She was indisputably most beautiful being I had ever seen. She was laying there, a slight smile on her lips as she basked in the glow of the sun. She was fluid even in stillness, and her flawless face was as pale as the moon against the frame of a dark, heavy curtain of hair that cascaded down her back and glistened in the bright sunlight.

Her limbs were long and strong, glistening in the sun, throwing a thousand splinters of light into the shadows. She was wearing a stained tank top, her long legs were sheathed in dirty jeans, and she was barefoot. She didn’t seem to be aware of my presence.

 I took an involuntary step forward, wanting to touch her – make the dream real. My foot connected with an unusually dry twig, sending a loud crack! through the meadow, startling her.

She was on her feet instantly, her eyes flying open to look at what had made the alarming noise.

I didn’t move, I couldn’t breathe. Her eyes were the impossibly bright, vicious red of a newborn. I was surprised how little that meant to me. She was still the most beautiful thing in the world.

“Who’s there?” She called, inhaling and catching my scent, not taking her eyes from where I was hiding in the shadows.

I stepped out into the sunshine with her, watching her face, trying not to startle her further.

She examined me, her red eyes running down my form, taking in every threat and then returning to my face. She didn’t appear to be afraid, just alarmed. She cocked her head slightly to the side, making a section of her hair fall over her shoulder.

“Who are you?” her voice was like bells and water, it coursed over me like the wind.

“My name is Edward,” I answered, “What is yours?”

“I’m Bella.” She answered, smiling slightly at me. She straitened out of her defensive crouch, deciding to trust me – to a point. She kept her muscles bunched. “What are you doing around here?”

“I live here with my family,” I answered. She didn’t seem surprised by this, but her eyebrows did rise.

“How many…people… are in your family?”

“Seven, including me.”

She surprised me by smiling. It was wide, and made her eyes wrinkle a little at the edges. It stunned me for a minute, it was so beautiful. “I would like to meet them…” she mused, the words seeming to slip out without meaning to.

“Sure,” I agreed quickly. She smiled even wider.

“Lead the way.”

I reluctantly pried my eyes from her face and turned back towards the house.