So, Here I am again, with a brand new story. I'm nervous about what you will all think since it's a departure from the style of my other fics. I was originally going to wait to post this until EtS was complete, but after discussing it with a couple of authors, I've decided to just post it now. As always, much love to my wonderful and supportive beta, Magnolia822, who's own new fic, The Quiet Fire, will rock your socks off. Love to xhellokitty99x and xXTailoredDreamsXx for their pre-reading and support. A special smooch to Lolypop82 for making me an amazing banner which is on my profile. Right. Here goes...

Fear. Shock. Desperation.

Utter confusion.

Pain.

Can't Breathe.

It's all repeated in a vicious cycle in Bella's mind night after night. Dreams that would terrorize and cripple. The darkness counterbalanced with muddy hues; blues, grays, and greens. The familiar screams of the people she loved, the horrendous soundtrack to her nightmares. She knew very well where these nightmares originated from, but they were spotty, mere impressions in thick brushstrokes of darkness and mass hysteria.

"Baby! Baby, wake up! I need you to wake up, baby! We have to get out of here! C'mon Bella!" Bella heard her mother's voice, petrified and hurried, jostle her awake from a deep slumber.

"Renee! I'm stuck! I can't...shit...Just get Bella out first!" Bella's father's voice rang out in hollow echoes.

Crying. There were a lot of cries for help, tears, pleas for salvation. Bella couldn't piece together the fragments her senses were registering, but a cold blast of water from a suddenly shattered window shook her to the core as her long pajamas became heavy and wet between her legs. Her mother's arms were shaky and unstable, but she felt herself being lifted out of her seat. "Baby, you need to swim to the surface, ok? Just get to the surface, we'll be right behind you!" Her voice trembled whether in fear or from pure adrenaline. As if on automatic, Bella swam, seeing only murky ripples of reflected light as she reached the surface and gasped for much needed air. Struggling to compose herself and keep herself afloat, her dream morphed into strong arms lifting her tiny frame. In flashes of light and voices the warm, firm embrace of her mother was exchanged for gloved hands. The smell of wet grass and mud filled Bella's nostrils as she gasped for air with each and every cough. The cold replaced the warm in seconds as she reached the ground. Loud sirens, people, and the feel of the wet grass beneath her feet confused her. But nothing was as horrifying as hearing her mother scream. Bella could not cry, she was like petrified wood, her legs taking root in the freezing ground beneath her.

Another voice. Echoes.

"Yep. Two adults still inside. We couldn't get to them, sergeant. Driver's seatbelt was still on, passenger was recovered, but was dead on the scene."

Bella was jolted awake and sat up in her dark bedroom panting, sweating, crying. The images were still so vivid. She had hoped she was getting better, the nightmares becoming less detailed and less frequent in recent weeks. It was the same dream. Always. This time though, she saw her mother's desperate and fearful face. Bella's heart clenched as she sat, trying to regain her composure, taking deep cleansing breaths. She walked over to her bathroom and gently splashed water on her face, running a cool towel down her neck and to the back of her head. Glancing at the reflection in the mirror, she noticed she looked terrible. Her dark circles were prominent and her cheeks were sunken. When would she be normal again, she thought.

Bella decided to step out to her small balcony, breathing in the cool summer air, taking in the complete silence that surrounded her, the only sound coming from the trickling water ebbing at the rocky edge. Ironically, she was happy here, finding solace in the sound of water, in the sound of silence.

Tomorrow would be another day. The start of the summer season.

A/N: Hmm...Thoughts? Love? Reviews?

I wrote a O/S for the Twi-Muses Naughty or Nice Holiday Contest called Merry Textmas. It's fun and sexy! Check it out. Voting will begin on December 5th and end on December 12th Follow this link to read all the great entries and vote! http: / www [DOT] [SLASH] community [SLASH] Naughty_or_Nice_Holiday_Contest[SLASH]86901[SLASH]99[SLASH]0[SLASH]1/