Chapter 1
School had been out for thirty minutes when Autumn Carden passed the forest that she loved to walk through. She looked at her watch and noted that her parents wouldn't be home for a little while, so until then she had free time. And with that free time she would spend it in the forest, amongst the peace and quiet and the shelter. It was a habit, but as she reached the very edge of the forest, she looked all around her, making sure that no one was following her as she entered.
She readjusted her backpack and purse as she disappeared deeper into the cover of ancient oak trees. The instant she felt the peace and security of the wilderness around her she let out a deep sigh, tilting her head back, her eyes closed. She felt a ray of sun that shone through the trees shine on her face, warming her light toned skin. This was where she could let all masks drop, where the pressures of the world filled with people faded the deeper she went into the forest.
She followed a path only she knew and soon came to a very small clearing. The surrounding trees formed a sufficient barrier to shield if need be from prying eyes. She set her bags near a large boulder and moved deeper into the clearing. Rolling her neck and shaking herself to loosen her muscles she began to feel the tension leave her. But not just from her muscles. Her tight rein on her thoughts and emotions was also loosened a great deal.
Small tan colored gloves flew to land lightly beside her things. She always wore gloves to school, she never left home without them. But with good cause. Autumn was what people called a clairvoyant, as well as an empath. She had a magical sight that was triggered by touch. But for her, it wasn't always just by physical contact. She was so strong, sometimes, especially when she or anyone else in her range was not shielded, she could receive images across the air. And not just images. Being an empath also gave her the ability to know another's emotions as well. Without the heavy shielding that she and her parents put around her, she would have long gone insane.
Here in the peace of nature she couldn't pick up a lot with her "magical" gifts and that was the greatest thing ever could be given to her. As of right this minute she could only feel the little murmurs of the minds of animals. But they were only intent on food, their children and/or shelter. Nothing that could overload her mind, which she was grateful for. Shielding as hard as she could around teenagers took the energy out of a person as it was. But as she stood in the clearing, letting her body soak up the sunshine, she began to feel refreshed.
After taking several deep breaths she opened her light blue eyes and gazed around. She spotted the usual wild flowers and the occasional bird hopping around looking for food and also a rabbit or two. She smiled at the creatures, but then her extra-sensitive senses kicked in, picking up something. A small frown marred her heart-shaped face as she tried to concentrate on what she was sensing. But all she could pick up was a human presence with emotions and thoughts shielded. It just felt like a wall had been placed against what she should have been able to "read" easily. That just made the frown deepen. Most people didn't shield. Most people weren't aware of the supernatural world. Now she wanted to know who this person was. Closing her eyes she concentrated harder, trying to "read" the person, but try as she might, the person was somehow aware of what she was doing and shielded all the more harder, much to Autumn's frustration.
She broke out of her attempts after several more minutes of failures. Sweat beaded from exertion at her forehead which she wiped away with the back of a hand and then took several deep breaths to calm down. If her own emotions went into a heightened state, she'd project them to all those around her, animals included. That was something she loathed to do. It only happened to her twice, and it wasn't something she'd like to ever repeat if she could help it.
She shook her head and looked around the clearing again, putting the strange presence out of her mind for the time being. She could hear the murmuring of the stream that ran just outside of the clearing. She walked across towards the rushing water and intercepted a female fox. Autumn stopped dead still to watch the creature, picking up the animal's instincts to protect her young. Senses extended and she found four fox pups sleeping in a pile of fuzz in the den beneath the tree beside the stream. At the moment they were fed, warm and content.
Autumn turned her senses and attention away, towards the actual stream and slowly made her way to the bank where she sat down on the edge. The vixen sniffed the air once more and not finding any threat she went back into her den to her pups.
Autumn pulled off her tennis shoes and then her socks and dipped her feet into the sun-warmed water. The tiny fish that swam by tickled her feet and nibbled at her toes. She giggled twitching her feet and watched in delight as the fish swiftly departed.
TBC