My eyes fluttered open, and I let my eyes get adjusted to my surroundings. I realized I was in a forest, and it was night.

Silvery moonlight filtered through the trees so I could see everything that was around me.

The ground I was lying on was cold and hard.

I sat up and groaned. I fell back to the ground. What was wrong with me?

I held up my hand, and realized I was bleeding profusely. It was coming from…my neck!

My eyes closed and fell into the depths of unconsciousness.

Scrambled images of things—people maybe?—were in my dream. I didn't know what was happening. I was crying, sobbing uncontrollably until I noticed something in the background I didn't notice before. It was person in a black cloak. The person was staring at me, trying to figure out what was wrong with me.

It was a man. Only I couldn't see his face. Only his skin which looked pale.

________________________________________________________________________

Something moved.

My eyes opened quickly and I looked around to see what presence of.

Nothing. That was…odd. I tried to stand up, and amazingly I could.

I tried to remember what had happened before I'd woken up.

I could remember my name.

Dawn Crandall.

I could remember brief parts of my past…

My parents…though their faces were a blur. But I knew without having to remember I was an orphan and I lived alone—without anyone knowing of course.

I felt faint and I realized I was thirsty.

I looked around. The sun was starting to rise, I checked my pockets, and I had a wallet.

I lived in Forks, Washington. Why couldn't I remember any of this?

Things—thankfully—were starting to come to me.

I walked out of the forest, dazed and dizzy and started trudging back for the house. My parents had bought this house and it was the one I had grown up in. I was also an only child.

I walked into the bathroom to inspect the spot from where I was bleeding so much.

Bits and pieces of things were coming back to me gradually.

I was seventeen years old and attended Forks High School. I had no friends and was basically a total outcast. It was Saturday and I had the whole weekend to forget why I was in that the forest bleeding in the first place.

I stared at my neck in the mirror.

I gasped as I saw two little pinprick sized gouges in my neck. I shrugged it off.

Maybe I scratched it too hard there or something? I thought. But, wait…that still wouldn't explain all the blood that I'd lost…

I walked over to the couch and sighed. I collapsed onto the couch and covered my eyes with my hand. I wasn't even tired…

I realized I had been awake for the entire night. I didn't even notice it. I'm not even the slightest bit tired!

I figured to check out the woods a bit more, maybe I could figure out why I was unconscious. I decided to go out and get out of the house.

I trudged through the leaves that cluttered the ground and inhaled, letting the cool breeze caress my face.

I heard a small noise come from behind me. I spun around and saw a deer. Deer were always coming though this forest. But, usually they didn't come this close to humans. I took a step forward. It flinched slightly.

I heard its breathing, and then its heartbeat!

I was terrified out of my wits, but by some strange force I was paralyzed, walking to the deer until I came to a stop a few feet in front of it. I breathed—perhaps a little too loudly—and the deer took off.

"Oh no you don't!!" I shouted, bounding after it, seeming to jump meters with one jump.

I disregarded this because all that was important to me at the time was that deer.

I tackled it, taking it to the ground. Without the least hesitation, I went for its jugular. I drank its blood.

After a couple minutes of drinking I stood up as if everything was all right. The deer was cold and dead. Drained of its blood and life.

A twig snapped from behind me. I turned, coiling my body and prepared to strike at whatever—or whoever—disturbed me.

A man was standing there, observing me with interest.

"Who…are you?" I said.

"You're one of us it seems." He said, not answering my question.

"What are you?" I asked in a quiet voice.

"I am the same thing you are." He said cryptically.

"And that is…?" I asked.

"You must be a newborn." He said, chuckling.

"I'm seventeen, thank you very much!" I snapped, turning to leave.

"Would you like to know what you've become?" he asked, his deep voice luring me in.

I turned to face him. Like I would fall for his lame tricks.

He seemed about eighteen or so, and he had raven black hair. His skin was pale white. He was wearing a black cloak. Something occurred to me.

He must be the same man from my dream! The one who was watching me from the background!

"What?" I asked, but I had a good idea from my recent behavior what it was.

"A vampire." He said.

My fears became reality. There was no possible explanation for this. None. How could a mythical creature really exist?

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Dominic." He answered.

"How did you get here?"

"I was hunting in the area," he paused and thought and then continued. "And I saw you attacking that deer. I was curious to see if you were a newborn so I came to investigate."

"Are there…more of your kind?" I whispered.

He chuckled, as if finding this sick being that I was amusing. I glared at him.

"Undoubtedly, yes." He said. "In fact, there are more right here in Forks." He said.

I crept toward a tree a little more.

"Do you live here in Forks?"

He shrugged. "I've been here for a while, but usually I move around a lot."

"So you're a vampire?" I asked.

He nodded. "Do you drink animal blood then? Like the Cullens?" he asked. Was there a hint of malice in his voice? Or was I just imagining it?

"The Cullens…? Who're they?"

"A coven of vampires that live here in Forks. They have a permanent residence here." He said.

"I just drank the deer's blood," I said, looking at the carcass, "because I was so thirsty. My instincts took control of me…and I…I…killed it."

"I think I'll be going," he said suddenly.

"Wait!" I couldn't believe I was actually going along with this…had I lost my sanity?

"One more question!" I said.

He looked at me expectantly and grinned.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Do you go to Forks High School?"

He sighed.

"Yes, I just started going a couple months ago."

"Does anyone else know that you're a vampire?" A stupid question… I thought, though I had to ask.

"No,"

"Do you think tomorrow we could like…talk some more? I need to know all I can about this. So I don't…actually kill someone." I said.

"That's more than one question," he said, grinning.

I frowned.

"But, yes, we can talk some more tomorrow."

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Dawn," I said.

"Goodbye, Dawn, see you tomorrow," he said.

"See you." I said, turning and walking back to my house.

I think it was time I went to sleep.

Once again I had stayed up all night. Not the least bit tired…this could get old soon…

I got dressed in a plain white t-shirt and jeans. I put on a pair of black flats. I took a long, hot shower, dried, and brushed my plain brown hair.

I packed my bags and headed out to my car. I bit my lip and started driving to school.

I pulled into the school with a frown plastered on my face as I remembered all the unpleasant memories I had of this place.

As if on cue, there he was, right at the end of the hall, smirking at me.

And, boy, did I have a lot of questions for him.