Twilight: The Hidden Chronicles

By: TeamEdward4Eva

Chapter 1 - The Secret Beach

Bella Swan walked along the shoreline near La Push, collecting pretty shells and thinking about Edward. Even though he couldn't come to the reservation because of the treaty with the wolves, she still felt close to him here. The waves crashed against the rocks and the wind blew her hair around her face.

Suddenly she saw something glittering in the sand. It was a beautiful necklace with a blue crystal that reminded her of Edward's eyes when he was really happy. She picked it up and felt a strange tingling in her fingers.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," said a voice behind her.

Bella turned around and saw Jacob standing there with his arms crossed.

"Why not?" she asked, still holding the necklace.

"There are legends about items that wash up on this beach. Some say they're gifts from the sea spirits. Others say they're cursed," Jacob explained, looking worried.

Bella almost put it down, but then thought about how Edward would probably think the legends were silly. She slipped the necklace into her pocket.

That night, she dreamed of underwater caves and strange voices calling her name. She woke up feeling like someone was watching her. The necklace on her nightstand seemed to glow in the dark.

"Maybe Jacob was right," she whispered.

Chapter 2 - The Visitor

Edward was hunting with his brothers, so Bella decided to spend the day with Alice. They were watching movies at the Cullen house when Alice suddenly froze, her eyes going blank in a vision.

"Someone's coming," she said when she snapped out of it. "A vampire I don't recognize."

"Is it dangerous?" Bella asked, her heart racing.

Alice shook her head. "I don't think so. She seems... lost."

Two hours later, there was a knock at the door. The vampire had pale blonde hair and sad eyes. Her name was Charlotte, and she used to be part of the Volturi guard hundreds of years ago.

"I left them because I couldn't stand their cruelty anymore," she explained. "I've been wandering alone ever since."

"How do you survive?" Bella asked, curious about how other vampires lived.

Charlotte looked embarrassed. "I only feed on criminals. People who hurt others. It's not as good as your animal diet, but it helps me sleep at night... figuratively speaking."

Alice invited Charlotte to stay with them until the others returned. Bella thought it was amazing to meet a vampire with so much history.

"The Volturi don't know you're here, do they?" Bella asked.

Charlotte's eyes darkened. "No, and they can never find out. They don't like deserters."

The necklace in Bella's pocket felt suddenly hot, like it was reacting to Charlotte's words.

Chapter 3 - The Meadow's Secret

Edward took Bella to their special meadow when he returned from hunting. She told him about Charlotte and the strange necklace she found.

"Can I see it?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Bella gave him the necklace, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise when he touched it.

"This is very old," he said, turning it over in his fingers. "The crystal doesn't look like anything I've seen before."

He gave it back to her and she put it around her neck. The second the crystal touched her skin, the meadow around them changed. The flowers grew taller and brighter, and butterflies appeared out of nowhere.

Edward looked around in amazement. "What's happening?"

"I think it's the necklace," Bella whispered. "Jacob said it might be magical."

They explored the transformed meadow, finding plants that shouldn't grow in Washington and butterflies that shouldn't exist at all. In the center was a small pond that definitely wasn't there before.

When Bella looked into the water, she saw images - vampires from long ago, werewolves running through forests, and strangely, herself with golden eyes.

"Edward, I think this necklace shows the past and future," she said excitedly.

But when she turned to look at him, Edward was frozen in place, like a statue.

"Edward?" she called, suddenly afraid.

The only reply was the wind through the strange flowers.

Chapter 4 - Time Stands Still

Bella panicked, touching Edward's face, trying to wake him up. He felt colder than usual and completely still. She took off the necklace quickly, and the meadow returned to normal. Edward gasped and fell to his knees.

"What happened?" he asked, looking confused. "You disappeared for a second."

"I didn't disappear," Bella said. "You froze. I think this necklace does something to time."

They decided to take the necklace to Carlisle. On the way back through the forest, they ran into Laurent, who was supposed to be in Denali with the other vegetarian vampires.

"Bella, Edward," he greeted them with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "What a pleasant surprise."

Edward pushed Bella behind him protectively. "Laurent. I thought you were in Alaska."

"I was. But I needed a break," Laurent said, his eyes flickering to Bella hungrily. "It's hard to change your diet after centuries."

Bella clutched the necklace in her pocket, wishing they could freeze time again and escape. As if responding to her thoughts, the crystal grew warm. Suddenly, Laurent was moving in slow motion, and Edward was pulling her away at vampire speed.

"What did you do?" Edward asked as they ran.

"I think the necklace protected us," Bella gasped.

Chapter 5 - The Truth Is Revealed

When they reached the Cullen house, Charlotte took one look at the necklace and gasped.

"Where did you find that?" she demanded, backing away.

Bella explained about the beach while Carlisle examined the crystal.

"This belongs to the Volturi," Charlotte finally said. "It's one of their most treasured artifacts. It can manipulate time in small ways. They must be looking for it."

"That explains why you're here," Rosalie accused. "You're hunting for it!"

Charlotte shook her head desperately. "No! I didn't know it was here. I've been running from them for centuries."

Alice's eyes went blank again. "They're coming," she whispered. "The Volturi sent a search party. They'll be here in two days."

Bella wanted to throw the necklace into the ocean, but Carlisle stopped her.

"If they come and it's not here, they'll blame us for hiding it," he explained. "Our best chance is to return it willingly."

That night, Edward stayed with Bella as she slept. She had the necklace under her pillow.

"I'm afraid," she admitted in the darkness.

Edward held her tighter. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"Promise you'll never leave me," she whispered.

"Never," he vowed.

But the next morning, everything changed.

TO BE CONTINUED...

(It never was … sorry.)