Bella Swan -

I opened my eyes and assessed my surroundings. Would anything be different? No. My desk was still cluttered, and my clothes were still scattered on the ground. Everything was the same. Why'd I expect anything else? Nobody ever dared to enter my room. Even Victoria, my "mother" knocked and waited for me to come outside. I wasn't sure why, and when I asked, I never got a straight answer.

Waking up seemed practically the only part of my routine that could be considered normal. And I can assure you, I don't do normal anyway.

I quickly got out of bed and threw on some old jeans and a form fitting white tank top. I was hoping to get through the day without being noticed. However, because I live in a castle, of all places, going unnoticed was practically impossible. I walked out and tried to avoid the glances of the servants who all seem to want to stop what they're doing and make sure I'm happy and taken care for yet they refuse to hold a pleasant conversation with me. It's all "yes, Miss Bella" or "What do you need, Miss?" How annoying.

Victoria thinks if she can provide all the luxuries I desire, I'd be happy. However, what I desire the most are friends. Ever since I was a young child, I've been home schooled. Not to mention that I'm never allowed outside the castle "in case something might happen to me." The only other people I've actually met besides Victoria, James (her husband), and the servants are the people I see on T.V. I've always dreamed of having a best friend, like the girls on the soap operas do, but I'll doubt that'll ever come true.

Don't get me wrong, on the outside, my life is nothing short of what the normal person would call perfect. I have money, live in a castle, have people that will clean up after me, and agree with everything I say. But I already said, I don't do normal. I want to make a mess and admire it, I want to have someone to argue with, I want to have a relationship with a boy. My ideal day would be recovering from a hangover, and listening to my mother lecture me about how my life is slipping through my hands and I'm not even an adult yet. And by 'mother', I wasn't referring to Victoria.

That hag wants me to call her 'mother', but in the true definition of the word, she isn't. She tells everyone that she was the brave and selfless woman who "adopted" me when my mother couldn't afford to keep me anymore. Bullshit.

I'll give Victoria credit though; she's makes sure her story adds up, even if it involves blackmail and death threats.

On my 13th birthday I tried to sneak out of the castle in a vain attempt to find my mom. That was the first and only time I saw Victoria lose it.

On a cold November night when I was 12 years old, I was looking for a lighter so I could light the fireplace in my room. Upon digging in a cupboard, I found a plastic bag labeled KEEP HIDDEN. Within that back, I found a birth certificate, a social security card, and a baby bracelet. I pulled out each object to examine them closer. The baby bracelet read Baby Swan - Forks General Hospital. Forgetting about the lighter, I went straight to the computer and looked it up on the internet. Forks General Hospital was located in Washington. This gave me a general location of where my mother might be. The information I had learned was just enough to decide in my 12 year old mind resolve to escape my castle prison and finally find my true family.

It took months for me to carefully plan out my escape from this prison cell. This was my one shot at freedom, and I wasn't going to blow it. I packed a backpack full of snack foods and some articles of clothing. Over the month, I had been stealing small amounts of money from Victoria and James. Since they don't keep records of their money and spending, they never suspected me stealing. With that money, I was able to buy a one-way plane ticket to Forks, Washington. All I had to do was wait for the perfect opportunity to get out of the castle, and run straight to the airport.

The perfect day was my birthday. I danced and sang along to the festivities, but once the adults started drinking, I went back into my room and waited for everyone to pass out drunk. That didn't take to long. I heard James and Victoria go to their room about midnight. I waited a decent amount of time to ensure that they were still asleep. When I heard the last servant turn in for bed and James's snoring, I was able to sneak out of my room safely. However, before I even got to the castle doors, Victoria caught me, and threw me into a nearby washroom. Her hand gripped my arm, and her nails dug deep into my skin.

"Listen to me, and listen good, kid," Victoria hissed, "If you even think about running away, I'll have your precious mother's throat sliced open and you can watch her bleed to death. You fucking belong to me. Don't ever try to escape or you'll quickly learn that there is a fate worse than death"

She pushed me to the ground abruptly, and left me alone, sobbing heavily.

Yeah, I'll never piss Victoria off again. Bad Idea.

As I walked into the dining room, I wasn't surprised to see the whole area decorated with streamers and balloons. The cake in the middle was pure white with several flowers made of icing on the top. To me, it looked like James accidentally bought a wedding cake, but I smiled and nodded my thanks to the servants who were decorating.

"Oh. you're awake!" I turned around to see Victoria standing behind me with a big, grin on her face.

"Yeah, I am." I tried to return the grin, but I must have failed because her smile seemed to falter a little bit.

"I've got a special surprise for you, come with me," She grabbed my arm, gently, and lead me into the meeting hall where about thirty girls were sitting in chairs around a large rectangular table with solemn looks on their faces. Upon my entrance, they all suddenly stood up and began to surround me, blocking me from escaping.

"What's all this about?" I turned to question my 'mother'.

"Oh, today is a very special day."

My name is Isabella Marie Swan.

Today is my 17th Birthday.

Today is the last 'normal' day I'd ever have.

Hey! I know I disappeared for awhile, but I'm back and better than ever. This story has been in my brain for a little while and I just had to get it out. I'm not really happy with this chapter (and its only the first one, sigh) I've got most of the storyline already mapped out, but I've left room in case I'm stuck with inspiration or something like that. I practically had to push to get this chapter on paper. Maybe I'm just not good with introductions.

I defiantly need feedback for this story. Please, please, send me constructive criticism for this story. Also, I am looking for a Beta. If you are one, please message me and we'll see if we can work something out. I'm not really good with commas and grammar and shit.

On a brighter note, I am so excited for this story.
It's a unique plot and since its not strictly vampires – I can apply the mythology as I see fit. Depending if this story is a hit or not, I'll update tomorrow or the next day to see if we can get the story rolling and have Edward and Bella's lives intertwine.

That's all for now! Leave a review and tell me what you think