Daybreak

The Wrath Of Edith Penn

I woke up to the sound of Edith screaming in German and banging on my door.

"Kommen Yaya!" I called out and the banging stopped. I sighed and sat up in bed, funny, I didn't remember crawling into bed.

"Are you alright?" I whipped around to see Edward sitting at my desk watching me with soft gold eyes.

My body relaxed and I nodded, "Ja. How long have you been here?"

"I never left." My eyes narrowed. "Anya, you begged me to stay. I couldn't leave you in that state, then you fell asleep and...." Edward ran a hand through his hair and wouldn't look at me.

I smiled and got up, taking his hand, "Thank you, Edward."

He smiled a crooked smile that made my heart speed up and I turned away. "You need to go, if Edith finds you here..." I didn't need to finish that sentence to convey that the end result would not be pleasant for anyone.

I felt his hand on my arm. "Anya, I can't make myself leave you here with that woman." He turned me back to him, tilting my face up to look into his smoldering gold eyes. "What if she hurts you again?"

With great difficulty I tore away from his gaze, "She will hurt me if I don't come down soon." I pulled away from him and started grabbing clothes to wear.

"No." Edward growled. I looked at him to see his jaw set and his eyes blazing. "I'm not letting last night happen again. I will be back in two minutes, change and I will take you away from here."

"Edward I can't-"

"I'm not discussing this Anya," He said as he opened the window. "Two minutes." And he was gone.

As I changed I weighed my options, leave with Edward and come home to an angry German. Or run downstairs and have to deal with a pissed off Vampire later.

I would rather face Edith than Edward in a foul mood.

I was just barely done brushing my hair when Edward came back through the window and helped me out onto the tree limb.

My bedroom door burst open and Edith screamed in fury as me and Edward dropped from the tree onto the ground.

"Run." He ordered. And I ran as fast as I could down the street, I turned down an alley between two houses and ran straight into the woods behind them.

Then the ground was gone beneath me and Edward had me in his arms, running at a blurring speed.

I don't know how long Edward ran, it felt like hours as I stared at the world blurring around me, but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes.

Edward stopped in his house and set me down on wobbly legs. His family was already downstairs surrounding us as Edward told them what had happened last night and this morning in words so fast that I couldn't understand them, I only knew what he said from the echo of his words in the minds of the others.

When he finished everyone was silent, Emmett and Rose were pissed, Carlisle and Esme were worried, and Alice was furious at Edward.

"Damn it Edward, now you've made it worse!" She hissed. "As soon as Anya goes home that woman is going to go insane, her plans are too shifty to know what she will do but it will be your fault!"

"You don't know, Alice, you didn't see Anya last night." Edwards voice was flat and emotionless. "You didn't see her dreams."

"Edward what are you talking about?" I demanded as everyone looked at me. "I don't have dreams."

"Oh yes you do." He said. "Your walls fall when you dream and I can see them. Last night you kept having dreams about your house burning, just like that picture, there was a dream of a large russet wolf in your yard, and the sound of a gunshot. You dreamed about people screaming insults at you in German, beating you, locking you in a dark place, several times you woke up screaming only to fall asleep instantly. It always came back to that name, Hexe, it destroyed you last night, Anya, I couldn't leave you there."

I stared at him. Then I turned to Alice, my decision made, she nodded and I walked with her to the garage.

Edward saw what was in Alice's head and grabbed my arm, his eyes pleading. "Please, Anya, don't go back there."

I heated up my skin until he let go. "I don't have a choice Edward." I said. And I walked to the garage and climbed into the Volvo, Alice at the wheel.

She handed me a small silver phone. "Edward, would never forgive me if I didn't give you this." She said as we sped down the road. "Edward may have been stupid to take you this morning, but he has a right to worry. That woman is cruel, she won't be happy when you get back."

I nodded, looking at the phone. "I know."

"If it gets too bad..." Alice's hands tightened on the wheel.

"I'll call." I said.

"Good." Alice pulled into the drive of my house and I got out.

I walked up to the door without a look back at the car.

I opened the door and met Edith in the entryway. The old woman was calm, anger filled her mind.

She didn't ask where I went, or why I left. She just pointed up the stairs, "Your room. Now. Stay there until I say so."

I went up without resistance.

Throughout the day Edith put a lock on my door, keeping me in. She also called someone to cut that tree branch by my window off, and had someone board up my window. She also came in and removed the bulb from my ceiling, throwing the room into darkness.

I didn't care, I had my fire and some candles stocked in the drawers. The whole day she didn't speak to me. She brought me a meal around lunchtime and one at dinner, letting me out a few times to go to the bathroom. But otherwise she left me in my candle lit room.

I caught up on some reading and drawing, but I couldn't stop glancing at the little silver cell phone on the floor.

It taunted me. I missed Edward, but if he had just let me be I wouldn't be in this situation, peaceful as it was.

Finally I couldn't stand it any longer, I picked it up and scrolled down to his name.

Hey, I texted him. Its Anya.

His reply was almost immediate. Are you alright?

I'm fine. She locked me in my room. Hasn't said more than 3 words to me.

The next answer took longer. Am I forgiven?

I smiled. I was never angry. Just listen to me next time I say "I can't"

I will.

I heard Edith coming up the stairs and what she had in her head wasn't good. I turned the phone on silent and hid it under my mattress, then I doused and hid all of the candles.

The lock slid back and the door opened.

I stood to face the angry old woman.

"You forget your place, child." The woman said quietly, a belt in her hand dragged on the floor.

I backed against the wall. My vision tunneled and all I saw was that belt. "No. No please, Yaya. I'll be good I swear."

"Oh, I know." The woman said as she came toward me. "But naughty brats need to be disciplined." And the belt flicked out threateningly. "Take off your pants and shirt."

Fear clutched at my stomach. "No... Please...."

"Do it or I will." She barked.

With shaking hands I stripped down to my bra and underwear. As soon as the clothes were on the floor the belt lashed out and slapped my skin. Biting and stinging at every bit of exposed skin.

"Every sound from you is five more, you little bitch." Edith hissed after I yelped when a lash caught my belly.

I don't know how long I suffered through the lashing, but when she left and closed the door, leaving me in darkness again.

I crawled slowly into bed and checked the small phone.

Sleep well, my love.

I cried myself to sleep.