The gentle burn I had assumed was lust quickly turned into a raging fire running through my mouth and face.  It was no longer sensual, and was becoming extremely painful.  It was a familiar pain, though -- one I felt I had experienced before.

It took only an instant for me to remember where I had felt this before, long ago.  How could I forget?  It was the unbearable burn of venom entering my bloodstream.  The memory of my immortal enemy flashed into my head, images of his teeth sinking into my wrist flickering through the leaping flames that now filled my vision.

I squeezed my eyes shut in an effort to contain my response to the burn, knowing it would send Edward into a panic if he realized what had happened.  I felt his lips pull away from mine, no doubt realizing I had gone completely still.

"Bella?”  His voice sounded distant, as though it were coming through a tunnel.  I didn't dare a response, knowing if I opened my mouth the sound would not be words, but screams.  "Bella , are you okay?  Why are you bleeding?  Bella?"  His voice became more urgent with each word, but I remained motionless.

"Bella!"  His scream was torturous, intensifying the already excruciating pain.  My eyes shot open, wordlessly begging him not to yell again - a message he didn't receive.  "NO!"

He turned toward the house, holding me tightly to his chest as he ran.  The speed that would have normally caused my stomach to turn was completely lost on me now.  It felt as though we were moving in slow motion as I watched the trees pass, my imagination causing each one to catch fire as soon as I set my eyes on it.  I let my gaze fall to a small opening in the trees, allowing me to see the beautiful streaks of orange as the sun slowly lowered in the sky.  I wasn't sure if it was the fire running through my body or the sun setting that caused the horizon to ripple for a moment and then fade to daunting black.

The flames continued behind my lids, not allowing me even a moment of peace before I succumbed to the three days of hell I was about to endure.

I heard Edward's frantic voice begin again.  I tried to focus on his words, able to hear very few behind the roar in my ears.  ". . .think she had . . . venom entered . . . suck it out . . ." 

Did he just say ‘Suck it out?'  I held my teeth tightly together as I let my lips part for the first time since our kiss.  "No," the word only came out as an exhale, and I silently prayed it would be enough to convince him. 

He mistook my plea, his voice heartbreaking as he tried to comfort me,  "Bella, it's almost over."

I felt him lean forward, his lips touching mine in preparation to suck his venom from my system.  My eyes flew open and I raised my hand to his chest, using all of my strength to push him away.  He pulled away just enough to meet my stare, his face full of confusion and urgency.

I poured every ounce of my energy into the only three words I could think of that had a chance of conveying my desire, "I. . . want. . . this."  I watched his reaction for only a fraction of a second, recognizing the horrified understanding cross his face before I fell under again, the pull of the blaze overpowering my need to stay present.

The pain that had so far been centralized to my head suddenly shot down to my throat.  The muscles in my face and neck tensed at the feeling, only intensifying the burn.

I felt a cool sensation on my right wrist just before the fire began, the same sensation on my left wrist following shortly after.

I laid completely motionless, trying to focus on anything but the scorching blaze running rampant through my body.  I listened for any words being spoken around me, but there were none.  Instead I heard a loud, erratic thumping sound coming from very close to me.  I quickly recognized it as my own heart, fighting a losing battle against its death.  Death.  The word was a bitter-sweet notion, both terrifying and thrilling in the same instant.  I was giving up my entire humanity -- the beating of my heart -- but all to be with the love of my eternity.

I felt two cool arms slip underneath me and lift me off the floor.  I was instantly grateful for whoever was holding me – their icy arms faintly dulling the pain where they touched my skin.

The arms left me a moment later, placing me on a soft surface, surely a bed.  The flames flared where the coldness had been, resuming its heat in a matter of seconds.  I cringed, hopefully just internally, as I wished for the arms to touch me again.

They did not return, but instead a layer of ice covered my entire body.  My neck strained with the words I couldn't release.  I screamed Thank You, in my mind, hoping with all I had that Edward would hear my appreciation.  The searing pain was still unbearable, but was a slight improvement of what I had felt moments ago.

I heard a sound forcing its way through the inferno that had built a wall around my mind.  I concentrated on the voice, recognizing Edward's smooth hum instantly.  It took me only a moment to decipher the notes, my heart crumbling as I realized he was singing my lullaby.  The muscles in my face burned as I forced them to move, adjusting my expression into a small smile of appreciation, praying the beautiful sound wouldn't end.  It didn’t.

***

I had hoped I would lose consciousness at some point, allowing at least a momentary release from the blaze that engulfed my body.  I never did.  I was aware of every change during the process, every time the burn reached a new section of my body, leaving embers of pain behind as it went.  The slow-moving flame reminded me of scorching lava, continuing to annihilate everything in its path even weeks after the eruption.  And I was sure that was how long it had been -- weeks.  I wondered what I had done wrong, what could have caused this to last so much longer than it had for the others.

I momentarily considered the idea that it hadn't worked.  What if I can’t change?  What if the venom can’t complete its mission, and I stay in this living Hell for eternity?  Will they end my human and immortal life, allowing me to be released from the blazing fortress I have been banished to?

I was pulled from my fearful thoughts by the sound of voices.  They seemed to come from below me, possibly downstairs, but were abnormally audible.

"It's almost time. We should go upstairs.”  The chirpy sound was undoubtedly Alice, but seemed more fluid and musical than I had remembered.

I focused on my body as I felt the fire begin to dull further, wondering if a fresh blanket of ice had been placed over me.  I adjusted my arm slightly, realizing the pressure I had felt before was completely gone -- there was nothing covering me now.

The burn had faded immensely, leaving only a feeling similar to sore muscles, which was diminishing quickly.  I let out a breath of air as I realized my nightmare was over.

Click, click, tap, click.  The sound of heels coming up the stairs stopped a few feet away from me.

"One minute!" Alice's cheery voice announced as she entered the room, bringing the lullaby that was still being hummed into my ear to a halt.  As I focused on the sounds surrounding me I counted seven different breathing patterns coming from various points of the room.  I was sure I could identify each person by that sound alone, but decided that test could probably wait, I had more important things to address at this moment, like opening my... 

Before I could even complete the thought, I was staring a room full of vampires in the face.