Also, I'm posting more of chapter one below. Don't worry, there's still more to read even though these two snippets have been posted. The first chapter is probably my favorite so far.
Summary:
Lured. Trapped. Hunted. Saved. Accused of murder.
Bella Swan thought the nightmare ended when he died.
She thought wrong.
“You keep saying 'thing'. What do you mean?”
A monster was all she could say. She knew the type, knew which story he mimicked. “You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”
“I'll believe you. I just want to understand. I want to see it how you saw it.”
“No you won't. I know you've seen a lot of stuff, dad, but you've never seen this. You couldn't possibly imagine what's out there, and those who know are dead.”
“Bella, what are you talking about?”
She looked at her hands, still filthy with dirt and blood. The white dress woke her from the sleepy state, and she remember the look on his face when he'd presented the gown to her while they danced. She'd never forget the way his teeth became changed into knives, or the maddening black of his pupils as they dilated, nearly overwhelming the red, which she knew the reason for now. Of all the possible reasons for red eyes, her thoughts never permitted the supernatural explanation.
“Ever read Dracula?” she asked her father, picking the dirt from her nails.
“A million years ago when I was in high school. Why?”
“Think of that times twenty, and you still won't understand what I saw. He's a monster, dad.” Her tears began to perk. “Not the 'he's so horrible, he's a monster'. No. He's a real monster with teeth and red eyes.”
“Bella.”
“He's always hungry. He's smart.”
“Bella, this is nonsense,” Charlie said lightly, interrupting.
“He ate Angela and Eric, killed Mike.”
“Bella, stop.”
“He hunted me, Chased me through the woods after giving me this dress!”
“Bella! Stop!” Charlie said, voice raised.
She heard him that time, registered his clipped tone and stopped talking.
He expelled his frustration and horror with a sigh. “What are you saying? You met Dracula in the woods?”
She shook her hanging head with a slight humor because she knew he wouldn't believe her. She even told him so! “He's real. I swear he is. I didn't imagine this.” She paused, wondering if the next words should be spoken. She said it to herself many times before, but speaking them was an entirely different story. “He's a vampire.”
Chief Swan ran his hands through his hair to the back of his neck. “Bella," he began, his voice rough and stern, the way it always was when he tried to make a point. He found her nervous eyes again. Once they had been full of wonder and beauty. Their endless dark knew no depths and he saw her mother then, and wondered if perhaps she was telling the truth. Bella never lied to him before, but she had been traumatized. Her imagination ran wild with explanations, so he firmed his arm after placing his elbow back on his knee and shook it at her with each word. "Vampires don't exist."
“Bella, this is nonsense,” Charlie said lightly, interrupting.
“He ate Angela and Eric, killed Mike.”
“Bella, stop.”
“He hunted me, Chased me through the woods after giving me this dress!”
“Bella! Stop!” Charlie said, voice raised.
She heard him that time, registered his clipped tone and stopped talking.
He expelled his frustration and horror with a sigh. “What are you saying? You met Dracula in the woods?”
She shook her hanging head with a slight humor because she knew he wouldn't believe her. She even told him so! “He's real. I swear he is. I didn't imagine this.” She paused, wondering if the next words should be spoken. She said it to herself many times before, but speaking them was an entirely different story. “He's a vampire.”
Chief Swan ran his hands through his hair to the back of his neck. “Bella," he began, his voice rough and stern, the way it always was when he tried to make a point. He found her nervous eyes again. Once they had been full of wonder and beauty. Their endless dark knew no depths and he saw her mother then, and wondered if perhaps she was telling the truth. Bella never lied to him before, but she had been traumatized. Her imagination ran wild with explanations, so he firmed his arm after placing his elbow back on his knee and shook it at her with each word. "Vampires don't exist."
