Rain tapped steadily against the bus window as you stared out at the endless wall of pine trees. The sky was a dull gray, and the town sign—Forks—appeared almost out of nowhere.

You'd only been in town for ten minutes and already missed the sun.

The small high school felt even smaller than you'd imagined. Everyone seemed to know everyone else. As you walked into the cafeteria on your first day, conversations quieted for a second before continuing. Being the new student in a town this size was apparently a major event.

A group of students waved you over. They introduced themselves and immediately began asking questions—where were you from, did you like Forks so far, had you seen the beaches yet?

Then you noticed something strange.

Across the room sat a group of unusually pale students. They were impossibly attractive, perfectly dressed, and completely isolated from everyone else.

Nobody seemed eager to approach them.

When you casually asked who they were, your new friends exchanged looks.

"The Cullens," one finally said.

That was all.

Just "The Cullens."

As if that explained everything.

Over the next few weeks, you settled into life in Forks. You learned that rain was basically a permanent resident. You learned that the woods surrounding town felt both beautiful and unsettling. Most importantly, you learned that everyone had an opinion about the mysterious Cullen family.

One afternoon in biology class, you found yourself assigned to a lab station beside one of them.

The room suddenly felt much quieter.

The Cullen student glanced at you with an unreadable expression before looking away.

Outside, thunder rumbled over the forest.

And for the first time since arriving in Forks, you had the distinct feeling that something was very, very unusual about this town.