There wasn’t any sleep, but I knew there wouldn’t be, once I was turned, when I was no longer human. But still, I longed for consciousness to leave me, even as I became more alert and increasingly aware of everything around me. It was like the objects before me blurred and were now finally coming back into focus, except the attention to details didn’t stop, and things became more overpowering by the second. Sounds, sights, and smells all were more intense until I was almost overwhelmed by them.

I lay utterly still, for the first time in three days. I tried to tune it all out; it was too much to process at that moment. I just wanted, needed to relax. Eyes closed to cut off my oversensitive vision, I realized suddenly, that there was no air passing through my lungs. I’d unconsciously cut that off too, trying to escape the bouquet of scents that assaulted my nose.

Hearing was a little harder to tone down. I frowned as I concentrated on tuning out the incessant scratching, scuffling,  and murmured conversations that were surrounding me, making me feel claustrophobic. Finally, not silence, but quiet encapsulated me and I breathed a sigh of relief, cringing suddenly as my nose was assaulted again by the air moving again through my lungs. This time, there was one scent that I knew and recognized, more prominent amongst the others.

“Edward?” My voice sounded different to my own ears, but felt croaky in my throat. I knew he was there, I could feel his presence in the room where I’d spent the last three, hell filled days in way that was weird and alien to me, but somehow instinctive and natural. I heard him move around the bed, which was strange to me now, he had always moved so silently.

His scent surrounded me, familiar, but stronger than it had ever been to me as a human. “Bella,” my name was not questioned back, but the sharp, clear ring of his silky voice in my head granted me instant gratification.

I opened my eyes then, it didn’t startle me that his face was inches from mine, not the way it would have three days ago. I examined his hard expression, glorious lips pressed into a hard line on his angelic face.