What I've Become

Chapter One

As she slammed into a wall and slid to the floor, Bella Swan considered her options. Continue taking this crap every day of her meaningless life, or stand up and fight. She sighed inwardly as she was kicked maliciously in the stomach, thinking hard she decided even if she was to do the latter she would never escape. Bella had no choice but to take it and let the beating end.

Finally after what felt like ages, she passed out. When she awoke he was gone, leaving her lying on the cold floor of the living room alone. It was quiet now, no one snarling or hissing obscenities to her, she had been left to comfort herself. Bella was not a big fan of crying so she pushed herself up wincing at the pain the movement brought. The room wavered in front of her as she stood forcing her to momentarily close her eyes.

"Damn you", she whispered, "damn you".

She let her thoughts focus on him. Him being her stepfather, the man who had just left the room; the very same man who takes great pleasure in beating her senseless and seeing her in pain.

He hadn't always been like that; there was a time when he cared, a time when Bella believed that he loved her and her mum. But those times were long gone. He had been her mother's saviour when she needed someone after her father Charlie had been murdered when she was just four. He used to make her laugh but towards the end all her mother did was cry. Bella believed that it was him that had finished her mum and made her life not worth living.

It was him who had really caused her suicide. He was the true culprit, the psychological murderer.

It had all started when he'd lost his high flying job. It had broken his manly pride being forced to live at the bottom of the food chain, in a London flat that wasn't fully his own. He'd turned to drink and started asserting his dominance over them, bit by bit. Subtly at first, but then it soon turned to full blown violence, making them feel worthless. And then her mother one day decided that she'd had enough and took a deadly concoction of pills. It had been Bella that had found her lying on the bathroom floor. Her stepfather worsened after that and Bella became the sole focus of his anger. She wasn't allowed any freedom anymore; if she went out he had to know were exactly she was going and if she was so much as a minute over her curfew he flipped. That was what had happened this evening; she had been late and paid for it.

Her eyes flashed open again and she stared out of the living room window straight ahead at the darkening sky. Anger and bubbling hatred suddenly pulsed through her veins. She hated him so much that it hurt. Her reflection in the window showed that her expression was as angry as she felt. Bella studied herself for a moment. Her long dark hair looked too messy, her face was too pale, and she was too thin. The only thing she liked about herself was her height, she liked being small, she felt that it helped her to be less noticeable. She sighed. Stooping down she grabbed her black jacket off of the chair beside her, crossed the room and stood looking down out of the window.

The courtyard below was quiet for once, which was very unusual. It was the main meeting place for the unruly drunken teenagers and drug dealers of the estate and was never empty. But tonight was different for whatever reason Bella did not know. Bella didn't like it, but had no time to dwell on the thought, she had more pressing matters to deal with, like getting the hell out of there. She looked round at the small room with its mismatched chairs, peeling wall paint and its carpet less floor and made her decision in a heartbeat. She would go; out into the night and never come back.

She knew she had nowhere to go but didn't care.

She wouldn't have time to pack so she immediately sprung into action.

She sprinted out of the room into her room grabbing a bag that lay on the floor as she went. She began filling the bag with random items of clothing, throwing in her wash bag as well. She then lay flat on the floor and reached under a cabinet in her room removing a small bag full of cash that she'd been saving for god knows how long; deciding that one day she may need it. After grabbing a few more items of stuff she closed her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

She re-entered the hallway gave one last look around and went to the door. Fumbling with a key she wrenched open the front door and slammed it behind her. Shouting came from within the flat but she didn't stop until she was out onto the ground floor, five floors down, and into the dark courtyard. Breathing deeply she skidded to a halt and took in her surroundings. Everything seemed the same but yet there was something wrong, a feeling of something not being quite right. Something that was there, but didn't belong. Bella felt unnerved, her heart racing. She felt a cold shiver run down her back as a light breeze teased along the back of her neck. Bella whipped around and came face to face with a man, as she went to scream, he pressed a long cold finger to her lips.

"Hello, pretty" he said in a soft voice laced with menace. The man was tall, taller than her, and dressed all in black leathers. His hair was dark and he was breathtakingly handsome, beautiful in a gothic way. His skin was perfect an icy milk colour.

Bella daren't breathe, she just stared into the deep red eyes which were gazing down into her own. He removed his finger from her lips.

"I've been watching you for some time now, Bella, I knew you'd leave tonight, I planned well" he whispered.

"H...h...how do you know my name" Bella breathed.

"Oh I know everything about you, everyone does. It's a very special name that one, Swan. "

"Everyone, who's everyone? And how is Swan special?"

"As if I'd tell you; not that it will matter soon when I'm done with you" he leered menacingly at her.

"W…w…what are you going to do, I don't understand" she stuttered.

And then without warning her struck her across the face, she flew across the courtyard and slammed to the floor. She had barely anytime to even scream with pain and he was there next to her. And then he did something that made her sure he was psychotic, he sniffed her hair and then her neck. She cringed away from him, repulsed.

He whispered in her ear with a caressing voice "and now I shall kill you, the last Swan and the last of the bloodline."

"Not so fast Victor" said a voice from behind her attacker.

With a hiss he whipped around, "Carlisle" he breathed angrily, "oh and all your lovely little 'children'."

Now that he'd moved away from her she could see who was talking.

A beautiful blonde man was stood calmly in the centre of the courtyard. He looked to be about 20 and was extremely pale. There were others stood flanking him. All in turn were just as beautiful as Carlisle and all looked to be in there late teens or early twenties and they all had exquisite eyes that were an unnatural golden colour. A handsome ethereal bronze haired boy stood next to him, she felt her heart flutter as she realised he was staring at her. Next to him stood a small slight like girl who had black spiky hair and she too was pale. Then there was another guy stood next to her. He had longish blonde hair and was also as pale as snow. He looked slightly more anxious than the others and his eyes kept darting from her, to the man Victor and to Carlisle.

On the other side of Carlisle however stood the most beautiful girl she had ever seen, with long flowing wavy blonde hair and a stunning figure. Next to her stood a large muscular guy with dark short hair. He was surprisingly smiling; he looked very much at ease. There was something unworldly about them but she had little time to consider it when Carlisle spoke again.

"Why do this Victor? She's innocent in all this, she knows nothing."

"Do you think I would take the risk of her finding out and ruining it for us all" Victor retorted angrily, "No, I'm not stopping now she's the last one, the last of the Mortalisers."

"Well I can't let you, you know that don't you Victor?" Carlisle said simply.

And suddenly without a second of warning several things happened at once. Victor spun and leapt at her, Carlisle and the others simultaneously went for Victor, grabbing him before he could even touch her, before she even had a chance to scream.

She watched in horror as Victor was ripped to pieces in front of her and then she fainted.