Prologue
Do you believe that if you never lose your hope your wish can come true? I do. I've been hoping for the last 10 years. The reason why I never give up is because I believe love is the strongest. No matter what anyone tells me I'll continue to believe, hang on to that little sliver of hope and wait for him, my one and only one. Maybe some will tell me "it's fruitless effort, just forget it", or others will just think I'm a hopeless idiot. But nothing will deter me from loving him. Edward. The one who shed light in my dull life. The one who saved me from hell. I'll wait for him, even if only to meet him in afterlife.
Chapter 1
Today was just like any other days. I went to work, doing the same mundane tasks, got home, made dinner, ate dinner, watched TV while trying to sleep. It's been going on like this for a couple of years since I graduated school. I guess even in school it was still so repetitive. Always been like that since he went away, always been waiting for him to come back. My name is Isabella Swan. And I'm 28 years old, Secretary at a publishing company. The reason why I live like this is because the one who loved me, my sun has been gone for 8 years. I met him when I was 16. It was just a child's infatuation back then. He was 20, student at a medical university. I first saw him at hospital, nothing surprising considering I usually visit there every once in a while due to my klutziness. That day I was moving some furniture when this "lovely" cat decided to jump onto my back, and gravity pulled me with "love". I injured my wrist while trying to stop the impact and I was sitting there nursing my hand waiting for the doctor. Why was I moving furniture? Well it was one of my job. I had to earn money to eat right. I was an orphan. My mother passed away when I was 4, and my father was killed while on duty, when I was 14. The orphanage I was sent to wasn't that horrible in the beginning. There was a kind woman, at the age of 50. She greeted me with warmth, a motherly kind of warmth. But that warmth didn't last long. A year later she too died of heart-attack. And that's where the nightmare began. The next owner was a woman in the late thirties. She didn't like children, it was more like she hated them. She would slave us till we drop. No matter what we did, it would piss her off. The little ones were constantly afraid, while I was 15, they were only 7-12. There weren't much older kids, two other girls beside me. one was 17, the other was 15,like me. Even though we three, tried to do everything we can to protect he little ones, we were still not strong enough. Malinda-the owner lady- would send us to do jobs in the day, where we would work like animals, with no food. We would dig holes, carry things, clean and wash houses. Rosalie, the older one was pretty, yet she was strong to protect those who were important to her. Alice was same age as me, yet she was small, so small you would think she was 12-13. I loved them like they were my own sisters. One day while we were sent to work, Alice suddenly wanted to go back. She said she didn't feel well, like something bad was coming. She was pale, too pale, that Rosalie and I thought she was going to pass out. We went back to the orphanage quickly, Rosalie carried Alice on her back. When we get there, Malinda was ordering the kids to carry some kind of heavy boxes to the attic. They were barely managing them, but to make them carry it upstairs- that was cruel. Suddenly Emily- an 8 year old girl- lost her footing and dropped the box to balance her self. And the shuttering sound caught Malinda's attention. She stormed to Emily and struck her hard on the cheek. Rosalie quickly passed Alice to me and marched to Malinda and grabbed her hand before she struck again. Emily was sobbing uncontrollably, and Rosalie was furious. Even I was angry, but what I didn't expect was Malinda would hit Rosalie too.
"You think you can defeat me, little girl?" she asked, sneer evident in her tone. "Well, big mistake. You should've just stayed out of my way. You and this little puppy here wouldn't even come close to the price of statue which was in here. But you would pay, I'll make sure of it. And you wouldn't like the process, not even bit" and with that she stormed of, slamming the door behind her.
I run to Rosalie and Emily as quick as I can after sitting Alice on the couch.
"are you ok, Emily?"I asked gently, while hugging her close to me, in which seemed to bring Rosalie out of her daze. Her lip was cut, and there was a nasty red print on her cheek. God, how I wanted to protect them, they were all I had. But how can I protect them, when I can't even protect myself? I helped the children to bring those damned boxed statues to the attic and made some soup with Rosalie. After the kids ate their supper, they went to bed, while I went to check Alice. She was burning and sweating a lot. I was wiping her forehead and arms and must have dozed off. Because I jolted awake at the loud thud in the hallway. When I went out to see what was happening there were two men carrying an unconscious Rosalie. They must have heard my gasp because they suddenly turned to me and if it was possible to paint from being afraid, I would've. But the part was I had never fainted, so that was out of question.
But when Rosalie stirred slightly, I finally understood what was going on. They were kidnapping her, and I had to do something. I grabbed the first thing that was near my hand which happened to be fire-poker.
"Put her down!" I was thankful my voice was even and strong. But they only laughed at me and said
"I wouldn't do that if I were you little one. This one here has to pay some debt, and you don't right? So go back to your room."
"I said put her down!" my voice was stronger now, and I gripped the poker while taking a step towards them.
"Ah-ah-ah, Isabella. I suggest you, that's not a good idea. After all you don't want to go together with her right?" said Malinda's all too familiar voice behind me. and now it suddenly hit me that the pay she was talking about was this. It made me furious to think she would sink this low.
"You can't do this, I'll make sure you won't." I half shouted, half cried.
"Oh, but I can. Beside what can you do? Tell the police? Try. but think about what would happen to these kids. You think I would just let you tell the police? HA! Now be a smart girl and go back to your room. And if you don't want to hurt her you'll be quiet about this, understood?" she asked in that cold voice of hers and I could only nod numbly once. My tear was blurring my eyes and I could only turn my head to look at Rosalie,- my sister-one last time.
"Now, Roice, you know the deal. Take her to the place and keep her there till I call you. " Malinda commanded and the only thing I could do was that wish she would be ok.