Ever by Darrin Shade

another peek at our group. Naomi and Dara hung back, but I knew they were watching Jaren and me. Jaren seemed to be studying me carefully, too, like he was expecting me to do something or say something. I guess was pretty distracted by all of the attention on us so I didn’t feel it at first. When I did feel it, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed it immediately.
    Wave after wave of a new sensation was washing over me and sort of through me, too. Like a rising crescendo, each new wave was more intense than the last one. Butterflies churned in my stomach. It grew to be almost too much, like being on a rollercoaster ride that wouldn’t stop. My crystal was vibrating like crazy. I was vibrating like crazy. Then I was filling up with a buoyant exuberance and soaring up and up like a balloon that had broken free of its string.
    I felt the connection of it all, of the trees, the animals—everything living thing on earth. At our cores, we were all the same energy. We were all connected! I heard myself gasp aloud. I must have swayed on my feet because Jaren caught my hand.
    “Slow down,” he murmured. “You’re not ready to go that high yet.”
    At his touch, I felt a yanking sensation rip through me and then I was blinking in amazement. I realized I was gripping Jaren’s hand hard. Actually, I was leaning against him. He felt warm. So warm. Yikes. I straightened up and let his hand go, still feeling an exhilarating undercurrent running through me.
    “Wow,” was all I could manage to say.
    “Yeah,” he replied. “That about describes what I felt the first time, too. Are you okay?”
    “I think so. What is it? How do you know about all of this?” I demanded in a harsh whisper.
    “I guess you could say it runs in my family,” he shrugged. “Like I said, we really need to talk. I knew you were like me when I first saw you, Everleigh. You’re so bright. I could see you from a mile away. We should stick together, you know?”
    Bright? In the dead of winter, I still looked like I had a tan. I looked around and saw that we lagged behind everyone by about ten yards. In the distance, I could see Naomi and a few other girls glancing back at us every so often. They were cloaked in a brackish energy smoke.
    “Look at the trees, not at them, Everleigh,” Jaren instructed. As I gazed around at the lush setting, I was struck almost senseless by the beauty I now perceived. The plants, the trees…everything seemed to be shining with a glittery, whitish glow.
    “Oh wow,” I breathed. “Everything is so…so…”
    I couldn’t find the words to describe the intensity of the experience I was having. To my embarrassment, I felt tears prick my eyes. I was in a state of pure appreciation and gratitude for the plants and trees. Tiny little blue flowers poked up from a log here. Soft green grasses rustled near the stream there. As I breathed, I felt that I was breathing in light…and love.
    “You’re doing great, Everleigh. Man, your energy is super intense right now.” He looked at me, and I could see that his eyes were unfocused. “We should catch up with the others. Try to maintain your energy level.”
    Walking with Jaren Wilder seemed so natural all of a sudden. We fell into a silent stride, each of us breathing in the clean scent of pine and forest mingled with dirt. We passed an uprooted tree, its network of short roots spreading up like a canopy. Some kids stopped to take pictures. At first, I felt an intense sadness for the majestic tree that lay there like a fallen soldier. Then I saw that it was part of an intricate energy system. It was home to plants, mosses and tons of bugs. The tree was decomposing and its energy was returning to be part of the earth. I could actually see it—tendrils of faded light soaking into the ground. Eventually, the energy would be recycled again in a dance that had been going on since the beginning of time.
    Jaren nudged me. “Are you okay?”
    Wow. I had forgotten he was even there.