The Contest

Chapter 3: Willow DeLaughery

"How was your visit with Grams?"

I almost don't answer my mother when I enter the house, but I know it would be rude of me not to say anything. "The same as always," I reply offhandedly, hoping my voice isn't shaking too much. "I just helped out around the store."

"You're such a sweet girl," Mother says kindly. I spin to face her, and see that she is wearing a simple pale blue dress, which brings out her oceanic eyes quite well. The skirt reaches the floor, and the collar is ruffled. My sister has twisted the sides of Mother's blonde hair back and pinned the locks in place.

I smile at her. "You look beautiful," I tell her. She mirrors my smile and her face reddens slightly. "Thank you, Willow. Your sister has something picked out for you, too. She laid it out on your bed."

Eager to get my mind off of the events that have just taken place, I nod and head to my bedroom. When I step into the room, I am greeted by the familiar sight of my small bed in the corner and a table under the window, where I have a few small plants and a journal to log experiments. I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts of the look on my grandmother's face when I showed her my abilities. I turn to my bed, where a lovely and simplistic green dress was carefully laid out. In spite of my current mindset, I find myself smiling at the choice.

I change out of my common clothes and slip the dress on in its place. As I smooth out the skirt, I hear a knock at my door. I open it and find myself face to face with my sister Cecily. She looks me over and nods approvingly. "It brings out your eyes perfectly," she mumbles, brushing a few strands of hair behind my ear.

Though she is only a year older than me, she is almost like a second mother to me. She's patient and protective, and once she even got into a fight with someone who was harassing me.

Despite this, the only family member I've ever felt connected to is Grams, and now she's afraid to even look at me. I sigh and turn away from my sister at this thought, which she notices. "Are you alright, Willow?"

For a moment, I consider telling her what happened. I've always been able to trust Cecily not to tell anyone my secrets if the situation calls for it. The one thing I've never spoken to her about is my power, however, and I know that if I say anything, she'll most likely be scared of me, too. So instead of answering her question truthfully, I give her a smile and say, "I'm fine, I must still be a little tired."

She nods in understanding. "We did wake up fairly early today," she agrees before adding, "You know if something's bothering you, I'm always here, okay?" I thank her and she closes the door to let me continue getting ready.

I find it nearly impossible to tame my wild curls, so I finally give up and leave my hair alone. Since I'm finished with my appearance, I walk to the table below my window almost cautiously, as if something could go horribly wrong at any moment. Eyeing the plants, I take a deep breath and focus my energy on the flower on the left. A red rose, vibrant and beautiful.

I hold out my right hand and slowly twist it to the left, and the petals begin to curl into themselves. It looks as though the rose hasn't bloomed yet. I turn my hand the opposite way and the flower blooms in one swift motion. Nothing I haven't seen before. Before I can continue testing my powers, however, a knock sounds from my door and I hear my sister call, "Grams requests your presence!"

I turn on my heel and head out of my room, anxious about what Grams could possibly need me for, considering this afternoon.