As always, I own none of the characters, only the plot.
Big thanks to sue273 for her help in all my work.
Scars of the Past
I stood looking at myself in the mirror and I felt the tears building up. I was horrified and disgusted at the sight before me. I used to be beautiful- the belle of the ball as it were. Who would want to look at me now? Who could bear to touch me? No one would want to wake up next to me and be faced with the monstrosity that was my face. I was hideous. I looked at burn victims and found them beautiful. I would see children with large scars from accidents and I would see them as beautiful. But I could no longer find the beauty in myself. Not since the attack.
Two Months Earlier
On my way home from a lunch date with my best friend, Alice, I was in a fantastic mood. I had just been given the best news ever. Alice was expecting her first baby! She was over the moon and I was so pleased for her. Then she dropped the bombshell on me- she wanted me to be godmother!
"Godmother?" I squeaked, "have you checked with Emmett?"
"Of course I have, Bella. He thinks you're the perfect choice. There's no one we are most close with and trust, plus Emmett adores you," Alice beamed.
I sat there stunned. My mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. Out of us both, we knew that she would be the first to get pregnant. I wasn't choosy over my men, but I hadn't found anyone I wanted to settle down with. The longest relationship I'd had was eighteen months, nothing worth writing home about. But Alice, she'd been with Emmett since they were sixteen. They'd been together for seven years and they'd only ever had two major arguments in that time.
The first had been because of Emmett's inability to cut down on his drinking. She understood he wanted to spend time with his friends and unwind, and that was fine. But it was when he got home at some stupid hour and singing at the top of voice. If it wasn't for the complaints from the neighbours, it would be comical.
The other fight was due to Emmett's jealousy issues. After a night out with me, we had ended up back at my place. Emmett called her constantly and when she picked up, all he did was accuse her of being with another man. It didn't matter that I was in the background shouting "hi" and giggling drunkenly. It was only after he had turned up at my house and checked the entire place over did he realise that he had been wrong.
I don't think I'd ever really forgiven the intrusion of my privacy, but for the sake of my best friend's relationship, I had let it go.
Practically skipping down the street with my thoughts, I never noticed the dark figure walking behind me. I kept on my merry way until I had felt the sharp knock on my head and then darkness. I had awoke in an alley. It was dark and I was terrified. I tried to move and felt my wrists tied - something was binding them. My feet were free so I tried to stand and fell over, dizzy.
I looked around for something to release my binding and I saw the figure crouched in the corner. He wasn't doing anything, only looking at me. I started to panic and thought, "He's going to rape me". I'd never known terror like it. I blinked wildly at him, hoping that he was just a figment of my imagination, but no such luck.
He stood and moved towards me. As he turned slightly, I saw the moonlight flash on something shiny. I saw the knife he had in his hand and started to tremble violently. This was it. I'd never been the same after this. I prayed that it would be over quickly, but I tried to remember every detail of him so when I went to the police, I wanted to be able to give some details other than the fact it was dark.
He crouched beside me and whispered something in my ear. I couldn't hear him properly but it sounded something like making someone pay for wronging him. I couldn't comprehend what he was saying. It was only as I felt the blade of the knife against my throat, did I realize that this was not about raping me. He was about to kill me!
I'm not sure where I'm taking this one yet, so bear with me, I promise you will not be disappointed ;-)