I stared dumbfounded down at the beautiful reflection looking me in the face. That could not be Isabella Marie Swan, average brown haired, brown eyed girl of small town Forks, Washington. The girl in the reflections cheekbones were higher and more prominent, her lips somehow more voluptuous, her skin even more pale than before and she definitely had some curves to her body that weren't there before. Her once dull brown eyes a bright vivid red. She was still small now, and held the same softness, but the softness was now seemed menacing, alluring. I looked down to see that I had no shoes and the clothes on my body were torn up and soiled with debris from the forest floor I now sat on, as were the girls in the water. The girl in the water was me. I gasped and flinched away from the waters edge. How had this happened?
I closed my eyes tightly trying to remember exactly how this had happened.
Flashback
"Oh Laurent," I exasperated running to the forests edge where he stood.
"Bella…is that you?" His smooth voice called. I shook my head fervently, his eyes lit up with excitement. Not the excitement you show when you see someone you haven't seen in awhile, an excitement I knew all to well from the times I had gotten to close to Ed…him. He took a step towards me.
"You wouldn't," I contradicted.
"That's where your wrong Bella," he calmly explained, "You really don't know me that well, I most definitely would."
"They'll know it was you," I threatened, referring to the Cullens.
"They left you without protection, alone," he chimed, "I somehow think they won't care." He was right. Why would they care if I died? Realizing I had given up he pounced. It was blurry from there. I remember the fire coursing through my veins but that was all. I had woken up in the meadow, the place I used to feel the most safe. Now, it was ruined tainted by the presence of the one who came, and the one who didn't.
End Flashback
I was now fully aware of the burning in the back of my throat telling me that prey was near by. I scanned the vicinity of the meadow looking for traces of blood. My now excellent sight, picked up on the small movement not twenty feet away. Before I knew what was happening I had sucked the animal dry. I looked down at the cold limp body to see what it had been. It was an elk fairly good sized too. The burning had subsided to dull throb and was bearable. What was I supposed to do now? I had nothing to live for or at least exist for. I remembered something from my human life. Alice. My dear best friend Alice. The one that had been abruptly taken away from me, because of Ed…his own greedy reasons. I wanted Alice more than ever right now, to tell it was okay and that she still loved me. That was what I was going to do. Find the Cullens and find out if they still wanted me or not. I knew that I definitely still wanted them and maybe they would want me now that I didn't have a choice between living and dying, because the second was the reason I was here.
I started running like there was no tomorrow. I knew that they had to be in Denali with that female coven. I was going to get to them.
Three Days Later
It had taken me three days and five deer to make it to Denali, but I had done it. I was kneeling down in the bushes outside of the Cullen residence waiting till Edward would leave. I didn't want him to know about me quite yet. I looked down at myself pleased that I could now be someone Edward would be proud to stand next to. I was wearing a pencil skirt, knee length, with a long sleeved white collared shirt and black wedge heels. Secretly underneath it all I had some special things that would be considered risqué under other circumstances. I felt more confident than ever and I was going to work this to my advantage. I heard the door open and someone walk out and down the walkway. It was Edward. My dead heart did a flop in my empty chest as I gazed at his perfection for the first time in what seemed like forever. He got in his Volvo and sped away. He looked as though he hadn't smiled in awhile and the purple bruises under his eyes were darker than usual.
I casually exited the bushes I was hidden in and strolled to the mahogany door. Right as I was about to knock the door swung open in my face. There stood Rosalie in all her glory. Recognition did not flicker in her golden eyes.
"Can I help you?" she nearly sneered.
"No," my soft voice came out less harsher than I liked, "But Alice can."
She rolled her eyes and called Alice to the door.
Alice knew at once, she sprang on me and started kissing my face and yelling things I couldn't understand. She jumped off me after I had to force her off. She looked into my red eyes and gasped.
"Oh," Alice gasped, "Your not vegetarian?"
"Actually, I'm trying to be but it's hard," I explained, "I've stayed away from humans, but I don't think I can do without you."
"So, you're a new born?" she asked.
I nodded solemnly.
"Who did this to you?"
"Laurent," I seethed, "I went hiking to me and Ed…his meadow, and Laurent found me there." If her face could go red from fury it would have, instead her mouth was a line chiseled into her stone cold face. It softened after a moment of that.
"Wait till Edward sees you," I flinched from the sound of his name, "You look amazing, where did you get these clothes." She started checking the tags for the brand name.
"That's not something I'm really proud of," she looked up from checking the tags with a wild grin on her face.
"You robbed a store, you Isabella Marie Swan robbed a store," she questioned amazingly.
"Yes," I confided,
"Edward can't know I'm here yet, I have a little surprise in
store."
"Oh Bella your not going to hurt him are you?"
"No." I lied.
"We only left because we wanted you to have a chance at normal life."
"You did, I thought you just got bored with me." She pulled me into a hug.
"You were the light of our lives, we haven't been happy since we left, I will never forgive myself for letting this happen to you though."
"Alice it wasn't your fault," I comforted, "Remember I'm the danger magnet." I said pointing to myself. She smiled a little.
"Promise you won't hurt him though," she asked.
"I promise, I think my surprise is going to change a little," I said mischievously. She blanked out for a second, seeing my plans and smiled.
"Can I help?" She hopefully asked.