~*~Final Vacation~*~

As I sat waiting for the plane to take off I thought about everything I was giving up; my mom, my home, heat. It didn't matter, though. I could see what staying home with me was doing to my mother and I couldn't stand to see her unhappy. She loved me more than anything, but she missed Phil while he was traveling for the minors and I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie. I could only imagine how miserable living in Forks would be, but I had already made up my mind and with the stubborn trait I inherited from my dad, once I made a decision I didn't waver.

My mom knew this about me so she didn't argue with me much. She was saving up all of her ammo to get me to accept her guilt present. She knew I hated spending money on things that weren't necessary, but she ironically used the guilt trip method to make me consider her guilt present. She said it would ease her mind if I could have something before I went to live in the place she fled from fourteen years ago. Her argument was valid, though. I had never been farther east than Arizona and never outside the U.S. If this helped her feel better then I would go to Italy and have fun despite the cost of the plane ticket. It would be my only chance for anything remotely interesting until I could get out of Forks.

She tried to come with me, but I would only be there ten days and at my sixteen years of age I could take care of myself far better that my thirty-seven year old mother. My mom has a child's heart and taking care of her since she left Charlie when I was two, gave me a lot of maturity. In fact, my mom always calls me her middle aged child. I was worried about leaving her to fend for herself, but her and Phil were to be married soon and I knew he could take care of her.

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew the flight attendant with her all too pleasant Barbie smile was gently waking me and telling me that we had landed. After collecting my baggage, grimacing and the cloud covered sky, and telling the taxi driver the address to the hotel my mom reserved for me I had finally arrived at a decent historical looking Italian hotel. Inside was just as mesmerizingly old fashioned and filled with stories as the exterior. It was absolutely amazing.

"Can I take those for you?" I jumped as the bell hop pulled me out of my thoughts.

"No, thank you," I smiled, "I don't even know what room I'm in yet."

"That's okay. I can wait till you check in," he said with his thick accent as he leaned a little too close and smiled a little too warmly.

I was still suffering from jet lag and, not being used to this kind of attention, I smiled a weak smile and turned back to the small line in front of me. He looked as if he were going to try again, when the door opened and the most beautiful woman I had ever seen walked through the door. Were her eyes violet? The boy immediately turned his attention to the vision of perfection that had just entered the lobby, but her eyes were locked on mine and for some reason I couldn't look away.

She seemed excited like she had been looking for me, like she knew me. It was more than excitement though, it was…hunger? I didn't understand the look she gave me and before I had much time to think about it, she smiled and walk toward me. When she reached me she took a deep breath and sighed.

"Hello," she said in a voice almost angelic, "I'm Heidi."

"Bella," I responded. Not knowing what else to say, I held out my hand.

She shook it and her hand felt as if she had been holding it a bucket of ice water. I let my hand drop, but she still held our connection.

"Hello Bella. You are absolutely tempting." She paused for a moment taking me in. "I work for a modeling agency and I am sure my boss would love to meet you." Then her eyes were intense. "You're exactly what we've been looking for"

I shuddered involuntarily at the mental picture of me tripping down a runway. If she only knew what a mistake making me a model would be. I laughed timidly and answered, "Actually, I'm only here for a short vacation, but thank you."

She stared at me for a moment confused as if she'd never been denied before. Why would she want me anyway? I was ordinary and invisible to most people. What kind of model could I be with my unexciting features? She leaned her head forward a bit and her eyes were fierce with concentration.

"Are you sure you won't reconsider? You would be such an asset to the company."

"I'm sure, thank you. I would make a terrible model."

She stared at me looking almost appalled for a few moments and then recovered her face but her eyes were still mystified.

"I see," was all she said before she turned on her heel and bounded out of the lobby with unparalleled grace.

I stood, shocked, with my now empty hand pulled into my body. What on earth just happened?

****************************************

I spent my trip enjoying the sites and sounds of Italy. The weather was nice with the exception of that first day and I was relishing in the Italian sun as much as possible. I only had a few days left till I would be on a plane to my own personal hell in Forks, where sunny days were just about as common as snowy days in Phoenix. I decided to go to a little city not too far from where I was staying called Volterra. There was supposed to be a castle and the brochure claimed that there was tons of history in its walls. I stepped outside the hotel and cringed at the cloud cover. I flagged down a taxi and arrived at the city walls in no time. Once inside stopped and gasped at the beauty of this wondrous place. It was absolutely brilliant with its antique shops and houses. I almost never wanted to leave.

I made my way through the many shops, buying little trinkets, until I reached a clock tower that engulfed my attention. I hadn't noticed her walking toward me, being so captivated by this marvelous structure, until she was but a few feet away. She smiled warmly and came to a stop directly in front of me, taking a deep breath.

"Bella! How wonderful to see you again!" Heidi exclaimed. I smiled trying to give off the impression that I felt the same. She chuckled at my attempt.

"Don't worry, I'm not recruiting today. I live here. Would you like me to show you around?"

I hesitated for a moment, but decided it might be nice to have some company. She was ecstatic when I agreed and took me by the arm.

"It's so wonderful that you're here," she said leading me through an archway, "I was afraid I would have to go out and track you down."

I gave her a quizzical look, "I thought you weren't recruiting today."

She turned to look at me, seeming pleased with herself. "I thought it would be so much harder than this, but you've made it so easy little one. You came straight to me."

I looked around and noticed that this part of the city was deserted. I felt a chill come over me as I noticed the same hungry look in her eye. I looked down at my watch and made and excuse.

"I really wish I could stay, but I do have to get back and start packing." I started to walk away, but all of the sudden she was in front of me. I turned to see where she had been and turned back to her. It seemed impossible that she had really moved that fast. Fear was setting in as she spoke.

"Silly girl, I'm not giving you a choice. Mmmm." She moved so close I could feel her icy breathe on my neck. She inhaled my scent with vigor. "You have no idea how appealing you are, do you? You are absolutely enticing, my dear child."

I decided to run. I had to get out of there, but there was a hard knock on the back of my head and everything went black. The last thing I remembered was feeling the cold cobblestone under my limp body and then nothing.