Chapter One: A New Witch is Born
Looking into the full-length mirror, Bella starred hard at her reflection, trying to decide if there was anything different about her now that she was twenty-one – and legal, as her friends made a habit of reminding her every night for the last week. She twirled slightly to each side, making a final assessment on her appearance. Her friends had been begging her for a month to let them take her out to celebrate "properly." After so much begging and pleading, she finally relented and agreed to a night on the town. After all, you only get to turn 21 once. Besides it couldn't hurt to let her friends have a little fun on her behalf.
"Bell-y, are you read-y? Everyone's already at the club waiting for us," her roommate called through the door, decked in a see-through, sparkling gold top and black pants.
"Yeah, Ry, I'll be out in just a second," she called back, taking one last fleeting look before grabbing her purse, flipping off the light and joining her best friend in the hallway.
"Damn, girl! You look hot! Where did you get that dress from?" Ryanna questioned, giving Bella an admiring once-over
Wearing a daring red dress accentuated by shiny, golden roses, Bella lived up to her friend's description quite appropriately. Usually the type to wear solid-colored, modest tops, the reveling dress was a major adjustment for the tomboyish college Senior.
"Kendra lent it to me, actually," she shyly admitted, blushing at the unusual amount of attention. Bella was typically the type of person who shied away from the spotlight. She was reserved, cautious and preferred to be alone. That's how she had spent most of her life, anyway, so it's all she ever knew.
"Well that figures. Kendra is the skank of the group!" Ryanna cackled, laughing as if she had made the funniest joke the world had ever known.
"Come on. They're probably already waiting for us at the club," Bella reminded, trying to distract her friend from the mean-streak she knew would follow. Kendra and Ryanna had a history together. When they were both freshman, Ryanna met this guy, Jerry. Jerry told her he was single, and they really hit it off. Six month into their relationship, she found out he had been dating and sleeping with another girl, Kendra, for three months. The thing was that Jerry told Kendra he was single, so she had no idea about Ryanna. Instead of getting mad at Jerry, though, Ryanna decided to place all the blame on Kendra, and they've been enemies ever since. The problem, however, is that Bella was friends with both girls, so it made it very difficult for them to do group outings.
"You're right. Wouldn't want to leave J.P. hanging, now would we?" Ryanna giggled. J.P., or John Peter, was actually Kendra's older brother. It always amazed Bella to see her best friend so ga-ga over the brother of her worst enemy, but she held up hope that someday her feelings for J.P would encourage her to forgive Kendra.
"Yes, we wouldn't want that, would we?" Bella sarcastically replied, heading for the door. "Besides, Zach said he was driving down tomorrow, so I need to get back at a semi-decent hour." Noticing the disappointed look on her roommates face, she added, "But you can stay, if you want. I'll just leave the car and walk back."
Satisfied, the girls exited the apartment and headed out to enjoy a night on the town in honor of Bella's birthday.
The night air was sticky against her sweaty skin. She had been dancing for hours, and her once flowing dress now clung to her damp, sweat-covered body, leaving nothing to the imagination. It was 11:20 pm, and she was walking alone along the dark, poorly lit sidewalk. Unfortunately, due to her brother's flight arriving at an almost ungodly hour in the morning, from their hometown, San Diego, she had had to leave the club early. Surprisingly, she had actually been enjoying herself, despite the idiots using every pick-up line known to man trying to get her to dance with them. She had never been the clubbing type, but just being able to dance and let loose with her closest friends had been just what she needed to release the stress of her most recent semester class load. The feeling had been almost liberating, having nothing to worry about except dancing.
Lost in her thoughts, Bella didn't notice the rustling bushes until she had almost reached them. She glanced nervously to her left, a sudden noise drawing her attention to the row of bushes in the back, lining the dark, abandoned street. She had walked this path for three-and-a-half years and had never once felt unsafe – until now. Her female intuition was flaring, telling her that someone – or rather, something – was after her. The darkness, however, left her at a disadvantage, and she knew her only hope was getting off this particular path, onto a more populated and well-lit street.
Squinting her eyes in the darkness, keeping a keen eye for danger, Bella finally spotted her predator just before he lunged at her, claws and fangs bared. Closing her eyes and bracing for the attack, Bella unknowingly found herself orbing in place, narrowly escaping her attackers strike. Still frightened and now even more confused, Bella wasted no time making a run for the street just 20 yards in front of her. She knew she had to get help, so she used the motivation of survival and the adrenaline racing through her veins to carry her to the safety of the street lamps revealing glow.
"Somebody, HELP! Something's after me!" she cried, panting for breath and searching wildly for a savior. "Please, sir. Please help me! This … this… beast tried to kill me. Can I please use your phone? Please, sir, it's an emergency," she begged, grasping at an older, kind-faced gentleman and his wife who were just exiting a restaurant.
"Heavens! What's the matter, dear?" the older man gently asked, resting a reassuring hand on her shaking shoulder.
"It… it… was after me. It was this… MONSTER!" she cried, unsure whether she could really trust the sight she had just seen. It had looked like a long-armed, long-legged, hairy human with a snout. That couldn't be right, though. Humans didn't have snouts or hair covering their faces. Not the way that creature did, anyway.
"Here, honey. Use my phone to call someone. We'll wait with you until your ride gets her," the man's wife offered, giving Bella the most heartwarming smile she had ever received.
When Bella finally calmed enough to notice that the beast had not pursued her onto the street, a sense of calming relief finally washed over her, and she took a deep, cleansing breath to slow her racing heart. "Thank you, sir, m'am," she gratefully whispered, using the offered phone to call her roommate to come pick her up.
While she waited for Ryanna to come pick her up, she had more than enough time to think about what had just happened and how she had managed to escape the beast's attack. The problem was, it just didn't seem logical, let alone physically possible. It was like one moment she was standing there, quivering in fear, and the next, she was… well, to be completely honest, it was like she was nowhere. In a sort of alternate plane or dimension. But, once again, that was not possible… was it?
"Bella!" her roommate called out, pulling up to the curb in Bella's prized apple-green Mustang with a worried look covering her face. "Are you alright?" She jumped out of the car and pulled her best friend into a comforting hug.
"I'm fine," Bella promised, returning the hug with vigor. She had never been more frightened in her life, but in all honesty, she felt a million times better now that her friend was there. Turning to the older couple, Beverly and Andy Mitchell, who had been trying to keep Bella's mind from wandering by carrying on a steady conversation, she quickly pulled each of them into a strong, grateful hug. "Thank you so much for your help. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't run into you tonight."
"Oh, precious. It was our pleasure. You just take care of yourself, you hear?" Beverly responded. At Bella's nod, she took her husbands hand and, walking side-by-side to their new, silver Buick, the couple drove away, heading home.
"Let's go home," Bella whispered to Ryanna.
Ryanna nodded in agreement, sliding back into the driver's seat and speeding away from the scene, neither of them noticing the looming creature with the glowing yellow eyes watching them from the dense foliage of the park across the street.
