One Shot Stories

IV ~ The Shields

• Credit to @CheyBooks for this banner

    Living in my life sucked. Why? Well, humans have developed an ability. Mind reading. And you know what sucks about it? I couldn't do it. I can't read people minds and they couldn't read mine. They called me a 'shield'. But, one day, my life was changed for forever.

I was at the library, carrying a big, teetering stack of books to my table. I dropped them, of course. I bent down to pick them and someone decided to help me. Bryceon. He was a popular boy at my school. He helped me pick up my books then, we started talking.

While talking I came to the topic of me being a shield. I expected him to be shocked, disgusted, even maybe scared. No, instead a wide grin breaks across his face. He was a shield too. Something clicked that day.

    We became close then, closer after that. Something else clicked when we went all the way. Years later, we get married. Here's where it gets weird.

    We exchange vows and all of that. The priest tells Bryceon to kiss me, the bride. When we kissed, all the pieces fell together. Suddenly, I could feel and see what he was feeling.

    We pull back at the same time with the same looks on our faces. The church was silent.

"I can read your mind." We whisper in unison.

    Bryceon cried out and embraced me as happy tears flowed down my face.

"Artlin." Bryceon whispers my name.

    The church erupts in applauses, whistles, whoops, and hollers as we kiss again.

    Today, a little over a year later, I welcome a beautiful baby girl into the world. Lilith Ivory Mercer. Seven pounds and nine ounces. Ten hours of labor but it was oh so worth it.

    When the doctors come back, they tell me she is a shield. They expected me to be mad but, only a smile broke across my face. I turn and look at my husband; He smiles too.

    We know first hand what will happen. I think we all do.

                                   •••

                   How sweet is this?
                             If only...