The Painter
Chapter 14
"See the light in others and treat them as if that is all you see." ~Wayne Dyer
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A/N: Disclaimer: I am not an expert on Quileute folklore, heritage, their dances, or the like. All of the below is completely fabricated and is fictional. I'm not trying to disrespect or minimalize or offend any of their true traditions and or sensibilities. I also watched lots of YouTube videos which were mostly unhelpful for research purposes. With that said, I have been to La Push and Forks and I have seen the effects of their driftwood on the fire, too. Several reviews implied longer chapters would be awesome, so this one is longer, 3k. Thank you for your kind reviews, alerts, and favorites.
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The Sun finally broke through all of the rain clouds and set behind the evergreen trees, casting many long, gold silhouettes of light through Bella's window. She smiled as she looked through the view finder of her digital camera and clicked. She shifted a little and clicked, moving slightly toward the darkest of the trees and clicked the trigger again. She took numerous pictures over and over as the emerald and lime colored leaves danced in the breeze.
Bella couldn't help but notice the way her room smelled dank and dusty in only the way a habitually closed off room could. She wanted to smell the dew, the moss, and the earth. She wanted to smell the ancient, watchful trees. She wanted the calm, peaceful quiet.
Sitting on her windowsill, she carefully opened the sticky window and let the fragrance of nature filter in. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and held it as the cool, soft breeze tickled by and tried to come inside.
Then, it was as if a leaf from the tree just outside her window touched the side of her face, a caress, before it fell and took its place with all of the other autumn leaves on the earth below.
She smiled imagining the variations of burnt orange, scarlet, gold, auburn, and verdant leaves.
Opening her eyes slowly, Bella expected to see the breeze and the fluttering leaves but it was completely and oddly still outside.
Bella didn't have long to muse over it though when Charlie called her name from downstairs. Standing up from the window sill, Bella turned towards the door where her father suddenly appeared.
"Before you get lost in your art, I was thinking I'd take you to La Push for the bon fire." Charlie smiled with his eyes; his laugh lines crinkled softly at the corners, showing his kind heart rarely seen.
Bella nodded with a small smile, "Sure. I could take some pictures of the sand, beach, and the fire I suppose."
Bella suddenly noticed her father had changed his clothes and the smell of soap filled the room. Charlie nodded absentmindedly and shifted nervously from one leg to the other, uncomfortable under her scrutiny.
"Great. We'll leave in about an hour; just enough time to get unpacked and whatnot."
"Okay."
"Oh, and dress warm. You're not in Arizona anymore."
"Obviously," Bella scoffed as she rolled her eyes. She couldn't help but grin at Charlie's sudden protective side.
With a chuckle and a soft shake of his head, Charlie grabbed the doorknob and shut her door behind him.
Bella turned and looked back out her bedroom window with a soft sigh. The golden, sunbeams faded below the tree line, taking her bright mood with them and leaving her with a sense of unease. It was as if the trees had eyes within their darkness as the blue-grey hues of twilight washed the vibrant qualities of autumn out.
.
Dark plumes of smoke drifted up from the Earth and through the bordering foliage as fiery crimson, ochre, and ginger heat licked and consumed the thick chunks of firewood. Large rocks weathered by the salted sea bordered the bonfire and around that everyone sat on large pieces of driftwood and fallen logs, enjoying the beloved element.
Bella was easily mesmerized watching the hypnotic figures within the flames that spark and dance for her. The heat radiated and warmed the front of her as the breeze from the ocean sent chills down her spine. She could have spent the entire time just enjoying the quiet calm the fire brought her, forever.
But then there was drumming coming from the trees, howling, and then low masculine chants filled the pine and beach scented air. Feather and fur clad dancers soon emerged from the forest almost invisible- like spirits from the past and future. A Ghost Dance. They hopped, skipped, and twirled forward as they made their way to the bonfire.
Some continued to chant in alto as others started to sing in their native language. They soon circled through and around their guests causing them to turn and twist to watch before the dancers made their way into the space around the bonfire.
They chanted as one singer belted out loudly while the drumming grew more intense.
Bella took in a deep breath, ever sensitive to the loud noises, and tried to just be in the moment.
She smiled as the men fanned the smoke with their pelted and feathered wings, chanting as they danced in circles. Woman, dressing in Indian clothing sat weaving baskets as another man threw out fishing nets and then pulled them back in. Some men sat on the edges, cutting out a 12 foot canoe with an intricately decorated wooden and metal tool.
It was like scenes from days past.
The head of an Alpha wolf adorned one of the male's head suddenly appeared. The fur of the wolf over his body and legs also fell over his shoulders and back. He had the wolves paws fisted in his and the claws outstretched.
He was a wolf.
Bella could only gasp as she watched the way the smoke and lit ash drifted around them as if they were dancing with the fates themselves.
Their songs drifted easily through the ears with calm comfort before they grew louder.
More intense.
The man wearing the wolf, trotted around, prancing, and howled into the dark night dramatically. The other men were also in various pelts and represented many different animals such as deer, elk, rabbit, mountain lion, and even a bear, while others remained to represent the Quileute.
When a large teenage male with a bear pelt over his head and shoulders clawed at the air as he danced around menacingly and roaring Bella couldn't help the sharp intake of breath.
Music and voices from the Pow Wow sang into the heavens, continuing to add to the ambiance until all went silent suddenly.
Bella twisted to look, seeing all the men and the men pretending to be animals freeze in their place with wide watchful eyes as several Indians moved forward, ominously. Everyone could see their faces alit in white powder with red paint under their eyes. They wore period clothing from years past as they hissed and twisted silently through the trees around them. Their hands were outstretched before them as if they were claws.
There were no drums, no beautiful singing, or chanting voices. Only the random twigs breaking underfoot and their hissing. Their faces were pulled into painful scowls, eyes dancing around through all of the animals, hissing and recoiling when they came too close to the animal or Indian.
Men stood up from where they sat on the driftwood, suddenly armed with their knives and bows, dressed as warriors- which Bella failed to notice until now.
There was a pound on the drum and the freaky humans moved one beat countering the movement of the animals and the warriors. Each beat they moved defensively.
Another beat and they moved around each other in a hostile triangular dance.
The beat of the drum, quickened into a heartbeat like sound and they moved accordingly, strategically, until the Indian Chief was suddenly grabbed by one of the strange ones.
With a sharp intake of breath, a strangled scream rang out through the quiet and then the drums hammered wildly as the people moved around. Each Indian countering a sinister one was overpowered and grabbed before falling to the ground, dead.
The heart-beating drums which were frenzied and unyielding before- thrummed slowly, painfully and then deathly quiet.
The Chief fell to the ground.
Silence ensued.
Only the callous, pale-faced people remained.
Their eyes bright red and angry as they looked around the audience as if they were to find their next meals and the people shifted nervously at their attention as tears fell around the audience.
The red eyed Indian's hissed and chomped their audience and no one dared to move.
Someone with a flute started to play as the pale faced strangers fell backward towards the trees, but that's not what everyone was watching. The Chief's headdress seemed to change and he rose as the wolf.
He was a larger wolf than the one before. A burgundy and brown Alpha- male with threatening growls stood alone as the woman and children slowly, carefully moved behind him.
The drums started again with a quick, animalistic pulse as the wolf raced forward and grabbed one of the pale faces. She screamed as he bit at her, clawed arms thrashing before she fell to the ground.
Even though Bella knew it was all a show now, she knew she was seeing their history according to them.
It was horrifying.
Tears continued to fall as one after another of the paled humans fell in a heap of bodies.
But then one of the people circled behind the Wolf and stood before the woman and children. She looked at the lot as if she would soon consume them while her male counterpart grabbed the Wolf from behind. He was about to kill the Wolf again but his attention was suddenly diverted.
A piercing cry filled the beach as a small old woman stood with a sharp knife placed at her abdomen.
Red clothe for blood fell to the ground as the Indians around her wept and shrieked their pain.
But the red eyed villains licked their lips, attention diverted toward the side with the woman.
The Wolf ran to them, easily grabbing them and tearing them apart as other wolves of fallen Indians rose from the ground and easily killed the last of the pale faces while others ran into the forest to get away.
The drumming, so intense faded away as the woman fell to her knees and the Chief Wolf moved to catch her. He cried out to the Heavens and stars, lying on the ground next to her weakening form.
The heart-beating drum stopped.
Silence.
The waves from the shore ebbed and flowed like countless times before as time seemed to move on.
All attention was diverted to the bonfire as the distinguishable clothing from the ancient, red-eyed rogue people wear thrown into the fire.
It instantly changed the color of the fire into a mirage of blues, greens, and sometimes purple flames.
There was a soft song whispered and chanted and as the fire grew, the chanting heightened.
Bella felt physically exhausted as she shuddered from a sudden cold breeze from shore watching aptly as the scenes before her slowly faded back into the trees.
Those adorning their sacred spirit animals moved freely again, alive and reborn, before fading into the darkness again.
As if all was right in the world.
The wolves, ever watchful, circled the crowd and then faded into the darkness of the trees at last.
Their howls ended their story.
.
People began reliving the story to their neighbors as Bella looked at Charlie with wide eyes.
"You did well!" He said and laughed when she rolled her eyes.
"I can't believe you're making this about me when we just watched all of that!"
Charlie shrugged. "I've seen it before. This one was very dramatic, though. It was as if the new pack members were trying to show off a little." He winked and then narrowed his eyes as he watched several teenage boys lingering around them. His look scared them off and they soon scattered.
"Well, it was amazing to watch nonetheless."
Her father could only agree with a smile before grabbing his daughter's hand and pulled her toward the food area.
"Let's get you properly introduced, shall we?"
Bella groaned and dragged her feet in the cold sand, but obliged.
.
Bella's head swam with the story of The Third Wife and the fact that her father was dating one of the recently widowed Quileute women.
Sue was nice enough, as was her son Seth, but her daughter Leah seemed hostile when she leaned in for a gracious hug.
It was as if Leah smelled her.
Shaking it off, the girl stomped off and her mother apologized with a simple excuse, "Teenagers."
The adults had a good laugh and Bella excused herself to go sit alone on the shadowy beach, disappearing into the darkness of night.
.
"She's marked, Jacob." Leah sneered, just within the light of the bonfire.
Leah stood with the male who played the bear and he was glaring into the crowd, eyes searching for the brown haired new girl.
They couldn't see Bella from where she was sitting so she turned her head and rested it on her shoulder to watch them warily.
"You could be wrong." He sneered, not toward her but in general.
"What if I am right?" The imploring look she gave him made Bella a little uncomfortable. It was like the girl was trying to jump the boy in front of her but was barely holding herself back.
It reminded her of when boys or girls at her old school would make an excuse to talk to each other.
Bella rolled her eyes and faced forward as they continued to talk about her.
"The best I can do is patrol. If there is any evidence of your claims then we can go from there, Leah. But don't make this more than it is, okay? Not everything has to be a conspiracy, baby."
There was shuffling behind her.
"I know," she sighed, as the sounds of embracing and kissing countered the sound of the beach.
Bella got up as quietly as she could and started to walk down the beach, far away from all of the drama and affection the two teenagers were constructing.
The light from the bonfire was far behind her and the full moonlight lay before her, leading the way toward the tree line. Bella didn't want to get lost in the trees but sat just to the side of them and in front of the ocean again.
She inhaled, taking in the salted ocean air as her hair whipped around her face. She smiled and almost wished her mother was sitting next to her, complaining about the "sea spiders" as she liked to refer to the crabs and bugs. She wasn't one to sit for long and definitely not in the moonlight next to a forest.
"Bears Bella," Bella could almost hear her voice. "They sneak up on you, almost silently and the next thing you know- you're dinner!"
Bella gasped, "No!" Her hair in long pig tails shook along with her head.
"Oh yes!" Renee nodded dramatically. "There was one boy when I was growing up there and he wandered off by himself. The only thing they every found of him was his shoes."
"Mommy!"
"That's one of the reasons you're just so much safer here, Bella. You wander."
Bella sighed at her small memory. Renee liked to use fear to feed Bella's anxiety to get her to want to stay with them. But she must have forgotten how beautiful and wonderful it is in the Pacific Northwest.
There was a rustle in the trees, probably a squirrel or rabbit, but Bella watched the trees for movement.
A twig broke and her eyes moved toward the sound, but she didn't see anything.
All the sudden there was a howl in the distance and the people who were laughing and chatting grew silent and watchful.
Bella stood up, still watching the trees, her eyes transfixed and looking for movement.
It was as if there was a void in the darkness, where she couldn't see moonlight.
Something lingered there.
But there wasn't any movement, any breathing that she could hear.
She took a step behind her and then another; each step farther away from the trees she was watching as she stumbled through the sand.
"Bella?" Charlie called out and Bella turned her head to look for her dad and instantly heard a whoosh within the trees. Her head whipped back to the spot of darkness.
All was calm and quiet there again and whatever was lingering there was long gone.
Bella continued to step away until Charlie stood before her, dangling his keys along with a new set that weren't previously there.
She quirked an eyebrow at her father, trees forgotten, as he grinned at his daughter with mirth.
"I got you a piece of junk, but it's your piece of junk."
"Well… that's nice, I guess. Should I return the favor?"
Charlie ruffled his daughter's hair as if she was five again and laughed. "I really missed you, kiddo."
Bella smiled and watched Charlie as he finally looked contented. "I missed you, too."
"Let's get you home… in your truck."
He paused by an old red truck and handed her the keys. "This is mostly a gift for me so I don't have to be your chauffeur."
"Thanks," she scoffed, "But really, thanks for… everything."
"Yep,"
They fell into a comfortable silence before he helped her open the rusted doors. He would have to oil the hinges in the morning.
"Follow you home?" She smiled, twisting the key and starting the truck. It was loud and rumbling and she couldn't help but smile. Charlie nodded and got into his cruiser, leading the way.