The Boot (Book 1)

The Variant Rebellion SNEAK PEAK!!

A/N: I am actually in the process of writing my own novel, so here is a little sneak peak for you :)

Prologue - Sayge

I was ten, the first time it happened. It was around noon on a Sunday, and my family and I were just starting to exit the church. Elleri, my little sister, was six at the time. When we stepped outside, she caught sight of the swing set at the adjacent park. She loves that swing set. It's been around for as long as I can remember. I distinctly remember loving it at her age, too.

Every Sunday after church, she would beg our parents to let her play, just for five minutes. Of course, they always agreed. Who could say no to that sweet little girl with blonde hair, bright, curious blue eyes, freckles dotting her face, and little dimples?

Eventually, it just became part of the routine. We'd go to church, and afterward, we'd let Elleri play on the swingset for five minutes before we went home. No longer did she need to ask, "Mommy, Daddy, can I please go play on the swing set? Just for five minutes?" Now, the second we stepped outside she would make a beeline for the structure, happily skipping along the way.

One of Mom and Dad's church friends waved them down. Dad crouched to my height and looked into my eyes. "Sweetie, Mom and Dad will just be a minute. Can you go join your sister?"

"Yes, Daddy," I nodded.

Dad stands back up and joins Mom, who is talking to the church friend. I spot Elleri reaching the swings and run to meet her. I'm only about eight feet from the swingset, Elleri three, when I get an odd feeling, out of nowhere.

I can't describe that feeling. I couldn't then, and I can't now. It almost felt like some sort of sixth sense... warning me that danger was to come. But that's the stuff of fairytales and movies, not real life. It must have just been the wind, blowing a cold breeze down my neck, making the hairs on my arms rise up.

I hear a sudden CRACK! and before I can even process what was happening, my arm shoots up, almost like a reflex, influenced by some sort of instinct. At some point during whatever had just transpired in the last ten seconds, my eyes flew shut. It isn't until I hear a chorus of startled gasps around me, that finally motivates me to open my eyes.

My hand is still held high, my fingers clenched. That's when I see it. Elleri is standing by the base of the swings, quivering in fear. She stares at me, eyes wide and jaw dropped, clearly shocked. My eyes follow the gaze of the crowd and I see... almost suspended in time, a tree falling. Except it didn't hit the ground. I must've... stopped it somehow. But how did I even-

There's the question of how I knew what was going to happen before it happened. My reflexes and instinct reacted ahead of time. To prevent that bad thing from happening. If I had reacted in real time, whatever I could have done wouldn't have been fast enough. I saved her because somehow I knew ahead of time.

Then, there's also the question of how I even stopped it in the first place. Ignoring the factor of however I knew, how did I even stop it? I barely had to think for even a second, it kind of just... happened. I stopped the tree from falling to the ground, crushing my sister. I stopped it in mid-air. Without even touching it. And it continued to float by the command of my palm.

I hear Mom and Dad's voices getting louder as they get closer. Mom rushed to Elleri, scooping her up into her arms. My sister trembles in our mother's hold, but even that can't soothe her. Dad gets beside me.

"Sayge, I know you're scared, but you need to focus. Help is on the way, okay? For now, do whatever you can to not let go."

That's far easier said than done. I don't even know how I'm holding it up in the first place. Now, somehow, I'm supposed to keep holding on. Until what?