Read Online The Guardian (The Gifted Book 1) by C. L. McCourt - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: C. L. McCourt
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the moon shadows, but Rhea wasn't afraid when it appeared. She didn't know if her lack of fear had to do with what it looked like or whether she was just growing up. One night, she worked up the courage to crawl off her bed and sit in front of the creature, to try and convince herself it wasn't real. It didn't move or make a sound. Was it real?
Her study of the creature was interrupted when her mother stepped into her room to check on her. Instead of seeing what Rhea saw, her mother saw Rhea looking into the dark empty corner where her dresser met the wall. That was the night the lies started.
For years her parents had tolerated her stories about the shadows, assuming they were just her imagination, but the sitting-on-the-floor event pushed them to consider sending her to a shrink. After a lengthy conversation, Rhea convinced her parents she wasn't crazy and would not be leaving her bed again to sit on the floor. That seemed to make them happy; they liked the idea that they had ended Rhea's obsession with the shadows.
Being threatened with becoming an outpatient at the local loony bin wasn't the only life-changing event Rhea experienced that night long ago. When her mom had caught her on the floor and spoken her name, the creature had turned to look at Christine. That was the night Rhea had confirmed the creature was real and that it could hear her.
~~~
Rhea looked at the mess on the floor that hadn't been there before she lay down. She had assumed her physical assault on her surroundings would stop once finals were over and she was home, but obviously that wasn't the case. As she looked at the chaos that was once her tidy childhood room, she knew her dreams weren't being caused by exam-related stress. Now what was she going to do?
Rhea swung her legs over the edge of the bed and glimpsed the vase of flowers Christine had placed on her nightstand that morning, something she'd always done after semester exams. They were dead.
Rhea gasped and reached to feel the once soft and colorful wildflowers, hoping the sun's shadows in her room were playing tricks on her eyes. The daisy crumbled, the dust falling to her nightstand and onto the floor.
She pulled back her hand in horror and disbelief. Her heart started to race , and for the first time in a long time, she was scared. She couldn't let her mother see them. How would she explain when she didn't know the answer herself?
Glancing around the room , she saw the plastic bag that held some miscellaneous items she had brought home from school. Dumping her things onto her reading chair, she carefully placed the bag over the flowers before attempting to use it to pull the stems free of the vase. The stems disintegrated upon her touch, and the flowers fell into the bag while the remainder of the stems dissolved into the water.
Rhea quickly tied the plastic bag closed and dumped it in the trash can under her desk , just as a knock sounded at the door.
"Rhea?" whispered Christine as she slowly opened the door.
"I'm awake." Rhea stepped forward so Christine would not come in and see the flowerless vase.
"Oh, good." Her face lit with a genuine smile. "Do you want a salad with dinner? I'm making spaghetti."
"Sure. That would be great." She forced a smile back, hiding the emotions churning away at her insides.
Christine's brow scrunched as she leaned forward to scan the room. "What happened in here?"
"What?" Play dumb, she thought.
"Rhea, your room. It's a mess."
"Oh, I ... um ... I ..."
Christine didn't wait for Rhea's excuse. She hadn't really wanted one. "You're twenty-one years old now. I'm not going to tell you to clean your room, but, honestly, you've only been home a few hours." Christine turned to leave. "Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes." She closed the door without waiting to hear the excuse her daughter was sure Rhea was going to offer.
Rhea stood frozen in place, amazed that such a brilliant scientist would be so accepting of the strange and
Her study of the creature was interrupted when her mother stepped into her room to check on her. Instead of seeing what Rhea saw, her mother saw Rhea looking into the dark empty corner where her dresser met the wall. That was the night the lies started.
For years her parents had tolerated her stories about the shadows, assuming they were just her imagination, but the sitting-on-the-floor event pushed them to consider sending her to a shrink. After a lengthy conversation, Rhea convinced her parents she wasn't crazy and would not be leaving her bed again to sit on the floor. That seemed to make them happy; they liked the idea that they had ended Rhea's obsession with the shadows.
Being threatened with becoming an outpatient at the local loony bin wasn't the only life-changing event Rhea experienced that night long ago. When her mom had caught her on the floor and spoken her name, the creature had turned to look at Christine. That was the night Rhea had confirmed the creature was real and that it could hear her.
~~~
Rhea looked at the mess on the floor that hadn't been there before she lay down. She had assumed her physical assault on her surroundings would stop once finals were over and she was home, but obviously that wasn't the case. As she looked at the chaos that was once her tidy childhood room, she knew her dreams weren't being caused by exam-related stress. Now what was she going to do?
Rhea swung her legs over the edge of the bed and glimpsed the vase of flowers Christine had placed on her nightstand that morning, something she'd always done after semester exams. They were dead.
Rhea gasped and reached to feel the once soft and colorful wildflowers, hoping the sun's shadows in her room were playing tricks on her eyes. The daisy crumbled, the dust falling to her nightstand and onto the floor.
She pulled back her hand in horror and disbelief. Her heart started to race , and for the first time in a long time, she was scared. She couldn't let her mother see them. How would she explain when she didn't know the answer herself?
Glancing around the room , she saw the plastic bag that held some miscellaneous items she had brought home from school. Dumping her things onto her reading chair, she carefully placed the bag over the flowers before attempting to use it to pull the stems free of the vase. The stems disintegrated upon her touch, and the flowers fell into the bag while the remainder of the stems dissolved into the water.
Rhea quickly tied the plastic bag closed and dumped it in the trash can under her desk , just as a knock sounded at the door.
"Rhea?" whispered Christine as she slowly opened the door.
"I'm awake." Rhea stepped forward so Christine would not come in and see the flowerless vase.
"Oh, good." Her face lit with a genuine smile. "Do you want a salad with dinner? I'm making spaghetti."
"Sure. That would be great." She forced a smile back, hiding the emotions churning away at her insides.
Christine's brow scrunched as she leaned forward to scan the room. "What happened in here?"
"What?" Play dumb, she thought.
"Rhea, your room. It's a mess."
"Oh, I ... um ... I ..."
Christine didn't wait for Rhea's excuse. She hadn't really wanted one. "You're twenty-one years old now. I'm not going to tell you to clean your room, but, honestly, you've only been home a few hours." Christine turned to leave. "Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes." She closed the door without waiting to hear the excuse her daughter was sure Rhea was going to offer.
Rhea stood frozen in place, amazed that such a brilliant scientist would be so accepting of the strange and
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