TUS POEM

Amazing poem written by hayboo05


It used to be just me & him.
I'd keep the bad away & he'd love me so.
We made it through all the punishment, the pain, & the tears together.
Then one night, we found her.
Or maybe, she found us.
I could tell she was good, pure, warm.
She gave me a name & made him smile.
I was to be Lancelot.
She said I was brave.
And at that moment, I felt invincible.
I'd watch over them both.
Keep them safe, while they learned that love is unexpected.
That they had softness that only each other could see.
I knew even then, we were a family.
Edward, Bella, & Me.

Chapter 17 Teaser

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I blurted out, tears leaving my skin a blotched mess of runny mascara as they traveled down my cheeks. It was the first time that I openly admitted that I wasn’t sure if I knew what I was doing, that I didn’t know if what I’d already done to help Edward was enough in the grand scheme of things. I didn’t know if I was enough. I was questioning myself and my ability to help him, but talking to Alice after holding all this in for so long unraveled me, making me really see what I’d been trying not to. Edward needed more.

I wanted to believe I was healing him somehow, even if it was only a small fraction. I think I was, but there was so much in depth pain buried inside of him, I wondered if I’d barely even scratched the surface. My feelings kept me from being objective about him because I wanted to believe I could do it on my own. I realized I was being naïve, and in doing so, I was being selfish.

She reached for my hand, giving me a warm smile. “Bella, you reached out to him, he reached back. From what you’ve told me about him, that’s a big deal. You did that. You made that happen. And personally, I think the fact that you love him was the catalyst for what he’s overcome.”

“Yeah, but is loving him enough?” I questioned. “And I worry that the way I feel about him might do more harm than good, especially now.”

She stared at me incredulously. “Why would you say that? Why would you think loving him would be harmful to him? Look what loving him has already done. Maybe if he knew or-”

“No,” I cut her off, shaking my head. “I can’t tell him how I feel about him.”

“Why not? Maybe that’s what he needs. Maybe he needs something solid to hold to.”

“That’s just it,” I stressed. “You don’t know Edward like I do. If he knew I loved him, he’d feel obligated to do what he felt I wanted him to, maybe even reciprocate those feelings toward me. And if he couldn’t feel that way because of how broken he is inside that would be one more thing he’d take on himself. One more thing he could say he was to blame for. One more failure of his. That’s not what I want.

“I don’t want him to feel like he has to give me anything because I feel the way I feel. I’m so afraid if he pushes too hard to get better, he’ll fold in on himself and fall deeper inside his own head, and then I’d lose him. I’m not too stupid to realize his recovery is going to take time, lots of time, and he doesn’t need the fact that I’ve fallen in love with him hanging over his head as a distraction. And it would be. I can’t put that kind of pressure on him, Alice. I don’t want him to want to get better because of me. I want him to want to do it for himself. This is about him, not me. It’s only ever been about him.”

Chapter 16: Truth Unfolds (teaser)

Edward’s eyes lowered to where his fingers grazed my skin. The spark from his touch surged through my body, making even the tips of my toes tingle. Goosebumps formed across my skin, covering every inch of me.

“Meu anjo,” he whispered. “Leva o mal.”  He gently rubbed his fingers back and forth over my heart.

I had no idea what he said to me, but the words were beautiful, and because they seemed so personal, my eyes closed from the intensity in which they impacted me. I knew whatever he’d just said was mine alone, that he’d never said the words to anyone else. They were meant for only me.

“Edward,” I breathed. I didn’t realize I was even speaking until the sound of his name hit the air.

His fingers stilled over my heart, and I opened my eyes, meeting his guilt ridden ones. “Bella…I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… but your heart, I wanted to touch it and-” He paused, shaking his head, then began pulling his hand away.

If he only knew how much he’d already touched my heart.

I gripped his hand in mine, bringing it back to cover my heart with his palm. I wanted him to know it was okay, that he did nothing wrong. “You don’t have to be sorry for touching me.”

“It’s true,” he whispered as he stared at the hand placed over my heart.

“What is?”

“About the softness,” he murmured. “You can… see it.” His eyes met mine again. “I see yours because you are softness. It’s your heart.”

Chapter 15: A Piece of Beautiful (teaser)

Edward’s arm twitched against my hip, then he pulled it abruptly away as he nearly flung himself upright, scooting backward, eyes darting around the room, no doubt contemplating running.  If he moved any further from me, he’d fall right off the mattress onto the floor.  His knees were immediately pressed against his chest, arms wrapped around them, and his cheeks were as flushed as mine. “I…I’m…I didn’t-” He was stammering his words and as he did so, he never looked at me.  In fact, he looked everywhere but at me. Every word carried an intonation of regret and fear, and I felt sickened that he felt that way. But more importantly, I worried what feeling that way would do to him, if it would affect what we'd gained.

Here I was reacting to the fact that my chest was practically hanging out, but I never took into consideration how my reaction would affect him. It was obvious I’d not only startled him, but made him fearful too. I hadn’t meant to do either one, I’d just never had a guy openly stare at my chest that way. I’m Bella Swan, after all; hopelessly clumsy and hopelessly plain.

I mean, I knew his thoughts weren’t the same as other guys, but his face still showed curiosity, almost to the point of fascination. And that, the look in his eyes, the way his eyes studied me, heated my skin from head to toe, making me gasp more from that then embarrassment. I could blame my actions solely on the embarrassment but I knew better.  

Him staring at me, though I’m sure on his part was innocent, affected me and I had no idea what to do with that knowledge. But right now, what I felt didn’t matter because he was sitting there afraid and fixing that, that’s what mattered.

“Edward,” I began in a soft, nonthreatening tone. I had no actual idea what I was doing here, what to say, but I had to make an attempt. “Please don’t be upset. Please don’t pull away from me. I was half asleep. I just… I was startled and-”

He frowned, voice tiny and trembling. “I shouldn’t –” He paused, shaking his head.

“It’s okay,” I told him. “Really. Edward, I’m not angry. There’s no reason to be angry, okay? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I just… wanted to know,” he whispered. His eyes finally met mine, glistening with unshed tears, but his bodily relaxed minutely.

“Know what?” I asked. My heart was aching painfully in my chest for him. He really seemed to think what he’d done was no short of depravity.

“About the softness.” He lowered his head, eyes focusing on his lap in shame. The more he revealed, the lower his voice became. “He told me about it…. the softness a girl has. He said it was beautiful. He said… he said I’d never know it - I wasn’t worthy. I didn't understand what he was saying, but I just wanted to know if I could see it… what he meant because I won’t… ever know it.”

Chapter 14: A State of Serenity and Rapport (Teaser)

“Bella?”

“Uh, yeah, Alice, it’s me.”

“Sorry,” she whispered, her voice gritty. “I had just dozed off when you called.”

I laughed. “Well, we had a late night, so I’m not surprised. I took a nap earlier myself.”

She chuckled loudly, but the sound was interrupted midway by a heavy yawn. “God, sorry about that,” she giggled. “Did I hear you say something about needing a favor?”

Our comfortable exchange had minutely distracted me from the reason I’d called to begin with, but now, well, now I was once again stressed. My whole body felt weighted by it. I had no idea if calling her was an entirely smart idea or how much I could and would tell her, but I knew in asking for her help, she was going to require something in exchange. And truthfully, even though I trusted Alice with my life, it wasn’t my life I was concerned about. But in order to pull this off, to be able to stay the entire night with Edward, I needed an alibi and complete secrecy when giving it. Alice was the only one who could give me that.

“Yeah,” I responded nervously. “I did.” I was positive she could hear the tension within my voice.

There was silence on her end as she waited for me to continue and silence on my end because I had no idea what my approach was yet. It wasn’t as if I had a great deal of time to think this through, so I needed the quiet to mull over what I should say to her.

“Well?” she finally asked, breaking through the dead air. “What’s the favor?”

I still wasn’t entirely prepared, but I bit my lip as I readied myself to speak. Here goes nothing, I thought. And instead of speaking articulately, my response came out in a garbled rush. “Ineedyoutogivemeanalibi.”

“I…uh…blah, blah what?” She was clearly mocking me. “English, Bella.”

I groaned out of frustration directly into the mouth piece, running the fingers of my free hand roughly through my hair. “I need you to give me an alibi.”

“Oh, so that’s what you were saying,” she smirked. “What for?” 

“The entire night,” I murmured.

“WHAT!” She practically squealed. “What are you up to, you naughty girl?” I had no doubt the wheels were turning inside that brain of hers, running through a plethora of scenarios leading me to asking such a request and none were appropriate.

My face flushed in embarrassment at her words, and I responded immediately without ideating how I should actually respond. “It’s not like that, and I can’t get into a lot of detail right now, Alice. I promise I’ll explain what I can later, but please, I just need to know if you’ll help me. I really need you to do this for me. It’s important.”

Way to go, Bella. That statement in itself would obviously fuel the “need to know” fire.

“Oh, no, Bella Swan.” I could hear the sound her head made through the phone as she shook it, her tone firm when she spoke. “No info, no alibi.”

Chapter 13: Discern (teaser)

We remained in the doorway, standing on the threshold between his hallway and the boiler room, unspoken but holding onto one another. I never loosened my grip on his trembling form. If anything, I tightened it further. But now, I was feeling a little bit selfish here because I didn’t want to let him go…ever. I would gladly stand in this very spot for eternity, endure unspeakable leg cramps and discomfort, just to hold him, just to feel this…whatever it was. And I felt guilty for it, for feeling this way because it shouldn’t feel this right, and he certainly couldn’t reciprocate. That wasn’t a possibility, and I was angry at myself for allowing this feeling to creep up on me, for needing it, even if I didn’t quite understand it – which only served to add frustration to the many emotions enveloping my body now.

But he pressed his face further into my hair as he wrapped his arms fully around my waist in a tight embrace, then whispered in a shuddered breath, “Meu calor, meu anjo.”  

I had no idea what he’d just said or even in what language he spoke, but I did, in fact, believe that it wasn’t actually meant for my ears to hear; it was more a verbal musing that wasn’t really meant to be verbal. Edward was certainly proving to be more than I expected, not that that should have surprised me, and I had a feeling he just unknowingly revealed another layer.

Chapter 12: Method of Secrecy (Teaser)

My mouth dropped open, eyes widening in shock. His answer was not one I expected to hear at all. “What do you mean ‘here’?” I asked incredulously. He continued staring at me, wearing the same expression upon his face. He seemed thoroughly amused by my confusion. “You actually take a bath here?” He shook his head, which only served to confuse me more. “But you just said-”

“Shower, not bath…Bella,” he interrupted, cocking an eyebrow while still wearing that little smirk. My eyes widened further at his statement and facial expression. His reactions proved exactly how much of an enigma he really was. There were many layers to Edward; that much I ascertained.

“But I don’t…How do you...” I paused, running my hands down my face, shaking my head. I was completely stammering my words, thrown by the fact that he actually showered here. I never in a million years expected that, it just didn’t seem probable to me. Yeah, his body didn’t appear dirty so I figured he was able to manage some kind of personal hygiene, and I guess I really didn’t know what I anticipated him to say, but it wasn’t that. “Why…I mean, where do you shower in this place?”

He stared at me, eyes twinkling with intensity as his face shifted through emotions. I was trying to read him, trying to understand what I was seeing behind those green orbs, hoping to understand the reason behind his silence and the look he was giving me. And it dawned on me as his eyes roamed my face that he was doing the same, trying to read me. Was he afraid to tell me?


His eyes finally lowered toward his lap as he whispered, “Where…where I found you.”

Chapter 11: Endeavor the Warmth (Teaser)

I was staring openly at our hands to the exact spot our fingers touched.  Neither of us made a move to pull apart, nor did the sensation dissipate the longer our skin stayed connected.  “There’s…so much,” Edward breathed out.

My head snapped up, eyes locking onto his face. His were focused on our hands, but his expression more than defined his confusion – I understood that feeling all too well. I was wearing my confusion badge a lot since I’d met Edward.

One of his eyebrows was raised higher than the other, nose was slightly wrinkled and there was an obvious crease between his brows. “Why, Bella?” he whispered, shaking his head. I bit my lip hard, completely terrified of the underlying reason to his question. This thing that kept happening when we touched, was it too much for him? Would he want me to leave now?  I was terrified that was the case, that I was going to be rejected by him now, and because of that, I’d never wanted to know someone’s thoughts more than I did in this moment. “Why are you?”

“Why am I what?” I asked as I pulled my hand away, careful not to do so too abruptly.  I tried to mask the tension in my voice, but I knew I was failing miserably.

“It’s so warm. Why…why are you so warm?”

“I don’t-”

“He didn’t… It was never…” He seemed lost in his musings, so much so, I felt as if I were standing outside a room, eavesdropping. “He wasn’t warm.”

The way he said it, the agony twined with his words, made my heart feel as though someone took a straight razor to it, slicing through the tough muscle to the source of me, penetrating my soul. His pain had such a daunting affect on me, and I barely knew much about him or what happened to him. “Edward, what did he-”

He inhaled sharply, glancing down at his hands. “I don’t want to, Bella.”

“What, Edward?” I wanted to reach out to him, terrified I might be pushing too hard. No, what I really wanted to do was touch him again. “What don’t you want to?”

His eyes met mine pleadingly, and he exhaled his words on a crushed whisper. “Be in the cold anymore.”

Chapter 10: Labyrinth (teaser)

I tried to understand the sensation as I glided my fingertips across my bottom lip. It was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. It definitely felt like an electrical current or something of equal power, but it wasn’t painful. On the contrary, it was warm and intoxicating, like heated silk whispering along my skin. How I managed to feel that by sharing a touch with someone was beyond me.

Edward’s gasp interrupted my reverie, so I glanced up, meeting shocked eyes. I instantly froze, terrified that whatever happened between us in that touch would set him back, that I’d lose the ground I’d gained with him. “I’m…uh…sorry.” I ended up blurting out the first thing that came to mind, and it certainly wasn’t that articulate.

Apologizing may not have been the right approach, but it wasn’t as if I really knew what approach to take. I was flying completely blind here. But my apology didn’t seem to ease his tension, so I took a deep breath, doing the one thing I could think of, I told him the truth…sort of. “It’s okay, Edward, that was just a static shock. It happens sometimes when people touch each other or touch something metal. It happens to me every now and then when I grab onto a door knob.” He seemed to ease moderately, but there was something that passed within his eyes, something fleeting that I couldn’t name, but my heart definitely reacted to it.

Chapter 9: Acquiesce (teaser)

When I arrived, Marcus was on the second floor, filling a copious amount of lawn bags with garbage that lay cluttering the cemented floors.  I chuckled at his incoherent mutterings. “Bad morning?”

He laughed as he dropped the bag he held between his gloved hands. “You could say that.” He looked around, exhaling a sonorous breath in annoyance. “I knew this would be a lot of work, but no sooner do I get one portion finished, kids come through here vandalizing or partying, and I have a whole new mess to clean.”

“Marcus, I-”

“That wasn’t a jab at you, Bella,” he interrupted, his tone compassionate. “So please don’t take it that way.”

I nodded, cleared my throat, then gestured toward my tote bag. “I brought you lunch. Should I set it on your bench in the boiler room?”

“Bella,” he shook his head, sighing. “You have to stop doing that.”

“Why?” I asked. “I just…I’m sorry if I offended you.”

A small smile played at the corner of his lips. “You didn’t offend me, I’m just not used to someone doing something nice for me, let alone wanting to. I’ve never been high on anyone’s priority list. I guess what goes around comes around, right?”

“I don’t believe that,” I told him. “And it’s never too late to let people see the real you, because I happen to see someone who’s very unselfish.”

“You’re wrong, Bella. Taking care of one boy doesn’t make up for years of being self-absorbed.”

“I think it does. People change, Marcus. You’re proof of that.”

“If I’ve changed, it’s all because of that boy.”

Chapter 8: Meet the Parent (teaser)

I kept my eyes off him as he ate, because the last thing I wanted was for him to be self-conscious around me in any way, but I talked to him, telling him all about the idea Marcus and I came up with so I’d be able to stick around longer. I made sure to include, “Only if you want me to.” at the end of the sentence - which he seemed to. At least, that’s how I interpreted the grunt in response. Sometimes I wondered if he ever tired of me talking so much, but then again, I had to make up conversation for two people. In the end, I guess maybe he didn’t because he’d yet to ask me to stay away. I honestly hoped that day would never come.

Being that Edward presumably was a belated eater, or maybe it was simply because he still wasn’t used to being around someone while eating, even though he’d been doing it for the past week now, he’d just finished when six o’clock rolled around. I glanced up at him when I saw through my peripherals that he was laying his bowl beside him.

“It’s time for me to go, but I’ll be back in the morning.” I grabbed my tote bag, slinging it over my shoulder and stood up, stretching my limbs a little before I walked toward the only exit/entrance in the room.

“I wish-” he paused, as if hesitant to continue what he wanted to say. “I wish…you could stay.”

I stood inches from the door now, unmoving. “I do too.” I bit back the tears that stung the corner of my eyes. “But I’ll be back tomorrow.”

I moved through the doorway, knowing if I stood in that spot any longer or even chanced a look at him, I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to leave, and that was not a possibility right now; I had to leave. I’d barely cleared three steps between me and the doorway when I heard him say, “You…you make it…not hurt so much.”

The tears fell relentless now.

Chapter 7: The Plan (teaser)

I turned back around and proceeded down the hallway. I pushed through the doorway, parting the blanket that obstructed the door, and glanced around the room for Marcus. “Marcus, are you in here?”

He poked his head out from around the large boiler. “Yeah, I’m over here.” I stepped toward the boiler, stopping when I stood beside him. He was on his knees, fumbling through archaic parts piled in an old crate, but paused when he saw me next to him. “Everything alright?”

I sighed. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I just…do you remember when you told me if I needed anything to come find you?”

He nodded. “Of course.”

“Well,” I started, biting my lip. “I need your help.”

He immediately stood up. “Tell me what you need me to do.”  There was no delay, just a simple, sincere response.

Chapter 6: A Slight Progression (teaser)

I sat back up, placing my back against the wall and glanced over toward Edward. My mouth fell open, and I let out a low trembling breath. He’d been watching my interaction with Lancelot, and apparently was pleased by it because the right side of his mouth actually turned up into a small smile. I was completely staggered, though it was a pleasant shock.

I had to correct myself almost immediately so that my reaction didn’t startle him. I smiled back at him, and reached inside my bag to pull out the book. “I brought Walden by Henry David Thoreau. I hope you like it.”

I began to read, getting completely lost in the words. He remained quiet, of course, but listened intently to what I was saying…until the fourth chapter. “There is commonly sufficient space about us. Our horizon is never quite at our elbows. The thick wood is not just at our door, nor the pond, but somewhat is always clearing, familiar and worn by us, appropriated and fenced in some way, and reclaimed from Nature. For what reason have I this vast range and circuit, some square miles of unfrequented forest, for my privacy, abandoned to me by men? My nearest neighbor is a mile distant, and no house is visible from any place but the hill-tops within half a mile of my own. I have my horizon bounded by woods all to myself; a distant view of the railroad where it touches the pond on the one hand, and of the fence which skirts the woodland road on the other. But for-”

“I,” he started, then paused. I waited anxiously for him to continue speaking, my heart fluttered triumphantly in my chest, because that one word was the first word I’d heard from him in nearly a week, but right now, that one word was everything. He was staring at me, almost pleadingly, so I smiled to reassure him. “I…like it.” He glanced from me to the book.

“Me too,” I whispered hoarsely. I bit my lip to catharsis myself of my emotions. “This book was always one of my favorites. I have a weakness for classic literature.”

I swear he smiled again. It was fleeting, but it was there. “Please,” he whispered. 

Chapter 5: Puzzle Piece (teaser)

I was completely deadlocked; fear resonated through my entire body, disabling my ability to do anything but breathe in and out almost violently while practically crushing the fabric of the blanket between my fingers.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid because I’m not going to hurt you. I am, however, surprised you came back; especially to see the lad.”

I dropped the blanket, pivoted slowly on my heels, and flashed my light toward the voice, coming face to face with an elderly gentleman who was probably in his late fifties, early sixties. He had jet black hair with a tinge of gray, dark eyes, a bit on the thin side and rather tall. A person's face, especially their eyes, creates obvious and immediate cues that lead to the formation of an impression, and his told me, along with his smile, that he was good natured; I could feel it.

“W-what do you mean by ‘the lad’?”

He walked over toward the workbench, flicked on the lamp, and placed a grocery bag on top, then faced me once more, smiling as he pointed toward the entryway that led to the room Edward was hiding in. “The lad.”

“You mean…Edward?”

“Edward, heh?” He shook his head, the smile still appreciable. “Did he tell you his name?” I nodded. “After nearly seven years, I finally find out his name. Ah well, better late than never I always say.”

I gasped. “Seven years? What do you mean seven years?”

He nodded; his focus was now on the grocery bag as he removed items inside it. “That’s how long he’s been here.”

“Oh, my God,” I cried, feeling a mix of consternation and anger. “How could you…how could you keep him here, especially that long?”

His hands stilled, and his body went completely stagnant, until he finally turned to face me, wearing a pained expression. “I didn’t keep him here. I found him here.”

Chapter 4: Home Again (teaser)

Fifteen minutes later, I was sitting inside Charlie’s cruiser on my way to the hospital. “How’s the head, Kiddo? You doing okay?”

“Dad, I’m fine,” I chuckled. “I’d feel better if I could just get home in my own bed. I think an icepack would be good enough. I don’t need to see a doctor.”

“Bella,” he started; his tone authoritative. “You’re going. The way I see it, you gave your old man quite a scare, so the least you can do is go see Dr. Cullen and have him look at that head of yours. I realize you hate hospitals, but I’d feel better all the same if I knew you were okay.”

I sighed. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

He shook his head. “Nope.”

“How’s Emmett?” I asked. “Does he know that I-”

“He does,” Charlie interrupted. “He wanted to come, but I told him to stay home. He came with me to search for you. We’d barely been home an hour when you called. We weren’t giving up.”

“I’m sorry, Dad.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay, Bells. That’s all that matters.”

Chapter 3: Don't Go (teaser)

Time seemed to pass, possibly hours that we both stayed apoplectic in our neutral corners of the room. He, however, seemed as alert as he had hours ago, whereas I began feeling quite lethargic. I was having a difficult time keeping my eyes open, and the pain in my head was more noticeable now; probably due to the decrease of adrenalin in my system. I grappled against the fatigue, but failed miserably.

When I woke, I was still propped up against the wall, but I was once again covered with the sheet and something placed upon my lap. I gripped the sheet, pulling it down my body, seeing the tattered bear draped across my legs. I immediately glanced up toward the corner I knew he’d be in and saw him watching me; his face looked affable, almost innocent appearing. And somehow, in that moment as our eyes met, I understood he wouldn’t hurt me; that if I wanted to leave he’d let me.

I removed the sheet completely, placing the bear down gently on top, and shifted my body enough to brace my hands along the wall. I pulled myself up slowly, careful not to agitate my concussed head, then gently turned around, taking small steps toward the door. I watched him as I inched further toward the exit then glanced between him and the door just as I approached it. “T-thank you for…umm… helping me, but I need to leave. I’m…I’m going to go now.”

I reached for the door handle, twisting hard to open the door. “Don’t…go,” he whispered so soft in pitch, that had I not actually felt the words more than heard them, they probably would have been curtained from me. The tribulation in that two-worded plea sent a tumultuous ache through me, so acute that I painfully gripped the door handle within my hand. I instantly wanted to somehow comfort him, and it occurred to me because of that I was probably losing my mind.

Chapter 2: Enigma (teaser)

Thump.

Thump, thump.

Thump.

Thump, thump, thump!

My eyelids fluttered painfully over my eyes, and my heart felt as if it were beating in my head, reverberating off my eardrums straight to my brain. And when I turned slightly, hoping to alleviate the sound, an acute throbbing dominated the inside of my head.

I winced fully, and the echoed intonation only served to increase the tempo of the throbbing. Human instinct was to touch the part of you that hurt, but I was afraid if my fingers even lightly brushed over my forehead, and that wasn’t even where the full extent of the pain resided, it would only worsen the pain I was feeling.

Even still, through the biting discomfort, my eyelids steadily fluttered their way open. My vision was obscured, but I could make out that there was really nothing but blackness surrounding me anyway. Well, almost nothing but blackness.

As my vision focused, I noticed from my peripherals that there was a small patch of light dancing toward the corner of the room, and just as I recognized I was seeing some light, realization that I did not recognize where I was stormed its way across me like a tsunami. My breathing became staccato, which I noticed was the only sound I heard around me; everything else was silent.

I paused for the briefest second, trying to recollect anything that would explain why I was laying somewhere completely unfamiliar, surrounded by near darkness and breathing in a musty scent I wasn't accustomed to smelling. And then it hit me; I was spending the weekend with Alice, we’d went to that old hospital with a group of others, I was exploring the place with Jess, she lost her phone, I went to find it, I-

Oh God! I remember! 

Just as I recalled falling and those portentous green eyes, whose gaze I literally felt slick across my flesh, I was inundated with terror. I knew where I was now, and I did not want to be here. I attempted to prop myself up on my elbows, but the minute movement awarded me with a bout of nausea while augmenting the ache within my skull.  My eyelids literally wanted to close against the pain, but I fought to keep them open. It occurred to me that that struggle, keeping myself alert, could mean my life.

So I forced my eyelids to keep from shutting; my teeth clenched together, jaw completely taut, further intensifying my agony. And once my eyelids were fully open and free of closing on me, though the rest of my discomfort remained, my eyes darted around the room, searching for a way out of this place.

I’d barely made a full scan of the room when I heard an audible exhale of breath, and just like a magnet, I was drawn to the sound. There in the corner, where the room was moderately illuminated, was a shadow. I wasn’t alone, and I knew without an ounce of ambivalence who was there.

Chapter 1: Hide and Seek (teaser)

Here's a teaser of the first chapter. Hope you enjoy!
_____________________________________________________________________________


 I paused when I cleared the first room and neared the door of the large bathroom, urging my emotions to become sedate. I inhaled one last deep breath, then rounded the corner into the room, flashing the light desperately over the marred floor in search of Jess’s cell.

I became more frantic the more expanse of the floor my light drifted over with no cell phone in sight. I took a few steps forward, feeling the tears trickle against the corner of my eyes because the fear was now eating at my insides. I was ready to give up because I felt rocked by the terror when my light reflected over something shiny. I flashed the light back in the direction of the shiny object, finding Jess’s cell. I breathed out loudly in triumph, launched myself near it and bent over to pick it up. And just as I gripped the phone in my hands, the air became thick and chilling. Goosebumps literally attacked my body without mercy. I lifted up so slowly, mainly because I felt so paralyzed by whatever entered that room and altered the atmosphere.

And when I was finally standing upright, I eased the hand that held the flashlight up in front of me. There was a body standing just a few feet away, and though I knew there was someone there, it wasn’t actually real to me until I stopped at his face. But really, all I could focus on was the ominous green eyes that held mine. He stepped toward me, and I tried to scream, but the sound was caught in the back of my throat.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t look away. The fear became so caustic that it felt as if I were being swallowed whole by it. But when he gripped my arm, something instinctual kicked in, something that aimed to preserve my life. I threw myself backward to get away, but in doing so, my foot caught on some broken tiling along the floor. The last thing I recalled before complete blackness was the way the light shimmered over his face as I fell, reflecting the deep green in his eyes, the same eyes that left me immobilized with fear.

NEW BLOG

As you can see, I have a new blog. I was considering opening a new one for awhile, one where I could post all my stories together, but kstewfangirl brought it up, and I decided it was high time I do it. It'll probably take me a few days to sort everything out with the site, but once I'm done, you'll not only be able to read the my stories on FF and Twi'd, but you'll be able to read them here too.