𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘛𝘞𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘠-𝘛𝘞𝘖

(the cursed witch, act one)

NINA WOKE UP 7 HOURS LATER. She groaned softly, grumbling when she still felt the pain, not as strong, but still enough to make her sit up. She glanced at the clock across the room. It was just after two in the morning.

The sounds of Jasper and Alice's quiet voices gave her the will to stand, ignoring the sharp pains that shot through her legs and up through her back. Alice and Jasper were sitting together on the sofa, Alice sketching again while Jasper looked over her shoulder.

They didn't look up when Nina entered, too engrossed in Alice's work. Nina crept to Jasper's side to peek.

"Did she see something more?" She asked him quietly.

"Yes. Something's brought him back to the room with the VCR, but it's light now."

Nina watched as Alice drew a square room with dark beams across its low ceiling. The walls were paneled in wood, a little too dark, out of date. The floor had a dark carpet with a pattern in it. There was a large window against the south wall, and an opening through the west wall led to the living room. One side of that entrance was stone — a large tan stone fireplace that was open to both rooms. The focus of the room from this perspective, the TV and VCR, balanced on a too-small wooden stand, were in the southwest corner of the room. An aged sectional sofa curved around in front of the TV, a round coffee table in front of it.

"The phone goes there," Nina whispered, pointing.

Two pairs of eternal eyes stared at her.

"That's my old home here."

Alice was already off the couch, phone in hand, dialing. Nina stared at the precise rendering of her old family room. Uncharacteristically, Jasper slid closer to the witch. He lightly touched his hand to her shoulder, and the physical contact seemed to make his calming influence stronger. The panic stayed dull, unfocused.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked. "The fever has gone down slightly."

Nina shrugged, unable to take her eyes off of Alice whose lips were trembling with the speed of her words, the low buzzing impossible to decipher. She couldn't concentrate.

"Nina," Alice said. She looked at her numbly.

"Nina, Edward is coming to get you. He and Emmett and Carlisle are going to take you somewhere, to hide you for a while."

"Edward is coming?" The words were like a life vest, holding her head above the flood.

"Yes, he's catching the first flight out of Watson Lake. We'll meet him at the airport, and you'll leave with him."

"But, my mother... he came here for my mother, Alice! She's been tracking me. She's probably already here!" Despite Jasper, the hysteria bubbled up in her voice.

"Jasper and I will stay till she's safe."

"I can't win, Alice. You can't guard everyone I know forever. Don't you see what he's doing? He's not tracking me at all. He'll find someone, he'll hurt someone I love... Alice, I can't —"

"We'll catch him, Nina," She assured her.

"And what if you get hurt, Alice? Do you think that's okay with me? Do you think it's only my human family he can hurt me with?"

Alice looked meaningfully at Jasper. A deep, heavy fog of lethargy washed over Nina, and her eyes closed without her permission. Her mind struggled against the fog, realizing what was happening.

She forced her eyes open and stood up, stepping away from Jasper's hand. "I don't want to go back to sleep," She snapped.

She walked to her room and shut the door, slammed it really, so she could be free to go to pieces privately. This time Alice didn't follow her.

For three and a half hours she stared at the wall, curled in a ball, rocking. Her mind went around in circles, trying to come up with some way out of this nightmare. There was no escape, no reprieve. She could see only one possible end looming darkly in her future.

The only question was how many other people would be hurt before she reached it.

The only solace, the only hope she had left, was knowing that she would see Edward soon.

Maybe, if she could just see his face again, she would also be able to see the solution that eluded her now.

When the phone rang, she returned to the front room. But she knew Jasper could feel her exhaustion and would most likely understand her outburst.

Alice was talking as rapidly as ever, but what caught her attention was that Jasper was not in the room. She looked at the clock — it was five-thirty in the morning.

"They're just boarding their plane in Watson Lake," Alice told her. "They'll land at seven forty-five." Just a few more hours to keep breathing till he was there.

"Where's Jasper?"

"He went to check out."

"You aren't staying here?"

"No, we're relocating closer to your old house."

Nina's stomach twisted uneasily at her words. But the phone rang again, distracting her. She looked surprised, but Nina was already walking forward, reaching hopefully for the phone.

"Hello?" Alice asked. "No, she's right here." She held the phone out to the witch. Your mother, she mouthed.

"Hello?"

"Nia? Nia?" It was her mother's voice, in a familiar tone she had heard a thousand times in her childhood, anytime Nina had gotten too close to the edge of the sidewalk or strayed out of her sight in a crowded place. It was the sound of panic.

She sighed. She had been expecting this, though she'd tried to make her message as unalarming as possible without lessening the urgency of it.

"Calm down, Mom," She said in her most soothing voice, walking slowly away from Alice. She wasn't sure if she could lie as convincingly with her eyes on her.

"Everything is fine, okay? Just give me a minute and I'll explain everything, I promise." Nina paused, surprised that she hadn't interrupted her yet.

"Mom? Are you still there?"

"Be very careful not to say anything until I tell you to."

The voice she heard now was as unfamiliar as it was unexpected. It was a man's tenor voice, a very pleasant, generic voice — the kind of voice that you heard in the background of luxury car commercials. He spoke very quickly.

"Now, I don't need to hurt your mother, so please do exactly as I say, and she'll be fine."

He paused for a minute while she listened in mute horror.

"That's very good," He congratulated. "Now repeat after me, and do try to sound natural. Please say, 'No, Mom, stay where you are.'"

"No, Mom, stay where you are." Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"I can see this is going to be difficult." The voice was amused, still light and friendly. "Why don't you walk into another room now so your face doesn't ruin everything? There's no reason for your mother to suffer. As you're walking, please say, 'Mom, please listen to me.' Say it now."

"Mom, please listen to me," Her voice pleaded, shaking. She walked very slowly to the bedroom, feeling Alice's worried stare on her back. She shut the door behind me, trying to think clearly through the terror that gripped her brain.

"There now, are you alone? Just answer yes or no."

"Yes."

"But they can still hear you, I'm sure."

"Yes."

"All right, then," The agreeable voice continued, "say, 'Mom, trust me.'"

"Mom, trust me." Nina felt useless as the words flew past her trembling lips.

"This worked out rather better than I expected. I was prepared to wait, but your mother arrived ahead of schedule. It's easier this way, isn't it? Less suspense, less anxiety for you... Now I want you to listen very carefully. I'm going to need you to get away from your friends; do you think you can do that? Answer yes or no."

"No."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I was hoping you would be a little more creative than that. Do you think you could get away from them if your mother's life depended on it? Answer yes or no."

Somehow, there had to be a way. She remembered that we were going to the airport. It would be crowded since it was small, confusingly laid out... "Yes."

"That's better. I'm sure it won't be easy, but if I get the slightest hint that you have any company, well, that would be very bad for your mother," The friendly voice promised. "You must know enough about us by now to realize how quickly I would know if you tried to bring anyone along with you. And how little time I would need to deal with your mother if that was the case. Do you understand? Answer yes or no."

"Yes." Her voice broke.

"Very good, Nina. Now this is what you have to do. I want you to go to your old house. Next to the phone there will be a number. Call it, and I'll tell you where to go from there."

She already knew where she would go, and where this would end. But she would follow his instructions exactly.

"Can you do that? Answer yes or no."

"Yes."

"It's important, now, that you don't make your friends suspicious when you go back to them. Tell them that your mother called, and that you talked her out of coming for the time being. Now repeat after me, 'Thank you, Mom.' Say it now."

"Thank you, Mom." The tears were coming. She tried to fight them back.

"Say, 'I love you, Mom, I'll see you soon.' Say it now."

"I love you, Mom." Her voice was thick. "I'll see you soon," She promised.

"Goodbye, Nina. I look forward to seeing you again." He hung up.

Nina held the phone to her ear. Her joints were frozen with terror — she couldn't unbend her fingers to drop it.

She knew she had to think, but her head was filled with the sound of her mother's panic. Seconds ticked by while she fought for control. Slowly, very slowly, her thoughts started to break past that brick wall of pain. To plan. For she had no choices now but one: to go to the stage room and die.

She had no guarantees, nothing to give to keep Natalie alive. She could only hope that James would be satisfied with winning the game, that beating Edward would be enough. Despair gripped her; there was no way to bargain, nothing she could offer or withhold that could influence him.

But she still had no choice. She had to try.

Wiping away her tears, she swallowed hard. She was petrified of what was to come.

When her vision cleared, she turned to the book Alice must have left on the bedside table. Flipping through the pages, she stopped on one. Pulling the page out of the book, she folded it quickly and stuffed it in her back pocket.

She took another deep intake of air, staring at herself in the mirror across the room. She reached up as she walked closer, her hand pinching her cheek. She looked just as she felt. Her eyes were bloodshot, dark circles surrounding them. Her skin was pale and her lips were dry. The real kicker though, was her hands.

Her eyes turned downward as she stared at her fingertips. She rubbed at the skin, trying to wipe it off but it didn't leave. It would go away with time, she knew that. But that didn't mean she enjoyed the sight of it.

She had to hope that her familiarity with the town would turn the odds in her favour.

Somehow, she had to keep Alice away... She knew Alice was in the other room waiting for her, curious. But she had to deal with one more thing in private, before Jasper was back.

She had to accept that she wouldn't see Edward again, not even one last glimpse of his face to carry with her to the stage room. She was going to hurt him, and she couldn't say goodbye.

She let the waves of torture wash over her, have their way for a time. Then she pushed them back, too, and went to face Alice.

Walking into the main room, she carried her now packed duffle bag with her. Her tears had dried, leaving her with only the occasional sniffle.

"My mom was worried, she wanted to come here. But it's okay, I convinced her to stay away." Her voice was lifeless. Nina didn't even believe herself when she said it.

"We'll make sure she's fine, Nina, don't worry."

She turned away; Nina couldn't let her see her face. Her eyes fell on a blank page of the hotel stationery on the desk. She went to it slowly, a plan forming. There was an envelope there, too. That was good.

"Alice," She asked slowly, without turning, keeping her voice level. "If I write a letter for my mother, would you give it to her? Leave it at the house, I mean... After Edward takes me."

"Sure, Nina." Her voice was careful. She could see the witch coming apart at the seams.

She had to keep her emotions under better control. She went into the bedroom again, and knelt next to the little bedside table to write.

"Edward," She wrote. Her hand was shaking, the letters were hardly legible, though he was already used to her terrible script.

I love you. I am so sorry. He has my mom, and I have to try. I know it won't work in my favour and I am so very sorry for that, but I can't let my mom lose her life because of me.

Don't be angry with Alice and Jasper. If I get away from them it will be a miracle. Tell them thank you for me. Alice especially, please. And please, please, don't come after him. That's what he wants.

I can't bear it if anyone has to be hurt because of me, especially you. Please, this is the only thing I can ask you now. For me.

Thank you for becoming my home, even if it was only for a short while.

I love you. Forgive me.

Nina

She folded the letter carefully, and sealed it in the envelope. Eventually he would find it. She only hoped he would understand, and listen to her just this once. And then she carefully sealed away her heart.

a/n

merry christmas! as my little gift to you (because I am amazing and very cool - you have to tell me i'm cool now btw or else i'll feel like a loser for writing this... i'm going to completely forget about this since i'm writing it in october and then i'll see you all saying i'm cool and i... well I'll probably think you've all gone insane because i'm a loser but whatever) here is the rest of the book- or atleast, the rest of book 1. cause that's right, i'm doing all of them. or however many till i get bored of this.

luv you!

meg xx