Everly~
My heart and mind were flooded with emotions and sudden longing memories of my mother. It caused a familiar sinking sensation in my gut as I walked away from Gwendolyn's small cottage.
When I reached the fork that separated the path from the village and mountain trail, I hesitated. Knowing I needed to head toward the village, my feet fought against my mind, refusing to move.
I was too emotional and I hated showing emotion in front of others.
If only I could heal sadness.
Letting out a sigh at the far fetched notion, I noticed the sun dancing behind the constant cloudiness of the valley. It taunted and teased me behind the clouds.
I wonder...
Before I could command them to, my feet were moving up the mountain path toward the clearings. For the first time I felt actual hunger and desire for the sunlight which was both intriguing and concerning.
With Gwendolyn's words bouncing around in my head and my own emotions bubbling too close to the surface, I trekked up the pathway until I saw a stream of golden light peeking through the tree branches.
It called to me silently as if it were my only salvation.
Extending my hand I slowly let the light engulf my skin and felt an immediate rush of endorphins and energy. There was so much power counting through me that my emotional memories were quickly buried and overpowered. I felt nothing except a surge of energy and a light tingling of electricity in every cell of my body until I pulled away.
While the intensity dissipated immediately, I could still feel my veins pulsing with energy, letting me know the power was still concealed within me.
Can I store this power and use it at will? Or does it die out as soon as I leave the sunlight?
Taking a few deep breaths to slow my racing heart, I watched my veins return to their normal color as the glow faded and decided I felt calm enough to return to the village.
Focusing on Gwendolyn's words, I imagined gated pathways within my mind - the pathways that led to the hushed mumbles and distant voices that seemed to be chasing me. I pictured actual gates and imagined myself locking them tightly. My feet stalled and my breath caught when the noises in my head suddenly went quiet and a deathly silence filled my mind.
It worked.
There was nothing. No mumbles or voices, no requests or commands, no looming presence hanging over me. There was simply nothing. I was left with only the sound of my own thoughts and quickly realized how long it had been since I had felt truly alone.
I was so lost in the silence of my mind that I nearly jumped out of my skin when I reached the edge of the village and heard a young girl scream. With my feet moving and my heart pumping, I sought the source of the sound, finding the crying child in seconds.
My eyes went wide at the sight of a young girl, the front of her dress covered in blood.
"What happened?" I gasped as I knelt beside her searching for an injury that wasn't there.
"My rabbits." She sobbed. "They killed my rabbits."
Sending a silent prayer of gratitude up to the Gods, I let out a sigh of relief as I hugged her, thankful that the blood hadn't come from her tiny body.
"Who did?" I asked gently.
"I...I don't know." She sobbed and hiccuped.
"Will you show me?"
