Aurora

Aurora-3

Chapter 3

I was scared, that I was certain of. The moment I felt Seraphina's consciousness start to slip, I went from disbelief to fear. I dropped to my knees, and checked her pulse. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was faint, but it was there. I pulled her up onto the couch, and let her rest. It's probably best if she was off the floor.

A thought crossed my mind. I wondered if that happened everytime. Was she over-exerting herself? Was she sick? Or was she just not used to it? What if that happened to me? I don't want to be a witch. I especially don't want to be one if this happens everytime I use magic. I don't even know if I have magic. Seraphina probably got the wrong person. I'm the invisble girl, not the happy-go-lucky witch-girl!

The strangest thing about all this is my reluctance to change. All my life I've wanted something to separate me from the others, make me different, but now that it's here, I don't want it anymore. It is a mix of fears and anxiety that keep me from my life-long dream. I was scared of the consequences, the things that would change should I take it. It reminded me of the time when my Nanna took me to the pier when I was 9.

 My Nan had told me stories of when she was a little girl, and how she used to come down here every weekend with her friend, and dive off the 3 metre high pier when she was my age. I had decided that I wanted to give it a try, even though I had no friend by my side. I had stood nervously at the edge of the pier, my toes curled over the algae-coated wood. I wore My light blue one-piece and matching blue goggles to shield my sensitive eyes from the stinging water. 

My plaited hair was battered around by the sea breeze, as if it was trying to push me in. I looked down into the deep blue water, fascinated by the life that thrived under there. Schools of brightly coloured fish caught my eye, but not taking my focus far away enough to overcome my fear. I wanted to jump in, I wanted to take the chance. But I was terrified. I just couldn't do it on my own. Nan cheered me on from the sandy beach, and I mustered up as much strength as my tiny 9 year old body could hold. I closed my eyes tight, and jumped into the deep blue.

As I hit the water, I felt a barrage of aquatic life tickle my person. I opened my eyes, and through my blue-tinted goggles I saw some of the most amazingly beautiful fish ever. There were yellow and teal striped ones, and little orange ones that kept brushing past my toes. Sea horses floated serenely in the tepid water, watcing me lazily. I began to lose my breath, so I kicked and pulled myself up and out of the ocean. I broke the surface of the water and took in a massive gulp of air. Then I climbed up te ladder, and jumped in again. And again. And again. I spent the rest of the day admiring the underwater landscape. It was the best thing I had ever done.

But the situation was slightly different here. I saw no obvious positives, and about a thousand well-reasoned negatives. I had gotten my answer as to why I was different, but now, I didn't feel like I wanted to know anymore. Swallowing my doubts for the moment, I turned my attention back to my friend.

Seraphina looked pale, but she seemed calm. Not in pain, thrashing and sweating. Her eyes opened, and I gasped. The original saphire blue had been diluted to a pale, powder blue. The pupil's was dillated and streaks of red, white and brown seemed to be floating behind them. Very strange. For some reason, they also looked more vibrant, more energetic. Like she had just had an energy drink, or something. Seraphina sat up, and turned to me, a grin pasted from ear to ear on her delicate features.

"Well, I feel great!" she smiled, hopping up.

"But you fainted and.. What, aren't you, you know... I thought you were hurt!"

"Yeah, it can look like that, but looks are misleading!" Yeah, they sure are, I thought. "What I just did then is called the Leech Effect. It's when you use your ability to gain mana from your surroundings. Unfortunately, you can not immediately utilise any newly taken mana, as you will be knocked out for a few moments afterwards. Don't worry about it, I'm fine. I feel way better than fine, actually!"