Chapter Number:  One

Chapter Name:  First Sight

Page Numbers:  3-28 (Hardcover)

Date of Chapter:  January 17 and 18, 2005

Summary:  We meet high school junior Isabella Swan, or Bella as she prefers to be called. She is a very pale skinned brunette with a quick mind and a sarcastic sense of humor. She is leaving her mother and stepfather’s home in Phoenix, Arizona to live with her father in Forks, Washington. She feels she needs to give her mother, Renee, space to be with her new husband, Phil, who is a minor league baseball ballplayer. She’s apprehensive about moving in with her dad, Charlie, who is the town’s sheriff.  Up until now, they have only ever spent parts of summers together. Bella hasn’t been to Forks in three years.

Forks couldn’t be more different than sunny, metropolitan Phoenix if it tried. The weather is cool, overcast, and clammy most days. Forks High School, where Bella is to start school the following day only has 358 students including Bella.

Charlie picks Bella up at the Port Angles airport. Bella finds conversing with Charlie stilted at first, but they soon warm up to each other. Charlie has bought Bella a red, 1950’s Chevy pickup truck, formerly owned by Quileute tribal elder Billy Black, so she can have the freedom to come and go without depending on rides in the squad car. Bella is relieved to find that the truck is a lot cooler than she had imagined.

Bella takes herself to school her first day and learns to navigate the large campus that consists of many buildings. She soon realizes that she is ahead of the work in most of her classes. In general, she is a bright and talented student. Her only academic failing is gym, where she is completely uncoordinated.

Bella meets several classmates and ends up sitting at their table during lunch. Eric is tall and lanky with greasy black hair and is something of a nerd. Angela is repeats herself a lot. Mike is good-looking and easy going. Jessica is bubbly, friendly, and fills Bella in about the “devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful” members of the Cullen family that Bella has noticed.

Jessica describes in detail Rosalie and Jasper Hale, Alice, Edward, and Emmett Cullen’s relationship with their parents and guardians Dr. Carlisle Cullen and Mrs. Esme Cullen. The family moved to Forks from Alaska two years ago when Carlisle became the town doctor. They are a close-knit, somewhat aloof group that drive themselves to school in a flashy, silver Volvo. They often go on family camping trips.

Bella is assigned to sit next to Edward Cullen in biology class and has this odd feeling that he dislikes her. She notices that he alternates between glaring at her and clenching and unclenching his fists. At the end of the school day, Bella goes to the principal’s office to hand in paperwork and discovers Edward there. He doesn’t noticed Bella at first and continues his animated discussion with the secretary where he demands to be transferred out of his biology class. When he realizes Bella is there, he abruptly leaves. Bella drives herself home fighting back tears unsure why Edward Cullen has affected her so much.

Characters Involved:  Bella Swan, Renee Dwyer, Charlie Swan, Mrs. Cope – school secretary, Mr. Mason, Eric Yorkie, Mr.Varner, Jessica Stanley, Mike Newton, Angela Weber, Edward Cullen

Characters Mentioned:  Phil Dwyer, Billy Black, Alice Cullen, Emmett Cullen, Jasper Hale, Rosalie Hale, Esme Cullen, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, Mr. Banner, Coach Clapp

Places Visited:  The Dwyer Home, Phoenix Airport, Port Angeles Airport, Forks, The Swan Home, Forks High School

Memorable Quotes:
“My mother is part albino.” 
~ Bella trying to make small talk with Eric.

“So did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or what.”  
~  Mike referring to Edward’s reaction to Bella during Biology class.

Important Information Learned:
Charlie and Bella have a relationship that they are still formulating, but they are willing to give each other the space they each need.
 
The Cullens throw uneaten food into the trash during lunch.

Edward Cullen has an intense change in demeanor when around Bella.

Bella doesn’t cry when she’s sad; she cries when she’s angry.

The members of the Cullen family are considered mysterious outsiders.

Edward doesn’t realize Bella is in the office until the another student opens the door and a gust of wind comes in.

Edward has deep black eyes.

Chapter Number: Preface

Chapter Name: Preface

Page Numbers: 1

Date of Chapter:  Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Summary:  Bella muses on strange path her life has taken as she presumes she is about to die.

Characters Involved:  Bella Swan, James (implied)

Characters Mentioned:  Renee Dwyer (implied)

Places Visited:  Ballet Studio, Phoenix

Memorable Quotes: 
“When life offers you a dream so far beyond your expectations, it’s not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.”
~Bella Swan

Important Information Learned: 
The preface foreshadows the rocky road Bella’s life takes starting with her move to Forks.

We learn that she had cause to fear for her life more than once, and that she is currently being threatened by someone who has cornered her and intends to kill her.

Again I have swiped several questions and answers from the group at MySpace.  Many thanks to them for letting me share this information with you.

Q.  If Bella ever got a pet, would it be hard for Edward to come around?

A:  No. Animals don’t appeal to my vampires at all. It’s quite a sacrifice for them to exist on animal blood. That’s why Edward compares it to living on tofu and soy. Imagine your very least favorite food. (So, for me, that’s probably something like shepherd’s pie.) Now imagine all your favorite foods on the table next to the one you hate.  (Mmm! Cheesecake! Caramello bars! Filet mignon! Sour cream potatoes!) If you’re a Cullen, you have to dig into that shepherd’s pie day in and day out and try to ignore the cheesecake. Sigh. It’s like living on a diet forever, no cheating.

And, the bigger the animal, usually the better it tastes. Predators are the most tasty (though they’re still shepherd’s pie next to a human). A cat would present no temptation at all.

On the other hand, the cat would absolutely hate Edward and refuse to be anywhere near him. Animals freak out around vampires.

Q:  Why do they sparkle?

A:  They sparkle because they have turned to substance that is somewhat like diamond.  Their bodies have hardened, frozen into a kind of living stone.  Each little cell in their skin has become a separate facet that reflects the light.  These facets have a prism-like quality–they throw rainbows as they glitter.

Q.  What happened to the piece of pizza Bella dared Edward to eat? Would it be stuck in his system for the rest of eternity? Vampires don’t, um, go to the bathroom. Would he just have pizza floating in his stomach for the rest of his life? Ew…

A:  Ew, yes. He’d have to cough it up later to get rid of it. Not the most pleasant thing, which is why the vampires only eat food when they absolutely have to in order to blend in.

Q.  Does Esme have a favorite son or daughter? (What about Carlisle?)

A:  Esme and Carlisle love all their "children" in different ways, but they both have a soft spot for Edward because he was with them first, and he’s such a deeply good person. The others are good, too, but Edward is special. And I’m not just saying that because I’m in love with him.

Q.  Is there anything that Edward isn’t perfect at?

A:  He tried really hard to always do the right thing. However, he does make mistakes and no matter what your intentions were, when you make mistakes you end up living with the consequences. This all sounds like crazy babbling now, but you’ll understand after New Moon and Eclipse.

Q.  I was wondering if they could have an actual TALENT enhanced. Like if you were really artistic or musical or something in your human life, could you bring that on to your vampire life?

A:  Yes, Edward’s human musical ability was enhanced in his vampire life. Rosalie’s mechanical prowess, something she didn’t use much while human, also was enhanced. They all have their talents.

Q. I was reading last night and it was the part where Edward made Bella promise not to go into the woods alone… Was it because of Edward himself or because there were other vampires there?

A:  It was because the Cullens aren’t the only vampires in the world. They are often visited by old friends and newcomers (like James). Most of the time, it’s just a friendly visit, but it’s still not going to work out so well for a human who happens to be in the visitor’s path. Edward knows how Bella is always in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he knows that she smells better than most humans, even to others besides himself.

Q.  What percent of vampires occupy America? Like 5%, 10% of the population? Or if that’s too specific, the world?  Just curious on how many vampires there are.

A:  Much less than one percent. It’s not easy to successfully create a new vampire (most attempts fail…and become dinner instead). Also, the population goes down as often as it goes up because most vampires don’t get along with each other as well as the Cullens do. They tend to get a little territorial, and sometimes they fight over their food.

Q.  When vampires feed off of humans, do they drink out all the blood? And if they do what do they do with the bodies, do they just let bloodless bodies lie around or dispose of them?

A:  They drain the bodies, and then hide them (it’s not good to draw attention to oneself). For example, if Laurent was taking a stroll through the woods and happened on a tasty hiker, after drinking all the available blood (and it’s almost impossible to stop, once you get started–that’s why so few vampires are successfully created), he might rip a large spruce out of the ground, throw the body under it, and then replant it. It would only take a few seconds and very little effort. There are lots of ways to dispose of a body when you have superhuman strength.

Q:  What happened to Billy Black that he can’t walk anymore?

A:  He has diabetes, which caused nerve damage in his feet and legs. He hasn’t had to have anything amputated yet, but he’ll never walk again.

So…how do you like it?  I was so surprised when everyone said they were going to miss the red leaves.  Those red leaves were always just a placeholder until we could get the art back for the header.  Sorry folks, but a sexy pic of Edward wins out over red leaves any day of the week! 

In case you are wondering, we had the work commissioned by Leela Starsky of Harry Potter fame.  Check out her work by visiting her personal web site.  Many many thanks go to her for getting the piece to us as fast as she did, and for putting up with all the fuss we made over it in the process.  She was sent so many pictures of possible “Edwards” it wasn’t even funny!  I think that the final product was well worth the effort.   We would ask that no one use the top pic for any icons or buttons just yet.  We will provide you with official items very shortly.  The image does belong to the lexicon as it was Imogen and I who footed the bill to have the work commissioned.  We respectufully request that you do not copy it for your own use.

Also, the vampire section has been updated with information on physiology.  Be sure to check it out.  We’ve also updated PC#7, once again using the Q&A section at MySpace for this section. 

We are still working on the message boards.  There just isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done that i want to do!  But hang in there.  We will have them soon, as well as our chapter discussions and our buttons.  Watch for an offical announcement sometime this week.

Alphie

As a person is changed into a vampire, their physical appearance is enhanced, their eye colour changes, their hearing and eyesight becomes more acute, their heart ceases to beat, they no longer need to breathe. These heightened senses are invaluable to a vampire, both Edward and James, for example, rely on Bella’s scent to track her.

No further physical changes occur once someone has been transformed: "When someone becomes a vampire, it’s as if they are frozen exactly as they are in that moment." (PC1) Therefore, a vampire cannot get pregnant because this would involve a change in physical state, but if a pregnant woman were changed to become a vampire, then she would remain at that exact stage in pregnancy for all eternity.

Natural changes in the human body would not occur any longer. A woman would "no longer have any kind of ovulation cycle," (PC1), a man would no longer need to shave as hair would no longer continue to grow. Once cut, hair will never grow back, and we are given the example of Alice, whose hair is so short because "it was growing back from being shaved in the asylum." (PC1). Alice will never be able to have the long flowing locks of Rosalie.

 Other things, such as fingernails, also cease to grow, but it is worth noting that a vampire’s body is like granite, so broken fingernails are unlikely! There are certainly some perks to this lack of change: Alice, Rosalie and Esme would never have to shave their legs, and none of them would have to worry about putting on weight! The human need for rest and sleep disappears in a vampire. As Edward explains, "I can’t sleep." (TW9), and "most human fluids are absent… no sweat, no tears," (PC1) and no blood of their own.

However, the venom they possess acts like a form of "saliva… the venom makes their mouths wet, at least." (PC1) Circulation ceasing and lack of heartbeat are amongst the most obvious changes when someone becomes a "cold one" (TW6). The blood that is in them when they are changed, is slowly consumed within the first year. Stephenie Meyer suggests thinking of this like using up "the fat stores in your body." (PC4), and from then onwards, the only blood that floods the old circulatory system of a vampire is the blood they have consumed. "It lightens their eyes and flushes their skin slightly." (PC1) The skin itself becomes far more refractive than a human’s skin ever can be. It literally sparkles "like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface." (TW13). It is described as "shocking"(TW13) and also accounts for the days off school when the weather is sunny. Stephenie Meyer explains: "They sparkle because they have turned to substance that is somewhat like diamond. Their bodies have hardened, frozen into a kind of living stone. Each little cell in their skin has become a separate facet that reflects the light. These facets have a prism-like quality; they throw rainbows as they glitter." (PC7)

The body also becomes hard like granite or marble. A vampire is unlikely to be hurt or cut, simply because very little is strong enough to penetrate their flesh. We see how things that would kill a human put Edward in no physical danger at all: "The van should have smashed my legs, but you were holding it up."(TW3) Assuming something is capable of cutting through a vampire’s flesh,…there would only be blood if he/she had freshly drunk blood (and drunk a lot). Otherwise there would only be a bit of venom."(PC1)

Vampires can be killed, but humans and human tools are too weak to do it. The only sure fire way is for another vampire "to tear him to shreds, and then burn the pieces."(TW19) As far as James is concerned, "Emmett and Jasper took care of him," (TW24), so this destruction is obviously possible.

I didn’t want anyone coming online and thinking the admins had lost their minds.  Yes, the text has gone purple.  Yes, I know about the change.  It’s been done for a perfectly logical reason that you will all be aware of in a day or so.  Don’t fret.  I know that Red leaves and purple text look odd together… but the red leaves won’t be there for long.

Alphie

I’ve been contacted by several members of the site complaining about a failure in the registration area.  I’m very sorry for the problems, but there isn’t anything I can do about it.  The registration is set up through word press, and I have no control over it.  In many cases, it takes over twenty-four hours to receive your password.  Give it some time and meanwhile I will check with word press to see what’s happening on their end.  Again, I apologize for the inconvenience. 

Alphie

UPDATE!!  From reading the comments here it seems that you have to go looking in your BULK mail for the Twilight heading with your password.  Thanks to those of your who made me aware of this.

I received an e-mail from Stephenie today telling me that I had an error on the site.  Eleazar, who I had listed as one of the Denali “sisters” is actually a man.  Seeing as how I don’t want an angry male vampire after me demanding that I restore what is rightfully his, I have made the necessary corrections.  You can find them in PC1 as well as Eleazar’s bio.

We are very VERY close to making a decision on our chapter leader and our banner maker.  Thank you very much for all your interest.  We plan to be able to make the announcement sometime this weekend along with a slight site revamping.  We’ve had a piece of fan art done up that will be our new header and will end up changing the color scheme for the site.  Once we have the colors locked into place, we should be able to finalize the message boards and invite everyone to come and chat with us. 

Alphie

We have added a few things that we thought you would all be interested in.  First off, the vampire mythology section has been updated with the section on weapons.   Cool stuff there. 

Second, I recently visited the Twilight by Stephenie Meyer MySpace website and found a rather interesting set of questions from the members there.  I asked the moderator of the site if I could share those questions and the answers Stephenie gave with all of you.  You can check them out by visiting the MySpace website of in Personal Correspondence #6.

Lastly, I thought I would share with you that Stephenie has finished up the editing of New Moon.  This means that the book is one step closer to being in the hands of rabid fans!  She told me that the book currently chimes in at a whopping 566 pages!  That’s 68 pages more than Twilight for those of you keeping score.  Woo hoo!!

This whole page is a list of information gathered off of the Twilight by Stephenie Meyer MySpace website.  Feel free to check out the site.  I asked the moderator if it was all right to post this here, and she said to go ahead.  These questions come from various members of the site.  Many thanks to them for their curiosity.

Q. Do Bella and Edward ever find out why Edward can’t read her mind, or will it always be a mystery?

A. It’s not exactly a mystery. It’s for the same reason that Edward can read everyone else’s minds and Alice can see the future–Bella was born that way. This will be touched on in future novels.

Q. Has Edward (and the rest of the Cullens and Hales for that matter) gone to college? More than once? What did he/they study?

A. Yes, they’ve all been through college several times, and they’ve studied a wide array of subjects. They don’t always finish a degree–it doesn’t take them four years to master a subject, so they usually learn what they want and then move on. Edward has studied many languages, and he’s been through medical school twice–this helps Carlisle keep current without having to neglect his practice.

Q. Can vampires have sex?

 

A. Yes. Don’t think I haven’t put a lot of thought into this one. I’m not going to get technical, but rest assured, it is entirely possible.

Q. I’m also really curious as to how no one so far has caught on to the fact that Carlisle, being a doctor (and most likely using the same name) is the same doctor from the early 1900’s. I mean, don’t you have to have medical credentials and degrees or can he just make it up?  Also, what about the IRS? How are they filing taxes and things like that? or are they using fake identities which would make them criminals…?

 

A. The Cullens are criminals. Extensive forgery is definitely a part of their lives. They have to have new birth certificates, driver’s licenses, diplomas, passports, etc., every few years. Carlisle has to keep changing the dates on his certificates. But he does return to school occasionally. The "kids, " too, go to medical school now and then to keep him current. Edward’s been twice, Rosalie once (summa cum laude from Columbia). They do pay taxes–the IRS doesn’t check your photograph, they just want your money. Every seventy years or so, they have to fake a death to make that right. It’s very, very complicated. Lucky for them, they’ve got lots and lots of free time with the no sleep thing. And as for being criminals, well, most of them have committed LOTS of murders…

Q. Okay, this wasn’t a question, but an observation: And I really kind of hope Bella doesn’t just get a personality trait enhanced or whatever. I think that’s sort of… I don’t know, weird. Rosalie brought her ‘tenacity’, which I think seems to be sort of a suckish gift to bring into your, um, vampire life. Or the ‘capacity to love’. That was Esme, right? Hmmm… can’t remember. But I’d much rather have like Alice or Edward’s ability.

A. Yes, there is a big difference in the potency (for lack of a better word) of the qualities that vampires bring into this second life. There seems to be some confusion about this from some of the things I’ve read. I’ll try to explain it coherently, but I’m a little punch drunk from the editing, so bear with me: Okay, there are levels. Some vampires just have their personalities intensified. Esme is very loving and motherly–she becomes more so. Some vampires are unique in that they had slightly elevated abilities when they were human. Like Edward, who was always very sensitive to what other people were thinking without realizing it. Or Jasper, who was really charismatic, and could always talk people into seeing his side of things. When someone "special" like that gets turned into a vampire, that personality trait takes on a new strength, becoming more like a superpower than a trait. Some peoples’ strongest characteristics are physical rather than mental–like Emmett and his physical strength. And Rosalie with her beauty. ("AH HA!!" you are all saying. "But you said that Rosalie’s strongest trait was tenacity in the book!" To which I say, "Sometimes Edward lies." He had a reason–that will be in his version of the story.) Emmett and Rosalie are perfect for each other because they are both such physical people. But some characteristics skirt the line between "strong trait" and "superpower." Carlisle’s compassion-motivated self-control is really so incredible that it almost crosses the line into "superpower."

Now, the number of vampires with extra-special abilities (who were "special" when they were human) is disproportionately large (there is a bigger percentage of "special vampires" amongst ALL vampires than there are "special humans" as a percentage of ALL humans). There’s a reason for that, too. When vampires are choosing companions, they are drawn to the most special and beautiful of humans.

Q:  How exactly to vampires die? (In more detail than just ripping them up and burning them.) Is there a type of vampire heaven?

A:  They (the Cullens) don’t know. They’ve only seen other vampires cease to exist–but is it dying, really? Is there any awareness afterwards? Are you forever tied to the ashes of your body, or is there nothing, or is there an afterlife? This is, obviously, an important question to the Cullens, but they don’t know the answers and they all believe different things. This will be discussed in New Moon.

Q:  Is it possible that a human could kill a vampire?

A:  Er, not really. A big enough bomb would probably be hot enough to burn a vampire, but the vampire would have to agree to hold still and let it hit him.