Something cold on my forehead woke me. My eyes didn't want to open at first, as if they had been closed for quite some time. I opened them, painfully aware of the colours and shades of the room I was in. Had I always seen so clearly?

The carpet was a rich gold, with most of the walls covered in a library of CD's. I was lying on a black four-poster bed, with the curtains currently pulled back. With a small groan I covered my eyes with a hand. It was all too bright. I pulled the wet cloth from my forehead over my eyes.

I think I might have fallen asleep again, because the next thing I knew there was a murmur of voices, and the cloth was peeled from my face. My eyes snapped open.

Leaning over me was a boy. No, older than a boy, but not much. He looked around eighteen. Untidy auburn hair fell over his ears and into his eyes, which were a deep gold colour, not unlike the carpet. As fuddled as my brain was, I couldn't help but take note of his extraordinary beauty. Noticing that I was awake, he smiled in what looked like relief, and placed two large hands on either side of my face.

"Welcome back, Bella."

He leaned in closer. What was he doing?

With all the strength I could muster I pushed him away. It was so unexpected that he actually fell over, near the wall of CD's. He propped himself up onto his elbows, sadness written across his face, but didn't move to stand up again. I scrambled off the bed and moved as far away from him as I possibly could, near the large windows.

"Are you angry with me?" He asked softly, not moving still.

"Who…" I paused, cleared my throat. "Who are you?"

The sadness was replaced with bewilderment.

"What?"

"I asked who you were. You heard me." My voice was stronger now, but I was starting to feel slightly panicked. What was going on?

"Bella, don't be ridiculous."

"My name isn't Bella."

He stood up in one fluid motion, scrutinizing me with puzzled eyes. He took a step closer. I took a step back.

"Bella, it's me. It's Edward." He said softly, holding up his hands as if that lessened how threatening he was. He took another step towards me.

"Stop. Don't come any closer."

"Carlisle!" He called, without turning away. I pressed myself against the glass as I heard two pairs of footsteps coming up the stairs. The first one who entered was a blonde man, looking to be about in his early twenties, while the second was another man, this time with dark curly hair. I could see the muscles of his arms bulging underneath his t-shirt. He looked a little older than the teenager with the reddish hair… Edward.

"Oh." Said the dark-haired one. "Bella's awake. Excellent."

The blonde one smiled at me affectionately.

"I don't know what happened." Edward spoke from the wall, his voice so soft I barely heard it.

The blonde haired one crossed the room fluidly, stopping about five feet from where I stood.

"Bella?"

"Don't touch me." My voice was a low whisper.

He turned from me to face Edward, who was leaning weakly against the CD's, one large pale hand over his eyes.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Carlisle… I…I don't know what happened."

Carlisle turned back to me, looking thoroughly puzzled. Extending a pale hand to my shoulder, he spoke in a soothing whisper.

"There, now, Bella. Tell me what's wrong."

"Don't touch me!" I spat, shying away from his hands. Fear seeped through my pores. Even I could smell it. I knew that they definitely could.

"Calm down, Bella." Carlisle said in the same soothing voice.

"Stop calling me that!"

"But that's your name, Hun. Jasper!"

I jumped as he suddenly yelled, then heard another set of footsteps pounding slowly up the stairs. They were bringing someone else up. Someone to sedate me, no doubt. Someone to lock me up. They thought I was crazy. What would they do to me?

I was starting to panic. There was no way I could cross the room and get to the door without them catching me. I didn't know how many others were in the house besides these four. There was only one option left, really.

Edward jolted away from his position against the wall and was reaching for me as I slammed my elbows through the glass… but it was too late. His arms went to catch mine and missed, and then I was falling; falling from the second or third story, glass swirling to envelope and cut me. I could see someone restraining him from leaping out after me before I turned in the air to land on my shoulder and roll to my feet. I was dimly aware of glass cutting deeply into my arms as I rolled, but as soon as I was upright I was streaking off into the forest, running as fast as my legs would carry me.

There was no room for thoughts. I was driven on pure instinct as I dove through bushes, sidestepped trees, cleared rivers in one well-placed leap. I had the vague sense that I had ran like this before… but not on my own two feet. I brushed the feeling aside and let the adrenaline take over; stopped breathing and just concentrated on running. I could hear someone chasing me, crashing through the forest not too far behind. I tuned my hearing to the sound, and heard not one but three pairs of feet, charging in different directions.

I softened my footfalls on the dense moss-covered ground and abruptly changed direction, heading to a small gap through thick foliage. The gap was just enough to let me through. If I was lucky, my pursuers wouldn't be able to fit.

There was a yell to my left.

"Carlisle! Edward! Over here! Her scent is here!"

I squeezed myself through another series of brambles and took off over a small clearing filled with wildflowers, making my way towards the sound of a river on light feet.

Arriving at the wide river, I hesitated. White water ripped across jagged rocks before slowly meandering into deeper pools. If I were to land on one of those...

A crash jolted me back to my senses. Gritting my teeth I threw myself into the water, praying that I would land in the deeper water.

I was instantly numb. If I had any air in my lungs I would have gasped at how cold that river was. The current grappled with me before pulling me under and away. I didn't resist, instead letting the freezing water clear away the dirt that had collected in the cuts that littered my face and arms. I fought back any panic of being submerged and let the river carry me down as far as it could. I only got out when it became too shallow for me to stay.

Spying a thick branch hanging overhead, I dragged myself out of the waterand jumped onto it. I had a nagging sense that I shouldn't normally be able to jump that high, but once again brushed it off. I was too cold… it was so cold. I hugged the branch as best I could and listened for voices. I heard them, some ways up the river, confusedly trying to catch my scent that had been washed away by the water. Prying myself loose from the branch I moved higher up the tree, knowing that they would eventually move down the river looking for me. Hopefully they wouldn't think to look here. Hopefully they would think I had crossed the river and kept running.

I was only going to sleep for a little while…

Sorry this took so long and is so short, I've been soooo busy. Thanks to everyone who previously reviewed, you guys rock.