“Quick, grab her arms so she can’t magically transport away.”
Hallie felt several hands grab her, holding her by either arm, leaving her feeling so vulnerable and threatened. She was exposed, unable to get away, unable to cover herself. She wiggled in their grasp, choking on tears and trying desperately to break free. Wetness began to run out of her nose, and all the girls laughed.
“Poor baby needs a hanky,” one of them said.
Hallie couldn’t even see them now, everything blurred as her tears clouded her vision. She looked down, her hair covering her, finding it hard to breathe. The laughter sounded around her, the grip on her arms tighter. She tried to scream but couldn’t. She could barely get out a whimper. She squirmed and squirmed, then felt her magic inside of her. They were right: she couldn’t use it properly. Every time she did, it went wrong somehow. But she could feel it bubbling in her stomach, threatening to come out. She wanted to cast a spell to free herself but was frightened of what would happen. She could barely think properly. All she could do was feel .
She kept wiggling, crying, her face all wet and a tingling feeling covering her skin. She took huge, heaving breaths and her body began to spasm, her arms and legs jerking. The girls’ laughter changed to sounds of alarm, but it was too late. She couldn’t stop now. They let go of her arms but that only left them free to further the spell. Hallie looked at the group through her damp hair, hunched over, her body rigid.
Then the power came.
An enormous wave of energy poured out of her in a huge green light, flinging the girls across the yard, several feet away, where they lay sprawled across the ground. A couple of the girls were screaming, their legs at an odd angle, but Hallie’s power was too strong—there was too much raging inside of her to stop now. She knelt down, finally able to scream, dark grey clouds forming over the sky at a rapid pace. Flashes of lightning streaked across them and there was a huge rumble of thunder. Lightning bolts struck the dirt, making the children scream and run, but they couldn’t all escape. One was struck, then another; trees were hit, bursting into flames. Hallie hunched over on the ground, wailing, wanting it to stop. She hadn’t meant to hurt anyone. She didn’t want to hurt anyone.
She didn’t want to destroy them.
***
Hallie shot up in bed, screaming and crying, her nightmare scaring the life out of her. She started sobbing, and Sean immediately sat up and held her. He crushed her against his chest while she wailed, unable to stop the pain inside of her. The memory was so painful. It was ten years ago, but the dream brought it all back. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, Sean!” she cried. “I don’t want to be a killer!”
“You’re not!” he exclaimed. “Hallie, you’ve never killed anyone!”
“But I almost did!” she yelled. “Those three boys that were struck by lightning were burned so badly they’ll never be okay. And one of them can’t remember anything properly. And two girls broke their legs… Sean I can’t ever use my magic again! Ever again! I promise I’ll never use it. I can’t get too emotional. I can’t risk letting my powers out. Maybe we can’t be together like this, because my magic threatens to spill out when I’m feeling so much. I’m not allowed to feel. I’m never allowed to feel.”
She kept crying against him, sorry she was hurting him but knowing she had to stop her emotions. Even all the crying was dangerous. She tried to control herself and sat back, gradually stopping her sobs. She took a deep breath, gazing at Sean, wondering what he was thinking. He just looked hurt.
“Hallie, please don’t push me away again. Maybe… maybe you just need someone to show you how to control your magic. I can’t do it, but we could find someone. There was no one like that back home, but this is a much bigger town—”
“No,” Hallie said,
Hallie felt several hands grab her, holding her by either arm, leaving her feeling so vulnerable and threatened. She was exposed, unable to get away, unable to cover herself. She wiggled in their grasp, choking on tears and trying desperately to break free. Wetness began to run out of her nose, and all the girls laughed.
“Poor baby needs a hanky,” one of them said.
Hallie couldn’t even see them now, everything blurred as her tears clouded her vision. She looked down, her hair covering her, finding it hard to breathe. The laughter sounded around her, the grip on her arms tighter. She tried to scream but couldn’t. She could barely get out a whimper. She squirmed and squirmed, then felt her magic inside of her. They were right: she couldn’t use it properly. Every time she did, it went wrong somehow. But she could feel it bubbling in her stomach, threatening to come out. She wanted to cast a spell to free herself but was frightened of what would happen. She could barely think properly. All she could do was feel .
She kept wiggling, crying, her face all wet and a tingling feeling covering her skin. She took huge, heaving breaths and her body began to spasm, her arms and legs jerking. The girls’ laughter changed to sounds of alarm, but it was too late. She couldn’t stop now. They let go of her arms but that only left them free to further the spell. Hallie looked at the group through her damp hair, hunched over, her body rigid.
Then the power came.
An enormous wave of energy poured out of her in a huge green light, flinging the girls across the yard, several feet away, where they lay sprawled across the ground. A couple of the girls were screaming, their legs at an odd angle, but Hallie’s power was too strong—there was too much raging inside of her to stop now. She knelt down, finally able to scream, dark grey clouds forming over the sky at a rapid pace. Flashes of lightning streaked across them and there was a huge rumble of thunder. Lightning bolts struck the dirt, making the children scream and run, but they couldn’t all escape. One was struck, then another; trees were hit, bursting into flames. Hallie hunched over on the ground, wailing, wanting it to stop. She hadn’t meant to hurt anyone. She didn’t want to hurt anyone.
She didn’t want to destroy them.
***
Hallie shot up in bed, screaming and crying, her nightmare scaring the life out of her. She started sobbing, and Sean immediately sat up and held her. He crushed her against his chest while she wailed, unable to stop the pain inside of her. The memory was so painful. It was ten years ago, but the dream brought it all back. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, Sean!” she cried. “I don’t want to be a killer!”
“You’re not!” he exclaimed. “Hallie, you’ve never killed anyone!”
“But I almost did!” she yelled. “Those three boys that were struck by lightning were burned so badly they’ll never be okay. And one of them can’t remember anything properly. And two girls broke their legs… Sean I can’t ever use my magic again! Ever again! I promise I’ll never use it. I can’t get too emotional. I can’t risk letting my powers out. Maybe we can’t be together like this, because my magic threatens to spill out when I’m feeling so much. I’m not allowed to feel. I’m never allowed to feel.”
She kept crying against him, sorry she was hurting him but knowing she had to stop her emotions. Even all the crying was dangerous. She tried to control herself and sat back, gradually stopping her sobs. She took a deep breath, gazing at Sean, wondering what he was thinking. He just looked hurt.
“Hallie, please don’t push me away again. Maybe… maybe you just need someone to show you how to control your magic. I can’t do it, but we could find someone. There was no one like that back home, but this is a much bigger town—”
“No,” Hallie said,
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