Bella Swan: human, vampire, and scared. Scared of people, and battling with herself every time she has to go out. But when she saves a stranger will he help her and become her saviour?
Chapter One - The Terror
[Bella's Point of View]
Bella Swan stood in her living room, surround by the lavender scent of her candles, by the shelves of books and music and movies that she loved and stared at the closed door of her apartment, gathering her strength and her courage. She was about to do battle as she did about every two weeks, and the fight was going to require every recourse she could muster. She checked once again to make sure her protections were in place, that she was covered from chin to toes with not so much as a millimetre of skin exposed. She clutched her car keys in one hand wishing they were a sword not that having a sword in her hand would make any difference. The battle that she faced was inside herself, and she faced it every time she had to leave her apartment, and it wasn't getting any easier for standing there. She took a deep shaky breath and the fear, the terrible blinding paralyzing fear spread through her, but there was no choice she had to eat. On a sudden surge of strength that came from nowhere she got to the door and opened it. There was no one in the hallway that made things easier. It was people that triggered her panic attacks not places. She made it down the hall to the elevator; there was no one there either. She pushed the button for the first floor and the old cage shuddered and began its slow decent. There was no one in the foyer, her panic ebbed further, there was not even anyone checking mail at the bank of cast iron mailboxes. The parking lot was full; this was after all a fifteen story tall apartment building constructed in an era when people took buses or taxis to work. The parking lot was always full; Bella's space was as far away from the building as physically possible. Because the attendant knew she only moved her little car when she had to, like today. It was a lovely day and once in the car she let out a sigh of relief, and waited for the trembling in her arms to stop the first hurdle was cleared. The chain grocery store Bella made the pilgrimage to every time the supplier ran too low was only a 10 minute drive away but the fear never left her completely, even in the safe confines of her car. As she rounded the corner she prayed that she would find the paring lot empty, it was and again she breathed a sigh of relief. But the relief was short lived, in a moment she would have to park the car and get out and walk to the entrance of the grocery, only a few feet but there would be people there. People who would look at her, the way they had looked at her avidly, waiting for her to fall and when she was down they would leap on her and… Get a grip this is know not then, there just people, people here for groceries nothing more. But her palms were sweaty now, her mouth was dry, and as she turned off the ignition her hands and arms began to shake and she had to force herself to reach for the door handle. One foot on the ground; she wanted to cry, the second; she wanted to die. She was just about to put her weight on her feet when a tremendous metallic crash mad her freeze. Maybe most people would have leapt in shock and wacked their heads against the doorframe, but the panic attacks made her freeze when anything unexpected happened. She froze and looked up in the direction of the noise.
It's very different from anything else I've wrote, but I like it so far. Do you? Actually came up with the idea from a dream had last night (it was weird, but good) Hope you liked it, I know it's short but next one will be longer, if people want another chapter that is. So review, so I know if you want me to continue with the story. PLEASE REVIEW.