before stripping it off, leaving only a grey t shirt underneath. The cold did not bother her, she noted abstractly.
Satiated, she glanced around, at a loss for what to do. She could not go home, she would not risk killing Charlie or being killed by the wolves in turn. She could not find the Cullens, Edward had made it clear when they last spoke that he did not want her, she would not thrust herself into his life. She knew very little of any other vampires- the Cullen’s passing comments not being enough for her to be able to seek anyone out. She thrust her hands into her pockets, she had nothing but the clothes on her back; no money, no obligations, no friends. Part of her wanted to sit where she was and never move again, but she shook that off.
Inhaling deeply, she glanced around. The forest truly was beautiful, the frost formed spiderwebs on the leaves and the spiderwebs glittered with dewdrops. She could stay there forever, marvelling at the wonder of it all. She recalled Jacob’s warning to move away once she awoke. Silently, she thanked him for saving her life, before she turned, and began to run from Forks.