A Tale of Waves and Storms

A Unity Series short story

Cast of Characters

FORREST O’NEIL, current Leader of Village & the Reunited Animal Council; possess telepathy and elemental magic (elementalist); narrator of this story

HAYLEY O’NEIL (née Neal), his wife

CAITLIN O’NEIL, their only daughter; possesses telepathy and elemental magic; prospective Leader of Village

LIMA, their adoptive dog; Caller* to both Forrest and Caitlin; aged at over 1000 years old; Leader of The Animal Council of the Gatherings

GARY FISHER, Forrest’s adoptive brother; possesses telepathy and prophesizing abilities

FIONA FISHER (née Ashley), his wife; possesses telepathy

GALEN FISHER, their only son; possesses telepathy

MACKEY, Gary’s adoptive dog and Caller*

RANDALL DAVIS, possesses telepathy

FERN DAVIS (née Stevenson), his wife; Forrest’s biological sister; possesses telepathy

RIVER DAVIS, their oldest son; possesses telepathy

SAMANTHA “SAM” DAVIS, the middle child and only girl; possesses telepathy

MAX DAVIS, their youngest son; possesses telepathy

MADELYN NOVAK, possesses telepathy and invisibility powers

WYATT NOVAK, her adoptive son

MILLIE, Madelyn’s adoptive cat and Caller*

*Caller is a term used to refer to an animal guide who can speak both telepathically and physically, and who leads those with powers to Village, where they can receive training for their powers and also meet those who are like them; Gathering Village, also called Village, refers to the place where those with telepathy and other powers may meet, learn to control their powers, and is like a home to them.

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I lay on my bed awake with the night air coming through the window. With summer approaching, it was comforting and cool, yet I could not relax. My daughter Caitlin knew who I was now, and what my duty was to this world, and she now would bear the same title and mark as I once did.

Village was the name of the place where I had been once welcomed as if I was family, with open arms. As an adopted child who knew almost nothing of his blood parents, I had always felt a little lost, a little scared, of the world around me. I had been terribly shy, constantly withdrawing from others when I was frightened, and had always felt somewhere in my heart that I was lost. Village had changed that. When I had been just 14, I had met Lima, my Caller, the animal (this case being a dog) who had brought me to Village and told me about the powers I possessed. When I had first gone to Village, I had been nervous‒ sure. But I also felt in my heart strongly connected to this place in the woods, the place that was a safehouse for those of us who possessed powers. I wasn’t ready for my time at Village to end. I wasn’t ready to give up being Leader, for that is what I had become based on the incredible powers I possessed, even though I knew it would be best for Caitlin to take over.

I touched my neck where my pendent used to be, the one that had signified my place as Leader among those at Village. It was bare now. I had worn that pendent for years without taking it off; to not have it now made me feel sad, naked. My life revolved around Village and though I wasn’t that old, it seemed odd to think I was old enough to retire from that place. I couldn’t imagine living without it.

I remembered the quests, the magic, and all the friends that were now closer than family that I had made there. It was a place I had finally belonged. It was my home, despite the house that I lived in now. I could only hope that Caitlin thought about it the same way.

I studied the sketches on my wall. I had improved since my time in high school, but I still kept the one of Lima, with her swirling rainbow eyes and of Hayley, my beautiful wife, and of all the other drawings I had made in that time. I also still had the flower petal that started my journey. It sat on my dresser in a little glass bottle. It was preserved, so I would hopefully never lose it. As I had gotten older, I had added more pictures of Village to my wall. The lights. The building layout. The inside of the hall where we ate all our meals and had all our meetings. Our day coming back from the quest with the crowds. All of the Callers that I had seen. Pictures of friends and family who continued to come. A picture of the Reunited Animal Council, a Council created by a group of animals that had also created Village for those of us with special abilities, and one that consisted of those of us who ran Village, me as their chosen Leader. All of my memories strewn around me. What was I going to do without them?

I hadn’t felt this hopeless for a while. The last time I really felt this way was when I had first discovered who I was, and I didn’t know if there was anyone really like me. I had worried that no one would understand the loneliness I felt. I thought of Gary. He had come into my life broken and beat, and somehow, we had functioned even more efficiently together than apart, even though we were in no way related. He was quite possibly one of the best things that had happened to me, my little adoptive brother who I so adored. I was glad I had gotten to grow up with him, and that I still got to see him on occasion with his young son, Galen, and his wife, Fiona. I wondered what he thought about growing up, and about Village not really being ours anymore.

I wondered what he would think of me giving up my position. Lima had been the one to suggest it. She had told me it would be hard, but I wouldn’t regret it. It certainly hurt now, but I knew my daughter was worth everything in the world. I loved her more than anything. This was her destiny as much as it was mine. I sighed, turning to my side. I felt small again, or smaller, since I had not been very small when I had discovered my powers. There was a glass by the bed. I put my hand in front of me and controlled the water to splash my face gently. My powers consisted of telepathy, which was what distinguished members meant for Village, as well as my elemental magic, something that distinguished me among those of Village. This meant I had control over the four different elements: earth, water, fire, and air. I touched my face where the water was running down my cheek gently. It felt good, reviving, and relaxed me deeply.

“Dad?” I heard suddenly from the doorway.

I turned quickly to find Caitlin standing there, her hand wrapped around the doorframe, biting the inside of her cheek.

“Hi honey,” I said softly. I rubbed the water from my face and dried it quickly using my powers. I patted the bed next to me, inviting her to sit. She carefully trotted across the room and instead of sitting, flopped on the bed next to me, fingering the Leader pendant around her neck gingerly. There was distress written all over her face. I sat up, and gently laid my hand on hers.

“Dad,” she asked suddenly. “I’m really excited, and I know this is like…the biggest honor to be named Leader of Village, but I’m…”

I turned my face towards her as her voice cut off.

“Nervous?” I supplied, giving her a knowing smile. She nodded.

“I’ve never been to Village before. I know you talk about it a lot but…what’s it really like‒ being the Leader of such a place?”

I remembered my swearing in ceremony, how I had shaken with nerves at the thought. I had been so shy then. Now I was…well…

“It’s the most amazing experience you will ever be granted in your life.” I told her. “Don’t you worry. And unlike me when I was first welcomed to Village, you’ll know almost everyone there. Your cousins will be seeing it for the first time too. And they’re going to be on your Council. You’ll be surrounded by good company.”

She nodded, and I saw excitement return to her features. My daughter’s temperament was easier flowing then mine was, and it only took a little reassurance to put her back on the right path.

“When do we leave?” she asked, and seeing her smile, I felt some of the childlike wonder fill me, felt my uneasiness diminish, felt my glee in the process return. What a glorious day, to officially welcome my daughter into the community that had provided me with the greatest family imaginable.

“You’ll feel it,” I told her, pointing to her heart. “In here.”

And suddenly, the sensation bloomed in my chest, and I could see in my daughter’s eyes that she could feel it too. I smiled at her, feeling my eyes crunch in the corners with warmth. I wondered if I would ever feel this sensation again, that feeling like warmth trickling around my heart and spreading across my entire chest that made me feel like I was flying, that reminded me I would never be alone anymore.

“It’s like…” my daughter whispered. “A sparrow. Or…like the sun is inside my chest. Or like a flower blooming or…”

But there was no feeling like the one that called us to Village. One thing I could say for sure, however, was this: it felt like home. Like fresh cookies being laid out. Like the softness of your very own bed. Like the crackling of the fireplace in the background. Like the sweet hum of music as you drifted across the hardwood floors. Whatever memory was most pleasant, that was what Village felt like to me.

And now my daughter felt that too.

The two of us sat there for a moment, contemplating what to do next. After a few seconds of sitting with the feeling filling us, we stood and went to inform Hayley that we would be making the trip to Village. Hayley was ungifted, but she would be coming with us anyway. Village was typically disguised from outsiders, to keep us safe when meeting there, but Hayley had been allowed to see it, since she was my wife, and was the mother of a girl with remarkable abilities. I took her hand, and we left the house, following the magical glowing lights that lit our path to Village. It wasn’t far but walking along the trail was always like an adventure of its own. Caitlin was mesmerized. She had seen me follow the lights dozens of times, but now she was able to follow them as well. She tried to cup the light into her hands, but it faded before she was able to and so she would move onto the next spark.

Hayley leaned her head on my shoulder. The first time I had met her had been kindergarten, when I had just moved in with my adoptive family and was going to a real school for the first time. The only thing that had kept me from crying that first day out of sheer terror of being abandoned again were the three friends I had made that day: Cleveland, Cody, and Hayley. As we got older, everyone had always teased Hayley and me that we would end up together some day. And sure enough, we had, and we had a beautiful daughter as well that made us feel complete.

When I was fifteen, I had gone on a quest to conquer loneliness with two of those who were part of Village: Madelyn, who had the gift of invisibility, and Gary. The three of us were the only ones with other powers besides telepathy, and we had made a great team. We were tasked with finding a stone that we then brought to the Lock Ness monster, who transformed it into golden light, and filled an empty gap in our hearts. Though it was a complicated procedure, it had worked. I had felt that I was finally free in that moment. But handing down my pendant to my daughter had the reverse effect. It had made me fearful and feeling alone again. But now, watching her skip before me, cupping golden light once more, I thought perhaps this was the full circle of those events. My daughter would never feel lonely as I had because we had conquered that for those who were lucky enough to enter Village’s borders. We had made them a haven. My daughter would be safe. Free…

I was excited for her.

As fearful as I was, I had never felt prouder of her in my life, never felt so filled with love. I laid my head on top of Hayley’s as we walked, and I squeezed her hand gently.

As we reached the end of the small path, we reached a clearing, and there stood Fern, waiting for me, light glittering behind her eyes. She was alone, so I assumed that her husband, Randall, and her three children, River, Sam, and Max were already ahead of us. When I saw her, I lifted my head and ran to give her a big hug. She eagerly accepted and threw her arms around my neck in delight.

Fern was my biological sister. After my biological parents had discovered I was gifted with incredible powers, they realized they could not care for me, nor be around me, or bad things would happen to all of us. They had been forced to give me up, for my own safety and for theirs as well. But my mother had given birth to another child who was gifted, but not to the extent that I was. This had been Fern. Fern, who looked nothing like me except for our green eyes, but who I loved dearly. For fourteen years of my life, and thirteen years of hers, we had been separated, but I had met her at my first time in Village and had immediately felt a connection to her. I later found out she was my biological sister, and the two of us had been overjoyed by the prospect of having a sibling.

“Today’s finally the day!” she whispered to me. “They will finally see Gathering Village for the first time!”

“I know,” I said, pulling away and smiling at her. “Caitlin is very excited. How’d the threesome take it?”

“They nearly broke down our door. They’re like rockets, those little ones.” She said, shaking her head. Then she looked up and she softened. “But I think they’ll calm once we reach it. Come now, we should catch up!”

And so, Fern, Hayley, and I followed Caitlin, who was still eagerly chasing the lights, down the rest of the path that led to Gathering Village.

When we finally reached it, we all paused for a moment. It was the place of our childhood dreams and wonders and adventures. It was exactly how I remembered it to be. Around the outskirts of the village were small houses that the animals who ran the village lived in. There were lights surrounding the area. In the center was the wooden building that housed most of the meetings and that was filled with long tables and lots of chairs for all the members of Village to gather. It also housed my Leader chair. I wondered if I would be sitting in it today.

But before I could fully wonder about it, a giant blur tackled me to the ground. I felt something begin to lick my face. I was able to open one eye and confirm that it was in fact who I thought it to be.

Lima! I said telepathically to her.

Forrest! she said, equally as excited. I am most glad to see you!

Lima continued to lick my face. Though we had technically adopted her as part of our family, Lima still liked to spend time in Village. She was the real leader of Village after all. You couldn’t tell by looking at her small, reddish brown fur form, but she was thousands of years old and had been running the Animal Council of the Gatherings for just as long. She was my Caller, the name we gave to animals that helped us with powers find our way to Village and train us how to use them. But Lima had become more than a trainer. She was one of my greatest friends. Though she took the form of a dog, she was certainly more than one. I reached up to pat her head. She stopped licking me for just a moment so I could look into her deep brown eyes, though as she begun to speak telepathically to me, her eyes swirled like rainbow kaleidoscopes.

You’re daughter looks most well. Is she ready for the responsibility? Are you ready?

I waited for her eyes to turn back to brown as I responded: I feel like I did that day, Lima. Afraid. Lost. Confused. Am I losing this place for good? What is to become of me?

She licked my nose gently before she responded: Nothing at all, Leader of the Reunited Council. This place will always be yours. It is just now, your daughter will become a part of it as well, just as you did. I will always stand beside you and her. Fear not‒ you are never alone.

This thought comforted me, and I hugged Lima close to me before sitting up and dusting myself off. But before I could fully recover from the tackle, I was tackled again, this time by a human.

“Forrest!” Gary said, wrapping his arms tightly around me. Then he added, more quietly: “Brother.”

Behind him came Fiona, who was holding her son, Galen’s, hand. Both smiled at me. I saw Caitlin turn to Galen, who let go of his mother’s hand, and the two of them rushed towards the Village together, where their cousins, River, Sam, and Max waited for them. I considered following them, of leading my daughter through the village and telling her how everything was going to go. I was nervous for her, but now, she didn’t seem as frightened as she had before.

Let her go, Lima said telepathically to me. She will be alright now, surrounded by the ones she will lead. Within these borders, she will never feel the loneliness. She will carry the promise of family forever.

Gary pulled back from me then, and I let loose a sigh. His brown eyes were alight with excitement. It was amazing to see how much he had grown, from the worried and frightened ten-year-old he had been to a now strong young man, excited by the prospect of the future.

We both looked when we heard laughing coming from within the trees near us on the outskirts of Village. A woman emerged through the trees, wearing a long skirt that swept the ground like a floating cloud and a top that had equal grace to it. Behind her rushed a young boy wearing overalls. He had his arms stretched out, as if trying to grasp her, and there was panic on his small face. But he ran after the woman, his eyes saying everything for him: he loved this woman very much.

She didn’t stop her wild skipping until she had made it into the heart of the Village, and I watched her with odd fascination. My other friends and family who were around me‒ Fern, Gary, Hayley, and Lima‒ all turned their heads to watch as Madelyn Novak led her son, Wyatt, into the heart of our Village.

Madelyn had been on the same quest Gary and I had been on. She had the special ability to turn invisible, and we saw that as she seemed to float down the hill into the square, she popped in and out of visibility. There was pure elation on her face. She had been in the military for a few years, taking after her father, but after she had left, she had rejoined us as a member of the Reunited Animal Council, and seemed to have inner peace that I had never seen in her. This mostly came from the adoption of her son, who was the young boy who followed her into Village.

I shared a lot in common with Madelyn’s young son, since we both had been adopted. Madelyn wasn’t married, but she wanted to have a child, so she had welcomed Wyatt into her life. He was just eight now, the youngest of all my friends’ and family’s children. He wasn’t gifted with telepathy or any other kind of power, but what he was gifted in was extreme sweetness and politeness. When Madelyn stopped spinning, and finally stopped right outside the large building in the heart of Village, Wyatt practically ran into her and hugged her, hiding behind her legs. Lima had let him into Village, even though those without powers typically could not see nor enter. The overalls that he wore were had been made by Madelyn. After leaving the military, Madelyn had opened her clothing shop and had stuck to her word of making costumes for children, but her favorite child to make clothes for was her son. She adored him like he was her entire world, and he adored her like she was the sun he revolved around.

I nodded to Gary and then went to greet her. She waved to me. Her blond hair fell to just above her shoulders now, and it was wavy and light. Her smile was radiant.

“Hello, Forrest!” she greeted, and I gave her a big hug. Wyatt peeked out when I pulled back, and I could see his large brown eyes look up at me in wonder. He smiled shyly. It was hard to believe that Gary had been just two years older than Wyatt was right now when we had met. Time had truly flown by.

Though Wyatt was ungifted, he had a large role to play in the future of Village. Village had always been a secluded place, but we did our best to keep our powers hidden while also helping the world. Wyatt was to become a bridge between the worlds. Hayley had been trying to prepare this duty for him, as she was also ungifted and had seen the wonders of Village, but for the future of Village, the responsibility would fall on young Wyatt. He would make a proposal that in exchange for keeping Village a secret, those who were part of it would try to make the world a better place, and work with government systems to try and help clean and brighten the environment. Those of us who were part of Village had a strong love of nature, and an imprint on our hearts to want to protect it and help it. Hopefully now, with Wyatt’s help, we would be able to restore it in more ways. He would act as a liaison between our world and the outside world, to make the world fully the best place it could be. It was a lot of responsibility, especially for such a young child, but the gift of Village never felt like a burden, and by being given this family, he already seemed more than ready to take on the task. I crouched down to his level and patted his head gently. He beamed at me.

Then I stood back up and looked at Madelyn again. She was holding her hands in front of her, her skirt and hair blowing in the light breeze, and I thought of the moment when we had first met at school, and I learned that she was the last one of the prophecy that would take us on our quest for unity. Unity, so to speak, between our community of those who felt broken and afraid, and with the outside world of those without powers. It was strange, but for a moment, it felt as if nothing had changed since then. It was a short-lived moment, but it was a refreshing one from all the others I had been experiencing that day.

“How far we’ve come,” she remarked. “You must be so proud.”

And nervous, I said into her thoughts. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth at the use of my telepathy.

And nervous, she repeated to me. But look at everything we have accomplished.

She gestured around her, at the sparkling Village with lights that seemed to shine like little stars.

Think of everything she will accomplish, Madelyn added. Then she hit me playfully and disappeared out of sight. A startled Wyatt looked up at me, and his hands stopped gripping air as Madelyn began to run further into Village again. He ran to catch up with her, and I followed, joining everyone else that my life was entwined with as we all filtered into the large gathering space. I found Caitlin in the crowd and she walked over to me, and I could see the apprehension return. I pointed to where I usually sat at the beginning of meetings‒ in the large chair that looked more like a throne.

I’ll sit there, I thought to Caitlin.

Next to it was now a smaller chair that wasn’t nearly as regal, but it was certainly fancier than the other chairs in the room. I pointed to that one next.

You sit there. We’ll switch places after you take on your new title, and then we’ll join everyone else for a celebration afterword.

Caitlin nodded, and we both headed towards the chairs. I was used to mine by now. When I had first been elected as Leader of Village, I had waved to the crowd from this chair, so nervous, so unsure of my place. But now, I was sure that my place was among these people that spread out along the tables before me. It wasn’t that we were a monarchy or even in a palace. We were a family, who had come together to celebrate our accomplishments, and to welcome the new little ones into our family with a large feast and a celebration, and to welcome the new head of this household, my daughter. I looked over at her as she looked out at the crowds assembled, fear in her eyes. It wasn’t just our blood family who was here, but all the people who made up part of our alliance. I recognized all the members of the current Reunited Animal Council who would be retiring with me today. Not only were Fern and Gary and Madelyn on the council with me, but there were also ten others who made up the Council. They were all present today, as were the others in our world gifted with telepathy. Everyone was here to see the start of a new era.

You are going to be amazing, I whispered into my daughter’s thoughts. I couldn’t be prouder of everything you have become.

She finally turned away from the crowd and looked at me, her eyes shining. It wasn’t that I was just proud of her special abilities, or even of the fact that she was going to be Leader. Of course, these things counted, but I was most proud of her confidence, her kindness, and her strength. I was proud of the young woman she was becoming, and of every bit of faith she had in the world. She, more than anyone, would make this world a beautiful place, not just for gifted, but for all those that would have the pleasure of the Council’s help.

Thanks dad.

In this moment, Lima jumped onto the wooden stage of the pavilion in which these meetings were held, her head held high as she sat on the wooden deck. The rest of the animals in the Animal Council of the Gatherings fanned around behind her. I recognized my friends’ and family’s callers. Mackey, Gary’s Caller, the big, almost wolfish dog was to Lima’s right and Millie, Madelyn’s Caller, the small Calico cat, was to Lima’s left. Lima’s tongue lolled out with glee before she addressed the crowd before her.

“Hello everyone!” she said out loud. All Callers were gifted with both real and telepathic speech. “Today marks another fine day in the history of our kind, the kind who share the special abilities that mark us as unique in this world. Today, we will be granted a new Leader, but will also be welcoming the possibility of our lives integrating with the outside world! Forrest O’Neil, would you care to say a few words?”

I looked at my daughter, then stood, facing the crowd. I was not as nervous as I once was, not as lonely as I had been while looking out at the crowd, but I was still shaky as I rose to my feet.

“Hello everyone,” I said, reminding myself to be loud. “It is an honor and a privilege to be before you today. I cannot even fathom that I have been a part of this community now for more then twenty years of my life. It is with a sad and heavy heart that I depart as Leader from you, my family.”

I had to remind myself that this is a good thing, that passing on my position will free me from this burden of leadership, will allow me to just like everyone else, something I had yearned for, for as long as I had been a member of Village.

“While I am stepping down from this position, I promise that I will continue to be a part of this community for as long as I am able, and I also am here today to present you with someone who will take up the title‒ my daughter, Caitlin O’Neil.”

I looked to my daughter, sitting beside me, and whispered into her mind, You can stand now.

She smiled at me gently, then more warmly to the crowd, and we did as we practiced all those times in the backyard. I reached out my hand and called water from a glass in the room to my being, moving it in-between my hands in a circular motion, creating a ball out of water. Then, by a trick of air, I threw it. Before even a droplet could fall, my daughter caught it within the realm of her own power and formed it into a new shape into her hands. It was a fish, like the one I had made her when she was just three years old, made completely out H2O droplets.

The crowd gasped and then seemed to cheer. I looked at my daughter proudly, and she looked back at me, her hands dripping with the creation she held within them. She held it up for the crowd to see.

“I now pass my title as Leader of the Reunited Animal Council to my daughter, Caitlin O’Neil.” I said, and for the first time, I felt a strange peace. I looked around the room as the rest of the old Council members approached the other members of my family‒River, Sam, Max, and Galen‒ and shook their hands, passing on their power to the new young members of our group. I saw Madelyn put her hands on her son’s shoulders, and he stood tall then, looking up at her as if to say: I can do this. For as young as he was, he was extremely brave.

The new members of the Reunited Animal Council looked to their new Leader, my daughter, who was beaming with pride. The door to the outdoor pavilion flew open as a gust of wind from my daughter’s elemental magic burst through it. It made her bound brown hair fly back. Her blue eyes shown with excitement as the water she had been caressing near her flew out as droplets that danced around her in the circle of wind and rain. As I watched her flurry of powers, I was overcome with emotion. It wasn’t sadness like it had been though, or even a feeling of loss. It was something not able to be described in words. I felt tears coat my face. It was reminiscent of the day of our quest, when I had been held in the Lock Ness’ large flipper, held up towards the sky, and the golden light had appeared all around me of all of my memories, and the memories of my friends. Here around me now were memories in the making, and I found I could no longer feel any semblance of the deep sadness I had felt before. I looked at my daughter and saw the beauty that danced around her, of the awed faces of the crowd, of the sheer brightness of the room, and I couldn’t for a second ignore the fact that it felt as if my heart were becoming larger, stronger, louder. I was overcome with love.

I felt in my heart the wind and the storm building, and I added my own wind power to Caitlin’s as leaves from the outside of the of the building flew in, being caught up in the whirlwind that surrounded her. I watched as she ran about the room then, and everyone felt the breeze of her cyclone as she whipped past them. I doubt anyone else noticed that her feet hovered above the ground as she did so.

Finally, she floated down to where the throne chair was, and the excitement that bubbled around her dissipated, leaves falling to her feet, water raining down on her head and mine, as the crowd settled, and we all breathed a sigh. Such jubilation enveloped the room, and I wiped my eyes, beaming at my daughter. As she sat in the chair, I saw that elegant grace seemed to flow around her. I looked out the crowd as I raised my arms above my head.

“Your Leader!” I said, my voice full of emotion, but booming loud and clear. Everyone cheered. Some stood in ovation. I met Hayley’s eyes in the crowd, and I could see tears on her face as well as she beamed at me. I looked over at my daughter again, and I saw that her blue eyes were looking back at me, almost expectantly.

Did I do it right?

The words she whispered in my head were almost hesitant.

You were brilliant, sweetheart. That’s my girl!

She beamed at me. I lovingly sent a gust of wind her way.

“Let the feast begin!” Lima boomed from above us on the wooden stage. Caitlin looked at me again, confused.

Follow me, I instructed her.

The two of us found our way to the table where the current Council was sitting, along with the rest of my family and friends, with Wyatt on one end of the table, and an empty chair on the other for Caitlin. I gestured for her to sit down, and I sat down next to Hayley. Food was brought out for everyone by the Callers, who beamed and bounced around the room with delight of the happy day.

After eating, we all headed outside to sit on the grass and enjoy the beauty of the day. With my spirits soaring high, flowers began to blossom where my feet touched the ground. This was part of my elemental magic, and only happened when I felt completely and truly happy. Whatever fear I had felt coming here, it seemed to have completely disappeared.

As we all gathered around the pavilion to talk, a light breeze began to blow through the air. At first, it was pleasant, light, cheerful. Then, it turned fiercer, almost like a storm was brewing. The day had been sunny and clear, but as I looked up at the sky, my hand shielding my eyes, I saw that the sky was becoming dark…but just in the area over Village.

The dense clouds swirled, and I turned to my daughter as droplets of rain began to fall from the sky. She lifted her hand over her head, and I copied her, shielding ourselves from the rain as we created a pocket of air above us.

Everyone frantically ran for cover as the rain became fiercer. Usually, all of us would love to spend time in the magic that rain seemed to bring, but this kind of rain was hard, unyielding, and certainly not friendly.

Caitlin and I ran around the pavilion, ushering everyone inside. I saw little Wyatt rush beside me as he ran to catch up to his mother.

A clap of thunder shocked everyone into stillness. Then, as if they had never stopped at all, everyone ran for it. Everyone except Caitlin and I, who were looking overhead at the strange clouds that only seemed to cover this part of the wood. I knew enough about storms that I could conclude this was not a normal phenomenon. That could only mean…

“Help!” I heard someone scream. I did not recognize the voice, but I turned towards it. There, in the trees that led into Village was a young girl, perhaps nine or ten years of age, soaked from head to foot, long brown hair falling in a sheet around her, as if to protect her.

Before I could do anything, Caitlin was running towards her.

“Caitlin!” I screamed, but that would never deter her. I watched as the shield she had made around herself dissipated as she ran for the girl. The girl, I realized, creating this storm.

It was uncommon for those of us among Village to possess powers in addition to telepathy. I was seen as extraordinary for my powers. But I had never seen powers like this before, this strong, this angry…

I saw no Caller in toe, no one to tell this girl where she was. Still, she had found her way into our protected village, bringing the storm that was thickening above us with her. Was she here to disrupt the peace we had created here at Village?

“Help me!” the girl screamed again.

And then, she fell to the ground.

I