The town near the cabin, Maple Valley, is a quaint little town. Older businesses are still running, probably because of the community support. Brick buildings with large display windows line the street. The smell of coffee and fresh baked bread drifts down the street from a small café on the corner. A few people window shop, and I'm blinded by the appearance of so many colors at once. I have my glasses on, but they aren't helping me with this.

The group I'm with have about the same colors as they usually do, and that doesn't seem to affect me as much. Ande has yellow and orange, Carleigh has blue and different shades of purple, and Mick has red, but it's a different shade of red.

Looking up more colors hit my eyes, but I manage them. I need to get used to this soon, since it's not going away. Mothers talk while pushing strollers to some nearby destination. Some have typical colors that dominate my life now. One mother has a purple haze around her, but I can't imagine she's in the same mood as Carleigh, based on her red face. A few different shades of colors come to view. My heart races and breathing picks up at the thought that even more colors will invade my life.

As the group walks by a park, kids are laughing and playing, shouting at their friends.

"Hey, Tally, want me to push you in the swing." Danny asks as he walks up.

"Sure."

I hold on tight to the chain the swing hangs from, but I have no fear. Danny never pushes me too high. He always asks if I am high enough or too high. He's my own Prince Charming that I remember hearing about when mommy reads stories to me. He never lets me fall and always saves me. He will always save me from the evil hag.

I chuckle at the memory now. I had forgotten that at five I thought he was the best thing in the world, other than mommy and daddy—and ice cream.

"What ya laughin' about?" Mick asks from my right.

I try to play it cool. "Just a memory."

Ande elbows me from my left. She comes around and starts walking backwards to interrogate me. "Must have been a good one to have you smile the way you do."

"Sure. Okay. A memory from when I was five. It's not earth shattering news."

"Something about that memory made you smile." Carleigh says from where she's walking next to me.

What is this? Is it Gang-Up-on-Tally Day?

"Fine." I huff. "I thought Danny would always be my Prince Charming."

"You mean that hot one in the picture on your dresser," Ande says with a huge grin.

I crinkle my nose.

Ande's jaw drops. "Seriously?"

I shake my head. "He's like my brother."

"But he's not your brother, and that is the difference. Maybe he still is your Prince Charming," Carleigh says.

I scratch my nose and shake the notion away. "Nah. He's just my best friend."

Silence covers the group as my three companions just nod. I don't think they believe me. Do I believe me?

Thankfully, Ande spots some sort of store up ahead that has her all excited. Her body halo is now more orange than yellow—maybe I should pay attention to this.

When the rest of us catch up, we are standing in front of a thrift store with a huge rack of clothes near the window.

"This has ya all excited?" Mick questions.

"You see my clothes?" Ande asks while spinning around.

Mick scratches her head, and Carleigh smiles.

Ande stands there looking at all of us expectantly. Finally she sighs. "Fine, if you're not going to respond, I will answer the question. I made these clothes."

I can feel my eyes widen. "You did?"

"Yep, and most of the other clothes I wear. It's a love of mine second to drawing."

"Is that what's in the big box in your room—a sewing machine?" I ask.

"Yep, you guessed it right. Come on, let's go in and try on some clothes. I've been inspired."

Mick stands there vehemently shaking her head.

"What's it going to hurt?" Ande questions, but Mick continues to shake her head.

I get an idea. "Mick the sooner we go try on clothes the sooner we can be done shopping," I tell her with a wide smile.

Her chest rises, and a large breath comes out. "Fine." She concedes and follows us into the store.

By the time I coax Mick into the store, Ande is already elbow deep in clothes.

"What about these?" Ande questions me holding up a few pairs of jeans.

I suppress a laugh at her enthusiasm. "I prefer the light colored denim to the dark."

"Okay," she answers and tosses a few pairs of jeans my way.

"Your best bet is to look for black if you want Mick to try any on." I remind her.

She throws her thumb up. "Gotcha."

Fifteen minutes later, Carleigh and I's arms will not hold anymore.

"Ande, I think that's enough," I say as loud as I can behind the pile of clothes in my arms.

At least the pile hides the colors for a short amount of time.

"Whatcha say?"

"Enough!" Carleigh responds.

Shuffling can be heard, and Ande's head peaks around the pile.

Her eyebrows squish together. "Why didn't you stop me before now?"

"We tried." Carleigh answers sarcastically, and I try not to laugh for fear of the whole pile falling into the floor.

While we are trying on the clothes, Ande has wandered off to another section of the store

"Where is she?" I ask while standing on my tiptoes trying to look over the clothes racks.

Carleigh mimics my action and eventually points to a corner of the store. "Over there."

We swiftly make it to where Ande is rummaging through dresses because we need to stop her before she does any more damage.

Ande's face becomes animated. "Hey girls, look at this material."

She holds up a hideous looking dress.

"Ande dear, I hate to say this, but that is a hideous dress," Carleigh says.

I swallow laughter and cover my mouth.

"But it has so much potential, see this," she says, holding up the bottom with lots of lace covering every inch. "Over here is gauzy material. I can make something with this."

I tilt my head trying to see what she sees.

When I look to my left, Mick is rubbing her forehead. "If ya say so."

I'm as skeptical as Mick, but it's Mick's expression that finally causes the dam of laughter to spew out.

We rummage around the racks, but when I turn to my left, Mick is gone.

"I'll be back," I tell the rest and head towards the front of the store.

As I get to the front of the store, the sales lady has grey around her. Now that isn't a color I've seen before, but it's nice not to have a bright color flash at me.

Mick is leaning against the brick wall of the shop. The streets are like Christmas lights.

I have my shades on, and they might help my eyes when the sun gets too bright, but they don't diminish the colors coming off of the people. Sometimes it is a halo. Sometimes a haze. Something just blinking in and out. And if I thought last night was a rainbow, boy was I wrong. There are more people milling around, and it's becoming too much. I lean up against the brick wall.

Mick puts a hand on my shoulder. "Are ya alright? Ya look a little pale."

"Honestly, I've been having headaches since yesterday. I thought it was stress or being overwhelmed. However, I'm having fun today, and the headache just keeps getting worse and worse."

"Grandma Miriam said it might be some sorta power comin' to the surface."

"You talked with Grandma?"

She looks at the ground. "Ya, but in my defense I was worried."

"I'll be fine." I think. I smile at her. "Maybe I'll rest later."

Mick shakes her head. "With Ande's excitement, I think not."

"Aren't you excited?"

"Shoppin isn't realla my thin'."

"Didn't you ever go?"

"Sometimes." She lets out a large breath. "But I dont wanna talk 'bout it."

I pat her forearm. "That's fine. I'm here if you want to talk."

"Thanks. Let's go see how much trouble Ande is gettin' inta."

We walk back into the shop, and Carleigh has elected to follow Ande with a shopping cart.

"Hey Carleigh, how tha shoppin'?" Mick calls out, and we both double over at the sour face Carleigh gives us.

I try to intercede. "I think that's enough Ande. You only have so much time to actually make clothes."

She taps her chin. "I'm not sure I have enough," she says with such sincerity that I can't laugh at the notion.

"I think we can come shopping again, if you run out." I convince her.

A bright smile splits her face, and she skips to the counter with Carleigh's sullen face following.

Twelve shopping bags later, and we are finally heading to the van.

Estel stares at our load. "Someone got happy."

"Ande over there," Mick answers, tilting her head backwards and to the right where chirping can be heard from Ande.

"I see," Estel says nodding as she opens the van doors and lets us in.

When the van gets to the cabin, Ande heads straight upstairs past a group of guys gawking at the bags we have.

Mick groans. "Ya could help instead of gawk!"

They don't move a muscle, and Mick huffs before trudging up the stairs.

We spend the rest of the afternoon helping Ande remove some of the stitching in the clothes. Then we put some of the clothes back on so Ande can get measurements of where she wants to cut. She does wear cute clothes, and I'd be willing to wear more skirts, if she made them.

What an exhausting afternoon.

The colors have continued tonight sometimes in and out. Most of the time hazy and sometimes creating a halo around people. It's about all I can take by the time dinner is called.

I sit at the dining table with the rest of the group, but tinted fog clouds my vision and makes me lightheaded.

I try to eat something, but my stomach rolls every time I even smell the food on my plate. I attempt to sneak my barely eaten plate past everybody—of course, Mia notices.

"You barely touched your food, honigbienli."

"I'm not feeling too well tonight. I think I'll get to bed early." No sooner do I say this then the undeniable rush flies up from my stomach and my mouth is more watery. I cover my mouth and run up the stairs. I barely make it to the bathroom before the bare amount in my stomach comes up.

Banging on the bathroom door makes my head throb even more.

"Love, are you okay?"

"Just a minute," I call out and shakily make it to my feet. I try to make it to the cabinet with the washcloths, but my legs give out.

Admitting defeat, I call out, "Grandma, can you come in here and help me?"

"Blood hell, Tallulah. What's wrong?"

I groan. "I'm not feeling so good."

Grandma puts her hands on her hips. "It started yesterday, didn't it?"

The white tile is appealing right about now. "Yeah. Did Mick tell you?"

"Mick isn't the only one who's observant. What exactly is going on?"

"Headaches," I murmur.

Disbelief floods her face. "Is that all?"

A moan breaks loose before I can stop it. "Can you help me up so I can wash my mouth out and wash my face, and help me to bed. I can talk then."

I feel so helpless. Not since I was nine have I ever needed this much help getting ready for bed.

Grandma helps me put on my favorite borrowed shirt and fuzzy sleep pants. She pulls the covers down, and I crawl into bed.

Pulsating pain grips my head. "Can you turn the light out?"

"Sure," she replies and goes over to the closed door where the light switch is and flips it down. She comes back and scoots me over a little to sit next to me. She wipes my forehead with a damp cloth.

"Now, tell me what's really going on."

"I'm having headaches that started yesterday."

"What else?"

"Istartedseeingcolors."

She stops the washcloth midair. "Come again?"

"Colors started appearing around people."

She nods and resumes wiping my forehead down. "Ah, I wondered if someone would have that ability."

"I'm not crazy."

"Oh love, you've never been crazy. You're thick about some things but not this."

I tilt my head and wish I didn't. "What?"

"A conversation for another time. Back to your headaches, some magic users can see auras around people. The colors you've been seeing is the energy coming off of people. Your brain interprets this as color. Not too many people can pick these up. The colors vary, and the shades of color will change and differentiate as your powers get stronger."

"Ya, I had that experience today. Mick was red yesterday and red today, but the shade seemed different."

"And it probably was. You and Mick are not only bonding but developing a special connection between you. Sometimes this happens especially among family members, close friends, and eventually your life partner. I believe you've already developed one with Danny, haven't you?"

My cheeks heat.

"Of course, he's my best friend," I answer, but this has become my standard answer lately.

She tsks. "It's more than that. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can move on with that aspect of your life. Back to these auras though. Colors have a significance to each person who can see them. Red on one person can mean something completely different as red on another person. Some magic users say they see a more bright red around someone who is powerful or has strength and a brick red around someone who's angry. But you have to learn to interpret the colors you see for yourself. There are some generalizations ..."

My head starts swimming and stomach rolls. My hand covers my mouth as I rush to the bathroom.

My growing hair is pulled back out of my face. The little strength I have, after this, allows me to slump against the wall.

Grandma's arm enables me to stand.

"I think we've talked enough. I'll help you to bed. We'll open the windows, and I'll bring a fan up to try and help. Just rest. I'll bring something up with the fan that will help with the nausea."

"Peppermint ginger tea with a drizzle of honey."

"You'll be a wonderful Healer." She kisses my forehead and walks into the bathroom to deposit the washcloth.

Sometime later shuffling wakes me from sleep.

"Tallulah, wake up a moment," Grandma says as she walks in the door with Mick trailing behind her.

"Mick wants to see you, so she carried the fan while I brought up the tea."

"Thanks," I whisper; my voice hoarse and weak.

Grandma sets the tea down and brings the nightstand closer to the bed while Mick brings a chair over.

"Here's your tea," Grandma says, then looks at Mick. "Don't stay too long."

"Got it."

After Grandma leaves the room, Mick begins to talk.

"I won't be stupid and ask ya how ya feelin'."

At that moment, I'm glad I don't have the cup of tea in my hand. When I try to reach the tea,my arms don't want to move far.

"Here let me help."

And so goes the cycle of me sipping tea and scurrying to the bathroom. Mick stays with me the whole night, and I sense our connection is strengthening.

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[A/N]

honigbienli [Swiss German] - little honey bee