CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

It was darker than midnight. Hot mist was everywhere. Even in the heat I was shivering. There was a bang behind me. I knew it had to be him. I turned slowly. The door was wide open, but nobody was there. There was enough light in the room with the door open. I could see everything. Tonight there was no dark figure in the room. I turned back to continue down the passage.

When I did I hit a warm, hard object. I was afraid to look up. It had to be him. "You thought you got away this time, didn't you?" His icy voice filled my ears. I couldn't speak.

This was the first time we had actually had any physical contact. He laughed. I knew he could sense my fear. He lived off it. He lifted me off my feet, and then threw me back down.

Time for him to cock his pistol and shoot me. I waited a few seconds. He didn't reach for his gun. Instead he stared at me with those cold ice-blue eyes. His eyes were the only feature I could clearly make out.

A minute passed. What was he playing at? I probably could have gotten up by now, but I was frozen. Now two minutes had passed. It was going to happen soon. I could feel it, I always get the feeling right before I die.

Now I just waited. Slowly the mystery figure reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. I stared at it. A knife before had never killed me. Every time it had been a gun. I was scared now. Being shot hurt but what would a knife feel like? I had a feeling I was about to find out.

Then he did it. He stabbed me in the face, but he didn't stop. He stabbed my chest and stomach and finally slit my throat. I was dead. Again.

The dark room faded away and I was back in my bedroom. I was awake. Sweat covered my body. My upper body hurt and that included my face. I had my hand over the sore places. Just skin as usual. I looked at the clock. 3A.M. My alarm will go off in two hours. I rolled out of bed. My soft shag rug engulfed my feet. I dragged myself to my closet. I opened the double mirror doors and stepped in. I clapped my hands twice and soft vanilla light filled the room.

I walked over to the rack where my pants hung. I picked up a pair cream cashmere pants. I pulled off my black silk pajama bottoms. I wiggled into the pants. They fit like a glove. They were just tight enough. I cartwheeled over to the rack where my shirts hung. I pulled a brown strapless top from the rack and pulled it on. I examined myself in the mirror. My blue plaid bra that I had worn to bed didn't go with the shirt and I would need a pair of shoes. I grabbed a nude strapless bra off a shelf and headed to my bathroom. The shoes could wait.

The shower was hot. Being the first one up, it usually was. I stepped into the steaming circular chamber. The walls were an amber-tan shade and the tinted windows were forest green. I love my shower. It's very cozy and homey.

The maids had placed new bath product in my shower. It is called "Fluff." The shampoo was cotton candy pink and the conditioner was starch white. They both reeked of artificial sweetness. I made a mental note to tell the head maid Missy that my hair products needed to be changed again.

After my half-hour shower I wrapped myself up in big white fuzzy towels. I walked over to my vanity across the room. My vanity was a big white short dresser that had the biggest mirror I'd ever seen. The seat was white and the cushion was made of goose feathers. It was super comfy. My make-up was strategically placed on top of it.

I picked up my brown liquid liner. I expertly swished it on. It made my chocolate sundae doe eyes look amber-gold. I love how my eyes change color. I glanced at my outfit that lay on the counter in the center of the room. Looking back at my make-up I tried to decide what eye shadow to wear. The shimmer cream color caught my eye. I swiped it across my eyelids. I looked amazing. I glazed cherry lip-gloss over my rose colored lips and went to the counter and put on my outfit.

Suddenly the lights went out. It was as dark as my dream. Shivers ran down my spine. The heat from my shower had made hot mist. I turned to the door and counted to three. The door didn't open. I pinched myself. "OW!" my voice echoed in the empty bathroom. I was awake. Maybe this was what my dreams were about.

Then the door opened. A dark figure stood in the doorway. The only light was from candles that someone had lit in my bedroom. The light flicked off me. I knew he would see me. I tried to scream but my throat was dry. "Miss Isabelle, is that you?" our butler Jeffrey asked. All I could do was nod. "What are you doing in here?" I just stared at him. "Well never mind that, a storm is hitting and we've just lost power."

Way to state the obvious Jeffy boy, I thought. He walked over and grabbed my arm. " Go back to sleep, Miss Isabelle, its much too early for you to be awake." I shrugged him off and walked into my room. Jeffrey followed. I sat on my bed and stared at him. He stared back. Finally he broke the gaze and quickly walked out of my room.

Of course I didn't go back to bed. I turned on my computer and logged on to AIM. My best friend Alice was on. I let out a sigh of relief and messaged her.

Bellzilla: Hey Allivamp: Hey love why are you up so early

Bellzilla: I had that dream. Again.

Allivamp: I should have known. Are you ok?

Bellzilla: It was different this time. He stabbed me with a knife

Allivamp: Oh no sweetheart did it hurt?

Bellzilla: I definitely felt it when I woke up

Allivamp: Hun you need help. BAD.

There was a knock on my door. I froze. I heard footsteps. I crept over to my door and listened. No one was there. Whoever it was had left. I crept back over to my computer.

Bellzilla: Someone was just at my door… I'm logging off I'll see you in a couple hours….

Bellzilla: Love ya

Allivamp: Bye love.. Get some more rest

I rolled my eyes at Alice's last comment. We both know I can't sleep after my nightmare. I exited out of the window and lay back down on my bed. I looked at my computer. I was shuffling though all my pictures. I loved my screen saver.

I sat so fast Santa's sleigh couldn't catch me if it tried. Wait a minute, I thought. Jeffrey said the power had gone out. I stared at my computer. Something about Jeffrey just didn't seem right.

He'd been working for my family for about three months. He claimed to have just moved to California from England. The odd thing was he didn't have an accent though he claimed to have lived in England his whole life. Why hadn't I realized that till now?

The stairs outside my room creaked. Someone was coming up… or going down. My first instinct went to my Chuiahaih Pomeranian Fluffy, but then I remembered that she was asleep on her bed in my closet. I got up and checked just to be sure. Fluffy was laying on her doggy bed head down and eyes closed. She was so cute, but that meant someone else was up and out of their room. I could pretty much guarantee it was Jeffrey.

My alarm blared in my ear. I swung my arm like a pitcher and hit the off button on the top if the clock. I had been lying in bed for the past one hour and 15 minutes.

I rolled out of bed and let my rug suck up my feet. I shuffled to the full-length mirror to examine myself. My platinum blonde hair had formed devil horn-shaped frizzlets on the top of my head. Running my hand through my hair I felt the snarls that had made my hair tangly. My eyeliner had faded along with my foundation. Who knew lying down could totally ruin a look?

I walked to my bathroom and grabbed my brush. I ran the brush through my hair until I had gotten ever snarl out of my hair. Then I reapplied my make-up, brushed my teeth, and slicked a layer of lip-gloss over my already rosy-pink lips. I had to admit I looked pretty hot.

I slipped on a pair of brown Prada kitten heels and headed out of my room. I walked down the twirling staircase that leads to the kitchen. The smell of chocolate chip pancakes wafted the halls. Our chef, Rachael, makes the best food in the whole entire world.

The smell had woken me up quite a bit, and by the time I skipped into the kitchen I almost considered skipping coffee with Alice. "As if," I snorted to myself.

Stepping into my kitchen was like stepping onto the set of Emeril Live. Rachael set the pancakes on the counter and I greedily snatched them off. I carried my breakfast to the nook. The breakfast nook was actually a balcony overlooking the ocean. I sat there eating my pancakes.

My cell phone buzzed in my pocket. That was my signal to go. I walked to the foyer. The maids would clean up the pancakes or what was left of them, at least. I grabbed my purse and backpack out of the foyer closet and strode out the door.

My black Hummer limo and my driver Rufus were waiting outside for me. Rufus opened the door for me and I slid into my seat. Rufus climbed into the driver's seat up front. "Are we picking up Miss Alice before school again today, Miss Bella?" He asks me this every morning. "Yes, of course. Now step on it, Roof, or we'll have to skip fraps today." I say just so I can see Alice quicker. Roof is my Nickname for Rufus. Alice and I are the only ones who call him that, though.