ＰＡＳＴ

ℜ𝔲𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔰

The rumour grows as you walk.

Publius Vergilius Maro (70 BC - 19 AD) 

As we entered, the small gold-coloured bell above the door began to chime, which announced more hungry diners to the patrons and staff inside the restaurant.

The Carver Café, much like my aunt reported, was one of the few local and well-frequented restaurants in Forks and its unassuming nature made for a pleasant dining environment. The walls were lined with light brown wood and, together with the few illuminating lamps, created a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

"Sofia."

A dark-skinned woman with thick black curls and a green apron around her waist looked up from the cash register before taking quick steps towards my aunt. A smile adorned her wide pout as she embraced my aunt in a friendly hug.

"Cora... it's nice to see you again," my aunt replied softly, ignoring the staring eyes of the seated guests who were curiously following the two women's meeting.

"May I introduce you to my niece, Melina." I heard my aunt say and took a step to the side so that the attention of the eavesdropping guests was immediately focused on me. My palms became clammy as I noticed the volume of the conversations subtly decrease and be replaced by increased whispers and murmurs while the interested, furtive glances in my direction intensified.

Cora seemed to notice my discomfort, and a sympathetic expression immediately appeared.

"Don't worry, dear...the stares will lessen with time." she tried to reassure me and let her brown eyes wander over some of the listening guests. Caught off guard, they turned back to their food or their respective conversation partners with half-hearted interest, playfully ignoring us.

Smiling contentedly, Cora turned back in our direction.

"It's quite rare for outsiders to set up shop in our little town," she explained quietly, leading us to a seemingly private and slightly secluded table in the corner. Colourful and black-and-white photographs covered the wood of the walls, showing the small town and its surroundings' rainy landscapes and green forests. Several deer antlers of different sizes and branches complemented the alignment above our heads.

"Even your aunt was the talk of the town for months when she moved to Forks. Well...her and the Cullen family..." she added, getting quieter and quieter towards the end. My aunt rolled her eyes in annoyance and sat down opposite me with a small sigh.

"I'm afraid that Volterra and Forks are very similar in that respect. Probably one of the few things the two small towns have in common," my aunt replied, accepting the menu Cora offered her. The corners of Cora's mouth twitched in amusement at the comparison before she picked up another menu and passed it to me.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

"You're welcome," she replied with a smile. She moved away from our table as my eyes wandered intently over the dishes and menus offered.

🙨

Meanwhile, a comfortable silence filled my aunt's red Dodge Caliber as it drove gingerly along the wet streets of Forks towards our house.

Large dark clouds filled with rain covered much of the increasingly dark sky over the small town, giving the bright colours of the setting sun little opportunity to unfold fully in their splendour. Instead, the houses and arcades passing by on the sides provided the necessary colourful light, which shone in many different variations from the windows onto the lightly trafficked streets and sidewalks.

Uninvolved and tired, my grey-blue eyes watched the few silhouettes appearing outside the windows, our remaining food from the Carver Café on my lap.

"Are you excited yet?" my aunt interrupted the pleasant silence and watched me with mild interest out of the corner of her eye. I couldn't stop myself from sinking deeper into the warm seat of the car at her question. The seatbelt tightened slightly in my stomach, distended by my food, and pressed uncomfortably into my warm flesh when the car braked.

"A little..." I admitted discouragedly, remembering the many pairs of curious eyes I encountered in the Carver Café that seemed to follow my every move. Unfortunately, my aunt wasn't understating her comment about small towns like Forks and Volterra at the time.

A defeated sigh sounded beside me.

"Ignore them, Melina..." my aunt said reassuringly, her warm hand resting gently on my thigh.

"Of course, your new classmates will give you a certain amount of attention due to your newness, which will certainly last for a few days..." she began soothingly, but my muscles tensed at the thought of almost 400 pairs of eyes following me through the corridors and hours.

"But...as Cora said, this too will pass in time," she finished. Her hand slid from my thigh to my hand as I nodded, mouth twitching. A smile formed on her lips, and she squeezed my trembling hand encouragingly.

"And I'm sure you'll make friends on your first day too, Melina, despite the attention.".

I tried to smile, my mind racing.

Because of my gift, I kept my circle of friends limited to just a few acquaintances from school or the immediate vicinity of the neighbourhoods. I mainly had my family, who I could confide in for the most part and ask for advice and help when I had problems without the significant risk of revealing my secret.

Although I learned to control my gift over the years, I couldn't always prevent or stop the visions from suddenly appearing in the middle of my daily routine. This fact could become a big problem for my family and me in a new place like the small town of Forks and its brisk whispers. I shuddered at the thought of the many consequences, and goosebumps spread across my skin as I thought of Volterra and the vampires that resided there.

"Who are these Cullens...that Cora was talking about before?" I changed the subject abruptly and tried to distract my troubled thoughts as soon as Demetri captured them with flawlessly beautiful faces and angelic demeanours.