But it wasn't simple in the sense that it didn't seem like my life. It seemed like this life belonged to someone else, like I was just an outsider, watching in. I was alone, really. But I was all right with that. My little siblings, Emmett and Alice, had each other and their friends.

Me? I didn't have anyone. My father and I disagreed at every turn, and my mother was always worried for me, concerned, and so far away that I barely even talked to her. And when I did, it always seemed so unreal, and so polite, as if we were strangers rather than family.

I sighed deeply, and paused in my running, resting my hands on my knees to catch my breath. I didn't know where I was anymore. I didn't recognize the darkness, the trees, that surrounded me.

Frowning, I stood up, and ventured into a nearby clearing. The trees parted briefly and allowed a soft expanse of grass to cover the ground. I was sure, had it not been winter, that flowers would have covered every inch of the land before me.

Even in darkness, it was beautiful.

But the beauty of the land could not compare to the beauty of the girl that my eyes landed upon then.

Her hair, a soft, chocolate brown color, was gently swirling around her face as she danced in circles, her eyes closed and such a peaceful expression on her face that it made my heart ache. Her body was small, and slender, and she wore a light blue sundress that accented her soft curves, and her skin was so pale. Her voice was gentle and beautiful as she sang so quietly to herself a song I didn't recognize.

But what really caught my attention was her eyes. When she finally opened them, my breath caught, for though I was standing so far away, I could see them so clearly.

They were the most beautiful shade of blue that I'd ever seen. So light, they had a slightly misty look to them, and though she glanced all around, it almost seemed as though she saw nothing. Perhaps she was too caught up in her own world to notice the one around her.

I smiled.