march, 2006
...
Small town Forks, Washington in the Olympic Peninsula has always been a fishing port, and harvesting town for lumber. A small country town, surrounded by oaks covered in moss and unbelievably green, dark rich soil, constant cloud cover and periodic rain storms. The only downside of the small town gets a lot of complaints. No mall, no community center, no big money making businesses. Small family businesses. This town is broke. Since the disappearances of an unknown animal running rabid, businesses closed down, houses became empty, people began to leave. Including my mother and she filed divorce, and was moved to Phoenix, Arizona.
It mostly because of Bella. Bella was the glue to our small family especially after Nana died, Dad's mother, and Renee had been adopted. The adopted parents died before she turned 17. Bella had been deciding to go the University of Phoenix, so that was one of her first option.
The youngest daughter, Charlie and Renee Swan, who was a spitting image of her father with his dark brown eyes, long copper blonde hair from the both of them and unfortunately irish pale skin, and… short, 5 foot and one centimeter and a half. I was watching reruns of the Golden Girls, Moesha, Friends, and Gilmore Girls, it was a highlight of my nights off from school. Homework was done, and I had made something quick, as the normal after everything happened three months ago.
278 people. 278 people lived here now, all the way back since March. After Bella and few more missing people by this mysterious animal, two weeks ago our population total came in, and I know Dad was planning on moving too. Last night he told me he wanted to move to La Push, I couldn't believe my ears, we would be moving into the even smaller town of 137, we were going to make it 139. My friend, Katelynn Brianna Malcolm, moved to La Push when were 9, I see her most of the time anyway.
It was the month of September when my older sister, Bella, disappeared two days after her birthday, the day after her birthday rumors were that Charlsie Cullen quit at the hospital and moved away with the rest of his children to California for a better position. He was the best doctor we've ever had and well, we were crumbling now, he was a big help with donating to our small town. Edward was the last one that seen her, I seen him with her last before I got picked up for my shift at the grocery store. Dad was mad at me for five minutes until I told him that I had to go to work and he would've been mad that I skipped a shift to take a fifteen minute walk with Bella and Edward. But it never killed the guilt of maybe being able to stop her disappearance, but we don't know anything who knows what happened to her, to the both of them. There was something about Edwards eyes that haunt me in my dreams, something about the darkness and the way he stood in the yard when Bella and I got home from school. It haunts me in all hours of the night, I can't sleep, my father is stressing out searching her for all day and sometimes all night long.
Stressing out about keeping me in the house as much as possible, as safe as possible, I didn't fight with him on it. I have been in a pit of despair and guilt since Bella was declared missing, I have never felt more… I have never been insecure about myself as I have been for the past four months. Jacob and I have been able to talk on the phone in the beginning of December, of course they weren't long calls because of the phone bill but it was always made my day. I missed Jacob like a sore and Dad changed my end of grounding to May, mostly because of the mysterious killings and disappearances.
It was a particularly warm today for early March around 50 which is surprising, the word was an understatement. School is always the same, I drag myself through school having no sleep because of my nightmares about Edward Cullen. The nightmares are always different but they always end up with Edward Cullen jumping down from a treetop, crimson red ravenousness irises and I'm awake. The day went on quickly, and before I knew it Dad was picking me up from work. I didn't sleep that night, I kept seeing Edwards face every time I tried to sleep, I know that I was going to crash soon and I would be stuck in an never-ending loop of nightmares until I woke up.
Hasn't been the first time.
"Why don't you call off today," Dad says packing a bag to go fishing for his Saturday, I looked out the window with my head in my hand, "you don't look so good today."
He was cautious, he didn't want to offend me but he wasn't lying, I looked horribly exhausted. I can't even eat my cereal with the intense pulse throughout my skull, I got up though and I called off.
"Do you want me… to stay?" Dad asks edging towards the front door slowly.
He's excited to go fishing today with the calm weather but he also didn't want to leave me home alone. I'm shocked that he's not out searching for Bella, but it has been awhile since he went fishing with Harry Clearwater, and I was more shocked when agreed to dinner in La Push at Billy's. Harry was going to bring his fish fry, I don't know if I want to go I don't know if I was ready for that. Every time I step outside, it's… I always feel something watching me every where I go, it sends chills up and down my spine.
I shook my head, "it's okay, the fish bite better in good weather. I'll be alright."
"Alright," Dad says wiping his face and doing a checklist, "we should be back around 4." Shrugging his jacket on.
"Okay," I replied sitting down on the couch, tucking my legs under me as he opened the front door.
"See you later, kiddo."
"See ya, love ya."
"Love you too," he replies with a small smile and scrutinizing eyes before he left.
I fell asleep wrapped up in the couch quilt with Friends on the television as white noise, they were the only ones that saved me from my nightmares.
A light knock on the back door woke me up out of my sleep around the time Dad was going to be here with house full of people, I keep dreaming about the trail in the woods. Dreaming about Bella in the woods, she's more than twenty feet in front of me with her back turned, her yellow parka the only thing I can see in the rain. I can hear her calling my name, distant but distinct. Her voice calling my name is bouncing around my empty skull with the forest being so dark and… chillingly eerie.
That chill seeped out of my dream and into my reality as I laid there on my side the rain coming down outside, the sky is a darker grey and the house is dark. I was beginning to feel like there was something… wrong about my hometown it was a strange feeling and random. I had the force myself to stop thinking nonsense, I am just devastated about my missing sister and having an overactive imagination that makes me have nightmares. Grief. I sighed and clicked the Guide button on the remote.
I got up after reading the clock, turned off the TV, folded the quilt up on the back of the couch and went upstairs to shower. I have been continuing my skin routine and it has helped with the… I looked better than the first few months, still had a bit to go. I looked okay, less dark circles around my eyes, Jacob might pry a little, just a little I might tell him. I don't know. My head hurts.
I don't know if I can do this, I don't know if I can leave the house, I moped over to my bedroom and laid down, hiding under the covers fully dressed except for my shoes and coat.
Dad found me there with a knock on my open door, he sighed from the doorway.
"Let's go for an hour." He suggests, "the Clearwater's can't make it. Billy's making spaghetti."
They can't make it? Well… it was a little more relieving to hear that, and Billy's spaghetti sounded really good right now. An hour? I… I weighted my opinions, I know that this was needed, I know that Dad needed it as much as I did. We both haven't been to La Push in a long time, we both needed to spend time with family. Maybe we'd stay longer, maybe Billy get Charlie to stay the night and spend the day in La Push. He's been trying to get us in his house for a couple of weeks now. I can do this.
I can do this. Spring break starts next week, if this goes well maybe I could go down to La Push more if it goes well.
He sighs again, "I'm willing," he hesitated again with another sigh, "I'm willing to take Billy's offer on a sleepover if we go. Billy is insistent that we do."
I figured, and when Billy was in insistent on something he means it with no negotiation or expect harsh silent treatment. I can do this. We can do this.
I sighed, "okay."
Shrugging my coat on and stepping into my boots, settling into the passenger seat of Dad's cruiser, the fifteen minute drive to the Reservation was quiet expect for the radio playing quietly.
I listened to the radio to avoid from thinking about my dreams, thinking about I haven't been able to stop thinking about for months. I had been somewhat successful in distracting my mind with the music, new hits that have came out and oldies taking in the rhythm of every song. The car was filled with babble of advertising and the host of the station. The little red house had the porch light on with lights on inside expect for the bedrooms, Jacob is in his shed the golden glow of the light spilling across a small part of the backyard.
Dad gave me a small 'the talk' talk before letting me out of the car, my face was on fire with embarrassed blush, I wasn't thinking about doing anything. It was bad enough this is the third time he felt the need to remind me like I could forgot, like I was ever going to forget. I walked over to the shed with my hands stuffed in my pockets, my head hurts still and my eyes are heavy with sleep. I wish I have been able to sleep longer, I feel so heavy with drowsiness.
I stepped into the light and squinted my eyes looking into the makeshift shed, Jacob was bent over the hood of his rabbit working intently. I froze in blank astonishment.
What happened to Jacob?
He's huge. Tall, and matured, he's… sixteen. Tall, like over 6'3 tall, his body it's matured muscular, his long hair is gone. Cut in a short crop. He's the most beautiful boy I have ever seen. I realized my jaw fell open and a small squeak left my mouth, I snapped my mouth closed as Jacob looked over at me surprised. The second his eyes met mine his body stilled, his hand pausing using a wrench, his eyes lit up chasing the surprise away and I started to relax. I started to feel heat spread across my cheeks again when Jacob leaned away from under the hood of the car and smiled his sunny smile. Warm and bright, the way his face lit up as he smiled it made my chest swell with warmth, I welcomed that warmth. I stepped into the shed and out of the rain.
I missed my boyfriend a lot.
"Hi, Jake," I greeted with my cheeks still heated, and picking my fingernails.
"Hi," his smile never leaves, he scans me head to toe, "Where have you been baby?" He asks wiping his hands with a rag, his hands are huge.
What happened?
I blushed bashfully, "grounded," I replied the memories in this shed hitting me like a tidal wave.
"Ah, I remember," Jacob jokes still smiling, he starts to walk over to me, "I missed you."
I craned my head back to look up at him, "I missed you too. What you doing?"
I gave him a side glance when he had a glint of mischief in his eye, he looked back at the vehicle, "doing some work on the rabbit. I haven't been able to work on it since August."
Billy grounded him from his shed, I didn't expect that.
"I won't be a bother," I replied, crossing my arms.
"I was just finishing up anyways, Dad took out the VHS Player… you looked tired," he says his head tilting at an angle looking down at me.
I oohed, smiling, "Rocky marathon?" and then I shrugged to reply to the latter, "yeah, just a bit."
Jacobs eyes flicker over my face, "you know it." He leans down to me. Resting his hands on his knees smiling at me as I glowered at him having a feeling I know what he's going to say next. "What is this about?" He poked me between my eyebrows, "this crinkle what is that?"
I sighed, rolling my eyes, "nothing, just tired."
Jacob snorted a laugh, "mhm." He said while reaching up to the overhead light, "I'll take care of that later."
"Huh?" I asked, confused he pulled the light and darkness consumed the shed.
"Nothing," he replies while I felt him take my hand, I don't know how he seen me I can't see shit.
His hand is unnaturally hot, my head pulses with full sharp pain.
I let it go, I was too tired to keep the conversation going and to think too much, I'll make up for rudeness after another good sleep I desperately needed it. Dinner went smoothly, Charlie and Billy talked about sports the whole time, I was picking at my food groggily. I wasn't pressed about my lack of appetite, Dad drove us home.
My nightmares welcomed me in the little three bedroom house.
I know this is a dream by the dark blue haze framing my vision, dark blue haze outlining the scenery.
Dad will be pissed… but that didn't stop me from dressing warmly, putting on my hiking boots, gloves and my own bright pink (I didn't pick it out, Dad wanted us to have a bright color and Bella claimed the yellow one before I could've picked. Putting my hood over my head as the rain started flinging down from the purple clouds, I gripped the flashlight and closed the back door from behind me. I left a note for Dad when he got home, there would no doubt that he would come looking for me as soon as he reads the note.
-Went looking for Bella on the trail. Be back soon. I promise. I love you.
The forest was darker with the rain coming down, the air turning icy and the earth is squishy under my boots. I swallowed my anxiety and solidified myself to get this done, I am determined to find something so I don't come back empty handed. I would surely be grounded again but Bella… she keeps calling me, the forest is eerie and my instincts kicking in to keep me alive and safe. I am not afraid of the woods, Jacob and I and the Clearwater's use to be in these woods for hours when we were all children, I still remember the forest like the back of my hand. I feel like a detective right now, maybe I should get into the field, Dad would have a heart attack. Maybe I'm just… what happens if I find her? What if I find something that leads us to her?
What if she ran away with Edward? I would run away with Jacob if I had the chance. But that's not Bella.
I walked for what seemed like hours deeper and deeper into the forest heading in the direction of my dreams, following the dream map, the sky is dark and the rain still hasn't stopped. Walking through forest foliage and over fallen trees with the flashlight on now, the flashlight was basically useless in the rain. I kept praying to find her, find something that would lead us to her, the pain and guilt of her disappearance driving me forward. Refusing to feel useless and worthless, she was only eighteen, in love, Bella was the most responsible one out of the both of us, always cautious. She would never go into the woods alone, and she would never come out of the woods alone. My jean pant legs are soaked, and the only thing keeping me warm was my water resistant parka, the dream is floating around in my head. I'm getting close, I can feel it, I started to have a familiar feeling, a sense, a familiar sense of vision.
My dreams, that one image of Bella forty feet from me with her back turned, yellow parka and her hair blowing in the rainy breeze.
"Naomi."
Stopping in my tracks hearing her voice echoing in my ears, I turned in a circle slowly pointing the flashlight out in front of me, my heart picking up in pace as an eerie chill ran up my spine. I continued forward with my instincts yelling me at to continue forward, keep moving. I walked some more with my body beginning to lower in temperature and my feet are going numb from the rain soaking into my boots from my jeans. My fingers shivering as I continued to point the light in different directions. The forest is unpredictable, I wasn't going to disappear, I wasn't going to fail, I can't fail.
She was only eighteen, in love and figuring out the rest of her life with her beloved… I was not going to let her memory die, I was going to make her proud even if she's watching from the other side. I will find her. I walked for what seemed like hours upon hours, the rain eased up but then came pouring back down. Twigs and thin branches cracking under my boots, the wind blowing through the trees and changing the rains direction a couple times. I smacked the flashlight in my palm when it flickered and reactivated the life of the batteries, I continued forward for another thirty minutes.
"Naomi." Bella's voice is mixed with Jacob's.
I stopped in my tracks and turned in a slow circle again, another eerie chill running up my spine and my heart picking up in pace. Slowing my breathing to steady myself, turning in another slow circle my hand shivering in soaked gloves, turning to my left I'm breathed hitching catching color more than twenty feet from me. My heart beat is in my ears.
Déjà vu.
Everything in me body slowed down as I walked in that direction, my instincts yelling at me hurry. I couldn't believe my eyes as I seemed to walk in slow motion to the color in the darkness, my flashlight started to go out. Hitting the flashlight on my palm to keep it's life going until I'm close to the house but it went out several feet away from my target. Everything went cold and numb in me when the color was bright, a bright color in the dark earthy tones.
Was my dreams right? Or was I hallucinating? I can't believe I found her parka, it's just her parka. On the floor and covered in dirt and water, what caught me off guard is the distinct red staining all over the front of the parka. My heart shattered in my chest, crushing all the way to my core, I fell to my knees staring at the parka a couple of feet in front of me. Tears blurring my vision and a painful knot forming in my throat, she's dead. She's dead, her blood has stained the parka, I wish I found her in it. I wish I found her in a hidden house in the forest.
Putting my hands over my face, the gloves moistening and cool my face even more than it was, my tears mixed with the rain falling from the sky. She's dead. My sister that I had just been getting close to is dead.
"Naomi." Bella's voice is being replaced with Jacobs.
I dropped my hands slowly and looked around me, maybe she wasn't maybe she became one with the forest and is living peacefully as a rabbit. I might be believing to Jacobs stories too much. I reached out to the parka, I picked it up gingerly and examined it the little light, the color was stark contrast in the dark tones. My instincts yelled at me to go home, I listened, I found what I needed, there was nothing else in the spot or in the area. I wrenched myself up from the forest floor and scrambled to my numb feet. I hauled ass back to the way I came making a right turn from when I came left, gripping the parka for dear life in my right hand and the flashlight in the other. That eerie feeling intensifying as I ran like hell was following me… I had a deep feeling it was.
I started to cry more while I ran, I wasn't sure if I was even going the right way anymore, the flashlight is dead and I feel like I'm running for my life. My legs and lungs are on fire with my never-ending run, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. I don't think I have ever ran as fast as I am right now, it would put my PE Mile Run tests to shame-.
A figure dropped down in front of me, I smacked into them, like a cold stone wall. I shoved back and my hand released my cherished items, my heart racing in my chest as I fell on my ass and stared up into the darkness. Didn't I hit something…? My forehead prickles with sharp pain throughout my head, I put my hand over my head, picking myself up. I shrieked when I felt a rush of wind and doing a summersault in the air from something cold and hard wrapping around my right shin and slammed down into the earth on my back and right side. All the wind was knocked out of me, and pain from the impact, mud in my hair and all over and being washed away from the heavy rain. I can't feel my body with the amount adrenaline pumping and the strength my heart beat, all I could hear was my heart beat and my vision well it's fucking raining cats and dogs I can't see shit.
Ah! I'm going to fucking die! The forest is unpredictable!
"Breathe! He can hear you! He's fast! You need to scream!" I'm fucking hallucinating, Bella is running towards me in a hazy form, dream Bella.
My nightmares. Edward. The exact nightmare from the night before. Holy fuck!
The hairs on the back of my neck standing up, my heartbeat in my ears getting back to my feet. The flashlight came back on, I snatched it up and Bella's parka, and scrambled to my feet again and hauled ass. Something jumped out in front of me, heavy vibrations behind me, everything stilled as I pointed the flashlight up into the tree tops.
"This is just a dream. Just a dream. It's not real, he's not here. He's not here." I murmured to myself with a terrified quivering voice.
Everything stilled into frozen time, everything even the rain flinging down from above stilled in the air.
In that single second of stillness, he appeared from overhead, inhuman noises spilling between his bared teeth that shone with a silvery glint across his perfect teeth. An expression filled with hate and… thirst, destroying every good memory of him and impression of him in that single second. Those heavy feet, those heavy vibrations were right behind me, animalistic sounds, growling, snarling defensive. Edwards irises were the color of blood, rich and dark, he had been my sisters boyfriend and she loved him more than she loved anything else in this world. In some strange sense, in that same moment, I knew for a fact that he killed her.
It was clear, and he wanted to kill me too.
He dropped a foot away from me I fell back onto my bum with a scream that hurt my ears, the sound is strangled from my throat. The moment he went to grab me something crashed into him from his right side, disappearing into the darkness with ground shaking vibrations, the sounds were inhumane, animalistic they hurt my ears. Sending painful prickling throughout my ear drums and my skull, I didn't waste any time, I scrambled back to my feet, scrambling around for the flashlight and parka on the soaked forest floor. Sobbing, and frantically looking around, branches snapping loudly to my right hand my head snapping in the direction. I felt everything inch of hair on my body stand up in warning, standing up at a threat that was life threatening, this was a situation I've never been in before but had been thought to be prepared for.
Screaming again while launching myself forward away from the figure barreling towards me. I can't breathe.
This was something that I couldn't prepare for, there was nothing that could defend me from this. Nothing I could fight it of with, knowing that this could be the moment of the end of my life is absolutely soul crushingly, terrifying. I haven't lived.
My heart is going to break through my ribcage, my head hurts and I was freaking out, gasping and running for my life. Completely numb from the chill in the air and the icy rain, the mud washing away, my legs are numb and feels like I'm not moving fast enough.
"Naomi."
I stopped right in my track her voice was a lot different this time, I began running again my heart pounding in my chest. I seemed to slow down; all I could see was the forest in front of me as I ran. I didn't stop, I couldn't stop. I laughed in relief as I bustled through the bushes, coming out of the forest from the end of my street, I ran down the dead end road and to the lit up porch. Dad still wasn't home, I phoned him immediately. He didn't answer, I called him two more times before I called Billys.
"Hello? Billy?" I asked out of breath, tone full of paranoia as I looked around.
"Naomi? It's Billy. What's wrong?" He asked.
I looked down at my trembling hands, water dripping from my clothes onto the kitchen floor dirt mixing with the water.
"I-I-I-I… I-I found-d Bel-la's park-a-a. The-ere's-s som-ethi-ng in the wo-woods-s Billy." My fear induced stutter, my teeth chattering, and I dropped the flashlight that startled me even though I watched it fall.
"You have to speak up, butterfly. I can't hear you," Billy says, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, chills running down my spine.
I pushed the mic towards my chattering teeth, trying to calm my nerves by inhaling through my nose, "I-I found B-Bella's-s par-rka. Billy, ther-re's some-thi-ng in the woods. I-I-I."
"It's okay, It's okay-."
Something grabbed me by the back of my neck, I screamed at the teeth piercing my throat. Fire exploding from the sight. As fast as it started, it was over. My body relaxed; all feeling began to leave my limbs. I couldn't fight. I couldn't fight against this. I couldn't fight against him. I had no choice but to accept death with opens arms as my life flashed before my eyes. I sucked in one last breath, seeing Jacob's face before I was consumed in eternal darkness.
…
Charlie came home from work at 10:39 am to the front wide open after a frantic call from Billy Black, he searched every room. Calling out Naomis arm with anxiety and his deepest fears coming to life after finding nothing but two parkas one covered in dry blood and dirt, the other was soaked and muddy. I flickering flashlight with Naomi's note on the kitchen table.
Telling him she'd be back, and she loved him. He went into a frenzy looking for his missing daughters while several miles away a dead body of a young girl was dropped as the bronze haired vampire fought back against the pack of five massive sized wolves. His body was torn apart at different angles and different times, he didn't stand a chance.
His body was burned there as the young girls body was taken to section in La Push she loved, the wolves buried her there, honored her death. They slipped back into the depths of the forest, waiting for the arrival of their enemies to avenger their comrades death. But nobody came, peace came upon the towns.
Peace in towns with broken people.