Story of the Week - The Underside of Earth by loss4words

The Underside of Earth
by loss4words
Rating R
Characters: Edward and Bella

We drive a few blocks, but take our time on the icy roads. The mixture of snow and sleet is really making it slick. We pull up to the stoplight that is just two blocks from the ice cream parlor; I can already taste the mixture of salty pecans, cool, sweet vanilla ice cream and smooth warm fudge. I'm brought out of my musings by a sharp, piercing noise. It sounds like a shrill train whistle, but the sound is all wrong. All wrong.

It all happens so fast.

I turn my head to the left, just in time to see the logging truck come slamming into the driver's side door. Into my husband. I feel like I am stuck in a slow-motion sequence of a movie.

I reach out for him, only to grasp at air.

I sit up in my huge bed, panting and covered in sweat, my arms are still out in front of me reaching for him. I had the dream again. I knew it would come again, but so soon? It has been coming more and more frequently. And of course I know why, but even after it is gone and past, will they go away? Will they crawl back to that little closet in my mind and give me some time to recover, or will they continue to haunt me, and not allow me to get on with the day to day things in life?

I thought I'd been getting better. Apparently not.

...

I cringe at the barrage of images that flood my memory. Enough of that.

I log onto Ravelry and start my search; this site is truly fantastic. You can just go from picture to picture, and I do, looking for just the right Rosalie kind of glove. I don't even feel myself slipping this time.

Glass shattering, metal crunching like a fist crunches paper. The metal skid of the car being pushed along pavement. PAIN!

Pain.

Pain.

Numb.

Total numbness.

Where is he?

I can't see you, baby! Where are you?

Arms out in front.

I'm trying, but I can't find you. It's so dark!

"Goodbye, Bella. I'll love you for always and take care of him. Be well, my wife."

"No! Stay with me! Please! Take care of him WHO? WHERE ARE YOU?"

Hands, the hands are all over me, and I can't fight them away.

So I let the black consume me, with hands still grasping at me.

"BELLA!"