The UnForeseen Fall of Lahote (A Paul/Bella Fanfic)

14. Dream

Hi everybody! Big chapter! Shoutout to SaviorPriness  for giving me the motivation to reveal some stuff :)

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In Bella's dream...

"Ow!"

My cheek busted open when a cactus met my face in sharp retribution. I tumbled over, incapable of not clutching my face in agony. It was easy to breathe with the dry, Arizona air, but the sun punished equally so. The weight of it bared down forbiddingly on my body. If I hadn't been raised in it, the temptation to faint would've overcome me by now.

"Again!" My brother's familiar voice commanded me.

"Dray, we have school tomorrow!" Ben complained somewhere above me.

"I don't recall fourth grade being so challenging that you can't train." My brother drawled out lazily, his hand on his hip as he towered over us.

I was already struggling to my feet before anything else could be said. This was not fun. Ben was sticking his tongue out. He didn't seem to care or mind that he had hurt me.

Boys were gross. And I was angry.

Without saying a word, I drew my dagger out and flew swiftly in an aggressive jag. Ben's always considerably bulkier frame tried to shift away. I finally, after a few months of attempts, nicked his cheek. Blood ran down his cheek and I was still on the attack when the skin sealed.

"Bell! No fair!" Ben began to get out of the way of my blade swiftly. I couldn't keep up.

Drayer chuckled softly. "Good job Bella!"

My brother always told me that the only way to fight was dirty.

Ben shifted into attack mode within an instant. His katana, which grew in size with his body as my blades grew with mine, sliced my arm as I dodged. A high groan escaped me, but I was much more used to pain than my sparring partner was. But I was still frustrated.

I grabbed the edge of the katana with my opposite hand, and punched Ben in the face hard. Ben dropped to the ground to his knees and clutched his face as he began to cry.

My eyes began to water too. My bottom lip quivered. When Ben hurt, my pain skyrocketed and plateaued unlike any of the cuts I received before. As we both sobbed, I wrapped my arms around him and tried to soothe myself. It began to alleviate only when the sandy haired boy began to quiet.

Drayer sighed and crouched beside us. "That's enough for one day, kids. Ben, you have got to toughen up for my sister. She doesn't make you cry all the time."

The boy clutched me harder and started to cry violently. "I-I'm sorry B-Bella!"

A sharp fresh slice of pain entered once again. I hissed and Ben tried his best to stop.

Warm laughter flew whimsically in the air and the two of us kids calmed. "I never knew I raised such a sadistic son, Scoutmaster."

Drayer spun around jumpily and looked lightly embarrassed. Mom, much taller to my eight year old self, patted him on the shoulder. She was muscular and outwardly curvy in comparison to my brother's deceptively slight appearance. She also had the same chocolate hair as the two of us and pale skin.

I look a lot like Bubby and Mom. Except my eyes. I have my father's eyes.

"Isn't it cruel to make them train against each other like that?" Mom asked, her lips pursed. "I know I asked you to toughen her up, but this might be overkill." Her eyes skirted over Ben and I with our arms still around one another.