One

Cool winds rushed through the plush fields of the Tallis mansion. Leaves were beginning to fall from the massive trees which towered far above the youth crisscrossing their way through them. The winding maze of the forest that bordered the Tallis residence was littered with the fallen leaves of many hues. The teens crunched the red, orange, yellow, and brown splendors with their feet as they sprinted through the nature.

"Do you think your mother will find you back here?" A panting Robbie Turner asked, slowing his pace to a light jog.

"If she's determined enough, she eventually will. But I hope she isn't that unwavering; I don't want to see Edward." Cecilia Tallis's face contorted into a look of disgust as she halted to a stop and met Robbie's warm blue gaze. It made no difference to her if Robbie was the groundskeeper's son- he was her best friend. Robbie was kind; a single rose in her dying wasteland of weeds. Cecilia would stay with him forever in these woods if she could. Reality though, always found some cruel way of luring her back into its grasp- and today, it beckoned her to be a gracious hostess to the family friends the Blaines.

"Why not?" Robbie questioned quietly. As of late, he had become less concerned with the affairs of others. Even his desire to be with Cecilia was fading. He wished he felt some sort of guilt or remorse; but none could be found. Robbie Turner didn't care that the world was spinning around him as he stood still; he actually was beginning to prefer it.

"Why?" Cecilia replied, shock and repulsion seeping their way into her voice, "because he's so- so mean." Cecilia scrunched her face tightly, to further prove her already obvious point. Robbie only shook his head in reply.

"You barely know him," Robbie then told Cecilia flatly. His head was swirling with tendrils of thought even he couldn't understand. Voices seemed to whisper in his mind, yet he could hear no sound. Cecilia's dislike of Edward Blaine could not penetrate Robbie's fortress of imagination, and her words seemed to dissolve right as they reached his ears.

"Yes, well, I know enough about him," Cecilia replied quickly. As she looked at Robbie, concern flashed in her caramel eyes. Recently, Robbie had been distant- apathetic, even. She looked at him now, not being able to detect a single feeling in his usually expressive features. His skin was paler than usual; his welcoming blue eyes colder. The boy in front of Cecilia was not her Robbie.

"Whatever you say, Cee. He seems to be a perfectly fine person to me, though." Robbie gave a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders and began to lazily walk. Cecilia stared at Robbie, tilting her head in confusion. Robbie was simply walking away from her; there was no invitation, no game of tag- just Robbie going on his own through the woods.

"Wait for me!" Cecilia walked hastily over to her friend, and continued to talk. "What do you mean he seems 'perfectly fine'? Edward Blaine is far from fine. My mother insists that I get to know him better. She just doesn't understand that I don't care to befriend him. He's stiff and cold."

"You've met him once, Cee," Robbie replied tiredly as he began to kick at the leaves sinking into the wet dirt.

"You certainly are a helpful and talkative one today," Cecilia grumbled as she began to pick at her nails.

"I'm sorry," Robbie sighed, "I'm just in an odd mood, I guess. But give Edward a chance. You never know." Robbie's voice was airy and far-off, making Cecilia have a shot of melancholy surge through her.

"I suppose so," Cecilia said slowly. "You know something, Robbie," she paused, making sure she really had the bravery to speak these next words, "I'd rather just spend forever with you." Robbie stared at her blankly. "If my mother could only see that you are as suitable as any rich man- arguably even more respectable."

"She never will. You and I both know that." Robbie gave a sad smile, taking hold of Cecilia's hand lightly. "No matter what though, I'll be here." He felt like a machine. His muscles were working mechanically to appear normal, and his mind was spitting words out of his mouth to please the humans around him; but Robbie was not a part of the conversation. His thoughts were so far off in another dimension. Fields of green flittered across his mind and then faded; faces of long since lost faces flashed in his dark thoughts. He had no idea where his brain was taking him to, but oddly enough, Robbie didn't care.

"Cecilia!" Robbie and Cecilia looked towards the mansion at the sound of Emily Tallis's voice call. Cecilia rolled her eyes with a groan.

"She knows how to ruin a day," Cecilia said, giving Robbie a distasteful look. Emily Tallis had always pressured Cecilia to be more ladylike and civil, but her daughter would rather be spontaneous and unruly. Unluckily for Cecilia, her mother would not rest on the matter.

"It's getting dark anyways," Robbie said, attempting to make the chore of going to her mother less painful for Cecilia. The girl nodded in return, and the pair began their slow descent to the mansion. The soft gray sky painted above Robbie and Cecilia was slowly becoming bleaker and the crisp wind was picking up pace. Cecilia crossed her arms attempting to keep some warmth in her body, but her success was minimal.

"Save me," Cecilia muttered to Robbie as the mansion became closer. A warm sickness slithered into Cecilia's stomach and she breathed heavily to try and relieve it. Glancing at Robbie, he showed no signs of replying to her. Thick and brutal sickness was growing in Cecilia's stomach, and she could not shake the heavy ball and chain that seemed to be latched to her heart. Her breathing was shallow and tense, her friend displaying no indication of easing her anxiety.

The silent whispers in Robbie's head began to grow stronger. Quiet murmurs tingled in his ears, and he turned to see if anyone was in the forest. He figured that if the voices were distant, the only area they could be coming from was the massive clump of trees.

"What is it, Robbie?" Cecilia watched Robbie closely. His body seemed stiff, as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes appearing to have a thin layer of ice frozen over them.

"Nothing," Robbie muttered in return, "I just thought I heard something."

"Well come on, then, do not make me face my mother alone." Cecilia attempted to give a smile, but it was quite difficult. Emily Tallis was never a pleasant person; even on her good days. Robbie nodded, giving one last gaze at the woods before turning once more and following Cecilia to the house.

"Robbie," a voice called, carried by a whoosh of the crisp autumn wind. Robbie jolted to a stop, and spun around to look once more to the woods. His eyes darted, making contact with every tree trunk he could find, trying to find the source of the voice. When the wind died, Robbie was sure he was only hearing things. Shaking his head slightly, he began to walk with the confused Cecilia once more.

"Don't walk away, Robbie," he heard it call again. The muscles in Robbie's upper body tensed and he began to fiddle with his fingers. Some power beyond his control seemed to force him to find the face that belonged to the whispers, and he took off into a sprint heading for the woods.

"Robbie! Where are you going!" Cecilia called after him. She didn't know if she should run after him, or answer her mother's continued screams. Neither choice seemed to have a happy destination, so she stood stagnant in the middle of her magnificent backyard.

Robbie paid no attention to his best friend's voice, and continued to bolt into the forest. As the trees began to surround him, he slowed his run and began to look around. No one could be seen, but Robbie knew someone was here; they had to be. The sky was continuing its fade to black, and Robbie knew night was falling upon him.

"You listen well, boy," the voice told Robbie. He spun like a pinwheel, trying desperately to find another body in the forest. His heart was pounding in his throat and tense anxiety was overcoming him. The wind suddenly became an unpleasant foe whose joy in life seemed to be to taunt Robbie.

"Who's there?" Robbie's voice was a panicked whisper, but he could not raise his voice any higher. He knew to yell would be crazy, and he knew to whisper his response again would be pointless. Robbie looked to the darkening sky, realizing that he could barely see his hands anymore. A shiver filled his body, and pulsed unrelentingly on his muscles. The descending darkness became more horrifying than the faceless voice.

"Leave!" The voice commanded harshly, "leave, and tell no one of this."

"Who are you!" Robbie yelled, but no reply came. Robbie Turner was alone. Whatever it was that he had heard was certainly gone, and he was now completely alone. Sighing shakily, he headed quickly back up for the mansion. As he walked, he wondered what he'd say to Cecilia. He certainly could not tell her the truth. A lie did not seem to be a smart choice either, because his mind was so paralyzed, all imagination was lost. Approaching the entrance, he sighed while he twisted the knob. Cecilia stood staring at Robbie as he entered the house. A silk cobalt dress hung over her slim body, her dark waves styled with a diamond pin to hold her bangs in place. Cecilia Tallis was a marvel in the eyes of the fourteen year old Robbie.

"My mother said I had to wear it," Cecilia muttered when she realized Robbie was staring at her.

"No, uh, you look- wonderful." Robbie ran a hand through his hair praying that Cecilia would not mention what had transpired by the woods. Even if she had asked him for the truth, Robbie wasn't sure he'd be able to supply it to her; something fierce possessed him not to.

"Thank you," Cecilia said with a smile, and then paused. "Robbie, are you alright? Honestly?"

He hated when she gave him that engaging stare and tagged the weighty word 'honestly' onto the end of her sentence. Outwardly, Robbie only smiled.

"Yes, I'm fine," he stared back at her in return, blue eyes clashing with brown, "honestly." Robbie had said the word so meaningfully and heavily that he was sure he'd choke on it.

"Good," Cecilia replied, "because I convinced my mother that you can come to dinner." Seeing the blank expression on Robbie's face, Cecilia asked, "is that alright? You certainly don't have to come, but I'd love to have you with me. And um, you can see why I dislike Edward so much." Cecilia gave a bashful smile. Robbie became even more frozen. The voice from the forest still echoed in his head, bouncing off the walls of his skull and heading in the other direction. Robbie's brain was scattered across as many worlds as his mind could possibly fathom, and he was suddenly tired. He hadn't the slightest idea how to reply to Cecilia, but her warm caramel eyes told him that everything would be alright. But for the first time in his life, Robbie wasn't sure if he believed Cecilia.

Alright, so this is just a preview type first chapter. I promise that the other chapters will be much longer; I just want to see what kind of response I get for this. So please- review. It would mean so much to have your opinion, especially since this story is just starting out. As for questions about the plot, the storyline will reveal itself over time… hopefully that is alright. Thank you in advance for your input on this story!

Remember, reviews are love, people!