into the dark - Caroline Swan - 1

I Celebrate My Birthday Then Bella Goes Missing

Bella had been missing for five hours after she had followed Edward into the forest. I knew something had happened so I called Charlie.

"Hey dad," it took everything in me not to scream at calling him dad.

"Caroline? Is everything okay?" he asked, sounding worried. I never called him.

"It's Bella," I said, a sob building in my chest. The stress of today was catching up to me and even if we were only half-siblings, I had learned to care for her. "She went into the forest after Edward and she hasn't come back. It was five hours ago," another sob wracked my body and I could hear dead silence on his end.

"I'm coming home right now. We'll organize a search party. Can you call Billy for me?" he asked, going into overdrive. That was the last thing I wanted to do, but I would if it helped find Bella. He hung up and I glared at my phone as if it were the one who had confessed to being my father after sixteen years.

Birthdays are bad. I noted to myself. I dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello?" It was Jacob.

"Hey Jacob, it's me," I said. I heard an intake of breath from his end of the line before he responded.

"My -well our- dad told me what happened. It's kinda weird to have a half-sister now but maybe we could go to the movies and get to know each other like real siblings would," he offered. Sweet Jake nearly melted my heart with his kind offer.

"Um, yeah that'd be great Jake. But, could you put Billy on the phone for me?" I asked. I could hear him talking to his dad in the background before he came to the phone.

"Caroline, I told Sam and Jacob but I don't like how we left things-" 

"That sucks," I snapped before recollecting my temper. "It's Bella. Charlie told me to call you. She's gone missing. It was with Edward," I said, my anger visible in my voice. I heard an intake of breath from Billy, his mind probably going to the worst thought; that Bella was now dead, all her blood being sucked out by the vampire.

"I'll call Sam and have the pack comb the forest," he said quieter, practically whispering. I deduced that Jake was probably in the same room, listening.

"Okay," I said before hanging up abruptly. Please be okay Bella.

*****

Two more hours went by and there was still no sign of Bella. The sun had set long ago and the night was becoming incredibly cold. My shivering hands were a sign of that. I ignored Billy all night, even his direct confrontations.

Sam and the pack had arrived and had been searching the forest but they still couldn't find her. I had gone by the Cullens place at Charlie's request and come back empty-handed. They really were gone. . .

Charlie was now getting desperate in his search for Bella when I had a feeling to turn around. I was mortified, my first thought thinking Bella was dead.

I hit Charlie in the side of the arm to get his attention as he looked where I was.

"She's fine!" Sam said, answering our unasked question. Charlie ran over to Bella and picked her up from Sam's arms. Billy had said that he'd told Sam Uley and Billy about my real origins, meaning I got the same look Jake did from him. But instead of turning away, I gave him a grateful look.

Thank you. I mouthed. He nodded before I scrambled into the house after Charlie and Bella. If I ever had the unfortunate of meeting a Cullen again, I would rip out their throat for what they'd done to Bella.