After that incredibly short prologue, here is the more decently sized first chapter.
Again, this is a crossover with The Lake House and Twilight.
If you like it, please let me know!
I don't own Twilight, Il Mare, or The Lake House
Across the Years – Chapter 1
2009
Isabella Swan looked about the house with an air of finality. She loved it here and had been extremely reluctant to give it up but convenience demanded it. It was too far from her work. She ran her hands down the marble counters of the kitchen, and stood, looking out the window towards the sunlit water of the sea.
She took up the postcard she had brought with her and scribbled a note onto it.
Dear New Tenant,
I hope you enjoy this house as much as I have. It holds a lot of memories for me.
Would you please forward any mail onto me at my new address? (listed on the side)
I would really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Ms. I. Swan
P.S. The dog prints on the floor were already there when I moved in.
Bella dated the postcard, then walked out onto the porch and down the front walkway. She placed the postcard into the mailbox at the end, turning the red flag into its vertical position. With one last look up at the vast blue sky, she got into her car and drove off towards the city.
****************************
Bella was exhausted. The day had been long and tiring, sapping what strength she had. She usually loved her job as a social worker but, some days made her weary of human nature.
Today had been particularly trying, with a case of child sexual abuse. Some parents simply didn't deserve to walk the face of the Earth.
"Bella. You okay?"
Bella looked up to see her friend and co-worker, Alice Brandon in front of her. The diminutive, black-haired young woman had a sympathetic look on her face. They had met on the job two years ago, and become fast friends.
"Hey." Bella said in the way of a greeting.
"Long day?" Alice asked, sitting down beside her.
"Yeah. Bad case. I don't understand people. How can they be so horrible to their own?"
"I know. They don't deserve to live. Do you want to go grab a cup of coffee? Talk about things?"
"That would be great." Bella smiled wanly at her friend.
"Good, let's get out of here." Alice squeezed her shoulder, then pulled Bella up to her feet.
The two girls walked out of the office building, only to come upon a horrific looking scene. Police cars had blocked the traffic on the street, and an ambulance could be heard, the wailing of the siren coming closer and closer until it stopped just short of the barricade.
"Oh God, what happened?" Alice asked a woman who was standing watching with them.
"A man was crossing the street, when he was hit by that truck," she gestured towards a large, white, bakery truck, "He went down like a ton of bricks," the woman informed them, "Police and ambulance just arrived."
"That's horrible." Bella shuddered as she surveyed the paramedics, bent over an unmoving figure.
"Come on Bella, let's go. We can't do much from here." Alice ushered her around the crowd.
They entered a nearby coffee shop, grateful for the warmth. It was a frigid day for Vancouver. They ordered their coffees, found a table, and sat down. Bella shrugged off her coat and scarf.
"I hope that man is alright." Bella commented as she draped her things over the chair.
"So do I. What a terrible thing to happen." Alice said. They were silent for a moment before Alice spoke up again.
"So, what else is new with you?" She asked, as she de-layered.
"Oh, you know, the usual. Work, go home, feed the dog." Bella wrinkled her nose at the way her life sounded…dull. Her expression was mirrored on Alice's face.
"Seriously Bella, you need to go out, have some fun! You can still come out with Rose and me tonight," Alice grinned, "We can get you a man."
"I don't know that I'm ready to date yet." Bella said, curving her hands around her coffee cup for warmth.
"Because of that guy Mike? What he did was terrible, but it wasn't your fault Bella."
"I know that. I'm just not ready to go back out on the market. C'mon Alice, give me a little more time." Bella pleaded.
"Oh fine," Alice huffed, "But you're denying men the opportunity of a lifetime!"
Bella smiled at her friend, and changed the subject.
***********************
After she had bid Alice goodbye, Bella sat in her car, but she didn't want to go to her apartment. Instead she wandered aimlessly around the city roads, and found herself driving towards her old home by the water.
It looked as if it had been waiting for her to come by. As far as she knew there had been no offers on it.
She was glad it hadn't been sold yet, as it afforded her some solitary time with her former haunt. Bella sat down by the water's edge, taking solace in the pink glow of the sun reflected off the water's surface.
After some time, she stood up, and her eyes fell on the mailbox. The flag was still up. Curious to see if any mail had been misdirected, she approached it and pulled down the front flap. Her postcard was gone. In its place was a white envelope, with Ms. Swan written on the front. Bella opened the envelope, and withdrew a piece of yellow legal paper.
Dear Ms. Swan,
I don't see how you could have lived in this house, as it's been empty for at least 3 years.
Perhaps you meant your card for the house a few blocks down the road? Also, the address you left doesn't even exist. Are you sure you wrote it down correctly? And, you misdated your postcard, it's 2007.
Mr. E. Cullen
P.S. What dog tracks are you talking about?
Bella was thoroughly confused. She reread the note then frowned. Her address didn't exist? 2007? Who was this, and what was wrong with him? Rummaging in her purse, she found a pen, tore a page out of her planner, and wrote:
Dear Mr. Cullen,
Let's get one thing clear. It's 2009, not 2007. February 1st, to be exact. I did not mean
the card for any other house than this one. I'll write my new address down one more
time.
Olympic Heights
342 Kensington Road,
Vancouver, B.C.
Again, I would appreciate it if you would forward any mail to the new address.
Thank you.
Ms. Swan
Bella folded the paper, and put it into the mailbox, not bothering about an envelope. She pushed the flag up. As she was walking away, she heard a creak. Turning around, she saw the flag was down again. Warily, Bella slowly walked back to the mailbox, opening it tentatively. She bent down to look inside.
The paper was gone. She stuck her hand in, feeling around all the corners, to make sure the box was empty. Wildly, she whirled around, looking around the ground, wondering if the paper could've flown away somehow.
Bella felt a shiver go down her spine, and shook her head as if to clear it. She ran back to her car, got in and quickly drove away.
Once home, she smoothed out the yellow paper that she had hastily thrown into her purse. She studied it. It seemed like a normal sheet of paper. Her eyes roamed over the words written on the page. It definitely said 2007, there was no way to mistake that 7 for a 9.
The penmanship was neat. Bella traced her finger over the name. E. Cullen. She wondered who he was, and why he thought it was two years ago. Finally, Bella gave up pondering, put the note away, and went to the kitchen to make herself dinner.
*****************
It was a few days before Bella was back to revisit her old home. Work had been keeping her busy. However, her curiosity had got the better of her. Would there be a note waiting for her from E. Cullen?
She pulled up onto the driveway, and cut the engine. Taking a deep breath, Bella got out of the car, her eyes fixed on the mailbox. When she saw the flag was up, her heart skipped a beat. She ran up to the mailbox, and took out another yellow sheet.
Dear Ms. Swan,
This is getting strange. I actually went to the address you listed and it literally does
not exist. It's under construction with the name you listed, but won't be ready for
another year or so. So you can't be living there! To clear things up, today's date is
February 4th, 2007.
Can you tell me what I might be missing here?
E. Cullen
P.S. I know what you mean about the dog tracks now.
Bella put the flag down. He was giving the correct date, but two years off. Her building was under construction? What did he mean he could see what she meant about the paw prints?
She wondered if she were the subject of a practical joke, but who would put so much effort into it?
The only other explanation was that this E. Cullen really did live in the past. Or that he was completely delusional, she thought to herself wryly. It was more likely the latter. Still, his writing didn't seem like someone with psychological issues.
Tucking the note into her planner, Bella made her way back to her car. As she turned the key, she couldn't help but smile.
It wasn't conventional, but at least it was something different in her life.
A/N: Please review!