Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Welcome to Forks

I thanked the officer as I stepped out of the car, the chilly Forks night enveloping me. The glow of streetlights revealed the quiet streets, and I began my search for the unfamiliar house that supposedly held my family. As I walked, the weight of the situation sank in, and the encounter with the police officer left me with an unsettling feeling.

The town was eerily quiet, and I couldn't shake the sense of being an outsider here. I mean, technically I'm outsider everywhere now.

I need to find that damn house I thought. I'm pretty sure I'm in the right town, this is Forks and the student ID in my pocket says Forks High School.

I stood on unfamiliar ground, the weight of confusion and disorientation settling over me. The uncertainty of this new life in my mind, and I pondered the search for the house that supposedly held my new family. But with no way of finding this new family of mine, I might have to slum it in on the streets.

My "brother" did mention he'd personally be picking me up from school tomorrow. Knowing I have no choice but to go back to being a student, I can't hold back my groan at the thought of having to return to school. I kick a stay pebble on the ground. I thought I was done with all that.

Lost in my thoughts, I turned a corner and collided with someone. Barely stumbling backward, I found myself face to face with an Asian guy around my age. He seemed to have the worst of the collision.

"Hey, watch it, man," he exclaimed, rubbing his shoulder. His eyes widened as he looked at me. "Hey I know you, you're Russell, right?"

Great, another source of information. I hesitated but decided to play along. "Yeah, that's me. Russ. What's up?"

The guy grinned, extending a hand. "Long time no see, man. It's me, Eric! Can't believe I forgot about you. You've been MIA at school for what, at least a month now. Holy shit you look different though. Did you hit the gym or something? You're jacked."

I chuckled nervously, shaking Eric's hand. He seems like a chill guy, no reason to act weird. "Yeah, been feeling a bit under the weather. Had to take some time off school, I'm all good now man. Trying to get back in shape, you know?"

At least I'm not a loner. Having friends doesn't hurt as long as they don't know me well enough to notice I'm literally a different person. I silently wince. That thought process reminds of the family I'm going to have to meet soon. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Worst case scenario I leave and make a life somewhere else.

Considering how dreary this town already feels, that doesn't sound too bad actually.

Eric's eyes widened as he shakes my hand, pulling away as if I'd burnt him. "Dude, you're burning up. Are you sure you're okay?"

I shrug off the concern, nervously gripping my jeans. The cop had said the same thing, am I really that hot? "I told you, I'm fine now. Just have a fever or something. It'll blow over in a little bit."

Eric doesn't look too convinced, but let's it go deciding to babble about how I haven't missed much at school other than a few new students. Which is apparently very rare. How small can a small town get? It might even be funny if I wasn't here against my will.

Despite the strange encounter, I felt a sense of relief talking to someone who seemed friendly and laid-back. We had started walking-I don't even know where-but I didn't mind. This was the most relatable and simple interaction I've had here. I saw this as an opportunity to gather information about my life in this new reality.

As we walked towards, Eric continued chatting. "Man, I wish I was sick right now. If anyone needs a break, it's me. Listening to Mike whine about unfair it is Bella ditched us just because her boyfriend left was funny, but now its getting old. Girls barely keeping it together, she looks like a zombie dude. Gotta have a bit of sympathy man"

I chuckled, realizing this information wasn't particularly useful but enjoying the casual conversation. "So where we headed?"

Eric suggested, "Why don't you come to the lodge with me? We're meeting up with some friends, having a little hangout. It's the same as always, and I'll help you catch up on what you missed."

I hesitated, considering the risk of going to a social gathering in this unfamiliar situation. "The lodge, huh? You guys usually hang out there this late?"

Eric chuckled, dismissing the concern. "Nah, we just felt like it tonight. Plus, it'll be fun. You in?"

I nodded reluctantly, not having anything better to do. As we walked I enjoyed Eric's company. His funny, hyperactive nerd character was fun.

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The grill was unsurprisingly a small establishment. Just like everything else here. I guess that's a part of the charm though. It was a homely and wooden lodge with seats outside and a few people littered around.

The dark street seemed to light up a little here as I spot a few streetlights switches on. I welcomed subtlety live atmosphere with open arms.

As we approached the grill, I suddenly felt uneasy, especially when Eric called out to a girl sitting outside, waiting with a few others.

Here goes nothing, I thought. Unaware of the surprise I was about to receive.

"Hey, Jessica! This is Russ. Russ, meet Jessica Stanley. She's one of the cool ones. You might've seen her around school- you know, back when you actually turned up."

My eyes widened as I looked at Jessica, taking in her face. Double checking.

Ana Kendrick?

She looks exactly-and I mean exactly-like the actress Ana Kendrick. Except for her style of hair, clothing, make-up and practically anything else. But that's definitely. Ana Kendrick.

But why would Ana Kendrick be here? I mean, she looks younger. The fact that this could be 2005 Ana Kendrick comes to mind.

However, her peculiar demeanour and dress triggers a memory. A memory of watching Twilight with my sister last year.

Not to mention Eric calling her Jessica, which was the name of the character she played.

I could kind of hear her saying something, her voice blurred and muted as my mind raced, and I was mostly preoccupied with the uncanny resemblance between Jessica and Ana Kendrick

Surely not, I thought. My chest tightened.

Finally tuning into the conversation the topic shifted to a missing girl named Bella. No, not missing. They're talking about her missing days off school.

I feigned knowledge, and Jessica said, "Yeah, she's been missing a lot since she broke up with her boyfriend."

"Bella Swan," I muttered, feeling a strange sense of recognition. "Yeah, I've heard of her."

Jessica continued, "It's been tough for her. Her ex, Edward, and his family left town. It hit her hard, you know?"

My heart sank at the mention of Edward. Bella, Edward and Jessica all names I remembered from Twilight, and the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Two of them are the main characters for gods sake!

"Edward Cullen? Pale face and kind of a weirdo?" I asked, trying to maintain composure and recalling what I could from the movie.

Jessica replied, exasperated, "Yes! Seriously are you even listening? I said the whole schools been talking about it. Edward and Bella were like, the talk of the town and now he's gone. Leaving her single and depressed-not that I care."

Yeah that seals it.

I felt a surge of panic. "I need to get out of here," I muttered, my mind racing with the implications of being in a fictional world.

The others wanted to follow, worried expressions on their faces. I mumbled, "I need to go. This is too much. Just give me a minute."

The others noticed my distress, and Jessica said, concerned, "Russ, are you okay, you're sweating a lot."

I am? I look down at my hands. Is that… steam? Yeah I need to see a doctor about this fever. After I get the hell out of here.

Ignoring the question, I shove my hands on my pockets and stumbled out of the grill, feeling the weight of my newfound reality crushing me. The panic escalated, and I hyperventilated, feeling like I was on the verge of unraveling.

As I staggered away from the lodge, the sense of dread intensified. I needed to escape the confines of Twilight, find answers, and figure out how to return to my own reality. ASAP. The night air felt oppressive as I stumbled through the quiet streets of Forks, haunted by the bizarre twists my life had taken.

The night hung heavy with foreboding as I emerged from the grill.

Suddenly a grip on my shoulder jolted me, and paranoia whispered that Forks concealed creatures of the night. Vampires

Reacting on instinct and fear alone, I flung the person away, the force almost unnatural, and sprinted into the inky embrace of the street.

What is it? It's a vampire. I'm about to get eaten by a real life vampire. My mind buzzed in worry.

An irrational fear gnawed at my senses, amplifying the searing heat that coursed through my veins. My unseen pursuer caught up effortlessly, dragging me off into a small opening of the woods.

I struggled harder twisting and forcing my body in every direction, not wanting to be taken somewhere alone with them. I slammed my heals into the ground to stop them from dragging me.

I felt as they pulled harder, lugging me along like nothing, their grip like heavy chains.

Unbeknownst to me, they spoke words of comfort, a futile attempt to quell the storm within my mind. The growls around us were not external; they emanated from me, a manifestation of my own inner resistance. In my panic, I failed to register the soothing voice attempting to pacify me.

"Get the hell off me!" I roared.

The struggle persisted, my fight-or-flight response urging me to choose the former. With an adrenaline-fueled burst, my elbow connected with their ribs, forcing them to release their grip. As I attempted to escape, an excruciating pain seized me. It felt as if my bones were breaking and reshaping, contorting in ways I couldn't comprehend.

The world blurred and I felt my body spring up, like I'd been shot from a sling and catapulted forward. And then gravity kicked in and suddenly, I found myself landing on… on all fours, my perspective and senses dramatically altered.

The world unfurled around me, revealing a landscape tinged with newfound intensity. Every detail sharpened, from the crisp outlines of my surroundings to the heightened fragrance that filled the air. the scent of pine needles mingled with the crisp, cool air. The song of the woodland unfolded – the musky trace of other animals left behind, the tang of fallen leaves, and the distant promise of a nearby stream.

In this altered state, my eyes, keen and amber-hued, captured every detail of the wilderness. An untamed vigor coursed through my veins, primal and unbridled.

In the midst of this surreal experience, a dance between confusion, horror and instinct guided me through the altered reality, a reality where my form had metamorphosed.

In the midst of the panic, the disembodied voice of my assailant returned.

However, it was now resonating from every direction, repeatedly telling me to calm down. I paid the voice no mind, instead focusing on these new senses and trying to figures out what the hell happ-

CALM DOWN AND LISTEN The voice snarled loudly in my mind.

That voice and order. I felt it deeply. It reverberated through my very being. I found myself unable to resist and disobey as did exactly as I was told. I calm downed and listened.

I'm glad I did because how did I miss that.

Behind me, where the long forgotten attacker once was, now stands something else. A wolf.

But, not any normal wolf. No this was less a wolf, and more like a bear or a horse. It's hulking form coveted in a bristling blend of dark grey and midnight black, ripples with a feral energy. Eyes gleam like fiery coals, conveying a predatory intensity that oozes feral.

This is definitely not a normal wolf. Not to mention it's this wolf's voice that ordered me quiet down and listen.

My name is Sam Uley The voice introduced itself, not speaking in the traditional sense. But, I heard it just as well.

The mouth didn't move when he spoke, but rather his lips curled back, showing his sharp teeth.

I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm trying to help

I can hear you. In… In my head? Why can I hear your voice in my head? I asked, somehow managing to sound nervous without even actually speaking

It was disorienting

Sam circled me. It's because we're same. This is how we talk. No secrets or no misunderstandings.

Suddenly, his thoughts and memories, were in the forefront of my mind. I watched from his perspective as I…me, I watched myself go from a man, to a wolf. A wolf just as impressive and terrifying as the one in front of me.

I can see in Sam's mind, it's called phasing, the term he uses for the inexplicable transformation.

Oh no way, newbie on the block

A second, jumpy voice joined the internal dialogue, surprised and questioning.

How long you been hiding this Sam? The voice asked, sounding excited. Ha! Embry's gonna lose his shit, he's not gonna be the new kid anymore.

I watched as Sam shifted his stance, growling at nothing.

We'll talk later. For now, phase back Jared.

And just like that this second voice was gone.

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In that pivotal moment, my perspective transformed into a vivid reel of memories.

The canvas of recollection unfolded to reveal snapshots of joyous childhood vacations, of sibling squabbles, and the poignant journey from the La Push reservation to the quaint town of Forks. Each memory was a scene, a chapter in the protagonist's life story. And it went on and on and on. For what felt like years.

As the mental montage played, the frames captured every second of Russell's life. My…. Our life.

Amidst this panorama, the figures of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen materialised, say at their table having lunch. They weren't mere characters but living portraits, their interactions at school forming a silent ballet of emotions. A reminder of my location.

Wake up!

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Sam's voice urging me back into reality woke my up.

Russell what happened there. You blacked out for a second, I've never….. seen anything like that.

He actually sounded worried. Not in a motherly way, but rather a "you good bro?" kinda way.

Instinctively, I snarled. Nothing, I'm fine.

No I'm not fine, I just had years of foreign memories crammed into my head. At least now I recognised Sam Uley. Our parents were friends before I moved off the Rez. Parents had enough of all that tribal stuff and decided to live in Town.

Looking at Sam, one thing came to mind. The legends my… my mother. She used to tell legends about the tribe, about the cold ones and protectors who turned into wolves.

The legends, they're true aren't they. I asked sombrely.

Yes, they are. There's magic in our blood Russell, magic that awakens when the tribe is in need of it. He replied, sounding almost proud.

Sam confirmed the reality of the tribal legends, leaving me grappling with the concept of being a shapeshifter. The whirlwind in my mind intensified as I tried to comprehend the supernatural turn my life had taken.

Trotting around on all fours, I took in this new form.

How do I turn back?