Gathering Water (7 page)

Letting the water beat down on my back, I relaxed my body and tried to focus on the feeling of the water. Sure enough the tingling started in my back where the water was hitting, then spread through to the rest of my body.
When I lifted my hand out of the spray, I noticed something a little peculiar. My hand was dry! I mean, it had been wet just a moment before, but my skin seemed to absorb the moisture the moment it was out of the spray. I stuck it back in the water, then pulled it out again to be sure. This time I saw the water absorb into my skin. I thought back to the times I had felt that way before. It was often after a swim in the ocean, but I never noticed the insta-drying that was happening. I’d always credited the suns rays to my quick drying.

Drenching my hands again
, then holding them in front of my face, I willed the water to sink into them, marveling at my new drying power. Of course, I marveled a little too soon because as I was willing my hands to absorb the water, something funny started to happen; the water from the shower
bent
around me to reach my palms, which drank it up faster than a Sham-Wow.

That’s right.

I was pulling water from the showerhead… Into. My. Hands.

Completely freaked out by what was happening, I quickly turned off the water and
wrapped a towel around my body. I stood in front of the mirror and watched as my hair dried. Well, I was hyperventilating a little bit, and convinced I was going bat-shit crazy, so I wasn’t really standing in front of the mirror so much as leaning against the sink that happened to
be
in front of the mirror.

This couldn’t be happening, not for real.
But there was no explanation other than me losing my mind. I figured it was a 50/50 shot and the only way to be sure would be to wait and see… and perhaps ask Luke again, if this was even part of the secrets that he had been talking about. Bringing it up to Cash might be simpler, because if it had turned out I
was
crazy I doubted that Cash would have me committed.

With that plan firmly in place,
I got control over my emotions and went to bed. I skipped the journal-reading that night, for the first time since I’d gotten it; Llewellyn had put enough stuff on my mind for now.

August 23
rd
, 1968

Dear Journal,

Anise’s lessons continue to go well, though her mind still wanders from time to time. I’ve been spending more and more time Reading, and I’m very worried about what I’ve been learning. The elements are always vague, but it seems that there is something, or someone, on the horizon of incredible importance. I’ve yet to discover if this person is a protector, or destroyer, but I do know that they are of my family. Of my line. I also know that the Elfennol will be involved, and that worries me to no end. One glimmer of hope is a small whisper on the wind that we will have an ally who will be, or is, a member of a local Tribe. I know a medicine-man who has a child Anise’s age that I can talk to about these suspicions. He works a different magic than I, and might know something that I do not.

A few weeks later I still hadn’t had the opportunity, or the courage, to bring up the little trick I had discovered in the shower. I hadn’t forgotten about it; in fact, I had been practicing.

I’d discovered that I could do the same thing with pretty much everything; get the tingly sensation and absorb the… whatever it was. Sunlight, trees, the ocean, sand… even, as Llewellyn had done, the wind. Though I wasn’t always certain when I was successful since there wasn’t something physical going on, like me drying instantly when I did it with the water. I’d also been too afraid to try anything else that Llewellyn described in her journals. I’m not sure whether I was afraid that nothing would happen if I tried, or that something
would
happen.

I walked into my house, amazed at its transformation. There was still a lot of work to be done, but all the big things had been completed. All
the really expensive things too and my bank account was greatly depleted. I had gotten a late start since Luke had needed me at the shop and was surprised to find that the front room had already been painted. Following the voices into the kitchen I discovered the reason for the work, or rather the workers of the work.

“What are you guys doing?”
I asked.

Dove w
as head first into my brand new refrigerator that I had gotten on clearance because of the big dent on the side, and Cash was sitting on the countertop eating some of the string cheese I had bought for snacks while I worked.

“Just grabbing a snack and a drink, give our backs a rest before starting on the next room
,” Dove said through the corner of his mouth, his own stick of cheese sticking out like a cigar as he stood up from the fridge with a bottle of Gaterade in each hand.

“Ok, but why?”

“I think what she’s trying to say, Dove, is
thank you
. Isn’t that right Della?” Cash said, catching the drink that Dove had just tossed his way.

“Fine, thank you guys. You didn’t have to, but thank you.” We all just stood there for a moment, well Cash was
actually sitting, not really saying anything. They had already helped so much and I was uncomfortable with the amount of gratitude I felt.

“Why are you guys helping me so much? Isn’t there something else you’d rather be doing on your days off?”

Dove was working in his uncle’s custom surfboard shop, and Uncle Connor insisted that Cash help him out at his car dealership. Desipite their jobs, they had both been there all the time, and had truthfully done more work than I had, since they each worked twice as fast as me. They’d been the ones who put the insulation back in and put the drywall up. They’d taken control of redoing the stairs, after laughing at my poor attempt at it, and refitted the new window shutters.

“Not really,
” said Cash, though I knew he was lying.

Dove, who was standing next to me, bumped his shoulder against mine and knocked me off center before responding.
“We’re friends, that’s what friends do.”

I turned my head and look
ed at him for a moment. He unblinkingly met my eyes, daring me to question him.

“Oh.” It was really all I could say. Not because I was speechless or anything. I mean, he was pretty, but I’d gotten mostly used to
his looks this past month. I just hadn’t thought of him as anything more than my cousin’s friend. All three of us had been spending tons of time together, but I still sorta considered myself Cash’s tagalong. It hadn’t occurred to me that Dove might be
my
friend too.

The tune of “It’s Raining Men” suddenly
broke out in the kitchen. Dove and I started looking around in bewilderment until Dove reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out. He shot a very evil look at Cash and it was only then that I noticed my cousin’s shoulders were shaking in silent laughter. It might have been a childish prank, but it was a hilarious childish prank and I laughed so hard I got stitches in my sides. That set Cash’s silent laughter to the not-so-silent kind, and before we knew it Dove was glaring daggers at both of us. He left the room to talk on the phone and that made us laugh all the harder.

“Are you guys done yet?” Dove said as he popped his head back in the kitchen.

“Maybe,” I said, wiping the corners of my eyes.

“No,” Cash said at the same time.

“Seriously, Cash, you need to give me the password to change the ringtone. This is way worse then “I Feel Pretty”,” Dove said grumpily.

“Wait, you mean you can’t change your own ringtone?”
I asked.

“Not since your wonderful cousin here changed the password.” Hearing
Dove say that just set me off again.

“Yeah, laugh it up now
, doll-face. He’ll do the same to you if you ever give him the chance.”

Tears were
streaming down my cheeks, and I knew it wasn’t that funny. I really did. But I just couldn’t stop myself. Every time I’d slow down a bit, something else just seemed to set me off, like the look on Dove’s face, or the sound of Cash giggling next to me.

“Ok
ay children. As much fun as this has been, I’ve got to head back now.” Well, that was sobering.

“Jeez, don’t be such a baby
,” Cash said.

“No, that was my
uncle. He needs me in the workshop. I guess Jason called out or something,” Dove explained.

“Ah, that sucks. Well, catch you later
,” Cash said with a string of cheese hanging out of his mouth.

“Sure thing. See ya.”

“Wait, Dove.” I grabbed him by his forearm as he was walking by, causing him to stop and stare at my eyes. “Thanks, you know, for all you’ve done.”

He just looked at me for a moment, the sun shining through the window and hitting his eyes, making the copper in them stand out. Remember when I said I was mostly used to his prettiness? This wasn’t one of those times, and I was really glad it wasn’t my turn to speak.

“Anytime, Della.” Was his voice deeper than usual when he said my name? Holy Libido, Batman. He stood there another few seconds before I remembered to let go of his arm. Being friends with a hunk-ahunk of burning eye candy was going to be fun.

We got back to painting after he left, and worked until the su
n went down too far to continue, which meant we skipped lunch, accidentally, but oh boy did Cash act like a little baby when he was hungry.

His parents were going to pick us up and take us to dinner,
and I wouldn’t let him wash the paint off his hands inside because I didn’t want to mess up the new sink. Yes, I know they make stuff that will clean it, but I was being stubborn. So, we’re outside just being snippy with each other, scrubbing our hands by the hose because we both knew Aunt Ellis wouldn’t let us in the car as covered in paint as we both were.

And well, Cash really brings out my maturity, you know?

Either way, he was annoying me, so I flicked water in his face. Which led to him flicking at me, which made me splash him, which had him retaliating by taking the hose and spraying me. Brat.

Well, I
had
been practicing my awesome drying power, and here I was, completely drenched and that meant Ellis
certainly
wasn’t going to let me in the car. So I dried myself. Like, instantly. With Cash watching. And I made eye contact with him the entire time, smirking at the look on his face.

“Hot damn, Della! That was awesome! Do it again.” He sprayed me again, this time more thoroughly. So I had no choice but to
repeat my little trick.

“Don’t you dare spray me again. So, uh… this isn’t like, weird or something?”

“Not at all. I could Gather when I was still a kid. We’ve been pretty concerned about it. Dad didn’t want to come out and ask you, not until you mentioned it to us or something. He said you were probably used to keeping it a big secret and wouldn’t want to talk about it until you were more comfortable with us. Didn’t want to scare you off, but Dad was going to find a way to bring it up in the next few days. There’s some, uh, family stuff you have to do. How’d you learn to Gather so quickly? It takes me longer to dry off like that.”

So.
Proof of sanity. Or proof that my entire family is just as crazy? Strangely, having some weird mystical power seemed more reasonable than an entire family having joint hallucinations.

“What exactly is
‘Gathering’? And how did you already know I could do it?” I was curious to know.

“What you were just doing. It’s what we call it when you gather power. And Della, you pretty much glow half the time. Dad said he’
s never seen anything like it. You Gather all the time. What do you use all the power on?”

“
Um…,” and I was lost again.

“You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”
he asked.

“No, not really. I kinda just figured out how to do this a
few weeks ago. I wasn’t able to do it before I moved here and I was really careful not to Gather, or whatever, in front of you guys, since I seriously thought I was going crazy.”

“Really? Huh.”
He looked at me with brows down in confusion.

“What?”

“That just doesn’t make any sense. How could you not have known? You’ve been doing it since you got here,” he told me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Cash. I didn’t know, and I didn’t figure out how to do it until a few weeks ago. I don’t even know
what
I’m doing, just that I’m doing something.” Maybe I shouldn’t have ruled out family craziness so quickly.

“Don’t bite my head off! I wasn’t accusing you of lying, I just said it doesn’t make sense. You’re going to have to talk to my dad about it. If you just found out, then you need teaching. Hell, I’m still being taught.
Probably going to meet the Elfennol in the next few months and dad wants to make sure I’m ready for it. But you don’t know what I’m talking about, so never mind.”

“What
are
you talking about?”

“Dad will explain all that. D
on’t worry about it till then.” Just then Ellis’s car pulled in the driveway to pick us up. “Good, Mom’s here. I’m starving.”

I was pretty hungry myself, but also insanely curious. I wasn’t sure I liked the idea of having lessons or whatever, but I really wanted to know what Connor could tell me. You can’t ex
actly ask a diary questions, and so far Llewelyn’s journal had been my only source of information.