It was the middle of the night. I tossed and turned but couldn’t get to sleep. There was a thunderstorm and heavy rain, and usually that would help me relax but now all I could hear were the voices in my head. Every time I fell half asleep I saw myself pale white and ice cold, no heartbeat, and blazing red eyes. I woke up sweating, staring at the raindrops on the window then I closed my eyes again to force myself to sleep but it was pointless, I couldn’t sleep whenever I felt anxious and restless.
Charlie came to check up on me because he heard me tossing around on the bed and I pretended to be asleep. He closed the door and I turned on the warm light on the bedside table. I searched the room in the hopes to find some music I could listen to. What did people even use for music in the 2000’s? I was 9 years old in 2005 and the first music player I could remember having was an iPod. I was right, I found a pink iPod mini in Bella’s desks, one of the first generations. Which I guessed she left here for when she was visiting Charlie. I used the earphones that came with it and plugged them into my ears. I scrolled through the songs but I didn’t find many, a few Linkin Park and classical songs. I remember Bella didn’t really listen to music much, or at all but I thought she had good taste in the music that she did listen to. Linkin Park was one of my favourite bands, after all. To my surprise I found the classical piano hit ‘River Flows In You’ between her songs and hit play.
I decided to get some fresh air and clear my head so I pulled on my jeans and shoes, stored the iPod in my pocket and grabbed my backpack. I sneaked downstairs, got my jacket and put it on before going outside. I pulled my hood up and walked across the street, into the forest.
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I walked over the wet moss and leaves on the forest ground, crunching them underneath my sneakers until Charlie’s house was nothing but a small spot in the distance. I walked until eventually I reached the end of my trail and came across a flowing river. I kneeled down watching the water of the river clash with the water that came pouring out of the clouds in the sky. This was the first time I felt at peace, not having to deal with vampires or the crazy plot lines of a fantasy book but just me alone, surrounded by nature and having to worry about nothing but my own thoughts. Maybe this is where I belonged.
I thought about Alice’s words again. Cullen and vampire were synonymous, I wondered if that’s what Alice meant with I will be one of her siblings. I will be one of them: A vampire. A creature of the night, a living corpse. How and why is what kept me awake. It wasn’t the fear of becoming a vampire that feared me so much, it was dying itself. I hypothetically thought about being a vampire in my own time before and if the possibility arose I would consider it. Like Bella I never really felt like I was born to be human, always feeling out of touch with the world and others. On the other hand I also agreed with Edward, I wouldn’t want to be a monster.
But now I was here and I was homesick. I missed my family and the comfort of my own bed. I tried to remember them but their faces were starting to get blurry and the memories were fading. The longer I was in this world the more I was starting to forget about my old life. It was a strange feeling- I was one of the Twilight fans who would have loved to be transported here, reality was different. I was lost. I was alone.
After hours of sitting down and listening to music by the river I stood up and thought about stepping over the ledge. Dreams usually ended with death, after all so did all things. Perhaps this was the 1/4 probability Alice was talking about, preventing me from ruining everything. The rain had slowed and I saw a beam of sunlight coming out behind the trees at the opposite side of the river, there were two deers and one was running after the other. They stopped and drank some water then one of them nestled their neck into the others’ and snuggled up to them. The other deer turned its head and licked their face. I didn’t know if it was just my interpretation of what I saw but to me they were in love. Love was such a powerful feeling, not a feeling I thought I would ever experience myself again but I felt and understood it from watching these animals. I think that was the pull of twilight, the tale of unconditional love and family. A light went on inside of me and I stepped away from the edge. Perhaps there would be a place for me here, I had more knowledge of this world than anyone but Alice and I could use it, to change it for the better.
I kneeled down again and opened the diary, flipping the pages until I reached the end of the first book’s plot. James and Victoria would come for Bella, I knew it would turn out to be fine but what harm could it cause if they were stopped in advantage? Bella wouldn’t have to hurt her dad, Edward would be less inclined to think she’s in danger being in his world, and Bella wouldn’t fall into a depression. She wouldn’t have to go through what I did.
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Besides, the Cullens had already found out that I knew something about them. It was best to come clean and hopefully if I’d help them it would show that they can trust me.
More determined than I was at the beginning of the night I turned around but I was frozen into place. There were a pair of blazing red eyes in the distance, staring at me. I blinked and they were gone. I sighed in relief, I was starting to get full blown hallucinations with the lack of sleep I was having.
I followed back the trail I took to arrive here. Rain drops were dripping from the leaves in the trees above me and I felt warm sunlight on my skin coming from the beams that shone through. I didn’t find Charlie’s place, the forest was easier to get lost in than I imagined. I followed a different path and after walking for what felt like hours I pushed away some branches between two trees and reached an open space, finding myself in the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.
It was a small, round grassland with violet, white and yellow flowers growing all across the landscape, it was the only sunlit location within the forest which made it stand out and come alive. The meadow truly was unlike any other place, it was as if I was stranded on a whole other planet- one that was blessed with magic. I looked at the open sky, it was dawn which coloured the heaven in a multitude of beautiful colours; mainly orange and a darker ocean blue. I watched the sun rise and the clouds pass by as I listened to the relaxing sound of the flowing of the water in the stream nearby and the early birds chirping in the distance. If I didn’t have to find my way back to Charlie’s I could stay here forever. I walked to the other side of the meadow and into the forest again. I followed a straight path and finally there was light. I was out of the woods but now found myself on a roadway. Well, at least I wasn’t in the forest anymore.
Cars came passing by and I tried to lift with one of them, eventually a bright yellow Porsche stopped in front of me.
A girl rolled down the windows, I saw it was Alice.
“Hi Adam” she said. “Get in”
I pulled out my earphones and put them in my pocket, then got in the passengers seat. “Thanks for picking me up, how did you know where I was?”
“I saw you were lost” she answered.
“Of course”
“What were you doing out in the woods?”
“Just thinking. Clearing my head”
She turned her head sideways to look at me “Did it work?”
“It did”
“Adam the woods aren’t a safe place, there are-“
“Werewolves, I know”
She nodded “I also saw you were standing in a field, it’s the same field I saw somewhere in your future. But you weren’t alone, you were with the girl”
She was talking about Bella again. I felt a knot forming in my stomach. It wasn’t me who would take Bella to the meadow, it was Edward and it was a turning point in their relationship- The start of a romantic one.
“A meadow” I corrected her.
“But you’re wrong. Alice.” I said, and paused briefly “About the girl”
“It’s not 100% sure, there are still a lot of doubts in your mind” she said. “But there’s a strong possibility”
“Remember the book I told you about, about this world?” I asked her.
She nodded “I remember”
“Well this girl you are seeing in your visions. Her name is Bella and she’s the main character in this book”
She looked at me waiting for me to finish the story.
“And it’s a love story, between her and Edward”
She looked confused “You mean Edward as in my brother?”
“Yes”
“Are you sure? Edward has never been interested in a girl before”
“I know but Bella, she’s different. In the way that she is his blood singer and adding to the fact that she’s the only person whose mind he can’t read, it draws him towards her” I explained.
Alice was lost in thoughts for a long moment “I think I saw, but it wasn’t very clear. Maybe 20%?”
“Then that means there’s a chance. What do I have to do to make it happen?” I asked.
“I’m not sure” she said. “You know, for someone who takes such a strong dislike to my brother you’re just as stubborn”
“I don’t dislike Edward, but I don’t think he likes me”
“It’s because part of you reminds him of himself.” She added.
“Because we have the same impeccable taste in women?” I asked, jokingly.
She chuckled “No, because you don’t allow yourselves to be happy”
I didn’t have to be happy. I believed dating wasn’t reserved for me, at least not anymore. I was used to being on my own and I was fine and comfortable that way. I couldn’t make her happy the way Edward would. He could give her the life she wanted. The life she needed.
“I know you want to be friends with Bella, but you will be anyway” I told her.
“I know” she said and smiled.
We arrived at Charlie’s and his cruiser was parked outside.
“Thank you for the ride” I said and grabbed the door handle, but stopped myself remembering I had to ask her something.
“By the way, Alice. I wanted to talk to your family. Can I come over tomorrow?”
“I know” she said “You’ll know where to find us”
I did? Well if Alice said so then I trusted her.
“See you tomorrow” I said and exited the car, closing the door behind me. She waved at me as she drove away and I waved back.