Twilight Imagines

Size doesn't matter, buddy part 5

Word count: 1252

You began the steep climb, and the road grew congested. As you wound higher, the cars became too close together for you to weave insanely between them anymore. You slowed to a crawl behind a little tan Peugeot. "(Y/N)," Bella moaned. The clock on the dash seemed to be speeding up. "It's the only way in," Alice tried soothe Bella. But her voice was too strained to comfort. The cars continued to edge forward, one car length at a time. The sun beamed down brilliantly, seeming already overhead. The cars crept one by one toward the city. As we got closer, you could see cars parked by the side of the road with people getting out to walk the rest of the way. You came around a switchback, and you could see the filled parking lot outside the city wall and why people were parking on the side of the road. The crowds of people were walking through the gates. No one was being allowed to drive through. "(Y/N)," Bella whispered urgently. "I know," you said. Your face was chiselled from ice. You noticed that was very windy. The people crowding toward the gate gripped their hats and tugged their hair out of their faces. Their clothes billowed around them. You also noticed that the colour red was everywhere. Red shirts, red hats, red flags dripping like long ribbons beside the gate, whipping in the wind as you watched, the brilliant crimson scarf one woman had tied around her hair was caught in a sudden gust. It twisted up into the air above her, writhing like it was alive. She reached for it, jumping in the air, but it continued to flutter higher, a patch of bloody colour against the dull, ancient walls.
"Bella." Alice spoke quickly in a fierce, low voice. "I can't see what the guard here will decide now if this doesn't work, you're going to have to go in alone. You're going to have to run. Just keep asking for the Palazzo dei Priori, and running in the direction they tell you. Don't get lost." "Palazzo dei Priori, Palazzo dei Priori," Bella repeated the name over and over again, trying to get it down. "Or 'the clock tower,' if they speak English." You said as you kept your eye out for any shortcut, but there was none. "I'll go around and try to find a secluded spot somewhere behind the city where we can go over the wall." Bella nodded. "Palazzo dei Priori." She repeated once more. "Edward will be under the clock tower, to the north of the square. There's a narrow alleyway on the right, and he'll be in the shadow there. You have to get his attention before he can move into the sun." Alice explained while Bella nodded furiously. You were near the front of the line. A man in a navy blue uniform was directing the flow of traffic, turning the cars away from the full lot. They U-turned and headed back to find a place beside the road. Alice quickly pulled gloves, sunglasses, a shawl and even a red cloak identical to the ones people around you were wearing from her purse and quickly handed some of the stuff to you. With the speed of lightening, you pulled the gloves on, clasped the cloak around you and pulled the hood up, your eyes soon protected by the sunglasses. Alice did the same, only she wrapped the shawl around her head to also be protected from the sunlight. The only flaw a vampire had.
Then it was your turn. The uniformed man motioned lazily, not paying attention. You accelerated, edging around him and heading for the gate. He shouted something at you, but held his ground, waving frantically to keep the next car from following your bad example. The man at the gate wore a matching uniform. As you approached him, the throngs of tourists passed, crowding the sidewalks, staring curiously at the pushy, flashy Porsche. The guard stepped into the middle of the street.
You angled the car carefully before you came to a full stop. The sun beat against Bella's window, and you and Alice were consumed in the shadow. You swiftly reached behind the seat and grabbed something from your bag. The guard came around the car with an irritated expression, and tapped on your window angrily. You rolled the window down halfway, and and saw him do a double take when he saw the face behind the dark glass, almost making you smirk.
"I'm sorry, only tour buses allowed in the city today, miss," he said in English, with a heavy accent. He was apologetic, now, as if he wished he had better news for the strikingly beautiful woman. "It's a private tour," you said, flashing an alluring smile. You reached your hand out of the window, into the sunlight. You took his hand, still raised from tapping your window, and pulled it into the car. You put something into his palm, and folded his fingers around it. His face was dazed as he retrieved his hand and stared at the thick roll of money he now held. The outside bill was a thousand dollar bill. "Is this a joke?" he mumbled. Your smile was blinding, as you played the part of an innocent young woman. "Only if you think it's funny." He looked at you, his eyes staring wide.
"I'm in a wee bit of a hurry," you hinted, still smiling. The guard blinked twice, and then shoved the money inside his vest. He took a step away from the window and waved you on. None of the passing people seemed to notice the quiet exchange. You drove into the city, and the three of you sighed in relief. The street was very narrow, cobbled with the same colour stones as the faded cinnamon brown buildings that darkened the street with their shade. It had the feel of an alleyway.
Red flags decorated the walls, spaced only a few yards apart, flapping in the wind that whistled through the narrow lane. It was crowded, and the foot traffic slowed our progress. "Just a little farther," Alice encouraged Bella while she was gripping the door handle, ready to throw herself into the street as soon as Alice spoke the word. You drove in quick spurts and sudden stops, and the people in the crowd shook their fists at you and said angry words in many different tongues.
You turned onto a little path that couldn't have been meant for cars; shocked people had to squeeze into doorways as you scraped by. You found another street at the end. The buildings were taller here; they leaned together overhead so that no sunlight touched the pavement the thrashing red flags on either side nearly met. The crowd was thicker here than anywhere else. You stopped the car. Bella had the door open before the car was at a standstill. Alice pointed to where the street widened into a patch of bright openness. "There! He is at the southern end of the square. Run straight across, to the right of the clock tower. We'll find a way around." Her breath caught suddenly, and when she spoke again, her voice was a hiss. "They're everywhere?" You asked as Bella froze in place, but Alice pushed Bella out of the car. "Forget about them. You have two minutes. Go, Bella, go!" she shouted, climbing out of the car along with you as she spoke.