I don't have the next chapter completely finished, so it may be a little longer between updates now.

Chapter 10

Edward simply stares at the ceiling in his room. His mind creates shapes from the brown stains as his eyes go in and out of focus. His mind is strangely blank as he thinks over the day's events.

Being awoken to the news of another two deaths was bad. Then his sister was acting so strange and proceeded to hole herself up in her room with her husband and lover. It was entirely bizarre.

His entire day had been fraught. Being stuck inside the hotel, and with Bella occupied with the police, the remainder of her guests had busied themselves playing every one of the few board games available to them. Jasper, however, did not join in often.

He struck Edward as a very strict, reserved man, and upon questioning the family discovered that he used to be in the military, before being medically discharged due to losing his leg in Afghanistan. He imagined it left more than physical scars on a man, and while he wasn't sure that justified his abuse of his wife, Edward could understand how a man could become so angry after military service.

He remembered his own father had been changed by his service in the Falkland's. Though his father had never resorted to violence, at least that he or his sister ever saw.

They had all retired to their rooms soon after dinner. Edward had gone to check on his sister, but she had only shouted through the door that she was okay and didn't need anything. So he had left her to it, he didn't imagine it was a very pleasant conversation they were having. Especially after Emmett had raced up the stairs upon hearing Royce's shouts.

Then there had been the conversation he had had with Bella.

She had approached him over lunch, sitting beside him with her own plate of food, though she didn't touch a piece of it as they spoke.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Edward nodded as he swallowed. "I'm okay, a little freaked out."

"Of course, I've never known it to be so bad," she said, though thinking back Edward thinks that perhaps she was lying. "I have to say though, it is a little exciting, don't you think?"

"Excuse me?" Edward was shocked she could say such a thing, as though people dying could ever be exciting.

"Well I mean it's a flaw of the human condition isn't it, to enjoy other peoples suffering." She shrugged as though what she said made perfect sense, as though he was ridiculous for not realising it himself.

"I certainly don't," he argued. "I think it's horrible. Their families will be distraught."

"Of course you don't. You're so different to everyone else. But even you have to admit, it's something to tell people when you go home."

"Well…" here he floundered, because of course he'll tell people when he goes home. And yes he had thought it was quite an interesting story to tell the other professors. Horrible, but interesting. "Yes, but I won't take any pleasure in the retelling."

Bella frowned, placing her still full plate on the coffee table and turning so she could better look into Edward's eyes. "Don't lie to me, Edward. It's been the same throughout history. The Roman's watching the gladiators; how people would congregate at public beheadings, how even now people watch boxers almost kill each other in the ring. The human condition vies for blood; we need it. Deny it all you want, but you all need it too."

Realising that he wasn't going to win the argument Edward simply continued eating his egg sandwiches. Bella stayed sitting beside him for a little while, before huffing and leaving the parlour.

From his bedside table, Edward retrieves his phone. He'd refused to check any of his emails this whole time, wanting to at least try to enjoy the weekend away. Now, however, he's sure the whole thing is ruined, and so feels no remorse as he connects to the Internet.

There are four emails from students, and one from his head of department about some meeting that's to take place on his return about the streamlining of some of the subjects. Nothing particularly interesting.

Figuring that while he is already connected he might as well, he opens up his mobile browser and types in the name of the hotel. He's surprised that he didn't do this before they arrived, frankly. He nearly always checks out the place his sister is taking him to.

The hotel has no website of its own; however one of the first results is an old news article. Interested Edward taps to open the page. What he reads has his heart pounding.

17th September 1873

Today the inhabitants of Boulmouth are conducting a wide search of the area and surrounding fields, in search of Isabella Swan. The twenty year old daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Swan, owners of The White Star hotel, went missing two days ago after taking a trip to Alnmouth. According to sources Miss Swan never arrived and has not been seen since.

According to townsfolk it is imperative that she is found. She is currently undergoing electroshock therapy at the asylum in Alnwick on a weekly basis, and was allowed home, as it had appeared she had improved. People now wonder if perhaps the voices have come back. Her parents are determined that people are aware that she is of no danger to anyone.

To go with the story there is a photo of Isabella Swan, and it is this that causes Edward's palms to sweat. The photo is of a pleasant enough looking woman, with thick dark curls and full lips. Her eyes are wide and dark, though even in the old photo Edward can see there is a strange spark in them. She is dressed in black, long sleeves and bare legs. And she is the exact copy of their landlady.

Not quite believing what he is seeing, he clicks onto the next news article to do with the hotel.

10th January 1874

Sprees of deaths have caused the inhabitants of Boulmouth to flee their homes. Of the 365 previous occupants of the town, only 126 remain though they are now choosing to leave before they too succumb to what some people are calling a 'curse'.

Every victim seems to have been attacked by some sort of animal, as they had been mauled beyond all recognition. First to become victim to this were the owners of the White Star hotel Mr and Mrs Charles Swan. Their daughter, Isabella, recently found alive and well, managed to escape the happenings. The White Star now falls to her to run.

When asked what she plans to do now, she said, "I will continue to run the hotel, until people stop coming to it."

Edward can barely believe what he has just read, and his mind spins in order to come up with some rational explanation for it all. The sensible thing would be that there is simply a rather strong familial resemblance along the Swan line. Almost one hundred and fifty years isn't really that long, and this Isabella Swan is obviously the landlady's great-great-great-grandmother.

Unless, of course, the Isabella in the news and the Bella currently somewhere within the hotel is the same person, in which case she would be one hundred and fifty-nine years old. Edward suddenly laughs hysterically; she's certainly looking good for her age.

But that's absurd; no one could be so old and yet seemingly unchanged. Yet every other explanation seems suddenly so ridiculous.

After throwing his phone back on the table he shakes his head. He refuses to believe it. For her to be so old, she would have to be some sort of vampire. And while the idea of vampire's being real fills him with a strange sort of excitement, in practice he refuses to believe that it could be real.

It's lecture material; the sort of thing he reads books about, watches films about, it is not the sort of thing found in real life.

Suddenly very cold he crawls under the covers and attempts to put all thought from his head. This can't be real.

Let me know what you think :)