Chapter 2

My eyes opened slowly as I felt moisture on my cheek, reaching up I swiped it away only then noticing I was crying. My dream rushed back to me.

"Bella stay in the house!" Renee screamed as she followed Charlie out onto the front lawn, leaving the door wide open I sat on the stairs and watched.

"Sir are you alright?" My dad called running upto a man limping up our path, his shirt was covered in blood and he looked really pale, glancing down I gasped his ankle was completely snapped and bent round so he was walking like he had stump, even from here I could hear the bones crunching with his every step.

"Charlie come back over here." My mom whispered grabbing his arm and pulling him back.

"Renee he's hurt!" He shrugged off her arm and moved forward again, placing his hands on the mans shoulders I couldn't hear what he was saying until he started screaming. Jumping to my feet I ran out to help not even two steps out of my door someone's arms wrapped around my waist holding me back.

"Hey!" I struggled to free my self but the grip held strong I couldn't even turn my body to look at who had me. "Let me go!" By this point my dad was on the floor and the man had his mouth attached to his neck, red was splattering all over them, Charlie wasn't screaming all I could hear was him gurgling. Mom was pounding on the guys back but it was like he couldn't feel it.

Forcing the memories back I tried to focus on the present, glancing at the house everything still seemed quiet but lately that usually means bad things. Turning my head I almost fell from my hidy hole at the end of the branch there lay a water proof jacket and blanket folded neatly with a thermas flask on top. I lent forward and pulled them to me slowly confusion sweeping my senses.

How did these get here?

I had turned into a pretty light sleeper so I should of heard anyone climbing the tree. The realisation that someone had gotten past me made my blood run cold quickly gathering my things and dropping them to the ground below with the items I climbed down, as soon as my feet hit the floor I grabbed everything and carefully made my way to the house. That was the only place these things could of come from.

Holding my bat tightly in my hands I climbed the steps to the porch, placing everything on the ground I edged to the window beside the door, peering in I could see nothing looked disturbed no overturned furniture no blood splashing the walls it all looked perfect. Leaning a little closer I caught sight of the tv. It was on.

That fact alone made me jump back, my mother always used to say curiosity killed the cat so not wanting to tempt I immediately decided to leave.

"You must be hungry." I spun at such a speed I lost my footing and tumbled backwards, bracing myself for the pain I was surprised to just feel cool arms wrapped around my middle. Instantly I scrambled out of there arms with my bat raised high I turned to look at my surpriser.

A beautiful woman stood there her hands slightly raised in a unthreatening position. She really was mesmerizing. She had long caramel red hair flowing over her shoulders and perfect flawless skin, her gently rounded face and soft smile screamed motherly and I felt myself almost relax in her presence.

"I'm not going to hurt you sweetie, it's ok." Even her voice was beyond soothing.

"How do I know that?" I replied my survivors instinct finally kicking in. "This thing that has ravished the world has made survivors cruel, for all you know I could be one of those."

"I don't believe you are cruel in anyway I think that your just trying to go from day to day if I am wrong however you are free to try with the weapon you have there."

My arms began to shake uncertainty echoing in my veins I lowered my bat.

"See," She whispered calmly.

"I don't understand, I woke this morning to find those," I pointed to the items on top of my bag. "beside me, I have learnt to know when someone or thing is near me. I had to know if you put them there and how."

"I would think a thank you would be a hell of a lot more polite don't you?" Another womans voice sounded out from behind me, I raised my bat once again trust gone completely. I backed up til I could see both of them in my line of vision, the new woman was beautiful aswell she wore her sunkissed blonde hair up in a ponytail and wore a look of amusement on her face, I noticed her eyes were the same colour as the older ladie's, a honey gold which seemed to pierce through you.

"I knew it!" I shouted at them, "this was all a trick to get me to lower my gaurd so your daughter could jump me!" The blonde scoffed at that.

"If we wanted you hurt or dead we would of already killed you, you silly little thing." Her voice was so condesending it made my anger rise and I gripped my bat even tighter ready to swing at her head if she moved one more step closer to me.

"Please we really don't mean you any harm," The older woman whispered again, "Ignore Rosealie she has a strange sense of humor."

"Please let's just talk rationally about this." Another voice this time a mans came from behind me without hesitation this time I turned and swung my bat towards the source of it but it was like he vanished into thin air the weight of my swing making me loose my balance and I fell forward hitting the ground hard, my bat slipping from my fingers. I regained my feet without looking behind me and took off running towards the tree line with shouts echoing behind.

"No!"

"Wait!"

None of the cries stopped my feet as they carried me away from the house no more than two seconds later I heard footfalls following me and then fade away but still I kept running. I kept my eyes forward and actually let out a slight laugh of relief when a break in the tree's began to appear infront of me, I ran for it my feet hitting pavement causing me to pause for a second in realisation, I had ran into town with no weapon to protect myself from the undead that were bound to be lurking in wait for fresh meat like me.

I need to find a new weapon.

Glancing behind me, double checking, I quickened my pace down the street making sure not to drag my feet. I passed an old resturant as the road followed a corner and there almost as if fate was guiding me was the Forks Police Station only there walking, well hobbling, were six walkers all in police uniforms.

Guess even in death this place is still important to them

I quickly backed up around the corner before they noticed me. Shock filled me again as there leaning against the wall I was pressed against was my steel bat. The shock passed quickly though as I heard moaning and the shuffling of feet coming closer to me. Grabbing the bat I poked my head around the corner. The road was big enough for me to avoid most of them and get into the station house trouble was I didn't know if any were inside.

The walkers were geting closer, the stench stronger.

"In or out in or out." I kept repeating under my breath, "In" Decision made I rounded the corner bat held high.

Running at the closest I swung with all my strength, it connected with the side of his head with a splintering crack, I didn't even wait for him to fall before moving onto the next. Taking her out aswell, my bat was dripping with black blood.

"Just keep swinging" I told myself as another limped upto me, his arms stretched and blood and saliva dribbling from his mouth. He was to close to get a clear shot so I took a step back not seeing the one behind me until it's arms wrapped around me and dragged me closer.

"Fuck!" I kicked and elbowed it trying to get free but it's grip just seemed to tighten. "No no no no no," I felt it's teeth on my neck pressing down then suddenly nothing but air behind me causing me to tumble to the floor. My hands shot upto my neck ,sighing in relief, it hadn't broken the skin just left indentations. Again I grabbed my bat from by my feet getting my footing I watched as the two women from before faught against the zombies, well faught is a strong word as it almost seemed like they were playing with them. My bat was gently taken out of my hands as a hulk of a man walked passed me and straight upto one of the remaining zombies, when he was just a few steps away he pulled the bat back and swung at it's head the force of it severing it from it's necksending it flying across the street only to land with a sickening splat, grey matter and blood covering the pavement all around it.

"Yes! 50 points!" He shouted his huge arms raised in a show of victory, I couldn't help my reply.

"Ssshhhhhh!" I whispered harshly at him but he just chuckled as he turned to face me.

"Sorry," The smirk on his face betrayed the meaning of the word. "Here" I took my weapon snatching it from his offered hand. I know I should of thanked them but his attitude had just rubbed me the wrong way. I pushed past him and took the steps two at a time reaching for the entrance door a small hand covered my own.

"It's best you don't go in there," she said, looking from her hand on mine to her face I took in her features. She had short spiky black hair that fell slightly over her eyes which were also the beautiful butterscotch colour like all the others.

"Yes actually I do." I pulled my hand away from her reaching for the door handle again.

"Leave her be alicat if she wants to get herself killed let her," The blonde spoke from the pavement.

"How can you say something like that Rose?" She replied with a look of disbelief on her beautiful face.

"Because it's obvious she doesn't want our help," The bulky man spoke up talking as if I wasn't there and it was making my anger boil over once again.

"That doesn't mean a thing!" She shouted back at him, her fists clenching. My eyes snapped to the door when something began pounding against it.

"You couldn't of been quiet could you?" I hissed at them my anger finally bubbling over the fact that my plan was completely ruined because of them. The banging got louder as I pushed my way past them. "You didn't happen to grab my bag when you grabbed my bat did you?" I muttered half heartedly.

"No dear but we can walk back with you to get it, safety in numbers." The caramel haired woman answered.

I sighed in defeat it really did seem like I wasn't going to get rid of them.

"Your wrong about that but yeah ok." I replied looking her in the eyes and feeling my heart squeeze tightly in my chest at how much she reminded me of my mother. "I'm Bella by the way," I held my hand out to her which she took.

"I'm Esme Cullen and these are three of my children, Alice, Rosalie and Emmett." Her hand felt like ice but her voice made me barely notice, I turned and nodded slightly at the three of them.

"Let's go before we attract more of them." I hefted my bat and began walking back to the tree line not even bothering to see if they were following me.

"Bella?" I cocked my head in question to Alice. "I know it's not really any of my business but what did you mean when you said Esme's comment was wrong about safety in numbers, surely the more there are of you the more protection there is,"

"In one way I suppose you are right but the more of you there is the more noise you make which has just been demonstrated"

"But we got rid of those things easily,"

"But you also ruined my plan of sneaking into the police station to be able to maybe get keys to one of the cruisers or more weapons so I could move on from here."

"Move on?"

"You shouldn't stay in one place too long it attracts more and more of those things trust me on that," My voice cracked at the end so I quickened my pace effectively ending the conversation. I was just going to get my bag and be gone from this town.