Twilight Fan Fiction ❯ Rebel's Tears ❯ Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own twilight or anything related to it.

 

A/N: special thanks to Vengeful for editing this :)

 

 

- - -

 

There was once a land that was said to be the most beautiful and prosperous of them all and was even thought to be blessed by the very gods themselves. Country roads lined with areas of flowers, packed so tightly together that they became a golden sea; and where the flowers ended, vast landscapes of fields began, stretching out as far as the eye could follow.

 

And the cities! Beautiful, clean, made of marble and gold, though nothing could compare to the splendor of the capital. And at the center of this city, there was a castle, towering above the thousands of buildings fanning out from it in all directions.

 

But nothing can last forever, and King Stephan, said to be one of the kindest and gentlest rulers of all time, took ill, dying within a fortnight of the event. And his son, still an infant at the time, was left to the mercy of the fates.

 

And during this time of weakness in this country of gold, They came, striking hard and fast, killing all who opposed them, conquering the once peaceful land and turning it into a place of war and bloodshed.

 

- - -

 

600 YEARS LATER:

 

 

 

I stared out over the blank scenery, imagining into it the colors of my homeland that no longer existed. It was hard, these lulls in time when there was nothing do to, when we were stuck in this van as we drove along deserted roads, hidden behind the mirages of the desert.

 

In the distance I could faintly see the outline of the outer wall, towering thousands of feet into the air, forever imprisoning us within this land.

 

“Hey Bells, grab the things from the back, we're almost there.”

 

“Sure Jake, hold on a sec.” I clicked the buckle of my safety harness, twisting around in my seat to be able to better reach the bag sitting in back. He hit a bump and the car lurched slightly, tilting me forward just enough for my fingers to be able to loop through the handles. “Here.” I pulled the bag into the front and reached in, handing him his ID card, passport, and papers before taking out my own.

 

We were what you would call drifters, never staying in one location too long, always on the move. I went back to looking out the window, forcing myself as we slowed to smile up at the traitor human manning the checkpoint.

 

He took our papers from Jake's outstretched hand, glancing over them before looking back to use. “Names please.”

 

“Black, Jacob.

 

“Swan, Isabella.”

 

They never asked more than that, not unless you gave them reason to, and besides, they wanted you in; it was the getting out part that proved to be a bit difficult. He handed us back our documents, waving us through. Jake stepped on the gas slowly, easing us past the gates of the checkpoint before stepping down on the pedal, speeding off in the direction of town.

 

He slowed as we entered the outskirts of the town, driving closer to the speed limit so as to avoid attention.

 

“There are so many . . .”

 

He looked over at me confused. “So many what?”

 

“Don't you see the posters? This place has been raided.” And it was true; all around us on the streets and building were flyers, each with a different face, all asking the same thing: Have you seen this person?

 

We drove for around ten more minutes before we finally found what we were looking for. After Jake parked he turned to look at me. “I'll unload while you check us in?” I nodded, eagerly jumping from the car and heading off in the direction of the inn, grateful for the chance to stretch my legs.

 

I pushed past the double doors, walking into the small reception area before heading to the counter and smiling up at the clerk, asking if there was a room with two beds available, and he nodded. As he was ringing up our total, I looked around, noticing lack of people on the streets. “Why is no one around?” I asked, turning back to face him.

 

“It's almost night.” And it was, the last glimmer of the sun's waves already lengthening the shadows, meshing them with the on coming night, but I couldn't see why it mattered.

 

“So?”

 

He looked up at me, stunned. “You mean you don't know?”

 

“Don't know what?” I was guarded, afraid of his answer.

 

He leaned forward slightly over the counter, looking around as if to make sure we were alone, and then: “They're detaining them. Anyone who's caught out after dark beyond the city boundaries, but,” and here his voice dropped so low that I had to struggle to understand his words, “we think They're in the city, taking people.”

 

I felt as though I had just been hit. The raid wasn't over; it was still going on . . . meaning we had just walked into our worst nightmare, the thing we had spent out whole lives trying to avoid.

 

“Bella, is everything alright?”

 

I nearly screamed, whirling around to face whoever it was. The relief on my face as I registered that it was him must have been obvious, for he looked at me strangely.

 

“Yeah,” I said breathlessly, “everything's fine.” I grabbed the key off the counter where it had been placed moments before and took off in the direction of our room.

 

Jake entered shortly after, the two knapsacks slung casually over his back, before dropping them to the floor and stretching out over the nearest bed. I looked over at the two bags, “Where's my messenger bag?”

 

He looked up startled.

 

“Oh crap, I'll go get it Bells!”

 

I laughed, watching him get so panicked over one little bag, though I needed the clothes that it had inside.

 

“Nah, don't worry about it, I'll be back in five.” I headed for the door, slipping into my shoes on the way out. It was dark as I headed across the parking lot, the light from the single street lamp seemingly swallowed by the shadows. Why the hell had we parked so damn far away again?

 

I shuddered remembering the warning the hotel clerk had told me. But surely just to the car would be fine? Nothing would hurt me here, and besides, it was probably just a rumor anyway . . . and that's when I saw him: a young man leaning up against the hood of our car, hidden deep within its shadow. He smiled at me, revealing a set of glistening teeth, made even brighter by the dark red of his eyes . . .

 

And I couldn't move. I stood there, frozen, afraid to breath, while one word flashed endlessly though my mind: Vampires.

 

- - -

 

Also, here's a list of the terms:

 

THE OUTER WALL: The wall built around the Homeland by the Empire

 

THE LOST GROUNDS: The area between the Middle and Outer walls where the Humans live.

 

THE MIDDLE WALL: The second of the three walls, built to separate the Lost Grounds from Iasus.

 

IASUS: The area between the Inner and Middle walls where the Traitor Humans live.

 

THE INNER WALL: The third of the three walls built to separate Iasus from the Empire.

 

THE EMPIRE: The centermost area inhabited by the vampires.

 

TRAITOR HUMAN: a human who willingly serves the vampires. There are many different levels of traitor humans, and within each level there is a class. Your level and class effect where you live, what your job is, and theoretically, how long your life is.

 

THE CAPITAL: Previously the capital of the Homeland, now the center of the Empire.

 

RAIDS: When vampires leave the Empire and enter the Lost Grounds in search of humans, for either food or slavery.