Prologue

I forced my eyes open, the bright Arizona morning sun forcing it's way into the room. Pushing the matted hair from my face, I looked over at Emmett. His six year old cherubic face slept soundly, cuddled around Jasper, his small yellow kitten. Next to him was our mother. I looked at Victoria, her red hair as bright as the sun that pestered my eyes.

My mother was a succubus of a woman. The room we were in was dirty, and cold. Had it not been for my hooded sweatshirt Emmett would have frozen to death.

Soon, their sleep was disrupted, when police cars, loud sirens ringing, rounded the corner.

Chapter One

I looked begrudgingly at the old house as the beaten up old red car pulled us up to the front porch. It was painted white, with green shutters. There was a swing for two on the porch, and the rust wrapped heavily around the chain told me it had not been used for quite some time. Peyfield Valley had many houses like these. Old homes surrounded by woods and swamps. The south.

"I hope you guys will like it here," said Aunt Alice, "I've come to have a deep fondness for this house."

"It's...nice," I said.

"Oh, it isn't that big," laughed Alice.

"It's pretty." said Emmett from the back seat, his seven year old cherubic face gleaming at the building.

I immediately felt uncomfortable looking at the house. A sense of guilt pushed it's way into my lungs. Emmett and I were going to be practically living in a palace, while my mother was sitting in a prison cell.

Inside, the house smelled warm, like cinnamon. The living room was complete with a fireplace. A rocking chair sat next to the hearth, and a TV sat in the corner. beside the stairs started a hallway that went, ending with a backdoor leading outside. The wood floors were covered with many different rugs, all with some sort of complicated designs on them. Old pictures of people I didn't know hung on the walls, and green plants were scattered throughout the room.

It was nice. Almost too nice for me. I wasn't used to it at all. At any moment I expected a roach to scurry across the floor, or to almost step on an empty beer bottle Victoria would have left lying on the floor. Nothing seemed real. It all seemed to me like a really high tech hologram, and that someone was about to flip a switch and it would all be gone.

Alice turned a lamp with a rose design on, and the room was lit with a warm glow. It actually seemed like a home, not a place to sleep. This made me especially uncomfortable, and I shifted my weight to one leg.

Jasper began to squirm in Emmett's arms, and he jumped down, eventually escaping. He trotted over to the couch and immediately made himself at him, lying down on the arm.

"He likes it here already," laughed Alice. In my mind I thought of a million things to say, things to start conversation with, but I said nothing. The silence was deafening. Thankfully, Alice broke it with, "Let's go see your rooms, then."

She turned and started up the stairs, and Emmett followed her, me in the very back. Jasper watched us leave, then put his head down on the arm rest. The stairs creaked as we put our weight on them, and I was afraid with every step that we would crash through. But they were strong and held us up. At the top of the steps was a tall window. Outside of it was a view of the trees that started about twenty yards from the house. a door was at the immediate right. Across from it another door, and beside that another.

"This one is yours," said Alice to me, pointing to the door at the right, "This is yours, Emmett." She pointed to the one across from it. I opened the door to see a good sized room. A dresser was at my left, next to it was a large window. The queen sized bed sat parallel to the window, a large quilt that covered it. To my right was a vanity, on it sat a large plastic vase with fake tulips in it. I thought it gave the room a bright atmosphere, again something that I was not used to.

On the bed was about three magazines, all tops on the juiciest celebrity gossip. A lot of the stars on the cover I didn't even recognize. "I thought those might give you something to do," said Alice.

"Great," I said, trying my best to sound grateful, "Thank you."

"Bella!" I heard Emmett call, "Look!"

He came into the room carrying a yellow toy pick up truck.

"That's nice," I said, "Say thank you." "Thank you," said Emmett sincerely.

"You're very welcome," replied Alice.

"I'm gonna go show Jasper!" said Emmett, and he ran out of the room happily.

There was a short silence. Finally, I managed to break it with, "I like the room. Thanks." Alice smiled.

"There's some extra pillows and blankets in the closet if you need them," She said.

"Great. Thanks."

Before she left, she said, "Bella, you know I get how feel. You can come to me whenever you need to. Do remember she was my sister."

"Thanks." I said, and she left the room. How would she know how I felt? Her mother was a very religious woman, there was never a Sunday where they weren't at Church, at least that's what Victoria had told me. That was probably a lie too, just like everything else.

I was alone now, something I was used to. Throwing my bag on the bed, I immediately went over to the window and looked out over woods. Just below the window, there was a little bit of roof sticking out. Perhaps I could sit on it, if it were strong enough, then I'd have a place to hide when I wanted to be alone. Looking at it a bit longer, I could see it was too sloped for safety. I'd have to find a place, an oasis. I left the room, and went down the stairs. In the living room, Emmett had put Jasper in the back of the little pick up truck and was giving him a ride in it. Jasper looked up wide eyed, not knowing what to do. "Emmett." I began, "You're scaring him."

Alice was in the kitchen, preparing noodles for spaghetti. "Is it okay if I walk around the yard a little bit?" I asked.

"Sure," said Alice, turning from the pot, "Just don't got too far. And don't be too long, dinner should be ready soon."

As I walked toward the backdoor, Emmett asked, "Where are you going?"

"Out." I said simply.

"I want to come too," he pleaded.

"Stay here with Jasper, he needs you," I said. Emmett obeyed.

I slipped down two concrete steps then hit the grass. There was no porch or patio, nothing but overgrown yard. I began to walk toward the trees, the sun sending a golden haze over them. It was a large stretch to them, but when I finally reached them I could see it was worth it. It was shady, except for some streams of light that made it through the branches, and the ground was soft.

Before long, I came to a large pond. The water rippled slightly, but there was almost no movement. The murky water was eerie, and the way the grass waved in barely any wind around it was almost majestic. It was very serene, and I knew immediately this was the spot I could come. I sat down on the grass and leaned back, putting my weight on my hands. The sky above the pond was clear and blue, and I felt as if I were in a fairy country. About a week ago, I would have been in some shady neighborhood, surrounded by run down buildings and drug dealers, my mother's favorite place. But right now, I felt as if none of that ever existed. It felt like none of that ever existed. I waited for the hologram to turn off, but it didn't.

Slowly, I laid back and put my hands under my head. Puffy white clouds flew over head, and some took on strange different shapes. One cloud looked like an elephant, and it took up most of my vision. While watching it parade across the sky, my mind slipped into a calm reverie. I shut my eyes and enjoyed the peace.

"Heeehhh."

My eyes pulled open. What was that hissing noise? Sitting up, I looked around, expecting to see a snake. But nothing was there. The silence became deafening as my bowels clenched. Nothing.

Slowly, I managed to turn my head, where something odd met my glance.

About ten feet away, I noticed a large tree. Something was strange about it, carvings scratched into it. Slowly, I stepped toward the trunk where the word was written: LUCY. Who was Lucy? I stared at the deep carving for a long time. I wondered how long it had been there. It didn't look new at all, and moss was beginning to shroud it.

I felt something move over my right ankle. I immediately jumped up, afraid a snake had crawled over me, but there was nothing there. I looked behind me, and noticed how close I was to the water. Whatever it was, it must have gone in. I curled my nose, worried once again that I wasn't alone.

A sense of danger crept into me, and I looked around myself, carefully scanning for anything that might pop out. The tree tops began to sway as a strong breeze blew, blowing the hair in my face out of the way, parting like a curtain. Did I hear...wind chimes? I cocked my head to the right. Sure enough, wind chimes were sounding...somewhere.

As I looked about myself once more, I noticed something across the pond. Was it a house? I squinted, trying to see better, and saw that it was indeed a house. Trying to be careful as to not slip into the water, I made my way around the pond. Mud squished beneath my feet, a disgusting feeling to me.

I stared at the house as I moved, almost afraid it would disappear. Suddenly, I lost my balance and felt to the ground, cutting my arm on a fallen tree limb. I held it as it bled a small amount. It stung, but it was bearable. As I got nearer to the house, I could see how overgrown it was. Tall grass surrounded it, and weeds were sprouting up through the porch. It was one story, and a faded white color. The windows had no curtains, a large spider web sat just under the window sill. I debated whether I should go closer, suddenly remembering all of the horror films I have watched. Suddenly, my heart stopped. Someone, or something, was emerging from the house.

My eyes grew wide, and my heart began to beat fast. I wanted to turn and run, but I could not move. The door opened wide, and a man stepped out. He had dark red hair, a mix of bronze and copper, that was just long enough in the front to frame around his temple, and halfway down his neck in the back. His eyes were a golden brown, like a glass of iced tea when you held it to the light, a noticeable topaz ring around his iris. His skin was pale and clean. His expression was pleasant, and had a chin that looked as if it could cut a diamond. My fear subsided for a mere moment as I took in his handsome features, but it soon returned as severe nerves.

"Hello," he said in a smooth voice. I said nothing, but sheepishly bit my lower lip. After a moment he said, "Are you alright? You look pale."

Realizing how afraid I must look, I shifted my weight onto my left leg, hoping it would help to make me look more nonchalant. "I'm alright," I said, though my voice shook terribly, I was still in shock from his appearance out of the house. My mind flashed back to the many crazed serial killers in the movies, and I was afraid he would pull out a hatchet or a butcher knife at any moment.

"At first I thought I saw you come out of the pond," he said, "But you can't be a mermaid."

I forced a laugh, unable to think of anything to say. He looked like an adventurer, standing with his arms crossed and his feet apart a good two feet. He wore torn jeans and a blue plaid long sleeve shirt, which made me think of an illustration of Paul Bunion I had once seen.

"So, you must be Bella," he said. He knew my name?! I felt paranoia as I began to wonder if he knew me, and I was supposed to know me. "Your Aunt Alice's told me a lot about you." he continued. I felt relief calm myself. So he was friends with Alice. At least now I knew he wasn't a psycho...at least I thought he wasn't a psycho, "I'm Edward Cullen. Call me Edward," he said. There was another silence. There were lots of things I could have said, but I chose to be quiet. "Ouch," he broke the silence, "What did you do to your arm?"

I looked down at the arm I had cut. A small drop of blood trickled out. "Oh," I began, "I fell." He came down from the porch and stepped to me, taking my arm for a closer look. His hands were soft yet firm. Strong and gentle. "Yuck," he said, "Let me clean that up for you."

He led me up the porch and through the door of his house before I could protest. The house smelled like wood, which was surprisingly pleasant to me. On the left was a lumpy dark green couch, in front of it a medium sized TV. On the left was a small kitchen, which looked barely used. A round table sat in the center of the kitchen, with three chairs placed randomly around it. Edward walked over to one of the cabinets and opened it, revealing a lot of things in it such as flashlights, tools, and other things I didn't recognize. I looked over and saw a small picture frame hanging on the wall. A handkerchief was thrown over it, covering half of it. On the bottom half I could see the torso of a woman. It was old and black and white. I began to lift up the handkerchief.

"Here we are!" Edward said suddenly, and I dropped the handkerchief. Turning to him, I saw him pull out a little white plastic case with a red cross on it. He sat down at the table as I crossed over and joined him. He pulled out a brown bottle, and poured some of it's liquid onto a large cotton pad.

"You never know when you may need this," he said, "What with that jungle outside."

I forced a laugh as he took my arm. "This will sting a little," he warned, and placed the pad on my cut. I winced a little as a burning sensation reach my skin. "Sorry," he said sympathetically as I pursed my lips. "It's okay," I said, "I've felt worse."

"So, how do you like it here so far?" he asked.

"It's nice," I said, looking about myself at the room. He laughed.

"I meant living with your aunt," he chuckled. My face felt hot with embarrassment. How stupid can you sound? I thought to myself.

"Oh," I finally said, forcing a small laugh, "It's fine. A little big for me."

"Big?"

"Yeah. I'm used to three room apartments, and hotel rooms."

"I see. So, did you choose to come here, or what?"

I pursed my lips for a minute. Should I lie? He'd find out anyway. "My mother is...detained at the moment."

"I didn't mean to pry-"

"No, it's fine," I said, "She's in jail. Drugs, mainly.""Oh..." Edward said nothing for a moment, almost afraid to say anything else, "I shouldn't have asked."

"It's ok. I'm not embarrassed. This isn't the first time."

"You have a brother too, don't you?" he asked, and I could tell he wanted to change the subject.

"Yeah, Emmett. A half brother."

"Nothing wrong with that," Edward said as he took the pad off my arm, which glistened from the rubbing alcohol. He produced a bandage from the white box and fumbled with the wrapper. After he finally got the band aid out of the paper, he gently stuck it vertically on part of my cut. He produced a second bandage from the box and placed it on the other half.

"There," he said, "I think you'll make it now." His smile was a genuine toothy one. I smiled back.

"Thank you," I said, then I remembered that Alice was waiting for me, "Oh, I forgot. My Aunt is expecting me soon."

"Then you'd better go," said Edward. I stood up and headed for the door.

"Thanks again," I called back.

"No problem," he replied, "Come and visit sometime."

I said nothing more as I shut the door behind me. If I had said 'sure thing' then I'd have the obligation too, and if that didn't work out I'd seem rude, and I had no intention of saying no. I made my way quickly through the little bit of forest, passed the pond, and through more forest. The walk back up through the back yard to the backdoor was trying on my thighs, which ached up the subtle incline. As I entered the house, Jasper came sliding down the hall in the pick up truck. Emmett sat on the other end of the hallway, who had just pushed the truck. As the toy neared me, I scooped Jasper up and held him close. "Don't do that!" I said to Emmett, "You could hurt him."

"We were playing." he protested.

"I know you weren't planning on it, but accidents happen. He's small, be gentle with him." Jasper rubbed his head into my shoulder, a sign of affection. I handed him back to Emmett, "Hold him gentle. Pet him a little. Emmett stroked him as nicely as he could. Eventually Jasper settled, and shut his eyes. He began to purr.

"There," I said, "You see?"

Emmett walked down the hallway and into the living room. I entered the kitchen just as Alice was beginning to pour bubbling sauce over three plates of spaghetti. "Dinner is served!" She said, "I haven't cooked for more than one person in quite a while," she said, "I hope I did okay." I began to help set the table.

"What happened to your arm?" she asked, noticed the bandages.

"Oh, I cut it on a fallen branch," I said, "A guy fixed it up for me...Edward Cullen, I think?"

"Ah, Edward's a good guy." said Alice.

"He seemed so...The pond was kind of eerie though."

"Pond?" A look of worry crossed Alice's face.

"Yeah, there's a pond, just a little into the woods."

"Oh...I had forgotten it was that close," said Alice, "Bella, be very careful around that pond. Don't let Emmett even close. A lot of people have drowned in it." I thought she was joking at first, but her expression held nothing but the utmost seriousness.

* * *

I spent the rest of the night in my room alone. Unpacking was a very small task, as I preferred to travel light. I read through the magazines, hoping that perhaps it would help me to understand a bit more of what the other people were saying at school.

Oh, school, how I was dreading it! All of these people were friends and new each other. I would be the freak show. The new kid. It wouldn't be the first time, but it would be the first time in a long time. Nearly 3 years now. I had never been to high school, though. My senior year would be a great feat, I was so behind. Oh well, I had a whole weekend to worry.

Pushing down the quilt with my feet, I switched off the lamp next to my bed and laid in the cold darkness. After about ten minutes. The quilt came up around me. "Goodnight," came a gentle whisper.

I sat up, expecting to find Alice smiling at me. But to my surprise, there was no one in the room, the door still shut…and locked.