Midnight Sun ❖ (Embry Call - The Twilight Saga)

A soft breeze rustled the mesh curtains in Gracie's bedroom, painting the white blankets draped over her with streaks of sunlight. She stirred, stretching languidly before her eyes found the bedside clock: a quarter to seven. Today was Bella Swan's birthday, her oldest friend.

The house was quiet, a welcome calm without her older brother, Riley, who was away at college. That meant no skirmishes over breakfast or the last drop of milk. More importantly, it meant Riley's beloved '98 Jeep was hers for the school run. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Biers, had already left for Seattle, as they did every morning, their jobs a three-hour commute away.

Gracie took a bite of her toast, gazing out at the orange leaves clinging stubbornly to their branches. She cherished these solitary mornings, allowing her thoughts to wander. Bella, she knew, detested her birthday, shying away from any attention. Still, Gracie couldn't bring herself to do nothing. She'd chipped in with Sheriff Charlie Swan, Bella's father, who'd gotten her a camera and an empty photo album. Gracie's contribution was a complete photo album, meticulously filled with every shared memory since childhood. Bella couldn't possibly say no to that.

With her school bag on the passenger seat, Gracie set off in the Jeep. Flipping through radio channels, she paused at a news report, a snippet catching her ear: "Another missing hiker brings the total to three presumed dead. The rangers are searching for the killer animal..." The static crackled, a casualty of the dense forest trees blocking the signal. Gracie, unfazed, switched to a music channel, dismissing the ominous report. Minutes later, she pulled into the school carpark, just ahead of Bella's arrival.