Marianne Swan used to have a fascination with the fragile nature of mortality until it was her own life on the line. Marianne is not scared of much in this world, with one key exception: the name Edward Cullen. She reunites with her father - chief o...
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If you had the opportunity to know when and how you would die, would you take it?
I wouldn't. As my dimmed, once bright, brown eyes scrutinize my reflection in the mirror I could only think, I only have one year left to live. I am only seventeen years old, however, I wore my stress on my face. Now marred with dark circles, frown lines, and blemishes.
"Marianne!" My father, Charlie Swan, called from down the hall. He is the police chief of a small town in Washington state, Forks.
"Yeah, dad?" My voice was monotone, Charlie had gotten used to my more sullen demeanor since my return to Washington. Thankfully, he didn't pry.
"I'm going out fishing with Waylon and Billy. Money for pizza is on the table. You'll be okay?"
"Just peaches. Have fun with the guys," My eyes are still judging in my reflection.
"I'll be back by 7, see you tonight!" And with that he's gone for the day, blissfully unaware.
Let me clarify, I'm not some kind of soothsayer or psychic. To be honest, I don't know what's wrong with me or why I know what I know. And I intend to keep it that way. I couldn't fathom the burden that sort of knowledge would put on my parents or sister.
I had to leave my mom, Renee, and my younger sister, Bella, in Arizona seven years ago. I've always had a fascination with death, or I guess that's not the right word, more so mortality.
My eyes leave my bedroom mirror as I recall the first incident:
Back when both my younger sister, Isabella, and I lived with our mother, Renee, in Arizona we had loads of free time. Mom was always somewhere, doing something, she had to keep her mind occupied. Bella was her baby; Bella was put in ballet, after school clubs, anything to provide a 'normal' life.
I was ten years old, at this age - the big double digits - mom finally trusted me to be home alone, at least for a little while. Even then I had my fascination with death and mortality; I liked to watch true crime specials, of course, I could only get away with this when I was left home alone.
I was older: I still looked like me, but I had to be nearly an adult. My thick dark hair was cut much shorter, with unruly waves forming a crown of ringlets towards the end of my hair; my dark brown eyes, pale skin and small stature were relatively the same.
I was storming out of the house, but not Mom's house. It was my father, Charlie's, home in Washington state. I was mumbling, walking towards the woods behind the house, somehow my younger self was still able to grasp all the hushed talking.
"Freaking welcome home Bella, oh little baby Bella so glad you're back after not coming up to see either of us for 8 years.
"Poor Bella, deciding to come up here in the middle of her Junior year. Pity her. Some boy has a problem with you, boo hoo!
"It's just a freaking Cullen anyway, they don't like anyone anyway. But no baby Bella needs to be loved by everyone. It's freaking okay for people to decide they don't want to be your freaking friend.
"But no-"
At this point, a twig snap, brings me out of my angered state only to realize I had wandered farther than expected, not to mention completely off the main trail. Then everything moved in slow motion. Despite not knowing who I was seeing a name rang clear as day against my skull, Edward Cullen.
At the sound of the twig snap and my dazed looking around, another snap was heard. But this one sent goosebumps down my spine. It sounded like a tree splitting in half. I took a cautious step in what I assumed was the opposite direction of the sound, but that step caused the leaves of the forest bed to crunch underneath my weight.
The silhouette of a person was about twenty feet in front of me, but in the dark I struggled to make out whoever it was.
"W-who ever you are, my dad is the chief of police! If you hurt me you'll be put in prison for life you sick freak!" My wavering voice immediately gives away my fear.
As I slowly crouch to grab something to defend myself - a twig, rock, anything - my arm scraps against thorny overgrowth, "Ouch."
And then a snap and lights out.
I remember crying after that - I was only ten after all - but if I'm being honest with myself I still feel like crying. I knew it was pointless, we all die; it's not a matter of if, but when and how. My brain kept telling me that I will die March 1st, 2005 - the same day my younger sister, Bella, comes to Forks High School.
What a shit sister I am.
That wasn't where it ended... unfortunately. I was able to see each of my family member's deaths. I didn't take it too seriously, but my gran died that same year and I knew. I was hysterical. Renee's baseline erratic-ness was not much support, and I was too scared to be home alone so I begged her to let me go live with Charlie in Washington.
Imagine my surprise when two years into attending Forks High School when a family with the surname Cullen moves into town.
I didn't know what their deal was... if they are serial killers, part of the mafia, or whatever other murderous affiliations they held, but I couldn't be bothered to care. I would keep myself as far out of their business as I possibly could - transferred out of any class I shared with a Cullen-Hale... made a run for Charlie's police cruiser after school... and ate lunch in the library.
The name Edward Cullen was not just part of my horrible reoccurring nightmare, he was an actual person. My gran was the confirmation for me that I was not crazy; whatever it was that I saw and continued to have recurring nightmares of was real.
I had made it my sole mission to avoid Edward Cullen like the plague.
