If you're reading this: thank you, and welcome to "Monster in the Attic".

This is my first attempt at writing a story. I'm giving you what I wrote so far and I'll write more if I receive a good feedback. It's very difficult for me to write in English but I seriously tried my best.

I really hope you enjoy it. If not… oh well!

Oh, right, I do not own any of the characters or places or anything that comes from Twilight.

Prologue

The morning came. I knew it because I could feel the warm and the light from the sun coming in through the window. I always made sure I closed the blinds. Not last night.

I always thought I would wake up feeling light, relieved, like I had accomplished something, made some good decisions. But it wasn't like that. It wasn't there. No. What I felt was completely different. I felt fear. Fear for what could come. Like what had happened didn't mean a thing. Of course it didn't. How could I possibly enjoy what had been when what would come would be like hell? I wasn't prepared for that.

I just couldn't open my eyes. And though I was aware I would have to see him soon, I let myself enjoy the morning a few more minutes. It could be the last I would ever have.

Bella

All my life I felt bored. My town was boring, my house was boring, my family was boring, my school was boring … Maybe I was the problem. I was boring: long straight brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin, no particular interest in fashion and gossip. I never had that many friends. I preferred being all by myself. Maybe that was because I never had a good childhood. My parents weren't all that present and I had to stay home, safe, with an old lady babysitting me, most of the time. Mrs. Brandon spent more time sleeping and watching her soap operas than paying attention to me. That's what one get for having busy parents. And then came their divorce. I was expecting it. Probably the only time in my life I didn't feel bored. Of course my mother immediately found a boyfriend who shared her passion for traveling the world. The free spirit she was just didn't have enough space in this little town, with a steady job and with a husband also with a steady job. I stopped thinking about how fast she found another man after just a few months apart from my father. I couldn't care less. I went to live with him, and after a year, boredom came again.

I could have made an effort to move. It's not like I wasn't pushed into it. Believe me, I was. My father always wanted me to leave this place. He always told me "This isn't the place for a girl like you. Go, you deserve the best!", but that didn't move me. I just couldn't bring myself to leave my father or this boring town. It was safe, easy.

So instead of following my dream of being a successful writer, I was 25, graduated with a Major in English, stuck in the boring town of Forks, working at the boring local diner… And boringly alone.

The place was dead. Even boredom didn't want to stick around. Just 3 regulars. One I sort of liked, the others were... dispensable. "Hey sugar! Pour me some hot coffee will ya?" the man I "liked" shouted at me. Well, I was used of being called to like this. It was one of the many benefits of working in the only diner available in town. Everyone think they know you just because you serve them coffee every day. All types of people came here, even the ones who don't own that special social filter. Lucky me. And he wasn't being rude, so I put my happiest smile and walked towards him with the coffee mug in hand. Just because he wasn't being rude, that didn't mean others wouldn't be.

So as I was walking towards the likeable man I felt a pressure in my ass. Oh it just had to be. I turned to see one of the other patrons with a stupid grin on his face. "Quit it Darren. I'm in no mood to put up with your shit today". There was only one way to speak with these guys. "Oh, I love your dirty mouth! Come here baby!" Darren said while grabbing me. "Let me go you idiot!" I shouted. And because everyone is solet's help the needing of our society, no one moved. So I did the only thing I could. I dropped the hot coffee in his pants. Suck it you asshole! And because I'm that dispensable too, I got fired.

So now I was 25, stuck in this boring town, not a successful writer, boringly alone and unemployed.

My dad had died a year ago, in the line of duty... He was killed by a hunter by accident when he was fishing. That's all he did apart from being a police officer with no actual crimes to solve. Not even speeding tickets. Boring little town right? So all he did was fishing. I like to think he at least died doing what he enjoyed the most. So I was 24 and was left with a house for myself. Once again, how could I leave when I had a free house right here? Thanks dad!

But now I was unemployed, my savings account all gone with my Major and I couldn't bring myself to spend the heritage money in house bills. I had to use it in something… more meaningful.

You know that moment, when time actually seems to stop, and everything just becomes so clear in your mind you find yourself thinking Why didn't I think of this before? What took me so long? That's what happened to me that day.

The day I got fired I drove home thinking about what to do. I was getting bored of being bored. There was nowhere else to work in Forks. I was definitely not going to work for Mike! Not that he didn't offer all the time, I just couldn't bear him ogling me all day! And I was sick of living in a town where I didn't fit. I hated everyone there. I never got along with people my age. I just didn't belong there. I only belonged with my father. And he was gone. There was nothing there that could make me stay. Not even my shitty job.

So I made some decisions. I was going to sell the house. No matter how much it hurt to lose that good reminder of my father, I had to get rid of it. I was going to search for job offerings too. I was finally going to become a writer like I always wanted. So, Bella, things to do when you get home: Put the house on the market and search for a new job. Great!

What I wasn't expecting was what I found waiting for me when I got there.

There was a black car parked in front of my father's house. My house. It was odd given the fact I didn't get any visitors. I parked behind it and stepped outside. I walked over to the black car. As I was getting there the door opened and a man in a suit came out. He was tall, well built, with dark short hair and blue eyes. He looked very professional. He gave me a weak smile and introduced himself; "Hello. I'm Charles McCarthy. Isabella Swan?" and raised his hand. I shook it and confirmed: "Yes, Isabella Swan. What can I do for you?". He told me it would be better if we spoke inside and I lead the way. Once on the couch, and after he refused anything to drink, I insisted "Please, Mr McCarthy, what brings you here?". He cleared his throat and spoke: "Yes right. I'm a lawyer and unfortunately I'm here to inform you your mother has passed away."

I'm sure for a brief second my face must have been off because he cringed a little. As he was about to console me I stopped him, my face back to normal: "Oh. I see. Well thank you for telling me. But it was unnecessary for you to come all the way here to tell me that. I'm sure you could have just called me. You see, my mother and I… we weren't close." I seemed sure of myself but inside I was running a thousand miles per hour. She died and no one told me? It had to be a lawyer? When did that happen? Why was she dead? Why was he here? Sensing all my questions he began telling me all the details: "Your mother died 3 weeks ago. She had a car accident. She was living in Florida with her husband…". Husband? When did she get married? The lawyer noticed my surprise. "She got married 5 years ago. She met Phil when she was in England. They came back here and settled in Florida. There are no kids from either side, apart from you. And that's what brings me here.". Huh? What did he mean? "Mr McCarthy, I'm sorry but this is too sudden. I need some time to process this whole information you're giving me. Could you perhaps give me a few minutes?". Without waiting for his answer I stepped outside and sat on the porch steps. So, my mother, whom I haven't seen in 10 years, who was traveling around the world, got married, settled in Florida, didn't tell me any of this and had a car accident. Apart from the occasional post card or phone call, I didn't hear much of her. I could live with that, I did live with that. But I couldn't forget she didn't tell me any of this. At this point e believed she had other kids to attend to and I was the grown one who didn't need to be taken care of. So the only remaining question was: why was I the reason Mr McCarthy was here?

I went inside to find Mr McCarthy where I left him. I sat on my father's couch and asked him to pick up from where we had left. "So, I was saying, the reason I'm here is you Miss Swan. You see, your mother left a Will.". "What about her husband?". "Phil died in the accident too. So in her Will, she leaves all her belongings to you Miss Swan. I'm here so you acknowledge all that belongs to you now.". I couldn't speak for a moment. What was I going to get? Some books? I liked reading. Furniture? Old clothes? A cat? "So you are now owner of some properties. While she was in England she bought a house. She didn't want to get rid of it so it is now yours as she wished. The house in Florida is also yours. I just need you to sign these papers and I'll leave you in peace to process this entire information." He smiled at me like I was the luckiest person in the world. All I could think was: What am I going to do?

So now I was 25, still stuck in this boring town, not a successful writer, boringly alone, unemployed and with 3 houses to sell.

A few days after Mr. McCarthy's visit, I was feeling normal again. I had given enough thought about the information I had been given. Life goes on and there's no need to dwell on it. But I was still unsure of what to do. I still couldn't find any jobs that pleased me. At least the house in Florida was sold. A good deal may I add. Some people were coming here to see this house. Not bad. I still had the English house though. And I just didn't know what to do about it.

I was on my father's couch, reading a book I brought from my mother's house in Florida. I went there to put the house on sale and take everything I wanted. The house only had the ground floor. The garden was made of different kinds of cactus and instead of grass it only had sand. The entire house was surrounded by sand. The walls were painted in a dark yellow tone. Everything was hot, arid. I missed Forks already, the dark brown and green. I guess one needs to feel dry to enjoy humidity, even if Forks had too much of it. Or maybe, once again, I felt connected to it. That's where my life was, no matter how boring. I went inside and felt I was in a stranger's house. There was nothing that called my attention. In the living room there was a bookshelf. I love books. I began skipping my finger through the book spines. No classics. They were all books to improve one's self-esteem, beginner's books, nothing that hold my interest. Until my finger crossed an old book. Its spine was worn. I pulled it out of the shelf and smiled at myself. "Pride and Prejudice" was written on the front. I remembered this book. I used to admire it when I still lived with my parents. I couldn't believe my mother kept it through the years. And I couldn't believe I had actually found something to bring with me back to Forks. I was feeling confident now; I could very well find other things of my interest. I went through the other rooms but couldn't find anything meaningful. There were only objects that only my mother found useful. I didn't want any pictures of her or her husband. I had what I wanted, my book. I told the real estate's lady who came with me to give all the objects to charity and sell the house furnished. I left for Forks planning on never coming back to Florida.

The book was about Noble English families, who lived in the country side. It made me think about my English house.

I had only seen a photo of it. It was pretty secluded. It was surrounded by trees and green moss. It didn't fit my mother and I couldn't figure what crossed her mind when she bought it. The surroundings remembered me of Forks. It looked very pretty. It was covered in dark brown stones. It had a little front yard with wild flowers and some adorable bushes; the roof was triangular, covered in moss and had a little window on it. I could only imagine the things that attic would have. The door was made of dark wood and so were the windows' frames. Their glass was yellow and looked old. I began picturing myself living in it. It's not like I wasn't used of being alone. I lived alone, had no neighbors and was surrounded by trees. And then it clicked. I had nothing to hold me here: no job, no family, no friends, no love. I had enough money to live for a few months.

I was moving to England.

The little English village was called Bibury. It was pretty cute, with all its little houses, a river and some bridges. Everything was made of stone and had moss and flowers and foliage. It seemed something out of a fairytale. I asked the taxi driver to drop me in the village center because I really had no idea where the house was and neither did he, and I wanted to know if someone knew about my mother. I hadn't brought with me a lot of things, just 4 bags with clothes, shoes and accessories plus my laptop. Everything else I could buy here. So the driver helped me unload my things and left me in the village's center. It was a little square that gathered a few stores: a supermarket, a hardware store, a boutique, a pharmacy, a book store and a coffee shop. Not that you need any more than this I thought. People were walking by, looking at me, half busy with their lives, half thinking who the hell I was. And I just stood there trying to figure out what to do next.

While I was having an inner monologue a friendly looking guy passed by me and stopped, gave me a big smile and walked towards me. He was not just friendly looking but also good looking. He was tall, had tanned skin and really dark, short and shinny hair. His eyes where dark too and his teeth were pretty white. He was wearing worn jeans, boots and a loose shirt. "Hi, I'm Jacob", he said, "You look kind of lost, can I help you with something?". His accent was so funny I laughed, immediately regretting it since I was the foreign here, and would be the one with the funny accent. "Yes, hi. I'm sorry, I'm new to England. Oh, I'm Isabella by the way, but you can call me Bella."."I can see that, American girl! Nice to meet you. So, what can I do for you Bella?"."Well, I'm trying to find a house. It was my mother's, but the taxi driver didn't know it and neither do I, maybe you can help me" and I showed him the photo I had. He made a face; I couldn't quite tell what it meant. "Oh, the old Masen house. Of course I know where it is. I can take you there if you want.". What a relief! I thought. Maybe this is one of the benefits of living in a little village. "But perhaps you're hungry. I'm sure if you came from America you could use something to eat. After all, it's noon". I hadn't noticed the time but when he mentioned it I actually felt hungry, so I told him "You know what? You're right. Do you know where I can grab something to eat?", "Of course!" he said giving me another big smile, "My place! Come. Oh, and let me help you with the bags!". I felt apprehensive. After all I didn't know the guy and he could very well be a psycho! I looked for a wedding ring but found none. Oh what harm could it do? Don't be a chicken Bella! And since my subconscious was absolutely right I followed him with the lightest bag since he carried the heavy ones.

We talked all the way to his place, above the hardware store, which wasn't that long of a walk, and I felt more at ease. He told me he lived with his father, who was in a wheelchair. His mother had died a few years ago, in a car accident, the same that put his father in the wheelchair, but it wasn't his father's fault, just a drunk driver. They owned the hardware store. Her mother was British but his father was American like me, actually Native American. That explains the tanned skin and dark shinny hair, I thought. Inside the hardware store I found his father and he sure looked Native American. His skin was really tanned, he had the same hair his son did but instead of short it was really long, and he wore it in a ponytail. He was also wearing a cowboy's hat and boots, irony, and he wore a huge smile. I couldn't help but smile back. "Hi there!" he said. His accent wasn't American but it wasn't British either. "I'm Billy! And who are you?". "Hi I'm…" but Jacob interrupted me "Hey dad! This is Bella, I found her outside! Guess what! She came from America!" Well well well! Jacob could talk without the accent! I looked at him in surprise and he laughed "Yeah, I was just playing the part of a local. With my father I lose the British accent." And he winked. Oh he winked! I smiled. Then his father spoke "Nice to meet you Bella. So where are you from?", "I'm from Forks, Washington.", "No way!" He said, surprised. "I was originally from the La Push reservation!". What a small world! "Are you serious? What a coincidence!" And from that it was easy talking. They invited me upstairs. Jacob and I got there by stairs and Billy by an elevator Jacob had made. I told them a little about me and my life back in Forks, and then about my coming to England. "So, your mother bought the old Masen house." Billy said with a tone. "Yes, she did. But that was some time ago. She didn't tell me though, I just found out when she died. She left it for me. You know anything about it?". "Well, a little. I remember someone living there, I even saw some furniture being delivered, but the house wasn't inhabited for long. Maybe a year…? Actually, ever since I moved in here, I never saw anyone else living there." That got me thinking. Why would my mother buy a house, buy furniture and end up leaving without even enjoying it for some decent amount of time? We talked a little more about me and my moving here, Jacob offered to help me with everything I needed in the house and took me to the supermarket to buy a phone card for my phone and something to eat later. After that I said goodbye to Billy and Jacob took me to my new place.

I felt immediately disappointed when I got a glimpse of the house. It took some time to reach it and I was pretty excited, but all that came to the ground. Jacob noticed it and commented "Yeah, I know, pretty different from the photo right? It has been really a long time since someone took care of it you know? But don't worry. I'm a pretty good handyman. Anything you need you just have to call me and I'll be here". He helped me unload my things, asked me if I needed anything else and told me once more to call him anytime. "I really appreciate your help and I'm really thankful, but you can go now. I'll be okay." I smiled and he smiled and he was gone.

I stood there taking the picture before me. Where once was a beautifully kept garden, was now a wild jungle of weeds and tall spiky bushes. The stone wall was broken in some places and the wooden gate was hanging loose. The window I had admired in the photo had some glass broken, the roof had some tiles missing, most blinds were broken too and the front door was covered with dry foliage. Great, this is just great! What have I gotten myself into? I grabbed my bags and walked towards the front door since it was beginning to rain. With the old looking key I opened the door and prayed I wouldn't find any wild animal or something worse inside. As I opened the door I immediately felt the smell of mold and dust. "Wow. This house is in serious need of some air!" I was in a little hall. It had some natural light coming from the window beside the door and the light coming from the other side of the house, where I assumed was the kitchen. It wasn't that strong because the glass next to the door was yellow and the house was surrounded by trees. In front of me were the stairs that led to the upper floor. Its steps where made of wood. At my right was the living room, filled with white sheets covering what I assumed was the furniture that was never used. It had this great fireplace and several closed windows. I immediately went there and opened them, urging the awful smell to get out. There was a cold breeze but it felt nice.

Before I began lifting the sheets I decided to scan the rest of the house. From the living room I could go to a corridor that led to the kitchen and a little office. It was furnished with a beautiful old looking desk, some bookshelves and books and an ostentatious chair. Those weren't covered. I went for the books. They look so old. I wonder if I can find any classics here… I was disappointed. They are all medical books. A doctor lived in this house. Nice. I opened one and found a date: 1820. Wow! That's old! I put the book down and got out of there. Next to the office was the kitchen. It was pretty tiny, with old wooden cabinets, an old sink and a wooden island with some stools. "This is not bad. I can cook in here." The kitchen had a big window but I could only see more trees. From the kitchen I could return to the front hall, where I had a small bathroom with a little yellow window, an old toilet and washstand. I then went upstairs. There I found a little hall with two doors, a window and a little flight of stairs. To my right there was a huge bathroom, fully equipped. And everything looked so clean! I immediately loved the bathtub. "Man I could use a nice hot shower in there right now!". I turned to the bedroom and I fell in love. The room had a big window with a little bench, something you see in movies but you never get to have one. There was also an old bed, made of iron and its head had beautiful iron flowers, unfortunately it was covered with cobwebs. The bedside tables were made of dark wood and had Victorian like lamps. Actually, if I think about it, the entire house has lamps. "I wonder if they work… yeah right.". I tentatively turned the switch on and for my surprise there was light! "What the hell?". The house was abandoned for God knows how long and it had electricity? I got out of the room and noticed the little flight of stairs. They led to a door. The attic! I climbed them, put my hand on the handle and turned it… nothing. I pushed it, pulled it… nothing. "Hum… maybe its key is somewhere around the house.". With that task in my mental checklist I decided to check every lamp in the house. Almost all of them were working apart from some who had no light bulb or it was broken. "I wonder… if there is light maybe there is water too.". I ran to the kitchen and turned the faucet. The pipes made a little noise but after a few seconds water started to run. "What the hell is going on here? No one thought about turning these things off? What if there was a shortcut? Flooding? Oh but it would be perfect if there was hot water! That would be asking for too much…". I quickly ran upstairs and into the bathroom. I turned the hot water faucet and there it was, after a minute I had hot water! I felt so happy! From there I decided I would see what furniture I had, what I needed to buy and then eat, take a hot bubble bath and go to sleep. The next morning I would call Jacob, find some place with Internet connection and pay a visit to Ikea's website.

After a thorough scan of my house I had a pretty long list of what needed to be bought and repaired. Jacob was facing some hard work! I was so thankful he offered to help! Feeling my spirits up, I prepared my bubble bath with my strawberry scented shower gel. It had begun to rain and it was heavy, I could hear the rain hitting the roof pretty hard. I prayed I wouldn't have any leaks, especially since I hadn't found the attic key. As I was entering the tub I heard a noise coming from upstairs, like a thump. What the hell was that? I immediately turned on my ninja mode and got out of the bathroom. I walked towards the steps that led to the attic and I could hear wood squeaking above me. I was feeling pretty scared but I also didn't know what to do. I wouldn't call Jacob, especially in this weather, plus it could be nothing and I would look like a foolish little girl. I stood there a few more minutes but heard nothing more. Putting that past me I returned to the bathroom and relaxed between the bubbles. When the water ran cold I got out, put on my fluffy pajamas and went to bed, covered with a blanket I had brought with me from Forks. Sleep came easily.

I woke up startled. I had heard something crashing. It was pretty dark. The wind was blowing hard and the rain was heavy. Maybe something fell outside, a tree or my chimney. I reached for the lamp in the bedside table to turn it on. Nothing. Click on, off. Click on, off. Hum… maybe electricity went down with the weather. I stood there awake for a few minutes, trying to figure out if anything really bad had happened. After a moment, I blamed everything on the weather and went back to sleep.

I woke up with light coming in through the window. The blinds were broken so it was still pretty early I was sure. I picked up my phone to see what time it was and sure enough, it was seven thirty in the morning. Decided I had had enough sleep, I stood and went to the bathroom for my morning routine. When I turned on the faucet to wash my face no water came out. "This is weird… Maybe the noise I heard was a tree falling, and it ruined the water tank or something…", and then I remembered when I tried to turn on the light during the night, so I went for the light switch on the wall… Nothing. "Man! I knew this was too much luck!". Because I had nothing to eat and nothing to drink, and nothing else to do, I decided to call Jacob and pray he was up already.

A very sleepy British voice greeted me "Hello? Who is this?". "Hi Jacob, it's me, Bella. I'm so sorry I woke you!". His tone instantly changed, and so did his accent, which amused me "Oh Hi Bella! Yeah you woke me. But that's okay. I told you to call me anytime right? So it's my fault really" he laughed, "So, tell me, what can I do for you in this fine morning?" he said all gentlemanly. "Well, you see. Some things happened. I have no electricity and no water and I think the storm last night broke the water tank and the cables and I have no way to get to the center and I have nothing to eat…", "Wow! Slow down there! I said it's okay. I'll be there in… give me thirty minutes okay?", "Thank you so much. And I'm sorry again!". He laughed and hung up.

So I had thirty minutes. I put on some clothes and boots, glad the weather was looking like the one in Forks. At least I don't have to spend money on clothes! I decided to go outside and inspect the surroundings to see if I could figure out where the noise I had heard the night before came. From what I could tell no tree had fallen and the chimney was in its place. So what could have caused the power and the water to go off? When I found the water tank I was shocked. It was completely wrecked! It looked like it had been smashed pretty hard, plus the pipes that led to the inside were hanging loose. This has human hand written all over it. If this happened to the water tank probably it also happened to the cables. But who would do such a thing? And why? I had no more time to think about it because I heard a honk. I went to the front of the house and there was Jacob, waving from the inside of his truck. I ran to it because it was starting to rain again. When I got in I was immediately assaulted by the smell of food. "Hot coffee and a doughnut, milady." he said with an accent and a huge smile. "Mmm… Good morning to you too! And thank you so much! I'm really hungry! Oh, and I'm so sorry I woke you", "Nah, forget it. It was nothing! So, tell me everything you were trying to tell me earlier" and we took off. So I went on, telling him about the list I made with all I needed, how I was in need of some place with Internet connection so I could buy furniture, appliances, essentials, look for a job. And then I told him about the water and electricity and what I found in the morning. "Wait, what? Are you telling me you had water? Hot water? And electricity? How is that possible? No one lives there!", "I know right? I found that weird too. There could have been a flood or a fire. But this morning I had nothing. And I'm sure someone found out about me and put everything down. It probably wasn't legal you know?" He hummed and for a moment there was silence in the truck. Then he spoke, "Okay, so here's what we're going to do. You can go to the coffee shop because they have Internet there, you're going to give me the list of everything that needs to be fixed around the house and I'll take care of that. I told you I'm a pretty good handyman!", and he winked at me. "Well, you do own a hardware store!" I mused. "I'm so thankful I found you! I'm being lucky. And I'll make sure I pay you for everything! You don't have to worry!", "Oh please! We can talk about that later!". We parted in the little square. "Oh! And don't forget to add to the list the water tank and the cables!". He waved and disappeared into his store.

The coffee shop was almost empty. It was a pretty cute place, with a few wooden tables and matching chairs, stone walls, a wooden ceiling with a lot of scattered lamps that created a certain mood. Some soft music was playing in the background. I assumed Jacob had bought my breakfast there. A middle aged woman approached me and asked if I wanted anything, smiling. "Yes. Hum, I would like an orange juice and… a toast.", I was still hungry, blame me! "Of course.", "Oh, and how can I access the Internet here?", "You just have to find it in your computer. It doesn't require a password." And she smiled at me. I felt I needed to introduce myself since we were going to see a lot of each other. "I'm Isabella, by the way.", "I know who you are dear! You were the subject of every conversation yesterday afternoon! I'm Elizabeth." and with that she left me to prepare my breakfast… the second.

After I ordered everything I needed from Ikea, which was going to be delivered the next day, I like how things work here, I decided I needed to go to the supermarket and buy more things. The supermarket wasn't huge but it was pretty decent. It had everything one needs. So I bought a few groceries that didn't require fridge or cooking, some essentials, cleaning products, and went to the hardware store to find out if Jacob had everything he needed.

He was with his dad, and they both looked very busy. "Hey Bella! So how was your first night as an English woman? I'm sure the storm made you homesick!" he laughed. "Don't remind me! It was pretty heavy! I was afraid the roof might crash! But luckily it is still there. Apart from the water and electricity.", "Yeah, Jacob told me. That sucks. But don't worry, he'll fix everything for you! He's great. He does all this kind of stuff around the village.". "So, Bella, I was thinking, we could go back to your house and I could begin immediately. The sooner we start, the sooner you'll have your house ready!". I was feeling pretty excited with the prospect of having everything done.

While Jacob was working outside, fixing the little wooden gate, I was inside cleaning and dusting. I was done with the living room and the office when Jacob came inside "Hey, Bella, I need to go to the attic so I can fix the broken window.". Attic, damn. I had forgotten about the sounds I had heard the night before, when I was about to take a bath. I wouldn't mention it to him. It was nothing I was sure. "Oh… hum… I don't have the key and hum… I don't really want to break in or ruin the door so…", "Oh don't worry, I can use some tools. Come, let's go." So we climbed the stairs. When we reached the door he tried to open it like I had done. Nothing. So he grabbed the tools and began to work on it but nothing happened. "Maybe it's locked from the inside. I'll try from the outside then." He said resigned. I went back to cleaning and he to fixing. The window also didn't open from the outside and Jacob couldn't see past it since it had wood boards covering it. He covered the broken glass with some plastic so the rain wouldn't get in and decided to work on it another time.

It was 6p.m. when we called it a day. I had the entire house sparkling, except the attic, and most things were fixed. I even had running water and electricity again. Jacob promised he would call the Internet service to install it in the house the next day and he would come by to fix the blinds and help me settle everything after the delivery men left. He then left me to enjoy my almost decent looking house. I was so tired I didn't enjoy anything except for a sandwich, another bubble bath and my pajamas. I was lying in bed, listening to the rain, getting ready to sleep, when I heard something else. Fuck, it's footsteps. I completely froze. My bedroom door was closed so I felt somewhat protected. The noise came from above me, again. It's that damn attic! I need to get in there! I listened closely. The wooden floor was squeaking, just like when someone steps on it. Like the night before, after a few minutes it ceased. Eventually I fell asleep, certain the next day I would get in that attic.

I woke up full of energy. The night's events were forgotten since I had a lot to think of. I was about to have the house all pretty and full of new, shiny and nice things and it wasn't a stupid attic that was going to ruin my day! So I took a quick shower, got dressed in comfy clothes and went downstairs to grab something to eat. The delivery men were arriving at 10am so I had half an hour still. I went outside to look at the "garden". Jacob told me it was the only thing he didn't do for he didn't enjoy being stung by insects and the wild didn't do much for him. A man who lives in a place like this doesn't enjoy nature, oh the irony. I was thinking where to begin, what to do about it, when the truck arrived, followed by Jacob's truck. Turns out the delivery men didn't know how to get to the house either so Jacob helped them.

It took some hours to unload everything and put the furniture in order. They were all very polite and Jacob helped. I didn't do any heavy work but everything from towels to little appliances and objects were my task. I was in love with my new place. For the first time I was the one who chose how the place would look. In Forks everything was my father's taste. Some things were even from the time he and my mother were together. So, being able to make decisions on something as simple as the shower curtain was great.

When the delivery men left, Jacob stayed. He had brought me some groceries now that I had a fridge, a stove and a microwave. Also he wanted to check on a few things and wait for the Internet technician. Because it was raining badly, Jacob didn't have the chance to fix the blinds; instead, he just supervised the Internet technician. He asked me if I had found the key to the attic door while I was putting everything in place and I sadly told him I hadn't. He left around 5pm and told me to call should anything happen. I was excited about everything. I went upstairs to pick my laptop and settled in my cute office. The Internet worked just find so I updated myself with newspapers, e-mails, funny videos and job offers until it was time for dinner. I ate happily in my new kitchen, listening to the music playing in the radio and the rain falling outside. I watched the news online and then went upstairs to take a shower and enjoy my new bed sheets and quilt.

I was lying in bed, ready to sleep, and I found myself listening for something coming from the attic. This time I wasn't listening to anything but rain. Why do I feel disappointed? Because you're insane. Oh right. Maybe that was it. I felt asleep in no time.

I woke up feeling hungry and thirsty. I turned on the light and checked my phone, it was 4am. I went downstairs anyway to grab something. It had stopped raining and the sky was surprisingly clear. The moon was filling the house with some light, allowing me to roam around without the need to turn on more lights than the one in my room. I went to the kitchen and grabbed 4 cookies and a glass of milk. These should do it! I left the kitchen and began climbing the stairs, back to my room, where I would eat and be warm at the same time. When I was reaching the top, I saw someone. The person was trying to open the door to the attic and was in a hurry, and looked like he or she was having some difficulty. I stopped, frozen. I was in total panic. Should I shout? Should I say something? Do I move? Do I run to my room? It's dangerous to run with cookies and milk in my hands. I'm going downstairs. When I put my foot on the step the wood squeaked and the person looked at me. I dropped everything. Damn! He saw me. He was tall, lean and with a somewhat big hair, that pointed towards the air instead of falling in his face. I couldn't tell much from his face except he was extremely pale and had nice bone structure. But his eyes! They were the thing that stood out. They were shinning a bright orange. It didn't look healthy. While I stood there, my feet covered in milk, he managed to open the door and quickly disappeared behind it, leaving me standing there, hunger and thirst forgotten. I returned to my room, not knowing what to do. The rain began to fall again, this time accompanied by thunders. I heard no more and slept no more that night.

Two months had passed since I had arrived to Bibury. I hadn't slept for two months. Coincidence? Not in the slightest. After the third night here, the night I saw him, I wasn't able to sleep. Not that I had nightmares or anything. I admit, I was scared when I saw him right there, but I'm not one for having scary dreams. Every night I lay in my bed, prepared to let myself be enveloped by weariness, but deep sleep never came. I was aware of my surroundings, always ready to jump off of bed and beat the crap out of him, but after that night I never saw him again. My house was fine, no more broken pipes or cut cables.

But even if I didn't have those issues anymore, the noises from the attic never ceased.

Sometimes I swear I could hear water running but it was raining here most of the time and I couldn't find the courage to get out of the bed and check if he was using the bathroom or was just the rain falling. It probably was him, which probably explained why I found the bathroom so clean the first time I came to the house. I couldn't bring myself to call the police. I wasn't really in danger. He didn't attack me, there wasn't anything missing. Never had been. I couldn't even be sure he was the one who broke the things in the first place. But I had the feeling he was upstairs. I only heard noises at night. And maybe it was stupid but being here by myself, surrounded by nothing but trees, I felt safe knowing I wasn't alone at night.

I had managed to find a job. It wasn't as a writer, like I always wanted. I worked for a publisher in London. The good thing was I could work from home. I would only need to go to London from time to time. I also had come close to Billy and Jacob. I would use their services as a taxi and they would come here often and I would cook them dinner. They were just two wild boys… who enjoyed a home cooked meal from time to time. I never told them about my… tenant. Jacob would frequently ask me: "So, Bella, have you found the key to the attic yet?". I would quickly dismiss him, "I haven't really been searching." Truth be told I had. I searched everywhere and I didn't find it.

From time to time I would go up the stairs to the attic door and see if it was unlocked or if I could hear anything. No such luck. I gave up. He had the only key I was sure.

I was lying in my bed one night, the rain was falling, as usual. And I was listening for the usual noises. That night they weren't as strong and as frequent. Maybe he isn't up there? Maybe it is just rain this time. It probably was the rain. I couldn't really sleep either way. I looked at the clock: 5am. Great! I've been here for three hours just staring at the ceiling. I decided to go to my office downstairs and work on a new project I had been assigned.

I rose from my bed, put on my fluffy slippers and my baggy hot sweater and walked out of my bedroom. As I crossed the hall I noticed foot prints on my floor. They were wet foot prints of a pair of boots. And they were covered with mud. But they were only on this hall. I looked at the stairs: clean. Where did he come from? He at least could clean them! I'm not going to! Wait! I just confirmed I am okay with a stranger living in my house! I'm even pouting about cleaning! I wasn't okay, but I wasn't capable of facing him then. It was better that way really. Let him be. I was going to pretend he didn't exist and if he wanted to acknowledge me, he knew where to find me. It was like having a roommate who had the night shift when you worked during the day. So, has if nothing had happened, I went to my office. When I got there I could hear water running. Does he know I can hear it too? I'm sure he did. He was taking a shower. I promised myself I would leave him alone though I was dying to go upstairs and knock him down. After while, silence settled in and I was finally able to work on my project.

It was 8am when I decided it was time for me to get some sleep. I had done a pretty good job and I could congratulate myself with a good rest. As I was walking to the stairs my stomach complained so I turned to the kitchen to make some toast and hot milk. As I was arranging my meal I began thinking about my roommate. Well, what would happen if I left him a little meal? I smiled as I wrote "Enjoy your breakfast." in a piece of paper and left it next to a plate with some toast and a mug of milk. I needed some distraction and turning him into a human being who ate somehow made me more comfortable. When I reached to top of the stairs the foot prints were gone. Good boy!

I slept for almost ten hours. It was 6pm when I woke up. The house was silent. It felt nice! I stretched and yawned. Though it was already dark outside I decided to take a shower and call Jacob so he could take me to "the center". I was in need of some groceries. And if was going to cook for my roommate… I immediately reminded the note I left him. I put on my sweater and quickly walked out of the room. As I reached the kitchen I looked at the counter. There was no plate and no mug. The note was still there. I picked it up and noticed there was something else written, in a much prettier handwriting. "Enjoy your garden.".What? I walked to the front door, and opened it quickly. It was cold. I turned on the entrance light and stepped outside and my jaw dropped. In place of the jungle I had grown used to in the past two months I now had a clean yard. It was not full of pretty bushes and flowerbeds but it didn't have the tall, wild and ugly weeds it used to. It was covered by clean soil and in the middle it had a rosebush, filled with red roses. My heart began beating fast. How did he do it? When? Last night? It was raining hard! That's why he messed the whole floor! Why did he do it? I returned home and sat on the couch. I needed to think. Okay, first, he was going to catch a cold. I was sure. He took a hot shower after it but that wasn't enough. And was he eating properly? I needed to get him some medicine and a hot soup maybe? Oh look at you Bella! All worried about some guy who creepily lives in your attic and you don't even know. I was going to call Jacob and… but he'll see my new garden! I have to lie to him. In an hour I was in "the center". He talked to me all the way there but I wasn't really listening. Except for him telling me I had done a great job with the garden, and me thanking him, telling him it took me a lot of time and hard work, he talked about some girl he "fancied". I smiled at the right times and hummed too. I only wanted to get to the supermarket. Once there I bought cold medicine, some pre-made soup and all the things I needed for me. I then went to the hardware store to greet Billy. Around 9pm I was at home again. I walked through my new garden with a smile. I knew just how to thank him. I made some dinner and ate in my office, watching the news over the Internet, nothing new. I cleaned up the kitchen and began preparing my thanks. I placed the pre‑made soup on the counter and at its side the cold medicine. Then I arranged my leftovers in a plate. Finally the note:

"Warm the soup. And take the cold medicine. I'm sure you'll need it. If you feel like it, I made some pasta. Thank you for the garden. You didn't have too."

I went upstairs, took a nice shower and went to bed. Before I drifted to sleep I heard him get up. Good morning to you sir.

I woke up relaxed. The night had been calm. I had heard him come downstairs. I knew it because I heard the wood squeaking. I didn't listen well or long enough to hear him come up again. I got up slowly and found the light a little weird for the morning. It was already afternoon! The sun was about to set, not rise. I was in shock! I was probably spending too much time worrying about him instead of me, all those nights without sleeping and my sleep hours all mixed. Well, at least now I was well rested… I went downstairs. As I walked past the living room to the kitchen I saw something with my peripheral vision. There was someone on the couch. He was on my couch. I couldn't hear him breathing. I took a peak. He was completely covered with the blanket I had brought from Forks, except for his feet. He had nice feet. Damn! I can't see him this way! My breathing got heavy as I came closer. He could be sleeping but I didn't see his chest moving. Maybe he's dead! What was I going to do? I could wake him up. No, I didn't what to startle him. I couldn't. He was sick. I decided to walk very slowly to the kitchen. The medicine wasn't there and neither was the soup or the pasta. That's why he crashed on the couch, the cold medicine made him fall asleep. The note was there, once again. He had written me back:

"Thank you for being so thoughtful. You needn't have. And don't thank me. It was the least I could do after what I did to you."

So he ruined the pipes and water tank and cables. It's not like I didn't know it. I mean, who else could have done it?

I picked another piece of paper and replied:

"Feeling guilty were you? I think you are forgiven, though I would like to know why you did it. To be honest, there are a lot of things I would like to know. For starters, it would be nice if you told me who you are."

I then arranged a quick breakfast and retreated to my office. Before I sat down to eat and read the morning news I hit my foot in the desk. "Ouch! Shit! Fuck this hurts!" As I was screaming and cursing I heard a loud noise coming from the living room. He heard me! I shut up immediately and listened as he quickly went to the kitchen and then ran upstairs. He is awake now. Well, at least he had seen my note.

By 8pm I was finished with my project. After sending it to my boss in London I got up and went to the kitchen. It had stopped raining, so I dressed something warm, made dinner, grabbed a chair and went to my new garden to enjoy the meal and listen to the sounds of the night. As I got there my jaw fell again. Now, opposite to the rose bush was a bed of white tulips. Being sick didn't stop him. I enjoyed the meal thinking about the man in the attic.

I was feeling like I needed a shower and a nap. When I got to the bathroom, there was a white tulip near the sink. Aww, how sweet… Right, because a guy you still don't know, living in your attic for god knows how long it's the sweetest thing you can have.

I decided I needed to write another note to him:

"I'm sorry I woke you up this afternoon. Now you know I have a dirty mouth. I hope you are feeling better. And thank you for the tulips."

I went downstairs to leave the note in the kitchen counter and went back to my office. Since I wasn't sleepy at all, it was time for some fun. I put on my earphones and watched a movie.

I woke up startled. I had been dreaming a lot about orange eyes. It was morning already and my ears were hurting. I took a look at the clock: 9am. Right on time for some breakfast.

When I got to the kitchen my note was there but there was no answer. Hum, maybe he fell asleep just like me. I made pancakes and ate them as I read the morning news and then called Jacob so he could take me to the center. I was in need of some new books.

When I got home, I went to the office to put my new books in the shelves. Passing the kitchen I noticed the note was still on the counter. I picked it up. Still no answer.

I spent the rest of the day doing some cleaning and laundry, always thinking about him and if he was okay.

The house was strangely silent. I couldn't hear him in the attic. Maybe he left? It seemed he only left at night, when he did left. By 2am he wasn't moving yet and I was tired. I went downstairs to check my email. The food I left him from dinner and the note were still on the counter. I had a message from my boss with my new assignment. Tomorrow. I went back to my room and fell asleep in no time.

I can't hear him. Is he okay? It's been a week since I could feel his presence in the attic. He never read my note thanking him for the tulips and he didn't eat the food I left him. Did I do something wrong? I began playing my last steps with him. I gave him cold medicine. He seemed to appreciate it. Then I let him sleep on my couch. I woke him up with my cursing and shouting. Since then I stopped hearing him. The last note he read from me said he was forgiven but I wished he would explain why he did it and who he was. Maybe that was it. He felt pressured by my asking him who he was. It could only be it. I scared him and now he's gone.