A/N: So I just figured out the 'author note' thing has to be put it on my own haha anywho, thanks so much to those of you who have reviewed already, you guys put a major smile on my face :) If you'd like to see the dress she wore to the party, a link will be on my profile for it. Enjoy!
2. The Cullens
He stood there, smiling, yet seemingly perplexed. I could understand why, it's not every day a girl in a gown comes knocking on your door at your secluded home in the forest. I couldn't help but be stunned by his beauty. His skin was pale white, almost marble-like. He had golden eyes and blonde hair. And then he spoke.
"Can I help you?"
"Er, yes...my car broke down just down the road. I noticed a car pull into the side road and followed, hoping to find someone to help me."
Then she appeared behind him, one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen.
"Carlisle, who is it?" She sang. "Oh hello," she said, "Do come in" She placed her hand on Carlisle's shoulder as they both stepped aside.
"I'm Esme Cullen, this is my husband Carlisle" She introduced herself and her husband.
The beauty of the inside of their home was astounding. It was so open, I loved it. Seemingly out of nowhere, a petite girl with a pixie-cut appeared with a blonde-haired man. Both were pale, with golden eyes and exceedingly beautiful.
"Hi, I'm Alice. This is Jasper" she said, both of them keeping a distance from me. I turned and noticed that Carlisle and Esme were also keeping a bit of a distance. Did I stink? Maybe I had passed a skunk on my way in, but hadn't noticed anything on my walk over here.
"Hi, I'm Elina." I replied, still trying to figure out why they were so far away from me.
"That's such a lovely dress!" Alice said. Before I could thank her, Jasper fled the room.
"Sorry, he's not....feeling well" Alice said, going after him.
Another pair appeared in the room. One of them was a stunning, blonde haired girl and the other was a very strong looking man. They too, had golden eyes.
"Who's this?" Said the blonde-haired girl
"This is Elina; her car broke down, down the road." Esme replied to her.
"Hey, I'm Emmett, this is Rosalie" the strong one said.
"Hi," I smiled.
"Do we really have to go on introducing ourselves to strangers?" Rosalie said angrily.
"Rosalie, that's enough" Carlisle jumped in, "Why don't I bring you to the phone?"
I followed him, enjoying the rest of the house as we reached the kitchen. Once Carlisle led me to the phone, he left. I picked it up, unsure who to call. I wasn't going to call home; I didn't want to deal with anyone there right now. I looked at the clock, it was close to midnight. I had no idea if tow trucks came out this late. My last resort would be a hotel. I went to find Carlisle to see if he had a phonebook. I noticed there were three more people here: a man, a woman and a little girl. I didn't want to interrupt, so I returned to the kitchen.
"Did you get a hold of anyone?" Carlisle asked, following me into the kitchen.
"Not exactly...do you have a phone book?"
"I'm sorry, we don't." Carlisle apologized. "Can we give you a ride somewhere?"
"I suppose so...do you know of any hotels around here?" I asked.
Esme overheard the conversation and came into the kitchen. She pulled Carlisle aside.
"It's the middle of the night, should we really let her go?" I heard her whisper
"It's not safe to keep her here, Esme. What else can we do?" He replied.
I gulped. Why wouldn't it be safe? Who were these people? Axe murderers? Criminals? Hundreds of possibilities ran through my mind but nothing fit. They all seemed so kind. What were they hiding?
"There's something about her, Carlisle. We can't exactly let her go off alone."
"What do you suggest we do?"
"Edward and Bella can stay here with Renesmee; she can stay at their cottage. That will buy us some time. I'd feel better if the girl stayed. I wouldn't feel right sending her out there alone."
They both turned to look at me. Esme smiled and walked over to me, but still keeping a distance.
"It's late, why don't you stay here? We have a guest house nearby; you're more than welcome to stay there. We can get someone to look at your car in the morning."
"Oh, I really don't think I should. I don't want to impose." That and, I had no idea what would become of me if I stayed.
"Nonsense, I insist." She smiled. Carlisle put his hand on her shoulder.
"Really, we would feel better if you stayed." He said.
What else could I do? I could take this chance or go home. I was all about risks tonight, I would stay.
"Alright" I said, exhaling deeply. "Thank you"
"It's our pleasure, dear" Esme said. "Come, meet the rest of the family" she motioned me to follow her.
In the living room stood the three who came while I was in the kitchen using the phone. The man I assumed to be Edward. He was absolutely gorgeous. I have never seen such a handsome man; his beauty was almost otherworldly. The woman standing next to him was stunning like the others and held a beautiful little girl in her arms.
"This is my son, Edward, his wife, Bella and their daughter, Renesmee" Esme introduced them.
"Hello" I said, smiling.
Edward nodded and Bella smiled back. Renesmee squirmed in her mother's arms. Bella let her down and Renesmee walked over to me. I knelt down to be at eye level with her.
"Hello there" I said, smiling. She placed her hand on my cheek for a brief second, giggled and then ran back to her mother. "She's a beautiful little girl"
"Thank you" Edward said, glancing over to Bella. It seemed as though she wasn't breathing. She started to turn away, burying her head into Edward's shoulder. He whispered something in her ear and she left the room with Renesmee.
"She's not feeling well" he said, excusing her from leaving.
"It seems to be going around, Jasper left as well shortly after I met him." I found it to be a bit suspicious that both left so abruptly. She seemed fine before I entered the room. Maybe I did stink.
"Yes, it must be." His voice was like velvet. "Excuse me, I should check on her."
I realized, once Edward left, that I was alone. I heard some talking coming from the kitchen, but decided to stay where I was. I walked over to the large window and stared outside. The view was so beautiful, even in the dark. I noticed something move in the trees. I was trying to make out what it was when I noticed Carlisle's reflection in the window. I turned to face him.
"Nice view, isn't it?"
"Stunning..."
"Please, sit" He said, directing me towards the couch. I sat down, my dress flowing around me. Shortly after, Esme and Edward came back into the room. Edward kept a far distance; Esme was a bit closer but still far. Carlisle sat on the chair beside the couch.
"So...whereabouts are you from?" He asked casually.
"Port Angeles."
"Ah, I see. And your parents, do they know you're gone?"
"Yes, they saw me leave. They won't be expecting me home anytime soon."
"Who are they, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Ronald and Marie Johnson"
"Oh, yes. They own a real estate company in Port Angeles, correct?"
"Yes, that's right." I wondered what was with all the questions.
"How old are you?"
"Eighteen"
"What brought you to Forks?"
"I just got in my car, drove and ended up here. I didn't really have a planned destination."
"Why is that?"
"I just needed to get away. A lot has been on my mind and I needed some time alone to get some answers. I just got in my car and left without thinking of where to go. I know, it sounds silly, like I'm some rebellious teen. I can't really explain it, but it's not what you think. I...I don't know." I tried to explain.
"You don't have to explain yourself, Elina, we understand." Esme stepped in. "It's getting late, why don't we show you where you'll be staying?"
I stood up and followed Esme outside. She took me towards a river that ran through the back of their home. There was a wooden plank linking the edge where we stood to the other side. Esme walked across gracefully. I prayed I wouldn't fall before taking the first step. Thankfully, I made it across. As we walked, I enjoyed the crisp, night air. It wasn't cold and it wasn't warm. It was just perfect, with a slight breeze. It made me want to sleep outside.
The house was gorgeous, just like everything and everyone here. It was like out of a fairytale. Esme escorted me to one of the bedrooms, wished me a good night and then left. I sat on the bed, realizing I really wasn't tired. I decided to go back outside. The air felt nice on my face. I closed my eyes, my long, dark brown curls danced in the breeze. The layers of chiffon on my dress flowed in the breeze as well. I inhaled the fresh air and had another vision. All I could see was forest passing by me at extreme speeds. It felt like I was running. It was exhilarating. I took in a deep breath and opened my eyes, only to be back into reality. I noticed something move in the forest and took a step forward. It must be the same thing I saw out the window at the Cullen's home. It seemed like some kind of animal, but I couldn't make out what it was exactly. I gave up on it after a few minutes, returning to the emptiness that was my thoughts. My mind has never been this clear. I recalled one of my favourite melodies. It was called River Flows in You, a beautiful song done only on piano. I heard a 'humph' behind me and turned around. Edward stood there with a half smile on his face.
"I'm sorry, did I startle you?" he asked, very politely.
"Not at all, I was just enjoying this beautiful night."
"The darkness doesn't offer much to admire."
"Of course it does. There's the beautiful melody of silence; the only time when you can actually hear the voices of the wind. There are the stars, dazzling in the sky...it is the one period of time where I can be alone. The only time I can let go of the facade..." I went on in my defence of the night.
He didn't say anything, only smirked.
"You shouldn't be out in the woods by yourself like this."
"Well, I'm not by myself."
"Touché"
The wind picked up, blowing my hair forward into my face, towards Edward. I swiped the curls from my face and noticed that Edward had backed away from me, his hands clenched into fists. I couldn't stand it anymore; I had to know why everyone kept backing away.
"Do I stink or something?"
"What?"
"Do I stink? Everyone keeps backing away from me..."
He laughed.
"What's so funny?" I asked, annoyed.
"You don't stink."
"Then what is it?"
"You should get to sleep." He said, walking away. And then he was gone.
I stared at the place where he just stood. Some rustling in the trees startled me. I thought maybe he was coming back and turned to meet his eyes. I froze in my place when I noticed the beast standing before me. It was huge and wolf-like. I couldn't move. Voices in my head were screaming at me to run, but my feet were cemented to the ground. My heart beat faster and my breathing quickened. The beast tilted its head up to the air, sniffed and then ran off. I gulped, afraid to make a move in case it came back.
"Elina, are you alright?" I heard his velvety voice and I found I could move again. I turned to meet his gaze. I opened my mouth to tell him yes, but no words came out. I nodded.
"I told you, you shouldn't be by yourself out here."
"What was that?" I asked, my voice was a bit shaky.
"Nothing you need to worry about." He said, opening the door to the house. "Go inside."
I stepped in and heard the door close behind me. He was gone. How did he know I stayed outside? Was he watching me? My eyes began feeling heavy. I left my thoughts to ponder in the morning and went to sleep.
I could smell the rain when I woke up. I felt awake and invigorated. I walked around, still wearing my gown from the party. I heard a knock on the door and went to answer it. Esme stood there with a tray of food in her hands.
"Good morning, I brought you some breakfast" She smiled and came inside.
"Thank you, that's very kind of you to bring it out here."
"It's my pleasure. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, actually...I haven't slept so well in a really long time."
"Good! Well, I'll leave you to eat." She said as she walked toward the door. She turned to me and smiled, then closed the door behind her.
I started to think of how lucky I was to stumble upon such kind people. It's almost a rarity these days. Esme was very hospitable, as were the others. Except for the fact that many of them seemed to keep a distance from me, I felt very welcomed and almost as if I was home.
I lifted the lid off of the tray that Esme had brought me. It looked like a gourmet meal with an omelette, toast and little breakfast sausages. It smelled excellent. But, for some reason, I wasn't hungry. I decided to make an effort to show I appreciated the meal by eating some of it before I brought the tray back.
With the tray in hand, I stepped cautiously onto the wooden plank over the creek to get to the Cullen's house. I noticed Edward appear on the other side, holding his hand out.
"Here, I'll take that" He said, taking the tray from me.
"Thank you" I said, making my final step towards the other side.
"You barely touched it." He said, lifting the lid.
"I wasn't really hungry...I hope Esme won't be offended."
"She won't be, don't worry." He said, walking quite a distance in front of me.
He opened the door for me. I noticed when I passed he made a face, as if he smelled something he didn't like. He closed the door behind me without coming in. I stared at him, wondering what I had done to make him do that.
"Elina, I'm glad you stayed!" Alice said, skipping towards me. She stood closer this time.
"So am I." I smiled.
"We should get you into some new clothes. As pretty as that gown is, I bet you'd like something a bit more comfortable."
"Thanks, Alice. But, I think I'm alright. I should be leaving soon anyway."
"Why don't you spend the day with us? It'll be fun!"
"I..." I couldn't refuse, Alice seemed genuinely happy about me being here. "Okay" I said, smiling back.
"Excellent! I'll go find you some clothes." She said, skipping off upstairs.
"Did I hear correctly? You're staying?" Esme asked.
"Yes, I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not, dear. We're happy to have you." Esme said.
I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and assumed it would be Alice. I turned and saw Bella with Renesmee in her arms.
"Elina, I'm glad you're still here. I'm sorry for running off like that last night. I just wasn't feeling well."
"Oh, don't apologize, I understand."
She looked at me peculiarly. I wished I knew what she was thinking. Maybe there was something on my face that I hadn't noticed.
"I have to run some errands with Carlisle and the others." Esme said to Bella. "We'll be back tonight" She said as she left.
There was a knock on the door and Renesmee practically jumped out of her mother's arms towards the door. A tall, large man stepped in and scooped Renesmee up in his arms.
"Jacob!" Renesmee squealed, wrapper her little arms around his neck.
"Hey kid" He said, smiling.
I couldn't help but smile at them. His eyes flashed over to me and burrowed into mine. No one has ever looked at me so intensely. Out of nowhere, Edward appeared behind Jacob. He cleared his throat and Jacob turned to look at Edward.
"Jacob, can I speak with you in the kitchen?" Edward said, walking towards the kitchen.
"Yeah, just a minute..." His eyes returned to me. He put Renesmee down and stepped towards me. "Hi, I'm Jacob." He said, holding his hand out. It was enormous.
"I'm Elina." I smiled, placing my hand into his. Heat radiated off the palm of his hand. I could feel my palm begin to sweat. I took my hand back. "So, are you Carlisle's son too?" I asked, curious. He looked nothing like the others.
"Uh, no actually I live out on the Quileute res." He laughed.
"Jacob" Edward said, sternly.
Jacob smiled at me, and then followed Edward. Bella went with them.
Renesmee and I were alone in the living room. I sat down on the sofa and Renesmee hopped up next to me. I noticed her looking up at me and met her gaze.
"How old are you?" I asked.
"Al...Almost a year" She hesitated.
"A year?" I said, shocked. She appeared to be at least four. Then it hit me; I appeared four when I was almost a year old. Could she be like me?
Instantly, Bella appeared in front of Renesmee. I didn't even realize she had entered the room.
"Renesmee, come here sweetheart" She said, scooping Renesmee up in her arms.
I couldn't sit still anymore. I got up and started walking around. I overheard Bella talking.
"How is this possible? I thought it only happened once? What about Renesmee?"
"I know as much about this as you do, Bella. I can't explain it. All I know is that the moment I saw her..." Jacob said.
"Enough" Edward interrupted.
It was silent and I realized they must have noticed I was listening. I walked towards the window and enjoyed the view. I wondered if the beast I had seen yesterday was still out there. Then their voices rose again.
"How could you be so careless, mongrel?" Edward said.
"I couldn't help it. I was imprinting, Edward. This...pull just took over. Before I realized how close I was it was too late, she already saw me." Jacob replied defensively.
"She's like me!" A little voice said, silencing the others.
"Are you sure, sweetheart?" Bella asked Renesmee.
"Yes, I saw it. You can even smell it on her"
"She's right." Edward said, "I did notice that she smelled like one of us. It's in her."
"But her blood...it's..." Bella started to say.
"I know, love. I've never smelt anything like it. It's almost irresistible, even for me."
I gulped at the tone of their conversation. Why were they talking about my blood? Who were these people? I had to get out while I still had a chance. I inched towards the door when I heard Alice behind me.
"Elina, I put together a great outfit for you!" She said.
"Er, thanks, but I think I should go." I said, about to reach for the door.
"I thought you were going to spend the day with us" She said, disappointed.
Despite what I had just heard coming from Bella, Edward, Jacob and Renesmee, I couldn't help but feel sorry for disappointing Alice. She seemed so sweet. But, maybe that was just a part of their plan. To make me stay and get comfortable just so they can do something with my blood. That wasn't a chance I was going to take. I had to leave now.
Edward and Bella appeared with Renesmee and Jacob just as I was about to open the door.
"Elina... it's not what you think." Edward said, comfortingly.
"How would you know what I think?"
"I noticed you overheard the last part of our conversation and we would like to explain ourselves."
"I just want to leave. Please, let me go." I pleaded.
"We aren't forcing you to stay here, Elina. You can leave if you wish; we just hope you'll let us explain first. I think we can help you find the answers you're looking for."
I hesitated. Part of me was telling me to get out while I was still alive, but another was hanging to the hope that they really could give me answers. After all, Renesmee seemed to be just like me when I was a little girl. Maybe they did know the answers I was searching for.
"Okay" I whispered.
Jacob took the clothes from Alice and walked over to me.
"It's going to be okay" He whispered. Somehow, I believed him. I took the clothes from him and followed him upstairs. I stepped into the dark, denim jeans and lace embroidered blouse, both seemingly expensive. I opened the door and noticed Jacob was still standing there. He began to walk towards the stairs but I stopped him. For some reason, I trusted him and felt comfortable with him, even though we'd only just met.
"Wait" I said, grabbing his wrist. "What did you mean earlier, when you said you were imprinting? What is that?" I asked.
"It's a long story. I'll explain it to you later. Right now, Edward and Bella need to talk to you."
I stiffened.
"You don't have to be afraid, Elina. They aren't going to hurt you. They just have something important to talk to you about. Come on" He took my hand and led the way. Edward and Bella were sitting on the sofa with Renesmee. Edward stood as I walked down the stairs.
"That looks lovely on you, Elina!" Alice exclaimed.
"Thank you" I whispered, hesitant to keep walking forward. Jacob pulled me to the couch and we both sat down.