dusk

chapter 9

I was lost deep in thought on my drive to the Cullen's. Did they know about Laurent and Victoria? I was so lost in thought that my eyes weren't even on the road. It was extremely dark out for the middle of the afternoon; giant storm clouds loomed over the horizon. Suddenly someone ran across the road, causing me to swerve and lose control. I did a couple of doughnuts on the slick road, and despite my best efforts whatever ran into the road got caught on the front of my car and swerved around with me. We were still swerving around when a car came around the corner at full speed and slammed into the trunk area of my car. We were thrown off of the road and into trees. The other car drove away.

I was about to pass out, I could tell by my blurred vision. My head had slammed into the steering wheel and then bobbed back into the window, giving me a major case of whiplash and most likely a concussion. Just before I sank into the darkness, I saw what had run into the road staring at me from on top of the car's hood. I couldn't see it clearly because of the steam and smoke rising out from under the hood, but what I did see scared me. Its hair was fierce and flowing around its face; its teeth were jagged and sharp. Its pupils were dilated and its nail was unclipped, they were gnarly, long and sharp. It got off of the hood and limped into the forest. I saw a large gash in its leg. I started to wonder what it could've been, but soon I gradually sank into unconsciousness.

For the second time in two days I awoke in an abnormally bright room, on an uncomfortable bed, an IV in my arm, and an annoying beeping noise coming from somewhere in the distance. I scowled. This damn hospital was going to drive me insane.

I didn't notice the pale white figure leaning against the wall opposite me at first.

"Oh!" I said, jumping about a mile high.

"You're so incredibly unobservant I'm surprised you haven't been killed yet," sneered the malice filled voice.

"What do you want, Rosalie? I'm not in a good mood right now," I said flatly.

"Edward made me stop by to see if you were okay. Now that I know you are, I'll be going," she said, turning to leave.

"No! Wait!" I called. I felt so out of the loop that I had to get any information I could out of her. "Tell me what's been happening."

To my surprise, she went and sat in the reclining chair by my bed.

"We've been working on the pile of rubble that was once our home, thanks to you. We've been careful to stay out of sight. Carlisle had some contractor friends who came. We've already cleaned out all the rubble and the new frame of the house is already up." She said.

"Have you guys got a plan yet? Do you know what you're going to do when Billy makes his move?" I asked, shocked that they'd been working on their house this whole time.

"Carlisle said that he's just going to let them attack, that we'll fight them head on. We might have more time to discuss it if someone hadn't made our house collapse" she said meanly. She was obviously taking advantage of my guilt to try and hurt me.

"I saw one of them," I said, suddenly remembering. Her eyes flickered to my face in shock. "Rosalie, when is the New Moon?"

"Tomorrow night," she said in a hushed whisper.

"Would some of the…umm…" I struggled for the right word.

"Yes. According to Carlisle, anyone who will undergo the change should be getting some pre-change symptoms." She said, finishing my sentence for me. "Come on, we've got to go warn the others."