The Heart Of The Storm: A Bedtime Story

Hello dear ones and welcome to today's reading a reading of a story I wrote called the heart of the storm just taking a few moments before we begin to settle yourself into the space maybe taking some longer deeper breaths maybe taking a nice big stretch a nice big yawn and when you're ready beloveds we will begin Alicia always felt there was a storm inside her a constant hum of energy a pulse of something bigger than her it started when she was a child the way she could feel the weather changing before it happened or how the world seemed to slow down almost as if she could anticipate the actions of those around her when she was younger she dismissed these experiences as mere coincidences her mind playing tricks on her but as she grew older the incidents became harder to ignore it all began one fateful summer when she was 12 she had been playing outside in her garden her friends laughing as they kicked a ball between them when the air shifted the sky grew dark without warning and the clouds quickly gathered into an ominous swirl it wasn't like a regular storm this was different alive almost her heart raced as the wind picked up whipping around her she was scared but at the same time a strange feeling filled her veins in the midst of the chaos her friend Jenna shrieked as a loose tree branch came tumbling toward her but before Alicia even thought about it she felt the branch's motion in her gut she raised a hand not even sure why and to her surprise the branch halted in mid-air time seemed to stop and the air crackled then with a gentle push of her hand the branch fell harmlessly to the ground Jenna stared at her wide-eyed and Alicia was left breathless wondering if she'd imagined it for days after that the storm inside her pulsed in a way she couldn't explain her powers whatever they were hadn't just shown themselves they had manifested but how and why as the years passed Alicia learned to hide what she could do at school she was a model student but the storm inside her was never far away her abilities continued to grow but she quickly realized they came with unintended consequences once in class she had been daydreaming about a rainstorm while the teacher had lectured her gaze had wandered out the window and without thinking the atmosphere around her had changed the air thickened the temperature dropped and frost slowly spread across the classroom windows the other students were confused and a few of them started shivering even though it was the middle of spring the teacher had noticed too but no one could explain what had happened Alicia had quickly apologized hoping no one would connect the strange phenomenon to her but it happened again during gym class as she jogged with her classmates the wind suddenly picked up it was calm one second and then it was as if the wind suddenly picked up and rushed in throwing leaves and debris across the field Alicia couldn't control it she felt as though the wind was speaking to her urging her to let go but she held tight to the reins afraid of what might happen if she didn't still her control was tenuous it seemed the more she suppressed her powers the harder it became to keep them contained one day while walking home she experienced something even more profound a few blocks away a car was speeding through a red light and a pedestrian was crossing the intersection everything seemed to slow down and Alicia sensed the danger her heart pounded as the car neared the pedestrian without consciously deciding she reached out and pulled the air pushing against the car time seemed to bend around her as the car jerked backward narrowly avoiding a collision the pedestrian unaware of what had happened carried on leaving Alicia in a state of disbelief she realized then that it wasn't just the weather she could control it was movement the flow of the world around her the air the wind the way objects move through space she could influence them as Alicia continued to struggle with her gifts she became more isolated the fear of discovery growing and it wasn't until a stormy evening when everything changed it was a night like any other a storm had rolled in unexpectedly and the wind howled outside her bedroom window Alicia sat on her bed her eyes closed listening to the storm feeling the pulse of it the way it matched the rhythm of her own heartbeat she knew the storm wasn't just outside it was part of her the more she concentrated the stronger it became suddenly a loud knock at the door startled her she opened it half expecting to see her mother there instead standing in the rain drenched and unbothered by the torrential downpour was a woman her face was calm but there was something unnerving in her eyes something knowing I've been waiting for you Alicia the woman said her voice steady against the howl of the wind Alicia blinked in confusion who are you?

I'm Solara the woman replied stepping inside without waiting for an invitation the storm seemed to quiet around her the winds dying down as she entered I'm like you Alicia Alicia's heart raced like me what do you mean?

Solara gave her a soft smile you have the gift Alicia the gift to control the storm Alicia's stomach turned and she suddenly felt a sharp pull of energy in her chest as though the storm inside her recognized Solara it was both comforting and terrifying you are not alone Solara continued I can help you understand your abilities but you must come with me in the weeks that passed Solara became Alicia's mentor she taught her how to feel the storm how to listen to it how to make it her ally instead of her enemy Solara showed her that her powers were tied to the very essence of nature she could summon gusts of wind with a thought create small tornadoes that danced at her fingertips or calm raging storms with a deep breath and focused mind Solara taught her how to manipulate the atmosphere itself how to create microclimates with her will how to change the pressure in the air to influence people's emotions and how to even bend light to make things appear or disappear Alicia found herself able to create illusions of rain or fog to cloak herself from view or to manipulate the temperature to either freeze a surface or make it burn with heat one afternoon they went to the edge of a cliff where the ocean crashed against jagged rocks below Solara stood beside her watching the waves crash violently can you feel it Solara asked Alicia closed her eyes and stretched out her hands the wind picked up swirling around her as though it were alive her body hummed with energy she raised her arms and with a concentrated effort she felt the air shift the wind wrapped around her like a partner pulling at the sea bending the waves as she focused on them slowly the waves calmed the stormy sea turning into a peaceful serene expanse Solara nodded in approval you are learning quickly Alicia but you still have a long way to go your storm is powerful don't let it control you Alicia could feel the power surging inside her but she felt a sense of peace now for the first time she understood that she wasn't just reacting to the storm she was becoming a part of it when Alicia had learned to control her powers to a sufficient degree Solara took her to a hidden sanctuary for others like her a school waking children could learn to harness their abilities safely at the school Alicia met others with incredible abilities one girl could control fire with a mere glance and another could manipulate time speeding up or slowing down moments with a gesture there was a boy who could communicate with animals and a girl who could shift into any form she desired but it was the students who could control the elements water earth fire and air that Alicia felt an immediate bond with Solara introduced her to the headmistress a wise and gentle woman named Alara who welcomed her warmly here you will find your true potential you will learn not only to control your gifts but to understand them we are all connected by the same force in the months that followed Alicia felt more at home than she ever had before she trained with the other students learning how to refine her skills the school had everything she needed space to practice mentors to guide her and a sense of belonging that she had never experienced before as the sun set behind the mountains Alicia stood on the school's balcony watching the sky change from gold to deep blue the storm inside her once a force of chaos now felt like a companion like an ally she had learned to embrace her powers and now at the school she wasn't alone anymore