Made of Glass Chapter 31

I don’t know what possessed me to participate in extracurricular activities in high school but for some reason I was on the track team all four years at all five of my high schools. I ran the four hundred, one lap around the track. I remember the feeling of the last one hundred on that lap quite distinctly. My coaches used to yell at me from the side lines: “balls to the wall, Dolly!! You leave everything you have out there! It’s purely mental from this point on!” I didn’t really get it back then because I wasn’t willing to put myself through so much pain just to win a stupid minute long race but now I understood. This sort of running wasn’t about training. It wasn’t about the hours and hours of practice we did everyday between the meets. It was all in your head. It didn’t matter that no matter how hard I was breathing I couldn’t get enough air in my lungs. It didn’t matter that my legs were jelly beneath me and were screaming at me that they weren’t willing to take another step. It didn’t matter that my head was swimming and I couldn’t see straight. It was balls to the wall. I told my lungs to work harder and my legs to suck it up and stop complaining. I needed more. I needed to win this one. If it was a mental challenge I had it. My mind wouldn’t let me stop.

I felt like I ran the entire first mile away from the cabin at my four hundred pace. Probably not because that would have been a four minute mile and a new world record. Still I didn’t stop pushing myself until my legs completely gave up and gave out from underneath me. I crashed to the ground and tried to struggle back up to keep going but my body wouldn’t respond. Apparently I was out of adrenaline.

I tried to listen for any pursuers behind me but couldn’t hear anything over my frantic breathing. I could only lie on the ground for a few seconds before I drove myself onward. If I couldn’t run anymore I would crawl so that’s what I did.

Until my stomach shot up into my throat when I heard footsteps behind me. That was enough to get me back up to my feet.

So at least one more of them had survived. I felt completely spent. How many of these guys was I going to have to take out? Hadn’t I done a good enough job already?

I tried the whole hide behind a tree thing like they usually do in forests in movies but I was sure my pursuer could hear my breathing in the next state over. My suspicions were correct.

“You filthy little, b***h! What have you done?!” I had trouble puzzling out who it was yelling at me from just a few yards away. It was a man’s voice but certainly not James’s and not Laurent’s either.

“You think you can hide from me?” he let out a dark laugh “I thought James said you were smart. Don’t play stupid.”

The lights clicked on again. The mysterious Jerry. He did exist and he clearly didn’t die in the explosion.

I lit off again sprinting as fast as I could away from him. I knew it was pointless but the instincts to protect myself were too great. It wasn’t in me to give up. I would be fighting till my last breath if I had to break a branch off one of these trees and use it as a stake, I would try that too. I should have brought my shovel with me.

I spared one look back over my shoulder to judge how fast my death was coming but couldn’t find him behind me. When I turned back to see where I was going my nose planted straight into the chest of a vampire.

My shriek of absolute terror only lasted a fraction of a second until I looked up into the face of the vampire.

I had never felt such profound relief in all my life.

“Buttercup!” my cry this time was half jubilant squeal half panicked shriek but Eddie’s response was pure euphoria.

“Dolly,” he wrapped me up tight in his arms where I was always meant to be. The only home I’d ever had. Strange that such bliss could exist in hell.

The embrace only lasted a moment before he gripped my shoulders and looked intensely into my eyes.

“Are you alright?”

I giggled.

“Dolly?” he said clearly concerned for my sanity.

“Couldn’t rightly tell you. Shock and a lot of it.”

“What happened?”

I held booth hands up with palms toward him and shook them erratically with eyes wide. Somehow this was suppose to convey explosion but I didn’t blame Eddie for not understanding.

“I think you need to sit down,” he said with the crease of concern between his brows at its deepest.

“Yes. Seat.” Full sentences were still beyond me. “Jerry,” I said pointing behind me. Then I turned back to where Eddie was leading me putting thoughts of that man away from head.

I was headed for this wonderfully comfortable looking stump. It looked so fabulous to just sit and finally relax, safe, but Eddie halted and tensed up a few steps from it. He pushed me behind his back and leaned down into a defensive crouch. A low snarl arose from deep within his chest. It sent shivers straight up my spine.

I was all confused as to why Eddie would be growling at me when Jerry emerged into my view.

“Get away from her. That b***h is mine!” Jerry was definitely the one in need of anger management in the group. I couldn’t blame him. I’d be angry if someone blew up my friends too.

“You watch you’re filthy mouth,” the words were filled with so much dark hate I shuddered as I heard them come out of my sweet Eddie. I wouldn’t have admitted it for the world but standing beside Eddie as his angry face covered up his normally lovely placid features, I was a little afraid of him. It was probably because I wasn’t in a fit mental state.

"I’ll talk as I want! I have the right to do as I like to her! She killed them all! She killed James! James was going to take us to the top!”

Yeah I really doubt that. If he was taken down by one tiny human how long do you really think he would have survived against people who could bench press their own weight?

Of course I wasn’t up to getting this sentence out just yet so I just snorted at him and sort of halfway let out a laugh.

“Shut up!” Jerry shrieked at me.

I probably shouldn’t have been taunting him but I was feeling very confident with Eddie here. He was going to win this fight. I was sure of it.

Jerry lunged at me. I barely had time to flinch away before Edward had him crashing into the trees behind him.

My mind really shouldn’t have had to handle watching an intelligent being ripped to shreds by the one person who was most important to me in the world but I certainly wasn’t in control of my actions so I couldn’t draw my eyes away from the fight. I couldn’t see a lot of the individual movements but I could tell that the fight was heavily in Edward’s favor. It was close until I noticed Edward starting to react to Jerry’s slashes before he actually did them. He was reading what his intentions were from his mind and reacting accordingly. The fight didn’t last long before Jerry’s head rolled away from his body with a slightly shocked look on his face.

At least for next time, and God forbid there ever be a next time, I can actually say that I have seen a Cullen in action and in fact he was quite amazing. A force to be reckoned with. No, I don’t think anyone could even reckon with all of them together. They’re a force that couldn't be stopped.

And hey! I was one of them. How about that? I earned my spot in the Cullen family today! If we disregard the fact that all this was my fault in the first place.

 As soon as Jerry was all done with his twitching Eddie was back at my side only this time he was hesitant to touch me.

“Are you alright?” It was my turn to ask this time. I looked him up and down for any damage.

“Not a scratch. Nothing compared to you. We’ve got to get you to Carlisle,” he said his angry face slipping away and being replaced with agonized worry.

Not a scratch. I thought about how many similar fights Edward would have had to go through to get so good at this.

It didn’t really matter. I slumped into his chest and let him support my tired body.

Suddenly Carlisle interrupted our moment. “Dolly, thank God.”

“Carlisle!” I squealed when I saw him. “I love you.” I said more calmly.

He looked at me with wide eyes for a second before turning to Eddie.

“Is she in shock?”

He nodded vehemently.

“What happened here?” Carlisle eyed the left over pieces of Jerry scattered around us.

“There was just one of them. Certainly not the leader though. I don’t know what happened to the rest of them,” he turned to me “Or how she got away.”

“Can you tell us what happened, Dolly?” Carlisle asked in a low calm voice. It was slightly hypnotic.

“I’m not sure she’s up to communicating just yet.” Eddie said. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to his chest so my poor legs got the rest they deserved. Even through the clouds in my brain I still noticed his thrilling touch. I gave him a goofy grin.

“I blew um up Eddie! KA-boosh!!”

“You blew who up?”Jasper said. I looked over toward his unexpected voice and suddenly every member of the Cullen family was standing around me. All of them with looks of relief on their faces. Except Rosalie just looked pissed but hey Rosalie was there!

“Rosalie! Did you come to save me? That is so great of you. Really I appreciate it.” I gave her a great big smile.

“Is something wrong with her?” she asked with an uncertain expression.  

“The vampires, silly! Where have you been?” I meant to address Jasper’s previous question but I’m not sure anyone could understand my random thought patterns or slurred speech.

“The vampires that took you?” Eddie claimed my attention again. “They were in that explosion?”

I shrugged my shoulders “Couldn’t tell ya.”

Carlisle turned to address the others of the family. “Alright let’s spread out and explore the area working in a circle toward the sight of the explosion. Stay in pairs.”

“Nooooooooooooooooooooo!” I even startled myself with the ardency of my reaction to that plan. “Dismemberment!!!” I screeched.

“Something’s definitely wrong with her,” Rosalie said.

“No no no. I’m sane. Probably. Don’t. Don’t go that way. Their plan is to dismember you! That’s why I had to get out. So you wouldn’t come and I did so let’s just go! No dismemberment. I like you with your members, Eddie!”

“I think the explosion might have thrown their plans a little off kilter.” Emmett rumbled. I think he was actually a little amused to see me this way. Stupid Emmett and his being a boy. Always ready for a fight.

“No no no! Listen the leader guy, James. He can shut off your world. You can’t defend yourself in the dark. I don’t know how good he is at it without a head but still you shouldn’t go. Just don’t go. Just don’t go, Eddie!” I clung to Eddie’s sleeve until my fingers ached begging him to stay with me.

He took my face very carefully between his hands,.“Don’t worry, Dolly. I’m not going to leave you. Ever.”

Yeah. I’d heard that before.

“I’m bleeding!” I screeched as my mind jumped to another random topic. I held my arm now completely covered in gallons of blood and pointed at my gaping wound from the glass from the window. “Ew. That’s rather disgusting.” I said wrinkling my nose.

The Cullen family took one step back except for Eddie and Carlisle. Carlisle moved in and immediately put pressure on the wound. Always a thinker, that one.

My distraction worked perfectly. No going to their dismemberment. The Cullens would stay here with me forever! Wha ha ha ha! They had better after all the effort I went through to keep them away from those evil doers.

“How many of them are there?” Jasper showed no concern about my deteriorating mental condition only about taking down his enemy.

“Three not counting poor Jerry. James like I said is the leader and Laurent and Victoria are his two lackeys. So you probably shouldn’t do anything because there are a lot of them.”

“You need to learn your numbers a little better, D” Emmett teased me. “Seven beats three every time,” he cracked his knuckles ready for a big fight.

“Not this time! James is really good!”

Well . . . he wasn’t that impressive during our fight but he wasn’t at his best then without his legs and all.

“Dolly, listen. He might have been wounded in the explosion. If he really is that powerful this might be our best opportunity to take him out. Otherwise he is going to try this again,” Carlisle explained while trying to stop the bleeding of my arm.

“Oh he was definitely wounded ” I nodded with wide eyes. “But that was like ten minutes ago!”

“Rosalie and Esme, can you two see that this gentleman makes it to the fire?" Carlisle gestured to Jerry. “Alice, Jasper, Emmett come with me. Eddie, you need to get her . . . away from here.” He pointed to me “We’ll check in in five minutes. If you don’t hear anything that means we’ve run into trouble.”

I didn’t have the chance to protest this time. They were all just gone. I decided I didn’t love Carlisle anymore. I was really getting tired of this whole not being able to follow people’s movement things. I needed to hang out with some slow people for a change.

“Dolly, the car is just a little ways over there,” Eddie pointed off to the north.

“When you say a little way, you mean a Dolly little way or a vampire little way?”

He smirked at me. “Perhaps it’s a little further than a little way,” He bent down to sweep my legs out from underneath me but I stopped him.

“I’m not sure I’m up to vooshing at this exact moment in time.”

“I’ll take it easy. Relax, sweetheart, you’re safe now.”

Reviews

[Summer]

I love this book. I don't want it to end. Keep up the good work.

[LiquidFire]

Hahahahahahaha. Sorry for the laughter because that was a serious and stuff, but I like Dolly all drugged up on adrenaline. It's funny! Your writing is amazing and I'll be reviewing for every chapter that I REALLY like!!!