Souls of Perdition

Chapter 1: Echoes

A perpetual mist clung to the road like a protective shroud, almost as tightly as the damp scent of moss and rain-soaked pine. The trees leaned into each other, forming a canopy that shielded the world from whatever lay beyond—except the rain, of course. In Forks, rain seeped into everything. It clung to the truck windows and streaked across the empty storefronts, turning the warm light inside each house into a soft glow.

The truck's wipers cleared nothing but blurs, carving brief arcs in the sea of mist and water. Everything felt distant, like the world had retreated behind a veil, soft and suffocating. I knew the road beneath the tires; every bend, every bump, each tree that leaned too far into the asphalt. It was predictable. And predictability, in its quiet way, had become a comfort.

Silence, though. Silence had never been comfortable.

The porch light flickered against the gloom, casting faint halos on the wet pavement. Inside, I could almost hear the click of the clock on the wall, counting down the hours until Charlie returned from Billy's place.

Seth stood by the porch, his arms crossed but relaxed, his familiar grin already spreading across his face when he spotted my truck. I glanced at the clock on the dash and smirked to myself—four hours early. He wasn't waiting for me, but the grin widened all the same as I pulled up to the curb.

He jogged toward the truck, his footsteps splashing through puddles with a gangly kind of grace. I stepped out and was met with a hug full of energy. The rain plastered his hair to his face, yet his happiness glowed with an intoxicating sweetness.

"You're early, Bella," Seth said, laughter dancing just behind his words.

"Couldn't resist getting back, I guess," I let out a soft laugh, ruffling his damp hair. "I haven't kept you standing in the rain, have I?"

"Nah, Jake's running late," he said, stepping back with a smile. "I thought I had more time before you showed up."

He'd grown again since I'd been away. His eyes—now level with mine—held something new behind them. His smile, bright as it was, didn't chase away the shadows behind his eyes.

"You must be freezing. Let's get inside."

Before I could reply, the low rumble of an engine echoed around the bend. I turned just in time to see the red lacquer of Jacob's Rabbit gliding through the mist. The trailer attached to the back of his truck was piled high under a blue tarp, ropes coiled tightly around the load, locking it down.

He pulled up beside the curb, killing the engine with a grunt of finality.

He was out of the truck and next to us in seconds, pulling me into a hug so tight it squeezed the rain out of my jacket. His arms were solid, like the trees rooted into the earth.

"Missed you, Bells," Jacob murmured against my shoulder. He pulled back, his eyes lingering on mine a moment longer than usual. The warmth that passed between us seeped into the rain-soaked air, making it bearable. "Thought you might bail with this weather."

"Not a chance," I smiled, my breath fogging between us. "It's so good to see you."

I glanced at the trailer behind Jacob's truck, where the heavy tarp sagged under the rain. Beneath it was a massive, dark shape that seemed almost too large to be practical.

"And you brought me a homecoming gift, huh?" I teased. "Couldn't have found something... smaller?"

Jake chuckled, but there was a soft hesitation in his voice. "It's not exactly for you."

Seth, rubbed the back of his neck, his grin faltering. He shot a nervous glance at the trailer before letting out a breath. "It's, uh, my dad's," he said quietly, his voice barely rising above the rain. "Mom... she couldn't get rid of it when we sold the house. She said it hurt too much."