Bella's Cross

Bella gets her wish but now she has a heavy cross to bear through her immortality.

Disclaimer: All hail Stephenie Meyer, rightful ruler and owner of all things in the Twilight Realm. I don't own it.

Chapter One: The Change.

The pain was searing through my body, from deep within my jagged nerve-endings out through my petrifying skin. I waswrithing in agony, entrapped here by my own hand.Determined to keep as much of my pain to myself as I could bear. I fought every ounce of my being that tried to scream out, every part that wanted to beg and plead for mercy. My heart screamed for Edward to save me from this, but my mind determined my silence. It was my hell, and I was going to be the only one to suffer in it.

I was in the dark and enveloped in a cocoon of misery. The pain ebbed and flowed like a volatile ocean's tide.As each new wave of torture swelled, I was drowning in fire. The unrelenting burning sensation was filled everything within me with unbearable pain. Every breath brought the feeling of inhaling pure flame. Every movement brought searing torture. There was no way to keep my body from writhing, and there was no stopping the suffering. It wasn't until the waves of pain peaked in their onslaught, that I couldn't bear it anymore. I knew Edward would hear me but I couldn't restrain it any longer. An earth-shattering scream unhinged from my chest. My throat had been constricted under the strain of stifling my anguish, but the power with which my body forced the screams from my chest tore at my throat leaving it raw. My weakness crushed me. I cursed myself for breaking down and allowing Edward to hear it.

This had been my decision and I wasn't about to torture Edward with my pain. I clenched my teeth together sealing away my voice once again. My fingers plunged into the mattress underneath me, holding on like a vise. I strengthened my resolve to not allow myself to break down like that again. I was stronger than this. I tried to focus on his sweet voice as he whispered gently in my ear that it was almost over. I couldn't open my eyes. There was no more breathing; I solely focused on silencing my pain.

I hadnoticed that the tides of pain easedwith each crash over me. Time's existence was no longer relevant. Beginning or end there was no difference. There was only now, and now was Death, as it gripped me stripping away all that was left of my humanity. It seemed like I had been captured in this hellish endurance trial for an eternity.

I could feel everything about the change. As each organ solidified within my chest a new andmore horrible sensation ravaged my body. The petrifying process that turned my organs to stone felt like each one was consuming itself in flame until there were only cinders left. I could feel each and every single nerve cauterizing itself…yet instead of a sense of numb over coming me the exact opposite happened. My sense of touch was heightened. I could feel everything a hundred times stronger then before. It only increased my anguish ten fold. My skin felt as if it was blistering off my body, but the heat from the invisible flames was so extreme thatit froze my skin in its wake causing it to become hard. Worst of all, I could feel each and every sluggish inch that the venom took to winding itself through my veins. It was like lava was being forced through every pathway, incinerating everything in its wake.

A cool hand swept over my forehead. "It's almost over my love," Edward said in a hushed whisper, a momentary reprieve that I was grateful for. I could only moan through my grit teeth. Sadness and desperation in his voice flooded almost all the other pain within me away. It was far worse to hear him in pain than to endure this hell myself. I wanted more than anything to relieve his tortured soul of this guilt and anguish, but I lay frozen in a state of torment.

The incessant beating of the rain against the wall of glass was sharpening.I knew my hearing was honing itself in preparation for my future state. I had known that Edward was by my side this whole time, but I quickly became aware of the voices of the others in the house. I heard them whispering amongst themselves. Emmett and Carlisle were on the other side of Edward's door. They had been taking turns coming in to lend emotional support to Edward, as he watched me die.

"Carlisle, how is she doing this? I was screaming my head off for three days straight. It was unbearable, but she has barely made a sound!" Emmett's voice had an edge to it, like he was waiting for something.

"Emmett, I think she is trying to protect him. She is trying to endure her pain in silence so he won't have to feel guilty. She is a lot stronger then I gave her credit for, but it won't be long now." Carlisle seemed just as concerned. For a mere moment I felt relief at his words. It would be over soon; I was almost through.

Just then, a tidal wave of pain slammed into my body with a force one thousand times harder then before. My body convulsed as all the life I had left in me was pushed out behind a hideous scream. I couldn't even recognize the voice. I felt Edward's arm tighten around me.

"Bella, its almost over. I'm so sorry." Edward's velvet tone broke through the pain.

I knew what happened then and there, I could feel it. The venom finally made it all the way through my system and returned to my heart, killing it off in one last violent collision of hellfire. That was it. My body went limp. I had nothing left.