The Gifted Star

Natural light filtered through Estella’s closed eyelids, and she heard the soft murmuring of hushed voices. She breathed in deeply, rejoicing as she smelt the aroma of her mother’s cooking. Blinking past the dust of sleep, Estella opened her eyes. An old woman’s craggily face appeared very close to her face, causing her heart to skip a beat. The lady broke out in toothless smile and started poking and pinching Estella’s face.

“Ah, it looks like she lives!” the elder exclaimed. A rush of movement caused Estella to look and see her family members rushing to the bedside. Each one wore the expression of fear and relief mixed together.

“Wh- what happened?” Estella stumbled out. She quickly stole a glance out the window. “It can’t be past mid-day! I've only been asleep for a few hours”.

The old woman was about to speak again but the gentle hand of Estella’s mother stopped the woman. Pity crossed Engracia’s features as she said, “Estella, you are right about it being mid-day, but it has been three days since we found you outside”.

Estella was speechless. It had only felt like an hour in her dreams, she knew it could have been a little longer but three days was impossible. If someone was unconscious for more than two days, it was doubtful that they would wake up. Yet, there she was alive and awake after three long days of her family’s worrying and doubt.

The memory of Daniel writing on her hand suddenly came to her, and she slowly looked down at her hand. She was relieved at the blank side of her hands. It had just been a dream. However, she turned her palms face-up and her heart stopped. Written in the same penmanship as she had imagined was a simple word; ‘believe’.

“Estella,” a voice called out through the haze of her thoughts. It was Aaron this time who was speaking to her. “What happened out there?”

The question struck fear in her very being. Would they find out the truth about her and what she could do? Would she be hunted down and executed? Estella steadied her voice and responded, “What do you mean?”

“You were found unconscious, with a sprained ankle and have been out for three whole days. Plus there were the remains of a charred serafine, not a hundred yards away from your location. That’s what he means,” stated another man. Her father came up to the other side of her bed and loomed in front of her. He had always been an intimidating person. He stood over 6 feet and he made almost purely of muscles, created by the hard work of toiling the soil. Raising a family and farming in an unfriendly environment caused him to grow a thick skin and a no nonsense attitude towards most people. Despite being his only daughter, Estella had never been close to him and they had had many confrontations in the past.

At the moment he actually seemed mad at her for being hurt. Estella had a strong urge to shout at her father and tell him what had just occurred. She opened her mouth to do so but closed it before a word could escape. What could she say that would not make her sound completely insane? She wasn't about to say, “Well, here’s the situation; I am a descendant of a very powerful race called the Gifted. I spoke a single word and the serafine burst into a flame that could not be extinguished. And while I was asleep for three days here, I was actually talking to somebody who was apparently a Dreamwalker. He told me that there was a town where the Gifted are living and I should go there so I can learn to harness this amazing power. Look! He actually wrote this on my hand during the dream, which can prove that I am certainly not crazy. So I should be off now, because I am leaving everyone and everything I have ever known for this. Good-bye.”

Even thinking of saying that made Estella almost burst laughing and crying at the same time, all she had just thought was outrageous but sadly true. She could feel the stares of the others in the room, as they waited patiently for a response. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her pulse and breathing for the biggest lie she might ever tell.

“It is all kind of a blur,” Estella started off with. She sounded more confident than she thought she would have. “After I found the lost lamb, I was handing back to the barn when the serafine attacked. It lunged at us but I managed to jump out of the way at the last moment. I must have twisted ankle when I fell on the ground, as it hurt to move it after that. When I looked up to see the serafine, it was approaching the lamb and about to attack it. The lantern laid only a little ways from me, so I picked it up and threw it at the creature. I guess because of all of the oil and grease in the animals’ fur the fire caught quickly and spread easily. After that I must have lost all of my strength and went unconscious. And now I’m here.”

Silence gripped the room when Estella had finished her tale. Surprisingly, for the most part the story rang true to what had actually occurred. Covering the lie in a blanket of truths had certainly made it easier to tell, but the blaring feeling of guilt still welled up inside of her.

The touch of a calloused hand on her shoulder caused her to look up at her father. “We’re just glad you’re safe now,” he said. His voice was coated in concern and happiness for his daughter's well-being. The gentleness astonished Estella, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Her father’s hand was replaced by the engulfing arms of her mother, as she hugged Estella.

Once her mother had finally let go of the embrace, Estella looked at the nurse. “Thank you very much for nursing me back to health,” she said gratefully. The nurse meekly smiled and bent her head in acknowledgement. She looked at her family members and continued, “Thank you for caring so much for me. I don’t know what I would do without you. However, I feel very exhausted at the moment; would I be able to have some time by myself?”

Her mother’s face appeared even more kind than ever before and she bent down to plant a soft kiss on Estella’s forehead. “Take as much time as you need,” the older woman replied with a sweet smile.

“Thank you, mother,” Estella said. Everyone in the room rose up and began to leave, with the nurse heading the party. After the healer had left, Estella quickly called out to her family, “Wait!” It had gotten their attention, and all three turned around. She froze as she looked at those who she called family. Words spun around in her mind and she couldn't think of what to say that would justify what might happen next. Each one of the people who looked at her cared for and she loved them back. She remembered running around Greenwater thinking that it was her definition of home, but in truth what she saw now was her home. And she was about to leave it all behind.

Her parents and brother looked at her expectantly. Finally Estella found the courage to speak. “I love you all so much. Please never forget that,” she begged. Her parents smiled lovingly at her and continued on their way.

Aaron hung back for a second. “Awe, you’re getting all emotional and sappy on us. How sweet,” He said taunting her. She knew it would be her brother who first tried to return things to normal

Estella laughed. “Don’t worry, Aaron, I’ll try not let it happen again,” she retorted back. For one moment she forgot that it was true, but reality came back and her laughter turned sour. She caught the curious glance from her brother, and she swiftly replaced the frown with a grin. “Now go away, Aaron, you’re disturbing my beauty sleep.”

The cover-up seemed to work, as her brother chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. The click of the door signaled that she was finally alone. Rest was the last thing on her mind, as she lay on her side looking at the word scrolled on her hand.

Hours seemed to pass by as she stared at the truth of what she was. Estella contemplated staying in Greenwater for the remainder of her life. She could get married, have children, and live a satisfying life in the place she had always known. One day she might let others know about what she did that fearful time that she was attacked. What difference would it make? It might spread like a wildfire and eventually those who hunted the Gifted would find her, but what chance was there of that? Life would be simple and easy.

However, there was the other option; run away and never look back. She could control a power that was only heard of in myths and legends. It was a life full of peril, complication, and adventure. Daniel was right when he said that the Power was addicting, and it was something she could not let go of quite yet. It was yet unsolved and she had always hated mysteries. But would it be worth all of the pain she would cause her family, and Arella? Was the price of gaining the Power enough to outweigh the tranquil life that she would have to give up?

Estella sat up and searched in her nightstand for a pack of matches. After finding the pack, she struck on a piece of flint and lit the wick of the candle beside her bed. The fire sprung into life, effectively warding off the approaching twilight.

Standing up from the bed, Estella had to steady herself as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her senses. The only food and water she had had in the last three days was probably force fed to her while she was asleep. ‘That can come later,’ she told herself as she stumbled towards the chest at the end of the bed. The light she held in hand cast frightful shadows across the room, and the images came to life when she moved the candle to a better position to see inside the trunk. Estella dug around for a few minutes until she finally tugged out a large, leather rucksack. She had made her decision.