"Try again!" Birch urged.
"This isn't working." I groaned.
"Do it again." I sighed and closed my eyes. I tried to feel the Forest around, tried to heighten my senses and hear every rustle, every whisper of the grass or leaves. I pulled to make one little leaf fall into my open palm. Nothing. I strained my head and kept trying.
After another five minutes, I opened my eyes. "This isn't working." "Maybe..." Birch trailed off. "I've told you, I'm powerless! I can't do this."
It felt awful. I'd been given hope, that maybe I wasn't as helpless as I'd always thought. But no. That had been crushed too. I really was powerless.
"What about the headaches?" Birch persisted. "Maybe it was a coincidence. Because this clearly isn't working."
"It's okay, we all take time to learn. It took me a really long time." Arden soothed. "Not me." Aiden muttered under his breath.
The three of us ignored him. He'd moved from unreadable grunts to sarcastic little comments none of us wanted to hear.
"Maybe you're right," I sighed, "Maybe I can't learn in one day."
Hours later, we were fed up. And by we I meant Aiden and I, though I didn't show it as much as him (he had stalked inside an hour ago, muttering furiously under his breath all the while). The other two were more optimistic. So it was happily we went for lunch at Grove's beckoning, eager for a distraction.
We ate vegetable chowder in silence, only broken by Meadow's occasional chattering.
I was only drowned in my own thoughts. Was I going to be helpless and dependent on other people like this for the rest of my life? And weak and powerless and helpless and hopeless and pretty much a waste of space? I was the most undeserving of my sisters to live, and help defeat my mother. Any of the others would be an asset, not a burden. Unlike me.
After lunch, more hours were wasted, and finally Birch and Arden gave up (Aiden having no part in it at all), both insisting that the day hadn't been entirely a waste and that we would try again tomorrow.
I went to bed early.
Hearing the sounds of everyone going to bed didn't help me in trying to fall asleep. Soon the house was silent.
But I was awake.
How useless my birthday had been. It was like a new life. Without a good start.
Happy birthday to me.
As I was wallowing in these depressing thoughts, I heard a creak outside. I jolted up straight, ignoring my heart pounding.
The door creaked open quietly, cautiously, like whoever was opening it didn't want to be heard.
It opened, and I saw who it was.