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Angelic Voice

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Chapter One: Whisper

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It's all so annoying.

Why must I continue to celebrate my birthday? What's the point of having a huge beach party? My so called best friend will be the one throwing the party. The traitor. At least my parents, even my brother, respect that I don't want to celebrate it.

I'm turning seventeen today. Normal people my age look forward to their birthdays. A big ass party, presents, what's not to love? But I always get nervous. . . maybe even anxious. Not about the party, or the gifts, but because of that voice. . .

I can't explain it, and I know that if I tell anyone they'd no doubt question my sanity. But for as long as I can remember, every night on my birthday a voice whispers in my ear as I fall into a peaceful sleep. Whispering, wishing me a happy birthday, before saying, “Just a few more years. . .” then something soft and warm, lips, would press against my forehead, temple, cheeks. . . each year the lips edge closer and closer to mine.

Last year the voice said, “Just one more year. . .” then kissed the corner of my mouth. Now, that year is over, and that's the reason for my anxiety. Now that the year is over, what is he planning on doing? It is a he, I can tell by the huskiness of his voice. It's kinda. . . sexy. . . though I'd never admit it out loud.

“Come on Erin, aren't you just a little bit excited?”

I shoot a glare at my best friend, Amy. She's the one throwing the party for me. Despite me telling her to not bother. She's hard headed though, she does things her way and doesn't really listen to what others say. She's always in a world of her own. . .

So here I am, sitting on an uncomfortable metal stool and sketching out a self portrait of myself for my Drawing class. Last class of the day, thank god. I'm only half paying attention to what I'm drawing. I can see Amy peeking over my shoulder and frown from the corner of my eye.

“We're supposed to do backgrounds too?”

“Hm?” I blink; finally looking at what I'd drawn. It's me, but more old fashioned. In the background there's a small wooden house and I can see that I had started to draw someone standing behind me. The man also looks old fashioned. It isn't anyone I know, yet I feel like I know him. He's familiar.

Had I really drawn this?

“Who's that? He's hot,” I hear Amy say with a smile.

“Er. . . I don't know.” I shrug and rip the paper into tiny little pieces then crumple it up and throw it in the trash. Time to start over again.

Thankfully Amy doesn't question me about it, she just shrugs and goes back to her own drawing. She knows how random my drawings sometimes get. When I draw I space out sometimes and I'm not fully aware of what I'm drawing. I'm not sure where these images come from but I don't really question it. But that picture won't leave my mind. It isn't just because I had drawn myself wearing an old fashioned wedding dress, nor is it the strange setting. It's the man who stood behind me in the drawing. I know I don't know him, so why does he look so familiar? Maybe I had a dream of him once. Or maybe it's some dude I passed on the street or in the halls. . . though I highly doubt I'd forget that face.

Before I have time to restart my drawing the bell rings and Amy starts dragging me out the door like a rag doll. She insisted earlier this morning to drive me home today. I won't get my car back until after the party. That way I can't 'escape' as Amy so nicely put it.

I put my face in full pout mode as I sit with my arms crossed in the passengers seat. I'm not liking this, but no one really seems to care at the moment. I mean, this is my birthday, shouldn't I be able to do whatever I want?

“We're having a beach party! So try and have fun okay?” Amy smiles as we drive down the road. I can tell she's excited about this whole beach party thing, but I can't really bring myself to join her.

“I said I'd go, but I don't remember saying I'd have fun,” I grumble.

Amy ignores my attitude and pout. She sings along with the song she has playing in her CD player. I'm not going to win. That much is obvious. So I sit back in the seat and prepare myself for a night of complete and utter awful.

The beach party will start at 7:00pm and end around 10:30pm. Not very long. . . but my parents didn't want me out late on a school night. Naturally. It actually surprises me that they even care enough to set a curfew. Normally they just ignore my existence, my brother's existence as well. It used to really piss me off, but now, I'm so used to them ignoring us that I don't even care anymore. My father pays attention every now and then, but mom, pfft, fuck her.

Well, at least it won't last all night. . . that'd be a nightmare, so I guess I'd have to thank them for that.

Amy takes me home to make me look pretty. Ugh. She has me in a white tank top and a thin, long flowered skirt that tied at the hip. Underneath I have a bikini on but I don't really plan on swimming. I just put it on to make Amy shut up. But I feel like I'm dressed for Hawaii. I'm even wearing one of those flower necklaces. I mean really, am I going to a birthday party or on vacation?

When she's done with me she steps back and smiles in obvious satisfaction. She loves playing dress up with everyone. Even herself. Guys too. It was actually quite comical when she dressed my brother up this one time in one of those Hawaiian dresses with coconuts covering his pecks.

“Aw, you look so pretty, Erin!” she squeals, then ran up and gives me a big bear hug. I gasp for air but she doesn't let go until she's again satisfied.

“Amy. . . I can't. . . hah. . . breath. . .”

Hearing how out of breath I am she steps back and smiles at me, batting her eyelashes.

“Opps, sorry!”

“It's fine. . .” I take one glance at myself in the mirror and visibly wince. She went a little overboard with the Hawaiian get up, but whatever makes her happy I guess. . .

“Oh! You have such smooth looking lips!” Amy suddenly shouts, clasping her hands together.

“Huh?” I blink at her, not really sure what to say to that.

I watch as she prances over to my dresser and picks up some shiny ass lip gloss. Oh now here comes the fun part. She picks out the one she likes and skips back up to me. Her hand grasps my wrist and she drags me over to my bed. I thought about struggling but what good will that do really? She'd drag me across the floor if she has to.

She sits me on my bed and smiles.

“Lets make your pretty lips more noticeable okay?” she stops to giggle a little. “Just imagine how many boys will want to kiss you!” She makes loud, wet kissing sounds with her lips.

I sigh, “I doubt any boy will ever want to kiss me, Amy.”

“You're right, not just any boy, every boy!” she full out laughs now. She takes the cap off the lip stick and applies some to my lips. When she's done I glance at myself in the mirror to see very shinny lips.

“Aw, you make me want to kiss you!” Amy smiles and kisses my cheek. “I'll just have to settle. . .” She straightens herself out and glances back at the clock.

“Oh shit! We have to get going!” She grabs my wrist again and tears me off the bed and back on my feet. “Come on! Slap a smile on that sexy face of yours and lets get going!”

I try my best to smile but it turns out to be a grin. It satisfies Amy though and that's what I was going for. She drags me out the door, waves to my parents who are also getting ready to leave, then practically throws me in the passengers seat.

“Amy! Are you trying to kill me!” I almost tripped down the stairs a few times too.

She hops in the drivers seat and looks at me. “Hurry up and put your seat belt on!” she commands, I'm not sure if she actually heard me or if she just doesn't really care. Nevertheless, I sit up in the seat and put my seat belt on.

When we get there I'm surprised by how many people are there. I don't even know half of them. They probably just came for the free booze, that and, what healthy young teenager doesn't like to party? Well, I don't, I guess I'm just not a healthy teenager then. But oh well.

When we get on the sand I grab Amy's arm and yank her back. “Amy, who the hell are all these people?”

Amy smiles, “People who want to celebrate your birthday! Don't worry, they all brought presents.”

I frown, like I really care if they brought presents or not. I mean really, this is turning out worse than even I thought. I'll just have to grit my teeth and bare it, and if I can, smile as I do it.

Amy kisses me on my cheek, she does that a lot, then took off to do something. I'm too afraid to ask what it is. I take off my sandals and walk to one of the picnic tables. At least I can attempt to relax a little.

I stretch my legs, my feet digging into the sand and let out a yawn. I didn't slept that well last night. Not just because I was dreading the party that was sure to come, but because of what I know will be waiting for me when I go back home to sleep.

I'm getting more anxious by the second. I decide to distract myself by looking at all the people who came here. My eyes scan the sea of people. Damn. Pretty much everyone at our school is here. And I barely know half—scratch that, I barely know any of them. I do notice how most of them are boys with a beer attached to their hand. I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes.

I continue to look at the faces around me when one face caught my attention.

I stare wide eyed at the boy sitting at the picnic table across from mine.

Once our eyes lock and I'm unable to look away. He grins when he sees this—whether out of amusement or satisfaction I can't be sure—showing off a row of perfect white teeth.

I find myself taking in his appearance. His hair is short and brown, and his eyes are a beautiful green color that reminds me of emeralds. I can't take my eyes from his face long enough to see what he's wearing. But the thing that surprises me the most is the fact that he's the same person who I had drawn in class.

He goes to my school then? Hard to believe.

“Erin! Look, over here!” I hear Amy call. Once she did the boy looks away, releasing me from his piercing gaze. I start and look back at Amy who is now standing behind me.

“Amy, who's that boy over there?”

“Hm?” Amy looks over at the table then back at me. “What boy? Who are you talking about, Erin?”

I quickly look back at the table only to see that the boy is indeed gone. How had he left so quickly? Maybe I was just seeing things. The picture I had drawn is still fresh on my mind. Yeah, that's it. My mind is playing tricks on me. I have nothing but my lack of sleep to blame.

“Oh. . . he must have left. . .” I mumble.

“Forget that! Look! Look!”

She grabs my arm and begins shaking it. I turn in horror as two boys carried a huge cake— huge like a fucking wedding cake!—walk over to the picnic table and set it in front of me.

Ugh. The worst part of the night has come.

I don't really like cake. Brownies are fine but other sweets I can easily live without. I'm not really one of those girls who crave chocolate. The way to my heart is definitely not by buying me sweets for Valentine's day. Though no one ever has, but still.

“Make a wish, Erin!” Amy claps, laughing like a mad woman. She's more excited about my birthday than anyone. Really, this party is more for her than for me.

I sigh. I never did get the point of this. Like the wishes ever come true. So I'm surprised when I hesitate. I was just going to wish for this day to hurry up and end already. But then what would happen tonight?

Instead, I wish the owner of that voice would just show himself already, and blow out the candles.

It feels like I'm about to get married. I cut the first piece but give it to Amy. She pouts at me for a minute but she knows I don't like cake, so she lets it go and tales the small plate with a smile. I can hear the music blasting in the background and can only imagine how much all this cost and wondered how Amy managed to pull it off.

Everyone who wanted cake were eating and laughing with their friends, the others were getting drunk or dancing like monkeys.

Fun.

I merely sit back on the wooden picnic table and sigh. I can't get that boy out of my mind. Or this strange sudden desire to see him again. I scan the people who are drinking and dancing, or just standing, over and over again but I can't find him. Finally giving up, I get up from my spot and search for Amy. When I find her turning down some guy I walk up to her.

“Hey, I'm going to go for a walk, okay?” I tug on her wrist, bringing her focus on to me. The boy is dragging his feet across the sand and edging closer back to his group of friends that came with him.

“What?! But the party just started! You can't leave yet!” she pouts. Oh joy, she's going to be stubborn about it. “I mean, first you were all grumpy in the car, then you wouldn't eat my delicious cake I made just for you!”

“You know I don't like cake.”

“Fine, I'll give you that one. But now you're asking me if you can leave?” she put her hands on her hips. This is her way of saying that she's not pleased. “You promised you'd stay.”

“I won't be long. It's just that the music is giving me a headache. I'll be back before you even have time to notice that I'm really gone. You won't even have time to miss me.”

Her hands fall from her hips, this is her way of saying that she gives up. “You'll hurry back?” Aw, she's so cute when she pouts. Her bottom lip sticks out and I feel myself turn to mush and simply nod.

She squeals before jumping to me and hugging me tightly. I can't breath, but she doesn't seem to be concerned with that.

“Hurry back! I'll dance with you!” she laughs as I walk off.

The moon is out and the sand is comfortably cool now. I can hear the waves in the distance but my mind is elsewhere. I can't stop wondering about tonight. What will happen if I don't go to bed tonight? If I stay awake for him? But I know that won't work.

I had tried to wait up before, but the second I heard his voice my eyes would always close and I'd drift off into a peaceful sleep. Not only that, but I was already tired as hell.

I jump—suddenly taken out of my thoughts—when I feel hands grasp my upper arms from behind. The grip is tight and firm. Warm breath tickling my ear, causing a shiver to rock through my body.

This isn't Amy.

“Why are you alone on your birthday? Don't you like the party?” A beautiful angelic voice whispers in my ear. I'm drawn to the voice instantly and almost find myself leaning back into my holder, but I manage to keep myself standing straight.

I know that voice.

Gasping when his tongue flicks out and touches my ear, I try to turn around to face him, but his grip only tightens. Eventually he sets his chin on my shoulder and kisses my neck softly. It takes everything I have not to shiver from the soft touch, but I can feel myself slowly losing control over my body.

I have no idea who this man is. But I feel. . . safe. Secure. I'm not afraid of him at all. Even though, that beautiful angelic voice is the same voice as the man who whispered me a happy birthday every year, I find comfort in that voice. I stop breathing, stop moving, just so I can listen to the melody of his voice, his laugh.

“The party?” he asks again, his breath fanning my neck now, 'causing me to lose my train of thought and my focus. “I thought it looked fun. And Amy worked so hard, and just for you too.”

Whoa, wait.

Does he know Amy? But she didn't recognize him when she looked at him in the picture earlier. Maybe she didn't get a good enough look? I don't understand but my mind is too clouded to answer him, or to really think properly at all. I'm too busy being engulfed by his warmth and scent. He's not wearing cologne, and I can't recognize the scent, but I love it. I finally allow myself to lean back against him absently and breath out, finally relaxing.

I can feel him kiss my cheek, his lips trailing down to the corner of my lips. My heart flutters excitedly. I want so badly to turn my head and kiss him. Run my hands through his hair and keep him here with me.

But why do I want that? Why am I letting a complete stranger touch me at all? For all I know he could be a murderer or a rapist or something. But even with all those possibilities in mind I can't find it in me to really care.

There's a tugging feeling from inside of me. My heart? I don't know but it's taking over my mind. I can no longer focus on reason, or my promise to not be gone long. Amy will be upset but I know she'll forgive me, and when she hears about what happened she'll forget about it completely.

He kisses his way back to my ear. “Just a few more hours. . .” he whispers. He then wraps his arms around my waist, holding me to him.

“A few. . . more hours?” I manage to gasp out, surprised to find out how out of breath I am.

He begins nibbling on my earlobe. “Mm hmm. . .”

“What will happen?”

Letting go of my earlobe, he kisses the sensitive skin behind my ear. “You'll see. . .”

He kisses me just about everywhere. Yet making a very careful note not to kiss my lips while he kisses the corner of my mouth. Which, in all honesty, I find rather odd.

Is it the lip gloss?

Suddenly he turns me around in his arms and hugs me tightly to him, making me squeak from the sudden movement, but he pays this no mind. My heart's thumping erratically in my chest and I'm sure he can feel it, with how tightly he's holding me.

“I've been waiting so long for this. It's. . . strangely satisfying. Just being able to hold you like this. I like it,” he whispers into my hair. “I miss this. . . I've missed you. You kept me waiting a long time. Much, much too long for my liking. . .”

What?

I shift in his arms but his grip only tightens. He refuses to let me go. I can practically feel his possessive aura surrounding me. Like he wants to possess me, own me in every way and form.

“I think you have the wrong person. . .” I finally mumble against his chest, finding my voice again.

“No, I don't. I know I don't.”

“I don't understand. . .” How can this godlike person want to be with me? Whenever I asked a boy out he'd always turn me down. And those boys don't look half as good as him.

“I know you don't.”

I absently sigh against him. Who cares if he has the wrong person? I feel. . . happy. He begins playing with strands of my pale blond hair, his other hand rubbing against my back, soothing me. It works, and I find myself really enjoying it. Almost a bit too much.

My annoyance and irritation is forgotten and replaced with other emotions. They swirl inside me and fill me completely. Yet I have no idea where these emotions are coming from or even what they are. Though at the moment I could care less, it'll bother me later.

I yelp out when he roughly grabs the back of my head and forces me to look up at him. My big pale blue eyes lock with his green eyes and I'm again caught, unable to look away.

He lets go of my head and lightly traces his fingertips from my temple down to my jaw. His touch as light as a feather, soothing me once again.

“I can barely wait. . . until tonight. . .” His voice is low and strained with want, surprising me. A lot of things are surprising me today though.

A blush colors my cheeks when he grins at me. His hold around my waist tightens as he holds me possessively. Before I even know what I'm doing, I close my eyes and lean closer to him. My face mere inches away from his. I can feel his warm breath on my face. My lips search for his. I want to kiss him, I want to feel his lips move against mine. But before I can kiss him he places a finger on my lips and gently pushes me back so our skin is barely touching. I miss the warmth of his body already.

“Patience, love,” he smiles. He seems so comfortable being with me, and for some odd reason, I feel comfortable around him. More comfortable than I was at the party anyway. But his eyes are flaring with excitement.

“Why? Why were you waiting for me? How were you waiting for me?”

He shakes his head. “All in good time, love.”

I look down, contemplating that, then look back up at him. “What's your name? My name is—”

“Erin Irvine,” his voice is full with fondness of my name. “Yes, I know.”

“You. . . know?” I raise an eyebrow. “How do you know?” I'm now suspicious of him. Oh shit. Is he like, a stalker or something? Of course, I knew he was too good to be true. Even so, I can't find it in me to be afraid of him. This only confuses me even more.

“I told you, I've been waiting for a long time for this.”

“What's your name?” I ask again.

“Edward.”

“Edward. . .”

Edward kisses me on my cheek and smiles. His face looks torn as he whispers in my ear, “Go back. Enjoy the party. Laugh with your friends. Tonight, when you are officially seventeen. . . you will dream of me.”

Dream of him?

Letting me go completely he gives me a slight shove in the direction of the party. I tumble forward before looking back at him. But he's already gone. I search the area around me but all I can see is sand, rocks, and the ocean.

With a frown of disappointment I do as told and walk back to my party. The feeling of being completely full is disappearing, and I'm feeling rather empty.

Was it always this way? Was I alwaysthis way? An empty shell of human flesh? I've never noticed the emptiness before tonight. But after feeling so full, then having it taken or removed, made the emptiness painfully noticeable.

He said I would dream of him tonight. Said it as if it were a statement. As if he knew. I begin feeling anxious again. When I officially turn seventeen, at 11:42pm, it's the time I was born and the time he always came. I find myself longing to feel his lips, his warmth, and to listen to that beautiful angelic voice of his again and again.

I get back to the party and, as promised, Amy dances with me—well after interrogating me like a cop about 'where I've been all night'. It's a slow dance, which gets a lot of guys attention. She also has me open a bunch of presents from a bunch of strangers. Well, at least I don't have to worry about the hole in their pockets. I really don't care if they go poor, I don't know them. But still, I make sure to thank each and every one of them.

“Amy, you really went a little overboard with all this. . .” I mumble as we walked to her car. The party finally ends and I demand that she take me home right away.

“Nonsense! Our graduation party will be just as kick ass!” Amy shouts. Oh great, I bet she already has the whole thing all planned out in her head too. Well, at least I won't be the reason for the party, and the anxiety won't be there.

We get in her car and she pulls out of the parking lot after helping me put all of my stuff in the back. I get a lot of things, from a new stereo to a bracelet. Amy had gotten me a necklace with my birthstone on it, it's really pretty and I have put it on right away. The chain is gold and the green gem is glimmering beautifully.

“You didn't have to do all of this though. And you didn't have to buy me such an expensive looking present. . .” I'm dwelling on it a bit.

“Sure I did. You're my best friend so I had to make sure my present was the best out of all of them. And I still can't believe you left for awhile. . . where'd you go? What did you do? You never really did answer. . .”

I shift as I remember it all. “I answered. I went for a walk.”

“That was one long ass walk. . .” Amy mumbles.

We don't talk after that. She drives me home and I force on a smile and thank her for the party and the present. She smiles back and tells me she'd drive me to school in the morning. Since my car is still at the school. I hope no one steals it. . . Or breaks into it and like, take my radio or something.

Yeah, there are losers who actually still do that kind of shit.

I have to admit that when I walk in the house to see that my parents were still out I feel pretty happy that they're still doing whatever it is that they do, and aren't home to bug me about how much fun I had. I walk up the stairs lazily and by the time I enter my room I'm dragging my feet across the carpet.

This is not good. I had promised myself earlier that I would not sleep, that I would wait for the man with the beautiful voice to appear. To see if it's who I expect it is. Though I'm on the verge of passing out right now. I really should have taken sleeping pills last night, get well rested so I can stay up tonight.

I quickly throw on a black spaghetti shirt and black pajama pants, then slips into bed after shutting off the lights and wait. It won't take long for him to come.

I force my eyes to stay open and wait for him. Is it really Edward? Why do I feel so drawn to him? Like some sort of strong magnetic force is pulling me closer and closer to him, year by year.

I glance over at the clock.

Just a few more seconds. . .

Just as that thought passes I feel a cold breeze come from no where. My window's closed yet it feels as if it's open, letting the cool night air in. I shiver under my covers but I can't move my body. I can hear soft footsteps coming towards me and glance over to see him.

It is Edward.

This is the first time I have actually looked at his face when he came into my room. All the other times my eyes were usually already closed, I was never able to open them. But tonight is different. My heart is already pounding hard against my chest, so loudly that I can actually hear it.

Edward stares into my eyes for a little while before kneeling down in front of my bed, beside my head.

I freeze.

He touches my cheek with his hand and moves so his elbows are on the bed, his face mere inches away from mine. I can feel, taste his breath on me. It's so addicting. He kisses me in all the places he had kissed me before. My forehead, temple, cheek, all the way down to the corner of my mouth, then he stops—much to my displeasure.

“Finally. . .” he whispers, “you're mine.”

My eyes close as his lips touched mine. He kisses me very gently at first. I don't respond, can't respond because of my frozen state. But I find myself wanting to. The feeling of wanting to run my hands through his hair and keep him to me come flooding back.

As he kisses me I can once again feel the empty feeling in my chest fill me up completely. It feels like my heart is expanding, filling itself with him.

Edward's kiss suddenly turns hard, hungry, his tongue traces my bottom lip. I can't stop the soft moan as it escapes my lips. The second my lips part Edward's tongue slips inside my mouth and runs along mine. I can feel his tongue rub against the roof of my mouth, exploring every part before nipping at the tip of my tongue.

I try to respond, but can't move. Eventually he stops nipping and sucks my tongue into his mouth. My breaths are coming in gasps and so are his.

My heart aches, but in a good way, as it pounds against my chest. His lips devours mine, I feel the bed shift next to me and his hand moves to my stomach.

His lips barely part from mine as he stops kissing me. I slowly open my eyes to see that he's lying next to me on my bed. He wraps his left arm securely around my waist, like he has at the party, and his free hand strokes my cheek.

My eyes suddenly feel heavy and begin to slide shut. I feel so comfortable right now, more than I've ever been before. This is bliss. . . something that I never want to end.

“Sleep well, my love.” I hear him whisper in my ear. It's as if his voice is like a lullaby that's meant to put me to sleep. Or a spell that makes this the most peaceful sleep I have ever experienced.

And just like he said, I dream of him. Of a life and world that's completely foreign yet familiar to me. I feel drawn to this world almost as much as I'm drawn to him, yet at the same time I feel so severed from the world. Like there's a string attaching me to it, but someone cut it. Leaving me to fall flat on my ass, in a place that's completely different.

Even as my room and everything else around me fades I can still hear Edward's voice whispering in my ear.

Happy birthday. . .

My first chapter! I thought of this story while watching Lady Death. . . yet it has nothing to do with the movie. It was just a random idea, and then I listened to songs and the small idea formed into a plot. As for the names, I just like the names Edward and Erin, and Amy is my best friends favorite name for a girl. Ha ha. Also, I seem to be surrounded by the name Edward! Taking Shakespeare and all, studying about Englands old Kings. Edward II. . . poor thing. I know it's a common name but meh, I heard it, I liked it, I used it. ;) Ah, Edward's character may get a bit. . . confusing. Not too much though. The chapters will most likely get longer as the story progresses, or rather, at the end. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Review?