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Authors: Heather McCorkle
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reaction but she couldn’t stop it. Tears dripped from her chin to land on the back of her freakishly blue hands.
Then she remembered something her aunt had said. Mundane thoughts had made her feel better, it had pushed back the—she could hardly think the word—power. Her mind struggled to picture the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. At first she had trouble even remembering what a chapel was, then very slowly it started to form in her mind. She pictured the architecture first, which made her think of Aiden. With a desperate determination, she forced her mind to see the ceiling, then at last, the details of the painting.
The energy covering her hands disappeared, taking the disconcerting vibrations with it. Eventually her heart slowed and the dizziness passed. A breeze blew through the trees, lifting her hair and cooling her sweating skin. She could feel the life energy of countless tiny birds, squirrels, and rabbits. Then she realized she could easily discern which energy belonged to a feathered creature, and which belonged to a furred one, even though she couldn’t see them. Being able to sense such things made her feel like some kind of freak or monster. Using the word channeler instead of witch didn’t make her feel any better about it.
Eren leaned back against a tree, pulled her knees to her chest, and tucked her head between them. Sobs shook her body as she wept for the world she’d lost.
Chapter 11
She felt them coming for her like different pressure spots approaching through the forest, but she didn’t move. What would be the point? Sanity and logic had fled her world and there was nowhere else to run. Reality had been stripped away and she was left wrapped in nightmares. She was a freak. What did it matter if the other freaks found her? It was selfish thinking, she knew. But, she wanted to wallow in her selfishness for just a little bit longer.
There were several sets of footsteps. Her aunt must have brought help. A part of Eren knew she should feel bad but she just couldn’t bring herself to. She wanted to sit here and pretend her world hadn’t gone completely mad. When they found her she would have to face reality. That thought made her laugh. The laughter gave way to hysterics which soon gave way to more tears. Slowly, the selfishness was turned into remorse.
One spot of pressure drew closer, heading straight for her. Sniffling, she swallowed the lump in her throat and tried in vain to wipe her tears away. The footsteps stopped directly in front of her. Brushing the dark curtain of her long hair aside, she looked up.
A man who looked to be in his early fifties stood over her. He had a full head of salt and pepper hair, kind brown eyes, and darkly tanned skin. No, not tanned, Eren realized. He was Maya, and he looked remarkably similar to her mother.
“Eren, please come home,” he said as he extended a hand to her.
Hope and disbelief battled within her.
“Grandfather?” she asked.
The title caused a look of pain to flash across the man’s features. His hand trembled before her. Joy lit his eyes as he smiled and nodded.
A staggering relief bubbled through Eren. She launched to her feet and straight into his arms. False hope held no hooks in her heart, though. As much as she wanted to hear it, she knew he wasn’t going to tell her it had all been a mistake or a joke. The blue energy that had leaked out of her and threatened to make her explode had not been a hallucination.
It was not illusions of an old reality that made her cling to her grandfather as he scooped her into his arms. Nor was it hopes that he would contradict her aunt’s story. It was joy and desperation wrought from the knowledge that she had a grandfather. With him and Aunt Sylvia she now had a family again. However strange or supernatural they may be, they were hers. That thought scared her as much as it comforted her.
***
The cup of hot chocolate was warm and comforting in Eren’s hands, but she had yet to take a
Then she remembered something her aunt had said. Mundane thoughts had made her feel better, it had pushed back the—she could hardly think the word—power. Her mind struggled to picture the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. At first she had trouble even remembering what a chapel was, then very slowly it started to form in her mind. She pictured the architecture first, which made her think of Aiden. With a desperate determination, she forced her mind to see the ceiling, then at last, the details of the painting.
The energy covering her hands disappeared, taking the disconcerting vibrations with it. Eventually her heart slowed and the dizziness passed. A breeze blew through the trees, lifting her hair and cooling her sweating skin. She could feel the life energy of countless tiny birds, squirrels, and rabbits. Then she realized she could easily discern which energy belonged to a feathered creature, and which belonged to a furred one, even though she couldn’t see them. Being able to sense such things made her feel like some kind of freak or monster. Using the word channeler instead of witch didn’t make her feel any better about it.
Eren leaned back against a tree, pulled her knees to her chest, and tucked her head between them. Sobs shook her body as she wept for the world she’d lost.
Chapter 11
She felt them coming for her like different pressure spots approaching through the forest, but she didn’t move. What would be the point? Sanity and logic had fled her world and there was nowhere else to run. Reality had been stripped away and she was left wrapped in nightmares. She was a freak. What did it matter if the other freaks found her? It was selfish thinking, she knew. But, she wanted to wallow in her selfishness for just a little bit longer.
There were several sets of footsteps. Her aunt must have brought help. A part of Eren knew she should feel bad but she just couldn’t bring herself to. She wanted to sit here and pretend her world hadn’t gone completely mad. When they found her she would have to face reality. That thought made her laugh. The laughter gave way to hysterics which soon gave way to more tears. Slowly, the selfishness was turned into remorse.
One spot of pressure drew closer, heading straight for her. Sniffling, she swallowed the lump in her throat and tried in vain to wipe her tears away. The footsteps stopped directly in front of her. Brushing the dark curtain of her long hair aside, she looked up.
A man who looked to be in his early fifties stood over her. He had a full head of salt and pepper hair, kind brown eyes, and darkly tanned skin. No, not tanned, Eren realized. He was Maya, and he looked remarkably similar to her mother.
“Eren, please come home,” he said as he extended a hand to her.
Hope and disbelief battled within her.
“Grandfather?” she asked.
The title caused a look of pain to flash across the man’s features. His hand trembled before her. Joy lit his eyes as he smiled and nodded.
A staggering relief bubbled through Eren. She launched to her feet and straight into his arms. False hope held no hooks in her heart, though. As much as she wanted to hear it, she knew he wasn’t going to tell her it had all been a mistake or a joke. The blue energy that had leaked out of her and threatened to make her explode had not been a hallucination.
It was not illusions of an old reality that made her cling to her grandfather as he scooped her into his arms. Nor was it hopes that he would contradict her aunt’s story. It was joy and desperation wrought from the knowledge that she had a grandfather. With him and Aunt Sylvia she now had a family again. However strange or supernatural they may be, they were hers. That thought scared her as much as it comforted her.
***
The cup of hot chocolate was warm and comforting in Eren’s hands, but she had yet to take a
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