All an Illusion

Emma had been running on the adrenaline, and surviving only by the salvatory effects of the impulsive hormone. For the first couple or hours Emma unknowingly appeared as somewhat of a junkie to all the people she passed. Her heart beat rapidly inside her chest after the excitement of her sudden escape. Her eyes were wide with shock and her body was shaking due to the cold of the streets and adrenaline. She quickly came down from her high after the first couple hours and after she had calmed down and been able to think about her situation realistically. On paper she was technically rich. As the only surviving member in her family besides her Grandmother, all of her mother’s money would go to her. However Emma was only fifteen and not legally allowed to live without some kind of guardian and was not entitled to any money until her eighteenth birthday. The money didn’t really bother Emma. She wouldn’t know what to do with it all anyway, it was going back to her Grandmother that she wanted to avoid at all costs.

She roamed the streets with no wish to be here or there. She knew no one and had no place to go. The newsagents allowed her to read the full and updated story of the two ‘mysterious deaths’ of two women who had now been identified as sisters. Despite the mysteriousness of the story the articles didn’t really have much to day about the perpetrators or about Jade, the first victim’s daughter who had gone missing. That was what Emma wanted to find out and it was what had fuelled her dramatic runaway. If she could just find Jade then maybe she wouldn’t feel so alone and abandoned . Her cousin had to be experiencing the same turmoil of losing her mother. Maybe they could be together in their grief? It sounded silly in Emma’s head but it was her last and only hope. Jade couldn’t have gone far could she? But that was just it. Jade could be anywhere and Emma didn’t know the first place to start looking. It wasn’t like in the movies or many books Emma always read. There were no discarded clues of notes with train times on them or any foot prints to follow.

Eventually Emma had found her way to the nearest supermarket and could only stand outside lamely and look in. her mouth watered at the thought of food and she had to bite her tongue hard and clench her fists to stop herself from slipping inside and pinching some fruit. How could she have sunk so low? Besides no one would ever know…

“Jade?” the woman made Emma jump at least two feet in the air. Whirling around in shock she fixed the old woman with an angry stare. The woman reeled back in surprise an uneasy and worried smile covering up her fear.

“I’m sorry dear, I didn’t mean to scare you,” she smiled. Emma took a deep breath and nodded before turning to walk away. Emma couldn’t believe she was already losing it she was so sure the woman had called her Jade… “It’s just you reminded me of that poor missing girl – Jade,” the woman said again making Emma freeze in her tracks and swivel round to face the small woman. She was dressed in the supermarket’s uniform and carrying a large flowered carpet bag.

Emma folded her arms and looked the small woman up and down, “I see,” she said seriously. “You knew Jade?”

“Oh yes!” the woman exclaimed a real smile lighting up her wrinkly features. “Well I didn’t really know Jade, no one did you see. Her mother never stepped out of the house and Jade was a drop out of school so they were never part of any social circles. Practically no one ever noticed them. But I did. There was always something about Jade Stone, she was far too smart for her age. She walked around like she was carrying the world on her shoulders as if she was as old as me and had already suffered all the troubles life can bring!”

Inside Emma was bursting with joy. Finally some information! “So you never actually talked to her? Maybe asked her why she was so troubled?” Emma said it only casually with no offence intended but she could see the woman was heavily disturbed by her words.

“I did child! I did. I spoke to her every time she shopped here. I asked her how her mother was and invited her to any ongoing events that I thought might bring out some life in the girl. But now I see it wasn’t enough… I wish I had done more. And then when I read about her poor mother and that Jade herself had gone missing – it almost killed me. I’m not lying as well! I have bad asthma and reading that article bought on a full attack. And then when I was so sure I saw her with one of the Cullens a couple weeks ago, but the police were quick to reassure me that was impossible. Turns out I really am just another old woman seeing things. I tell you the stress that girl has caused me…”

She was speaking so fast and Emma could barely keep up. “Wait! Who did you just say, the Cullens?”

“Yes, I said the Cullens dear. It was Carlisle Cullen himself, who was at the police office when I suggested it but he quickly corrected me and said the police were more than welcome to check their house if they didn’t believe him. But they did of course, the Cullens are such a respectable handsome family. I don’t know what I was doing accusing them of anything. Even Carlisle himself is a doctor. Everybody respects them, I’m surprised you don’t know them. You’re not from around here are you?” the woman was suddenly on her guard inspecting Emma with new interest.

Emma instantly turned away from her curious stare. It wouldn’t be too long before her face was all over the newspapers and besides she had got all she needed from the woman. “Yes, of course I know them. I was just on my way to see them actually. Goodbye Mrs…?”

“Flower. It’s Mrs Flower,” the woman said still eyeing Emma warily. “It’s funny because you look awfully like Jade…”

Emma could see it was now time to go. She nodded once more before turning away. She shoved her hands in her coat pocket, kept her head down and began walking in the opposite direction of the supermarket. She had been walking for about half an hour before the hunger pangs and dizzy feelings returned. How long had it been since her last meal? Just when she started to consider heading back home a smart looking car swerved to a halt right beside her. The window rolled down and the most beautiful looking seventeen or eighteen year old teenager Emma had ever seen smiled at her. She had short brown hair and enchanting gold eyes that gleamed at her. She took one look at Emma and smiled somewhat smugly to herself before saying, “Get in.”

Emma frowned and looked around her as if to say, ‘who me?’ But the young woman only insisted, “Go on get it, we’ve been waiting for you.” And then the back door opened and Emma found herself walking closer and sitting inside the silver Volvo. Maybe it was the hypnotising ring of her voice or the mouth watering smell of dough nuts from inside the car, Emma found herself making another rash decision by stepping inside a stranger’s car. The next thing she knew, she was squashed next to what Emma could only describe as a tanned, muscular and very good looking guy. He had short black hair and his attention was fully on the young pale child he cradled in his arms. In the front a younger teenager boy, who seemed around her age, peered round the back of his seat to smile at Emma. He too had short black hair and tanned skin and Emma couldn’t help noticing was also very good looking…

“So I must be in heaven,” she accidently muttered out loud.

The girl driving laughed and said, “Quite the opposite honey. My name’s Alice by the way, Alice Cullen,” and with that she pulled out of the parking space and sped off down the road.

“I’m Jacob and this little trouble maker is Renesmee,” the guy next to her said but his eyes never left Renesmee’s. Emma envied the child’s cute curls and beauty. As the attention turned towards the child, Renesmee giggled and reached out her dainty little hand towards Emma’s. Emma smiled and reached out to hold her hand too, she loved children. But Jacob held Renesmee back smiling apologetically at her. “That’s Seth in the front,” Jacob said finishing the introductions. He took the box of doughnuts from Renesmee’s lap and held it out to Emma. “Doughnut?”

The word was music to her ears and she thankfully grabbed the greasy pastry. If this was a dream she was happy to let it play out as long as possible. The doughnut tasted irresistibly real and yummy and she was on her second one before Alice spoke next.

“So glad you’re here Emma. As soon as we get to the house we can start discussing exactly where the real trouble maker; Jade is.”

Emma froze with the last piece of the doughnut on its way to her mouth. She woke up pretty quickly from any illusions that she was in a dream then.