Isabella looked around her. Everything was on fire. Where was she? Turn around, Edward said in her mind. She did, and saw the dark castle looming on the mountain behind her. Is this... was this... the forest? Only blackened stubs remained of the trees. The air was uncomfortably humid, and the sky was dark with rainclouds. She looked up. I hope it rains and puts out the fire, she thought. Just then, the sky rumbled with thunder and it started raining.

She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sky. She wanted the rain to cool her flushed face. As the liquid touched her face, she knew something was wrong. It was warm. She smelled it before she saw it.

Blood. She gasped and became dizzy. As the world spun around her she fell down and the scene changed. Blood no longer dripped from the sky, but rather rose from the ground. It began pooling underneath her and she felt that she was on stone. She shakily stood up, and tried to see where she was, but it was completely dark. She walked around with her arms in front of her- her feet were now sloshing in the liquid underneath her. She found the wall and began walking along it, feeling for a door. She got to a corner and turned, ignoring the sinking dread that replaced her sickness. It was an even shorter walk to the next corner.

The blood was to her knees now, and it was difficult to walk through. She sped up and found another corner. There's no way out! She kept running, splashing everywhere. It had reached her stomach now. Still, she felt no exit. It rose to her chest, and she began crying. Her feet couldn't even touch the ground. She was literally swimming in blood. She rose with it, until the top of her head touched stone. NO! It was still rising. It almost covered her mouth. She tilted her head back, and as it almost covered her lips she inhaled one last time.

She woke up, gasping. She lifted her hand to her face. It was just as dry, and as pale as usual. She sighed. Oh, goodness! I fell asleep in the library! she realized. How did I get back here? The cool silk felt amazing after nearly drowning in the warm blood.

She slipped one long skinny leg out to touch the smooth floor. She could still feel the blood between her toes, but shook off the bad dream and got out of bed.

She walked over to the wardrobe opposite her bed. Opening the doors, she saw a dark purple dress. I suppose Edward placed an outfit for everyone in their rooms.

She started to undress when she realized she wasn't in her school clothes from the day before. What if Edward brought me back from the library... and changed my clothes! She was mortified. He wouldn't have! No, I'm sure he has some servant women who put me in this nightgown.

She pretended she hadn't thought of it and put on the dress. Papa would not approve of the neckline, as it went low and nearly to the shoulders, but Isabella loved it anyway. Purple was such a beautiful color. She had once asked for a purple ribbon for her hair, and that was the day Mama had to have a talk with her about how they couldn't buy pretty things or else they would be hungry. She did a little twirl in front of the tall gilt-framed mirror next to the wardrobe, before leaving the room.

She heard chatter from down the hall and followed it. She approached the door it came from cautiously, and tried to slip in unnoticed.

"Isabella!" Jessica called immediately. "Come play with us!" Isabella blinked in surprise and went to the girls, hoping it wasn't a trick.

It was. The moment she was near Jessica hissed, "You'd better not talk to him! We've already decided he's going to marry me, and if you don't get in my way, I might let you stay with them," she pointed to the other girls, "as servants in the castle when I'm his wife."

"He's already asked for your hand?" Isabella asked, shocked. They had only met yesterday!

Jessica's face flushed with anger and embarrassment. "Not yet, but no one else is to accept it if he offers. If you do, I'll hate you even more."

"I didn't want to play with you anyway," Isabella said, walking away. She wasn't sure if she felt like laughing or crying. Edward wasn't going to ask for anyone's hand in marriage, least of all her's.

Suddenly she felt his presence. Everyone looked up as Edward strode into the room. He looked slightly angry, and Isabella flinched a little.

"My house is a place of very few rules, however, if you treat my special guest with cruelty, you will not be welcome here much longer." His voice was cold, and Jessica gasped.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Edward! Isabella can play with us! Honest!" the girls all insisted.

Isabella looked down, blushing. Edward didn't need to defend her like that. "Thank you," she said quietly.

She went over to the girls and sat down. They all made room for her. They were playing with dolls. "This one's yours." Katie said, handing her a doll. Isabella looked down at it and blinked. "It was Jessica's idea to hide it from you."

"Thank you, Katie." The doll had long brown hair that reached her waist and brown eyes and a purple dress on her pale, skinny body. It's me... She looked around at everyone else's. Jessica's doll had blue eyes and dark brown, curly hair, and a pink dress just like Jessica. Everyone's doll looked like them.

Isabella turned back around, expecting Edward to say something, but he was gone, and the suddenly kind girls didn't seem to notice his absence at all.

Isabella hadn't really played much, and she was sure she wasn't very good at it, but the girls weren't making fun of her. With the look in their eyes, she wasn't sure the girls were even there.

They went through the day laughing and playing and eating like princesses. Isabella was weirded out by the sudden amiability of her classmates, but wasn't about to complain about it! Even though she suspected it wasn't really their decision to be nice to her, she couldn't help but feel a little haughty.

Eventually they began to smell dinner and walked in the direction of the dining hall. Isabella wondered where Edward was. They hadn't seen him for some time. "We should find Edward first," she said impulsively. Whatever Edward had done to their minds, it might make them actually listen to her.

"Good idea, Isabella!" they all murmured in appreciative agreement. Though she didn't really know where she was going, she wandered to a distant part of the castle. It was far away from where they were supposed to be, and eventually she considered turning around.

Suddenly a high pitched shriek of terror echoed loudly in the corridor. Everyone went towards the sound, anxiety nearly waking a few of them up, and then they met Edward in the hallway. All the apprehension left their eyes like it had drained right out of them. In it's place was the gossipy, giggly mood they had before.

"Girls, go to the dining hall. There's nothing to see here," Edward insisted, blocking the hallway. The other girls immediately turned around without question, leaving Isabella alone in the hallway, facing Edward. As he took a drink of his wine, his eyes flashed red, and then he blinked and they returned to gold. Isabella shuddered. It probably isn't wine.

"What... who...?" Her eyes filled up with tears. Edward raised an eyebrow.

"Is there a problem, Isabella?"

She straightened up. "Not at all. What's for dinner today?"

"Pork roast, vegetables, and pastries."

"Thank you, Mr. Edward." She turned away, resisting the urge to run.

She tried not to feel sick as she ate the extravagant meal. She had been right. Edward was going to kill them all.

The moment she was out of sight, Edward laughed. Isabella was a terrible actress.