chapter 3 James island

The rest of the week went on rather uneventfully. Edythe was still as intolerable as ever, though now the two seemed to agree to just not speak to one another. Bella was fine with that, as Mike happened to be in her biology class as well. Any question that she had, she went to him. It didn't seem to bother her lab partner one bit. She got to know a few of the others at school, most of them turning out to be pretty nice. Whether it was because they really wanted to be friends or they simply pitied her for being new, Bella wasn't quite sure. She had caused a small buzz among the students because of her father, but after a day or so, the curiosity of Charlie Swan's daughter died down, something Bella was grateful for. That and for Carrie's comforting words. She had called her after school on her first day to give her the mandatory report. She nearly seemed appalled at Edythe's antics.

"Look, don't listen to that girl," she said firmly. "And if she gives you any more trouble, I'll come up there and set her straight."

Bella smiled, playing with the hem of her pant leg. "How exactly do you plan to get here?"

"Well, since my telleporter is broken, I think I may just have to use the worm hole in my back yard." As always, that found a laugh in Bella. She laid down along her bed. "There, see? You're still able to laugh. That means it's not all bad, right?"

"Right," said Bella, pulling a pillow to her chest with one arm. Her smile became warmer, and she imagined her holding her hand. "Thank you, Carrie."

"You're welcome… I'll talk to you later, kay?"

Bella agreed and said goodnight, hanging up her phone. After which, she dialed Renee's number. No doubt she would want to know how her first day went as well. After a good talk with her, Bella saw headlights flash by her window. Charlie must have come home. She went down stairs to greet him, and help him carry a few bags into the kitchen. The smell of Chinese food wafted up from the plastic, and Bella felt her stomach growl. Only then did she remember that she didn't eat much that day at lunch…

After setting the table, the two sat down and ate. Bella used chop sticks, Charlie used a plastic fork. It felt odd to her to eat Chinese food with a plastic fork. But the last time Charlie used chop sticks, she remembered, he couldn't pick a single thing up. It was actually quite funny, watching him fumble around with two foreign objects while at the same time trying not to knock anything over. Both Bella and her father shared the same klutzy gene. They ate in silence for a bit, before Charlie brushed off his hands and wiped a little grease from his lips.

"So," he began, "how was your first day?"

Bella shrugged. "Ok I guess." She put a piece of orange chicken into her mouth, sucking a little bit of the sauce off before chewing.

"You guess?" Charlie repeated. "Why?"

She let her chopsticks trail around the plate. "Um… well I don't know. It's just different." She was considering about telling Charlie what had happened that day.

"Well you'll get used to it," her father said, sipping at his beer.

"Yeah…" She paused, before continuing on. "Hey, Dad? You know everyone right…? Like… in Forks?"

"I'd like to think so. Why do you ask?"

"Well… I kinda met someone today." Charlie looked a bit more intrigued. He probably thought she had discovered her new found crush. Bella didn't know if he even knew about Carrie. "Do you know about the Cullens?"

Charlie was a bit confused. "Um… well, I know Carlisle. Haven't met the rest of his family."

"Who?"

"Dr. Carlisle Cullen," Charlie continued. "He's a private doctor. Keeps to himself mostly, but is an honest man." He frowned. "Why?"

"Well… one of his daughters goes to school with me," Bella began carefully. If Charlie had good relations with this Carlisle person, she didn't want him knowing just how big of a bitch his daughter was. "Edythe."

"Really?" he seemed surprised. "Hm… well I think he mentioned something like that a while back. That is, his middle daughter wanted to go to a public high school rather then be home schooled. He wasn't so sure about it, though. He's not really one for the public education process."

Bella nodded, but said nothing else. She ran her finger along her can of soda. If she wanted to go into a public school, why did she act like she hated it there? It seemed like a strange thing to do…

"Oh, and by the way?" Bella looked back up to her father. "Billy Black's coming by to watch the game this Sunday. He said he'd bring Julie along."

Bella smiled brightly. "Cool," she said with a little nod. "Has she gotten any taller?" Despite the age difference, Julie was nearly as tall as her the last time they met. No small feet, considering her height.

"Oh sure," said Charlie. "Probably an inch or so bigger then you." He ate a bit more and then stood to clean off his plate. "Her hair's longer, too. And she says she can't wait to catch up."

"Same…" Bella checked the time as she too cleared her dishes. "Well I better get some sleep. Night Dad." Placing a kiss on Charlie's cheek, she turned and headed to her room, now eager for the weekend to arrive.

When it finally did, it seemed that even the weather was celebrating Julie's visit. The sun was bright and warm, only a few, puffy clouds splotched along the sky. She had gotten up early that morning just to sit and watch the clouds from her room. It reminded her of her beloved desert. Blue sky that went on for miles. Russet colored earth that spread out on a large canvas. Green cacti that sported bright colored flowers. And the sunsets… Oh those sunsets were amazing. It was as though the sky was slowly being dyed pink and red, fading out like the last bow at an elegant play. The sunsets in Forks were graceful as well, but in a much cooler, subtle way then the ones in Phoenix.

She was brought out of her day dream as an ebony truck pulled up to the house, somewhat newer then her own. Still, it looked pretty used. Through the passenger's window, she spotted a familiar face. With a bright smile, she came downstairs just as Charlie headed outside. She did so as well and watched as Charlie helped the driver out and into the wheelchair which had been stowed in the truck bed. Billy Black smiled at his friend and patted his arm in a brotherly way. He was a slightly aging man, with sharp, shaded eyes and tawny skin. He had a few wrinkles around his face and kept most of his hair in a pony tail, hidden beneath a cowboy hat. His daughter, Julie, soon got out of the truck cab as well. She spotted Bella almost immediately, and while the two men joked with one another, the two teens scurried inside, Bella smiling brightly.

"It's been too long!" she said, throwing her into a hug. Pulling back, she realized that her father was right. At age fifteen, Julie Black was an inch or so taller then her. She had an even, copper feel to her skin tone, and steel eyes that were pleasantly warm. Her sleek, sable hair went to her shoulders, which she let loose, unlike Billy. In fact, she seemed to be the older one of the two of them. Strange how things worked out.

Julie nodded in agreement. "Way too long," she said, arms crossed. "You've gotta tell me what you've been up to."

"Same with you." She looked over as Charlie and Billy moved themselves to the couch. "Come on. Let's head up to my room." Again, Julie agreed and the two moved up the stairs and into Bella's bedroom. It wasn't anything new to Charlie or Billy that the two would often be alone together. When they were younger, they constantly rushed off with each other, hiding away in secret places. Even as they got older, they still continued to run off together. Charlie often joked about the two eloping one day. Bella sat on her bed as Julie closed the door, perching herself on the window ledge. It had been such a nice day, Bella didn't want the window to be closed.

"So I hear you're getting your license?" she questioned.

"Yeah, said Julie, leaning up against the top half of the window – the part that didn't close. "I'm almost there. Just need to do one more driver's test then I'll get my permit." She grinned. "Promise you'll let me drive you when I do?"

"Promise you won't kill me?" Bella joked.

"Maybe." She hopped down and playfully riffled through Bella's back pack. An annoying little habit of hers. Bella got off her bed and took it from the chair. Julie kept her smile and picked up one of her books instead, flipping through a few pages. "So, how long do you plan to live here?"

"Probably till I finish high school," she answered with a shrug.

"Yeah… oh." She paused and lifted up a picture. "Oh ho ho… Belllaaaaa…" She dangled a little photo in front of her. It was a picture of her and Carrie. "Who's the girl candy?"I never told you but I'm bisexual and she is definitely girl candy. With a pout, Bella yanked the photo away.

"My girlfriend," she said pointedly. She smiled then and put the photo aside.

"Really? Well that's defiantly something new." She gave her an odd look. Are you gay or bi ? and are… you two going to try out a long distance thing?"

"yes I'm gay and I guess so…" She let her fingers tap the back of her desk chair. Shaking her head, she looked back up to her. "What about you? Any girls or guys in the world of Julie Black?" She laughed at that and looked out the window.

"Well, I tried once, but she was a little too… obsessive for me."

"How do you mean?"

Julie turned to her. "If I missed her call, she'd accuse me of cheating. She also answered my texts."

"Ouch…" She shook her head. "Sorry to hear that."

"Yeah… women are nuts." She paused. you can agree right." She laughed.

"oh definitely she chuckled." She took her place back on her bed as Julie sat backwards in her chair. Thus began a back and forth conversation between the two. What they were into now, if their tastes had changed… Once everything had been covered, it had really only been forty minutes. Considering that Charlie liked to watch the pre-game show, they probably had a good deal of time to waist still. Bella looked out the window.

"It's such a nice day," she commented. "Why don't we go do something?"

"Like what?"

"How bout the beach?" she suggested. It was a common favorite of hers whenever she came up for visits. An idea seemed to dawn on her.

"Wait… I know what we can do." She stood. "I was meaning to show you last time you came up, but we didn't really have the time…"

"Show me what?" She didn't answer, but instead, motioned for her to follow and grab her car keys as well. They headed downstairs where Billy and Charlie were watching the game, a bowl of nachos between them.

"Dad?" Billy looked up. "Bella and I are gonna head out for a bit. Maybe go to the beach."

"Fine by me." He looked to his companion, but Charlie gave no objection. "Just don't be back too late."

"Right, right…" With a wave, Julie lead Bella out of the house and over to her own truck. Bella got in and buckled her seat belt.

"So… we are going to the beach then?" she clarified as Julie got herself situated.

"Sort of," Julie said with a sly smile. "Just head over to First Beach." She tried to see just what she was hiding by the look on her face, but found it to be quite illegible. So instead, she followed her direction, driving through Forks to the shoreline. Once parked, she and Julie got out of the car. Despite the sun, it was still quite nippy on the beach, so she pulled out her white jacket that she had stowed away in her truck for emergencies. Julie seemed to be excited as she walked along the shore. Quite quickly, too. Bella had to stride to keep up.

"Where are we going?" she asked, hands in her pockets to keep them warm. She smirked at her and gestured out to the water. Perched on the horizon, as always, was James Island, or "Aka-lat" to Julie's family. It was a noble, silent island that slightly resembled a shoe and was decorated with several trees that lined the top rocks. She had never been there, but she remembered a few of Billy's stories about it. "Isn't that where the Quileute elders used to be buried?"

"Yup," she said, without elaborating. She continued walking along the beach, Bella hurrying to catch up with her. They walked until they came upon a small, boat rental shack that sat behind a wooden dock. They had just enough cash to rent a row boat and hopped in, paddling out from the shore.

"What do you want to show me?" she asked in between rows. "Is there something special there?" She didn't answer, but instead, hummed merrily to herself, taunting her almost. James Island was much farther away then it seemed, and soon, Bella's arms began to tire. But she kept at it until the boat pushed up against the shoreline of the island. Up close, it was much more massive then expected. The rock was a similar color to the desert sands of Bella's beloved Arizona, and ancient trails twisted this way and that, leading to different parts of the island. Currently, they stood on the flat, beach like surface that split the island into two large parts. It watched them like a resting beast, waiting for them to make their move. Julie took Bella's hand, leading her to the larger of the two portions of island.

"This place also used to be a fortress," Julie explained, moving the two down a trail. "Dad showed me last year, and I wanted to show you, but you never came for a visit." Bella felt a bit guilty for that, but things had been busy up until then. "Anyway, my ancestors hid out here from neighboring tribes and Europeans. They also came here when they went wale hunting." She walked her up a ways until coming upon two large rocks, in between them a small hole, big enough for someone to squeeze through if bent down. Julie slipped inside, as did Bella. She looked around, the darkness of the cave daunting. The only real light was coming through the small hole that the two had entered from. Thankfully, Julie had a small flashlight which was surprisingly strong. Bella kept close to Julie, afraid that she would loose her in the cavern, as the two descended into the darkness.

The tunnel they walked down was a dark, dank place, the smell of mildew prevalent within the tunnel. Every once and a while, Bella could hear the sound of a squeaking mouse or scurrying rat. Bella kept as far away from the walls as she could. Finally, the claustrophobic feeling left her as they exited the tunnel. By then, her eyes had slightly adjusted to the light, but not enough to where she could see perfectly. That's when she felt Julie leave her side. She watched as her dark silhouette moved over to the side. There was a moment's pause, when suddenly, the room filled with light. Bella blinked, shielding her eyes for a moment before she realized what Julie had done.

There was a system of mirrors all around the cave, and Julie had placed her flashlight in front of one of them, causing the light to be reflected by the other mirrors, giving the entire cave a gentle, natural light. Bella moved around, the first thing she noticed being how incredibly large the inside of the cave was. It stretched high above the two, and had the diameter to incorporate a small house with a front and back yard. Bella moved into the middle, noticing faded paintings on the dusty walls. She walked over to one of them, hand laying on the rough surface.

"These weren't always here." Bella turned to Julie. "The mirrors, I mean. My grandpa put these in to make it easier to see in here." Bella nodded and looked back up to the paintings. Her eyes lingered on one in particular. It was a portrait of a man. He stood much like the Egyptian figures in hieroglyphics – flat and cartoon like. There was something interesting about this man. He didn't stand like a regular man did. He hunched over slightly, his hands splayed like claws. Behind him curled up what seemed to be a tail of a wolf, of which he also sported similar ears and a nose. Bella tilted her head to the side. Julie, noticing her curiosity, walked up beside her.

"Legend has it," she began, "the first Quileute to ever exist was a wolf who became a man." Bella smiled. She had heard this story countless times before. However, it never hurt her to hear it again.

"Like a werewolf," she joked, nudging her. She laughed and looked back to the picture.

"More like a shape shifter." She put her hands behind her head. Bella thought for a moment, going back to the stories told to her by Billy.

"Hey Julie?" She looked to her. "In quileute legend… everyone has their own god that's unique to them, right?" Julie smiled, revealing her slightly sharpened canines.

"Yup. Dad's an eagle, I'm a wolf. I think Rachael's a stork, but I'm not sure… I'll have to double check."

Bella nodded. "Well… just out of curiosity… what am I?" Julie looked at her, a bit surprised at the question. She smiled. "Or rather, what would I be?"

"You? Hm…" She thought, tapping her chin and surveying her. "I think… you'd be a cat." Bella snorted.

"A cat?" It somewhat surprised her. She wasn't exactly graceful the way felines were. Julie shrugged.

"You just seem like yours would be a cat, that's all."

Bella laughed. "Whatever…" She turned to look at some others, when she noticed another painting. It was a drawing of white, sinister creatures with large teeth, standing nude in a large red blotch. She walked over to it, her eyes roaming each detail. "What's this…?"

"Oh, that…" Julie walked up beside her. She put her hands in her pockets. "The white demons." Bella looked to her.

"White demons?" she repeated. Her eyes turned back up to the picture. "Billy's never told a story about them before…"

"He wouldn't," said Julie with a furrow of her brow. "It's not one he really likes to tell…" There was a silence as they stared at the panting.

"So… what are they?" Bella asked.

"Well… the Quileutes didn't get along very well with European settlers. A lot of us think that this is just a depiction of them." Bella nodded. That made sense, anyway. She was about to speak when Julie continued. "But… that's not how Dad sees them…" She turned back to Julie.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Julie glanced at her and continued to focus on the picture.

"He says… that the white demons were much more then just white settlers. They were monsters… Beasts that fed off of human life. They needed other lives in order to live. They were parasites who feasted off of my ancestors. And though they looked like humans… they were far from them." Bella stared at her, her lips parted and her breathing faint. She turned and caught her gaze, giving a cheery smile. "If you believe that kind of stuff, anyway."

Bella shook her head. "O-oh… Yeah, right…" She chuckled nervously, trying to ignore the squirming sensation in the pit of her gut. "We should probably get out of here. I don't want Dad to get angry because we were out too late."

Julie nodded. "They'll probably be done by the time we get there." Taking her flashlight, and once more, her hand, they headed out of James Island. Bella glanced behind her shoulder to get one last look at the white demon.