Hi everyone. I will start with saying that this is my first ever written story, and overall fan-fiction here. I have always loved reading fan-fiction stories here, especially about the wolves in New Moon, and reading about the many possible journeys that their paths take with one another through phasing and protecting their community. The imprint stories have always been my favorite, especially the imprints that don't get too much screen time in the movies - in honesty I think it gives more opportunity to be creative with their stories. I have always wanted to write fan-fiction, but it never seemed to be the right time especially with being a full time graduate student and working a job.
I am hoping this is my opportunity to finally take this writing journey and put up something that you all can enjoy with me. I am letting this story flow in the way it wants to, as this will also be a learning experience for me in my own creative flow of ideas. I hope to get feedback from you all, and that you all will feel a part of this collective journey that I am about to take us on. There may be some original characters I create, characters from the original books by Meyer (which I do not claim as my own), and some creative changes regarding setting, background, etc. Let's do this family. Wopida!
- Author
laósilo (fearless)
Song: Fourth of July, Sufjan Stevens
I hate the smell of hospitals. A thought that manifests itself in my head frequently now that I take my ólo (father) to get his checkups for dialysis every two weeks. You would think for my sick old man that task would be easy, but getting him to admit he needs help is worse than pulling a child's tooth. My dad has been on the waiting list for a better kidney for the past several years now, in part because he won't stop smoking his cigarettes and also in part because he lost his job and with it his insurance. Living on the reservation, there are some employment options available, but my dad has always had a background in doing hard labor - something he can no longer do with his failing kidney. He doesn't see himself working in a gas station or classroom, so most days he spends going out with my uncle and fishing, or taking walks through the woods by our house. I hate taking my father to the one place he despises, but know it is the only way to keep him here with me longer. Is that a selfish thought to have? Wanting my dad to stay because I'm afraid of the crippling loneliness waiting for me? Maybe. But it's something I can't give up on. Don't misunderstand me, besides my dad and my baby brother Aka, I have plenty of aunties and uncles across the rez that I could rely on for many things but it's just not the same as the presence of my parents.
As a little girl, I always remembered being close to my dad especially when it came to learning how to fish, build fire for camp outs, and listening to the stories of our Quileute ancestors. Most of this came from his time being home on the weekends, but through the week my dad was away working for the lumber mill in Seattle. This left time for me and my ká (mother) to spend the days together, just us two girls baking in the kitchen, learning to braid hair, picking medicine down by the beach, and watching the aunties play cards before bed. My mother was beautiful, dark copper skin with long black hair to her hips, with a beauty mark over her left eye. My ólo said she was the most beautiful woman he would ever meet, and it was then that I promised myself I would only look for a love like my parents. At night I soothe my brother to sleep by rubbing his back and singing the ocean song of our people, the same one our mother sang to me. As much as I was scared to lose my father, I knew it would be a greater heartbreak for my brother, losing two parents at such a young age would be unbearable.
My mother always talked about having her babies at home, in the most natural way, in the way of our traditional mothers. When my brother was born I was only 12, I remember being home when he came, it was early in the morning with fog hazing over the early dew. I remember my grandmother Benny on my fathers side, holding my hand outside the door as I heard my brother cry for the first time. I remember crying, but not knowing why as I heard all the aunties cheer from inside the room. Quickly, there was commotion around me, people running and yelling, my grandma squeezing my hand and then suddenly not as she took Aka into her arms. My father came rushing out of the room, holding my mom as he yelled for my uncles to start the car. I remember sitting on the stairs until he came home. My mother never did.
I see my dad coming down the hall toward me, rubbing his side and licking his lips, a sure sign he was craving his díka (tobacco). I stand up quick, shaking the stiffness from my shoulders from sitting for several hours. I smile as my dad meets me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders "Hey old man, I see you made it out. Hope they didn't take it too hard on you in there." "You wish kiddo, now let's get out of here before they try to keep us forever" he chuckles, leading us out of the exit and to our rusty pickup truck. "Dad since we're out, we should grab some things for the house before we go pick up Aka", I swing the keys around my fingertip opening his door as he climbs in already looking for his pack of cigarettes. "Sure, sure you know better than me what we need but let's stop by the hardware store, I need some new fishing line for this weekend" I sigh, as I close his door and mutter to myself "Might as well grab some breadcrumbs for a fish fry too." I pulled out of the hospital lot quickly making the necessary stops we needed before heading back towards LaPush. I knew that Aka would be looking for us in the after school lot so I grabbed him a dum-dum pop before leaving the store. His favorite flavor: Root Beer. Funny kid.
I drop dad off first after deciding to take Aka to the beach for a bit before going home, the warmer months only last so long and school just started so I knew being a new kindergartener in a more structured environment all day would probably have him restless. With dad being more sick, he couldn't do as much with my brother as he would like so I tried to help curb the young'n by taking him out for walks, bike rides, and a swim when the coastal weather permitted it. I pulled up outside the school at 2:45 sharp, hopping out with the other aunties and uncles waiting for their young ones. I felt the dum-dum in my pocket, smiling as I knew my brother eyes would light up soon as I presented it to him. I see him soon as the doors open, running towards me with his long hair tied up on top of his head and his book bag dragging behind him. He hits my legs a few seconds later, squeezing me as tight as his little arms can, looking up at me with our moms chocolate brown eyes and beauty mark. He was the best little brother I could ever wish for. I knew my mother would have loved him. "Hey álitatsa (little fish)" I swing him up into my arms taking his bag with him, and get him settled into the truck and hand over his dum-dum smiling as he takes it and kisses my cheek, "Thank you sister." "How about a little beach before we go home? Daddy is feeling kind of sick today, so lets give him some quiet time to rest, what do you think?", I glance back at him in the mirror making my way to Second beach, our favorite beach among it and First beach which is usually more filled up with after school kids. I see him bop his head yes, and make the short drive to our favorite spot and get him out of his carseat along with the extra towels in the bed. "Should we race álitatsa?" I see him look up, as if thinking before he giggles and starts running ahead of me.
I laugh loudly yelling after him, as I chase him down and swing him up in the air as he hollers and wiggles around. I set him down as we get closer to the shore and lay our towels out and plop him down on one and myself on the other. "Kim, can you tell me the story of my name again? "Again? I tell you every time we come Aka, don't you know it by now?" I look at him smiling, and he pouts in the cutest way a 5 year old can. "Ok ok, I will tell you. Your name Aka, is from dad, which is short for A-Ka-Lat the island our people once used to escape our enemies. The island was a strong anchor to our people, always there to depend on, and that is what dad sees you as for us and our family." I hug him close to me, tickling his sides and he laughs, squirming on the sand trying to get away "Kim! Stoooop!", I let him go and he gets up taking my hand with him trying to pull me up towards the water, "Let's go Kim! I want to get my feet wet." I get up with him, kicking my sandals off and walking with him towards the water, watching it wash over our toes. I take a deep breathe in and out, letting the wind flow through my hair, squeezing Aka's hand softly and listening to the wind and ocean around us. "Kim, who are those guys over there?" I snap my eyes open, seeing my brother point down the beach where a group of boys, no, men, were all laughing and pushing each other around in the water. "Just some boys messing around Aka, they're from here, like us" I watch him laugh as he watches the men whoop and push each other around. As I looked closer, I noticed one of them in particular.
Jared. Where to begin with him.
What do you all think for the first chapter? I really wanted to lay the ground work for Kim as a character, her family, and her history. I wanted to develop her before diving straight into the complexities of her relationship with Jared, both before and after the imprint in future chapters. I am trying to also incorporate some of the more accurate Quileute tribal history and language into this story, as respect to the characters identities and the rich culture of Quileute people that wasn't entirely showcased in the original Twilight series. Unfortunately, the font that allows for the correct letters and symbols for Quileute isn't supported so I still incorporated the modified versions of the text. You may google them and find the accurate spelling pretty easily in a Quileute dictionary.
Let me know your thoughts family, will update with a new chapter soon!