Red Eyed Edward Contest

Title: Whispers in the Dark

Word Count: 4558

Rating: M

Summary: Bella comes home for the summer after her mother dies to have some time with her dad before college, where she finds out that her mother's rambling was more than just the mind of cancer patient.

Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

With a pounding heart, I jerked awake. I had the feeling I was being watched, like a nightmare from my childhood with the boogie man under the bed. But this time, instead of meeting darkness or the dim green light of a nightlight that was plugged in on the other side of my childhood bedroom, I was met with dark red eyes.

My stomach sank in fear, my face paling.

The red was as dark as a midnight red rose. They were cold and calculating as the eyes stared almost through me, like I was a piece of art.

I was frozen in fear. My heart raced. I was sure that whatever this being in front of me could hear it trying to beat out of my chest.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Fast and steady.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Slowly, his blood red eyes widened in amusement, the small wrinkles created around his eyes with his wide lopsided smile.

I was sure he had to be kneeling next to my bed as I laid there, petrified. But for how long, I wasn't sure.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Slowly, he moved in closer to me, keeping his eyes on my own without blinking. He sniffed the air around me, but not touching, before whispering in a deadly, calm threatening smooth voice, "Run."

Then he was gone, a light breeze left in his wake. In a blink, there was no sign of him in my room, like he hadn't been there at all.

I took in a gasping breath, clutching my hands to my chest.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

What the fuck was that?!

I wanted to scream, to cry for my daddy, like I had countless times when I was child. He'd come in, hold me and tell me it was nothing.

He'd come in and look underneath the bed, checking for any monsters before promising that were was absolutely nothing there but my own fears and imagination.

But I was no longer a child. I was an adult. I could deal with whatever it was on my own. I would be going off to college soon enough and daddy wouldn't be able to come save me from my wild imagination.

It had to be dream. There was no other explanation on what just occurred.

The wind blew against the windows, and no breeze came in so I knew that the windows were shut and locked, like the way they were before I went to bed just hours ago.

I had looked out the window, seeing a red glow out just beyond the dark forest, and surly that was why I had dreamed of a red eyed creature. Red glowing eyes in the forest was a common occurrence with so many animals around.

It was just a dream.

My body shook from the aftershock with the red eyes burned in my brain. They chilled me to the bone.

Instead of getting out of bed after seeing it was only a little after midnight, I pulled my body tight into a ball like I was a child once more, and closed my eyes. My heavy purple blanket covered my head and toes, as I always had this fear of the boogie monster grabbing me around my feet and pulling me into the darkness that consisted under my bed.

I forced my eyes shut tight, knowing that sleep would not come easily as my body shook with silent fearful sobs. I prayed that once morning came, this would just be another dream and there would be nothing to fear in daylight.

~o0o~

The sun rose, and with it a new day. The nightmare – because that is what it was – a distance memory. I forced it to the back of my mind as I got ready for another day.

Charlie, my father, was already out on a fishing trip as he left before the birds woke. I felt off as I made my way out of bed, my feet touching the cold wood floor.

The feeling of being watched was still with me, and I did everything I could to shrug it off.

Once I was in the shower, the bathroom door shut tight, and locked, I felt safe. There was only a small window that no one could possibly fit through, and no one would be able to get into the room unless they kicked down the door.

The water was warm, and the steam began to fill the room. I was alone as I possibly could be in a house that no one else was in. I took my time washing my hair out, letting the warm stream of water sooth my frightened nerves. I kept repeating over and over to myself that I was only a dream.

It's only a dream. It was nothing.

I've had dreams of being stared at before, waking myself up and still seeing the eyes of the person watching me. The red eyes were nothing more than a pair of eyes, no matter how creepy I still felt hours later.

Once done with the shower and dressed for the day, I got to work on cleaning the house. Dad was never the type to clean up after himself. There was a pile of dirty dishes in the sink waiting to be washed, and laundry needing to be thrown in the washer.

As the day progressed, the nightmare was nearly gone from my memory as I dusted and remade both beds. The wind had picked up, and with it the heavy rain from the monsoon season. Lightening began to crackle through the sky.

By lunch time, dad called and said he was staying at Billy's for the night as he had a few beers and didn't want to drive in such bad weather, his fishing trip cut short.

"Of course I'll be fine," I promised my dad as another round of thunder shook the house, causing me to jump once again, my heart picking up speed. "I'll see you tomorrow morning then." With that, we ended the call, as neither one of us was a huge talker.

Dad and I were the same. We said what needed to be said and moved on to whatever was next. Coming here this summer was the best decision so far.

I just hung up the phone as another streak of lightening flashed, hitting a tree just outside the house and causing the power to flash off. Thunder following behind.

Once.

Twice.

Blackness.

The power was off, and bright red eyes were pushed up against the front living room window. Its nose was smooshed against the glass, almost like a pig's nose.

I screamed, but was unable to move, my body frozen once more. My hands held tightly to the back of the chair I had been in just before the phone call.

The pair of red eyes belonged to a boy – no a man – that had wild wet dark hair as the rain plastered it down against his forehead. His grin was wide, and not at all surprised by catching me frozen in fear. He looked thrilled at frightening me.

And there was nothing I could do.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

Once I was able to move, his eyes darkened as I bolted from the living room and to the bathroom, knowing it was the only room he wasn't able to get in easily, if at all.

The house was dark, the only light was from the flashes of lightening, and I swear I saw those red eyes in every corner, in every window I passed. I was sure it was nothing, just my imagination. That's all it had to be.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

Panting, I slammed the door shut, hearing a dark laugh somewhere from within the house between the rumbles of thunder.

Was he in the house? I asked myself, leaning my back against the closed door, my eyes shut tight.

Thunder shook the house as the bathroom lit up, but only just slightly through the small window as the rain pelted against it. I shook in fear, knowing that it was no longer a dream.

Whatever that thing was, with wide thrilled eyes, was real. It wasn't just a dream. Wasn't just my own nightmare.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

The floor on the stairs, that one stair, creaked as something stepped on it in between the flashes of lightening and the rumble of thunder.

I clinched my eyes shut tightly, knowing I wasn't able to hide, but I prayed I was still dreaming and that I would wake up. I had to.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," the voice sang out, smooth and filled with laughter.

I could hear him now. He was running his fingernails along the wall as he took slow measured steps across the landing. His steps were light, but in an old house each step was heard as though he stomped his way towards my hiding place.

"I can smell your fear, dear child," he laughed darkly. "There is nowhere you can hide from me."

I muffled a sob, my face pressed into my knees with my arms tight around my stomach. I couldn't make a sound.

He was going to kill me, I was sure of it. Why else would he wake me up? Why else would he be in my house?

Thump. Thump, thump. Thump.

A door slammed downstairs as the man mumbled something in another language before disappearing as fast as he had appeared.

I knew he was gone for the time being. I knew because I could feel it in my bones, I don't know how but I could. He was a monster, a dangerous monster that was intent on coming after me.

"Bella?" a voice yelled out. A voice that I knew well.

Shakily, I stood up and opened the bathroom door. The voice called for me again as I stepped out into the small hallway before making my way down to the main floor.

"Where were you?" he asked out, seeing me as he left the kitchen with a can of coke in his paw.

"Upstairs," I answered. I thought about lying, but knew he could tell. "What are you doing here, Jake?"

At least with his calming presence, my heart was more of a normal rhythm. Someone, he always had made things look better, even in the total blackness.

"Charlie sent me," he shrugged. "And I'd never pass up a moment to hang out with my blushing girl."

On cue, I blushed deep red and he chuckled before wrapping me into a tight hug.

"You're cold," he noted, taking a longer time to keep my body against his.

"Well, it is storming outside, and the power is off," I stated in a no-nonsense voice, but didn't push away from my friend, seeking his warmth and his safety he always presented to me.

We had grown up together through the years. I had come to visit my dad a couple times a year, and Jacob Black was always there to see me. We were like brother and sister, and the two year age difference never once bothered us. We were stuck together like glue most of the time.

And I did miss him, as the last year I hadn't been able to get out here to the rainy town of Forks like I had hoped.

My mother's health wasn't the best the past two years, as she was fighting brain cancer. I stayed with her until the end, and after she passed, I knew that it was time for me to see my dad and spend time with him before I went off to college.

The last six months was the hardest, as I watched my mom loose herself. She wasn't who I knew, who I loved. She was so different and it was almost a sweet relief when she let herself give in to the cancer. She was gone overnight, with her whispered words in the air.

"I love you. Never give up."

"Well, good thing I'm here," he said, stepping back and placing his hands on my shoulders. His dark brown eyes took a quick look around the living room before landing back on me.

"What smells so sweet?" he asked, tilting his head to the side, taking a few more sniffs of the air.

I shrugged, not sure what he was talking about.

"Was there someone else here before I showed up?" he then asked, glancing at me before looking up towards the stairs.

"Just me," I said with a laugh, but wondered how he knew. I didn't smell anything different. "I was going to make cookies, but the power went out," I laughed awkwardly, trying to shrug off the feeling of what had me so scared just moments before.

"Well, we can just cuddle and hang out then," Jake laughed before leading me to the living room and pulling me down next to him. His arm was thrown over my shoulders, so I was leaning more against him than I was the couch.

"So, what will you be doing once I leave to start school?" I asked, breaking the silence. I didn't want to think about those red eyes.

"Finish high school," he laughed. "Then open that shop I always wanted. I have the perfect place to start up at and everything!"

He then went into detail about the place he was starting to get ready to open a mechanic shop that he would run himself, and maybe his friend Seth would help.

Living on the Rez made things different from the rest of Forks. They had looser by-stander laws, it seemed. I had been there a number of times, and they tended to like have bonfires in the middle of winter, smoking who knows what.

It was entertaining watching the older men act like children. I never participated in the recreational activities, but that didn't mean I didn't have fun. I was the one that sat back and watched while Jake did his best to keep me warm as the cold wind that would come in from the ocean.

"Cool," I responded to Jake's answer. He was so excited, and I was happy for him.

"What will you do?" he asked, turning the tables on me.

"I'm not sure yet," I answered. "I want to travel the world. Maybe go to Volturi someday. I hear they have amazing art and music there."

"Anywhere but there, please," Jake pleading as he became fully alert. "It's not safe."

"You worry too much, Jake," I laughed, seeing nothing wrong with the place. "I won't be going there until after I finish school anyway."

"Good," Jake replied. "More time to talk you out of going too far away. I can't lose my sister."

"You won't, Jake," I said, letting my head lean against him as the storm continued on outside, the sky dark.

I wasn't sure if I would be here tomorrow or not, now that there was a threat against me. Whatever – whoever – the red eyed person was, it was obvious I wouldn't be alive much longer.

That didn't help me as I shivered in fear, and Jake took it as me just being cold. He got up, searching for a blanket and a couple of flashlights, knowing that the sun would be setting soon enough.

"Will you stay tonight?" I asked him once he came back with one flashlight and a blanket he found in the hall linen closet.

"If you want me to," he answered, although he seemed more than happy to agree. I wondered if he knew what was here in my house before he showed up.

It was a long night as the storm raged havoc on the house. Jake and I ended up making up a bed of blankets on the floor in the living room, talking and making more memories that I hoped would last a lifetime.

He seemed to know something, as he would stop talking and listen to the sounds around us off and on. It was almost like he could pick up on the fact that there was something out there, watching, and waiting.

That was that I would do too. Wait.

Before I knew it, the storm was over and the sun was trying to break through the thick clouds that hung over from the storm. All too soon, Jake bid his goodbyes with promises to hang out again soon.

And then, I was left alone again.

And being alone gave me time for my mind to wonder once again. I almost wished that Jake had stayed longer, at least until my dad could be able to return. I didn't want to be left alone, even in the daylight.

With a deep, long sigh, I cleaned up the bedding stuff, folding and putting every blanket and pillow back where it belonged. I took my time, just trying to keep my mind busy so I didn't think about what was surely waiting for me.

Dad came home around lunch time, loaded down with a bag of fish and some leftovers from Sue, his friend. I was sure there was more between the two of them then dad was saying, but I didn't press. He'd tell me when he felt ready to.

The day passed quietly as the sun finally broke out from the clouds and the power was restored.

I tried to stay up with my dad as long as I could. I didn't want to be left alone if I didn't have to be. Just the thought caused my heart to beat out in panic once again.

~o0o~

That night, there was no sign of the red eyed man, nor the next night. It seemed as if it was truly my imagination. Things got back to normal, as normal as it could get. I was questioning myself now. What had I seen? Was it really real, or something else? Or could I possibly be getting the brain cancer my mother had?

She had talked about vampires and werewolves, adamant that they were real and were among us every day. She'd say that vampires were like humans, but shined in the sun and had a different eye color. Some had red, some golden. And even some black depending on the stage of thirst.

Mom would tell me about the wolves, and how they protected humans. Apparently, the wolves were twice the size of a bear, and could change at will. They were kind, and wouldn't harm humans, no matter what they did. They were created to protect and do good.

I never once believed my mom and her stories, not when they were so out of the blue. She never talked about such things before, even with her being a free spirit. When she was healthy, she'd bounce form one hobby to another.

And the worse her tumor grew, the more she told me about how she saw both vampires and wolves where she grew up, and was even friends with the wolves.

Mom told me how she was hunted like prey by a red eyed vampire, and it almost killed her and would have if it hadn't been for a white wolf saving her from a painful death.

It wasn't possible. I had read fairy tales, and knew they were only make believe. There was nothing to the stories that my mom told me.

But remembering them, made me remember the better days that she had, and how upbeat she always was. Nothing ever bothered my mom. And I missed her more with each day.

By the second night of not seeing the creature with red eyes, I was finally able to sleep without waking up from nightmares. That in itself let me know that what I saw was absolutely nothing to worry about.

I went about visiting friends, and even hanging out with Jake by the beach and remembering better times where things had seemed to be so much simpler.

He was my best friend, and always would be. I told him just about everything.

"I had this really strange dream the first night I was here," I mused as we both sat on the surprisingly dry tree log. "I woke up to seeing red eyes staring at me."

"Red eyes?" Jake asked, instantly on alert. I could feel him looking at me as I kept my eyes to the ocean waves.

"It was a little unnerving," I laughed it off with a shrug. "But I thought I was going crazy for a while."

"Why?" Jake asked, his voice controlled.

"I thought I saw the owner of the red eyes for a couple of days, but I must have been out of my mind. It was just a horrible dream," I said, still trying to talk myself into believing it. I swear I could feel the red eyed thing watching me now as I talked.

I shook off the sinking feeling once more. There was no way that thing could be here.

"Yeah," Jake replied, but his thoughts were elsewhere. "Just a dream, Bella."

Jake seemed off after I told him about my dream, and I just chalked it up to his upcoming school year and me leaving in a few weeks' time.

I left shortly after, letting my friend deal with his thoughts. I wasn't sure he even knew I left.

But once I was off the Rez, and headed back towards Forks, I knew that I was being followed. The hairs on my arms and back of my neck stood at attention. And my heart picked up in speed once again.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

I pressed my truck as fast as I could towards home, hoping to outrun whatever was chasing me.

I glanced out the side mirrors, seeing nothing but the passing trees. That helped to calm my fears somewhat, but it didn't help the feeling of being followed. It was almost as bad as waking up being stared at.

Quickly, once I parked the truck, I dashed inside, finding the door unlocked. I had locked it before leaving, but maybe dad had come home and forgot to re-lock it before leaving. It was a small town anyways.

I made sure to lock it behind me, and then shut the curtains so no one would be able to see in. It gave me some piece of mind as I began to debate about leaving early and finding an apartment to live in near my college across the country.

Dad wouldn't be happy that I was leaving so soon, but he'd understand. I couldn't stay here knowing that I wasn't able to feel safe.

That night, dad called saying he was working late on a case that needed solved, so I made myself dinner and sat in front of the TV, watching a new drama show that really wasn't all that great.

I was maybe about half done with my mac and cheese before I heard a loud knock, causing me to yelp in fright.

I sat down my bowl on the side table and slowly made my way to the door, peeking out the little hole to see who was there. I was met with red eyes.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

With a force I didn't know I had, I pushed myself away from the door. I ran upstairs, knowing there was no point in being quiet.

I decided to hide in my closet underneath a pile of blankets, hoping that whatever that thing was, would leave me alone.

My body shook is fear, my breaths coming in heaves as I tried to keep my sobs from escaping. I could hardly breathe through the panic, and the blankets that covered my entire body.

I heard the front door break in, and I cowered in fear. I had one pillow up against my mouth to muffle any sounds that would by chance come out.

"Where are you?" the voice asked, echoing off the walls. He was already on the same floor I was hiding on.

I heard him banging open doors, and moving things around as he slowly made his way to my room.

Once he entered my room, he began to whistle to himself. I tried to stay as quiet as I could, hoping that he would tire and leave.

But I had no such luck.

He pulled opened the closet doors, then stopped to listen.

"I told you to run," he whispered,causing me jump. I closed my eyes tight, praying it wasn't real.

He laughed darkly, a chuckle that sent chills to my bones before reaching down and removing the blankets that covered me. He grinned at me as my wide brown eyes met his red ones.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

"I got you now," the monster laughed, taking a hold of me. I screamed, and that only caused his eyes to darken slightly at the thrill of a fight

He moved me to my bed like I was nothing before holding me down on my bed, flat on my back. His weight held my body down as his legs held my own thrashing ones down. My wrists held above my head in one strong hand.

He moved fast, and I didn't understand how I could be forced down so quickly.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

I had struggled against his hold, although it didn't do any good. He was ten times stronger than I was.

"But now what shall I do with you?" he asked, his dark red eyes looking me over, drinking me in.

"Please," I begged. I wanted him to either kill me, or just leave me be. It had been one long week.

Tears fell from my eyes as I pleaded for my life, or my death. I wanted it to end, whatever it was.

"Please, what?" he asked, tilting his head to the side, his voice laced with humor. "Let you go? Kill you?"

He leaned down, sniffing my neck with his nose. I was terrified, but oddly turned on at the same time.

"I'm not sure what I will do with you, my sweet. You are so addicting," he finally answered before licking the pulsing vein in my neck. I couldn't stop the groan that escaped me.

"Why?" I asked out in a whimper, wanting to know why me.

"You tempt me, my sweet," he said in almost a purr. "I feed from your kind, and you smell so wonderful. I can't help myself."

"Let me go, please," I cried out, but my body gave up the fight as it sagged into the mattress.

"I can't do that," the thing said.

"Then what are you?" I asked out, feeling his arousal against my hip, causing me to stiffen.

"Your worst nightmare," he answered as he met my eyes with a knowing look.

He paused, debating something before moving back to my neck, where he bit.

I gave out a half moan, half scream, as his razor sharp teeth sunk into my neck. My body gave into his actions. My vision going dark as he took my life.

"I'll see you soon, my love," he whispered as he pulled back from me, leaving me alone on the bed as darkness took me.