Post by lysystrata on Jan 28, 2011 15:45:58 GMT
A/N Just an idea that popped into me head and wouldn't leave me alone.
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Chapter 1
Once Upon A Daydream
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
This story begins as a great many others have and, I expect, so many others will. Be that as it may it did happen and it changed the lives of those involved forever, as any story worth hearing does...
Once upon a time there was a little girl named Isabella. Isabella was a good girl, she did her school work and played with the other children, though her and the other girls thought boys were thoroughly yucky.
Isabella's great misfortune was twofold. Firstly she was simply unlucky, not so much in the things she achieved for she was a very smart little girl, but in the things that happened to her. For little Isabella love was like a will o' the wisp, constantly just beyond her reach. I will tell you more of that soon. Isabella's second misfortune was quite simple. Now no child has ever existed that did not fear the monsters under his or her bed and as we all know, those monsters are real. For most the cynicism and skepticism which maturity brings banish these fearsome creatures to the realm from whence they came. For young Isabella this never happened, she never lost the capacity to view the world with wide eyes full of wonder. Of course I'm sure you realize this was both a wonderful blessing and a horrible curse for the little girl for while she was subject to viewing wonders most of us will never have the privilege to witness she was also subject to viewing terrors beyond our imagination. She was also to realize should she speak of such thing to adults, or big people as she called them, she was widely regarded as being a bit off the rails.
Now most big people will tell you a seven year old girl, which was of course exactly what Isabella was, do not really know what love is. But young Isabella knew exactly what love is and knew that somehow her short life had been characterized by the absence of it. She had lost her parents in tragic circumstances she could not fully understand but counted herself lucky she could not remember them at all. The little girl reasoned, correctly or not, that it was better not to remember something she could not have. The people at the orphanage where she lived and went to school treated her kindly for the most part, though there was the occasional cruel person which Isabella quickly learned to avoid, she was after all a very smart little girl. The problem was there was no love and this, more than anything else, Isabella yearned for.
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
Isabella's life was to change however, perhaps not for the better or worse but it was a change. It began the day Mister Johnson came to see her. He was a black man of medium size and slender build with a thinning hairline. He wore a wrinkled white suit with a white tie, white shoes and a white shirt. He was neither overly nice or particularly cruel he just...was. He asked young Isabella about the monsters she still saw and when she began to tell him the stories she saved for big people who thought she was barmy he simply shushed her and told her to tell him the truth. So, Isabella, who was an honest girl in spite of some things she said to big people, did.
Things happened fast from a little girls perspective after that. Two days later Isabella found herself in a car with Mister Johnson (Who was still wearing his white suit but Isabella thought he might have more than one), apparently she'd been adopted, at least as she understood it. They had driven quite a while before she finally summoned the courage to speak to him.
“Where are we going sir?” She asked timidly, for any girl in her position would have been confused.
He gave little Isabella what she would later remember as an odd look.
“I suppose you could say we are going to work,” he finally answered.
Isabella understood about jobs, though she felt she was a bit young to have one but she accepted her lot as she always had.
“What is our job sir?” She asked.
Mister Johnson tousled her dark brown curls, it was the only sign of affection he'd ever shown her or for that matter ever would.
“There is a side to the world most people never see Isabella,” Mister Johnson paused and Isabella couldn't help but think Mister Johnson was about to impart some great secret upon her, “You see it Isabella and that is why we need you to work for us. We are the explorers of the unknown.”
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
A/N This chapter has some cursing. I'll try and keep such things to a minimum but it needed to be in here to make a point.
Once Upon A Daydream
Chapter 2
Those Difficult years
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
So after little Isabella arrived at her new home (A place which astonished her because it was underground, like a basement, except it was a basement so large she doubted she could even run from one end to another.) She was poked and prodded and tested. They stuck her with needles, made her look at at black splotchy things and tell them what she saw then finally took her to her new room.
Again Isabella was astonished. She'd never had her own room before but this seemed to be all her own. She knew there must be some mistake and she asked the woman who'd brought her to the room, “Where are all the other girls?”
“They are probably in their own rooms asleep by now Isabella,” The woman was obviously old but she looked...scary to Isabella, as if she was stronger than other women. She was, however, not unkind it seemed, so Isabella persisted.
“I get this room all to myself ?” Isabella was a little embarrassed, her voice had squeaked.
The woman seemed to almost smile then said, “Of course you do,” She pushed Isabella into the room, “Now off to bed with you, school starts early tomorrow.”
Isabella dutifully went into the room. She found her nightshirt and changed then crawled into bed but something was missing.
She got up and rifled through the suitcase containing her meager belongings until she found it.
Isabella drifted off to sleep, Spongebob Squarepants tucked firmly under her arm.
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
The next day Isabella put on her second best dress after brushing her teeth and putting her long hair in a pony tail. She felt ready for school.
Later that day she discovered this wasn't like any school she had ever heard about.
In the days and months that followed Isabella did what girls her age normally do.
She grew up.
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
Ten Years Later.
“Damn frigging damn damn damn,” Bella exclaimed as her back hit the mat in a sparring exercise.
Her instructor, who'd just thrown Bella to the mat said calmly, “That's a demerit Miss Swan, we'll discuss the terms of it after class.”
Miss Abernathy, the physical education instructor, was such a sow! Bella silently thought. She pictured the grotesquely muscular woman on a silver serving platter with an apple in her mouth and couldn't help but giggle at the mental image.
“Would you like another Miss Swan?”
Bella shook her head no and stifled her giggles. It was hardly fair after all. Bella was not even allowed to spar with other students since she'd broken Richie Sexton,s arm in a sparring match. He'd brought it upon himself in Bella's opinion. He had a habit of surreptitiously feeling up the female students while sparring. Bella hadn't exactly meant to break his arm, though she knew it was within her abilities to do so, but she certainly had intended for him to be very sore indeed after the match.
Since then she'd only been allowed to spar with instructors in PE, the term PE was actually kind of a joke since the class was really about teaching all the students how to fight and more importantly, how to win fights.
“Now we spar again Miss swan,” Miss Abernathy interrupted Bella's internal reverie.
The sparring went on, but Bella mainly dreaded her upcoming private meeting with Miss Abernathy to discuss her punishment for the demerit.
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
The meeting never happened.
Instead after class she was summoned to go see Mister Johnson. Bella thought she must be in much bigger trouble than she imagined, as the students rarely saw Mister Johnson and some of those he punished personally were not seen again. She made the very long walk to his office with a great deal of trepidation.
Though she'd walked as slow as she thought she possibly could she finally arrived at his office and was greeted by his secretary, Miss Conn, in the adjoining anteroom.
“I'm here to see Mister Johnson?” Bella couldn't help but make it a question. She was a very brave girl but her fear was tangible.
Miss Conn was polished perfection behind her gleaming mahogany desk. Long blond hair which fell to the small of her back in graceful ringlets, a body Bella would kill to match, stunning aquamarine blue eyes and perfect teeth which she seemed to proudly display when she smiled at Bella.
“Go right in, Mister Johnson is expecting you,” She told Bella, gesturing towards his door.
Mustering her courage Bella walked over and entered Mister Johnson's office.
The last time she'd seen this room she'd been seven years old but little had changed. The walls were still lined with books and Mister Johnson still sat behind a much more modest desk than Miss Conn's in one of his ever present white suits.
“Miss Swan,” He addressed her and it was not like Jeopardy, this was not in the form of a question.
“Yes sir,” Bella answered anyway.
“Right, lets get right to the point,” He looked her in the eyes, “You have your first assignment, we have reports of possible paranormal activity centering around a high school. Possible vampire and some sort of weird animal behavior. You'll be going in as a high school student. You'll be briefed but all you really need to do is, if there are creatures of this nature identify them. We'll gather them up for study. With your training this should pose no problem.”
“Yes sir,” Bella said softly.
“Miss Swan you are aware of the device which has been implanted below your left ear?”
“Yes sir,” Bella trembled slightly.
“Keep that in mind should you be tempted to run off somewhere, you'll be briefed, that is all,” Then Mister Johnson made a hand gesture for her to leave.
Bella paused, it took all her courage but she asked anyway, “May I know where I'm going sir?”
“Oh that,” Mister Johnson did not appear angry, “A little town I've not heard of before, Forks, Washington. You may go now.”
Bella gratefully did so post haste.
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
The rest of the day passed in a haze for Bella. She was very frightened but sensed an undercurrent of excitement. She would be getting a taste, however small, of freedom.
That night when she went to bed she initially felt too excited to sleep. Finally she knew what she had to do.
Later that night Mister Johnson stuck his head in her doorway. He was gratified she was sleeping. He lifted a small device which looked a bit like a laser pointer and pointed it at Bella, thumbing a switch, there was a nearly inaudible pop and a small wisp of smoke rose from just below Bella's left ear. This gratified him still further as he knew the device was disabled beyond repair.
He tried not to but he could not help a small smile at the tableau before him.
Isabella Swan, sleeping peacefully, a small smile on her lips, Spongebob Squarepants tucked firmly under her arm.
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
Chapter 1
Once Upon A Daydream
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
This story begins as a great many others have and, I expect, so many others will. Be that as it may it did happen and it changed the lives of those involved forever, as any story worth hearing does...
Once upon a time there was a little girl named Isabella. Isabella was a good girl, she did her school work and played with the other children, though her and the other girls thought boys were thoroughly yucky.
Isabella's great misfortune was twofold. Firstly she was simply unlucky, not so much in the things she achieved for she was a very smart little girl, but in the things that happened to her. For little Isabella love was like a will o' the wisp, constantly just beyond her reach. I will tell you more of that soon. Isabella's second misfortune was quite simple. Now no child has ever existed that did not fear the monsters under his or her bed and as we all know, those monsters are real. For most the cynicism and skepticism which maturity brings banish these fearsome creatures to the realm from whence they came. For young Isabella this never happened, she never lost the capacity to view the world with wide eyes full of wonder. Of course I'm sure you realize this was both a wonderful blessing and a horrible curse for the little girl for while she was subject to viewing wonders most of us will never have the privilege to witness she was also subject to viewing terrors beyond our imagination. She was also to realize should she speak of such thing to adults, or big people as she called them, she was widely regarded as being a bit off the rails.
Now most big people will tell you a seven year old girl, which was of course exactly what Isabella was, do not really know what love is. But young Isabella knew exactly what love is and knew that somehow her short life had been characterized by the absence of it. She had lost her parents in tragic circumstances she could not fully understand but counted herself lucky she could not remember them at all. The little girl reasoned, correctly or not, that it was better not to remember something she could not have. The people at the orphanage where she lived and went to school treated her kindly for the most part, though there was the occasional cruel person which Isabella quickly learned to avoid, she was after all a very smart little girl. The problem was there was no love and this, more than anything else, Isabella yearned for.
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
Isabella's life was to change however, perhaps not for the better or worse but it was a change. It began the day Mister Johnson came to see her. He was a black man of medium size and slender build with a thinning hairline. He wore a wrinkled white suit with a white tie, white shoes and a white shirt. He was neither overly nice or particularly cruel he just...was. He asked young Isabella about the monsters she still saw and when she began to tell him the stories she saved for big people who thought she was barmy he simply shushed her and told her to tell him the truth. So, Isabella, who was an honest girl in spite of some things she said to big people, did.
Things happened fast from a little girls perspective after that. Two days later Isabella found herself in a car with Mister Johnson (Who was still wearing his white suit but Isabella thought he might have more than one), apparently she'd been adopted, at least as she understood it. They had driven quite a while before she finally summoned the courage to speak to him.
“Where are we going sir?” She asked timidly, for any girl in her position would have been confused.
He gave little Isabella what she would later remember as an odd look.
“I suppose you could say we are going to work,” he finally answered.
Isabella understood about jobs, though she felt she was a bit young to have one but she accepted her lot as she always had.
“What is our job sir?” She asked.
Mister Johnson tousled her dark brown curls, it was the only sign of affection he'd ever shown her or for that matter ever would.
“There is a side to the world most people never see Isabella,” Mister Johnson paused and Isabella couldn't help but think Mister Johnson was about to impart some great secret upon her, “You see it Isabella and that is why we need you to work for us. We are the explorers of the unknown.”
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
A/N This chapter has some cursing. I'll try and keep such things to a minimum but it needed to be in here to make a point.
Once Upon A Daydream
Chapter 2
Those Difficult years
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
So after little Isabella arrived at her new home (A place which astonished her because it was underground, like a basement, except it was a basement so large she doubted she could even run from one end to another.) She was poked and prodded and tested. They stuck her with needles, made her look at at black splotchy things and tell them what she saw then finally took her to her new room.
Again Isabella was astonished. She'd never had her own room before but this seemed to be all her own. She knew there must be some mistake and she asked the woman who'd brought her to the room, “Where are all the other girls?”
“They are probably in their own rooms asleep by now Isabella,” The woman was obviously old but she looked...scary to Isabella, as if she was stronger than other women. She was, however, not unkind it seemed, so Isabella persisted.
“I get this room all to myself ?” Isabella was a little embarrassed, her voice had squeaked.
The woman seemed to almost smile then said, “Of course you do,” She pushed Isabella into the room, “Now off to bed with you, school starts early tomorrow.”
Isabella dutifully went into the room. She found her nightshirt and changed then crawled into bed but something was missing.
She got up and rifled through the suitcase containing her meager belongings until she found it.
Isabella drifted off to sleep, Spongebob Squarepants tucked firmly under her arm.
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
The next day Isabella put on her second best dress after brushing her teeth and putting her long hair in a pony tail. She felt ready for school.
Later that day she discovered this wasn't like any school she had ever heard about.
In the days and months that followed Isabella did what girls her age normally do.
She grew up.
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
Ten Years Later.
“Damn frigging damn damn damn,” Bella exclaimed as her back hit the mat in a sparring exercise.
Her instructor, who'd just thrown Bella to the mat said calmly, “That's a demerit Miss Swan, we'll discuss the terms of it after class.”
Miss Abernathy, the physical education instructor, was such a sow! Bella silently thought. She pictured the grotesquely muscular woman on a silver serving platter with an apple in her mouth and couldn't help but giggle at the mental image.
“Would you like another Miss Swan?”
Bella shook her head no and stifled her giggles. It was hardly fair after all. Bella was not even allowed to spar with other students since she'd broken Richie Sexton,s arm in a sparring match. He'd brought it upon himself in Bella's opinion. He had a habit of surreptitiously feeling up the female students while sparring. Bella hadn't exactly meant to break his arm, though she knew it was within her abilities to do so, but she certainly had intended for him to be very sore indeed after the match.
Since then she'd only been allowed to spar with instructors in PE, the term PE was actually kind of a joke since the class was really about teaching all the students how to fight and more importantly, how to win fights.
“Now we spar again Miss swan,” Miss Abernathy interrupted Bella's internal reverie.
The sparring went on, but Bella mainly dreaded her upcoming private meeting with Miss Abernathy to discuss her punishment for the demerit.
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
The meeting never happened.
Instead after class she was summoned to go see Mister Johnson. Bella thought she must be in much bigger trouble than she imagined, as the students rarely saw Mister Johnson and some of those he punished personally were not seen again. She made the very long walk to his office with a great deal of trepidation.
Though she'd walked as slow as she thought she possibly could she finally arrived at his office and was greeted by his secretary, Miss Conn, in the adjoining anteroom.
“I'm here to see Mister Johnson?” Bella couldn't help but make it a question. She was a very brave girl but her fear was tangible.
Miss Conn was polished perfection behind her gleaming mahogany desk. Long blond hair which fell to the small of her back in graceful ringlets, a body Bella would kill to match, stunning aquamarine blue eyes and perfect teeth which she seemed to proudly display when she smiled at Bella.
“Go right in, Mister Johnson is expecting you,” She told Bella, gesturing towards his door.
Mustering her courage Bella walked over and entered Mister Johnson's office.
The last time she'd seen this room she'd been seven years old but little had changed. The walls were still lined with books and Mister Johnson still sat behind a much more modest desk than Miss Conn's in one of his ever present white suits.
“Miss Swan,” He addressed her and it was not like Jeopardy, this was not in the form of a question.
“Yes sir,” Bella answered anyway.
“Right, lets get right to the point,” He looked her in the eyes, “You have your first assignment, we have reports of possible paranormal activity centering around a high school. Possible vampire and some sort of weird animal behavior. You'll be going in as a high school student. You'll be briefed but all you really need to do is, if there are creatures of this nature identify them. We'll gather them up for study. With your training this should pose no problem.”
“Yes sir,” Bella said softly.
“Miss Swan you are aware of the device which has been implanted below your left ear?”
“Yes sir,” Bella trembled slightly.
“Keep that in mind should you be tempted to run off somewhere, you'll be briefed, that is all,” Then Mister Johnson made a hand gesture for her to leave.
Bella paused, it took all her courage but she asked anyway, “May I know where I'm going sir?”
“Oh that,” Mister Johnson did not appear angry, “A little town I've not heard of before, Forks, Washington. You may go now.”
Bella gratefully did so post haste.
[xxxxxx{|]==================}
The rest of the day passed in a haze for Bella. She was very frightened but sensed an undercurrent of excitement. She would be getting a taste, however small, of freedom.
That night when she went to bed she initially felt too excited to sleep. Finally she knew what she had to do.
Later that night Mister Johnson stuck his head in her doorway. He was gratified she was sleeping. He lifted a small device which looked a bit like a laser pointer and pointed it at Bella, thumbing a switch, there was a nearly inaudible pop and a small wisp of smoke rose from just below Bella's left ear. This gratified him still further as he knew the device was disabled beyond repair.
He tried not to but he could not help a small smile at the tableau before him.
Isabella Swan, sleeping peacefully, a small smile on her lips, Spongebob Squarepants tucked firmly under her arm.
