I regained consciousness just a minute ago.

Despite my non-vampire status, I can still detect Pearl's lingering presence. Her vanilla perfume hangs in the air, a subtle clue to her proximity.

It takes Pearl precisely one minute and thirty seconds to catch on to my ruse of feigned unconsciousness.

"Isabella, what did I tell you about lying?" Her voice carries a weariness that I hadn't noticed before. It's the first time she's sounded her age—old.

Unable to maintain the charade any longer, I open my eyes and attempt to stretch my body. It's a mistake.

Every inch of me protests. My arms ache from being suspended above my head for so long, my shoulder feels dislocated, and my wrist might be broken. My left leg is sore, but my right leg refuses to move, possibly broken or worse.

And then there's my neck—the throbbing pain, the dried blood, the twin puncture wounds.

This is different from any vampire bite I've experienced before.

"I've decided not to press you about the Cold Ones for now," Pearl announces, her fingers running smoothly through her hair. Her expression remains neutral, hiding any hint of nervousness or habit. "I have good news."

I don't ask what.

I remain silent, glaring at her with all the defiance I can muster.

Pearl sighs. "Your friend has come to rescue you."

"How is that good news for you?" I demand, baffled by her logic. Even if I don't know the identity of this supposed vampire friend, I fail to see how their intervention benefits Pearl.

"It's good news because now we can negotiate," she explains, exasperation evident in her tone. "Honestly, Isabella, they told me you were smart."

I snap.

"I've been here for five damn days!" I shout, frustration boiling over. "One of which I've spent trapped in this basement! How can you claim to know whether I'm smart or not?"

"Mind your manners!" Pearl's voice sharpens, her features contorting into a menacing display of black eyes and sharp fangs.

I pity Anna in that moment. Growing up with Pearl for eternity must have been torture.

Silence envelops us, interrupted only by Pearl's deep breaths as she struggles to regain her composure. My own breaths are shallow and uneven, evidence of my ongoing struggle to recover from my recent ordeal.

"Now," Pearl begins, her demeanor shifting suddenly.

But before she can continue, her head tilts to the side, indicating she's listening intently to something beyond my perception.

"I'll be right back, Isabella," she declares with a chilling grin. "I have to go... have a chat with someone."

And just like that, she vanishes.

In the blink of an eye, she's gone.

I try to listen to what's happening, but I'm only human.

It's funny. "Only human." Oh, how I wish I could be more.

So instead, all I can do is sit in the basement—trying to ignore the pain—and think. I'm thinking about just how messed up my life is. Thinking about how worried Charlie might be. Thinking about my new friends, Caroline, Damon—

I wonder if he's worried.

Is it wrong that I want him to be?

I'm also thinking about James. Weird, I know, but he's the other crazy, evil vampire that kidnapped me. So you can see the connection I'm making.

Except when James kidnapped me, I knew the Cullens would come to save me. Now—now there's no one to save me. The Cullens are gone, and I'm just a stupid human who can't seem to avoid getting involved in the supernatural.

God, my life is messed up.

A BANG interrupts my thoughts, causing me to jerk my head up in surprise and strain to listen to what's happening upstairs. But there are still problems with that. One, my hearing hasn't magically enhanced in the minute I've been down here. And two, jerking my head up caused extreme pain to shoot through my body.

I'm surprised I didn't scream.

Another BANG.

This one louder and closer. It seems to be coming from just above the staircase.

There's screaming. So much screaming.

Someone's shouting "GET OUT!" while another voice demands "WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?!" Then there's Pearl's voice. It's laughing, taunting someone—Damon. She seems almost gleeful as she goads him, claiming she was starting to worry that he didn't care.

Damon.

Damon. His name flashes through my mind a mile a minute.

Damon.

No, it can't be.

Damon is the vampire friend Pearl had been taunting me with. He had lied—

But…but that was impossible. I had never seen any hints toward Damon being a vampire. He ate food, he drank, he seemed completely normal around people, he—

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Another BANG. This one sounds more like a CRACK.

That's when I can hear everything. No superhuman hearing needed. Why? Because the fight seems to be coming to me.

You know how I can tell.

The lifeless body of Anna is thrown across the room, landing right in front of me. She's grey-colored, with blank black eyes, and oh yeah—there's a stake shoved into her heart.