An Unheard of Love
{Chapter 1}
Mariah Cheasley was a different girl. Oh, she may well look like you or I but in fact she was more different than you could ever imagine. Orphaned at the age of five by a horrific fire that killed her entire family, save her.
She could remember plain as day the night of the fire. It had been an arson attack on the family mansion. She had come down stairs to get a glass of water when she saw him, dousing the carpet with kerosene. He had dropped a match and, within seconds the entire house was alight. She had run upstairs to her parent's room. Her father's side of the bed had already caught alight so she dragged her unconscious mother's body out of the bed, out of the room and to the staircase. She had then run to her sibling's room. Her older sister and baby brother were unconscious in their beds.
Dragging their limp bodies from the room and dragged her mother and sibling's bodies down the stairs and out the front door. There were police, ambulance and firefighter officers outside the blazing inferno behind her. Medical officers rushed over and took her mother and sister back to the ambulance. A doctor she knew came over to her and held his arms out for the baby she carried. Unwillingly, she gave him the baby. He handed it to the nurse beside him and watched it being carried away. Suddenly, a flaming beam collapsed on top of Mariah.
She remembers the pain as it burnt and crushed her small form, she remembers cool hands lifting her gently, and she remembers the darkness that threatened to keep her from waking up. When she woke, she had been in a hospital bed, but she had not been alone. The doctor was there with her. He smiled as she looked first at him and then around the room, looking for her mother only to find that she was not there.
"Mariah, I'm doctor Cullen, how do you feel?" he asked, still smiling gently at her, his eyes showed only regret as if the news he was about to tell her was about to break her in two.
"My head's buzzin' and I'll be scarred for life but otherwise I'm fine." Mariah's voice trembled.
"You're sure?" he looked concerned.
Still a bit groggy and still being only a child, she said the next thing that popped into her head. "I like the colour of your eyes, they're golden brown, or liquid topaz…" she yawned. "I can never make up my mind."
He chuckled. "I have something I need to tell you Mariah…"
"Is mother alright? Where is she? Is my sist-"
"Steady Riah," he affectionately used the pet name he had made up for he the first time they'd met. "Your mother is still unconscious… but your siblings… they didn't make it through the first hour… you've been unconscious for the past few days, you are lucky to be alive."
Mariah had heard him, and understood, but she didn't want to. His beeper went off and he looked at it, panic flashed across his face. He darted out of the room and down the corridor. Mariah pulled the things connecting her to the beeping and whirring machines off her small body. She jumped out of bed and ran down the corridor after him.
She'd burst into the ER and watched through the glass windows over looking the scene as Dr. Cullen tried desperately to save her mother's life. Mariah had watched the pulse monitor go flatline, had watched her mother die. Dr. Cullen was the only doctor in the room. She watched as he leant over her mother's body lean in towards her neck and bite down. Horrified, Mariah had screamed and Dr. Cullen had looked up at her. She had run away from him and he had followed. Twisting and ducking out of the way of other people, Mariah had torn open the stitches on her shoulder. Dr. Cullen had curled his hand into a fist and had sliced open his own hand. As he grabbed Mariah's shoulder a clear liquid from his hand seeped into her open wound and filtered into her bloodstream. Mariah didn't think about the pain at first, only that she had to get away. Only when her shoulder felt as if it was on fire did she fall to the floor, screaming in agony. Carlisle knew immediately what had happened and quickly got her to a safe location. He was unsure of what changes would occur; only that she would not be a 'normal' child anymore.
It didn't last long, only a few minutes but it seemed like an eternity to Mariah. But the pain finally ebbed away to reveal the effects of it. Her shoulder had healed and things were floating around the room. It took a moment for her to realise that she had been doing this and also that she could hear voices, she wanted them to go away and they did. 'What happened?' she thought to herself.
"You were changed…" she had recognised Carlisle Cullen's voice and had spun to look at him. To fast to be completely human. "You are still human, but with some differences. Someone I know came and looked at you, he could tell me instantly what new changes you had gone through. You will now be able to read minds whenever you see fit, you'll be able to move things with your mind, heal incredibly quickly and you will have your own personal shield you can turn on and off at your leisure. You may even be able to turn invisible."
"Like super powers?" Mariah had asked, more than a little confused.
"Something like that, yes. But you need to understand… you can't tell or show any of these, er, talents you now have to anyone, besides me. I can teach you to control your powers and take care of you as long as you need." He had seemed ill at ease, but still enthusiastic about the idea.
She had agreed, and for years she'd let him train her to control her abilities with guarded care. However, at the age of twelve, he had left her on the steps of an orphanage in Chicago. She had forgiven him, but didn't know why. After two years she had run away and made a life for herself along with a few other run-a ways.
Now, five years later, she and those run-a ways were best friends and were in a band together. They had ironically called themselves 'The Run a Ways' and had travelled all over America. But now, Mariah really wanted to finish up school and then attend collage. That was why they had all come to the decision to go to Forks. There was a high school where Mariah could go and they could get gigs for the band in and around the Olympic Peninsular, so they wouldn't be short of cash.
As they moved into their new home, Mariah reminisced over her times with Carlisle. He had been like a father to her; he had always been there for her. As a little girl Mariah had called him Carlie, but had dropped the affectionate nickname when she had hit double digits.
"Mariah!" Troy called out to her, bringing her back to the present.
"Yeah?" Mariah called back.
"That's everything! We're all moved in, what do you think?" Troy smiled brightly at her.
"Its home." Mariah smiled back.
"School tomorrow. How do you think you'll go?" Troy watched her as she crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes at him. He laughed at her. "You'll be fine."
"You're right. I should just leap without looking, like I always do." She grinned mischievously at him before upending the bucket of water in her hand all over him, laughing. He laughed too and grabbed the hose, soaking her from head to toe. Troy was right; she thought to herself, everything was going to be fine. Or was it?
