The pain was the first thing I noticed. I was afraid to open my eyes because the light already hurt, even through my eyelids. I had the most incredible headache, kind of like brain freeze multiplied a hundred times. My tongue tasted kind of like I had spent the night mopping the floor with my tongue, and every sound seemed to make my brain pound. I sort of wanted to puke, and I think every part of me was in pain.

Remarkably, it seemed that this was the good news. First, I was apparently still alive, although just now I might actually be willing to enter a debate on the subject, if only it didn’t hurt so much to think...

Secondly, I really didn’t feel much better than I had last night. Nothing had changed, my problems were all still there. The only difference was that now, I felt awful physically, as well as emotionally.

I wiped my eyes because they almost seemed to be cemented shut, and someone gently pushed my hand away and washed my face with a cool, moist cloth. I knew it was my Mom somehow, and then I realized that I could hear her thoughts. I even felt the things she was feeling, and the disappointment, pain and fear were almost too much for me to bear, and I winced in response.

Dad came in and put his arms around Mom, to give her strength. Together, their emotions were like standing in the surf as their pain washed over me, and I just dissolved into tears, knowing exactly how much I had hurt and disappointed them. I actually wasn’t sure I would be able to survive hurting this bad. I looked at both of them with regret for what I had put them through.

“Young lady,” my mother said, in a voice that was far too loud for me this morning. “Do you have any idea of how-“

“Mom, please!” I cried. “I can’t...I just can’t...”

I guess I passed out, but when I came to again, I heard Grandma laying into both of them. Opening my eyes was even harder this time, but they weren’t looking at me just now.

“-es, dear, I’m well aware that you are hurt and upset, Good Lord, do I know. Jenny, we should have realized it, but Emily has my gift!”

“Gift? What...you mean, she can read minds, too?” The fear from my mother was deep, but she was afraid for me, not at me...she worried that it would all be too much for me, and that someone would covet my talent

“Yes, only she’s much more powerful than I am. She feels everything the two of you and I feel, don’t you, honey?”

I looked at my parents. “I’m so sorry! Oh God!” I held my hands over my ears, as if that would help me to stop the assault I felt... I thought I would pass out again.

“Oh, my God! I didn’t realize she would hurt so much!” Mom wanted to comfort me, but Grandma stopped her.

“Okay, you two,” Grandma told my parents. “You need to go for a drive or something, Emily hasn’t learned how to shield yet, and in a very real way, you are hurting her intensely. Jenny, I feel your fear and despair, and it hurts me...what do you think Emily is feeling?”

“I deserve it,” I choked out between the tears, but Grandma wouldn’t back down one bit.

“Jenny, go now! I really need to help Emily right now. It’s just all overwhelming her.
She’s still close to suicidal from seeing what she thinks is her world fall apart, and she’s finally really dealing with the despair over the loss of the life she had as Gabe. Then there’s the hangover she’s feeling from trying to use alcohol in her desperate attempt to numb her pain. Add to that the anger, despair, disappointment, fears and even the love from both of you, and you wonder that she passed out?

It’s just too much, but I can help her. You need to go now, and stay away from her until you calm down, both of you. I know, sweetheart,” she said as she hugged Mom. “I can feel how much it hurts, and how much you love her, and Emily feels it so much more than me. Go, please!"

They walked down the hall, with Grandma trying to keep them moving.

"Come back once you’re more in control and relaxed. Don’t forget, I’ve been trained for this, and even though I’m retired, I can handle it. I’m trained to shield and to control my emotions, and since I have a taste of what she feels, I’m not at all angry with her. We’ll be fine, but I have to teach my Grand-daughter to shield her mind. Now Go!”

They had decided to go for a drive that would take them to the beach for a while, but as they left, I caught a wave of relief, concern and love. I didn’t know what to think, but I trusted my Grandma, especially since I could feel almost nothing from her mind, which showed me how strong her shield was.

Grandma got me some pain medication, and I soon started to feel almost human again. We just sat there until I was able to get control of myself. I still heard the thoughts of people around our neighborhood, but they were distant and impossible to understand.

“Okay, Emmy, take a deep breath and let it out. You need to be able to focus for this. I want you to picture a giant beachball, about a foot taller than you are, all right?”

“Okay, Grandma, I’m picturing a huge plastic ball.” I said, keeping my eyes closed.

“Now, keeping your eyes closed, picture the ball all around you.”

“Yeah, I see it.” I opened my eyes to a transluscent darkness. I could almost feel it.

“You’ll notice how all sounds are muffled inside of the ball.”

“Yeah, they are.” All of the other mental voices were also silent.

“Now here comes the hardest part. That ball is your shield, okay? Imagine that it’s
impervious unless you specifically want to let someone or something in. Nothing can get through it. I want you to focus on my voice, to let my voice, and only my voice in, you got it?”

The ball got darker inside, as though I was even keeping light out.

“Yes Grandma. It’s very quiet inside here. I don’t hear all of that ‘static’ of other people's thoughts.” I had a huge smile on my face. This was starting to get better and better.

“Do you think you can do this by yourself?”

“Oh, sure! No problem.”

“Very good, sweetie. Now the last thing. Your ball is imaginary, so you can shape it in anyway you like.”

“Does that mean my shield is imaginary?”

“No, you could be hit by a truck, or shot with a gun, Nothing will get through that shield.”

“Very cool.” Oh, I was in love with this.

“You could wrap it around your body, and make yourself completely bulletproof. Done right, you could comfortably walk naked in a blizzard, or across a burning desert and never even get a tan. A lot of it depends on your imagination.”

Whoa.

“Now, young lady, you and I need to talk.”

“I know, Grandma.” I knew this wouldn't be any fun.

“I’m a little disappointed in one thing, Emily.”

Wow, just one? “Which thing bothers you?”

“The idea that if your grandfather was alive, you would have gone straight to him for help, so why didn’t you think of coming to me?” Her voice told me she was hurt, and I hugged her to show how much I loved her.

“Grandma, I was panicked; my world felt like it had come to an end. I don’t want to live without my family and my friends. It’s just not worth it.”

“Tell me this. Where did you come up with the idea that you couldn’t have friends?”

I was confused. “I thought it would be too dangerous, isn’t that what you and Mom were saying? I was worried about that, and then you and Mom looked so astonished and scared at what I could do. I guessed that if you thought I was dangerous before you knew how strong I was, how much worse would it be knowing that you had seen my real strength?”

“Emily we said an untrained witch with your strength could be dangerous. Honey, I’m going to tell you what your Great Grandmother told me when I was learning and a little scared.

She told me that ‘Magic is like potty training. It takes a little time to understand what you have to do, and you might have a few accidents, but really, it doesn’t take long before you’re not peeing in your bed anymore.’ Once we get you trained and comfortable, your life can be just as normal as you want it. I guess one thing we need to work on first, and that’s your confidence. Debbie mentioned a precog you had about you and Tim. Don't you trust your own precog?”

I blushed-a lot.

“Yeah, but Grandma, how can you tell if a precog is true?

“You know when it’s a real precog by the way it affects you. What did you feel when you had yours about Tim?”

“It was like the world clicked into place for me. I just felt like we were going to grow old together,”

“That sounds like a valid precognitive event to me.”

“You mean, it’s true?”

“I’d have to say, it sounds like you two are soul mates to me. You could try to fight it, but personally, when a psychic of your strength tells me something will happen, I think I’ll listen.”

It was like a sunshine bomb went off in my heart. Whatever it was I had to do, I would do it. My insecurities were suddenly tiny, and I was feeling very, very happy.

Mom and Dad cautiously came in, unsure of what they were walking into. I met them as they came in. Mom seemed shocked that I was so bright and laughing, and I hugged them both.

“Who are you?” Dad asked and chuckled, bemused by my obvious glee.

I smiled with everything I had. “I’m the future Mrs. Timothy Davies!"

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