0. . .oO•.o. A Promise Unknowingly Kept .o.•Oo. . .0

Warning: This story will contain mild content, themes, and language which some may find offensive. If you have questions let me know.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owner, Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are the property of the me - the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: Thank you for the positive feedback, here's Chapter Two.

Beta Read by TheGirlWhoReadFiction - thank you so much!

0. . .oO•.o. A Promise Unknowingly Kept .o.•Oo. . .0

CHAPTER 2 - Death and Birth of a Life

•~Annabelle Cullen~•

- 8 years later (London, 1674) –

Years went by and no word from Daddy came our way. Mother had died from The Great Plague the year after he went missing. She was heartbroken and was too weak from the loss to find more of a need to fight off the disease. I inherited the running of the Cullen house due to being the only one left in line for it. I was alone, but went out every night to see Carleton.

He lived just down the road and was twenty-one years old. He was three years my senior; he was my only friend – my best friend. Carleton was confident and my saviour because he helped me during the worst times in my life when there was no one else to guide me through. He owned a quaint little cottage and sold medical books to earn a living.

I pulled my coat around me tight. It was a rough winter, but that wouldn't stop me from seeing Carleton any day. We had become a lot closer in the recent months – we have both noticed it. As I stepped out into the deep, glistening snow and wrapped a thick scarf around my neck, I began my very familiar walk to Carleton's home.

I was walking past an alley, and I froze when a shrill, blood-curdling scream reached my ears and I immediately recognised it as belonging to Carleton. Oh no! Without even pausing to think, I ran straight for him and dropped in front of him. "Carleton! Can you hear me? Oh dear Lord...Carleton!" Tears were freely pouring down my cold cheeks while I was trying to help him while he laid there unmoving and helpless.

A shudder shot down my spine when the man below me took a sudden shallow, painful breath. "An-na-belle..." he managed to call out to me in a whisper.

"Shh, don't speak... I'll get you help." He shook his head, refusing to listen to me. "Don't choose now to be stubborn." He picks his moments. It was typical of Carleton to do this in a crisis.

Looking more closely at his injuries, I could feel the blood drain from my face. He had a severe knife wound close to where his lungs should supposedly be. Alarming fear spread through me. There was blood everywhere! His blood...

He shifted his eyes and set them on my face. "Annie...please...let...me...say...this." he pleaded to me in between gasping breaths. I merely nodded – how could I bare to refuse him? "I...love you...Annabelle...always have." I was left speechless by Carleton's declaration, so I did the only thing I could think of doing. I leaned down to him and carefully, but passionately, placed a long-awaited kiss upon his soft, sweet lips. He loved me. He truly did love me. Tears of joy now fell from my eyes.

Stopping our kiss, I leaned back only slightly and told him something I've always wanted to tell him too, "I love you too, Carleton." He smiled back to me like he was the happiest man alive and breathed, "Thank you..." His eyes fluttered closed as if finally at peace and his body collapsed into my arms as he drew his final breath.

Emotions exploded through me. Rage that someone had attack my beloved. Warmth from knowing that I was loved. Distraught that Carleton had been ripped from me with that love. He lay there so still, but looked as if he had just fallen asleep – a never-ending sleep.

It was that moment that something moved in my peripheral vision. I whipped my head up and searched around swiftly to see nothing. Sensing something dangerously wrong, I hesitantly and reluctantly began to get up off of the cold ground and started to move away from Carleton's body, feeling extremely guilty for leaving him there just moments after losing him. My eyes squeezed shut at the mere thought of what had happened. If he was here, he wouldn't want me to stay unprotected; he would want me to go and find help.

My heart began to pump faster for no particular or known reason, as if my subconscious could sense a danger was close. Adrenaline flowed through my veins as I caught another blur right before me. At that, I turned and ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction, which was proving difficult in the thick snow that had accumulated. Then the blur came again, only chillingly close this time, forcing me to a halt. I felt tingles on my cheeks like someone was watching me. I turned my head in time to see the blur push me down into the snow.

Looking around from where I had just fallen, I was met with one of my worst nightmares. It was when my eyes connected with the blood-red eyes, I knew I wouldn't live to see another day. Only when a quick thought past my mind, I saw a good side to death: I would see Carleton again. My hand shook slightly, my pendant with the family crest dropped from its position on my wrist and into my palm. I held it tightly as the male monster violently wrapped his cold arms around my upper body, as if I was a rag doll, bringing me closer to him. Nothing that I tried in an attempt to fight free proved successful – he was too strong. His entire body felt hard like stone and was as cold as ice. He ripped the scarf from my neck and sent me a chilling smile before he sunk his razor sharp teeth into my neck. That was when I screamed.

I felt my life slowly ebb away as the monster above me led me to my death. The type of monster that Daddy was supposed to protect me from. Suddenly, as quick as the teeth were there, they were gone. That was when fire started to course through my body like a white hot branding iron was burning all of my insides. I thrashed about violently, crying out in agony. Slowly I began sinking into the snow as more and more fell upon me, getting buried underneath a deadly sea of white.

A/N:

How did you find the second chapter? I hope it doesn't make it look like that I want Annabelle too be continuously miserable.

Comments on Reviews from Chapter 1:

- sierra145 - Thank you! I hope it will be a great stroy for everyone.

- Catherine gest Lauros - Glad you do, thank you.

- Nika - Thank you so much! Me too, I love they explore the past quite a lot.

-DGarofalo84 - I'm planning on a surprise reunion and a happy one too, but she clicks on to something the Volturi said (well, reacted to) when she goes to tell them about her family and past.