Sorry it took so long to update. Here you go:

-- xLxPx

Bella's POV

"Alright, Bella. It's time to figure this puzzle out. We need to know why your change went over so quickly," said Carlisle, "and we need to know why you have that tattoo on your face -- and what it's made of. It can't be purely ink. I don't even think that's possible." Carlisle was all business. For the first time since completing the change, I felt a spasm of fear creep up my spine.

"Okay. What can I do to help?" I asked him sincerely. I would do everything I possibly could, because I wanted to know what happened, too.

"You can just relax and let me run some tests," he said, emphasizing "you" for some reason. When I said "Okay," he told me to lay back on the sofa and just think of my breathing as the ocean waves, just so that I could be as calm as possible. I tried to do just that, and it worked. I was absolutely serene when he told me to sit up, all the blood rushing to my head, and close my eyes.

I closed my eyes, and I was shifted into another world. And this world scared me. I could see it all behind my eyelids: ghost-like things floating around in different shapes, sizes, and colors; a background of swirling black onyx that I didn't understand; the ghosty things coming up to inspect me, speaking in whispers to each other. I started, opening my eyes in fright. What had just happened?!

Apparently, Carlisle and the family had noticed, too, because they were all standing around me with varying expressions of concern. I told them all that had transpired in a shaky and scared voice. Carlisle told me to calm down, and try again.

"No. I won't go back there," I told him, trying to reach for his arm, but coming up empty. Then he turned around, and looked me square in the eye.

"Bella, everything is going to be fine. I promise you," he said soothingly, and I just nodded, a helpless victim to his vampire eyes. Then he left and Edward's face filled my vision.

"I don't want to go back there. I don't want to go," I stammered in a whisper to him. He stroked my right cheek reassuringly.

"It's fine, Bells. Don't worry. If anything happens, I promise to help you. I swear," he told me, even though I knew he was debating whether or not this was true or not. He looked deep into my eyes, sure that I had seen through his pretenses, and used the ultimate force of his eyes on me. I melted and agreed to go back -- wherever that was.

Carlisle told me a second time to relax, and then sit up and close my eyes. When I asked why I did this, he said it was a method that often worked with telling what vampire powers were. It didn't make much sense to me, so I complied.

I was shifted into the other... world... the apparitions swirled around me once more, and I immediately, instinctively, almost opened my eyes to try to clear them away. But, luckily, I didn't. That is, until I saw a ghost that looked like... Victoria. I opened my eyes once more, screaming.

Everyone rushed to my side from where they were, each telling me to calm down and Edward telling me everything was alright. Nothing was going to hurt me.

His calm expression vanished when I told him of the ghost of Victoria.

With this new knowledge, Carlisle made his hypothesis: I could see spirits of the dead. Now all we had to do was find out if I could speak to them.

OMG!!! I had so much fun writing this chapter. It just, like, popped out of my brain. Thanks for reading!

The little purple button is your bestest buddy!!!

-- xLxPx