Chapter Thirty
"Look out!"
Dawn snapped her eyes open to see a volleyball flying in the air towards them. She sucked in air as she raised her hand and shifted its reality to stay where it was. To freeze it mid-air. It was just a reaction to something flying their way that got her to move.
"Dude that is SO COOL!" Dawn didn't know the owner of that voice. She hadn't formally met everyone yet. This guy had fur that start at the tip of his nose and went up over his forehead where it spread out in a v-shape. The fur looked silver. Like from a grey wolf.
Dawn sighed as she got up. She reached into the shinning air and grasped the ball firmly. The shimmering disappeared as the ball reformed to normal reality. She could feel the eyes on her now. It wasn't something she wanted, but there they were. Judging her. Evaluating what she had just done.
Dawn snapped her eyes up when she felt Mark stand in front of her. He smiled warily at her as he took the ball from her. He leaned forward and kissed her. "If you want to go to the room, I'll understand. But I ask you to stay with me. They are just curious of you, nothing more."
He turned around and tossed the ball to the boy that spoke. He saw Targ sigh. "Come on guys! Lets continue playing." Targ winked at Mark who chuckled. Take it to be Targ to remind everyone what he told them before breakfast this morning. Dawn needs time.
Targ and Mark had pulled everyone to the front hall before they went into the dinning room this morning and told them that Dawn was an extremely private person. Beyond that she was incredibly shy. She didn't like attention as she spent most of her life alone and isolated from others. They wanted Dawn to open up and told them it might be a slow process. They needed to give her time. And above all, no touching. Touch to her was very private and intimate.
Barr actually came up with a good idea. A barbecue in the backyard. She could be apart of the fun and stay off to the side if she wanted to. She could watch and try to be comfortable being around them more.
So they decided to have a full afternoon and early evening as a fun 'family' party. Thats what was being discussed as they entered the dinning room. They were having fun planning the whole event right on the spot. The boys were all into the party because of the prospect of food. It made them more hungry for breakfast the more they talked.
Everyone went back to playing and Dawn felt their eyes leave her. She leaned forward and relaxed as her head rested in between his shoulder blades. Mark looked over his shoulder and saw that she was better.
"I used to be so good with attention long ago." Dawn said not really meaning to speak her mind out loud, but it was so easy to talk to Mark about anything.
Mark turned around and caressed her cheek. "It's alright. I'll be the center of attention for you. You don't have to do anything or be anything you don't want. Let me take on any burden you have."
Dawn felt a tear fall and he kissed it away for her. She wrapped her arms around him. She felt a little brave. She wanted to tell him everything that happened. She sighed as she shifted them to their room.
She let go of him and took one of his hands leading him to the couch. Curiously, he followed willingly. They sat down together and Dawn lifted her hand to the window's glass behind them. Her fingertips lightly pressed into the glass.
"I feel I can tell you what happened. What was done to me. You've made me brave enough."
Mark saw the glass shift and it looked like a television screen. Images moved and he saw the images of her home but more alive. "I lived with my family and was home schooled all my life. It was nothing new during that time. We were happy or so I thought. It was my twenty-first birthday that changed it all. I woke thinking it would be the best day of my life." The glass showed her looking in the mirror with the biggest smile on her face. She looked so happy and carefree. Nothing but a bright beautiful girl. Similar to the one that Mark has been seeing every so often.
"At breakfast was when I noticed something was wrong." He frowned when he saw what she saw. No one looking at her. No one saying anything to her. "I thought I had done something wrong or someone passed and no one told me. Hurt started to take root in my heart." She moved the hand she held over her heart. The ache forming again.
"The party seemed to cheer everyone up more, but they still kept their distance. Halfway through was when my father made his...show for a lack of better term." Mark saw her father grasp a cup from the mantle and bring it to her. He couldn't hear the words her father spoke but thought he saw pain in her father's eyes.
"He had me drink this strange drink. All of it. He said that every first born thats a daughter drank of that drink. Next he introduced me and everyone to my..." Mark placed a finger over her mouth when he saw Nicholas. He felt hate for the man and even noticed that Nicholas was dark back then.
He watched as Nicholas took her away from the party and her family turned away from her. He pulled her closer to him when she showed him silently what Nicholas had done. Then he saw flashes as time lapsed but Nicholas still had her. Over and over again he forced himself on her.
"I-it was late the second day he had me tied up that things changed. That he got so frustrated when he didn't see my powers had shown up." Mark saw her father arguing with Nicholas through the slit in the door to her room. "Nicholas wanted to try something else." Tears rolled down her face.
"Shit!" He couldn't hold back from cursing as he saw her father take her while Nicholas held her down. He pulled her hand away and just held her. It was worse than he thought about what happened. Her own father!
After a while, he pulled her up and kissed her forehead. "Thank you for showing me. You don't have to hold anything back. You are so brave to show me that. Especially the last part. Thank you so much." He praised her as he stroked her cheek. He couldn't stop touching her.
"You don't see me differently?"
He smiled and shook his head. "Not unless you think me thinking you are so strong by showing me your past. So strong and brave." He moved a strand of her damp hair behind her ear.
She smiled up at him and he down to her. She felt at that moment that she loved him more than she thought she could feel for anyone. "Should we go back down to the pool?"
"Sure. If you feel alright to." She nodded as she put her forehead to his. A second later they were back at the pool. He chuckled as he pulled her up and into a tight hug before he spun her around.
He set her down and tilted his head to the side at her. "Would you like to maybe have a little fun with the others?"
Dawn bit her lip as she looked at the others playing inside. It did seem like fun to her. She timidly looked up at him and nodded. He grinned and he took her hand taking her toward everyone.
"Hey Mark and Dawn. You decided to join us for a game?" Targ asked winking. He had seen that they had vanished somewhere and now she looked like so much weight was off of her. Whatever they just done had helped her tremendously.
"I think she's ready for some more fun."
"Alright. Barr. You're on the other side." Barr grinned as he dove under the water and glided to the other side of the net that had been stretched out across the pool. It separated it into two sections. This side had Targ, Pana, Han, and someone the two didn't know. Diana was off to the side watching the game.
Han floated over to Dawn and Mark, but kept his distance. "Just one thing. We like having a fair game. No powers." Dawn timidly nodded. "Don't worry. It's more fun this way."
"The thing is..." Dawn swallowed. "I don't know how to play."
His eyebrows shot up. "Oh. It's very easy. Just hit the ball over the net to the other side. Best to try and aim it if you can to a place no one is at. Keep it to the water. The walk way is out of bounds."
"Thanks." Han smiled at her and moved away to the back of their side.
Dawn couldn't believe how much fun she had playing water volleyball. She learned quickly with everyone's help. As she discovered, she was stronger than she was previously. Targ said that it was from his blood, referring to the serum, that made her stronger.
At one point, Mark had lifted her easily up by her waist so she could hit the ball over and score a point for them. She was giggling the whole time even when she hit the ball. Everyone was delight to see her opening up even more. Having fun. Not having her guard up or in her shell fully.
After the match, which Targ's team won at twenty to ten, they took down the net and decided to work on their tans. Dawn and Mark sat on the built-in benches in the shallow end of the outside pool area.
Marc graced the side of her back. His fingers making tiny spirals making Dawn giggle once in a while when he'd accidentally tickle her. He would smile and continue on. He loved hearing everything that showed she was happy. That he could see her shine.
"I have an idea." Mark said as he floated to squat in front of Dawn. "Lets go for a walk. See the beautiful forest that surrounds this place. And if we get lost, you can get us back."
Dawn smiled as she looped her arms around his neck and closed the distance between them. "That does sound nice." She bit her lip. "Should I get us upstairs in my special way?"
Mark laughed as he slowly turned them around. "I thought you said you barely ever use your gift."
She looked into his eyes. "You just bring so much out of me." She leaned in and kissed him.
"Ah-uh!" They heard Barr say before he laughed and then a huge wave hit them. Mark and Dawn were both laughing as they wiped the water off their faces. Everyone else was laughing too.
"Come on. Lets go get changed into dry clothes and take our walk." Mark drifted pulling her along with him. She grabbed her shirt when they drifted passed it on their way out of the pool. She didn't want to forget it.
She loved letting him lead her up the stairs into their guest room. They changed easily enough. Dawn took the bathroom while Mark changed in the bedroom. She felt more comfortable changing in there as it was so much more private than the bedroom.
She changed into a pair of jean shorts and a sleeveless button down shirt with a soft monochromatic plaid design. She felt a little like a country bumpkin in this outfit. But she was cute none-the-less.
She went out of the bathroom to see Mark lounging in a t-shirt and jeans examining his camera. He looked up as she drew near. "Thought I could take a few shots while we were out."
She smiled as she sat down next to him. "I like the idea."
Mark smiled at another thought. He put the strap over her neck and put it in her hands. "I think you should take some pictures." He pulled her up with him.
He chuckled when he saw that she was guarding the camera like a hawk. As if someone was about to take it from them. He had his smaller travel camera bag over his shoulder.
Through the first five minutes of the walk, Mark noticed how nervous Dawn was. He decided to hold her from behind and instruct her in photography. It worked as she felt freer to take pictures. She even took pictures of him when he was trying to tell her how to get unique close up shots of a flower she said she liked.
The whole walk was perfect with the exquisite sun over head and the slightest of breezes. The beauty of the spring day was making Dawn feel even more like she did so very long ago. And she thanked it all to Mark.
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