Shifted

Chapter 2: Ireland

Just as the plane touched down on the Shannon Airport tarmac, I retched unattractively into my paper bag. The entire plane ride was my own living hell and my stomach was uneasy from start to finish. I felt a change in my bones and I could tell it was close. It was like my body was working in full force, fighting whatever was to come.

How could I describe all of this to my sisters without them thinking I was crazy? Charlotte angelically held my hair back and rubbed my back as I had another go into the brown paper bag.

I heard the faintest chuckle from the row behind me. I turned in a rage to see a pair of uncompromising eyes avoiding mine, though a hint of a smile lingered on his lips. Something about him frustrated me, but my mind was fuzzy from nausea. My instinct told me to throw a punch his way, but my stomach won the battle and I ended up narrowly missing my bag as I vomited for the third time.

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon when the plane finally stopped at the terminal. Fortunately, a flight attendant took pity on me and whisked me to the front of the plane ahead of the others. She kindly gave me water and a fresh paper bag. I slung my carry-on over my shoulder and dizzily walked up the bridge to wait for my family at the gate.

I was still seeing the incomprehensible glow around people, that I could only explain as auras. The auras were blindingly bright since we had gotten to the Charlotte airport, and stayed bright the entire flight. I wondered idly if the change in brightness made me sick on the way.

I kept these auras completely secret from my family though, worried about what they would think. If anything, there were three important components of my newfound power:

First, I could physically see auras or emotions around people and those auras were colors that reflected the feeling they had at the time.

Second, I could only sense/see their aura if they were within pretty close vicinity. But the more I knew a person, the further away I could still see their aura.

Third, if they got close enough to me, I could physically feel their emotion. I could feel another person's sadness just as they felt it. Though, it might also manifest itself physically in me by feeling like a blanket weighing down on me, making it hard to breathe.

I slumped in one of the rows of uncomfortable black seats, put my head between my knees, and waited for the world to stop spinning. My family could be heard well before they were in sight. Eleanor and Addison were bickering over who would get the biggest room at the new house. Charlotte was worrying to Mom about my health and wondering if I needed a doctor. Dad was already talking business on his phone. Just before they stepped out of the boarding bridge, I felt a sudden wave of nausea again.

I picked my head up to find the man with uncompromising eyes peering back at me. With my head clearer this time, I noticed his eyes were a steel-blue color, like a stone shimmering in shallow water. He was already fading into the crowd, but time seemed to freeze for a moment as we studied each other.

His tall frame and wide shoulders made me wonder if he was athletic. His dark curly hair was tousled from the trip and he was frowning slightly as if he was concerned. He bit the corner of his lip as he contemplated and sighed before turning on his heel and walking for the baggage claim. Something urged me to run after him.

I blinked several times and got one more glance of the strange blue-eyed man who was now surrounded by auras, none of which seemed to be his own. Elle and Addison snapped me out of my daze as they sat down beside me, still debating who deserved the bigger room. Charlotte smiled at me sympathetically, as I looked in the direction that the guy had taken. I didn't have a clue of who he was, but I was indescribably disappointed when he was gone.