Hey there!

Here's my Age of Edward 2013 entry. I thought I'd break this up into a few parts to be more digestible. Please let me know what you think.


Prologue

1859

The banks of the Ashley River near Charleston, South Carolina.

Little Miss Isabella Swan wandered along the riverbank, looking out over the estuary, watching the egrets forage along the sand bars. Baby turtles, fish, and frogs swam in the safety of the tide pools.

Bella was a wet, sandy mess. She knew Lizzie would have her hide if she saw her in such a state. Her pale yellow gingham dress was heavy from gentle waves, the ruffles of her underpinnings brown from mud and sand. Bella had left her boots and hat on a patch of grass not too far from the shore before she trudged down to the waiting banks.

"Bella! Mama sent me to fetch you. It's time for your lessons. Missa Banner done come up and been waitin' a spell. Yo' Pa's in a right mood. Say he pay Missa Banner a heap o' money fer you to have good book learnin', not to be wadin' 'round in the muck and mire." The boy chuckled as he recited Master Charles' rant. "He tell me to be sure I say that last bit." He covered his broad grin with his hand to hide his laughter.

With her focus on the wondrous world of the tide pool and not the giggling boy behind her, Bella answered, "I think you just like bossin' me, Edward. Why didn't Pa send Em?"

Edward's laughter instantly quieted. He looked down contritely and his chubby cheeks pinked in embarrassment. "I meant no disrespect, Miss Isabella. I was just doin' like yo' Pa say. I don' want Massa Charles sore with me. Please don't tell him I'm bossin' you les he won't let me play the piana no more." Edward was near tears.

Bella finally turned away from the tide pool she was investigating to face the boy. His thick, rust-colored hair stood on end from nervous tugs; his hazel eyes looked mostly green with the water reflecting in the unshed tears she found there.

"I'm sorry, Edward," she said, her tone no longer playful, but full of regret. "I was sassin' you, just pokin' fun. You know I won't let you get in trouble—you're my very best friend. We gotsta stick together," Bella said while righting her clothes. She then hooked her arm with Edward's and skipped back toward the big house.

With their brief disagreement forgotten, the two children laughed loudly as they weaved through the grand oak trees that lined the drive. Bella released Edward's hand and broke out into a full sprint. "Race ya home!" she called out behind her, pumping her legs with all her might. Edward streaked ahead, his clothing transforming him into a blur of white and blue with a rust-colored top.

They skidded to a halt at the kitchen steps. The two friends fell in a heap, panting and laughing heartily.

"It ain't fair. Your legs are so much longer than mine," Bella said as she raised her skirts to measure her leg against her friend's. "And I have all this stuff." She tugged on her underpinnings. "You just have your britches. You don't even wear shoes most times!"

At Bella's outburst, a tall, pecan-colored woman appeared at the screen door, her thick, dark hair braided tightly around her head as if it were a crown. She looked ruefully at the children and her full lips pressed into a scowl.

"Now Miss Bella, what've I tole you 'bout these unladylike antics?" she scolded as she stomped down the stairs. "Look at yo' dress! Get on 'round to the commode and wash up. Missa Banner been waitin' a spell and jus' 'bout gave up on you, you wild child. I'll bring you a fresh dress in a minute." Her stern glare made Bella's blood run cold. "Scoot!" Lizzie swatted Bella on the backside as the girl scuttled past.

Edward dared not look the woman in the eye; he knew he was wrong for horsing around with Bella and not getting her straightway to her lessons. He wondered if he'd simply be beaten, or beaten and punished. His mother, nor anyone else, had much cause to raise a hand to him. If the occasion arose, it was usually over some foolishness he and Bella were mixed up in. The beating, he'd take it, if it kept Bella from suffering any pain.

"Massa been good to us. Why you keep workin' that child up? You know Massa Charles want her to be a right fine lady. Miss Bella can't be carrying on 'round here, runnin' and catchin' pollywogs. It just ain't ladylike, Edward," she said, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, Mama. I went to fetch her like you tell me to. But then we gotsta laughin' and...we's friends, Mama. She ain't gots nobody else to play with."

She gripped his chin to force his eyes to hers. "Edward, you's gettin' too old to be foolin' 'round with Miss Isabella Swan. Y'all goin' on twelve years now. Hiking up her petticoats and climbin' trees with the likes of you ain't becomin' of someone like her. You gotta understand, son, some things jus' can't be."

Edward once again fought an onslaught of tears as his mother's words sank in. Lizzie knew better than most; it was better that Edward learned now. It broke his heart. That wasn't his mother's intention, but it broke just the same.

Elizabeth and Edward Masen were the property of Charles Swan. Sure, life was comfortable on the Swan plantation, much better than how others lived, but nothing would change the fact that Edward and his mother had never known a day when they were the masters of their own destiny.


If not for the very forceful encouragement of my fellow writers, particularly luvtwilight4eva, this story would have never left my hard drive. Thank you for your enthusiasm, Dimples. Thanks to Franny for giving my words a once-over. My undying gratitude goes to Wednesdays_in_LA for her countless hours of counselling as she went over my entry with an exacting eye for nearly two weeks, stamping her seal of approval just before the deadline. She left me in awe of her skill. With their help, this story has earned the second place public vote in the YA category for the 2013 Age of Edward contest, not to mention BOUND was named as five judges' choice and one runner up.

As for this story. I have been tinkering with the plot and characters since Feb of this year - just a few lines here and there. I cut out thousands of words to fit into the contest guidelines. That being said, I won't treat BOUND like my other contest entries by promising to expand and not delivering. I will finish this story, hopefully before the year is out. Of the gazillion words I edited out, most of them revolve around Edward Sr. I will share them...eventually...as a few outtakes.

For you devoted Edward/Bella folk, this story is not about their romance. I hope you'll continue to read.

I spent a large part of my childhood in the area that I've written about in this prologue, doing exactly what Bella was doing. With that said, this is the end of the fluff (if you want to call it that).

Until next time...