I had faith that I would get through this. My own mother and her mother before me were forced to marry at sixteen. It was the way things worked in our tribe. I sighed miserably at the fact I was to be married today; to a man my father had chosen for me. The chief's son wanted to marry me. Perhaps it was because my looks or because my own father's reputation. My mother had such beauty but she now is dead. She died when she had my brother. After the apocalypse only few remained. Well the Indians lived because of our strength to survive in the wilderness.

I felt my sister, Julia braid my hair. "You look beautiful Lena."

I shook my head. "I guess, but I'm afraid."

She kissed the back of my head. "You'll be fine."

I nodded nimbly. "I suppose, but what if I don't make a good wife."

She giggled at that. "You're a rebel, there's no doubt you won't be an obedient wife."

I felt a few stray tears drip from my eyes. "I wish mom was here." My sister shook her head.

"Well she's not, she's dead." Julia snapped. I don't think my sister would ever forgive mom for dying on us. It wasn't her fault. She couldn't handle another birth. I took my sister's hand and sighed deeply before opening my now closed eyes.

"Mom didn't want to die. She fought for us." I responded doubtful that anything would ever change in this tribe. I mean why would it? The men love being in power and telling their wives what to do. Our own fathers like the power they held. Besides after the ceremony when Fytor chose me, I knew he'd have the same dominance over my life.

"So you think. I bet she wanted freedom." Julia implored. "Come on you need to get dress and cleaned up for the marriage ceremony."

I took her hand and she led me outside. We were heading off to a private river in the woods. It was the bathing region for the Quileute tribe. There was one for strictly females and another for males. My sister and I walked together to the river while getting several whistles from men. They knew about the marriage, everyone did. I sighed mentally wishing I could have become a medicine woman. But that was a job only for ugly women, the women who were fat or missing teeth.

I found it repulsing that men wanted us for our bodies and appearance. That was how it is since the destruction of the world. Everyone wanted to live amongst their own people and only the Indians survived. They wanted to return to the old customs. My hand squeezed my sisters' and we made it to the river. We undressed and stepped into the water. Swimming around I sighed. "I'm going to miss this." I told her knowing she'd understand what I meant. Julia was married to Rayund. I knew she loved him or well got around to learning to love him. She had one child, a girl. She named her Savannah. The girls in my family had kept to modern names while others went back to creating unfamiliar and unique callings for their children.

Julia had the love and adoration for her child as she did for me, her little sister. Except I bet she loved her like mom loved us. The way one loves and should within their family. I knew Rayund loved Julia, hell I see them together whenever possible. My heart ached in memory of Kincer. How I longed to be marry to him even though we've never done anything romantic with each other. We were friends; to me he has and always is my best friend. I was positive he'd choose me at the ceremony but he surprised me by picking Rain, the daughter of Marx and Linley Woods.

He was the twin of Fytor, who would now be my husband. Fytor is nineteen, three years older than me. It was common for men to be older than their brides; it was how things worked within this tribe. The men were to be trained to either become hunters, builders, or even the most admired position, warriors for the tribe. Only a selection protected the lands, from what I had no idea, but only few were descendents of wolves. So the legends claim. I ducked under the clear water to rinse my hair with the tonic given by Julia. It smelled of Lavender, which must have been gathered earlier. The twenty day period of spring, this is why the Lavender is being gathered. The twenty day period of spring has been ongoing for as long as I can remember. It occurs each year when many women are either brought from other tribes or have just turned sixteen. Women were brought from other tribes to keep from inbreeding. We also exchanged with the neighboring Makah tribe so we could branch out. Though once you are sent away to another tribe you can never come back.

It was the law, that's what my father always told us. I came up from the water, my chest heaving slightly. My sister looked at me and smiled. "Your breasts have grown."

I blushed deeply. "No not really. They are small."

She giggled. "Just wait till you have children of your own. It will all change."

I shook my head. "I hope that won't be for a long time."

She giggled again. "Your full of innocence little sister." Julia splashed some water at me playfully before getting more tonics for my body. I massaged all the tonics over my body making my scent flowing floristically. Perfect, for the day one of the periodic marriages. Spring is the time for all the sixteen year old girls to marry and mine was coming soon. My sister helped me out of the river so we could dry ourselves with fur blankets. I thought of it as a replacement for what they once had, towels. That was back when my great grandmother was alive.

Julia finished drying herself first and then she helped towel me off. She had a skin dress for me to wear. It'd be my wedding dress. She ran her fingers through my hair, combing it out. "You're going to look beautiful; Fytor won't be able to take his eyes off you."

I smiled weakly and she decided to remove the braid from my hair. "It looks better down."

I nodded nimbly and we walked off once both dressed, back toward my father's hut. My dad smiled when he saw me. "You look just like your mother." He said giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks father," I told him and my sister gave me a quick hug.

"See you after the ceremony," She said and ducked out of the hut. My father took my arm in his, it was time.

This was as traditional as it gets to the modern times, the father leading his daughter to give her away to her husband. This custom actually made me feel safe and calm. My whole head and body were radiating many emotions and nerves that having my dad lead me out of the hut helped soothe myself. I clutched my father's arm tightly. I was more than worried, hell I couldn't get over the fact that I was getting married. I didn't want to be married, I wanted freedom and that was something someone like me could never obtain. It was possible to dream though, I could picture myself flowing up into the air, and away from all of this nonsense of marriage to a man I didn't know.

I've seen Fytor countless times but I never actually have spoken to him. He's always kept his distance from me, until now. Today where I would be betrothed to him for eternity, I knew better than to even think of making a run. My father would catch me in an instance, he was fast. He was one of the warriors, like most of the warriors they were super fast and strong. They often brought home killings of animals for us to eat. The hunters and gathers envied them immensely. My dad patted my hand. "It's okay Lena; you're going to make a wonderful wife. You've got a good heart like your mom and sister." He assured me.

"Thanks, Dad." I responded.

He smiled and we finally made it to where the ceremony was. I felt the palms of my hand become sweaty and the hairs on the back of my neck prick upward. Fytor looked handsome, I had to admit it. He had his hair cropped short like most the warriors wore it and wore shorts made of bear skin I believed. Only guys were allowed to wear shorts, while we girls had to wear dresses or skirts. The skirts were long too and had to go to our knees at the very least. The dress I wore went down to my knees. But that's because it would also be my wedding night dress.

I shouldn't curse but I do it in my head all the time. My dad would slap me if he knew I cursed when no one was around. I don't even want to think what husbands did to their wives when they cussed them out. It wasn't proper for a wife to use fowl language so they'd get punished as a result. We made it over to Fytor and he looked serious. I felt myself feel nauseous from the fear of saying bye to my youth but I pushed away my nerves. I had to be strong about this; it was the only way I'd survive.

The ceremony was short like they usually are. Since it was the afternoon, the tribal announcer did the vows and I had no choice but to agree to the marriage I didn't even want. "I do." I said clearly.

Fytor took my hand and look into my eyes. "I do," He said as well and then he leaned in to kiss me. I felt my fears pick up more but I forced myself to push them back. Stay strong.

Yeah my story is a bit different than most fanfics for Twilight. I thought this be unique to write since I bet no one thought of this yet! XD Well the movie Apocalypto gave me the idea, it means apocalypse in Spanish. Filmed by Mel Gibson but I wanted to make my own but use the Quileute Legends/ or reality I should say.