Chapter 1: Awakening
I was having the strangest dream when I awoke in a car. I was sweating and extremely confused, since I'd never been in this car or met these strangers before. I was even more confused when my subconscious reminded me that that is just my mother Renee with her new husband Phil and they are driving me to the airport. I gazed out the open window into the vast dry landscape I had never seen before, but felt comfortable in.
We arrived at the airport in Phoenix. I knew where I was without even needing to look at the street signs. Renee was trying to talk me into staying, but I knew I had to go to Forks to live with my dad Charlie and I felt an unexplainable pull to get on that plane. Alone on the plane, I finally had time to think. Was I dreaming? This wasn't my life, but yet somehow it was. I still had my memories of a life lived, but I also had Bella's memories. This life seemed familiar somehow and I wasn't sure why. I had just left Phoenix, a place I had never even visited, yet had felt like home and now I was headed to Forks. I knew I had never been to the west coast, but I still remembered visiting Forks and California to visit Charlie. Why did this all seem so familiar?
I was glad that Bella and I had both flown before and we knew what to do. Now that was strange; I knew my name wasn't Bella, but I still answered to it like it was. I enjoyed my layover in Seattle; it gave me time to think and prepare myself. The small plane to Port Angeles was too noisy to think properly, but for the first time since waking up in the car I felt a little nervous.
I saw the police cruiser before the plane landed and knew Charlie was here to pick me up. His greeting was awkward and I was glad he was content to drive in silence. I took the time to acknowledge my surroundings. I had never been in a police cruiser before and was fascinated. I was even more intrigued by the landscaping. I could feel my body trying to grimace, but I was in awe of the green landscaping passing by the windows.
Charlie turned down a street that felt eerily familiar and went to park in front of a little two story house that edged the woods. It wasn't the house that caught my attention, but the antique red truck sitting in the driveway. I felt my panic rising in my stomach and focused on my breathing. Charlie was explaining it was a gift for me and I tried my hardest to turn my panic into gratitude. I hoped he would be too focused trying to ignore my emotional outbreak to see my fear. It worked and Charlie practically ran into the house with me hot on his heels.
Charlie showed me around the house even though I already knew where everything was. He apologized for only having one bathroom and I had to agree it would be a challenge having been raised by a single mother. He showed me my room and I was happy that there were knew items that didn't bring up any of Bella's memories. Charlie left me to unpack and I laid my bags on the bed. That's when I noticed the computer and had to hold back laughing. The thing was old and massive; my God, who was still using such a thing. Curious whether it still worked, I went to go turn it on.
I stopped midway to the desk and turned to look into the mirror attached to the dresser. The face looking back was not my own, of that I was sure. How could it take me so long to realize this wasn't my body. I was now staring at someone who was younger, taller, thinner, and paler than myself. I definitely wasn't this brunette and my eyes are not that shade of brown. What was wrong with me?
I ran to the computer to search what in the world was going on with me. I had to chuckle when I saw the logo for Windows97 pop up, but that laugh was cut short when I noticed the date on the little calendar. It was January. I knew that, but what threw me off was the year.
2005
That's not possible; it must be wrong. I went to pull my cellphone out of my pocket and froze. I didn't have a phone. The computer had finally finished loading and I opened the internet to search the date. Sure enough the date was the same. What? How? I'm not only in someone else's body, living someone else's life, but I've also gone back in time? I couldn't help the tears that started to flow. I couldn't stop my sobbing and walked to the bed pushing all my stuff onto the floor. I curled under the covers and cried myself to sleep.