The Charm Of Her

The Break Before The Storm

I woke with a start, sitting up in my bed. My throat was sore from screaming. My sheets and clothes were drenched in sweat. The door slammed open, and Ciara ran in. Her beautiful face twisted in worry. "Are you alright ? I heard you scream." she thought to me.

Blinking many times, realizing it was just a nightmare, I just nodded. "Are you sure ?" I nodded again. "Okay. Would you like to go to the park with me and Avery ?"

I knew I needed to slow my heart rate and breathe, Going to the park would clear my head and calm me down. I glanced at her again and saw that there was no longer worry on her face but a huge smile. She loved going to the park. It meant seeing people and the beautiful pond they had there. Ciara and Avery loved to photograph every moment whenever they visit.

Avery was a short little girl. Not quite five feet tall. She just turned fifteen last month. Her blonde hair was a lighter shade than mine and her eyes were an icy blue. Avery was very sweet but tough when she had to be. Her ability was to shapeshift into anything she wanted. It was great for hiding anywhere.

I realized she was waiting for an answer. "Uh, yeah. Just let me take a shower real quick." I looked down at myself again. My clothes stuck to me and I could not go out like this.

"Okay, I will be downstairs." Ciara walked back out the door and down the hall.

It took me a moment to get up and gather my clothes. I kept thinking about the dream. Maybe it was all in my head. Walking into the bathroom that was connected to my room, I turned on the shower. Steam rose over the top of the shower. Just how I liked it. Taking off my clothes and stepping in the shower, I couldn't help but wonder if the dream were actually telling me something. What if I had foresight like Dakota? If that was the case then I had better do something. Maybe I should talk to Dakota about it.

The hot water splashed onto my back and it felt so good. We would have to leave this place as soon as possible. We won't be able to shower for a while so I decided to take my time and enjoy it.

The water started to get cold after awhile, so it was time to get out. After putting my clothes on and brushing m hair, I head downstairs to where Ciara was. Avery was standing beside her with a camera in her hands. She was showing Ciara some of the pictures on the camera. I spotted Dakota across the room on his phone. "Hey Dakota, would you like to go with us?"

He looked up at me and said, "Sure. I am going to grab Seth. I'm sure he would love to go as well." Dakota disappeared into the room next to him and came back out with Seth. The dream came to mind once more. I could not talk to Dakota with Seth there. I would have to find another time and soon. "Okay, let's go."

We walk out the door towards the park, our feet not making a sound on the pavement. The sun shone bright above our heads and I could tell it was about noon. We were halfway there when I heard a noise. "Emma..." It was almost a whisper. I spun around wondering where that sound came from.

Dakota, Avery, Ciara, and Seth gave me a weird look. "Did you guys hear that?" I asked, my voice trembling. They shook their heads in unison. Now I'm going crazy, I thought.

"What did you hear?" Avery asked.

"Never mind." I responded and continued to walk.