A Child of the Night by l'heure bleue.pdf

A Child of the Night

by l'heure bleue

Table of Contents

Preface...................................................................................4

1. First Encounter...................................................................5

2. Second Chance...................................................................9

3. Just For a Moment............................................................13

4. Always Been Alone........................................................... 18

5. Held in Chains...................................................................22

6. Discovering You................................................................26

7. Accepting Me................................................................... 31

8. A Day in My Life................................................................36

9. Meet The Parents............................................................. 41

10. Falling In Love................................................................48

11. Love Me, Love You......................................................... 54

12. Fight For Me................................................................... 58

13. Sight Unseen..................................................................63

14. Say Goodbye..................................................................70

15. Worth Savin' Me............................................................. 74

16. It's All My Fault...............................................................81

17. Test Results................................................................... 89

18. Surrounding Love........................................................... 95

19. Falling Up..................................................................... 100

20. Meant To Live.............................................................. 107

21. For The Future............................................................. 111

22. Is This The End.............................................................118

23. Going Home.................................................................124

24. Anywhere With You......................................................128

25. My Reasons Why.......................................................... 133

26. Phone Calls...................................................................138

27. How I Love You............................................................145

28. The Birthday Gift..........................................................150

29. Hospital Visit................................................................155

30. Through The Night....................................................... 161

31. I Do, Forevermore........................................................168

32. Discovery.....................................................................174

33. Sarah Isabelle...............................................................179

34. No Matter What...........................................................185

35. Welcome Home............................................................191

36. Perfect Lies..................................................................197

37. The First Day................................................................203

38. Three Years Later........................................................209

39. Definitely, Maybe.........................................................212

40. Bring Me To Life........................................................... 217

41. Telling The Parents.......................................................223

42. Together, Forever........................................................229

43. I Will Save You..............................................................234

44. In This Moment.............................................................238

45. Gift Of Hope.................................................................243

46. After The Storm...........................................................248

47. Fearless....................................................................... 254

48. Teddy 'n' Emmy........................................................... 260

49. Our Home.....................................................................266

50. New Beginning.............................................................272

51. Christmas Surprise....................................................... 278

52. Ready, Set, Go.............................................................283

53. So Beautiful.................................................................288

54. Healing.........................................................................294

55. Epilogue.......................................................................301

Preface

Bella

My name is Isabella Swan, and I am terrified of the sun. The sun which, in mere seconds, could

steal my life away. The sun I've never seen. The sun which barely ever shines, anyway.

I live in Forks, Washington. I've lived here for as long as I can remember, because as soon as my

parents received news of my diagnoses, they moved up here in hopes that, when I was older, never

seeing the sun wouldn't matter much because no one here really saw it, anyway.

My mom left when I was two, though — she said I was holding her down, keeping her from the life

she wanted. I tried to run after her ... but I couldn't. My father held me back, and shielded my body with

his against the sun which, as fate would have it, was shining on that fateful day. And then it was just me

and him, living each day in darkness, fighting together the fight that we would never win.

I truly am a child of the night. I was born with Xeroderma Pigmentosum — better known as XP. It's

a condition where my body can't repair damage caused by the ultraviolet rays of the sun, and thus even

simple seconds in the light can cause severe sunburns, and enevitably, skin cancer ... and then death.

I'm not resentful, though. Even when I have to walk into the other room while Daddy opens the

door to escape the light, or when I have to struggle into that fifty pound, space-suit like sun protector to

run across the yard to the neighbor's house, I don't mind. I was born this way, and there's nothing I can

do to change it.

And even now, as I stand in the sun for the first time in so ... so long, I don't mind.

I can't move. I can't run. Because I can't see ... because I'm blind, because when I was small, I lost

my vision to the disease that haunts me now. I can't find the dark that I'm so comfortable standing in. I

can't find anything but the burning warmth on my skin.

I whimper, and press my hands against what I imagine is a stone wall — it's rough under my

fingertips. I use it as a guide, and I continue to stumble forward.

But the sun is too much, and I eventually fall. I hear people screaming, crying out, telling someone

to call an ambulance. I'm breathing hard, and I know I have to get out of the sun. I have to. I have to. I

have to .

" Edward !" I cry, but he doesn't come. I whimper his name again and again, but he doesn't rescue

me.

And as I remember his last words, as I remember what led me to start walking, what led me to leave

him, to run away, to run to this unfamiliar place, I realize that I don't want to stay awake anymore ...

because he won't come back. Just like my mom all those years ago, he walked away ... and he wasn't

coming back.

So I let the darkness wash over me, and as the darkness washes over me, so do his last words.

"Time, Bella ... I need time. I ... I'll never give you up. I'll a-always fight. Always. But it hurts ... so

much. I need time. I ... I ... goodbye ... "

1. First Encounter

February 2nd, Saturday - 8:12 PM – 2008

Edward

"What the hell are these?" I demanded, and I threw the applications down on the table in front of

my father. My mother winced at my crude language, but Dad just raised an eyebrow.

"They're applications," he said simply, meeting my eyes.

"I know what they are. Why the hell do we have them?"

"Because you're starting college this year and I want to make sure you get into a good medical

program. Your grades are perfect, so it's just a matter of getting in early."

I glared at him, knowing he understood my anger and was choosing to ignore it. He turned back to

the paper he was reading, and I could see the rest of my family staring at me nervously, as if sensing

the anger rolling off of me in waves.

"I'm not going to medical school," I growled, and he met my eyes once more, sighing deeply.

"Edward, we've talked about this."

"No," I disagreed. " You talked, and ignored everything I said. I not going to medical school, Dad. I

already got accepted into Juilliard. That's enough. I'm going to study music there, and — "

But my angry words were cut off by the slightly irritated voice of my father.

"We are not having this conversation again, Edward," he said firmly, and he frowned at me from

across the kitchen table. My little sister, Alice, giggled and pressed both hands over her mouth to stifle

her amusement. I pressed my lips together hard, as if I was trying to hold the complaints, the words of

rage, in.

They came out, anyway.

"I don't want to go to medical school, Dad," I said, and the words I spoke next seemed so familiar.

But that could have been because I'd been having this same argument with my father for over four

months now. "I want to study music. You know that."

"I also know that a degree in music will, eventually, lead you to teaching five-year-olds to play the

piano, Edward!" he said, and he put his paper down — a bad sign. That meant he was frustrated, and

angry, and wasn't going to let this go. "You're throwing your life away! And for what ? You could be

great — "

"But I don't want to be! Don't you understand?" I pressed, and I clenched my fists together tightly.

"This is what I want . This is what will make me happy ! Don't you care ? Do even you care at all ?"

"Edward, of course I — "

"But you don't!" I yelled, and I could see both of my younger siblings wincing and pressing their

little hands over their ears. I wanted to stop screaming, but I couldn't. I'd been holding it in for far too

long. "You don't care at all, or else you would let me do what I want instead of trying to hold me back!

Dad, I'm proud of what you are, what you do. But I'm not you . I don't want to be a doctor, Dad. I want

to be all that I can be, and I want to study music."

And, before he could respond, I stalked to the door and walked out, slamming it hard behind me. I

leaned heavily against it, dropping my head in my hands. And, even through the thick, wooden door, I

could hear the voice of little, six-year-old Alice.

"Daddy, is Edward mad?" she asked, and her voice was but a whisper. I didn't hear our father's

answer, though, because I had already begun to walk. I walked and walked, not caring where I was

going. I moved forward quickly, my feet hitting hard on the cement as I began to run toward the edge

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