My eyes flicked frantically through the grass, searching for the sources of the sound all the while backing away from the cadaver. On my hands and knees I scrambled trying to avoid whatever was out there. There was movement in front of me and I froze.

A shaft of moonlight illuminated the fog and the figure.

It was a child.

A little girl, no more than six years of age. She was the picture of an angel, with pale skin that glowed in the eerie light and beautiful mahogany curls framing a pair of eyes with lashes so long that if she had blinked, they would have touched her high cheek bones.

The strange little girl was dressed in a simple black dress with no ornamentation of any kind—interesting for such a young girl. Her mouth was turned up into a smile of triumph and I shivered at it. It seemed different.

I looked up at the child and then back at the corpse that was barely visible in the weak light. This was no place for a child to be—I had to get her out of here.

I launched to my feet and approached her—she didn't move even as I bent down so that our faces were level. Her eyes were dark.

"Honey," I whispered to her frantically, "we need to get out of here."

The child's smile never left her face.

I reached out and touched her hand—so cold!—and tried talking to her again.

"My name's Allie? What's yours?" my voice was rushed. I was so terrified, for my life and hers.

Still smiling the child answered me. "Mama called me Sable," the child's voice was high pitched and yet it was unnatural. Something about her voice told of untold horrors and things she had seen. She sounded sad.

"Hi, Sable. Listen, there are bad people around here, we should go," I said urgently brushing a lock of hair that had fallen into her face out of the way.

"Okay," she whispered.

I led her quickly out of the clearing and away from the body into the shadows of the forest. It became clear to me as my teeth started chattering that this Sable was also cold. I slipped my jacket onto her shoulders and her she squeezed my hand hard, causing me to gasp form the strength. I looked around the forest as we walked quickly, I wasn't sure of the direction back.

After perhaps forty minutes of walking I stopped to rest. My eyes were still trained on the ghostly shadows in the fog and tree, my ears responding to every sound. I slid down, my back against a tree. Sable sat with me, her hand never leaving mine. It was still so cold.

"Sable?" I asked, "What were you doing out there all alone? Your mom and dad must be worried about you."

She turned her face to me, looking into my eyes. "I was looking for Mama."

I shivered.

"What would your mama be doing out here? I bet she's home, worrying about you."

"No," Sable's voice was sure and I shuddered at the ethereal quality of its sound, "Mama left and didn't come back, I went to find her. Mama liked to take walks in the woods."

"Oh."

I wondered what happened to Sable's mama. What could make a six year old girl walk out into the forest in the middle of a night? I needed to get back to civilization to tell them about the body and about Sable. Perhaps they could help her find her mama.

After a few more minutes of silence I stood up, Sable followed. We walked in silence and my heart raced as I didn't come any closer to recognizing where we were at then before. The fog swirling through the trees didn't help me either. It played tricks on my eyes. I saw shadows and things moving only to realize that when I reached the spot there was nothing there.

"Sable?" my hushed voice seemed loud after all the silence. I looked down at the little girl who still held my hand. She nodded and looked up into my eyes.

"I think—I think we're lost."

Her eyes widened, but she didn't cry like I would have expected a child to.

"Then we'll just have to find our way," she said simply and began walking, tugging on my hand for me to follow.

I followed Sable as we marched through the trees and mist—my thoughts of the body almost all disappeared in wake of my exhaustion. My stumbling alerted Sable of my tiredness. I could feel my eyelids drooping.

"Sable. I—I need to stop," I mumbled.

She nodded and we stopped under a tall pine tree. The ground was covered with its needles creating a spongy covering. I laid down on them, with Sable at my side.

"I just need to rest my eyes," I told her shutting them, "don't leave me, okay? I don't want you getting hurt."

Sable squeezed my hand, she still hadn't let go.

"Okay Allie," she replied and I felt her snuggle closer to me.

Within minute's I was asleep. Lost in a world of swirling fog.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

It seemed like only seconds later that Sable's cool hand brushed across my face, waking me. It was still dark; the fog had grown thicker if that was even possible. Sable was sitting up, her eyes trained on the darkness and her grip on my hand was painful.

"Sable?" I whispered.

She brought a finger to her lips—telling me to be quiet.

I sat in silence trying to figure out what she had seen or heard. I sat up too, brushing pine needles from my shirt and hair. I reached over and plucked needles from Sable's curls too.

It was then that I heard the calls, echoing faintly in the distance. I leapt to my feet pulling Sable up with me.

"JACOB! I'M OVER HERE!" I called to the howling wolves.

In seemingly no time at all the sound of people approaching reached us. I saw Jacob first, he was leading the others, their faces were wary.

Sable cringed into my side—hiding her face in my hip. I crouched down so that we were level.

"It's okay Sable," I said soothingly, running a hand through her curls, trying to untangle them, "they're my friends. They won't hurt you."

She looked at me, her dark eyes wide with fright. "They smell bad," she said.

I laughed and pulled the child into a hug. "Shhhh. Don't tell them that! It's okay. I'll be with you."

She wrapped her arms around me. "You don't smell bad Allie, you smell nice."

I stood up, still holding Sable in my arms even though she was probably too old for that. The little girl was frightened by Jacob.

Giggling I squeezed her, "Well thank you! You smell nice too."

Her laughter bounced off the trees and Jacob and company started. The sound was beautiful, like church bells. Sable and I smiled at each other.

"Allie?" Jacob called out. He and the others had stopped a few yards from us, their silhouettes the only things I could make out in the fog.

"Jacob!" I cried and started to walk forward with Sable, she buried her face in my shoulder.

As I came closer the pack shuddered and I heard hisses from them. I stopped instantly wary.

"Allie," Jacob's voice was shaking, "Allie? Are—are you alright? You haven't been—been—bitten by anything have you?"

I was confused. Bitten? Bitten by what?

"No. I haven't been bitten. Why?" I asked still walking forward.

I came into their view just as bright moonlight snaked through the canopy. I could see Jacob, Embry, Quil and Jared standing together in a close formation. They all jumped back as they saw me. Jared made a hasty retreat.

"Jacob?" I whispered hurt by the fear and anger he had on his face.

"Allie," Jacob's voice was commanding, "What are you carrying?" His voice came out in a hiss.

I flinched from his tone and Sable let out a whimper. I patted her on the back.

"Shh. Shh. It's okay," I murmured to her.

Jacob's nostrils flared as I turned to answer him. Pain flickered across my face as I stepped closer to him and just as quickly he took a step back away from me.

"This is Sable, I found her in a clearing . . ." I trailed off at the look of revulsion in his dark eyes.

"Put that—that thing down, Allie," he said his eyes wide.

"Her name is Sable! And you're scaring her!" I said as I rubbed the poor little girl who was scared. Sable was clinging to me tighter as she whispered, barely inaudibly in my ear.

"They smell bad."

I giggled at her comment and Jacob shook in fury.

"Allie. That—that thing isn't what you think it is. Put it down, now!" He stepped forward, towards me, reaching for Sable with eyes that were dark with violent intent.

I pulled away from him and his reach. Jacob stopped looking at me with a stunned expression.

"Stop it!" I told him shrilly, "Stop scaring her! She's just a little girl who got lost! Stop it!"

Jacob's face took on a strange expression.

"Allie," he whispered my name like an apology. I was confused by his behavior, why did he want to hurt Sable?

I turned away from him. "Allie, that little girl—she's not what you think she is."

My eyes flickered down at the seraphic child I held in my arms—her eyes were closed shut tightly as though trying to block out monsters and her legs were tight around my waist, as were her hands flung over my shoulders that clutched my shirt. She was just a lost little girl. Nothing more.

I looked back at Jacob, signaling with my eyes my disbelief.

Jacob observed me cautiously and approached me calmly, only the faintest flicker of disgust passed by his face before it was gone.

"That's a vampire."

...

Wow. I'm rather in love with this chapter! The whole time i was writing it i was listening to Yiruma and the songs that i was listening to really inspired me. If you haven't heard of Yiruma, I suggest looking it up. He's an AMAZING pianist and the songs are very, very beautiful.

Thank you to all my international readers who commented, it was awesome to find out where y'all are reading this from! And of course thanks to all my american readers too!

Alright, my loves, lets REVIEW shall we?