~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Summer was the last to climb down from the steel hatch door. They were going in the right direction and she was going to make sure things stayed that way.
She bolted the lock and jumped down from the ladder.
She wiped the dirt off her hands, "Alright, let's keep going."
The family pursued onward with a renewed hope that they were soon to find their wayward Anakin Black.
Summer pulled closer to Jake's warm side, "We're gonna find him, Jake. I finally believe it."
He bundled her in his brawny arms, "That's my girl!"
Summer giggled and pecked him lovingly on the cheek.
A moment later, she snuck up behind Carlisle and peeped over his shoulder, "Where to next?"
He pointed to the opposite direction on the map, "I think it would be wise to check the location furthest from this point. I'm not entirely certain that they will be there, but it seems like the most plausible idea."
Summer winked at him and patted his back, "Now you're thinking in a very Volturi-esque manner."
Alice danced to Summer's side and ruffled Summer's hair a bit, "Well then, Carlisle, you have apparently given us our marching orders. C'mon, you guys! We're vampires, not slugs! Let's show the Volturi who's boss and not let them get away from us again!"
She grabbed hold of Summer's dainty hand and pulled her ahead of the entire group. Summer was too busy laughing to reprimand sweet, giddy Alice.
They had gone on for couple hours before they reached Brindisi, Italy. At long last, another hatch door came into sight.
This time Edward offered to unlock it. He climbed up the ladder into an abandoned cathedral.
The place was in horrid condition. Cobwebs covered every inch of the overwhelming structure. The stain Glass windows had been boarded up. Spiders were virtually in every corner, and a layer of dust coated every object, including the tiles on the floor.
There was absolutely no evidence of the Volturi being here this time. The floor had no footprints on it, either, which was a clear sign that the Volturi did not stay here for any amount of time.
Edward crawled back down into the tunnel and locked the door.
Although they struggled to maintain faith, the Cullens weren't about to give up yet.
Alice took Summer por the hand once more, resting her compassionate gaze on Summer's saddened face, "Never give up when you've only missed the mark once, Summer. You know that just as well as I do."
Summer did her best to smile at her sister, "Thanks, honey."
And so the group continued their mission to the seguinte spot, which was about 100 miles further than Brindisi.
They were running at a steady pace.
Out of sheer luck, Summer caught something moving far off in her peripheral vision; it was pale white and it was moving down another part of the tunnel.
She was positive that the moving object was a Volturi guard. Summer began running down the different path without announcing it to the rest of her family. No one dared to call out to her since their voices were sure to echo. Instead, everyone followed at Summer's heels.
When they all got close enough, they noticed that the "object" was really Felix, one of the guards. Summer growled lowly, catching Felix's preoccupied attention. His jaw dropped. He wasted no time in running away from the Cullens.
Summer smirked to herself. He was leading them to the Volturi. The chase lasted approximately three minutes. Sure enough, Felix led the group to yet another steel door on the roof of the tunnel.
He scrambled up the ladder and shut it tightly before Summer was able to pull on one of his feet.
She looked back at Jake, then at Carlisle. "Go one, sweetheart," He coaxed her reassuringly, "We are all right behind you. They won't be able to lay so much as a finger on you."
With a deep breath, Summer opened up the door and peeked inside the massive building. The place reminded her of the Volturi's usual residence, but the style was mais modern rather than renaissance.
Surrounding Summer were none other than the infamous Volturi guards, all staring at her with their piercing red eyes. Summer felt plagued for a brief moment, yet that moment was enough time for her to gather her hidden courage.
She climbed out of the ground and stood onto her feet. However, no amount of courage could have possibly prepared her for what she witnessed that moment.
A few feet straight ahead of her sat the son she'd been missing for an eternity.
But, this was not the happy moment she thought she was going to be hit with.
Instead, this was the most agonizing moment of her life. It felt much mais agonizing than the time when Aro's venom was burning through her veins.
She gawked in utter disbelief and dejection. She covered her mouth with her cold and trembling hand.
"Kill them all," he commanded with a manner akin to Aro's nature. He was seated in front of the other elders, "I want to see them all dead, except for my mother."
While Summer ran towards her son, the handful of guards ran toward her family.
Demetri seized Summer por the neck.
She grabbed the back of his camisa and flipped him over her head.
"You promised!" She screamed at Caius, "You promised not to expose him to human blood! You brute! What a fool you are!"
She kicked back Demetri as he attempted to lung at her again.
Her rage swelled.
She reached out to grip the neck of Caius' black suit, but Anakin pinned her to the ground.
Summer was beyond shocked.
She gazed into her son's blazing red eyes; she couldn't believe how evil he had become.
His twisted expression seared through Summer's mind. "Ani," she whispered.
With a loud growl, he flung his mother against the wall.
She shook off the pain, but before she could use her shield against Anakin, he and the other elders jumped into the tunnel and took off.
Summer was at a lethal crossroad now. Was she going to track down her son before it was too late, or was she going to help her loyal family fight off the guards?
Jake and Carlisle yelled out to her simultaneously, "Go, Summer!"
She couldn't decide. She used her shield to blind the guards, making it easier for the Cullens to fight them off.
Time was ticking.
"Summer," Esme urged, "GO!"
She had never heard Esme command anyone before. Maybe her family and Jake did want her to run after Anakin.
She couldn't imagine leaving Jake or any of them behind. It was the hardest thing she had ever done.
It felt like two 1,000,000 lbs. concrete blocks were tied to her feet.
A tear flowed down her cheek.
Jake, who was in his lobo form at the time, gave her a loving look that silently said everything she needed to hear.
It was the sweetest goodbye she had ever received.
Summer unwillingly hopped back into the tunnel alone.
Tears streamed down her face as she followed Anakin's scent. "Please," she prayed, "Please God, keep Jake and my family seguro and alive."
The relentless tears stung her throat, causing her voice to falter and fade.
She could no longer keep her tears pinned back, so she let herself sob openly. Summer sincerely wished that someone would have killed her right then and there.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ahhhh! That ending was sad :( Sorry to make you guys wait for the seguinte one...but who said suspense was a bad thing? ^.^ heehee thankies for reading, sweetpeas!
Either Way You Leave!
Alice's gown
