Sid Briggs

Hey. I'm Sidnay Briggs, or just Sidd for short.

Right now, I'm driving in my old, rust bucket of a pickup truck, lost in my hometown of Forks, and trying to see through a heavy curtain of rain so that I can get myself un-lost.

How might an eighteen year old guy get himself lost in his own hometown, you ask? Well, I guess I'll just start at the beginning.

I was born in the small, perpetually cloudy town of Forks. My family (Dad – Richard Briggs, Mom- Alicia Briggs, and little sister – Arrianne Briggs) and I moved to California when I was six.

I recently moved back to my birth-town. I have a little, rather rundown house to myself. My family is still in sunny California.

Personally, I like it here in Forks, even though it is raining almost constantly. I prefer the gloomy weather. I sunburn way too easily to enjoy the hot, oppressive heat of the beach.

Why, may you ask, did I move back to Forks by myself?

Boy do you have a lot of personal questions.

I'll get around to answering your question soon. Just be patient.

You see, when I was thirteen, my family and I came back to Forks to visit my Dad's father, my Grandpa.

I was out playing in the woods when I was attacked by somebody. No. Something. I'm pretty sure I know what it was.

My family, friends, and the doctors that treated me that day tried to pass it off as a wild animal attack, but I know the truth. Call me crazy, but I believe with all my being that it was a vampire that tried to kill me that day.

All I remember about the incident is a ton of pain. My vision was quite blurry, but I also recall a young woman with short, brown, spiky hair and amber colored eyes.

Anyway, whoever or whatever it was that attacked me that day five years ago, they left an ugly, red scar on my neck.

I guess the scar helps my theory about vampires, because to me it looks suspiciously like a bite mark.

I've been bitterly hoping for five years to find whoever my assailant was. Mostly for revenge.

Just about two months ago, my Grandfather passed away, leaving his only son, my Dad, the little quaint house in Forks.

I had begged, and somehow gotten my parents to agree to let me finish my high school years at Forks High School. Don't ask me how I pulled that one off. I still can't figure it out myself.

So, now I am living in my Grandparent's old house. I've been here alone for about three days. My Mom insisted on staying with me right up to two days before school started. They had to get back for Arrianne to make it to her first day of school in Cali, however, so now I was free.

Free to hunt down my attacker.

It was after school, and I was trying to reacquaint myself to the roads and places in Forks. But, I had gotten very lost.

Abruptly, a loud pop-bang sounded from in front of my truck. My right tire had blown. Wonderful.

Thoroughly frustrated, I pulled up the driveway of the only house in sight.

The house was huge and completely made of wood. It looked old, but somehow warm and friendly. It was the only house in sight. Everywhere else I looked was covered in trees.

Hoping to knock on the door and get some directions, and maybe a spare tire, from whoever answered, I slid from my high truck seat.

Almost instantly, I was soaked to the bone and even more miserable.

I was just mounting the wide porch steps to the house when a group of people burst from among the trees.

There were eight of them, all laughing hysterically. They didn't seem to notice or care that they were saturated with water and mud. All of them had dark hair and eyes, with dusky brown skin.

Great. They're all part of the Quileute tribe that live near Forks. Most likely some sort of clique.

Cliques, and labels such as 'jocks' and 'geeks', annoy me to all get out.

I'll just say right now, I'm not a socialite.

My best friends are books. In my free time, I don't hang out with friends; people friends that is, cause I quite often go to my book friends. I tinker with computers, read, practice guitar or martial arts.

So, back to the present.

Two people, a boy and a girl, broke loose from the group in the yard. They waved goodbye over their shoulders as the other six disappeared back into the forest.

I stood on the porch, watching the pair approach.

The boy was tall and very muscular, which I could see because he wasn't wearing a shirt. His hair was cut short and spiky. He and the girl next to him shared the same mocha toned skin color.

The girl was a few inches shorter, but still slim and athletic looking. Her deep, midnight black hair was pulled back in a ponytail.

The pair was about five feet from the steps now. Suddenly, the girl noticed me.

Since I was already studying her, our eyes met.

She stopped dead in her tracks, frozen.

Her eyes were immeasurably deep. I could get lost if I looked at those brown eyes any longer, so I looked away.

The boy leaped up the steps in one bound. His companion was still motionless a short distance away.

"Can I help you?" The guy addressed me.

I shuffled my feet a bit. Boy, I hate having to talk to strangers.

"Yeah. Actually, I'm lost," I admitted. "And my truck blew a tire. Can I use your phone to call a tow truck?"

The guy grinned. "Sure thing, man. Come on inside. My name's Logan. This is my sister, Leslie." He motioned to the still unmoving girl.

Leslie blinked, as if she was awaking from a trance, gave her head a slight shake, and stood. She smiled brilliantly at me, showing her white teeth.

I shook her hand and followed them inside.

Ten minutes later, I descended the stairs, clothed in some warm, dry jeans and a tee-shirt, thanks to Logan.

I followed the sounds of Leslie and Logan's voices and found them in the kitchen.

"I'm telling you, Logan, I think he's the one." Leslie sounded upset.

I wondered if she was talking about me.

"How do you know?" Logan's deeper, quieter voice replied.

"I imprinted on him, for gosh sakes!" Leslie yelped.

I cleared my throat to get their attention. The pair turned to face me, pasting smiles on their strained faces.

Leslie offered to make coffee while I went to call a tow truck.

In a few minutes, all three of us were nestled in their spacious living room. Logan was sprawled out in front of their wide fireplace, where a merry fire was burning.

Now I was getting kinda sleepy, due to the warmth surrounding me. I rolled my head to the side to loosen the cramp in my neck.

Leslie gasped. Logan sat up so fast I almost didn't see him move.

I just stared at them in confusion.

"Where – where did you get that scar?" Leslie asked hesitantly.

I thoughtfully touched the angry, scarlet, semi-circular scar. Not many people had showed interest in it before.

"Uh - I was in an……accident….when I was younger," I mumbled.

Logan stared intently at me. "What kind of accident?"

Ok. I normally did not tell people about my theory, even if they were curious enough to ask. But, for some reason, I was drawn to these two people. Almost without thinking, I told them.

After I had told my story, Leslie and Logan stared meaningfully at each other for some time.

"We need to have a talk with the Cullens." Leslie said to her brother, who nodded in agreement.

'*(x)*'

Ten minutes later, I was crammed into a little sports car with Logan and Leslie, driving to who-knows-where.

They had told me, to my utter astonishment, that vampires were indeed real. I had always suspected it, but now that I knew it was true, I was dumbfounded.

I also figured out that Leslie and Logan were the enemies of vampires. They were werewolves.

Surprising? Definitely. But they had proved it to me by transforming right before my eyes.

So, they were taking me to a family by the name of Cullen, who were all vampires.

I gripped the seat in my eagerness to meet these people. I sincerely hoped that I would find my attacker within their number.

We pulled up the long, rural driveway to a gorgeous house. The building was ultra modern, with huge plate glass windows.

I stared at the place in awe as the three of us exited the car.

Logan led the way to the front door. He reached for the doorknob, but it turned on its own.

The door was flung wide by a grinning, bouncy young woman with short, brown, spiky hair and amber……. Wait a second.

It was her!!!

It really, really was the woman I remembered from the day of my attack.

I had found my assailant.

A growl emanated from my throat, and my hands clenched with the force of five years of anger and hate.

"We've been expecting you," the vampire said brightly. "Won't you come in Logan, Leslie, and Sidd?"

I was stopped from instantly jumping on the girl by a tall, grim-faced guy with wild, redish hair, who stepped protectively in front of her.

"Don't even think about it," he growled to me. Then, he chuckled as if he had told a joke. "Never mind. I guess you already did."

I was confused, but followed Logan and Leslie inside when we were invited in.

There were nine vampires gathered in the lavish living room.

"This is Edward, Bella, Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, Esme, Carlisle, and Renesme," the girl who had opened the door introduced everyone. "And I'm Alice!"

Alice bounced happily into a seat across from us. "I could hardly wait when I found out you were finally coming to meet me," she gushed.

I raised an eyebrow at Leslie, who was sitting next to me. She leaned her head closer, which for some reason made my heart race faster, and whispered. "Alice can kind of see the future."

Ah. I looked venomously at Alice. "And I'm overwhelmingly glad to finally meet the person who I've hated for five years!!"

I jumped up from my seat, overcome with my bitterness toward her.

She looked majorly surprised.

"But – but," she stuttered. "I didn't attack you. I saved you!"

I stopped in my tracks. "What?"

Alice sat up straighter. "You were attacked by a vampire in the woods five years ago, right?"

I nodded, shakily sitting back down on the couch.

Alice elaborated. "I happened across you then. I fought off the vampire. He's dead. He had already bitten you on the neck. If I hadn't sucked the venom out right then, you would be a vampire yourself."

Stunned, I sat for a few moments.

Suddenly, it was all too much for me. I jumped up and ran out the front door.

I leaned heavily on the porch railing, gasping for breath that was being elusive.

If Alice hadn't helped me five years ago, right now I would be one of those beings I had hated all these years.

My mind struggled, trying to grasp these new thoughts. The hate that had been my companion all these years was slipping away, leaving me stranded on my own. What did I have now that my want of revenge was gone?

Leslie slipped quietly out the door behind me. She joined me at the railing, watching my face compassionately.

"What now?" I croaked. "My hate is gone. I have nothing left."

She smiled in answer. "You don't need your hate anymore. How about it gets replaced by love?" she suggested, eyeing me meaningfully.

Leslie tenderly slipped her hand in mine, squeezing it comfortingly.

Suddenly, I knew she was right. I didn't need my hate.

Something else I knew too. Leslie was the place my love could start to flourish. She and I belonged together. She was my other half, my soul mate.

I slipped my arms around her and kissed her.