I enjoyed the fresh spring breeze that filled the air with the floral scents of the newly bloomed flowers covered with the morning dew. These kinds of mornings always reminded me of when I was younger when me and my mum would go out and make flower crowns. As I watched the sun peek over the treetops surrounding me sitting under the same old willow tree with an unfinish crown of daffodils in hand.
That was until I heard a loud noise caught my attention. Spinning my head over to see three weird teenagers all were fully dressed head to toe in black combat gear coming straight towards me each of them weirder than the next. This was probably the weirdest thing that had happened to me in the twelve years of life.
The first boy walked ahead of the other two, head held high striding with way more confidence than a boy his age needed. He looked my age maybe a year off, staring at his hair wild and fluffy, a dark umber colour. But what stood out the most was the scars. It looked as if he was clawed by a wild animal, it littered randomly on his skin, the lighter colour of the scars stood out against his coffee-coloured skin.
The next one was the most normal looking out of the three, looking the same age as the first but had a more mature vibe than him, slouching over looking down at an old beaten book, messy black hair covering their face making it hard to discern if they were male or female.
The final teenager was the oldest and looked the weirdest, a girl. She had an unnatural beauty with long white hair that shined in the sun like flowing strands of silver contrasting with her chestnut skin that glowed under the sun and finally hypnotic aqua eyes ones that I couldn't seem to pull her eyes away from.
"I'm Atlas," said umber haired boy with a formal voice witch in my opinion sounded way to force to be natural, with a hand out. Getting a closer look at his face he looked even more like a child with his boyish grin that made his brown eyes glow in the sun like honey.
"Ellen Doves," I replied looking away before my staring got too creepy as I hesitantly shaking his hand wondering who are these people. I've never seen them around the small village and new people almost never come this close to the forest.
"I'm Sol," the beautiful girl said her voice was hypnotising like a siren song making me desperate to listen to more not even noticing the awkward silence that followed before she elbowed final teen next to her snapping the finally teen and myself back into focus. Finally, they looked up from the book meeting my gaze. They were unnaturally beautiful like Sol but also had a strange familiarity to them. Looking closer observing them to their tanned skin that seem golden under the morning sun to their eyes; heterochromia, one a dark like a black a void then the other an unnaturally memorizing amethyst. But before I could ask about their unusual eyes Atlas spoke up causing them to look back down at their book.
"By the way, nice flower crown," said Atlas bring me back to earth, pointing down at the flowers crown in my lap that I've unconsciously started to fiddle with. "And moving on to the point, we're here to inform you that you're a gifted; and under our new project, our principal; Ms Luna has invited you to Eidolkos School for the Gifted. So, if you could kindly lead us to one of your guardians, we can get the paperwork signed," he continued.
"Gifted!? Me? No, I'm odd yes. But I'm not a gifted definitely not. I can't be there must be a mistake," I stuttered, I couldn't be gifted. Yes, I was known for being odd and the girl no one talked to. But that's just because I'm shy not gifted. But from what people had said but being gifted that was a pretty much a death sentence and her father hated them. Hated magic. Even the word was banned in the house. The gifted were monsters and were treated as such; hunted, killed, sold to the rich. She couldn't be one, she came from a line of prejudice against anything relating to magic and to be gifted magic was needed to be involved, it had to be passed down from blood.
"Yes, you are," Atlas said quite bluntly "We particularly searched and checked for the few that were fit to come. One of which is you,"
Finally, Lorenzo put their book away, " Atlas, stop with the act and the formal tone makes you sound stupid," they said, their voices was soft and calming like a quiet melody which was odd considering what they just said.
"Fine," Atlas said with an eye roll, leaning back so he was half on top of Lorenzo. "Anyways, if you could be so kind to show us where your guardians are we can get this done today. We don't have all year," he continued as Lorenzo placed their arms around Atlas and started to play with his dark coloured hair.
I finally snapped out of my numb state of shock. I just stood up mumbling apologies and a half assed excuse to get home and sprinted away, the last thing I heard from the trio was, "Well done dumbass, I told you that my plan was better," and "Piss off Enzo we have plenty of time".
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I ran to the biggest stone cottage in the village right at the top of the hill. But the closer I got, the louder the sound of yelling became. Finally, when I walked in, my blood went cold. As I saw the three teens already in my house with my mother's normally tidy strawberry blonde hair a messy, her kind emerald eyes filled with fear trying to hold my father back, as my dad was yelling so furious, he was turning a red at the three teens throwing my mother off him. But all went silent when I entered everyone turning to me.
"Out!" was all my father said pointing at the door. "Everyone out!" The scene struck fear through me, my father never yelled at me. As I feel warm tears started to pour down my cheeks, my body shaking uncontrollably.
"What did you say to him!" I screamed turning to the three. But before I could utter another word Lorenzo pulled out a dagger and wacked my yelling father in the head with the butt of the hilt, knocking him out cold as Sol went to try comforting her shock-stricken mother.
"I'm sorry," Atlas apologized half-heartedly trying to be comforting patting my back in hopes that it would help, shockers it didn't. Before as blunt as ever Lorenzo spoke up "your gifted accept it-,"
I cutting them off enraged "no! I'm not. I can't be-" on the verge of tears my mother came up to me
"I'm sorry Ellen-" she held me "I'm sorry Ellen I was going to tell you-"
Lorenzo stopped my mother pissing me off "no you weren't you were content with your life and hid it for this long and you were going to till her power showed up on its own and your daughter was going to end up running to the forest and dying in there alone. That was her fate,"
About to defend my mother my blood boiling but turning to look to at my mother made the words die on the tip of my tongue to see the look of shame wash over her face clearly said that she really was just going to hid this forever.
"How? -" I started before my mother stopped me "I have a gift. We have magic in our blood. From a long line of it," witch just had sent my head spiralling. How long was I gifted? Since I was born. How long was she going to keep this from me? Till I found out on my own and ran apparently. How long of a line-?
"Okay as much this is heart-warming and all you two pack your things" Lorenzo cut of my thoughts and my mother explaining more witch was really getting on my nerves. I wanted no I needed more I needed an explanation.
But before I could get my answers the one person that could give them to me my mother spoke up with a nod "I'll pack our stuff honey," before shakily walking out Sol following to, I assume to help.
"We'll talk more about this at Eidolkos," said Atlas. "Enzo rest up for another big teleportation,"
"On it," Lorenzo answered before throwing themself into a corner of pillows and passing out
Dahlias represents the change, transition and the departure from the norm. Great for someone who is going through a big life change.