BELLA SWAN

I awoke to Alice staring at me, her face inches away from my nose. At first I thought I was dreaming, but vampires don't dream, do they? My eyes widen and I suddenly sat up, gasping for breath. Everything spun around unsettlingly. I felt nauseous.

"Carlisle, she's coming about!" Alice said. There was relief in her voice.

Her face was swirling. I couldn't keep a focus on her face. Then she gave me a cup of red liquid. My thirst consumed me, and I drank it bare. It was delicious. I felt alive again.

Alice hugged me. I was surprised, it caught me off guard. Then I hugged her back. I didn't even realize how much I missed her. I breathed again. Her scent smelled exactly like it always did. Then another scent hit me, one that smelled repulsive.

I turned my head toward the source of the smell, and then I saw…

"Jacob?" My voice was soft and uncertain. Was I hallucinating?

No, he was real. He was the real deal!

He gave me a small smile. The smile was forced, but still, it was a smile.

I jumped from the couch and ran over to hug him. His body was blazing with heat. I was suddenly aware that he was tensed.

"Jacob?" my smiled faded when I saw his expression. It was one of revulsion. I was suddenly aware that I was a vampire now, and he was a werewolf. We were two sides of the yin and yang, opposites.

I slowly pulled apart. He was still tensed. I knew that his werewolf instincts were screaming at him to kill me, to rip me apart.

I slowly retreated to Alice's side, then put my face in my hands.

"I'm sorry, Jake."

Jacob didn't move, he just sat there, his body trembling.

I heard footsteps, and the sound of people sitting down. I finally lifted my face out of my hands.

There sat everyone; Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett. All except for the one I wanted to see the most, all except Edward. I noticed that Jacob sat far away from us.

"Bella," Carlisle's voice was gentle and soothing, "I was hoping you can tell us what happened."

Emmett nodded, "You have no idea how worried we've been."

I looked at all of their faces. I noticed that the shadows under their eyes looked deeper and darker. Then I looked at Jacob. His eyes were closed. It looked like he was dreaming, except he was trembling again.

My voice was flat and monotone. I didn't want to relive these last months, they were my lost period.

"It was a while ago, I'm not sure if I remember it all, but…"

The images flooded my mind. Edward kissing Tanya and running away with her, the mystery vampire bit me. I remembered everything.

I took a deep breath and began, "I was washing dishes, when he was there, this human, or so I thought. He advanced and before I knew it," I paused and edited. I didn't want to tell them about that. I didn't even understand myself why he kissed me.

"He wasn't a human after all. He was a vampire, a shape shifting vampire. Then he…kidnapped me. And he brought me to a meadow…our meadow."

I swallowed. Edward… I felt Alice pat my back reassuringly. I continued, my voice thick with emotion.

"Edward was there with Tanya, and he kissed her. They ran off with each other. He didn't love me, he never loved me. He lied."

I couldn't take it. I started crying. Immediately I felt someone's hands around me, but they were too hot to be a vampire's hands.

I looked up and saw Jacob. His face was twisted in pain. I knew then I was forgiven. Alice, who was sitting beside me, hugged me too. Her face was filled with pity. I shuddered and gasped, then continued in a shaky voice.

"Then the vampire who kidnapped me, prepared to kill me. I don't know why he didn't completely drain me of my blood, but that's what he did. So then I changed."

I paused in my story. I hoped they would tell me to stop. It was too painful to relive it again.

Everyone was full of sympathy and horror. They were horrified I was changed this way, but no one told me to discontinue.

"When I woke up, I woke up alone. I woke up in a place that was unfamiliar. Then I…I wandered. I've been wandering until Jacob found me."

My throat was all choked up now. I couldn't talk anymore, so I just stared down at the table. Its glossy finish reflected an image of me. That's when I realized that today was the first day I got a good look at myself.

I almost gasped out of shock. That reflection couldn't possibly be me! Then I touched my cheek, it was me!

My skin was now as pale as Alice's. But that wasn't as shocking as my face. It was now that same airbrushed model face that was in the pages of Vogue. My hair was a brilliant dark burgundy and my lips were fuller and redder. The only thing that bothered me was that my eyes were red. It scared me because it reminded me of Victoria's eyes.

I stared, transfixed at my reflection, then I sighed.

What did it matter what I looked like. Edward wasn't here, and he will never be here. Edward will never come back, because Edward didn't love me anymore.

Edward…where was he? The last time I saw him he ran off with Tanya.

Tanya. My hatred for her was as deep as the deepest pits of hell. Jasper must've felt my loathing because instantly I felt a lethargic cloud wash over me. I forcefully pushed it away. I didn't want calm down. I hated Tanya and I wanted to do something about it.

Then there's Edward. How could he just leave me? I thought he loved me, but I was wrong. I wanted to see Edward. I wanted to show him what I had become. Because maybe then Edward will love me again. I was filled with hope for the first time in months, even if it was blind hope.

"Where's Edward." I said. I heard a hard edge creep into my tone.

Everyone froze. I was puzzled by their action. What were they hiding from me?

I slowly counted to a hundred while closing my eyes. I realized that Jacob had stopped hugging me and was now sitting at the far end of the couch again.

…98…99…100. I opened my eyes. No one spoke, but everyone was still tensed, everyone except for Jacob. He managed to fall asleep in the tense atmosphere.

'Well?" I was getting more impatient and anxious by the second. What were they hiding from me?

Nobody said anything. The only noise was Jacob's peaceful snores. I felt a little irritated that he can just sleep when everything was going so wrong. I wanted to know where Edward is and why the Cullens were hiding that from me.

I turned to Alice. She was searching my face, but she wasn't saying anything. For a second I wanted so badly to have Edward's power. It then occurred to me that I didn't even know what my power is.

I concentrated hard on Alice, hoping that maybe I'll be able to I can read her mind. Nothing, not even a buzz or anything. I concentrated even harder. I needed to find out where Edward is.

I wasn't getting anything, it was hopeless. I stared at Alice. If only I can get inside her head. If only---

Suddenly I felt disconnected from my body. It was like my soul or essence was being ripped from my body. I felt my body collapse as I left it behind.

Then my spirit dove into Alice's head. I felt panic as I slipped into the confines of her mind. Then I was engulfed in pitch blackness.

Even though I knew I should be terrified, I was in Alice's head after all, I felt excited somehow. I knew that this was my power, and I was curious about what I can discover about what happened when I was gone. All at once images began to dash into sight. It was like a slideshow, and I was the controller. I searched through the images and looked for one with Edward in it. As I searched I heard Alice's memories. It was like her thoughts were being broadcasted through her mind.

I can't believe it! Bella fainted again! But vampires aren't supposed to faint! I paused. That thought was troubling. Was I not normal even as a vampire? Then my troubles all vanished, and were replaced with something even more horrible, because just then I found an image with Edward on it, and it took my breath away.

It showed Edward standing beside Aro, with Tanya on the other side him. He was wearing a long flowing black cloak with the most terrifying look on this face. The look made his perfect face twisted and maniacal, but that wasn't the most troubling thing about it.

Then I saw his eyes, and I realized that…they were red.

That image of Edward burned into my mind. I knew then where Edward was, and why everyone tensed when I spoke his name. It hurt, because I knew that the Edward I knew was gone, and was replaced by this Edward.

Then I felt that same sensation, and then I was in my own body again. I gasped and I sunk back on the couch.

When I opened my eyes, I saw 6 pairs of eyes looking at me with concern. Then before I can stop my mouth I spluttered.

"Edward joined the Volturi, didn't he?"