Twilight Chapter 22: Hide-and-Seek Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Alice has another vision. Though she doesn't say it, we gather that Alice has seen a vision of Bella dead. She tells Bella that she's simply seen "the same room as before" (22.15).
  • Bella asks how Alice's visions work, and she responds:

    "Some things are more certain than others…like the weather. People are harder. I only see the course they're on while they're on it. Once they change their minds – make a new decision, no matter how small – the whole future shifts." (22.23)

  • Alice, Jasper, and Bella head for the airport to pick up Edward, Carlisle, and Emmett.
  • Once at the airport, Bella is determined to sneak away so that she can meet James. Pretending that she needs to use the bathroom, Bella takes off and gets a cab to her mother's house.
  • Bella calls James, and he tells her to meet him at the dance studio (the one Alice has seen in her visions).
  • Bella shows up at the dance studio and hears her mother crying out for her, only to find that it's a recording of her mom from an old home video.
  • Bella faces James, who says, "You don't sound angry that I tricked you" (22.98). Mostly, Bella feels relief, knowing that her mother actually is safe.
  • James begins speaking casually with Bella:

    "I suppose you're going to tell me that your boyfriend will avenge you?" he asked, hopefully it seemed to me.

    "No, I don't think so. At least, I asked him not to."
    (22.102-103)

  • James is bothered by how easy Bella has been to hunt. He wants more of a challenge, which is why he hopes that Edward will come after her. James plans to enrage Edward by sending him a video of him (James) killing Bella:

    "I'm sorry, but I just don't think he'll be able to resist hunting me after he watches this. And I wouldn't want him to miss anything. It was all for him, of course. You're simply a human, who unfortunately was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and indisputably running with the wrong crowd, I might add." (22.117)

  • As it turns out, James had hunted another human in a situation similar to Bella. This was the only human that ever escaped James:

    "You see, the vampire who was so stupidly fond of this little victim made the choice your Edward was too weak to make. When the old one knew I was after his little friend, he stole her from the asylum where he worked […] and as soon as he freed her he made her safe. […] The old vampire made her a strong new vampire, and there was no reason for me to touch her then." He sighed. "I destroyed the old one in vengeance." (22.121)

  • Bella immediately realizes that James is speaking of Alice Cullen. But she doesn't have much time to think about it, as James is about to attack.
  • James smashes Bella against a mirror, and breaks her leg. When she cuts her head on a shard of the mirror and begins to bleed, Bella hopes that James won't be able to resist the smell of her blood and will kill her quickly.
  • Bella passes out.