The Story Of Sarelle (Twilight)

Chapter 54

The realisation that one is to be hanged in the morning concentrates the mind wonderfully. - Samuel Johnson

As soon as I saw the figures vanish into the darkness, I followed. Rushing to the space below the clock tower where Bella and Edward had stood intertwined for one blissful moment.

My eyes looked frantically for the place that they had gone to, but I saw nothing but a dead end.

My hands felt numbly in the darkness, but I soon found cuts and scrapes developing at my frenzied movements. I was losing all sense of calm as the panic rose in me. I had to find them, but I was already at a loss as to where they had gone.

What if life was all leading to just one moment? As if everybody got just one single moment to make a real difference in life, could this be my moment? Was I to waste it and have my life be meaningless all because I fell at the first hurdle? I knew fate was a leading force in my life. I couldn't doubt it after all times when it had led me to each important event in my life, herding me through the twists and turns.

As I stood in the dark alley I stared out at the celebrations going on in the sunlight. What a contrast the laughter, cheering, and singing were to the darkness and despair I was feeling now.

I sank to the dirty floor, it felt as if maybe if I was more compact my brain would come up with a way out of this mess, and a plan would form in my mind. If I didn't have to think about keeping my legs strong enough to hold me up then that energy could be better used to figure out my next step.

I had been so certain that I was meant to be here. Although there was a moment of doubt when I saw Isabella saving Edward, I thought perhaps my calling was never to save Edward alone but to ensure that he was safe and with Isabella.

I knew that if the others that had taken them brought Isabella to the Volturi she would be executed. It couldn't happen. Edward couldn't lose Bella that way. However, I couldn't understand what I could do to stop it. Perhaps if I found Edward and Bella I could send him a message telling him to change her. If that happened then the Volturi wouldn't have a reason to eliminate her. If they had the knowledge that Isabella would one day be changed and become a vampire, then her knowledge of their existence would be negligible.

Could I encourage Edward to change Bella? Would it be something she'd want? Would Renée and Charlie cope with losing their daughter?

My head fell in my hands. I felt a weak sigh take the final ounce of strength I had from me, making my body slump against the cold damp wall.

I don't know how long I stayed there, circling through the same hopeless situation and coming to the same unwanted conclusion, but my thinking was eventually interrupted by faint high-heeled footsteps coming towards me.

My head snapped up, and I saw a beautiful woman sashaying down the alley. She was dressed in a short miniskirt and a tight fitting top. The clothes extenuated her stunning beauty, lengthening her already long legs, and highlighting every feminine curve. I knew who and what she was instantly.

I scurried up the wall to stand straight as she came to stop in front of me. Her dark violet eyes flickered over my form before she tilted her head and gave a polite smile.

"Well hello, sweetness." Her voice was like bells, but to me it rang with the tolling chimes of the apocalypse.

"Heidi." My voice was dead and I would be too if I wasn't careful. Her strange lilac eyes glinted, and I swallowed the nervous lump in my throat. I knew this was a risky situation, but I had to hope it was going to be worth it in the end.

"Master Aro is going to be just thrilled to see you. Not too sure about Master Caius though." She looked off to the distance as if she was actually pondering what Caius would think of my presence in Volterra.