Chosen: Gem Creek Bears, Book One

by Snyder, Jennifer

  My smile widened when I spotted a stake with a wooden plaque fastened to it to the left of an overgrown blueberry bush. Yona Waterfall Trailhead was etched into its surface.

  I looped my thumbs through the straps of my backpack and stepped onto the dirt path leading into the woods. This felt like a memorable moment. Not because the waterfall seemed to call to me in some strange, unexplainable way. Not because I was hiking into the woods on my own. But because for the first time in my life, I was taking a step into the unknown and was perfectly okay with it. It had been my choice to hike this trail. My choice to enter the woods. And, for whatever reason, it felt good knowing I was in control. I was doing something I wanted instead of something I was forced to.

  All my life I’d been forced to do things I didn’t want to.

  Forced to sit through awkward dinners with my mother and her new boyfriends with their roaming eyes, fake smiles, and horrible personalities. Forced to tolerate my mother’s weaknesses and ignore her strengths the way she did. Forced to grow up too fast. Forced to live in a world that seemed to be falling apart and accept there wasn’t anything I could do about it. Forced into a trunk by my ex-boyfriend and his little brother. Forced to leave the only place I’d ever known so I could stay safe.

  Not in this moment, though. This moment was mine.

  I glanced over my shoulder as I continued down the trailhead. My gaze swept over the bits of Liam’s backyard and cabin I could still make out, searching for him. If he’d spotted me somehow, he didn’t seem to be coming after me. I released a breath. Placing one foot in front of the other, I continued down the well-worn path toward the waterfall. The path narrowed, causing branches and low foliage to glide across my bare legs as I walked. I should have changed into jeans or leggings before leaving my RV, but I hadn’t thought about it. At least I wasn’t allergic to poison ivy or poison oak.

  I allowed myself to become lost in my surroundings. While I walked, I listened to the gentle breeze as it rustled through the leaves of the trees. To my shoes as they shuffled along the dry dirt of the path. To the insects as they played their sweet summer melody. And to the birds as they sang.

  The deeper into the woods I went, the more at ease I felt.

  Until my foot caught on a root, and I almost fell. I gripped tight to a branch nearby, steadying myself. Tiny twigs snapped off and broke, digging into my palm and reopening the scrapes already present there.

  “Dang it!” I hissed.

  I pulled my hand back and glanced at the damage. There was a sliver of bark embedded in one of my scrapes. I used my thumbnail to push it out, wincing the entire time. When I was done, I shook my hand a few times, hoping to shake away the pain. It didn’t help.

  Something in my peripheral vision moved, garnering my attention.

  When I looked that way, I didn’t see anything except large bushes, trees, and a few fallen logs with big scratches on them.

  What kind of animal could do so much damage to a tree that big?

  Unease coiled through my gut as the sensation I was being watched prickled across my skin. Clearly, I was in something’s territory. If I kept walking and didn’t bother it, maybe it would leave me alone.

  That was the hope anyway.

  I started walking again, eager to put distance between myself and whatever animal it was. It was an animal, right? It had to be. Animals lived in the woods. Not people. Crap. Why hadn’t I thought about the dangers of trekking through the woods on my own? Because I’d been too fixated on seeing the waterfall, that was why.

  For whatever reason, it was important. I could feel it in my bones.

  My heart rate slowed to its normal rhythm as I continued to walk and the sensation of being watched disappeared. It wasn’t long before I’d lost myself to the endorphins pumping through my system from being in nature again.

  As I rounded a large tree that was split and cracked on one side, I paused to look at it. Black smudges scorched the bark around the split. When I touched it, pieces crumbled from the area. Lightning must have hit it at some point. I glanced up its trunk to the lively branches overhead.

  It was still alive.

  It had clearly been through hell, but yet refused to die. It refused to let one awful moment from its past stop it from living. Its leaves were green and vibrant. It stood tall. Its roots remained firmly in the ground.

  Warmth flowed through my chest.

  On one side it looked healthy and fine, but when you moved to look at it from a different angle, you could see its broken parts. I could relate. From a distance I looked fine, but when someone came close, I was sure they could see all my cracks, flaws, and broken pieces.

  I was okay with that. The best people were the ones who’d experienced something—loss, heartache, pain—and worked their way through it. They were the ones who were interesting. Everything that happened to me with Corbin made me more interesting. It was the same with the lightning strike and the tree.

  I gave the tree a gentle pat, and then inched my way down a small dip in the trail. Something in the air shifted after a few more steps. My heart rate spiked at the sudden charge lingering in the air. I didn’t know what I felt or even how to explain it, but I knew I needed to figure out what it was and where it was coming from. I continued forward. The waterfall was closer now. I could hear it. The ground beneath my shoes grew moist as I continued on the trail. There was a dampness in the air that coated my skin.

  Was the waterfall where the strange sensation was coming from?

  My feet propelled me faster. I came to another dip in the trail and grabbed onto branches to steady myself as I went. This section was steep. A few rocks jutted out here and there. They were slick from the moisture in the air, but I maneuvered over them just fine. The sound of rushing water intensified when I hit a flat section of the trail. It looked like a complete drop-off rested a few feet away. That was where the waterfall was, I could feel its energy in the air.

  It was an odd thing to notice. I’d never felt as in tune with my surroundings as I was now.

  Jagged rocks that looked like awkward, nature-made steps jutted out of the ground to the right of the drop-off. I made my way down them, praying I didn’t slip and fall to my death. They were covered in moist moss and much slicker than the previous rocks I’d encountered.

  When I made it to the bottom of them, I stepped past a few low-hanging branches and into another small clearing. The spray from the waterfall misted my skin. There was a creek the fall spilled into. It was crystal clear and beautiful, but the waterfall was what took my breath away.

  It was amazing.

  None of the pictures or postcards I’d seen did it justice. It had the type of beauty that was too stunning to be captured by film. Electricity pulsed through my veins as I continued to stare. A sensation of weightlessness spread through me as I stood there, and I knew I was right where I was intended to be. Something had guided me here, to this waterfall, to this campground, I could feel it even though I couldn’t rationally explain it.

  I just knew.

  A sudden need to get closer to the waterfall pinched at my insides. My legs moved me forward, drawn to the waterfall, before I realized I was already walking. I chose which rocks to step on quickly, but carefully as I made my way toward it. An impossible sense of familiarity with this place rolled through me as I went. It felt as though I’d made my way across these rocks a thousand times when I hadn’t.

  When I came to a gap too large to cross easily, I paused. Where I stood wasn’t close enough to the waterfall. I wanted to be on the large flat rock right beneath it.

  I had to be. It was the only way I’d be able to touch the waterfall like I wanted.

  I scanned the distance between where I stood and where I wanted to be. It was only about a foot and a half. I could walk through the creek, but it seemed like the water moved too fast. Also, I couldn’t see the bottom, so I wasn’t sure how deep it was.

  I’d have to jump and pray I made it.

  It was do
able. The only problem was that both rocks were slick, especially the one closest to the waterfall. There was a good chance I’d slip and hurt myself when I landed.

  I had to get closer, though.

  Without thinking about it any longer, I stepped to the edge of the rock I stood on, squatted down to give myself more oomph, and jumped. One foot slipped out from underneath me when I landed on the flat rock, causing me to bust my butt. Pain vibrated from my tailbone through me, and I bit my tongue, but I was okay. I squeezed my eyes shut and exhaled a slow breath as I forced myself to stand. That was going to leave a bruise, but what was one more, right? I already had a ton.

  My gaze drifted to the waterfall as I rubbed my tailbone, wishing the pain away. The rushing water was so close I could feel its cool spray beading against my skin. It was refreshing. A smile spread across my face as I continued to stare, mesmerized by being so close to something so much larger than myself and incredibly beautiful.

  Again, the strong sensation of being right where I was supposed to be rippled through me.

  Yona Waterfall felt like home.

  Chapter Seven

  I inched myself forward on the large flat rock and lifted a hand to touch the waterfall. The instant my fingertip brushed its surface, everything froze. The breath in my lungs. The waterfall. The rushing water of the creek. The birds in the air. Everything. Silence wrapped around me, muting the world.

  What happened? Was this even real?

  I blinked, but nothing changed. I closed my eyes, squeezing them tight. When I opened them, there was still no change.

  How was this possible?

  I leaned forward, staring at the surface of the waterfall. It looked like glass, like a mirror. In it, I was reflected.

  Oh, man. I’d lost my mind. Seriously.

  I smoothed a hand over my face, glancing around again. There was no way everything around me was frozen. It wasn’t scientifically possible.

  When my gaze drifted back to the mirror-like surface of the waterfall again, I noticed people standing behind me in its reflection. I spun to face them, shocked by their sudden presence since I hadn’t heard them walk up, but no one was there. When I turned to look back at the waterfall, there they were, reflected in its surface still.

  Yep, I’d lost my dang mind.

  The people were fanned out behind me, spread into a V shape with me as the center point. There was a shimmery quality about them, making them seem as though they weren’t entirely solid.

  Were they ghosts?

  Goose bumps broke out across my skin as a shiver of confusion crept up my spine from the eerie situation. Was my mind playing tricks on me? Had I hit my head instead of my butt on the rock when I’d jumped and now something was seriously wrong with me?

  I didn’t understand.

  One of the ghostly apparitions, a woman in her late fifties, stepped forward from beside me in the reflection. As she did, everything spun until my reflection was gone, and she and the others were somehow in front of me. They no longer seemed to be a reflection—they were in the mirrored waterfall staring back at me.

  I took a step back, my eyes never wavering from them. The woman smiled. It was warm and friendly and somehow managed to put me at ease. Her hair was gray and fell in corkscrew curls that framed her round face. Her skin was dark, and she wore faded jeans with a plain yellow T-shirt. Her feet were bare, and she didn’t seem to have a care in the world.

  She looked peaceful.

  “Tris,” she said. Her voice was soft. Nice. Still, I found myself surprised she knew my name. “Don’t be afraid. We won’t hurt you. We’re here to tell you what you are. Who you are. And how much you matter. We’re here to celebrate this moment with you as we pass along your gift.”

  “My gift?” I asked as I glanced at the others behind her, noticing they each wore a smile.

  “Yes. You, dear, are the next Mystic,” she said, her smile growing.

  I arched a brow. The way the words fell from her lips made it seem as though I should know what a Mystic was.

  “I don’t know what that means,” I said.

  “You will.”

  I shook my head. “This can’t be real,” I muttered. “It’s just not possible.”

  “But it is. You’re the Mystic. You’re the one the magic has chosen.”

  “Magic?” Oh, man. Now I’d really lost it. It was bad enough this whole scene was playing out, and now magic had been added in.

  Magic wasn’t real, and neither was any of this. Was someone playing an elaborate prank? Or was this some hidden camera reality TV show?

  “In every generation, a Mystic is chosen. In this generation, that is you. You are the next Mystic.” Her words were firm, yet soft. She took a step closer and lifted her hand. I felt the cool sensation of her wet fingertip against the center of my forehead and flinched. How could she touch me? Ghosts weren’t physical. So, this had to be a huge prank, right? “The magic has chosen you, Tris. So be it, so it is.”

  Her final words echoed through my mind in an odd tunnel-like way. Glowing golden light drifted from one person flanking her to the other until it all seemed to combine in her.

  Until it was sent to me.

  I tensed at first, but quickly realized I didn’t need to because it didn’t hurt. A sense of warmth flooded my body. My muscles relaxed. And my fears and confusion about the situation washed away. I was at peace as a stillness unlike anything I’d ever experienced before settled inside me.

  I knew then that this was real—all of it.

  “Stay blessed, Tris, always,” the woman whispered as she dropped her hand, breaking whatever energy connection she’d started between us.

  She was gone before I could utter a word, and so were the others. In the span of a single heartbeat, everything around me unfroze. The waterfall’s sudden rushing waters startled me. I stumbled back, nearly busting my butt again on the slick rock.

  What the hell had happened? What was all that?

  Everything I’d felt—the warmth, the sense of relaxation, the stillness, and peace—was gone.

  Had it even happened, or had I hallucinated?

  I scrambled to get away from the waterfall and back to the trail. When I jumped from the flat rock back to the other side, I slipped and busted my knee as I landed. White-hot pain spread through the area. I tried not to focus on it as I made my way back across the rocks in the creek to dry land. Then, I started climbing the nature-made stairs. My breath became ragged as I quickened my pace, officially freaked out by the things I’d seen back there.

  Once I made it back to the main section of the trail, I paused to catch my breath. Sweat beaded across my skin. I fished my water out of my backpack while I walked along. The air felt too thick here now that I was away from the waterfall’s mist. My gaze drifted to the sky as I took a swig from my water. The sun was still high, but there were plenty of tree leaves to block me from its direct light. I shouldn’t be this hot, but I was.

  I felt as though I were roasting.

  I tipped my water bottle back and drank heavily. The cool water felt amazing against my dry throat, but it wasn’t enough. I still felt overheated, and I was suddenly so thirsty it was as though I couldn’t drink the water fast enough. My feet faltered as I focused on drinking greedy gulps. In my peripheral vision I could see something moving along the ground near my feet. My heart thudded as I realized what it was.

  A snake, coiled and ready to strike.

  I lowered my water bottle, focusing on the snake. It was coppery with a triangular head and strange hourglass markings along its length. It flicked its tongue at me and tightened its coiled appearance. This thing was in serious attack mode.

  Oh, shit.

  I slowly let my arm holding my water bottle fall to my side. The snake didn’t look as though he planned on calming down anytime soon now that I’d somehow disturbed him. My stomach knotted as I struggled to think of what I should do. I’d never been this close to a snake before. Well, not unless there was a thick
pane of glass between us like at the reptile section of the zoo.

  If I moved quickly, would he still be able to strike me? What if I moved slowly, would he deem me non-threatening and leave me be?

  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to choose between the two. The snake struck before I could.

  I jumped back at the bee sting of pain in my ankle and then bolted from the area, not wanting to see if it would strike me for a second time. I wanted to freak out, to cry, but I knew I couldn’t. I didn’t know what kind of snake it was, but I suspected it was a copperhead and those could be deadly.

  I needed to stay focused, and I needed to get back to the campground. Being alone in the woods with a potentially deadly snake bite wasn’t a good idea.

  My gaze dipped to the puncture wounds on the side of my ankle as I tried to jog down the trail. They were red, swollen, and becoming increasingly painful as time ticked on. Not good. Ice spread through the center of my chest, and I swore my vision seemed to tunnel. The only thing I could hear was the pounding of my heart.

  Shit. Was I in serious trouble already, or was this a panic attack?

  The edges of my vision blurred, and my mouth went from being dry to filled with saliva. Nausea built in the pit of my stomach as sweat beaded across my skin. I’d thought I was hot earlier, but now I felt as though I was on fire. After a few more steps, my stomach wretched, but nothing came up. My vision blurred, sending the trees around me spinning. I fell to my knees against the dirt, my legs suddenly too weak to hold me up. Black dots speckled the edges of my vision, and I knew that I was on the verge of blacking out.

  I needed help.

  The sound of something crashing through the woods nearby grabbed my attention. I tried to yell in case it was a person, but couldn’t find the strength.

  What had I been thinking coming out here alone?

  Falling to my side, I went in and out of consciousness as I struggled to listen for whoever or whatever it was coming my way. My hearing was distorted, making it hard to figure out where the sounds were coming from. When something broke through the woods, I knew my end was near.