Rewrite for my story Isabella and Meredith Volturi.

"Should I sink or swim?
Or simply disappear?"
- Sleepwalking, Bring Me The Horizon

Chapter One
Isabella Swan, age 13

"Where are you guys?" I muttered angrily to myself. I'd been waiting for the pesky Andrew twins for half an hour already! It was even starting to get dark outside, and soon I would be stuck in the dark. My parents made me swear never to stay out if it gets dark! If they don't show up soon, I'm gonna leave! I thought angrily. Do they want to get me in trouble?!

I sat down on the ground, feeling sulky. The twins were almost never late, so this was completely unlike them.

I waited another ten minutes before deciding enough is enough. I got up and dusted myself off. It was completely dark already and if I waited even another second my Pa will kill me. So with that thought in mind, I started the long road home.

The air was cold, biting into my exposed skin as I hurried through the woods. A loud crash made me pause, and I looked around for the sound. I saw a red flicker, and to my horror I saw it was fire. Nervousness churned in my gut as I moved a little bit closer. Something doesn't feel right.

"BURN THE WITCHES!" an old man screamed, startling me. "LET THEM GO TO HELL AND BURN FOR ETERNITY!"

Many cheers followed this man's shout, and at once I knew what was going on.

They've found another witch.

I didn't want to witness this, so I continued home. I already saw a few witch burnings too many, and their faces already haunted my nightmares. Why add another face?

I noticed my house in the distance, the lovely little thing that my siblings despised (and I loved), and sprinted to the front door. I entered the house and smiled as a lovely scent filled my nostrils. Just in time for dinner, I thought.

"Why are you so late?" James demanded.

I rolled my eyes at my brother's tone and took a seat at our little table. "I was waiting for the twins," I replied. I noticed that, besides me and James, we were all alone. I guessed my parents and sisters were still at the Taaki residence.

"Oh, really? Then where exactly are Alec and Jane?"

I frowned as I said, "I'm not sure. They never showed up."

"That's unlike them," James murmured.

I nodded. "I thought so, too. I'm worried."

James smiled down at me reassuringly and ruffled my hair. "I'm sure they're fine, sis, and that something just came up."

"Yeah, you're probably right,"

"I'm always right," was the arrogant reply.

"Not true!" a child-like voice chirruped.

James gave an indignant cry and caught our little sister in his arms. He began tickling her until she was nearly crying from laughter.

"Well, don't suffocate the poor girl," my mother said amusedly as she, too, entered the dining room area. "The Taaki family sends their regards," my father added.

"Now, let's eat!" my eldest sister exclaimed.

I smiled at my wonderful family as we sat down to eat. I was sitting next to James's right side. Little Cleo was seated on James's lap, while my elder sister Mione was seated left of James. Then it was my father Victor and my mother Rebecca. My mother was next to me.

The peaceful atmosphere was abruptly ended when the distraught Andrew couple arrived.

"Mrs Andrew!" I exclaimed with shock. The usually calm and collected Mrs Andrew was sobbing, a loud, wailing sound. It was terrible. Mr Andrew, himself, didn't look much better.

"They're gone, Becca!" Mrs Andrew wailed. "They're both gone!"

My mother had stood while I was distracted, and immediately pulled her best friend into her arms. "Shh, Veronica. Calm down, there you go. Now tell me who is it that is gone?"

"The twins!" she cried. "T-they took 'em!"

"What?" I choked out.

An icy feeling of dread. That's all I felt as I came to the realization that my best friends in the whole world, Alec and Jane Andrews, were gone.

"I'm sure they're not gone," my father said gently. "We will find them, I promise."

"That's impossible," Mr Andrew said quietly.

His wife echoed this and added, "The townspeople burned them! And now my babies are gone forever!"

I don't know what happened next. One moment I was standing, staring at Mr and Mrs Andrew with horror, and the next I was on the floor. I heard someone exclaim my name, but I did not react.

They were gone…Alec and Jane were dead, and I was all alone.

The banes of my existence were gone.

Life had no meaning any more.

Xxxx

Two weeks later

A soft knock sounded on my bedroom door. "Isa?" the masculine voice belonging to James asked hesitantly. "May I please come in?"

I made no move to reply. Instead, I lay still, staring at the ceiling.

My door opened and James entered. "Please, Isa. You need to get ready for school."

"I don't want to go to school," I whispered. "Alec and Jane won't be there, so I don't want to be there, either."

James sighed and took a seat on my bed. He gently put his large hand on my head. "You need to get up sometime, Isa. Move on with your life. I don't mean that you have to forget the twins. No, I want you to remember all the happy times you spent together. And I want you to move on, Isa."

Tears leaked down my cheeks as, for the first time in two weeks, pain wracked through my body.

"It won't be easy, I know. But please try," he murmured. He gently wiped my tears and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Everything will be okay, I promise you."

I sniffled.

Being back at school was horrible. Thanks to the twins now being known as the Witch Twins, everybody at school was avoiding me like I was the plague. As if, just by associating with the Twins, I was a witch, too.

No one wanted to talk to me, not even the teachers. To them, I was the spawn of Lucifer himself. Never mind the fact that I lost my only friends in this Godforsaken town.

I sighed when I saw Meredith and her friends walking over to my table. I tried to not look at her as she and her group of five stopped in front of my table. "Oh, look, it is the ugly duckling!" the girl sneered. "She thinks she's a Swan, but she just isn't worth one!" Her friends crowed with laughter.

I studiously ignored the six girls and continued eating my lunch in silence.

This continued on for the next two months. The brunette girl would visit my table each and every day. She'd throw a few insults at me, her friends laughing. She'd get irritated by my lack of response and leave eventually.

Except for today. "You're such a freak, Isabella," Meredith continued, spitting my name as if it were an infectious disease. "I can't believe you were friends with that awful Witch Twins!"

This continued on for the next ten minutes until I couldn't take it anymore. "Shut. Up. Meredith." I said it slowly, with my teeth clenched. "Just shut up and leave me alone. I'm not the one who keeps on mocking a girl who's lost her only friends. So please, just leave."

Meredith stood gaping, and I noticed her eyes softening a little. She then turned on her heel and left.

That night, I found a note in my school bag. It read:

Issie,
I apologize for the way I treated you. I was being childish and inconsiderate. I can't imagine loosing my only friends…it must be horrible.
I beg you to forgive me, to give me another chance!
Friends?
Yours,
Meredith

And that was the start of a beautiful friendship.

xxxx

TIME SKIP – Three Years Later

School was finally done, for which I was insanely grateful. Now I could go home and just…forget the world, just for a little bit.

It was winter at the moment so it turned dark early. I decided to take a different route today; through the alley where I usually met the Twins. The reason for that decision was because it was the 12th of April – the anniversary of their death.

I'd been walking for quite some time when I felt eyes on me. It sent chills up and down my spine. I always liked to imagine things, wishing they were true. And right now, I wished for those eyes to disappear. An unsettled feeling was stirring in my gut.

"Hello, young one," a melodic voice whispered from behind me.

I spun around, so fast that for a second, everything was blurry. When my vision returned to normal, I was able to notice the creature stood in front of me. It was a pale woman with otherworldly beauty, one of those women you always heard of, but never actually saw. Her hair was a brilliant red, falling gracefully down her back in gorgeous locks. A few strands fell around her aristocratic face. I noticed, with some degree of horror, that her eyes were a brilliant crimson red.

"H-hello, ma'am," I stuttered. My mind was reeling from being in the presence of such a beautiful woman – her beauty being quite intimidating.

The woman gave me what appeared to be a gentle smile. However, I noticed the faint predatory gleam in her hungry eyes. "What are you doing out here all alone?" she questioned. The woman tilted her head a little to the left as she eyed me curiously. "It's dangerous to be out all alone in the dark, you know."

I felt compelled to tell her the truth. "I'm walking this path in remembrance of two friends I lost," I said quietly. I saw the question in her eyes. Before she could ask, I added, "Jane and Alec."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Volturi?" she questioned.

Vol-what? "No, Miss. They are – were – the Andrew twins." My voice caught embarrassingly.

Realization entered the pale redhead's eyes, putting me on alert. "Do you know them well?"

Know? They were dead, lady! "I knew them pretty well," I replied, stressing the word knew. "We were best friends."

"Interesting," she murmured to herself. She once again tilted her head slightly as she asked, "How old are you, girl?"

"I just turned sixteen," I said. "How about you?" I felt like slapping myself for asking that.

She laughed a tinkling laugh. "You should never ask a lady's age," she said, amusement lacing her tone. "But between you and me, I'm four hundred years old." Pride rolled off of her very being as she said this.

I allowed a gasp to escape my mouth as realization hit me with enough force to nearly throw me to the ground. "Y-you're a vampire!" I cried. I saw a predatory smile lift her lips, and I turned around in the futile attempt to escape the horrid Creature of the Night.

Within seconds, icy arms wrapped around my waist in an iron grip. I screamed and thrashed, trying to escape. Tears ran down my face as the vampire squeezed my lungs. "Sshhh," she cooed. "This will only hurt a bit…or more!"

Sharp fangs pierced my neck, and another shrill scream escaped from deep within my throat. "Stop! OH MY GOODNESS, LET ME GO! HELP!" I screamed. I thrashed against the arms holding me, crying at the excruciating pain of having your blood drained against your will.

Just when I thought this is the end, she let me drop unceremoniously to the ground. "See you in three days, my dear girl," she said, and disappeared with a flash.

I screamed once again as the pain consumed my body. This was worse…way worse than what I'd experienced before!

SAVE ME!

HELP ME, SOMEONE!

I'm burning! Stop the flames, stop it!

Oh dear Lord, please be merciful, and let this end!

I don't know for how long I was in this state. All that I was aware of, was the excruciating pain my body was undergoing.

Just when I was sure I wouldn't be able to take it anymore, my heartbeat stuttered.

Thump, th-thump, thuuuump.

And it was silent. The pain was gone.

I opened my eyes, and saw the vampire hovering over me. She smirked as I snarled at her, immediately standing. "Welcome to your new life," she said dramatically. "Isabella."