The Awakening
Cara’s scream shot through the quiet morning, sharp and horrifying. She stumbled across the room, staring wide-eyed at the mirror as she gripped the edge of her vanity. Her dark brown hair now has strips of platinum near silvery blonde. Her hand was combing through her hair in a hurry, as if it were trying to undo what had been done.
“No, no, no,” she said under her breath, panic set in her voice. “What is that? Did somebody…" Her thoughts raced to her siblings, who had a history of pranks that normally involved extra glitter than dye. Would they take their pranks this far? “Mark! Ellie! If that is your idea of a joke, I swear,” she screamed again, panicking. Today is my 18th birthday I cannot show up to work or my party looking like this…
But before she could finish her sentence, something very strange began to happen. The room felt like it was vibrating; it started feeling as if the house itself had learnt to breathe. The mirror in front of her suddenly cracked with a sharp, splintering sound, the lines racing across its surface like lightning. The glass of her perfume bottles on her nightstand shattered next, sending tiny shards flying through the air. Books, pens, and even the lamp on her nightstand levitated; nothing was safe. Everything slowly spun right in front of her eyes before shooting across the room.
Breathing in short gasps and tears trickling down the corner of her eyes. She tried to move her body, to run, to let out another scream, to move once more; however, the chaos around her became paralyzing. A piece of glass from the broken mirror had caught itself in her cheek, drawing a thin line of blood. That was the last thing she remembered before everything went dark and the world flipped upside down.
When she heard the loud crash, her mother, Mary Morgan, was hurrying up the stairs, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. “Cara?” she called, her voice trembling. Her husband, Cara’s father, Governor Morgan, followed closely behind, his footsteps heavy with urgency.
By the time they reached Cara’s room, the sight that greeted them was like something out of a dumpster. The air was thick with an unexplainable energy, and the room looked like it had been caught in the eye of a storm with everything overturned and nothing the right side up. Cara lay on the ground unconcious, blood on her cheek streaking down her neck, surrounded by broken glass and overturned furniture pilled up high.
“Oh, no,” Mary whispered, her face paling. She rushed to Cara’s side, lightly cradling her head in her lap. “It’s happening. Oh my goodness, it is finally happening.”
Governor Morgan knelt beside her, his brow furrowed. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice low and urgent. “Can’t it just be...”
Mary shook her head, her expression grim. “No. There’s no mistaking it. The awakening... It’s started.”
By the time Cara regained her consciousness, the room had been wiped clean and the chaos contained, with everything positioned back in it’s rightful place, but the air of anxiety lingered. She blinked groggily, wincing at the ache in her head and the bruise on her cheek.
“You’re conscious,” Mary said softly, sitting by her bedside. There became a tenderness in her voice, with added hints of feelings Cara couldn't quite place. Was it guilt? Or was it Fear?
“What happened?” Cara croaked, her voice hoarse. She sat up slowly, her eyes sweeping across the room. Everything seemed normal again; however, she remembered the chaos vividly. “Was it an earthquake? Or…”
Mary hesitated, glancing at her husband, who stood silently by means of the door. Darling, there’s something we want to tell you. Something we... were hoping we’d never have to tell you.”
Before Mary could maintain, another voice cut in. “She deserves the truth,” Kelly said, moving into the room. Cara’s best friend looked as shaken as she felt; however, there was an unexplained dedication in her eyes, determination to tell her the truth.
“Kelly?” Cara blinked, stressed. “What are you doing right here?”
Kelly took a deep breath, her gaze consistent. “Because I’ve been right here for you all along. More than just as your best friend. There’s a lot you don’t know and that you definitely need to know. Cara, I think it’s time you were told the truth.”
The revelations came in waves, each one more shocking than the last. Mary confessed to being more than just a loving mother, she wasn’t her biological mother, She had once been a handmaiden to a queen—Cara’s biological mother—and had snuck her away as an baby to protect her from the coup that had claimed her mother’s life, before she then met the Govenor and got married to him. Kelly admitted to being an undercover witch, who came to the uplands with Mary to keep an eye on Cara, to ensure she was safe and to prepare for the day her destiny would awaken.
Cara listened in greatly surprised silence, her mind struggling to process the truth. She felt betrayed. “Are you real names even Mary and Kelly? She asked confused, and beaten. When the pieces ultimately clicked—the blonde hair, the chaos in her room, the sudden shift within the air—it was just too much. Without a word, she ran from the house, ignoring the voices calling after her.
She ran, her heart pounding, her mind racing. But she didn’t get far. Selvya’s soldiers, alerted to Cara’s awakening by the sudden revival of a branch of the Tree of Light, had been sent to capture her. Before Cara could fully grasp what was happening, they were upon her.
Somewhere deep in Eryndor, Selvya’s lips curled right into a satisfied smile as she felt the shift in the Tree of Light. A new witch had woken up, and it was too close bye. Too near.
“Bring her to me,” she commanded, her voice dripping with anticipation. “Let’s see if this new witch is as powerful as she seems.”
