The Echoing Silence

The nightmare is vivid, raw, and terrifying – your father, his eyes red, biting your wrist repeatedly, shouting about not losing you like your mother. You wake up in a cold sweat, relieved to find it was just a dream, but the fear lingers.

Your foster sister, Bella, checks on you, her presence a comforting anchor in the unsettling aftermath. Hiding the scarred skin beneath your long sleeves, you assure her you’re fine, a practiced lie. Forks awaits tomorrow, and you cling to the hope that the cooler weather and a new environment might offer some respite from the persistent, chilling sensation that has haunted you since the fire.

The plane ride is a blur of quiet contemplation. Arriving in Forks, the damp, cool air is a welcome change from Phoenix's heat. Meeting Charlie Swan, Bella's father, is awkward but manageable. His house is smaller, cozier. Your room is simple but thoughtful, painted in a calming blue. As you begin to unpack, that familiar, unsettling cold washes over you. It’s back, stronger than before, coinciding with the arrival of two visitors on the porch – Billy Black and his son, Jacob.

The encounter is polite but leaves you feeling off-kilter. Billy’s gaze feels strangely assessing, and the 'coldness' intensifies around him. You brush it off as your imagination, a side effect of your 'crazy' episodes. Heading back inside, you try to focus on the mundane task of unpacking, pushing away the growing unease.