And another chapter bites the dust. I only own my original character

Emma's POV

At this point, I don't know where I am and I've been running for so long that I can't feel my legs.

So I drop on the ground, in this thick forest I've been running through for hours.

I lie down and curl into a ball.

I'm completely numb.

I can feel my insides screaming at me for some kind of nutrition.

I welcome the pain. Wanting to feel something, feel anything.

I close my eyes and let myself feel every inch of pain in my body.

After awhile, it starts to lessen and my mind starts to go dark.

Finally.

Paul's POV

I don't even know what happened. One second I'm trying to get Emma to just take a second and sit down and the next thing I know she's darting out the front door and down the street.

After I brought her back to her house, she just started pacing around her living room. It looked like she was fighting something within herself, but I can't be sure of what.

I mean, don't get me wrong I have a pretty good guess.

I take off after her, but she's surprisingly fast, even in her condition, and I've lost sight of her.

I pull my phone out and call Sam.

"Sam, I don't know if you've talked to Jake, but It's Emma." I get out as fast as I can.

"I know, Jake called a little while ago. Is she okay? Are you okay?" He asks with a sad tone to his voice.

It's strange how when one of the pack is going through something, it's like the whole pack is going through it as well.

"Look, I was just trying to get her to sit down for a second and she took off. I tried chasing after her but I lost her in the woods somewhere. I can't find her Sam and she's in no condition to be wandering the forest alone. I need help. Please." I plead

"Don't worry we're on our way. It may help if you shift, think of her scent so the rest of us can pick it up." Sam says

I drop the phone and don't even bother taking my clothes off before I shift and they're ripped. I clear my mind and think only of Emma.

I start running at full speed trying to see if I can pick up her scent anywhere.

A short time later I hear the other pack members join me.

We've been at it for 3 hours and still nothing.

"This forest is too damn big! She won't be able to last out here if we don't find her now!" I think angrily

"Dude, we know. We're working on it. Just calm down." Embry replies

"Maybe we should call the Cullen's. We could really use Edwards help." Jacob suggests.

"I'll take all the help we can get." I respond partly broken.

It only takes Jacob a few minutes to get Edward out here helping. And to my surprise, the whole Cullen clan has joined us in our search.

"Are you picking anything up?" I plead

"It's extremely faint but I can hear her this way." He says quickly as he darts off.

I follow him as fast as my animal body will take me and in no time I see her.

She's lying on the ground beneath a huge oak tree with her knees hugged to her chest.

She looks lifeless.

My heart instantly sinks.

No. Emma. Please…

"She's got a heartbeat but it's very faint. She really needs some help Paul." Edward says looking towards me.

"No, if I do that again, we'll just end up back here. Let me shift back and I'll take her home. Can you have Carlisle meet me at her house? And tell him absolutely no IV's."

We get Emma back to her house and I gently lay her in her bed upstairs. I hover over her for a while before I hear Carlisle enter.

"Carlisle, what the hell am I supposed to do? " I sigh.

"Honestly, there's nothing you can do. As I've said before, she has to hit rock bottom before she can truly see what's happening." He responds softly placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Before she bolted, she was pacing, I was just trying to get her to sit down for a minute, but she wouldn't. It was strange, almost as if she was fighting something within herself."

"Most people with this disorder, have another personality within themselves, so to speak. The rational part of them knows that they need to eat, that they're slowly killing themselves from nutritional deprivation, but the other part is constantly there telling them they're worthless, disgusting, etc. This illness at its full capacity is extremely deadly, after a certain point the rational side of them completely disappears and the disorder takes over to eventually kill them." He says in a somber tone.

"How can I just sit by and let that happen?" I cry.

"I don't know that you have another choice. If you try and intervene, it will make matters much worse than this. Give it some time. If it comes down to it, you'll need to contact her parents and have them prove her to be unfit to make sound decisions regarding her health and they'll need to admit her to a hospital." He tells me.

"I really don't want to have to do that…. But if it's what she needs, then I absolutely will." I say.

Emma's POV

Emma it's time to wake up now. We've got much more work to do.

No. I don't want to wake up. I want to stay here, where the pain is gone. I'm so tired.

But you have to get up. The pain is your body telling you you're winning. We're so close to our goal. We can't stop now.

But how can I keep going? I don't know if I have the strength.

I'll help you.

I don't know if I want your help anymore. All you've done for me is cause me pain, mentally, physically, emotionally.

I'm your friend Emma. I want what you want…for you to be perfect.

But don't you see? No one can ever be perfect. I just want to be NORMAL. I want to go on dates with Paul and not be concerned with having to hide the fact that I'm not eating. It's exhausting.

You can't quit now. You can't let this boy ruin everything we've worked for!

He's not ruining anything. It's not just about him! I basically disowned my own family because of this! I've pushed everyone away and isolated myself, and for what?

For perfection of course. Everything comes at a cost, you know that.

I do, but I'm tired of paying it. I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE!

Yes you can Emma. Now wake up, there's work to be done.

NO SHUT UP. LEAVE ME ALONE!

I can't do that, you should know better. Without me, you'd still be a fat little nobody that was disgusting and worthless. I've turned you into a beauty. That was me!

No it wasn't you! It was ME! You don't control me. I'm the only one who decides what my life is! I don't want to listen to you anymore!

…

The next thing I know I see Paul sitting beside me holding my hand looking down at the bed I'm laying in.

"Paul?" I whisper

"Emma? Oh thank goodness you're awake. You scared me." He says looking tired.

"I'm sorry about that." I say ashamed.

What have I done to this amazing man?

"Hey Paul?" I say softly.

He looks at me with his beautifully tired eyes. When was the last time he slept? How long have I been unconscious?

"Hmm?" He responds.

"I think I need help."