Disclaimer: The concept of Lost in Austen meets twilight: new moon. Goodbye to toxic men that glitter, I say! Sharing this content elsewhere is NOT PERMITTED.

Preface.

Through Bella's mind, we see. The truth is only the truth if we lean upon it.

Ideation. Before he left, he spoke to me about how inescapable his life had been. I couldn't fathom at the time how he could speak so lightly about it; it had made me light-headed and sick to my stomach. I had hoped that since meeting me, things would have changed for him; that I was enough to make him stay. But as the months drift by and this void within me grows, I know that was never going to be true. I wasn't enough to make him stay. How utterly egocentric of me to think I would have ever been enough.

I breathe in the brittle winter air that surrounds me and think about his words once more. They seem to echo within my mind, and I can't find peace in sleep or in this hollowness that has become my life. I stare blankly out the window as the leaves change colour and fall to the ground. As the rain pours, and the frost settles in. Time feels irrelevant, and I dissociate from my body. How long has it been? Has my body mummified in this chair? I don't feel alive anymore; I don't feel anything at all.

Chapter One

There have been stranger things than this.

I always crave summer; but once it's here, I realize that the chill of winter corroded my memory and made me lose sight of the truth: That summer is cruel. The sun bites at my skin; clothing clings to me, and I'm desperate for the moment I can take it off and run a cool shower. Nice hairdos and makeup are long forgotten as my auburn hair mattes at the base of my neck and everything feels utterly sticky. This was the truth of it. December in Australia is unrelenting.

I hear the familiar screech of the train and tentatively re-tuck the right loop of my mask over my ear; standing swiftly and moving forward before the crowd can push me away from the train's opening doors. My book nearly slips from my left hand as I am jostled by other passengers, and squeeze it a little tighter. The tattered copy of Twilight: New moon had long ago been hidden away in a book slip; my soul was no longer able to handle the torment of my peers when they realise that my love-hate relationship with this book series is unrelenting. Ruthless 17-year-olds that have no knowledge of pop culture past the daily insta uploads from the Kardashian Kult.

My body is flooded with relief when I finally make it home, and I fall into bed, dreaming of what it would be like to wake in Forks and take Bella's place. I don't feel myself wake, just as I didn't feel sleep overcome me. It was the cool breeze that woke me. It licked my skin and made goosebumps rise. I sat up in bed; with lips blue and a throbbing head, I stumbled to the window. It was open, but the air that flowed through was warm. Just then, I heard muffled talking, and I was jolted from my half-awake state as my heart flurried from the adrenaline rush that coursed through my body. I was already turning and moving towards my door before my mind to comprehend my movements. My father, who I acknowledge was a great person, was painfully absent from my life. This means I am more often than not alone in our apartment. This knowledge twisted in my gut as I reached for my bedroom door. I jolted backwards as my hand touched the cool steel handle. It was ice cold, and it was at that moment I felt the cool air wafting from under the frame. Blood pounded in my ears as I reached once again for the handle, gingerly grasping and turning it.

Soft light flooded my room, and I froze in place. I was looking into a hallway; one adorned with grey carpeting, pale grey walls and a lone fish plaque. This was not my apartment. I went to slam the door closed when I heard muffled speech once again, drifting from below a wooden staircase. "I just don't know what to do anymore Billy, she hasn't moved in months." There was no reply, and a few minutes later, as I stay frozen in the doorway, I hear the click of a phone being mounted back on its cradle, and a voice holler to me that they are going out. The front door opens and clicks closed, and I am left frozen at the foot of my bedroom doorway.

Chapter two.

A world undone.

I hear a small noise behind me, and I am broken from my trance. As I turn, I realize I was wrong; this is not my doorway. This is her doorway. In front of me is a dark room, flooded by moonlight. In front of the window, she sat in a wooden chair that looked worn and well-loved. The girl, on the other hand, looks hollow. Her cheeks and eyes seemed to sink into her face, and her pale skin looked a sickly white. Her hair was dark and long, but it lay matted around her face. I slowly crouched beside her and placed my hand on her arm. "Bella?" I whispered, not believing it could be true.

But she said nothing. Her eyes, unblinking, looked out into the night. I could see frost rimming the windows, and I had a moment of realization. Looking at Bella, I swallowed nervously. "Bella, has Edward already left?" I asked.

"Edward." It was less than a whisper, and even though she still sat, unblinking, I half expected a tear to roll down her face. She didn't cry though, I could feel how barren she felt. If it wasn't for her shallow breathing I wouldn't have thought her alive at all.

"Yes," I whisper back, "Edward has left, hasn't he?" My brows furrowed and I felt utterly awful for bringing it up. "I know what happens next," I tell her. The first time I had read the saga, I loved it. But ever since, the more I learn about people it just hasn't felt right. Something was off about Edward; about the Cullens as a whole, and Bella had fallen into their enchantment. Edward may say he didn't mean to pursue her, but he still did.
Blood rushed to my cheeks as I stay kneeling next to Bella. Suddenly, looking at her, I am angry. How could he do this to her? I had never felt such a burning passion before, and even though I know I am likely in a deep sleep state in my own bed, I can not help but feel this brittle girl within my dream needs protecting.

"I know what you can do if you want to feel alive again." My voice is gentle but firm. My tone seems to stir her, and Bella's eyes turn to meet my gaze. "You need warmth," I say to her. "And an adventure, away from boys that glitter and long to kill you." I saw her flinch at my words, but as I pulled at her arm she slowly began to rise from her stoop.

"Am I dreaming?" She whispered to me. "Who are you?" I guided her to her bedroom door, pausing before opening it.

"I'm Nora," I smiled at her as I opened her bedroom door, filling the room with the sounds of the city; My city. Bella blinked; a peculiar movement that made her seem reanimated. "Where is that?" she asked breathlessly. "It's my home," I toned down my smile and gently nudged her toward the door. "You'll be able to have some alone time, soak up the sun and find joy again. Meanwhile, I'm going to do some cleanup here. I'll tell Charlie we are a part of an exchange program and that you didn't have the heart to say goodbye." Once again, Bella's eyes met my own. They held a new look, one of determination. Without a word she turned, stepped across the threshold, and closed the door behind her.