Day 2 - Surprising Zariah
They say that life is full of surprises, that our dreams really can come true. Then again, so can our nightmares.
It was pretty hard to surprise Zariah Hope Celestia Holmes. She was psychic after all. Things like gifts, and plans for the day, and computer passwords were near impossible to get away with hiding if she was in the general location.
Mycroft and Naomi had it down pretty well at this point. Distractions. They'd get her thinking about something else, or lost in a book, or talking about what she did for the day. But each day proved to be a challenge as she got better at honing her gift.
Zariah thought it was a good thing. Meant she had that advantage for when a dangerous situation presented itself. She didn't know any different.
For Zariah, surprises were found in other ways, and nearly everyday. Surprises were found in new experiences.
The first touch of a sandy beach. She remembered it, despite being so little, only a few days old and in her father's arms. She's been completely surprised by the softness of the sand, the way it got stuck between her toes, the bubbles in the water as it kissed the sandy shore. She'd giggled and wiggled and just greeted the new experience with a bright joy.
She was about the same age when she first met the two horses that would become her obsession and closest friends. When Victoria's big black velvety lips nibbled gently at her hand, she'd been scared. The surprise had been evident in her big blue eyes as she stared at the huge thoroughbred. And then she giggled. She laughed and leaned forward to press a kiss to the horse's nose. Both Naomi and Mycroft had laughed with her.
Her first birthday party had been a true and honest surprise, even if she was completely comfortable with the attention. She'd been surprised with the pretty decorations and the way the balloons bounced off of each other when she tugged at the strings. She took her first bite of chocolate cake, wide eyes and big smile when she tasted the rich flavor.
There'd been some not so nice surprises along the way. The tight feeling that accompanied leaving their house and the beach and everything she'd ever known. The surprise that came along with tears when she'd curled up in her Daddy's arms and he didn't know where they would be next.
Zariah had been surprised at the coldness that snow brought in the new world. The way it chilled her to the bone, made her shiver and go numb. The best surprise of that first week in the new location had been their new house. Rich colored wood, expensive rugs, the suits of armor, and the warm fireplaces in her family house.
Each new day of her very short life brought more and more new experiences. The feeling that true anger burned in her chest. The absolute joy of a snowball fight radiating out of her. The accomplished feeling that mastering yet another language brought. The loud bang of a gun and the dizzying fear that came with holding something that could seriously hurt or kill someone. The unexpected flutter that came with holding the hand of someone she think she fancied.
The young Holmes found herself surprised every day. By love. By experiences. By the ending of her most recent reading material. By family. By strangers. She didn't have long, she knew that. But she was going to make every surprise count.