Overcasting Horizons

Breakaway

Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, so I've finally decided to write myself a story. Technically, this isn't my first story (Daylight Eruption, my first, is still going), but this is the first one under my account. I love Daylight Eruption like a child, but it doesn't feel like my very own. Since it is a continuation of Stephanie Meyer's books, it feels like the heart and soul of the story is hers. So, I decided I'd try my hand at making a story up from scratch. Sure it'll be difficult, but what the hell? How hard can it be? :P

Before I start, I'd like to dedicate this story to a few people: WeepingWillow1494 – my best friend who posted Daylight Eruption for me before I had an account. LOVE YA, CARLEE!!!!! stuartofnorway – my loving and very supportive boyfriend. STUART, YOU ARE MY LIFE, MY ONE LOVE, AND MY INSPIRATION!!!!!! Finally, to toxicbluecrayon and ashel-13 – I have no idea who the hell you are, but YOU TWO ARE MY WRITING IDOLS!!!!!!!

(Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight . . . fuck, I wish I could call that piece of genius my own.)

Now that I got all that shit off my chest, LET'S DO IT!!!!!!!!!

BPOV

"Pull down your pants."

I stared at the dark man in utter disbelief. He could not be serious . . . could he?

"Do it!" He commanded, shoving me to the pavement. There was a loud crack as my head made contact with hard cement. All my thoughts began to go fuzzy, as I struggled to cling to consciousness. My eyes seemed to roll to the back of my head as I strained them to focus on the picture of terror in front of me.

"NOW!" He screamed at me, sending a sharp kick to my gut. Holding in a whimper, I shook my head to clear the image and summoned all my strength for a final protest.

"NO! I WON'T!"

"You'll do as you're told!" He roared, aiming an open-handed blow to my jaw. My salty tears of anger began to stream down my face, mixing with the blood issuing from my mouth, creating a pretty grotesque figure. But I cared nothing for my appearance at the time. All I could of was that he must not get my pants down. Soon as that happened, all hope was lost.

The man grabbed some thin rope, and began binding my hands together. I struggled in vain, only getting another kick for my troubles. The vital remembrance shot throw my hazy mind again. He must not get my pants down.

As he leaned over to do the dirty work himself, I waited until the opportune moment and sent a kick straight to the crotch of his pants. He fell to the ground howling with pain and rage, sending a look of daggers at me. If looks could kill, I would have died at that very moment.

It did not take long for him to recover from his recent injury. Seconds later, he was strangling me with a rope. I twisted and turned, unable to break free, finally sending out a scream.

"HELP ME!"

My eyes flew open, and I jumped up from my lying position. Gasping for breath, I shot worried glances around my bedroom. My hand passed over my sweaty forehead, as reality hit me. That flash back dream seemed so real . . . it was like I was living that nightmare over again. But it was over. Done. In the past. That chapter in my life was closed. He was not coming back for me. It was all just dream.

I was awakened from my reverie by a sharp knock at the door. "Bella? Sweetheart, are you alright?"

Renee's voice was filled with worry, and I couldn't really blame her. I must have seen like a completely different girl these past few months, constantly shooting cautious glimpses over my shoulder, staying home as much as possible, and finally, screaming in my sleep for someone to help me. I didn't have the courage to inform her of the event which had taken place, and seriously doubted I ever would. Feeling like she was in the dark about something, I'm sure, didn't help her already panicky personality. And I know it definitely didn't help me at all.

"Is everything okay?" she asked again, this time not waiting for an answer before she opened the door. Her appearance was rather disheveled, like she just woke up and ran out of bed. My mom's usually neat hair was in a messy bun, pieces of it sticking out all over the place. She was, however, wearing very stylish satin pajamas, making her look like a head-on collision between a fashion plate and a nightmare. But compared to the dreams I was just having, she was such a welcome sight, and looked like the most beautiful thing in the world.

"Mom! I'm so sorry, did I wake you up?" I apologized, excepting her daily morning hug. From her warm body drifted the scent of red roses, the flavor of her favorite shampoo, which left me in no doubt about what she did last night.

"No, not really. I was just about to get up anyway, when I heard you scream," she looked at me questioningly. "Was it another nightmare?"

I nodded my head, reluctant to go into the details. "Must've been something I ate last night," I commented quickly, trying to change the subject. The last thing I wanted to talk about right now was the freakish reality that was my life. Awkward.

"What did you eat last night, Bella?" she asked suspiciously, tapping her finger impatiently on my midnight blue bed sheets.

I paused for a moment, staring absentmindedly at her manicured nails. I cooked chili last night, and talked to Renee while she ate it. Then, I cleaned up the dishes before attacking my procrastinated math homework. After working for a couple hours, I crawled into my cozy bed without a second thought. Whoops. "Nothing," I finally admitted, shifting uncomfortably as she glared at me. I had the feeling there was a lecture coming on.

"Well that's your problem, Isabella Marie Swan. And this is not the first time I've had to tell you this: if you do not eat food, you will have nightmares," she preached. "Do I have to force you to eat like a two-year-old child?"

I struggled to keep a straight expression on my face, but the mental image of Renee doing chugga chugga choo choo train into my mouth was suddenly too much to bear. The smile which was twitching at the corner of my mouth broke into full bloom.

"I'm glad you think it's funny," Renee sighed, "but wait until you're the parent."

"If I can do it half as well as you do, I'll be doing a great job," I complimented, placing butterfly kiss on her tanned cheek. I didn't want her to think all of this was her fault. Cause it wasn't.

My mom melted under the caress, and let out another sigh. "I still think I can do better," she insisted, gazing off into space deep in thought. "I mean, you're not eating, sleeping, socializing, . . . I'm not an idiot, Bella; something's wrong."

I squirmed again, and bit my plump lower lip. She had a point: as my mother, she had a right to know what was going on in her own daughter's life. But I couldn't, I just couldn't tell her. Luckily, I didn't have to. Renee had her own ideas.

"That's it," she announced. "I have no other choice: you need to stay with Charlie for a while. Maybe he'll have better luck making you eat."

My eyes widened in fear. Leave? Leave bright, sunny Phoenix? Leave my home? Leave my adorable, scatter-brained mother? "But, Mom--" I tried to protest.

"No buts, honey," she shook her head. "It's been years since you've seen him, and the change in scenery will be good for you. Besides, you should spend more time with your father . . . god knows it'll do the poor man's stomach a good deed if nothing else."

I gave a sigh of defeat. Looked like there was no arguing her out of it. I decided to look at it as a great opportunity. A fresh new start. Meeting new people, making new friends, and shutting the door on my past experiences. A breakaway from this cage inside me. "I guess you're right, Mom," I admitted. "Maybe a change in scenery is exactly what I need."

"I know I'm right, angel," she agreed. "I'm gonna go call Charlie right now."

As I watched her retreating figure, I couldn't help the second smile which formed on my lips. I loved my mother so much. All her quirky character traits, habits, and even her faults. She seemed like motherly perfection in my eyes. How could I live without her?

With this question unanswered, I climbed out of bed reluctantly. Might as well get up and enjoy as much time as I could with her, before I had to leave.

I distractedly grabbed a black t-shirt and jeans, making my way to the bathroom. Soon as I was under the steamy water, I began to feel better. I was sure there'd be plenty of things in Forks, Washington for me to like. Definitely not the seemingly endless rainy weather, but spending time with Charlie could be better for our relationship than not seeing him at all.

I massaged my strawberry shampoo into my hair, breathing in deeply to inhale the rich scent. Many people told me that smell pretty much described my character: sweet and beautiful. I never considered myself much of a beauty; my hair was a chocolate brown which was too dark, my skin was pale and a shade too light for my hair, and all my features seemed to be the wrong size. My eyes looked large in my hollow face, and appeared to always have a haunted ghost behind them. I guess it's because I basically was a ghost.

Or at least Renee insisted I was. I guess she was just about at her wits' end with me. I couldn't really blame her for sending me away; I'd do the exact same thing if I was in her shoes.

Collecting my scattered thoughts, I finished washing up and getting dressed. Following the smell of burnt marshmallows, I made my way downstairs. On the stove lay the ashes of what I assumed was supposed to be breakfast. Black toast, black eggs, black bacon. I began to detect a general trend here. "Did you have a nice chat with Charlie?" I joked, gesturing at the "food" on the table.

"Sorry, Bella," she apologized. "I guess I got a little . . . distracted."

"How unusual for you!" I teased, giving her a forgiving hug. "Don't worry; I'll get something together quick."

Within minutes, I cut up some fresh fruit and topped it off with Cool Whip. "So is Charlie up for the challenge?" I inquired, after sitting down and beginning to eat. Not because I was hungry. But because if I didn't, Renee would probably have heart failure. Again.

"He's actually very excited, Bella; more than usual for him," Renee commented, forking a peach slice into her mouth. "Charlie said he'd take you just as soon as you finish up the school year."

Two weeks. That's all the time I had left with my mother. "So soon?" I muttered, keeping my eyes glued to my plate. My mom was right; this eagerness and excitement was totally weird for my dad. Guess it had been even longer since my last visit than I thought.

"He said he wants you to spend at least the whole summer with him," my mom continued, ignoring my remark. "Lots of activities to get you involved in, lots of opportunities for you to meet new people, and maybe, if you're lucky, you can find yourself a boyfriend."

I gave a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah. Like that's gonna happen."

My single status was always a disappointing topic for my mom. Not that it should've surprised me; she had a boyfriend ever since she set foot in her school. Me being the more secluded type, I had never attracted much male attention. And I'd never been in love, therefore, never desiring it. But that never stopped my mom from hoping that one day she'd actually have to ask me if I was using protection. In her dreams. God, I must be a huge disappointment for her.

Renee sighed. "I suppose it won't encourage boys much, knowing that your father is a police officer. And in the house," she added, letting out another breathy sigh. "But maybe some of the brave, straight ones will come by."

I stood up and walked over to her, wrapping my arms around her shoulder. "As soon as I get a boyfriend, I promise you'll be the first one to know about it," I teased, kissing the top of her messy bed head.

"If you ever do," she grumbled, letting her face fall into her hands.

*****************************************

The next two weeks flew by in a blur of books, pencils, and exams. I was dreading my departure to Forks, which was probably why the time seemed to pass quicker than normal. The only person who was there through it all, completely understanding what I was going through, was my best friend: Jacob Black.

"So you're really gonna move away and leave me, huh?" he growled, squashing an innocent ant under his foot.

I tried to explain for the millionth time. "I'm not leaving you, Jake," I corrected. "I'm going to stay with Charlie for a while in Washington. You know, Charlie? My birth father? The man who has every right in the world to have his share of me?"

"No, I know, I understand why you're going," he clarified. "I just don't want to leave you alone. I mean, what if that fucker comes after you again?"

I couldn't help the shiver which ran down my spine. "I don't know . . . I hope he won't. What are the chances that he'll find me again? In Forks?"

Jacob shrugged and nodded. "Pretty slim, I guess. But I still don't think it's right, letting you go to a place where you don't have any friends to watch your back."

I kicked a loose pebble at Jacob's old car. "I'm really gonna miss you, Jake," I finally admitted, my famous blush beginning to form on my cheeks.

When I found the courage to lift my eyes, Jake was standing very close to me. "I'm gonna miss you too, Bella."

As I felt a tear slide down my cheek, Jacob pulled me into a warm hug. This was gonna be the longest summer of my entire life.

A/N: Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson is the song my chapter is named after. I always thought it was kinda neat to name the chapters after songs which sorta tell their story, so I'm gonna do it! Sure the songs won't always completely fit, but I swear the titles will always make sense. If you don't like it, suck it up! :P

As you can probably tell, there are a lot of secrets about Bella's past life which will eventually unfold with the story. I'm determined not to spill any secrets, so don't mess with my good intentions.

But I did try not to put much of a cliffy at the end of the chapter :) Oh, I realize every chapter is a cliffy in its own way . . . but whatever. It's not intentional!

Let me know what you think . . . whether I'm tolerably okay, or whether I should go soak my head in kerosene if I want to waste my time! :P

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!