Chapter 1: In The Shadows
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Edward's POV
"Thank you," I grinned warmly at the old lady. She smiled and studied the vase she had just bought as I securely wound bubble wrap around it.
"No thank you, young man," she insisted, laying her hands on the vase. She seemed to try to lift it but only exhaled in surprise. "Oh, my. It's heavier than it looks," she chuckled.
"Would you like some help?" I offered.
Again, she smiled. "What a gentlemen."
I lifted it with ease—guessing it wasn't any more than 15 pounds.
She held the door open for me and I followed her to an old 1992 Chevrolet Lumina Minivan parked right in front of the old pawn shop and laid the vase on the seat.
After the lady drove off, I turned, planning on closing up for Mr. Davis and then heading home.
But I was stopped as I heard clicking heels on the sidewalk. A girl who I guess was in her early twenties was walking down the street with a cell phone pressed to her ear. She seemed to be arguing with whoever was on the other line. A slow smile crept up to my lips.
She had straight, long, mahogany locks that framed her heart-shaped face. Her hair waved gently as she strode down the sidewalk with an attractive sway to her walk—I would bet she didn't even notice she was doing it.
She hung up the phone and stopped at the alley by Mr. Davis's pawn shop and Mrs. Simmons's jewelry store, studying it. But she wouldn't actually go down there—at nighttime?
As if answering my question, she turned.
Immediately, I worried about the girl. She looked so innocent, so fragile, not the type that could defend herself . . . I glanced at the shop and back to the alley.
Just turn around, Edward, I told myself. Let it go.
But when I couldn't see her anymore, my heart felt tight. How could I forgive myself if something happened to her that I could've stopped? Well, I could at least make sure she made it to her car okay . . . right?
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Bella's POV
"Alice, I don't want a party this year," I argued, desperately trying to make a point.
"Bella," she whined, stretching out my name like she always did when she was trying to have her way. "You only turn 22 once!"
I shook my head even though she couldn't see it. "You said that last year, and the year before that too!" Come to think of it, she's said that for every single one of my birthdays ever since we'd first met and became best friends at Forks High School. Old habits die hard, I suppose.
"Because it's true!" she wailed, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. Oh, no.
"Fine," I sighed in defeat. "Throw your party."
I heard squealing. "Oh, thank-you-thank-you-thank-you, Bella! I promise— won't regret—" I looked down to my cell phone, realizing I was losing service.
"Alice?" I said into the phone and waited. I shut the phone then and shoved it in my pocket.
I came up to a dark alley in the form of a T and paused. I knew it would lead me directly to the parking lot where my rusty truck waited. I frequently went down this alley as a short cut to the library where I worked that only a few blocks away, so I wouldn't make myself late. But at nighttime the alley seemed so intimidating.
Feeling ridiculous for being so scared, I turned to walk down the right side of the T shaped alley.
A cloud drifted across the moon, making it slightly darker than it already was.
Panic slowly seeped through my veins and my breathing started to lean towards hyperventilation as I turned the corner so I was now going down the long part of the T. Why did it have to be so dark?
The urge to look behind me as if to see if someone was following me was too strong to ignore. I paused, and slowly, my head turned . . . but I saw no one there. I smiled at myself and rolled my eyes at how paranoid I was being.
I began walking again and looked down at my wristwatch. 10:36. Alice and I had sort of started this tradition where we always watch our favorite show every night ever since we had both moved to Seattle and moved in together after high school. It started at 10:30 and she was bound to be angry with me since I was already late.
When I looked back up I could see the parking lot in the distance. Again, I grinned, realizing I was acting like and idiot earlier, worrying so much about nothing.
But the grin instantly faded when thought I heard foot steps behind me. I tried to ignore the sound and swallowed hard, a lump in my throat.
A rock rolled. I gasped and whirled around, knowing I couldn't imagine that. "Hello?" I called, my voice shaking.
No reply.
I quickly turned and started to jog to my car, wanting to lock myself inside and drive away as fast as my truck would allow.
I was close to the middle of the parking lot when, being as graceful as I ever am, I tripped and narrowly avoided falling flat on my face—but I did manage to snap the heel of the shoe Alice had forced me to wear.
I stopped to take both of my shoes off and stuff them in my bag.
Right as I unzipped it though, something lightly touched my neck, making me shudder and drop it.
I felt someone's cool breath on my cheek as he pushed his body up against mine, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Don't scream," he whispered.
The shriek that came out of my mouth startled me at how loud it was. But it sent him staggering back a couple steps, covering his ears.
I recognized the man's pale face and blonde hair from a wanted picture on the news—he was a serial murderer. He was considered extremely dangerous and his main target was always young women. James . . .
Of course, I realized all of this in a split second. I began running again but his strong arms grabbed me and hoisted me off of the ground. I kicked and squirmed, digging my nails into his arm, not wanting to become his next victim.
Blinded my tears, I couldn't make out who or what was running straight for me and the monster trying to take me away.
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DUN-DUN-DUN!!
REVIEW if you like it and I'll post the next chapter. ;D
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