Rating M

Disclaimer - Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.
I just like to make her characters do unspeakable things.

Much love and thanks to my favorite girls
Planetblue and Robsmyyummy Cabanaboy for prereading,
and my beta love, Carrie ZM.
So grateful for you three everyday.

Chapter 1

Present Day

"It's on," I tell him, turning up the television and plopping down on the mattress at the foot of the bed.

"Middlebury, Vermont," The Investigation Files show's host, Aro Volturi, says over a few eerie piano chords while images of my old college stomping grounds fill the screen. "A sleepy town nestled along the cascading falls of Otter Creek. Picture perfect with its stately brick and stone buildings dotting the gently sloping hills. Home to the safe, quiet campus of Middlebury College. But in the fall of 1998, the tranquil town was rocked by the disappearances of two freshmen coeds who never came home."

Photographs of Bree and Angela fade in over the landscape shots before my picture materializes between them. The host's voice drops dramatically. "And one who lived to tell the tale."

"God, look how young I was there," I murmur, staring at a version of myself I barely recognize anymore. The girl in the picture is all wide-eyed and innocent. Clueless, really. It feels like a lifetime ago. The only connection between that girl and me is that we're both out of our minds, head-over-heels in love with Edward Cullen.

"Over two decades later, police have yet to find the bodies of Bree Tanner and Angela Weber, nor are they any closer to identifying the person who provided evidence that the girls were not only abducted, but also brutally murdered." Faded thirty-five-millimeter photos scatter across the screen, each one a different shot of the mutilated coeds. "Although his whereabouts are unknown, he is believed to be the perpetrator that the New England media dubbed The Freshmen Killer."

The police sketch of the killer's face comes into view. Everything about the picture is unremarkable and utterly ordinary. From his face to his nondescript sweatshirt, there's nothing particularly distinct about the man in the drawing.

It's also all untrue. And it's exactly as I described that night at the police station so many years ago.

"Tonight, on The Investigation Files, we'll break down the events that taunted police and terrorized coeds in the small college town from the people who were there." Aro pauses for a few beats, letting the piano chords linger. "And the one who got away."

They show footage from the interview they had with us a few months ago. The camera closes in on my face as I speak. "It was the most terrifying night of my life. I'll never forget it." My eyes drop to my hands and I swallow hard. "It's something I live with every single day."

That might be the most honest statement I've ever made with regard to that night.

The piano keys slow down before Aro continues his grave narration. "For over two decades, the curious case of The Freshman Killer remains cold, but open. Police and forensic investigators are still baffled by the events." The music gives way to an unnerving screeching noise building into a crescendo. "And the townspeople are left to wonder if the killer is still among them. Watching and waiting for another opportunity to strike."

They flash to another shot of Aro from our interview. With his head tilted and fingers steepled, he asks, "Do you believe the killer is still out there?"

"Yes," I answer just above a whisper, looking into the camera.

"I imagine that's very difficult for you," he hedges. "Constantly looking over your shoulder. Unsure of your attacker's whereabouts."

The Investigation Files theme song starts up as the show's emblem emerges. "Join us as we comb through the case files and piece together the clues to not only find answers to the questions that have plagued investigators for far too long." Aro's voice deepens. "But also to catch … a killer."

I smirk as I glance back at my would-be/almost murderer resting comfortably on the bed behind me. It makes me certain there's definitely some truth to that old saying.

Some may call it madness.

But I call it love.

A/N: *waves* Hi all! Thanks so much for giving this fic a chance. Huge love and thanks to The Lemonade Stand for featuring The Freshmen on their Sneak Peek Saturday.

So many great fics WIPs out there right now. Body of Christ by BellaDonna and the FictionFreak, Don't Delete the Kisses by iambeagle, and Divergence of Nature by Maplestyle are all so fab. Which fics are owning you these days?

Thanks so much for reading!