Ring! Ring! I wake up hearing this annoying sound every day, but today it's worse. It's 4am. Waking up at this hour should be illegal. I hit the alarm a little too hard and just stare at the ceiling. I really don't want to go but I promised James that I would. So I climb out of bed and head to the bathroom to freshen up a bit and then go to the kitchen to make some coffee, cause I really need it.
I guess you're wondering why I am up this early. Well first of all my name is Bella Swan, I'm 18, brunette with brown eyes (pretty normal) and just graduated high school a few days ago. I live in California and love it, but in September I'll be heading out to study at Columbia in NY. I'm a pretty good student, got all my A's, but not to the extreme. I mean I like to party, go out, have a social life…I don't spend my days in my room studying or doing homework all the time. My best friends, Rose, Demetri, and Alec, are awesome. Rose is your typical popular girl at school. She's pretty, blonde, head cheerleader, popular…except without the bitchy attitude. She's really a great person, if not we wouldn't be friends. Alec is more of a rocker kind of guy, popular with the girls. And Demetri…well he's the brain of us all. Valedictorian, President of the science club…he's brilliant to say the least, and veeery rich. His parents own Wagner Industries, the largest and most successful weapons industry in the world. Which brings me to THE question: Why am I up this early?
Two years ago Demetri had this idea in his head: that he could find a way to travel through time. It ridiculous, I know. But he kept at it. He rented an old warehouse and worked there every day after school. The warehouse turned out to be our gathering place. Two weeks ago Rose, Alec and I were eating at lunch when Demetri comes rushing over to us with pure excitement in his face and tells us he's done it. He found a way to travel through time. He said to meet him today at 4am so he could show us that he wasn't lying. So here I am getting ready to leave to meet him. The only reason I agreed to this was to not hurt his feelings.
I pick up the keys to my car and walk quietly out of the house, so as not to wake up my parents. It's summer and yet it's cold outside today. Damn Demetri and his ungodly hours. When I enter the warehouse I see that Rose is already there and Demetri is busy rummaging around for something.
"Hey guys." I say as I walk in, tossing my keys on the sofa and sitting down.
"You made it! Thanks, I thought you'd bailed. " said Demetri.
"Why would you think that?" I say faking a hurt expression.
"Well Alec bailed, as usual, and I had to drag Rose out of bed."
"Yeah thanks for that, by the way." Said Rose grumpily.
"So Demetri, can you show us your big discovery now so we can go back to bed? I feel like a zombie." I say, while Alec nods in agreement.
"Just a sec, I just need to find my notes."
30 minutes later, Rose and I are standing in front of what looks like a big sophisticated machine, Demetri looking at us expectantly.
"What is THAT?" Rose and I ask.
"That, my dear friends, is what will enable us to travel through time. I designed it so that we could travel to the year 1876." He says.
"We?" Rose asks.
"Of course."
"um, why 1876? Why not go to the future?" I ask.
"We'll go to the future later, now I just want to see something from the 19th century, it's a fascinating time in history." Demetri says, smiling at us.
"All right, whatever, it's not going to work anyways, so just put in whatever the hell you want and lets go." Rose says with an exasperated look.
Demetri looks at her hurt. "Hey! It Is going to work!" he says.
Rose just looks at him annoyed.
"Okay!" I say, clapping my hands, "Demetri just do what you have to do."
"Allright, I'm ready. Bella when I tell you, you will connect that wire to this little baby right here" Demetri says, pointing to the side of the machine.
I nod and pick up the wire.
"Rose, you will press the green button when I tell you, both of you stand back." Demetri says sternly.
We do what he tells us and wait for him to give us the go. He puts in some codes and connects a few wires, then looks at us and smiles. "Let's do it! Rose press the button! Bella connect the wire now!"
I connect the wire and suddenly the room brightens with light from the machine. I try to shield my eyes from the light while I hear Demetri crying with joy that it works.
"It works! I knew it!"
We just stare at the machine in amazement, when suddenly the light stops and the rooms turns dark.
"Um, what just happened?" I ask.
"I don't know, It must have been a wire that moved out of place, let me check." Demetri says.
I move towards the machine to look for a wire out of place, when Demetri suddenly exclaims "Found It!" and connects the wire.
"Wait Demetri-!" I scream, but it's too late. A blinding light erupts from the machine, and suddenly I feel like I'm falling into darkness.
