Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own, personal AU plot bunnies.
Untimely
Chapter 1: Different
Near death, last breath
And barely hanging on
Would you believe me
If I said I didn't need you?
Skeptics And True Believers - The Academy Is...
“I braced myself, feet apart, trying to remember through my panic what little self-defense I knew. Heel of the hand thrust upward, hopefully breaking the nose or shoving it into the brain. Finger through the eye socket – try to hook around and pop the eye out. And the standard knee to the groin, of course. That same pessimistic voice in my mind spoke up then, reminding me that I probably wouldn’t have a chance against one of them, and there were four. Shut up! I commanded the voice before terror could incapacitate me. I wasn’t going out without taking someone with me. I tried to swallow so I could build up a decent scream…” [Twilight, of course]
The four men continued their advance, and I pulled myself up to the crest of my limited height. A sadistic urge to laugh ripped through me at the thought of attempting to look intimidating. The men paused briefly, furrowed brows directed at my strange outburst.
Suddenly, my mother occupied the forefront of my mind, talking about how only I could get in trouble while living in Forks. The picture was too easy to conjure, but I cringed from the realization that this wouldn’t exactly put Renee in a jesting mood. At least, I hoped my probable demise wouldn’t instill laughter. I guess you never knew with my mother…
Focus, I chided myself, scrunched eyes and wrinkled nose summoning more curious looks from my captors. I will make it out of here. I will make it out of here. I will make it out of here… I chanted silently. I need to make I out of here. For Renee. And Charlie… I mean, the man can’t even feed himself. Edward…
Whoa. Where did that one come from? My eyes popped open wide, affirming my apparent insanity to the approaching men. Well, one of his daring rescues would be appropriate right about now… I reasoned, but the reality of my mind held only his face: the beauty of his pale features, a lopsided grin stretching his mouth, bronze hair glinting.
Through all the shifts occurring in my mind, only seconds passed. The men were finally closing in and my grace period was spent. So, with Edward’s face filling my head, I shut my eyes and just felt around me, sensing where my attackers stood and waiting like some cornered wild animal. Like a spider on her web, I felt one enter my awareness and lashed out before even thinking. My wild kick met a warm, pliable resistance that emitted a pained groan, marking my success. His friends seemed unaffected, however, as I felt another presence, this time flinging a curled hand. My crude imitation of a claw proved somewhat effective despite its lackluster craftsmanship, and my nails scraped down what felt like a doughy cheek. I never imagined I’d be as happy as I was to experience the metallic indicator of blood invading my nasal cavities.
“Bitch!” he snarled, roughly seizing my arm and easily tossing me to the ground.
My arms flew out blindly in an awkward attempt at catching my fall. Pain shot up through my forearms. The balls of my feet scrambled for purchase as I attempted to rise. I’d barely moved when someone harshly grabbed my hair, pulling me back by the scalp. An open palm made vicious contact with my face, and I tasted blood, my stomach roiling. But I didn’t cry or beg. I refused to give them the satisfaction.
I spit the salty gunk from my mouth, the stream landing somewhere below my line of vision. The man with scratches now slashed across his face again grabbed me by my hair. He forced my gaze to his and leered sloppily, the scratches making the gesture sadistic.
“Nowhere to run, sweetheart.” He yanked me towards him, but let go suddenly at the sound of screeching tires. Faster than seemed possible, the driver was out and upon us.
“Let her go!” he snarled. I knew that voice. Even saturated with unrestrained fury, it was beautiful.
The next moments were a blur, as I huddled on the ground, shaking and trying to clear the blood from my face, only managing to additionally coat my hands. When the screams started, I turned away, crushing my hands to my ears, attempting to muffle the sickening cries.
Abruptly, it was silent. Slowly I rose, turning cautiously. My eyes remained squeezed shut, not sure what I would see. “Edward…” I squeaked, still blind. When I finally opened them, I saw him.
His eyes were black, possibly more so than that day in Biology. Every inch of him was clenched, trying to hold something back, but I witnessed his loss as his fists gradually uncurled and the muscles of his legs shifted to a crouch.
I remained hopelessly frozen, wholly afraid for the first time. It seemed to overflow from me and Edward drank it greedily in big, hungry gulps of air. Before I processed the motion, he sprang, slamming into me with the force of a brick wall. Edward’s head disappeared into the crook of my neck as something sliced clean into me, adding to the repulsive scent of blood clouding my senses.
My head smacked against the ground as I tumbled, but the current assault on my neck dulled my notice of it. All the feeling inside me came from the hungry pull on my skin, the metallic scent alerting me to just what I was losing. Each drag of exiting blood left me that much weaker, that much dizzier, and that much closer to death. Yet, all I could seem to think about was the fact that I had been right. Well, kind of. I had been informed rightly, too bad that the confirmation was tied to my immediate demise. The cloudiness in my mind expanded to the point that I was mostly gone, uttering one word as my eyelids dragged over the orbs:
“Edward.”
Then, the pulling ceased; utter joy filled my gut at the jolt of cold air skirting over the wound. Just in time for fiery pain to wrack through my every limb. I was gone.
