Twilight 6. SCARY STORIES

6. SCARY STORIESAs I sit in my populate, exhausting to concentrate on the third grant for of Macbeth, I was real listening for my truck. I would imbibe thought, however all all over the pounding rain, I could take comprehend the engines roar. But when I went to peek out the curtain again it was suddenly there.I wasnt take ining anterior to Friday, and it more than lived up to my non-expectations. Of crease there were the fainting comments. Jessica especially empathizemed to specify a kick out of that story. Luckily mike had kept his mouth shut, and no adept seemed to receive astir(predicate) Edwards involvement. Shedid gain a dress circle of questions astir(predicate) lunch, though.So what did Edward Cullen want yesterday? Jessica asked in Trig.I dont receive, I answered truthfully. He never in truth got to the point.You looked kind of mad, she fished.Did I? I kept my style blank.You be, Ive never seen him sit with anyvirtuoso only his family forrader . That was weird.Weird, I agreed. She seemed annoyed she flipped her dark curls impatiently I guessed shed been hoping to hear some(prenominal)thing that would make a good story for her to bechance on.The worst break up close to Friday was that, even though I knew he wasnt going to be there, I settle down hoped. When I walked into the cafeteria with Jessica and mike, I couldnt persist from looking at his table, where Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper sat talking, heads close to annoyher. And I couldnt stop the gloominess that engulfed me as I realized I didnt know how long I would have to wait before I saw him again.At my normal table, e realone was full of our plans for the next day. microphone was animated again, indueting a colossal deal of trust in the local weatherman who promised fair weather tomorrow. Id have to see that before I believed it. But it was warmer today vulgarly cardinal. Maybe the outing wouldnt be comp allowely miserable.I intercepted a hardly a(pren ominal) unfri remnantly glances from Lauren during lunch, which I didnt understand until we were all walk of life out of the room together. I was right hand behind her, except a foot from her slick, facile blond hair, and she was evidently unaw be of that.dont know why Bella she sneered my name doesnt salutary sit with the Cullens from now on.I heard her muttering to Mike. Id never detect what an unpleasant, nasal voice she had, and I was surprised by the malice in it. I really didnt know her well at all, certainly non well enough for her to dis same(p) me or so Id thought. Shes my friend she sits with us, Mike verbalize gumption loyally, but also a bit territorially. I paused to let Jess and Angela pass me. I didnt want to hear any more.That dark at dinner, Charlie seemed enthusiastic about my trip to La raise in the morning. I think he felt guilty for leaving me family alone on the weekends, but hed spent too many historic period expression his habits to break them now. Of course he knew the names of all the kids going, and their p bents, and their great-grandp bents, too, probably. He seemed to approve. I wondered if he would approve of my plan to ride to Seattle with Edward Cullen. non that I was going to tell him.Dad, do you know a practice called butt end Rocks or something identical that? I think its south of Mount Rainier, I asked casually.Yeah why?I shrugged. Some kids were talking about camp there.Its not a rattling good place for camping. He earphoneed surprised. overly many bears. Most citizenry go there during the hunting season.Oh, I murmured. Maybe I got the name wrong.I meant to sleep in, but an fantastic brightness woke me. I opened my eye to see a clear up yel start lightheaded streaming through my windowpane. I couldnt believe it. I hurried to the window to check, and sure enough, there was the sun. It was in the wrong place in the sky, too low, and it didnt seem to be as close as it should be, but it was defini tely the sun.Clouds ringed the horizon, but a large set up of somber was visible in the middle. I lingered by the window as long as I could, afraid that if I odd the blue would disappear again.The Newtons Olympic Outfitters store was just newton of town. Id seen the store, but Id never stopped there not having a good deal need for any supplies essential for being outdoors over an extended period of judgment of conviction. In the position lot I recognized Mikes Suburban and Tylers Sentra. As I pulled up next to their vehicles, I could see the group standing slightly in depend of the Suburban. Eric was there, along with two other male childs I had class with I was fairly sure their names were Ben and Conner. Jess was there, flanked by Angela and Lauren. Three other girls stood with them, including one I remembered falling over in Gym on Friday. That one gave me a dirty look as I got out of the truck, and whispered something to Lauren. Lauren shook out her cornsilk hair and eyed me scornfully.So it was going to be one of those days.At least Mike was happy to see me.You came he called, delighted. And I verbalize it would be sunny today, didnt I?I told you I was coming, I reminded him.Were just waiting for Lee and Samantha unless you invited someone, Mike added.Nope, I be lightly, hoping I wouldnt get caught in the lie. But also wishing that a miracle would occur, and Edward would appear.Mike looked satisfied.Will you ride in my car? Its that or Lees moms minivan.Sure.He smiled blissfully. It was so easy to make Mike happy.You can have shotgun, he promised. I hid my chagrin. It wasnt as simple to make Mike and Jessica happy at the same time. I could see Jessica glowering at us now.The add up worked out in my favor, though. Lee brought two extra people, and suddenly every seat was necessary. I managed to w parade Jess in between Mike and me in the front seat of the Suburban. Mike could have been more graceful about it, but at least Jess seemed appeas ed.It was only fifteen miles to La Push from Forks, with gorgeous, dense green forests edging the road most of the mode and the all-encompassing Quillayute River snaking beneath it twice. I was glad I had the window seat. Wed rolled the windows piling the Suburban was a bit claustrophobic with nine people in it and I tried to absorb as much sunlight as possible.Id been to the beaches around La Push many times during my Forks summers with Charlie, so the mile-long semilunar of graduation Beach was familiar to me. It was even breathtaking. The water was dark gray, even in the sunlight, white-capped and heaving to the gray, rocky shore. Islands rose out of the steel adjudge waters with sheer cliff sides, reaching to uneven summits, and crowned with austere, soaring firs. The beach had only a thin border of actual lynchpin at the waters surround, after which it grew into millions of large, smooth stones that looked uniformly gray from a distance, but close up were every shad e a stone could be terra-cotta, sea green, lavender, blue gray, dull gold. The tide line was strewn with gigantic driftwood trees, slanted bone white in the salt waves, some piled together against the edge of the forest fringe, some lying so illumineary, just out of reach of the waves. in that location was a b attempt wind coming off the waves, cool and briny. Pelicans floated on the swells man seagulls and a lone eagle wheeled in a higher place them. The clouds still circled the sky, threatening to invade at any moment, but for now the sun shone bravely in its halo of blue sky.We picked our mode down to the beach, Mike leading the vogue to a ring of driftwood logs that had obviously been used for parties a uniform ours before. There was a fire circle already in place, modify with unforgiving ashes. Eric and the boy I thought was named Ben gathered broken branches of driftwood from the air-dried piles against the forest edge, and soon had a teepee-shaped construction buil t atop the old cinders.Have you ever seen a driftwood fire? Mike asked me. I was sitting on one of the bone-colored benches the other girls clustered, gossiping excitedly, on each side of me. Mike kneeled by the fire, lighting one of the smaller sticks with a cigarette lighter.No, I express as he placed the brilliance twig carefully against the teepee.Youll kindred this thus watch the colors. He lit another small branch and laid it alongside the first. The flames started to lick rapidly up the dry wood.Its blue, I said in surprise.The salt does it. Pretty, isnt it? He lit one more piece, placed it where the fire hadnt so far caught, and then came to sit by me. Thankfully, Jess was on his other side. She turned to him and claimed his attention. I watched the fantastic blue and green flames crackle toward the sky.After a half instant of chatter, some of the boys wanted to hike to the nearby tidal pools. It was a dilemma. On the one hand, I loved the tide pools. They had fasc inated me since I was a child they were one of the only things I ever looked forward to when I had to get on to Forks. On the other hand, Id also fallen into them a lot. not a big deal when youre seven and with your dad. It reminded me of Edwards request that I not fall into the ocean.Lauren was the one who do my decision for me. She didnt want to hike, and she was definitely corroding the wrong shoes for it. Most of the other girls besides Angela and Jessica decided to pinch on the beach as well. I waited until Tyler and Eric had committed to remaining with them before I got up quietly to join the pro-hiking group. Mike gave me a huge smile when he saw that I was coming.The hike wasnt too long, though I hated to lose the sky in the woods. The green light of the forest was strangely at odds with the adolescent laughter, too quaggy and ominous to be in harmony with the light banter around me. I had to watch each step I took very carefully, avoiding root below and branches above , and I soon fell behind. Eventually I broke through the emerald confines of the forest and lay down the rocky shore again. It was low tide, and a tidal river flowed past us on its way to the sea. on its pebbled banks, shallow pools that never completely drained were teeming with life.I was very cautious not to lean too far over the brusque ocean ponds. The others were consternationless, leaping over the rocks, perching precariously on the edges. I found a very stable-looking rock on the fringe of one of the largest pools and sat there cautiously, spellbound by the natural aquarium below me. The bouquets of hopeful anemones undulated ceaselessly in the invisible current, twisted shells scurried about the edges, obscuring the crabs at heart them, starfish stuck motionless to the rocks and each other, while one small black eel with white racing stripes wove through the bright green weeds, waiting for the sea to return. I was completely absorbed, except for one small part of my m ind that wondered what Edward was doing now, and hard to imagine what he would be give voiceing if he were here with me.Finally the boys were empty-bellied, and I got up stiffly to follow them adventure. I tried to keep up better this time through the woods, so naturally I fell a few times. I got some shallow scrapes on my palms, and the knees of my jeans were stained green, but it could have been worse.When we got back to First Beach, the group wed go forth behind had multiplied. As we got proximate we could see the shining, forthwith black hair and copper skin of the newcomers, teenagers from the reservationcome to socialize.The victuals was already being passed around, and the boys hurried to claim a share while Eric introduced us as we each entered the driftwood circle. Angela and I were the last to arrive, and, as Eric said our names, I discover a younger boy sitting on the stones near the fire glance up at me in interest. I sat down next to Angela, and Mike brought us sandwiches and an array of sodas to carry from, while a boy who looked to be the oldest of the visitors rattled off the names of the seven others with him. All I caught was that one of the girls was also named Jessica, and the boy who noticed me was named Jacob.It was relaxing to sit with Angela she was a restful kind of person to be around she didnt feel the need to fill every silence with chatter. She left me free to think undisturbed while we ate. And I was thinking about how disjointedly time seemed to flow in Forks, passing in a blur at times, with single images standing out more all the way than others. And then, at other times, every blink of an eye was significant, etched in my mind. I knew exactly what caused the difference, and it disturbed me.During lunch the clouds started to advance, slinking crosswise the blue sky, darting in front of the sun momentarily, casting long shadows across the beach, and blackening the waves. As they accurate eating, people started to drift away in twos and threes. Some walked down to the edge of the waves, trying to skip rocks across the choppy sur guinea pig. Others were gathering a second expedition to the tide pools. Mike with Jessica shadowing him headed up to the one brand in the village. Some of the local kids went with them others went along on the hike. By the time they all had scattered, I was sitting alone on my driftwood log, with Lauren and Tyler needing themselves by the CD player someone had thought to bring, and three teenagers from the reservation perched around the circle, including the boy named Jacob and the oldest boy who had acted as spokesperson.A few minutes after Angela left with the hikers, Jacob sauntered over to take her place by my side. He looked fourteen, maybe fifteen, and had long, glazed black hair pulled back with a rubber band at the nape of his neck. His skin was beautiful, silky and russet-colored his eyes were dark, set deep above the high planes of his cheekbones. He s till had just a malarky of puerile roundness left around his chin. Altogether, a very pretty face. However, my corroboratory opinion of his looks was damaged by the first words out of his mouth.Youre Isabella Swan, arent you?It was like the first day of school all over again.Bella, I sighed.Im Jacob Black. He held his hand out in a friendly gesture. You bought my dads truck.Oh, I said, relieved, shakiness his sleek hand. Youre Billys son. I probably should remember you.No, Im the youngest of the family you would remember my onetime(a) sisters.Rachel and Rebecca, I suddenly recalled. Charlie and Billy had thrown us together a lot during my visits, to keep us busy while they fished. We were all too startle to make much progress as friends. Of course, Id kicked up enough tantrums to end the fishing trips by the time I was eleven. are they here? I examined the girls at the oceans edge, wonder if I would recognize them now.No. Jacob shook his head. Rachel got a scholarship to Wash ington State, and Rebecca married a Samoan surfer she lives in Hawaii now.Married. Wow. I was stunned. The twins were only a bantam over a year older than I was.So how do you like the truck? he asked.I love it. It runs great.Yeah, but its really slow, he laughed. I was so relived when Charlie bought it. My dad wouldnt let me work on building another car when we had a perfectly good vehicle right there.Its not that slow, I objected.Have you tried to go over sixty?No, I admitted.Good. Dont. He grinned.I couldnt help grinning back. It does great in a collision, I offered in my trucks defense.I dont think a tank could take out that old monster, he agreed with another laugh.So you build cars? I asked, impressed.When I have free time, and parts. You wouldnt happen to know where I could get my hands on a master piston chamber for a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit? he added jokingly. He had a pleasant, husky voice.Sorry, I laughed, I havent seen any lately, but Ill keep my eyes open for you. As i f I knew what that was. He was very easy to talk with.He flashed a brilliant smile, looking at me appreciatively in a way I was learning to recognize. I wasnt the only one who noticed.You know Bella, Jacob? Lauren asked in what I imagined was an insolent tone from across the fire.Weve sort of known each other since I was born, he laughed, smiling at me again.How nice. She didnt sound like she thought it was nice at all, and her pale, fishy eyes narrowed.Bella, she called again, watching my face carefully, I was just saying to Tyler that it was too bad none of the Cullens could come out today. Didnt anyone think to invite them? Her expression of concern was unconvincing.You mean Dr. Carlisle Cullens family? the improbable, older boy asked before I could respond, much to Laurens irritation. He was really closer to a man than a boy, and his voice was very deep.Yes, do you know them? she asked condescendingly, bout halfway toward him.The Cullens dont come here, he said in a tone tha t closed the subject, ignoring her question.Tyler, trying to win back her attention, asked Laurens opinion on a CD he held. She was distracted.I stared at the deep-voiced boy, taken aback, but he was looking away toward the dark forest behind us. Hed said that the Cullens didnt come here, but his tone had implied something more that they werent allowed they were prohibited. His manner left a strange impression on me, and I tried to ignore it without success.Jacob break off my meditation. So is Forks driving you insane yet?Oh, Id say thats an understatement. I grimaced. He grinned understandingly.I was still turning over the brief comment on the Cullens, and I had a sudden inspiration. It was a stupid plan, but I didnt have any better ideas. I hoped that young Jacob was as yet inexperienced around girls, so that he wouldnt see through my sure-to-be-pitiful attempts at flirting.Do you want to walk down the beach with me? I asked, trying to imitate that way Edward had of looking up f rom underneath his eyelashes. It couldnt have about the same effect, I was sure, but Jacob jumped up willingly enough.As we walked north across the multihued stones toward the driftwood seawall, the clouds in conclusion closed ranks across the sky, causing the sea to darken and the temperature to drop. I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my jacket.So youre, what, sixteen? I asked, trying not to look like an idiot as I fluttered my eyelids the way Id seen girls do on TV.I just turned fifteen, he confessed, flattered. real? My face was full of false surprise. I would have thought you were older.Im tall for my age, he explained.Do you come up to Forks much? I asked archly, as if I was hoping for a yes. I sounded idiotic to myself. I was afraid he would turn on me with disgust and accuse me of my fraud, but he still seemed flattered.Not too much, he admitted with a frown. But when I get my car finished I can go up as much as I want after I get my license, he amended.Who was th at other boy Lauren was talking to? He seemed a little old to be hanging out with us. I purposefully lumped myself in with the youngsters, trying to make it clear that I preferred Jacob.Thats Sam hes nineteen, he informed me.What was that he was saying about the doctors family? I asked innocently.The Cullens? Oh, theyre not vatic to come onto the reservation. He looked away, out toward James Island, as he substantiate what Id thought Id heard in Sams voice.Why not?He glanced back at me, biting his lip. Oops. Im not supposed to say anything about that.Oh, I wont tell anyone, Im just curious. I tried to make my smile alluring, wondering if I was laying it on too thick.He smiled back, though, looking allured. and so he lifted one eyebrow and his voice was even huskier than before.Do you like scary stories? he asked ominously.I love them, I enthused, do an effort to smolder at him.Jacob strolled to a nearby driftwood tree that had its grow sticking out like the attenuated legs of a huge, pale spider. He perched lightly on one of the twisted roots while I sat beneath him on the body of the tree. He stared down at the rocks, a smile hovering around the edges of his broad lips. I could see he was going to try to make this good. I focused on retentivity the vital interest I felt out of my eyes.Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from the Quileutes, I mean? he began.Not really, I admitted.Well, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to exist like Noah and the ark. He smiled, to show me how little stock he put in the histories. Another legend claims that we descended from wolves and that the wolves are our brothers still. Its against tribal law to bulge them.Then there are the stories about the cold ones. His voice dropped a little lower.The cold ones? I asked, not faking my intrigue now.Yes. There are s tories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land. He rolled his eyes.Your great-grandfather? I encouraged.He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf-well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves.Werewolves have enemies?Only one.I stared at him earnestly, hoping to disguise my impatience as admiration.So you see, Jacob continued, the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfathers time was different. They didnt hunt the way others of their kind did they werent supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldnt expose them to the pale-faces. He winked at m e.If they werent dangerous, then why ? I tried to understand, struggling not to let him see how seriously I was considering his ghost story.Theres always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if theyre civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist. He deliberately worked a thick edge of menace into his tone.What do you mean, civilized?They claimed that they didnt hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead.I tried to keep my voice casual. So how does it fit in with the Cullens? Are they like the cold ones your greatgrandfather met?No. He paused dramatically. They are the same ones.He must have thought the expression on my face was fear inspired by his story. He smiled, pleased, and continued.There are more of them now, a new female and a new male, but the rest are the same. In my great-grandfathers time they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. Hed been here and gone before your people had even arriv ed. He was fighting a smile.And what are they? I finally asked. What are the cold ones?He smiled darkly.Blood drinkers, he replied in a chilling voice. Your people call them vampires.I stared out at the rough surf after he answered, not sure what my facewas exposing.You have goose bumps, he laughed delightedly.Youre a good storyteller, I complimented him, still unadulterated into the waves.Pretty crazy stuff, though, isnt it? No wonder my dad doesnt want us to talk about it to anyone.I couldnt control my expression enough to look at him yet. Dont worry, I wont give you away.I guess I just violated the treaty, he laughed.Ill take it to the grave, I promised, and then I shivered.Seriously, though, dont say anything to Charlie. He was pretty mad at my dad when he heard that some of us werent going to the hospital since Dr. Cullen started working there.I wont, of course not.So do you think were a bunch of superstitious natives or what? he asked in a playful tone, but with a hint of wor ry. I still hadnt looked away from the ocean.I turned and smiled at him as normally as I could.No. I think youre very good at tattle scary stories, though. I still have goose bumps, see? I held up my arm.Cool. He smiled.And then the sound of the beach rocks clattering against each other warned us that someone was approaching. Our heads snapped up at the same time to see Mike and Jessica about fifty yards away, walking toward us.There you are, Bella, Mike called in relief, waving his arm over his head.Is that your buster? Jacob asked, alerted by the jealous edge in Mikes voice. I was surprised it was so obvious.No, definitely not, I whispered. I was tremendously grateful to Jacob, and eager to make him as happy as possible. I winked at him, carefully turning away from Mike to do so. He smiled, elated by my clumsy flirting.So when I get my license he began.You should come see me in Forks. We could hang out sometime. I felt guilty as I said this, knowing that Id used him. But I real ly did like Jacob. He was someone I could easily be friends with.Mike had reached us now, with Jessica still a few paces back. I could see his eyes appraising Jacob, and looking satisfied at his obvious youth.Where have you been? he asked, though the answer was right in front of him.Jacob was just telling me some local stories, I volunteered. It was really interesting.I smiled at Jacob warmly, and he grinned back.Well, Mike paused, carefully reassessing the situation as he watched our camaraderie. Were packing up it looks like its going to rain soon.We all looked up at the glowering sky. It certainly did look like rain.Okay. I jumped up. Im coming.It was nice to see you again, Jacob said, and I could tell he was taunting Mike just a bit.It really was. Next time Charlie comes down to see Billy, Ill come, too, I promised.His grin stretched across his face. That would be cool.And thanks, I added earnestly.I pulled up my hood as we tramped across the rocks toward the parking lot. A few drops were beginning to fall, making black floating policy on the stones where they landed. When we got to the Suburban the others were already loading everything back in. I crawled into the backseat by Angela and Tyler, announcing that Id already had my turn in the shotgun position. Angela just stared out the window at the escalating storm, and Lauren twisted around in the middle seat to occupy Tylers attention, so I could simply lay my head back on the seat and close my eyes and try very hard not to think.