Betrayal and resentment were the only two emotions I could register after reading Abigail's letter. If what I'd read was true, it meant that Christopher and Abigail had lied to me my entire life.

Hot, angry tears cascade down my cheeks as I fought the urge to scream.

On some deep-seeded level, I had suspected that I was adopted for a while. There were little things over the years that had made me suspicious- the fact that I looked nothing like either of my parents, when they couldn't find my birth certificate for a school project, a distinct lack of pictures of me from when I was a baby. In retrospect I guess I should have come to the conclusion myself. Maybe then I wouldn't have felt so blindsided.

Exasperated, I threw the letter as far from me as I could. I didn't want anything to do with these people, these strangers, who had kept the truth from me for so long. How can I believe anything they'd ever told me?

And what was that Abigail wrote about witches, and binding my powers?  Or about my biological parents using dark magic? Abigail needed to be institutionalized if she actually believed those things.

But what about everything that happened at the house? I found myself thinking.

I didn't know what that was about, but I was determined to find the answers. Tomorrow I would go to Jerry and Kate's house and get the truth, whether they wanted to give it or not.

Leaning back against the cave wall, I closed my eyes and drifted into a deep sleep, as tears of betrayal continued to fall down my face.

That night, my dreams consisted of several images that I couldn't make sense of.

Two young girls ran through a field holding hands; a large circle of friends chanted together in the forest; a woman with brown hair and hazel eyes rocked a cradle with a smile on her face; the same woman attacking a group of people, while terrifying fire danced in her eyes; the face of a young, green-eyed man who I'd had never met, but felt as though I'd known my whole life.

The man, in particular, stood out in my mind. He had dark brown hair, cropped neatly above his ears, and the brightest green eyes that I'd ever seen. There was a stony look on his face. It was chilling, yet I had never felt more at ease. The stranger brought me peace and a sense of protection that put a smile on my face.

The image lingered in my mind for several minutes, before a single word came out of his mouth.

"Lexi."

I woke at the sound of my name and looked around, disorientated. It took me a moment to realize that I was still wedged between the boulders, hiding from unknown dangers.

As I lay awake in the darkness, I recalled the horrific events from the previous day. I couldn't help but wonder if everything that happened was just one of my many vivid dreams.

It wasn't a dream, I thought, looking down.

On my forearm, a large bruise was beginning to darken from when Abigail had pulled me roughly up the stairs. The sight and what it reminded me of made me want to vomit.

I peered through the opening of the enclosure and saw the morning dawn shining brightly in the distance, trickling across the dark sky with pink and orange hues. Knowing I would never be able to go back to sleep anyway, decided now was as good a time as any to make my way toward Jerry and Kate's house.

Gathering my few possessions, I wedged herself out of the small cavern, pulling my backpack behind me. I walked to the stream and squatted down, taking several swigs of the fresh water. Remembering the canteen in my backpack, I pulled it out and filled it to the brim. The Taylor lake house was around an hour car ride from here; by foot, the trek would take most of the day.

I looked around, unsure which direction to go. I had been heading southwest originally, but it was so easy to change directions in the woods without realizing it.

I recalled information I had learned from my camping lessons with Christopher- Jerry and Kate lived in Hudson, which was slightly west of my family's home. The rising sun was emanating above the horizon just to my left so, if I remembered correctly, this means I should go the opposite direction.

For a moment, I was terrified. What if I chose the wrong route? It could cost me an entire day of traveling and I would be stuck in the forest for another night, with God knows what predators lurking about.

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I heard the snap of a twig behind me. I turned around quickly, surveying the surrounding shrubbery, but seeing nothing out of place.

Probably just a woodland creature, I thought, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.

A chill crept up my spine. This was just the motivation I needed to start moving. Without thinking twice, I rushed through the clearing beside me, hoping for the best.

It didn't take long for the crisp morning air to give way to a thick heat, as the summer sun made its way across the sky. Within a matter of hours, my shirt clung to me with sweat, and my skin was beginning to burn in the sun's bright rays. I found myself longing for a large glass of iced tea and a cool shower.

As I wandered along, I found my mind being pulled in many different directions. The information in Abigail's letter was mystifying, and I wasn't sure if I believed a word of it. A person having supernatural abilities seemed unrealistic, but the idea that I could somehow possess such talents was improbable.

Regardless, I knew one thing for sure- I was in danger, and my parents suspected I would be or they wouldn't have prepared the backpack for me. The idea made me pick up speed.

I made my way toward the little town of Hudson where Jerry and Kate lived, their house just off of the water. I used to love going to the lake house for cookouts and swimming. The memories provided me with a small bit of comfort in the midst of my aching confusion.

I felt instant relief when I thought about the Taylors. Being very close friends of my parents, Jerry and Kate were practically family. They were always there for me growing up, from major life events, to attending birthday parties and seeing school plays. Even if this was all a hoax, these were people I trusted to help me find the truth.

I thought back to my recent encounter with the man in our house. There was something anomalous about him, I could see that much in his eyes. And what was that weird light that came out of his hands? Even if this whole thing was some bizarre hoax, there was no way Christopher and Abigail had the ability to stage something like that. Whoever that stranger was, he wasn't part of their plan.

I wished I could call the police and have someone check on Christopher and Abigail but, in my haste, I'd left my cell phone back at the house. I was sure there were at least a few people left in the world who had landlines, but the nearest house was probably several miles from here.

My heart kept telling me to turn back, to see everything for myself, and to get my cell phone so I could call for help. But my promise to Abigail kept my legs moving forward.

Several hours passed as I continued the seemingly never ending journey. As evening approached, I stumbled upon a fire pit in a small clearing, and immediately knew that I was just beyond Jerry and Kate's backyard.

So many crisp, fall nights were spent at this fire pit, roasting hot dogs and making s'mores. A smile formed on my lips at the memories, but quickly vanished as my mind drifted to Abigail and Christopher's laughing faces, glowing in the light of the flames. As angry as I was with them for their duplicity, I'd give anything for them to be with me at this moment.

A chill crept into the air as I stepped out of the forest and into a clearing. Even though the sun had almost set, I could still make out the lake lying several yards to my left, boats gliding effortlessly on the smooth, blue-gray water. It was beautiful, but I only had eyes for the house straight ahead. The sight of the two-story log cabin brought me so much comfort, I found my eyes welling with tears.

Although my body ached, I ran toward the house, my newfound solace from the events of the past few days. I darted up the steps of the porch, and began knocking frantically on the door.

After a minute of no response, I tried again with more force, but still no answer. My heart began to race with fear. What if no one was home? I rang the doorbell three time in succession, praying someone would open the door.

Please... I begged internally, please answer. But still nothing.

I had resigned that no one was home and was reluctantly about to leave, when the rustling of leaves from behind sent me spinning around in my hypersensitive state.

"Lexi? Is that you?" a deep voice asked incredibly.

Relief flooded through me when I saw Jeremiah standing in the yard with an armful of firewood, the expression on his face a mixture of confusion and concern. The sight of him was so welcome, that I burst into full-blown tears. The strength in my legs gave way, and I fell to my knees.

"Katherine!" Jerry called out, tossing the firewood to the side, and bustling up the steps.

He wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace, as I sobbed uncontrollably into his flannel shirt, the past twenty-four hours finally weighing on me.

"Jerry? What's wrong?" a female voice called from the side of the house.

Katherine appeared, out of breath and holding a fishing pole in her hands. She scrutinized the scene for only a moment, before dropping the rod, and running up the steps to open the front door.

Jerry helped me inside, guiding me to a plush, ivory armchair near the brick fireplace. My cold body welcomed the proximity to the roaring flames.

Jerry locked the front door and gaped cautiously out of the living room window, before drawing the curtains closed. He grabbed a box of tissues and put them on the ivory armchair, as I continued to sob irrepressibly. I could hear Kate bustling about in the kitchen behind me.

For a few minutes, all I could do was cry. I tried to bite back my tears for Jerry and Kate's sake, but every time I thought I had my emotions under control, the tears began to fall anew.

Kate brought three mugs into the living room and handed one to each of us. I wrapped my cold, trembling hands around the ceramic, allowing the warmth of the cup to ease my pain as I took an absentminded sip.

Mmm....hot chocolate.

The sweet liquid warmed the chill in my bones, and I began to feel revived. The tears receded, and I was finally able to look at Jerry and Kate without losing control of my emotions. I knew that I owed them an explanation for showing up on their doorstep so hysterical.

"Lexi, what happened?" Jerry asked in a gentle voice.

I took a deep, shaky, breath, before launching into a recount of the past day. Once I opened my mouth, it was as though the floodgates had been lifted. All of the worries that I'd been holding on to for the last two days came pouring out.

The tears fell down my cheeks once again as I relived the incident with the delivery man, and the inexplicable lights that shot out of his palms. I described Christopher's assault, Abigail's terrifying screams as I ran into the safety of the woods, and the letter she left behind.

As I spoke, Jeremiah and Katherine's faces grew continuously more appalled. By the end of the story, Jerry had formed a crease between his eyes, and was rubbing his forehead. Kate had her mouth covered with both of her hands, stifling her gasps.

"I know this sounds insane," I admitted. "I'm not even sure I believe it myself. But I do know that that man hurt- maybe even murdered- my parents with that bizarre light," I said, stopping to compose myself.

It had been the first time I'd really allowed myself to think about the possibility, and it left an ache in my stomach.

I looked from Jerry to Kate, unable to formulate words. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, before Kate finally gave a small shrug as if to say, "Do we really have a choice?"

"Lexi, the light you are talking about was real. It's called a firebomb and it's... a supernatural power," Jeremiah explained, glancing at me wearily as though gauging my reaction. "What Abby told you about having magical abilities is true. I'm sure she also explained that they... adopted you?" Jerry asked, his eyes softening with compassion as I gave a small nod.

"Abby, Chris, Kate and I were all part of the same coven, along with both of your parents. We called ourselves the 'Aurea Lux', which means 'The Golden Light'. The name was supposed to remind us to use our magic for good, to help others who could not help themselves. We have an obligation to help the less fortunate with the magic that flows through all of our veins, yours included."

There was a pause as they sipped their hot chocolate. Jerry and Kate's eyes were in some distant land as they searched their memories. I felt my insides quivering with anticipation, eager to hear everything they had to say, but at the same time, unsure if I really wanted to know.

"Brianne, your mother, was one of the leaders of our coven. She was incredibly gifted in the craft. So many difficult spells and incantations came naturally to her, that other witches had to practice their entire lives, and still might not be able to master," Katherine said with a hint of envy.

"Our coven had many things we hoped to achieve, but our main objective was to find witches new to the craft, and teach them to use their magic for the right reasons. It's so easy to be swayed and give in to the selfish urges you're feeling when you're that young and inexperienced. It's the most susceptible time in any witch's life. So we did what we could to reduce the temptations.

"Unfortunately, we weren't always able to help. Sometimes it seemed like, no matter how hard we tried, we weren't able to convince witches to come to our side before using dark magic. Once that happens, it's next to impossible to come back from it.

"The coven always took these losses hard, but no one was more devastated than Brianne. She always placed the blame on herself. No matter who it was, or what occurred, she always felt there was something more she could have done, something she could have said to help them."

"That's why we were so shocked to hear what happened to her," Jerry said. "She was always the biggest advocate for good magic. It was preposterous that someone so dedicated could turn so easily. But, before we knew it, Brianne and Samuel were captured, and executed for their crimes. There you stood the entire time, an innocent child who was witnessing it all.

"No one was sure what to do with you after that. Most of the country was terrified to be near you at the time, convinced that you would follow in your parents' footsteps. It wasn't an impossible accusation, when you think about it. Children who possess magical abilities are often able to access and control them, even when they are toddlers. If you had seen your parent's horrendous actions, it wasn't improbable that you could replicate the spells. It was understandable that people would be so worried."

"But not Abigail and Christopher," Kate said with a reminiscent smile. "The moment questions started circulating about your future, they became your biggest advocates. In the end, a compromise was reached, and your magic was temporarily masked so that you couldn't summon it. Chris and Abby volunteered to take you under their wing, to teach you what it meant to be a good person before you received your powers back.

"We knew that the binding was a temporary fix, and that your magic would come back eventually. We also knew when that happened, you would be in imminent danger.

"We all swore we would protect you from the threats of the Malin when the time came. Of course, we had no idea you would be in danger so abruptly after your birthday," Kate said, glancing anxiously at Jerry.

"But I'm not in 'imminent' danger," I said. "I've had a lot of time to deliberate about this over the last two days, and I think that if this is all real, you're mistaking me with someone else."

Jeremiah shook his head. "No, Lexi. It's definitely you."

I sighed. "You're all forgetting one little detail, though. I don't have magical powers. Nothing bizarre has ever happened to me, I've never experienced anything I couldn't explain, I don't feel any different. I'm exactly the same now as I was last week. All of this stuff must be about someone, anyone, else. Not me. It's impossible," I said, trying to persuade myself as much as I was trying to persuade them.

"It's normal to have doubts, but please understand that we wouldn't be telling you this unless we were sure. You're a powerful young woman, and are meant to do great things in this world, Lexi. You'll grow to understand everything in time, hopefully before it's too late," Jerry said with a worried expression.

I remained skeptical. I couldn't imagine being some supernatural anomaly. I was just... ordinary.

Besides, if what they were saying was true, why wouldn't my parents have told me before they were attacked? Did they think we had more time before someone would come looking for me?

"Do you think Mom and Dad are alright? They could be okay...couldn't they?" she asked longingly.

Jerry and Kate glances at each other with uneasy eyes. The room became so quiet that I could hear the waves of the lake moving slowly outside the living room window.

"Follow us, Lexi. There's something we need to show you," Kate said, grabbing my hand, and pulling me gently to the middle of the living room.

Thank you for reading! If you are enjoying this story so far, don't forget to vote! :)

© Dawn Norwell