'Safe' Is Not A Word In My Vocabulary

Centhua’s POV

I opened my eyes groggily.

There was a small amount of light coming in, and from too high up.

I tried to look around but hissed in pain; my back was killing me. I tenderly lifted an arm and it felt like lead. I touched my back lightly and it throbbed.

That was when I realized I wasn’t in bed.

I wasn’t even in my room.

I sat up, using my arms and crawled a little so I was on my knees. I looked around and confusion swept across me.

How did I get in my basement?

My hands started to shake as I thought of the inevitable.
I looked towards the ceiling.

My eyes quickly sought out what appeared to be part of my blanket, and half of my pillow, stuck into the floorboards...

My stomach spun sickeningly and I put my head in between my knees.

As soon as I was able to gather the strength, I rose shakily and stumbled to the steps. My back hurt with the tiniest of movements and I tripped several times, causing tears to fall from the pain. I reached the bottom step and collapsed on my stomach. After several minutes I was finally able to crawl to the top of the steps. I don’t have a house phone, and my cell was in my room. I needed help.

It took actually a few more hours before I was able to make it. It was almost two o’clock and I collapsed, exhausted, onto my bed. Then I looked under it. My pillow and blanket were both gone, confirming my suspicions.

I didn’t think about it.

I dialed Edward’s number and prayed he wasn’t hunting. He answered on the third ring.

“Hello Centhua.” His velvet voice murmured and I laughed shakily. “Hello Edward.” I whimpered and concern tinted his voice.

“What’s wrong Centhua what happened?” he asked in a rush and my voice shook when I answered. “I need some help, I…fell and I need Carlisle to look at my back.” There was a long pause.

“You fell on your back?” he asked in shock and I tried to save my energy by not yelling at him. My voice still had a hint of venom in it though.

“Would you please stop asking stupid questions and come help me, I’ll explain when you get here.” He agreed and less than a few minutes later he was in my room.

He briefly examined my exhausted figure, his eyes widening when he saw it all in my mind, and then I was in his arms and we were running.

He was careful not to put any weight or pressure on my back but I still had to clench my teeth to keep from screaming.

We reached the Cullen’s place in only 45 short seconds; a new record. He gingerly put me on the couch, like I was a fragile doll and then called in a clear voice “Carlisle.”

I sunk deeper into the couch as the doctor appeared beside me. “Centhua what’s wrong?” he asked as the rest of the family, minus Jasper and Rosalie filed in. “I fell.” I muttered sheepishly and Emmett chuckled.

Edward drew Carlisle aside and he started whispering in Chinese. I guessed I didn’t want to know what he was saying by the strange looks Carlisle was giving me.

Alice danced lithely to my side and brushed my hair out of my face. “You look horrible.” She said and I laughed shakily. Edward and Carlisle were done talking and Carlisle lifted my shirt up slightly to examine my back. Alice’s eyes widened and Esme gasped.

I laughed shakily again.

“That bad, huh?” I asked and Carlisle nodded gravely.

“It’s very bad.” He agreed in a hoarse whisper.

I tried not to let that sink in and was grateful when he spoke again. “I need to take some x-rays” he said as Edward lifted me up from the couch again. I nodded and let my head fall limply against his chest. I was carried upstairs and put in one of those heavy shirt type things. It fell lightly against my back and I squirmed a little from the pain.

Edward had me stand up against the thing while they took several shots. When it was done Edward came out and helped me take it off and lie down.

My exhaustion from earlier was catching up with me as I struggled with my heavy eyelids.

“Where’s Bell?” I mumbled and he chuckled. “It’s Monday, she has school today…actually so did I before you called me, we were in Spanish and I had to step out for a minute.” My eyes slipped closed and I laughed quietly, he chuckled humorlessly too.

“I was wondering why you weren’t in school.” he muttered, almost to himself. I smiled slightly and rested my chin in my arms. Carlisle walked in a few minutes later and my eyes opened slowly.

He avoided looking at me and walked over to the light up thing. He placed the two sheets together side by side and turned it on.

He explained about the fracture blah blah blah, he even showed me where the crack was; I have to admit it was impressive, but nothing he said really registered in my mind.

I guess you could say I didn’t understand his big sciency words.

What I did understand though, was that I shouldn’t be moving around a lot and that I’d have to stay there for the next couple of weeks, because he didn’t know how my accelerated hearing would affect me. I was too tired to argue so I just nodded.

Edward carried me to the guest room/my future home for the next few weeks and laid me down on the bed. I fell, into a crumpled heap on the pillow, and past out.

XxX

I went in and out of consciousness. Sometimes it was cloudy, sometimes it was sunny, and other times it was night time. I felt my body growing stronger as the moon grew wider.

The blue bruises that had marked my back were starting to fade. Edward would take me out to get fresh air every morning, and two weeks past.

Every day I dreamed of Jacob, and every night of Damien. Bella’s mumbling at the bonfire, and the third wife story, had left fresh wounds and a fresh pain.

Several times a day my phone would ring, either from the guys or from the wolves.

I never answered.

I felt a little guilty, but it was better this way. I knew that this fall wasn’t a coincidence.

Edward had explained what had happened when we went out for air yesterday. He called it a metamorphosis or something. He said that my werewolf genes were acting up and causing a strange reaction with my powers.

“What powers?” I’d asked my voice raising a few octaves in irritation.

He wasn’t making any sense.

He shrugged and flicked my nose. “You tell me, you can’t honestly believe that when you fell through two stories it was a coincidence.” I grimaced.

“Of course not, but I’d hardly call that power…” and he’d smirked at me and told me “Only time can tell.”

WTF is a girl supposed to get from that?

Jacob’s POV

It’s been two weeks since I’ve seen Centhua.

Two weeks since me or anyone else had contact with her.

I was going nuts.

My dream kept haunting me, I couldn’t get the image of her covered in blood and slipping through my hands out of my head. I tried very hard not to think about it while I was on patrol, and succeeded for the most part.

Eventually though, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Im gonna stop by Centhua’s.” I said to Quil when we were on our way home from the beach. He nodded his agreement. “Yeah, Im getting worried about her, I called her like four times yesterday with no answer; I know Claire misses her too.”

I started jogging to my house and we got into my rabbit; it was slower, but it was less conspicuous.

We drove to Centhua’s and when we pulled up we realized she wasn’t there.

There were three guys out front, one sitting on the hood of an old Ford and two on the porch. The one on the Ford jumped off and walked over to me as me and Quil got out. He looked us up and down and frowned.

“Can I help you?” he asked and I narrowed my eyes, Quil crossed his arms over his chest. “Maybe.” He muttered and the other guys went to flank him.

“Do you by any chance know where we can find Centhua?” I asked, my voice coming out a growl.

Wasn’t my fault; these guys were trying to intimidate us and it was working. They glared and crossed their arms over their chests simultaneously.

“You tell us, we’ve been trying to get a hold of her for days.” I nodded and my eyes briefly scanned the surrounding woods.

“That makes two of us.” I muttered and he grinned.

“By the way; names K-9.” He said holding out a hand.

“Jacob.” I replied, shaking it.