Edward and the Cullens have left. The months in between. (New Moon)

Bella opened her eyes painfully into the early morning glare. Checking the calendar on the wall and the clock, she realized that she'd been sleeping for over fourteen hours. Just one dream played itself over and over, and of what she recalled, it was not a good dream. It was a very, very bad dream.

She was padding through the forest. Every now and then, a part of Edward would be in the corner of her eye – and as soon as she turned to find him, he was gone. Nothing but emptiness filled his space. The dream, on endless playback, always concluded with Bella reaching out for his figure; and then ever so suddenly, falling into never ending black. He wasn't coming back.

Capable of thought once again, Bella contemplated her two choices. Firstly, she could choose to live. She could choose to live an empty life, a life that was not hers, a life that she might have wanted two years ago but didn't seem possible now.

Or, she could do the one thing that would be more impossible than living without him. Bella knew that although living the life Edward wanted for her when he left would be almost unbearable, death wasn't something that she could contemplate. Death was out – for the soul reason that it scared her. Every time she thought about it, fear clawed at the nerves of her tailbone, and scavenged up her back in a shudder.

Bella's heart had already been ripped out via her throat, and she knew what it felt like; the feeling wasn't one she wanted Charlie or Renee to experience.

Making the decision that an empty life is better than no life at all, Bella sprang up, unsmiling, to get dressed; only to fall back, groaning in pain. Oh god, it's ripping me apart. What will I do if he doesn't come back? There is a hole there, there has to be a hole.

It had all rushed back to her. His voice, his lifeless face, his eyes, his porcelain features – and that they were all gone. The hole felt like it was infected, but ripping wider and wider every passing second until it would tear her in half. No! He doesn't have the right to do this to me! He can't! I am not going to let him hurt me like this.

He doesn't care about me.

The hole ripped a little wider. Bella wheezed and try to soften her groans.

He's not coming back.

Wider still. Bella was screaming now, not trying to disguise her pain in any way.

I'll never see him again.

Everything was spinning.

Everything became black.

Meanwhile… In Brazil, Emmett is on a lone hunting trip.

I can see the elk. No, no, wrong word – I can feel the elk. He is behind two trees to the left. The vibrations he sends off are as loud as drum beats to me. Creeping, I barely breathe. My breath is not visible – it is as cool as the snow on the forest floor. Four more drum beats, the animal will be beneath me. Three more drum beats, I will be flying, faster than the cheetah that I hunted yesterday. Three seconds.

Two seconds.

One.

I spring from low on the forest floor. My muscles propel me so fast and hard, I grunt with anticipation. But surprise greets me soon after the elk does. I slam into not one thing, but two. The noise nearly deafens me.

For a short moment, I am stunned. The world spins, but as usual, I spring back into my senses and what do I see? A dead elk…

And a girl.

She looked as dazed as I felt. Not very.

She jumped up like a bird and bowed theatrically, smiling like a hyena.

'My mistake. Enjoy,' she threw off, gesturing grandly to the dead animal on the ground.

Squinting to take a closer look at her, I absorbed her low-lighted auburn hair, dark violet eyes and beautifully chiseled features. She imitated me, squinting blindly, and I immediately dropped my facial expression.

I continued to look, however.

She had an amazing body shape. Quite like Rosalie, but with more attitude. Her stance was more pronounced, and slightly more forward and aggressive.

'Excuse me, I would like to apologise for that. I didn't know there was anyon-'

'That's OK. Elk tastes sour here anyway.'

I blinked. I wasn't used to being interrupted.

'Yeh! I totally notice that!' Try again, Emmett. Stop your blabbering. 'So… I'm Emmett.'

'Cecilia.'

She smiled tentatively at me. And then was gone. I didn't even see her move, just a flash and then an empty space where she had been standing. She was fast.

Later that night, I was half enjoying my sour elk, contemplating the unusual girl I had met that afternoon, when I heard a voice behind me.

'Half enjoying your sour elk?'

'I could hear you know. You're as loud as all hell creeping up behind me,' I replied jovially, secretly pleased she had met up with me again.

'You are rough aren't you? You made a campfire all by yourself…' she trailed off, looking directly into my eyes, I gazing back into her starry – now emerald - ones.

'My stock are really rough. We even drink blood, you know.'

When she smiled at me, I forgot all about Rosalie. She didn't exist that night, by that campfire.

With that girl.

Cecilia sauntered up to me, and sat down cross legged next to me, incredibly close. She mirrored my exact position. I laughed a raucous laugh, while she smiled a dazzlingly bright smile.

She quite specifically leaned so close to me I could feel her ice scented breath on my lips. She leaned up to my ear, her upper lip brushing along my jaw, her deep crimson hair running down my shoulder.

I heard her intake of breath and felt her long, ebony eyelashes flick up next to my eye.

'I bet you enjoy it, too,' she whispered, ever so quietly, 'like I do.'

I was enjoying something other than the elk blood tonight.

I knelt down gracefully, my neck touching hers. I turned my head and kissed the porcelain skin under her chin, and felt her sharp intake of breath.

I leaned, as she had done, up to her ear, carefully brushing her jawline with mine, and copied what she had done.

I opened my mouth and almost just breathed out, 'I know what I would enjoy more.'

To be continued…