I'm so it's taken so long for this next chapter. I wish I could say it was because I'd been away for all this time but the reality is my internet really really hates me and it decided to stop working for over a month. So I hope you forgive me for being a pain with my updating but this is the longest chapter I have written so you should be content with that.

By the way, one of teh reasons it took me so long to write this chapter was because I've recently read a book called Secrets Of Hightower and it is absolutely amazing. If anyone wants to check it out the website is secretsofhightower (dot) org. Anyway I hope you enjoy the chapter :):) And don't forget to tell me what you enjoy :):)


Forest

The forest seemed peaceful and calm and the rain seemed to not be able to penetrate the dense canopy of the trees. I walked forward hoping to see the light and as I got further in I could make out the dim glow of the light. I followed the light deeper into the forest making sure not to lose sight of it at any time. As I walked I fell over the twigs and leaves and pine cones that lay scattered across the woodland floor. I looked back often and noted with something close to glee that my path of destruction lay mainly in a straight line.

I felt relieved, if the light kept on moving in a straight line I would be able to get back out easily. I went light-headed with joy from that thought but there was a little voice at the back of my mind telling me to be careful and not to get carried away with that idea. I tried to shrug away the warning to myself but I decided it would probably be a wise idea to still be wary.

I don't know how long I had been walking for but my legs were beginning to hurt. I looked up to see if the sky was getting any darker but I couldn't tell through the density of the canopy. I mentally kicked myself for forgetting to pick up my watch before I left the house. I knew I should turn back before it got too much later but I didn't like knowing that I'd not found out what that light was. I looked ahead at the light and it seemed to be beckoning me forward. I shook my head and looked behind me, glad that my destructive path was still there. I turned to look back at the light one last time but it had gone! My spine tingled with the mysteriousness behind it.

I shook my head determined not to try to find the light again. However an idea slowly started to form in my mind as I walked back; I could look for it tomorrow. But I would have to make sure that I had taken everything that I could possibly need with me. I carried on meticulously planning my adventure for tomorrow until I suddenly tripped and fell over an exposed tree root. I shakily moved myself into a sitting position and raised my hand to my head to try and stop the dizziness.

"I'm such an idiot." I complained to myself. "Why can't I ever look where I'm going?" I looked down at my jeans and started brushing off the debris and sighed. "These were clean on this morning."

I gingerly pushed myself up and stood warily with my hand outstretched; supporting myself on the nearest tree. I looked around and noticed that I had strayed a bit off of my path. I walked carefully back to it and set off in what I hoped was the right direction. I picked up my pace but I made sure that I was looking for any obstacles that might be in my way.

I hoped that it wouldn't take me too long to get back to the road, and I began to feel fear rising through my body, as I remembered what Charlie had been talking about before he left. I shuddered; I didn't know where these people had reported the strange behaviour coming from the animals and I didn't know what type of animals they were either.

I could feel the panic starting to settle on my mind. I tried concentrating on the path knowing that I would never get out if I gave in to the blind panic now. I began breathing in and out slowly, but it didn't help. I flinched at every noise made in the shadows of the trees. I didn't know what was making the noises and I didn't want to find out.

A part of my mind was telling me to think rationally and to stop over-reacting; but I wasn't paying any attention to it. The other part of my mind had gone on overdrive and I was imaging murders and serial killers lurking behind every tree.

I stopped and shook my head. "Get a grip Bella. Charlie was talking about animals, not people." I muttered trying to calm myself down.

It had a slight effect on me which meant that I could concentrate more on not falling. The ground seemed less sturdy than before and I was stumbling continuously. The path I had created earlier seemed to have disappeared. I stopped walking and started breathing slowly to calm my nerves. I looked around to see if I could find out where I was from the trees but they all looked the same. I was exasperated but I realised why the ground had suddenly felt differently as I had been slowly but surely walking off of the path.

I held my head in my hands while I tried to decide what to do. I couldn't think of anything else to do and I let out a sigh of frustration as I resigned myself to carry on walking in the same direction I had been going. I just hoped that I would be able to get out soon.

"Come on Bella, don't stop now. You can do this." I repeatedly reassured myself as I walked.

I strode forward purposefully; determined to make my way out of these trees. I fell over continually but I didn't let this slow me down. As I carried on walking I noticed that my path of destruction had started to re-appear on my left. I let out a sigh of relief and began to walk upon it again.

Eventually, the trees started thinning out and the faint drip from the rain could be heard as well. I forced myself to carry on at the same pace, even though my excitement was begging at me and screaming at me to run for the road.

After what seemed like hours I broke through the wall of trees and sank to the floor sobbing with relief and joy. I hadn't realised how tightly strung my nerves had been until I could look up at the sky again. I let myself indulge in this moment of hysteria as I felt my nerves start to loosen up and relax. I managed to coax my body into standing and I walked shakily along the road. I still couldn't tell what time it was as the clouds covered the position of the sun but I felt better knowing that the world hadn't descended into twilight whilst I was hidden beneath the canopy of pines.

The rain had lessened from before I entered the cover of the trees, so I let my hood down. I walked slowly back towards my house letting the wind whip my hair around my face. It didn't bother me that my hair would be a mess; I liked the feeling of being free and it wasn't as if I had to pretend to be any different today. I wasn't expecting to see anyone other than Charlie all day.

I finally got back to my house and I noticed there was a strange, white car parked in front of it. I walked closer to it to see if there was anything that looked familiar about it and I was hoping that I could determine what make of car it was. I walked to the front of it and saw that it had a gold plus sigh just above the grills but I didn't recognise what it was. I looked up and saw that Charlie's cruiser was parked in the driveway and I made myself stop wondering about whose car it was because it was probably just one of Charlie's friends.

I walked towards the front door hoping that Charlie hadn't been looking for me. I opened the door and tensed when I couldn't hear the normal murmur of the television.

"Hello!" I shouted into the unnatural quiet house.

I expected to hear a reply from someone, anyone, but I was greeted with silence. I closed the door behind me and walked towards the kitchen. As I entered the room I froze with shock as I saw Charlie kissing Sherrie. I knew that I must have looked like a fool with my mouth hanging open and my cheeks furiously burning red but I couldn't move from where I was stood. I found myself helplessly rooted to that spot.

It wasn't that I was angry at Charlie; I'd already been told about their relationship. I just didn't expect to walk into my kitchen and see them like that and I knew that Charlie was most likely going to have a greatly disturbing conversation with me about his relationship. I was happy for him but I didn't want to spend too much time thinking about it. Also there was something about Sherrie that didn't seem right but I couldn't place exactly what it was. She didn't seem entirely sincere and I didn't want Charlie to get hurt.

I shook my head so I could clear my thoughts and my immobility. I didn't want attention drawn to me but I knew that it would be best if I got the conversation done with as fast as possible. And with that reasoning firmly at the front of my mind I coughed in a meaningful manner. As soon as I had made the noise Charlie turned around with his cheeks burning with a familiar red stain. He met my gaze for the briefest of moments before he started to stammer out an explanation.

"Uh…Bella, I….um….didn't hear you come in. I…uh…well…um…i-i-it's not what it looks like."

He spoke to his shoes which allowed me to smile at the irony of the situation; I was sure that he was behaving like a teenage boy being caught by his parent. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud at the image I had conjured up. I had a feeling that Charlie wouldn't appreciate it if I was to show my amusement of the situation in front of someone else. I looked at Sherrie wondering how she was handling the current predicament and I was surprised to see her also trying to suppress a laugh.

"Charlie," she managed to say in a soft voice brimming with laughter. "I'm sure that Bella is old enough to understand what is going on. She is 18 after all; she's no longer a child."

I watched her in amazement as she behaved in the most pleasant manner I had seen her behave in. I was even more surprised to note that it seemed like genuine behaviour and I looked at her carefully to see if she was concealing an interior emotion but I couldn't detect any. The only thing I could work out was that she was enjoying the predicament that we had found ourselves in.

She laced her hand with Charlie's, which I was shocked to see was gloved, and began to speak.

"Love, don't you think that you should acknowledge the intelligence that you always claim that your daughter possesses. I'm sure Bella knows what is going on and I'm positive that she will be fine with it as long as she doesn't keep walking in on us." She finished of with a slight smile and her eyes twinkling with hidden mirth.

She had kept her eyes focussed on Charlie while she was speaking; which I was thankful for. I didn't know what I would have done if she had been looking at me. Although I was grateful that she seemed to be trying to make it less awkward. But then she turned her attention to me. She looked at me in a business-like manner and I couldn't help but hope she wasn't about to make this embarrassing.

"Bella, do you mind me dating your dad?" She asked me bluntly, catching me off guard.

I thought about her question carefully. I knew that it wouldn't really matter what I thought as Sherrie didn't strike me as the type who would submit to defeat easily. But I knew that Charlie would only carry on with this if it didn't bother me. I didn't want Charlie give up something he wanted because of me. I looked at both of them and saw that they were peering at me intently. Sherrie was looking at me with a cold expression that I couldn't name and Charlie was looking at me with a puzzled expression; probably trying to work out what I would say.

I slowly shook my head and spoke. "No I don't mind. Anything that makes Ch-dad happy is ok with me."

Sherrie's expression had changed drastically with that small speech. Her eyes were alight with a new emotion and her face looked like she had been triumphant in some sort of contest. I couldn't understand why anyone would react to what I said like that. I was greatly confused by Sherrie's complex personality. I preferred Charlie's way of expressing his emotions. To show his appreciation of what I had said, he had given me a smile that transformed his face to how he appeared when he was younger.

"Well, I think I'll leave you two alone for a bit shall I? I'll phone Jake and see if he wants to spend some time together. I might be able to find out some more about the people who live here. Or I'll find out something about the Quileutes." I chuckled slightly and slowly made my way out of the kitchen towards the phone.

"Okay Bells and you don't have to hurry back. I'll order some pizza for tea." I heard Charlie say as I reached the phone.

I looked around the phone table for the scrap of paper that held Jacob's number; he'd given it to me yesterday before I went to the hospital. I managed to find it, hidden under some envelopes that Charlie had left there.

I quickly dialled the number and hoped that it would be Jacob who picked up the phone. After the third ring someone picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

I cringed slightly as I recognised the voice as being Billy's. I wondered what he would be thinking about me phoning up.

"Hey Billy, it's Bella. Can I talk to Jake please?"

"Oh, hey Bella. Yeah, I'll just get him for you."

I heard him put the telephone down somewhere and shout for Jake. A second later I heard the phone being picked up from where it was.

"Hey" I heard Jacob say breathlessly down the phone. "You recovered yet from your accident yesterday?" He joked.

"Yeah, I've managed to survive the night and I'm not in danger of dying from blood loss." I laughed. "Although I think the stitches are starting to itch slightly. But I was wondering if I could ask you something."

"Of course you can Bella, what is it? And you don't need to sound so nervous." He chuckled.

"I didn't realise that I sounded nervous." I laughed sheepishly. "But I was just wondering if I could spend some time with you today. Charlie wants to spend some time alone with his new girlfriend." I shuddered involuntarily as I said that.

"I would really like to Bella but I promised my friends I would spend the afternoon with them. You can come and join us if you want to."

I felt my heart sink slightly at his words but I realised that I had not really thought about Jacob already having plans.

"Don't worry about it. I should have thought about phoning you earlier and not leaving it till this time. I think I'll just stay home; I don't want to intrude."

"You wouldn't be intruding Bells and I'm sure you don't want to be on your own until you go back to school."

"Maybe some other day Jake, I promise I'll spend some time with you and your friends before I go back. I just don't feel like being in a big group today. I hope you don't mind."

"No I don't mind Bells. Whatever's good for you. Well, I'm going to have to go now before I'm too late. I'll talk to you tomorrow and organise something, okay?"

"Yeah Jake that's fine. I'll talk to you tomorrow, bye."

I heard the click of the phone seconds before I hung up. I sighed. I didn't know what to do now. I contemplated asking Charlie for the number of one of my "friends" from Forks High School but I decided against it at the last minute. I turned towards the stairs and ran up them straight to my room. I collapsed onto my bed and grabbed a book from the pile at the foot of my bed. I began reading it without looking at the title.

I couldn't follow the narrative of the story properly as my thoughts kept returning to the weird light in the forest. I threw the book unceremoniously onto the floor and squeezed my eyes closed whilst rubbing my temples; trying to dissipate the confusion.

Eventually I calmed down and when I opened my eyes I was startled to see I was surrounded by trees again. I looked around hoping I was dreaming and that I wouldn't have to make my way out of here. Ahead of me was a shaft of light shinning through the trees. It seemed mystical with contrast to the gloom that shrouded the trees around me. I felt drawn to it and before I knew what was happening I was walking towards it.

The light dazed me as I walked towards it and I thought I saw something move within it. My curiosity was flared and I began to reach my hand out towards the light when I heard a voice beside me.

"No Bella! It's not safe."

I looked around startled but there was no-one nearby. I tried to place the voice but I didn't recognise it but that didn't mean that I hadn't heard it before my accident. I went to put my hand in the light again, to see if the voice appeared again.

"No!" The voice roared at me. But this time it sounded like more than one voice was shouting.

I shook my head confused and took a step backwards. I held out my hands and heard a slight growl. My heart began to race and I quickly snatched my hands back to my side. I looked around again, hoping that I could see the person who was talking to me but I didn't even know which direction to look.

"Isabella, I hath come to beg thee not to occupy thy mind with the unimportant. Thou must listen to the warnings given thee; whether they be direct or subtle. Thou wilst not find the answers thou search for in this place. I beg thee; leave this place before danger falls upon thee."

I went to turn around but then I fell out of bed. I hoped that Charlie wasn't wondering what I was doing with the noise that I made. I looked across at my clock and saw it was about 6 o'clock. I wondered if Charlie had ordered the pizza yet and then I heard Charlie shout up the stairs.

"Bells, there's some pizza in the kitchen if you've finished wrecking your bedroom." I heard him chuckle as he walked away from the stairs.

I wasn't bothered by his joke. I was too busying dancing for the pizza that was downstairs. I finally stopped my little dancing session when my stomach started rumbling and I fell over. I walked down the stairs slowly so I didn't fall down again. I went straight to the kitchen and grabbed two slices of pizza and put them on a plate. I went into the living room and sat on the chair and watched the television.

I didn't pay any attention to what was on the TV, I just let my eyes rest on it unseeingly. I ate my pizza slowly, savouring the taste of the cheese and the tomato. I was also thinking about the voices in my dream. I knew that the voice telling me to leave was the woman from my previous dream. But it was the other voice that I didn't know. And then there was the mystery of the second voice shadowing the first. Why was my life suddenly becoming complex and confusing? I was sure that if I hadn't lost my memories I would be able to understand what was happening.

I ate the remainder of my pizza and quickly bade goodnight to Charlie and Sherrie, I knew they wouldn't miss my presence this evening, and ran to bed. I went through my bedtime procedure faster than normal. I changed into my pyjamas and brushed my teeth before diving under the covers of my bed. I laid staring at the ceiling hoping that I would be able to sleep better than I did the day before, but also hoping that I would have another dream to help me understand what was going on.

I didn't fight the tiredness and I allowed myself to go to sleep. The next thing I knew the sun was shinning in my eyes and I groaned as I turned over in bed. I'd slept dreamlessly. I sat up in bed annoyed that I seemed so obsessed with mysterious people in my dreams. I knew that I'd be sectioned if anyone found out that I had followed a mysterious light through part of the forest and that I was planning to find it today.

I swung my legs out of the bed and walked to the window. Both Charlie's and Sherrie's cars were gone from their places from last night. The sky wasn't as cloudy as it had been yesterday and I could see some patches of blue amongst the grey of the clouds. I decided I wasn't going to spend as long getting ready today because I wanted to leave the house earlier.

I quickly brushed my teeth and jumped in shower. I was dressed and downstairs in 20 minutes; heading toward the kitchen. I picked up an apple and made sure that I had got my phone in my pocket. I ran to the door and as I opened it the telephone began to ring. I sighed, closed the door and walked towards it.

"Hello." I said briskly down the receiver.

"Hey Bells. I told you that I was going to phone you up. I hope this isn't too early for you." Jacob said slightly mockingly down the phone.

"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that sorry." I laughed.

"You forgot about me. I feel hurt now. I guess there's no point in arranging something so you can meet my friends then. You'd only forget about that as well." He managed to sound genuinely upset but as he finished his façade had started to drop.

"Aw, Jake don't be like that. You know I could never forget about you, well not more than once, surely." At that we both laughed down the phone. "So Jake what do you propose we do then so I can meet you're friends and no longer be a social retard."

"I was thinking that I could come and get you tomorrow and then we could go down to First Beach. I've already spoken to Quil and Embry and they seemed okay with the idea, but if you don't want to then I can always think of something else."

"No that's fine by me. I can't wait. What time are you coming for me?"

"Erm…I'm not sure. I could come for you at about ten and take you home at about fourish. Does that sound okay with you?"

"Yeah that's fine Jake. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow Bella."

I put the phone down and ran back to the front door. I locked up and made my way back towards the forest. It didn't seem to take as long as it did yesterday and again I didn't see anyone around so I made my way to the beginning of the outer line of trees.

As I stepped in I could see the light again and I ran after it, not caring if I fell or not. I carried on chasing it and I never seemed to catch up with but I noticed I'd gone further into the woods than I had yesterday. The trees didn't seem to be as close to each other as they had been before. The gloom that surrounded me seemed to be lessening and in front of me the orb of light seemed to have stopped. I walked forward cautiously and stopped about a metre away from the light. It still hadn't moved and I wondered if this was where it had been trying to lead me yesterday.

I took the last few steps carefully and suddenly I was out of the trees and in a circular clearing. In the distance I could hear the slight tinkling of a stream and the birds that flew overhead sang joyously. The clearing appeared perfectly symmetrical and the wild flowers that grew there gave the place extra beauty. I walked forward slowly so as not to destroy the serenity of this little meadow.

I walked to the centre of it and felt peaceful. The meadow was warm as the sun had finally managed to conquer the sky and banish the clouds. The warmth added to my contented feeling but I didn't understand why the light would bring me to such a weird little place. I turned around hoping that the light was still there so that it could take my away from this place. I needed to be able to think about it's meaning in the comfort of my own home. Luckily the light was still in the same place and I walked towards it; trusting that it would get me out of here. But as I left the clearing I saw a bunch of Foxgloves growing, they were beautiful but deadly and I shivered at why anything needed to be like that.