"Look! It's the cabin!"
TJ was practically bouncing in her seat, and Meg put a hand to her shoulder to stop her own seat from shaking.
"Don't bounce, Tammy."
"Yeah, you might fly out of the window, TJ." Tonya joked.
"Maybe she'll learn how to fly." Jenny added, snickering.
"Just drop it guys." Steph cut in.
"It's so pretty here…" Mel mused, looking up into the colorful trees.
"North Hampton is beautiful this time of year." Grandmother Beverly agreed from the driver's seat.
"There's an array of wildlife as well, and plenty of nature trails."
"Don't forget the lake, Granny."
"I couldn't possibly, dear."
The large black truck pulled up to a two-story cabin, stopping moments before the seven teens jumped out.
Jenny ran in after Mel and TJ, and Meg scanned the underbrush before following.
Steph grabbed her larger bags, hefting them onto her shoulders before walking towards the open front door.
Tonya sighed, smiling, as she reached into the back for the luggage.
Grandmother Beverly went to round up the others, and the redhead had thought she was alone…
"Tonya?"
Almost jumping out of her skin, she whirled around, relaxing at the sight of Lizzy.
"Oh, hey…What's up?"
"Um…Could I just set up in the kitchen?"
"Sure. Granny will love the company."
Smiling reassuringly as she settled a bag on her shoulder, Tonya grabbed another and headed for the cabin.
"Come on, then. Lets help unpack."
Lizzy nodded, tension draining from her body as she grabbed some bags.
"Sure…"
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"Dear, I'll need to go to the store for groceries. Will you be alright watching them by yourself?"
"We'll be fine, granny. I promise."
Grandmother Beverly paused, then pulled out some gold chains, white stone charms hanging from them innocently.
"I meant to give these to you girls earlier…I made them after your Spirit Animals."
"Spirit Animals?" Lizzy questioned, lifting her eyes from her laptop.
"Animals that symbolize your spirit."
Lifting one into the air, the powerful build of a tiger shimmered.
"The tiger…Strong and courageous…"
Smiling, she carefully put the chain around her granddaughters neck.
"The wolf…"
The sleek form seemed almost small between her fingers…
"Independent and protective…"
The gold loop settled around Meg's neck, and she examined the stone curiously…
"The eagle…Watchful and nurturing…"
Steph accepted the charm quietly, running her fingers over the intricate wings…
"The dolphin…Creative and reliable…"
Feeling the weight of the smooth stone in her palm, Jenny stared in wonder at the curved tail…
'Reliable…'
"The rabbit…Kind and quick…"
Mel looked at the little rabbit for a moment before hanging it around her neck, smiling…
"The ferret…Inquisitive and insightful…"
Lizzy blinked in wonder, running her hands over the surface…
"And finally, the husky…Fiercely loyal and hopeful."
TJ beamed, accepting the charm and putting it on before toying with it.
"Who's the last one for?" Tonya wondered, catching sight of a cat charm before Grandmother Beverly put it back in her pocket.
"You'll see, dear."
Smiling secretively, she walked out, and everyone sat as the engine started and drove off…
Looking down at her charm, Meg seemed to sigh…
'I get the feeling there's more to these things than she let on…'
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"Tammy, you be careful!"
Meg looked like a nervous animal, almost circling the tree as her sister climbed higher.
"Jeez, CHILL."
Tonya smiled, rolling her eyes.
"I can just climb up there and get her."
"She could fall."
"You're such a worrywart…"
Looking annoyed with that comment, the black-haired girl shook her head.
"Hey, guys! Clouds are coming this way!" Steph shouted from the roof, looking concerned as she headed for one of the open windows.
"Don't get your pants in a knot." Jenny replied, lounging in a hammock with a soda in hand.
"It's a beautiful day. It'll probably go right around us."
Mel lifted her head from the lake's surface, pulling back from the water at the sight of angry grey clouds.
"Jenny?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you sure about that?"
Sighing, the blonde looked up, pausing as she studied the sky…
"Then again…"
"It's a blizzard."
Everyone's eyes turned to Lizzy, whose typing hardly faltered as she raised her gaze.
"A-According to air pressure, temperature, air moisture and such, a snow storm is coming."
"…Your computer can do that? COOL…"
"We need to go inside." Meg advised.
"Tammy, come down."
"Coming!"
Tonya couldn't help watching everyone enter before doing so herself, and she closed the door soundly.
Not a moment too soon either, since a powerful gust of chilling air struck the wood.
Steph bounced down the stairs two steps at a time, looking slightly winded.
"Snow almost got in. I closed all the windows upstairs."
"I got the ones downstairs." Mel assured.
"It's strange…The storm came so suddenly…" Lizzy mumbled, typing quickly on the coffee table as TJ watched the screen curiously.
"What do we do now?" Jenny wondered, plopping down on the couch.
Tonya shrugged, looking towards the fireplace surrounded by a couch and armchairs.
"I think we can manage something…"
Smiling, she went to the pile of wood and grabbed a couple pieces.
"Steph, you can help me out. Meg, why don't you make some hot chocolate? And get Jen so help you get s'mores ready."
"Sure."
"Yeah…"
"No problem."
As they all set to work, Mel grabbed an armful of blankets from a closet and spread them on the couch and chairs.
As the three youngest settled on the couch, Steph tried lighting the firewood.
Meg came in with three steaming mugs, handing them to the youngest of the group as Jenny settled the other four on the table.
As she headed back into the kitchen, Meg settled down with a mug, sipping the warm drink.
"S'mores!"
TJ grinned as the eldest teen came back with a large platter full, and everyone reached out for some.
"Careful there." Mel joked as it was placed on the coffee table.
Once the fire was roaring, the room glowing gold now, everyone settled in seats, cuddling into blankets and taking turns melting marshmallows.
Sipping hot chocolate, Lizzy's eyes flickered to her laptop screen every now and then.
The warm atmosphere was making them drowsy and quiet, and Tonya smiled before looking at her charm.
Blinking when an orange hue flickered across the stone's surface, gold eyes narrowed on the tiger's shape.
'Just a trick of the light…'
TJ yawned, snuggling against Mel as she chewed on chocolate marshmallowy graham cracker goodness.
Lizzy straightened, yawning, as Steph finished off her hot chocolate and put it on the table.
Blinking almost sleepily, she pushed dark blonde hair out of her face before amethyst eyes turned to her laptop.
"The storm's over."
"I'll check it out." Jen offered, standing and heading for the front door.
Opening it, she blinked owlishly at the snow…
"Wow…"
"Snow!"
Now awake, TJ looked excited, already up and running out onto the porch.
"Tammy! You can't go out without a jacket!"
Meg ran after her, followed by Mel and Jenny, leaving Tonya, Lizzy, and Steph the last of the group to see the wonderland outdoors.
Running back inside to pack up her laptop and pull the pack onto her shoulders, Lizzy watched the snow slowly stop falling.
"This is awesome!" Jenny shouted, jumping into a mound of snow butt-first.
"JENNY!"
"That looks like fun!"
Mel giggled, doing a cannonball and sending the frozen flakes flying.
Laughing as she shielded her face from the onslaught, Steph scooped up a handful and sculpted it into a sphere.
Aiming carefully, she loosed it on the back of Meg's head.
Yelping at the surprise attack, the blue-eyed teen turned hard eyes on a nervous-looking brunette.
"Meg…?"
TJ's eyes widened, and she jumped in with a grin.
"SNOWBALL FIGHT!"
In a matter of moments, snow was flying and laughter rang in the frosty air.
Frigid by now, and shaking snow off her shoulders, Tonya managed to escape the onslaught, still breathless from laughter and running.
Almost doubled over, she tried to catch her breath when a strange glow caught her attention.
It was her charm, shining a bright orange that was melting the snow that managed to stick to its surface.
"What the…?"
Raising gold eyes to the sky, Tonya's breath caught…
"Whoa…"
Noticing their immobile friend, the others slowly wound down, noticing their own glowing charms.
Closing her fingers around the blue-lit wolf, Meg's brow furrowed in concern.
Mel and TJ just stared at their green and yellow light shows respectively, too awed to move.
Jenny lifted the grey 'star' into her palm, turning her eyes to the one around Steph's neck, blinking at the warm red color.
Lizzy, studying the purple charm hanging from her neck, lifted her eyes to the sky…
"Th-That's…Th-That's impossible…"
Everyone turned their gaze skyward to see what was wrong, and were astounded at the sight.
A curtain of bright, brilliant colors weaved through the grey clouds above, shimmering and ebbing and flowing…
"It's so PRETTY…" TJ whispered in awe, taking hold of her sister's arm.
"What is it?" Mel wondered.
"Looks like an Aurora." Jenny admitted.
"Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. We're too far south to see them."
"Then what's THIS?" Meg questioned.
"…I don't know…"
Blood running cold, Steph tried to keep calm.
"But if you don't know what it is…"
"Is it even part of our world?"
Gazes turning to Tonya, she turned to face them with the slightest trace of fear in her eyes.
"What if this is bigger than we think it is? Than we can imagine?"
Silence, and they looked upwards as the clouds began to open, revealing a dark whirlpool above.
A white light glowed in its center, and seven colored orbs circle it slowly, looking like dots in the black.
The colors harmonized with their glowing charms, and Mel had her hands clamped around the rabbit as she stared up, wide-eyed.
The orbs began to spin faster, growing brighter and larger as if they were getting closer…
"Maybe they're meteors…?" Steph wondered, starting to lower her center of balance…
"Colorful meteors…" Jenny noted.
"Maybe we should take a few steps back…" Meg advised, backing up as she pulled TJ with her.
"What for?" Steph wondered, turning to her friend.
"THAT!"
It sounded like something was shooting through the air, and heads snapped up to see the orbs racing towards them.
Panic froze the group until moments before impact, and then Tonya leapt into action.
"GET DOWN!"
The shout had everyone jumping for cover, and seven plumes of dirt and debris blinded them.
Coughing and clinging to one another, the girls were blind until the air cleared, and Mel sat up, shaking out her hair.
"WHOA…"
Little holes were in the ground before each of them, and Lizzy moved towards the closest one to inspect its contents.
"Could be meteors…"
A bright purple glow, and she moved back as a sphere of the same color floated into the air slowly.
The same bubbles came up for everyone, stopping level with the same-colored charms over their chests, pulsing in time with their heartbeats.
Finding her wits first, Steph closed her fist around the scarlet object, popping it before opening her fingers to study the contents.
It was a strange little device, smaller than the palm of her hand, with a screen and black detailing.
The others had followed her example, staring in confusion until recognition crossed Tonya's face.
'It's the same as the one in my doodles…'
Hers was a bright orange, matching the charm that seemed to have done a color change, and the other devices and charms seemed to have done the same.
'What are these things?'
The screens began to glow, and the stones shone so brightly no one could see.
Feet leaving the ground, screams rang through the air as weightlessness overtook their senses.
Gravity took hold eventually, and darkness consumed their senses…