Here's the first chapter of the new and improved A New Beginning! I'm so happy to return to my first ever fanfic, and I hope that it turns out to be much better than my first attempt. Also, two new chapters of two different fanfics on the same day, because I'm in a writing mood before school returns and kills my soul. ~Shaymie

"Annie, when are we going to take a break?" I looked back at my little sister, who looked exhausted. Considering the fact that we had more stamina than the normal human, and that we had been running for almost a full day, she had a right to be tired. Part of me wanted to stop and take a break, but I knew that we couldn't. If we stopped, then there was a chance that we could be caught. Then we would have to go back to the lab, and all our hard work and careful planning for escaping would be for nothing.

"We can't keep running forever either," Ellie said, reading my mind without asking again. I scowled at the look in her grayish-blue eyes and knew that she was right. I would be useless if we got attacked by something. The only problem was finding somewhere dry to sleep. Thanks to a map that I had managed to steal from the lab, I knew that we were in Washington, near a town named Forks. It was always raining here, and I didn't want to risk getting sick. We were stronger physically due to the experiments, but there was no telling about our immune systems. This was the first time in years we had been outside for something other than agility testing.

I eventually found a comfortable tree for us to rest under, and Ellie grinned as we sat down underneath it. I crinkled my nose at the feeling of the mud on my legs and decided that we would have to find a river tomorrow to wash up in. We had some clothes that I had stolen from a clothing store on the way here, so starting tomorrow we would finally be rid of these disgusting hospital gowns that were covered in sweat, mud, and blood. Ellie snuggled close to me, and I set my backpack behind my head to use as a pillow. I held my sister close to me as I drifted off to sleep.

It was cold, far colder than it should have been. It was currently November, and it was cold in Forks, so I didn't think much of it. It had probably just rained overnight and made it colder than it had been before I went to sleep. Yeah, that was it. I didn't bother to open my eyes, hoping that I would fall back asleep again. I needed all the rest I could get.

"...What are they?"

"I don't know. They're hybrids of some kind. They're not like Renesmee at all."

"Where did you find them?"

"They were sleeping under a tree in the forest."

I groaned as I slowly regained consciousness, and the mysterious voices went away. The first thing that I noticed was that I wasn't in the forest anymore. I was lying in a soft bed, and I sat up immediately. I pinched my arm and winced. Nope, this wasn't a dream. I was awake. This was real.

I wasn't in my hospital gown anymore. I was dressed in the clothes that I had stolen from that clothing store. I tried to think back to yesterday. Had I changed before I went to bed? I couldn't have. I had planned to change after we found a stream to wash off in. Speaking of washing off, I wasn't covered in dirt and blood anymore, and my hair had been brushed. I ran a hand through it. It hadn't been this clean in a long time, since before the experiments. It felt strange, foreign. I wasn't sure if I liked it.

My senses slowly started to wake up, and I growled when I smelled the sweet stench of vampire. I looked around the room and narrowed my eyes as I saw the vampires watching me. I was out of the bed and crouched into a defensive position in an instant.

They had gold eyes instead of red, so I knew that they fed on animals, but I couldn't trust any vampires. Not after what Maria had done to me and Ellie… Ellie! Where was she? I looked around the room and growled when I didn't see her.

"What did you do to Elise?" I hissed. "What did you do to my sister? Why did you bring us here? You had to have a reason. Vampires aren't just nice unless they want something."

"We aren't going to hurt you," the older-looking blonde male said calmly, his golden eyes gentle. "We couldn't leave you in the forest, in the rain. Your sister is asleep in another room."

I sniffed the air and left the room, ignoring the calls of the vampires after me. I went to the room that Ellie's scent was coming from and saw that she was sleeping in a bed similar to the one that I had been in. I climbed onto the bed next to her and ran my hand through her blonde curls. As soon as she woke up, we were leaving. It wasn't safe in a house of vampires. For all I knew, they could be friends with Maria. The very thought paralyzed me with fear.

I won't let them hurt you, Ellie. Not ever again.