Awakenings (Elemental Series - Book 1)

by Hally Willmott

  “The reason you didn’t see any of those pictures, is because this box,” she pointed to the one we had just gone through, “is a box of Grace and I. Now, this one—this box is my box of memories from high school. They don’t necessarily include my memories of Grace.” Mom waited for me to open it.

  I cleared the small layer of dust off the top then opened it. The contents were somewhat similar to the previous box. There were binders and loose paper. When I removed them, the photo albums underneath were decorated quite differently than the others.

  There were four in total. Before opening the first album, I slid my fingers over the hand decorated cover. The themes on the jackets of these albums were very different than the jovial young covers from Mom’s memory box with Aunt Grace.

  These covers gave off a feeling of adventure, youth, and vulnerability. The first one was covered in deep purple velour and pasted to it were my Mom’s name and the crest of St. Nemele High School. Covering the vast majority of the top were beaded flowers.

  “These covers are beautiful, Mom,” I said while gently caressing them.

  “I always liked to document everything. If I was experiencing it, I wrote it down somewhere,” Mom said.

  I opened the album and became engulfed in Mom’s high school experience. There were pictures of her as a teenager sitting in class, running track, and quietly reading in the library. There were pictures of people I’d never seen before. Mom explained who each one was and what position in her life they held. As the photos went on, I started to notice one person whose presence was repeated.

  “Mom, there seems to be one guy who keeps popping up in these pictures.”

  “Don’t you recognize him?” Mom asked, sounding surprised.

  “No,” I said, puzzled.

  “Jacey, from the beginning, there’s always been only one person. When I met him, he made my heart feel like it as going to jump out of my chest. A million butterflies appeared in my stomach, my heart would skip a beat, and my breath would catch. Every time he’d come into the conversation, I felt like I was going to hyperventilate. I can’t believe you don’t recognize him,” she said, genuinely surprised.

  “Of course, it’s Dad.”

  “Jacey, from the beginning there has always only been one for me and it’s been your father. He came to me in my dreams and never left,” Mom finished with a whimsical look.

  “Mom,” I gasped, “you can’t blame me for not recognizing him. He’s soooo young here. He looks like someone with no doubts or worries about anything.”

  “Why do you think I fell in love with him? He’s always been sure of himself. He’s never doubted any decisions he’s made in his life. For me, Jacey, he always seemed to have the right answers to my questions. He always knew what needed to be done and how to do it. When I was your age, I was very much like you. I was so unsure of myself and never felt like I was where I was supposed to be, which was the opposite of your father. He was always sure of where he needed to be.”

  “You knew from the beginning, Mom?” I asked.

  “There was never any kind of hesitation.”

  “I can’t believe this is Dad. It doesn’t look like him. He was pretty cute.” Weird, I know, a kid saying their dad looks cute, but hey, the picture was more than thirty years old, and the guy in it looked nothing like the dad I knew.

  “He was and still is the cutest man I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Mom stated matter of factly.

  “Okay, now that I feel completely uncomfortable, can we move on?” I said.

  “Are these your grad pictures?” I asked as we went through the last album. “In this one it looks like you two are at the maze in the middle of town. This picture looks totally fake. The way it’s lit up by the moon makes the picture look like someone did some photoshopping—it looks too perfect to be real,” I said, with an image of Alice in Wonderland’s courtyard dancing around in the back of my mind.

  “It was a magical night. It was the first night your Dad told me he loved me and wanted to spend the rest of eternity with me.”

  I looked away from the album and caught Mom looking off through the window. Her thoughts were somewhere else. Instead of interrupting her moment, I went back through the box and came upon the final album.

  The symbols carved into the cover were the symbols I’d woken up to and gone to bed with for the last year.

  “These are familiar,” I said sweeping my fingers over the cover.

  “By now, my daughter, they should be,” Mom said, her attention now back with me.

  “They’re the beginning of a new and adventurous life for you, Jacey. Normally, this life introduces itself through your dreams or you’re born into it. Both Nemelite and Yietimpi have been introducing themselves through our unconscious since we began.” Mom stopped and thought for a moment. “Except for you—when it came to you, that wasn’t the case. You may have been born into it, but everything around you has been a new experience for everyone. In your energy, you are the author of how your experience unfolds.”

  I turned my attention back to the symbols, expecting some kind of connection to them, but I had no overwhelming ‘aha’ moment. I only recognized each of them because they’d been painted in my room.

  While concentrating on the symbols, without warning I was pulled into a trance. The usual sensations I’d experienced hadn’t precipitated this one. Each of my senses became numb. I couldn’t feel, smell, see, taste or hear a thing. Seconds passed. My vision began to come back. My right hand felt as though it were on fire. I looked at my palm and the burning red symbol that had been seared there had returned.

  I clutched it to my chest and willed the pain away. Instantly it left, but the mark still glowed as bright as the first time I’d received it. I took in my surroundings and saw I was still in the attic. Mom was flying around me with her red and blue protective colors.

  I stood up and peered outside. Instinctively, I knew danger was near. There was nothing outside. I started to second guess my intuitiveness when unconsciously, I looked to the tree tops.

  Every cell in my body cried out. Hovering up there was the same onyx-eyed girl I’d had the distinctive displeasure to meet on my way to Nevaeh. While suspended outside my window, our eyes met. She tilted her head to the side with an inquisitive look. It lasted only for a second and then it was gone. But she stayed, floating with her long black coat billowing about her in the wind. She glowered at me and raised her right hand out in front of her, as if saluting me.

  In the center of her palm burned the same symbol branded into mine. I looked at my hand quickly and back to her. She rose above the tree tops and then disappeared. Disoriented, I fell back onto the window seat. All signs of the trance-like state I’d been in minutes ago were gone. The book I’d been going through was splayed out on the floor before me and the sounds of pounding feet approached the attic. All the while Mom was flying around me in crazy flashes of light.

  “Jacey, you shrieked. What’s going on?” Aunt Grace’s frantic voice rose as she shot up the steps to the attic entrance.

  “E-everything’s all right,” I stuttered. “Now,” I whispered to myself.

  Aunt Grace made her way to the window seat I had collapsed on. She stopped in front of me. I sat there, stunned, grasping my right hand, boxes opened and on the floor, photo albums piled around them.

  “I’m not sure what just happened, Aunt Grace,” I said, holding my hand close. I didn’t want her to see. She glanced at me, but her attention was drawn to the last book I had opened. She gazed at the empty box.

  I watched as she bent over and picked up the book Mom and I were about to go through.

  “How did you find this box so fast?” she asked.

  “Mom,” was all I could utter.

  “Is she here?”

  “She is, but she’s a little crazy right now,” I said, trying to follow her colors around the room.

  “Tell her it’s safe, they’ve left,” Aunt Grace declared. “What did you see, Jacey?” Aunt
Grace seemed to take command of the attic. She peered out the window over my shoulder.

  “We had a visitor, and now you’re doing the same thing I was doing about two minutes ago. You know, now would be the time to let me in on a few things, considering I’m starting to get pretty unnerved with all the floating people and blazing palms.”

  I held out my right hand, palm up so she could see the blazing red mark.

  She grabbed my hand and pulled me behind her.

  “She’s gone,” I declared.

  “How do you know?” Aunt Grace gazed at my hand.

  “Because I saw her! We exchanged the ‘I see you, you see me look’ and then she disappeared. It was kinda strange, though.” Of course, other than the floating girl and all…no sarcasm here…

  “What?” Mom and Aunt Grace asked at the same time.

  “She looked pretty surprised by the fact I could see her. Maybe it was more curious than surprised, but it was there and I saw it—only for a second, but I caught it.” I remembered the probing look I had received.

  “Really?” They said in unison again.

  “All right, you two, stop doing that!”

  “Stop doing what?” Aunt Grace asked.

  “You and Mom keep saying the same things at the same time. It’s more than a little weird.”

  Both of them started to laugh.

  “Guys, seriously, do you think you both could quit it?”

  “Jacey, you’re not the only one who’s been bothered over your Mom and I finishing each other’s sentences or saying the same things at the same time. There’s a reason for it,” Aunt Grace said.

  While she was talking, Mom had gone over to her side and was trying to touch her cheek with the back of her hand. Of course, her hand passed right through Aunt Grace.

  “Have you ever noticed anything about your Mom and me before she passed away?”

  “Nothing other than you’ve always felt like home. Every time you came to visit us, Mom was always super happy. Any time you’d visit or call, Mom would be pumped up and it would last for days. She was always excited when you were around.” I paused. “There’s one thing I’ve noticed more lately. It’s been constantly in my mind every time I look at you in a certain way...”

  “What?” they both said.

  I rolled my eyes. From my one gesture they both knew they’d done it again.

  “You both have the same smile.”

  “There’s a reason for it. You must know it’s not just because we’re sisters.”

  “What?” I asked completely lost.

  “It’s because we’re twins.”

  “You’re what?” I asked.

  “We’re twins,” Mom said.

  “But you’re so blonde and light and Mom’s so dark and … dark…”

  They both laughed again.

  “It’s because we’re fraternal twins, not identical.” She was still standing beside Aunt Grace and trying to hold her hand.

  Standing there watching them, I could see the longing each of them had for the other. I could feel it, right down to the center of my being.

  It reminded me of being in the hospital with my parents before they passed away. That gave me an idea. I closed my eyes and grabbed both Aunt Grace’s and Mom’s hands. As soon as there was an unobstructed connection between the three of us, the same purple light that had flooded Mom and Dad’s hospital room filled the attic.

  “Ria…” my Aunt said.

  When Aunt Grace called out Mom’s name, I opened my eyes and was happily surprised by what was before me. Mom and Aunt Grace were able to look at one another.

  “Grace, I’ve missed you so much—” Mom said through her tears.

  I watched as they stood in front of one another, staring like they’d never seen each other before.

  “What’s happening? How is this happening?” I asked.

  “I have no idea,” Aunt Grace said, completely stunned.

  While they were trying to figure out what was going on, I let go of them and looked at my hands. Was there something there that enabled this to happen?

  Nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary. I snapped out of it when I heard both Aunt Grace and Mom gasp.

  “What-what’s happening now?” I asked breathlessly.

  I turned my attention back and saw they were in an embrace, a real embrace. They were physically holding onto one another. Mom was solid, real, and alive. They were actually hugging. It was now my turn to gasp.

  “How could this happen?” Mom questioned, now completely overtaken by tears.

  “I-I don’t know, but the Guild of Elders needs to know about this,” Aunt Grace said.

  I placed my hands on them both. Mom was solid and I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity. I hugged her as hard as I could. It was my turn to open the floodgates. While all three of us stood there embracing one another, Hudson and Jen’s heads popped up through the attic floor.

  “What’s going on up here?” Hudson asked, climbing up through the attic entrance, pulling Jen along with him. He saw Mom. It was his and Jen’s turn to be completely shocked. “Mom?”

  “Yes, Hudson, it’s me.” Mom pried herself from our embrace and opened her arms for Hudson.

  He didn’t need to be invited twice. They embraced while Jen stood there, dumbfounded.

  “How is this possible?” Hudson asked.

  “It seems as though Jacey is the conduit that allows this to happen,” Aunt Grace said. Everyone turned to look at me like I should be able to explain.

  “I haven’t got a clue,” I uttered, stunned.

  Without warning, a flash of deep burned brown with a swirl of silver light shot into the attic. Instantly Hudson, Jen, and Aunt Grace took protective stances in front of me. The only one who hadn’t moved or flinched was Mom, who hovered beside me.

  “Relax, its Hearte,” Mom said.

  All of our eyes adjusted to the sudden presence. My Dad took on a physical form in front of us.

  “Dad!” I gasped, running into his arms.

  He looked more surprised than anyone else. But he gripped me as fiercely as I gripped him.

  “What’s happening?” he exclaimed, looking at Mom and Aunt Grace.

  “No one knows, Hearte, it just happened,” Mom said.

  “Well, we have to stop it. We have to stop it right now,” Dad said.

  “Why?” both Hudson and I asked simultaneously.

  “Because this—” he spread his arms out, waving them around the room, “—this is what we’ve been trying to avoid so they couldn’t find us.”

  “They already know we’re here, Dad. Jen and I just checked out the perimeter of the house and there’s no one around for miles,” Hudson said.

  I listened intently. “Who are they?” I asked.

  “I’m thinking now may be the appropriate time to answer some questions even though the Guild wanted to wait,” Dad said.

  “Why now?” Jen asked. I had forgotten Jen was witnessing all of this.

  “Jacey, the black-eyed girl in the robe you saw earlier, did you have any kind of warning she was here?” Aunt Grace asked, ignoring Jen’s question.

  “No. Like I said, I was thrown into a trance instantly and then when I saw her, she looked surprised.”

  “You saw her?” Hudson and Dad said in unison.

  “Yeah. Why? Is that a big deal?”

  “There were no indicators there was anyone close by. How could that be? Did we miss something?” Hudson asked Jen.

  “I really don’t know,” Jen said.

  “Can someone tell me something? Why is this such a bad thing?” I asked, referring to Mom and Dad being solid. I finished thinking of the encounters I’d had over the last couple of weeks.

  “There are things in this world most people are not a part of, Jacey. You know there is good and evil in this world, right?” Dad asked me.

  “Of course I do,” I replied without hesitation.

  “There is true evil and genuine good out there, Jacey. The eviln
ess I’m alluding to is a tragedy you were witness to as a little girl—because of it, while I was alive, I made sure it never had the opportunity to invade our family a second time. We need to keep hiding. There are more reasons than I have time to explain. You only need to know that right now, if we don’t hide it—hide you—from what we’ve tried to keep you from all your life, it’s going to find us again. This time there’ll be nothing anyone else in this room will be able to do stop it.”

  Dad paused, took a breath, and looked out into the front yard. “The society which we belong to are the Nemelites. We’re considered the virtuous part of the universe. We become fully aware of our adversaries either from birth, because we grew up within a Nemelite society, or through our Awakenings. You weren’t brought up within our society. You’re the first of our kind not to follow the natural progression of things. Those two factors alone have sent some of the scholars in our society into a tailspin. When they’re able to realize all of this, it will cause upheaval within our society. It may cause some to second guess the Original Teachings we’ve followed since our origins. Your mother and I chose to wait and slowly introduce you to your heritage and to the world of the Nemele. Jacey, you and each of us standing here are part of Nemele. You are a Nemelite, Jacey. I know you believe in magic. Magic has been around you your entire life,” Dad said.

  “I’ve always believed there was more… I’d have to be pretty blind not to,” I said, looking around the room.

  “All of us here are from that world,” Dad said. “We know that those of the Yietimpi clan always look for a medium to infiltrate our realm to take it over. There are others of our kind who use their gifts to protect our world and this one. They are our Sentry Guard. It takes them years of training with our elders to learn how, when, and where to use their gifts. One of the first laws which are taught to our kind is never to allow those not of our world to become aware of our existence.”

  “Why, Dad?” I asked.