ISABELLE: Chapter 1

It was a night like no other. My parents were downstairs making dinner while I was upstairs in my bedroom, reading one of my favorite storybooks; it told of a beautiful princess, a valiant knight, and a dashing rescue from a evil fire breathing dragon. As I turned the pages of my book, I began to feel a strange sort of tingling sensation in my fingers. It certainly didn't feel normal. I ignored it for another moment or so, when a sudden spark of light pierced my fingers. I jumped, almost falling off my bed, my heart beat faster as I tried to gather my thoughts. My Mother must of heard something, because within the next few moments, she called up the stairs.

"Elena? Are you alright darling?"

My name is Elena Isabelle Craven, I was born with the name Elena and am known by my entire family as Elena. Most of the time I will ignore anyone who calls me that. My Mother named me after my great Grandmother Rosabella Elena Savesta. Rosa was a cruel selfish woman, I was so happy when she died last year. Whenever I had to stay with her due to my parents' business trips, I would say to my Mother "I will die before going to stay with her again!" Obviously, that never worked. My Mother named me after her because Rosa in some messed up shape or form, was an inspration to my Mother. So she named me after her. I always told myself, when you become a teenager, you will no longer be Elena. I decided to lose my birth name and be Isabelle. My Mother chose Isabelle after this beautiful white cat she adopted when I was only 2 years old. Unfortunately when I was 4, Isabelle was attacked by a large dog and crushed to death. God I loved that cat, and so did my Mother.

I began to whimper, scared that my fingers were burning, on fire somehow. I was too scared to call to anyone because I didn't want to scare them, so I remained silent, inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, waiting for the feeling to pass. And it did.

7 years later

It was the night of my 13th birthday. I'd had an amazing day! I had been with all my friends who so generously gave me a few gifts. My parents and I watched my favorite movie together The Princess Bride. Everything was absolutely perfect. Around 7:30pm, I was in the backyard, reading a new book one of my friends had gotten me, knowning my love for reading. I suddenly could smell smoke. I couldn't make out where it was, but I was curious. I looked all around the yard, not findig any trace of anything. I then looked up, and found horror. My entire room was on fire, I could hear screams coming from the kitchen. I couldn't move, couldn't think, I didn't know what to do.

"Isabelle," a voice startled me.

I whipped around to found a woman about my Mother's age; she had black hair tied tightly in a perect bun, her eyes a piercing blue. She wore a long black frilled dress that just brush her heels.

She was smiling at me "Isabelle, are you alright?"

"Who the hell are you?" I asked, frowning.

"It's alright," she put her hands up in defence.

"I mean you no harm. My name is Laverna, I'm here to help you,"

"Help me? With what? Can't you see my damn house is on fire! My parents are still in there!" I said as I started to run ot the door.

"Isabelle," she shouted angrily.

My feet suddenly stopped where they were, my eyes bugled as I tried to move.

"Why can't I move?"

"Because I stopped you," Laverna approached.

I looked at her, tears swelling in my eyes.

"My family is in there, I have to help them," she shook her head.

"It's too late my dear, it's too late,"

"Too late?"

"That fire was not caused by anything natural, listen to me," she placed her hands on either sides of my face, looking right into my eyes.

"There are things in this world, things you will not understand now, but will come to understand in time. Your loss is indeed painful, but you cannot linger,"

"Your a stranger, you appear in my yard at the bewitching minute of the fire? Who do you think you are?"

"May I ask you something?"

"Yes,"

'Do you believe in magic?" I hesitated for a moment.

"I don't know," she smiled at me.

"Do you trust me?" I continued to look at me.

"I think so,"

"Then come, we must leave, it's not safe,"

"But wait," I said, looking back at my house.

"That life matters not, you must come with me if you want to learn,"

"Learn what?"

"What you are,"

"And what am I?" she held her hand out.

"Come," I looked down at her hand, inhaled deeply, and exhaled as I took it.

I looked back at her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Do you trust me?"

"I do,"

And with that, the entire scenery disappeared, like the sun disappearing into the night.