I ran as fast as I could, feeling the wind harshly hitting my face. The sound of thunder echoed above, lighting up the small clearing. What had started as a carefree afternoon had turned into a living nightmare. Predators had been unleashed, and nothing would stop them from getting what they wanted. The scene changed, and I found myself in complete darkness. I couldn't move out of fear, but I was determined to make it out no matter what. I began walking out of the darkness, only to find myself surrounded by thousands of reflections of myself staring back at me. Suddenly, I didn't feel alone anymore. The atmosphere changed, and chills went down my spine as a maniacal, unhinged laughter began to echo through the room. That's when I knew I wasn't getting out of here alive.

I sat up, gasping for air, sweat dripping down my face. I could hear someone calling out to me, but everything sounded muffled, and my mind was stuck in the images I had just seen. It felt like the cold and darkness had a hold over me and refused to let me go. Cold hands grabbing hold of my face snapped me out of my trance, and I looked straight into Alice Cullen's hazel eyes.

Taking in my surroundings, I realized I was no longer in the woods and instead in alice's father home office, although...i still don't know how i got here.

"Brandon? Are you okay?" Alice's soft and sweet voice was full of concern, sending warmth through me. I couldn't remember the last time someone showed concern for me.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's not every day I find myself being the damsel in distress."

Alice chuckled softly as she stepped closer to me. It looked like she had something she wanted to say but changed her mind. She grabbed my hand and led me downstairs to where the rest of her family waited.

Dr. Cullen approached as Alice and I made our way into the living room and sat down on one of the couches. The room felt too perfect, almost otherworldly. Everything was immaculate, and the light seemed to catch on every surface, casting an almost unnatural glow.

"Brandon, are you sure you're fine?" he asked, his voice calm yet intense.

"Yes, Dr. Cullen. I am sorry to have caused you and your family any trouble."

"Nonsense. It's no trouble at all. After all, it's my job to make sure my daughter's friend is okay." His smile was kind, but there was something unsettling about his eyes, almost as if they could see right through me.

I felt there was a double meaning behind Dr. Cullen's words, but I brushed it off as being tired and ready to go home and rest.

"Do my parents know what happened?" I asked.

Dr. Cullen gave Alice a look before he looked back towards me and shook his head. "As your doctor, it wouldn't be right for me to talk about my patient's medical emergency without their consent, so your parents are uninformed about your incident."

Good. I'm glad my mother and father don't know about what happened; otherwise, they would probably think I'm "crazy" and send me back for treatment, to get professional help.

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen."

A beautiful woman with brown eyes and a heart-shaped face walked towards me and introduced herself as Esme Cullen, Dr. Cullen's wife. She asked if I would like something to eat. I politely declined, saying I needed to go home and try to forget all of this ever happened.

Esme's presence was warm and comforting, almost too perfect to be real. She moved with a grace that seemed effortless, and her smile was both inviting and mysterious.

I was so overwhelmed by everything that I didn't notice Alice had been holding my hand the entire time, not that I complained. It was time for me to head home, but not before thanking the Cullens for helping me.

Alice decided to drive me home as her brother took the keys to my car and promised it would be parked at my home before school ended. Her brother moved with an agility that seemed unnatural, but I was too drained to pay attention to it.

On the way to my home, Alice and I talked about our favorite hobbies, movies, music, sports, dreams, and more. It was nice getting to know Alice and seeing a different side of her that nobody else had seen. Her laughter was light and musical, and I found myself drawn to her even more.

I arrived home and took a deep breath, thanking God internally as neither of my parents were home. I grabbed the door handle to climb out of the car when Alice gently grabbed my wrist, pulling me back into the passenger seat.

I turned my head to give her my attention, and my breath caught in my throat as I was extremely close to Alice. Her eyes held so many emotions, and it made my heart swell with feelings I had long since forbidden myself to have.

Alice placed her hand on my cheek, and I unintentionally closed my eyes at her touch. I felt heat spread through me as her finger gently glided down to my lips.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be here for you," she said softly, her voice like a soothing balm.

I pulled away as reality set in, and images of the mutilated body and blood all over the walls reminded me why I couldn't let my guard down. As painful as it was to pull away from Alice, I managed to climb out of her car and thank her as I walked to the front door of my house without looking back. Once inside, I took a deep breath and leaned against the front door.

It's better if she stays away from me... I'm nothing but danger.

Despite everything, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something different about the Cullens. Their perfect appearances, the way they moved, their cold touch-things that would have seemed odd under normal circumstances. But given what I had just experienced and seen in the forest; I was too overwhelmed to put the pieces together. All I knew was that the sense of doom was far from over, and this was just the beginning. But of what...I had no idea.