New here! So please be kind and review. I'm not a practiced writer. In fact, "not practiced" is an understatement. But anyway. You know the rules here. I don't own the characters, just the 'original' ideas they are placed inside. Stephanie owns these peeps and she's done some horrible things to them... But anywho, here it is. Hope you enjoy it.
Prologue
The forest around me seemed to be closing in from every angle, the trees surrounding me looking to fold me into their rigid embrace. My body shivered as a dampness grew on my palms, making it impossible for me to keep my grip on the stump I was trying to steady myself with. I fell to the ground, knocking the breath from me as the dewy grass soaked through my jeans. My head was pounding and at that point I really found no reason to try to get up, and a large part of me hoped that I could just sink into the ground and disintegrate. Without a single drop of self-worth in my body, I lay there hoping the painful pressure in my chest would fade. In the span of minutes my life had been turned on it's end and became something I did not want to recognize. The terror I faced was too strong inside, and I knew I had to block the memory the best I could just to keep myself sane. I could feel my mind slipping the more it looked back to the event I had just witnessed. My body was tired from running, my heart sore from the anxiety.
Hours went by, the sun seeped past the trees and I watched the stars take it's place in the sky. I couldn't feel the cold winter breeze. My limbs were numb and the hairs on my arms stood on end, but the burning inside seemed to have left me. My family was gone. Dead. And I was here, hoping the same fate might meet me in the absence of pain, however unlikely. My eyes drooped and a welcoming, sleepy heaviness fell on me. Just as my eyes were about to shut, weak white lights and footsteps made their way to me. I could only hope I would die before they found me.
Chapter One
5 years later.
The anniversary of my family's death was never easy, but I had come to handle it with a coldness that was learned over the past few years. I would get out of bed, wash, go to work and speak with my coworkers just like every other day. I would come home to my empty house and try to pretend that it had always been that way. It was unusual how even still it felt so hollow and I usually kept myself busy elsewhere until I felt the need to sleep. I always grudgingly took the steps up to the front door and nearly ran to my old bedroom upstairs, or the back porch to smoke. The master bedroom on the main floor was always locked, and I refused to ever go inside.
It was my 18th birthday when they left me, so the house was my own, in my name in their will and paid for. After two weeks in the hospital from my hypothermia, I was left with the decision to either leave Forks to live with distant relatives or stay. I didn't like the idea of having to adjust to a new family, so I convinced everyone I was mentally stable enough to live on my own, a kind doctor lending me his word to attest to the fact. I didn't return to school for a month and kept to myself as much as I could manage, but I knew the only way I could continue was to force myself. I finished my education with a BA in journalism and spent some time traveling. I didn't know where I was going. I did anything I could to distract myself, drifting from place to place. But I was compelled to return to Washington for reasons I still don't know. I guess the sentimental fool inside of me had more control than I thought.
Five years. I shook my head, walking to the back porch. It faced West, so on the rare occasion the sun was unobstructed I could watch it set. I lit a cigarette and sat on the cushioned bench just outside, letting the sun bathe me in an unfamiliar warmth. Forks was always cold and rainy, but today was one of those days, ironically, void of the usual weather. I took a drag, breathing in then out slowly and watched the smoke wither away in the air. I filled my lungs again and saw the sun drift further down the horizon before I took out a stack of Apartment brochures from my jacket pocket and placed them before me. I don't know why I collected them. Every time I was about to sign a lease I backed out, the house pulling me back in. Sentimental fool was right.
My phone chirped, taking my mind from my task and I considered not answering. I really didn't feel like socializing tonight. I never did on this day, but the call was from work. Probably somebody from the office who was unclear as to why I scrapped their story.
"Hello?"
"Hey beautiful." Jacob's deep voice echoed in my ears and I rolled my eyes.
"Don't you remember the sexual harassment clause in my contract? I'm not there to flirt with you, I'm there to edit columns."
"Yeah, but we're on off time and I thought I could buy you a drink?" His voice sounded sincere enough. "We're friends, Bella, I'm just trying to pull you out of your hole."
I got a job at Seattle Metropolitan as an editor on staff. It was a decent job and kept me busy enough and the city always gave me something to do after I got off work. Jacob Black was a good journalist but he was flirty as hell. Despite that, I had formed a friendship with him, even if I had to occasionally tell him to back off. He always made me laugh and his smile was infectious. But today wasn't the day.
"I don't know, Jacob. I'm tired." I pulled the cigarette back to my lips and blew the smoke out loudly in a sigh. "Besides, I'm not much of a drinker. You get a couple drinks in me and I start acting silly."
"Well, that's the point!" I could hear the smile in his voice and couldn't help the one that threatened to creep on me. "You smoke those nasty cigs, but you wont have a drink with your best buddy?"
"I'm trying to quit." I let a small laugh escape, but I felt the weight of the anniversary on my body. I took another drag and rested my cancer stick on an ash tray beside me.
"Bullshit. I'm coming to get you. We'll go to that dinky local bar and have a beer. I bet you twenty bucks I'll get you to watch the game with me!"
I let the smile form. I could never help it, no matter how depressed I was. He always managed to cheer me up, but I wasn't sure he could do it tonight. Still, I could feel myself relenting. "Fine. I'll go get ready. I'll be outside waiting for you."
"Yes! Alright, I'm on the way." We hung up and I grudgingly made my way to the bathroom to fix my windblown hair.
We walked into the bar that sat across the street from my high school. The Brew was by no means luxurious. It was old and the smell of beer wafted from every surface of every table and every inch of floor. They didn't sell liquor but they allowed you to bring a bottle as long as you bought something. Every game night it was packed with the familiar faces of Forks, yelling at the players on the screen and placing bets. The large, plasma television that hung from the back wall didn't fit the décor at all. It was the only thing, I guess, they thought worthy of upgrading.
The sheriff sat at the end of the bar and immediately waved a quiet hello to me as I walked in, not meeting my eyes. He was an old friend of my father's. I waved back quickly before hiding behind Jacob and moving forward to a table. Martha wasn't behind the bar, so we waited for the waitress to come take our orders.
Martha was the barmaid and she happened to work in the attendance office at Forks High during the day, so it was a unusual whenever I made a rare stop here. The woman once reprimanding me as a kid for not bringing my absent notes was serving me alcohol as an adult. It was a little awkward. I half expected her to swat my hands away whenever I touched a beer.
Jacob's eyes were magnetized to the screen where two football teams were tied at the third quarter. "Okay, third quarter. That means they are about a third of the way through the game. Each time they score a 'touchdown,'" He condescendingly made air quotes, briefly meeting my eyes. "That means the team has scored 7 points."
"Jacob, I know the general rules of football." I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm not a complete moron, you know. I do edit your sports column." By the time I gave my rebuttal, though, Jacob's eyes were back to the TV and it had fallen on deaf ears.
"Hey guys, can I get you anything?" A jovial, wispy voice broke the love affair quickly enough as we both moved our focus to the waitress.
She was a new face. I never saw her before and I couldn't help but stare at her. She was unnaturally beautiful standing at about 5 foot 2 or so, pale skin, with short black hair that pointed in every direction and... golden eyes. Deep golden eyes, and the sight of them made me...I couldn't describe the feeling. Her gaze met my own and I blushed as she caught me starring. I could almost feel the flies about to float into my open mouth and I clamped my it shut, feeling the heat swarm over my face and neck. Ugh... I'm a fool.
"You're Bella Swan, aren't you?" Her voice startled me, nearly making me jump out of my seat. Jacob looked upon my awkward form and chuckled. I would've glared at him had I not been distracted by the girl standing in front of me.
"Uh, yes. I'm sorry, I... don't recognize you." I nearly stuttered the last part, hoping she wasn't somebody I should know. I was almost certain I had never seen her before. No, I would have remembered her.
"I read your magazine. I love your book column." She smiled warmly, not a drop of shyness in her demeanor. I wish I could say the same for myself. "You're a witty writer, and I have to say you have some great recommendations." Her smile widened into a grin as she pulled out a notepad and looked at us both expectantly. "Now what can I get you guys?"
Jacob looked at me out of the corner of his eye in a mock suspicion before moving his attention back to the her. "I'll take a Blue Moon, please." His eyes went straight back to the game.
"And you, Ms. Swan?" One black, perfectly shaped eyebrow rose in question at me and I nearly choked on my words. "Oh, please, don't call me 'ms.' Just Bella, it doesn't make me feel old." I laughed a little, my blush impossibly deeper. "And I'll take a Moosehead, please. You have that, right?"
She smiled. I was so nervous... and I really had no idea why. I wasn't a socialite by any means but I was certainly more graceful in conversation than I was tonight. My tongue seemed to swell in my mouth. "Of course, Bella, coming right up." She decided her notepad wasn't necessary, placing it back in her pouch and putting her hands on her waist. "If you guys need anything else, just ask for Alice and I'll be around." She said in her wind-chime voice before moving off to help another customer.
When she was out of earshot, Jacob turned back to me with a curious expression and a hint of a smirk on his tan face. "What was that about? You look like a tomato." He chuckled again before taking a hairband from his wrist and pulling his hair back into a ponytail. "I don't think I've ever seen you choke on your words like that."
I looked away, embarrassed. "You know I'm not the most eloquent speaker, Jacob." I said, pretending to watch the football game. "Why do you think I write?" I could see the smirk still present on him in the corner of my eye and relaxed as he looked towards the screen to see the Redskins score. "Yes!"
I settled into my thoughts again, ghostly pale skin sinking back into memory. I haven't seen skin that white since... I pushed the it back, pushing the memory away as a ball of emotion dropped into my throat.
Alice came back into view, carrying a small tray with the two beers. Her smile was directed at me again and I felt a small shiver move through my body. Jesus... "Here you are." She placed the Moosehead down in front of me, bending to open the drinks with a small bottle opener connected to a key chain. She hovered there a moment longer and I felt my eyes move to her low cut shirt before quickly averting them to her face again. Oh God. She obviously caught the glance and her smile turned into a knowing grin. Shit.
"On the house." She winked at me and then quickly moved back to the bar where Martha had reappeared cleaning a mug.
"I saw that." Jacob's booming voice brought me back to reality and his eyes glowed with mischief. "I didn't know you swung that way. No wonder you can resist my boyish charms." He placed two hands under his chin and batted his eyelashes.
I blinked at him, taking a swig of my beer and pulling out a cigarette. "Oh stop it." I brushed him off, playfully smacking his arm. He grinned and took his own beer by the top. "You, my friend, are still blushing. It gives you away." He took a sip. "So, did yo get a chance to look at my draft?"
Thankful for the change of subject, I nodded and let the conversation move into calmer waters. We hung around the bar for an hour or so before we finally left, Alice checking in a couple times. Thankfully the beer had loosened me up a little and I managed to answer her without stumbling so much. Even a little inebriated her smile was disarming, but Jacob was kind enough to relent with the jabs. He dropped me off at home, giving me a one-armed hug before playfully pushing me out of his Volkswagen Rabbit. Unexpectedly, he rolled down the window. "Oh, and happy 23rd birthday!" I narrowed my eyes and he laughed as he drove away.
I sighed in relief before making my way inside and settled down to go to bed, the alcohol numbing my mind for the time being. My nightmares kept themselves away for the night and I slept peacefully, a blessing I will never take for granted again.