Lost in Forks

Chapter 6

May 9, 2006

Aurora arrived at school the next morning feeling quite nervous. The shadowy figure she thought she'd seen near the forest still lingered in her mind, but she had convinced herself to focus for now.

Vanessa was already waiting for her at the lockers. "Morning, new girl!" she greeted brightly.

"Good morning to you too." Aurora smiled but it quickly faded. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Vanessa tilted her head curiously. "Of course. What's up?"

Aurora hesitated, not sure how to tell her thoughts without sounding paranoid. "I've been looking into some of the local stories around here. You know, the ones about wolves and..... well, other things," Aurora said, her voice low so it didn't attract attention.

"I've found a few things. Have you ever heard about the legends surrounding the Quileute tribe?" She continued.

Vanessa blinked, clearly surprised by the question. "Wow, okay, you're into that stuff?" she asked, but there was a spark of curiosity in her eyes.

"Well, yeah, l've heard the stories. I mean, who hasn't? They say the tribe can turn into wolves, and there's this legend about the 'Cold Ones' who are supposed to be vampires." Vanessa finished.

Aurora's heart skipped a beat. She had already come across some of these legends when she'd spent hours reading about Forks' strange history, but hearing them from someone else made it all feel much more real.

"Vampires?" she asked, trying to sound casual. "I've read about the Cold Ones. They're supposed to be these pale, immortal creatures who live in the woods. Some people say they're dangerous." She added.

Vanessa grinned. "You're really into this, huh? Yeah, I mean, it's just stories but it's fun to think about. And with all the weird things that happen around here, I get why people talk about it."

Gabriel joined them as the bell rang, cutting off their conversation. "What's this about vampires and wolves?" he asked, rolling his eyes. "You guys know that stuff's just legend, right?"

Aurora exchanged a look with Vanessa before shrugging. "It's just stuff I've been reading about."

Gabriel's grin widened. "Well, if you want to go on a hunt, count me out." He turned to walk down the hallway, but Vanessa grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

"Actually, we were thinking of looking into it more," Vanessa said, her tone serious now. "I mean, you never know what you might find, right?"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow but didn't protest. "Alright, I'll go but if we end up running into a bunch of wolves or vampires, I'm blaming you two."

-

After school, the trio made their way to the local library. Aurora had already visited the library a few times in the past week, digging into the legends, but now she was ready to dive deeper with Vanessa and Gabriel.

They split up once they were inside, and Aurora made her way to the history section. She pulled out a book titled Legends of the Quileute Tribe, flipping through it quickly.

The stories jumped out at her—giant wolves that could protect their people, and the Cold Ones, strange and dangerous creatures who supposedly fed on humans.

It was all fascinating and chilling at the same time.

But then one passage caught her eye:

"The Cold Ones are not like men; they are creatures of ice, pale as the moon, with hearts that do not beat. They bring death wherever they go, and they are hunted by the wolves who guard the land and its people."

Aurora felt a shiver run down her spine as she read the words. The description of the Cold Ones sounded weirdly familiar. She couldn't help but think of the Cullens and their strange, almost ethereal beauty.

Nearby, Vanessa waved her over, her face lighting up with excitement. "You won't believe what I found," she said, holding up an old newspaper article. "Apparently, a 'wild animal' attack happened just outside of Forks. Could it be caused by the wolves and vampires?"

Gabriel leaned over to look at the article. "Who knows... that's kind of unsettling." he said, his earlier mockery of the legends fading.

Aurora's mind raced. Wolves, vampires, and strange attacks—it was all beginning to fit together in a way she didn't fully understand. There was something out there, something bigger than just stories, and she had a feeling it was connected to the strange things she'd been noticing.

-

After leaving the library, the sun was starting to dip low in the sky. Aurora, Vanessa, and Gabriel made their way to the parking lot to go to Gabriel's car, still chatting about the legends they had discovered.

But as they neared the edge of the library grounds, Aurora's steps slowed down.

At the forest, just beyond the trees, she saw a figure standing motionless.

Her heart skipped a beat. It was the same figure she had seen before—standing there, watching her.

"Aurora?" Vanessa's voice snapped. "What's wrong?"

Aurora blinked, looking away from the forest. But by the time she turned back, the figure was gone.

"Did you see that?" Aurora whispered.

Vanessa and Gabriel exchanged uncertain glances. "There's nothing there," Vanessa said, her tone more confused. "Are you okay?"

Aurora nodded, but her stomach tightened. She couldn't explain it, but she felt like someone—or something—was always watching her.

She forced herself to smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... tired."

But deep down, she knew she was on the edge of uncovering something much darker than she had ever imagined.

——

HIIIII !! Hehe wonder who she saw? 😱🤔