I'm sitting on the ground behind a flower stand with Shawn. It's a little awkward and I don't really know what to say.
"So..." I start. "So..." he says. Looking at him the feeling of that pull towards him hits me hard right in the chest again. I take a deep breath and shake my head to try and get rid of it. Then I ask, "Why are you following me?"
He scratches his neck. "I don't really know. The first day I saw you in town there was something about you. You felt different from the others, and you have a... smell. I narrow my eyes. "Gee, thanks!"
"No, no..." He chuckles. "You smell like flowers. Like roses... and moss."
"Oh," I say, surprised. I might as well tell him what he smells like. "You smell like mint and strawberries." He burst out laughing and I can't help but smile. It's a nice sound.
When he's done laughing, he says, "seriously? Strawberries?" Still smiling, I nod. "Yeah." We sit in silence for a while. Despite everything I'm starting to feel relaxed. Then he asks, "How do you do what you do? The earth thing..."
I shrug. "I don't know. It started when I was a child." He quirks a brow. "Your parents didn't explain it to you? Or don't they have powers?" I shrug again. "Again, I don't know. I was an orphan. I only remember foster families."
"Oh... I'm sorry," he says in a soft voice. His fingers brush against my knee and a burst of electric tingles shoots through my body. The feeling makes me jump back a little and when I look at Shawn, he sits frozen with wide eyes. "What the hell was that?" I ask.
"...."
I look at him, curiously. "Shawn?" Then he quickly stands up. "I, uh, I have to..." Still with wide eyes he looks deep into mine as if he's searching for something. I furrow my brows. Why is he acting like this?
"Are you okay?" I stand up and he quickly backs away. "Shawn?"
"I'm sorry, I have to go," he says. Turning around, he sprints away from me, leaving me with a very surprised expression on my face. What the hell? I must have read our connection wrong because the feeling of his touch didn't feel bad to me. Actually, now that I'm think about it, it felt amazing.
I'm standing here feeling so confused. Then I sigh. Alright, better go say goodbye to Kate before I go home. Making my way back to the town square, I find Kate at the same table I left her at. She stands up and hugs me. "Kira hunny are you okay? What happened?"
"Nothing. I just got a little overwhelmed." I immediately spot Shawn standing with Sharon and Hillary. It looks like they're arguing, and they keep glancing at me. A flash of anger runs through me. I'm getting sick and tired of people talking about me behind my back. I'm not a damn circus freak!
"Kira, stop." Kate's voice is barely a whisper but it's still loud enough to make me snap out of it. "What!?" She nods towards the ground. "Look down." I do as she says and see that the ground under me is glowing green. Jumping back in surprise, the light fades away. What is happening to me?
Only now do I notice the silence. I slowly look up and people are looking at me with shock written all over their faces. Oh no. They saw. No, no, no. I start to panic and hyperventilate.
Small twirls of green light flows from my fingers and in the ground around my shoes. I jump back again and shake my hands and legs trying to make it go away. Kate grabs my face with her hands, forcing me to look at her. "Kira, calm down."
"I... I..."
"Listen to me. Go home and stay there until I contact you, do you hear me?" she asks. I feel tears running down my cheeks and I can't breathe but I still manage to nod.
"Good. Now go!" she says. The last thing I see before I turn around and run is Shawn looking at me with worry in his eyes. I jump onto my bike and ride as fast as I can. I just have to get home. Then everything will be fine, right?
I hear Freya cry out far above me. Looking up into the sky I catch a small glimpse of her. It calms me a little to know that she's there, but what is she doing out here? I've never seen her outside the forest before.
I finally make it to the forest, and I run through the trees to my house. Even though it's dark, I know exactly where I'm going. It's weird but I just know. Getting inside my house, I slam the door shut and lock it before I lean against it, trying to catch my breath.
Freya's continued cries above my house is helping sooth my nerves. At least I know I will always have her by my side.
"Okay. Well. Shit!" Grabbing a bottle of wine, I go into the bathroom and turn on the water to fill the bathtub. I strip out of my clothes and lower myself into the hot water. After a couple of minutes my body starts to relax just a tiny bit and I take a swig from the wine bottle.
Everything is screwed up. I can't go back to town now. They all saw it. I have no idea what 'it' is. My hands have never done that before. They freaking glowed! GLOWED! What the hell am I supposed to do? I obviously can't control it. Should I move? Just the thought of it makes my chest hurt.
I sight and think about Shawn and the feeling of his fingers on my knee. That amazing feeling and his smell... But I won't see him again that's for sure. He reacted to me like I had the damn plaque!
Looking at my hands, I turn them around a couple of times. It seems like it happens when I'm upset. Fear, when Shawn came after me. Anger, when I saw him talking to his sister and aunt and finally panic.
Getting out of the water, I dry off. Not bothering to put on any clothes, I go straight to bed. The soft mattress forms after my body before I pull the covers over my head. A night of sleep will help. Tomorrow I'm going to... Well, I have no idea what I'm going to do.
~~~~
Shawn's POV.
I'm standing in the town square with my aunt, Hillary and sister. I just felt Kira. I FELT her!
"I'm telling you Hillary; I can smell her," I say in a hushed voice. "And I can smell you. Take a shower!" Sharon says, scrunching her nose. I ignore her and focus on my aunt. "And there was a spark!" I say.
Both their eyes widen and they ask, "what?" I nod. That damn spark. It felt amazing and something clicked into place inside me, but she can't be... It's not possible.
"Are you sure?" Sharon asks. Nodding again, I say, "Yes, I'm very sure!" My Hillary slowly shakes her head. "But... That's impossible."
"I know!"
"She can't be your mate. She's not a shapeshifter," Sharon says. "Thank you, I know that!" I snap. Hillary thinks for a moment before she asks, "what does she smell like?" I think back to the moment I first smelled her. She smelled amazing. She smelled like home. "Moss and roses," I say.
Sharon rolls her eyes. "She lives int the woods and works with flowers, Shawn!" I shake my head. "No, it's... more." Hillary thinks for another moment. "Could she smell you?" I try to hide the small smile on my lips before I almost whisper, "yes."
"Shit," she says. She looks like she knows something and I'm about to ask her what when I smell her. Kira. Turning around I see her in the arms of Kate and she's staring straight at me.
"Oh God..." I feel Sharon's hand on my arm when I see it. A green glow in the ground is sneaking towards me, Kate grabs her face and Kira starts to cry, making my heart break. Every fiber in my being longs to hold her in my arms and comfort her.
I take a step forward when she turns around and runs away. I want to follow her but before I can do anything, Hillary is holding me back by my arm and says, "no Shawn. We have to go. We need to talk to the Elders." I snap my head around to look at her. "Please no. Not the Elders."
"Surry hun, but yes. Call your father."
"Fuck," me and Sharon curse. Hillary nods. "Yes hun. Fuck!"
~~~~
Kira's POV.
I wake up the next morning to total darkness. I can't see anything. Rubbing my eyes, I mumble, "huh?" I fumble with the drawer in my nightstand, find some matches and light the candle I always have next to my bed.
Looking out the window all I see is dark... Wait. I take a closer look. Is it blocked with something? Or covered? I go into the living room and check the windows there. Same. Kitchen windows. Same.
"Oh no... Please no." Maybe the earth has decided to swallow the rest of my house.
Stumbling my way to the front door I try to open it. It's a little hard but I finally succeed and see that it's not blocked.
"Thank Goddess," I whisper. I go outside and with my eyes closed, I smile up at the bright sun that is shining. I'm about to take a walk around the house when I freeze with my mouth open. The big pile of earth that used to be my house is now a giant tree.
I start to laugh hysterically. This is so not funny, but I've just had enough. Too much is happening, and I don't know how to deal with it other than laugh. A light breeze caresses my body and I suddenly remember that I'm naked. I go back to the front door and stop laughing.
Where the hell is the door? "That's it! Enough! Give me back my house. NOW!" A small pink flower appears on the big ass tree. I gently touch it, anticipating something will happen. Nothing.
"Oh, come on!" Resting my hand where the door used to be, my hand starts to glow in bright green swirls of color. Then there's a small crack and I stumble inside my house falling flat on my face. I look back and see a 'door' closing. More like one big ass root.
"Okay. Okay. Totally normal. Just another day. Right." I try to turn on a light switch praying that the electricity works. A soft light flickers on and I sight in relief before I almost shout, "yes!"
Going into the bathroom I take a quick shower and try to figure out what the hell happened to my house, but I quickly let it go because I get a small headache just thinking about it. When I'm done, I dry off and get dressed. I make myself a calming cup of tea while I talk to myself.
"I'm sorry tree, but it kind of sucks that I can't look outside or that the sun can't shine in. I guess I'll have to get used to that." I take a sip of the tea and go out through the perfectly normal door. On the inside at least. Sitting down on the bench, I look at the huge tree. Freya's cry pulls me out of my trance as she flies down and lands on the edge of the firepit.
"Hi Freya. I'm so glad that you're here," I say. She blinks and tilts her head to the side. "Things are crazy. I made such a mess yesterday. My fingers all of a sudden decided to glow." She chirps. "I know right? Completely insane. And people saw it..."
Thinking about the look on their faces makes my eyes well up. I can't go back to town again. Ever. I love it so much here, but I don't think I can stay. Not being able to see anyone is just...
"And Shawn. Panther Shawn is Shawn. I'm never going to see him again though. He freaked out." Without another chirp, Freya takes off.
"Love you too!" Then I hear a voice calling from a distance. "Kira?" Kate shouts. I sit up straight and listen.
"Kira?"
"Kate?" Jumping off the bench, I run towards her voice and when I find her, I throw myself in her arms.
"Oh, hunny. How are... ahh okay." I pull back and look at her. "What?" She turns me around by my shoulders and I see small patches with a faint green glow. Every step I took lighted up. I start to cry. Having Kate here... Knowing that someone still cares about me opens the floodgates.
"Come on. Let's go make a cup of tea," she says before she takes my hand and leads me back to the 'house'. When she sees it, she stops with a gasp.
"How..."
I try to explain, but it all comes out in tears, snot and sobs. Then I walk over to the tree and lazily put my hand on it. I have no idea how I'm doing it, but my hand glows and the door opens. Kate looks at it with her mouth open before she says, "Alright then. That's... new."
I cry and laugh at the same time, and it comes out in sobbing hiccups. "Okay, okay. Let's go inside Kira. Then you can tell me all about it." Leading me inside, the door closes behind us by itself. She sits me down on the couch in the living room. "Stay right here," she says before she goes into the kitchen and comes back shortly after with two cups of steaming hot tea. I take a sip of it and notice something.
"Did you put valerian root in this?" I ask because valerian root has a calming effect. She smiles a little. "Maybe." I raise a brow. "How did you know how to use that?"
"After yesterday, I thought that you needed something to relax and since you don't use medicine, I researched a little this morning." I give her a grateful smile as say, "Thanks. That's very sweet of you."
She smiles at me lovingly. "Don't mention it. Now, tell me about your new... house."
"I have no idea how it happened. I woke up this morning and there it was." I think for a minute. "It's like the forest is protecting me." She slowly nods. "Hmm. Makes sense." I look at her surprised. "What?"
"Think about it. Nature gave you a gift. It makes sense that it wants to protect you." I think for a moment before I say, "I guess you're right."
I'm dreading the answer to my next question. "So, uhm, what happened after I left last night?" She puts her cup down on the coffee table and sighs. "Well, people panicked. Now they definitely think that you're a witch."
"But I'm not!" She takes my hand and pats it. "I know, but it's the conclusion normal people make."
"Christ. I can't show my face in town anymore, can I?" She gives me a sad smile and says in a soft voice, "no hunny. Not until everything has settled down."
"Right." Then I stiffen. There's that smell again. His smell. Then I hear his voice outside. "Uh, Kira? Are you here?" Thinking about last night and how he ran away from me like I was the most disgusting thing in the world brings tears to my eyes. For some reason, that hurt. Very much.
Then I can feel my anger under the surface. "GO AWAY SHAWN!"
"Yeah, I don't think so. We need to talk!" Taking a deep breath, I sigh and stand up, but Kate grabs my arm and says, "don't. Don't go out there." I furrow my eyebrows. "Why not?"
"Just... Don't."
"I have to get him to leave me alone," I say. She looks around the room. "Okay, but I'm going with you." She stands up looking determined.
"You-," I start but she interrupts me. "It's not up for discussion!" I sigh again. "Okaayy." We go to the door, open it and go outside. When Shawn sees me, he smiles and simply says, "hi." I cross my arms over my chest. It surprises me that it takes every ounce of strength in me not to run to him, so I take another deep breath and ask, "what do you want?"
"We need to talk." I shake my head and say, "I have nothing to say to you. You panicked and ran away so let's just go our separate ways. Saying those words almost makes my heart break. It feels like my world will collapse if I can't be near him.
He takes a step towards me, but Kate pulls me behind her. "Do NOT come any closer!" Me and Shawn both look at her with raised eyebrows. "Kate?" I ask, questioningly.
"I know what you are Shawn, and I am NOT going to let you use her!"
What? "Uhm, Kate?" Suddenly small green glowing sparks come through my chest. The same sparks come from Shawn but his are brown. They reach out for each other and mingle together, making my breath hitch because I feel something reach out to me. To my soul. Then there's a small push and we are pulled towards each other.
I start to panic but his face breaks out in the brightest smile. Looking around, I try to fight what's happening, but my heart doesn't want me to. "Wh... What's happening," I whisper.
"No... No, no, no it can't be. It's not possible," Kate says with panic in her voice. I look back at her and she that her eyes are wide with shock. Another pull. Then another and another until I'm in his arms. He hugs me tightly and buries his face in the crook of my neck. I find myself doing the same and we both breath in and sigh.
I look at him with wide eyes and ask, "what's going on?" Suddenly I feel branches wrap around my waist, trying to pull me away. When our bodies break contact, an agonizing pain spreads in my chest. It hurts so much that I cry out in pain, and I hear Shawn do the same.
"Kate, stop. You're hurting her."