Fallen

Chapter One

Saturday, December 19th

Potomac Ridge, VA



EMILY

Thomas’s breath fogged as it left him. “You sure you’re up for this?”

I nodded, squinting as I put on my sunglasses. The sky was overcast and gray—a typical winter’s day—but everything was just so damn bright with my new acute vision.

“What do you want to try first?”

I shrugged as my eye’s sensitivity ebbed. I looked around, amazed at the tiny details I’d missed all these years. “I don’t know. I’m kind of…overwhelmed.”

He took my hand in his, walking us to the edge of his back yard where the clearing met the forest. Letting me go, he bent down and picked up a rock the size of his fist. I watched with fascination as he held it out in his palm, then wrapped his fingers around it and squeezed, effortlessly crushing it. Fine, gray powder slipped through his fingers as smaller fragments broke off and fell out of his hand.

“Wow.” I knew Thomas was strong, but damn. I stepped closer to him as he opened his fist, the dust blowing away with the wind.

He picked up a smaller rock, maybe half the size of the one he’d just obliterated, and held it out to me. He grinned and said, “Wanna try?”

“Yeah,” I said, smiling as I eagerly took the rock in my hand. It fit neatly in my palm.

I felt silly and excited all at the same time. Silly, because I was about to try and crush a rock with my bare hands, and excited because I knew I could.

My fingers closed around the rough, gray rock in my palm, careful not to put any pressure on it yet. I anxiously glanced up at Thomas, who gave me an encouraging smile. I looked back down to my hand and squeezed, feeling the rock crumble in my hand as if it were nothing more than chalk. The dust and powder fell through the cracks of my fingers, floating away with the breeze. I opened my hand, letting the remaining powder float away, and smiled wide as I looked up to Thomas. “I want a bigger rock.”

He laughed. “All right,” he said, stepping into the woods to find a larger rock. A few seconds later, he returned with one and my mouth dropped open as my eyes grew wide. The rock was huge. It was roughly the size of a beach ball, and he carried it with ease. “Try this one,” he said, placing the rock—nay, boulder—in both my hands.

I half-expected to crumple under its massive weight, but it felt as light as a basketball. I tossed it up in the air, laughing as I caught it with one hand.

Thomas rolled his eyes and smiled. “Show off.”

“Okay.” I exhaled slowly, placing my hands on the sides of the rock. Excitement thrummed through me as I drew in a deep breath and pushed. With a loud crunch, the rock collapsed into millions of shards and dust.

Thomas nodded in approval. “Not too shabby.” He stepped behind me, pressing his body against mine as he wrapped his arms around my stomach. “What now?”

My nostrils flared as his sugary sweet scent enveloped me, and I froze, terrified of what my body’s reaction might mean.

He turned me around and cupped my face, his heart rate spiking. “You okay?” Worry creased his brows.

I nodded, my eyes dropping down to his lips, then his neck, to the vein pulsing ever so slightly just under his skin. It was hypnotic, this little blue vein that seemed to beat only for me, calling out, Em-il-y, Em-il-y.

“Em?”

I sucked in a quick breath and tore my eyes away, looking up at Thomas. “What?”

His gaze dropped as he released me. “Look, if you need to—”

“I don’t,” I said, scowling as I brushed past him to head inside. I didn’t want to hear it anymore. I wouldn’t let Thomas martyr himself for me. End of story.



* * *

My heart thundered as the phone rang. I so did not want to be making this phone call. My mom was going to freak.

The line clicked, and a muted rushing sound filled the background. “Hey, sweetie.” She was driving. I could even hear the car commercial playing on her radio.

“Hi.” My mouth went dry, and I suddenly didn’t know how to continue.

“Are you and Thomas ready to come out and see us? I’m dying to meet him.”

“Uh, yeah.” I frowned and swallowed, trying to muster up the balls to get this next sentence out. “Mom, I, uh— I need to tell you something. I’m okay—don’t worry—but I kind of got into a little accident last night.”

“What kind of accident?”

Oh, you know, just the kind where I died.

“It was raining and the roads were really bad, and I kind of…went through a guardrail.”

“Oh my god, Emily. Are you okay? And why am I just now hearing about this?” It took her exactly .02 seconds to go from concern to ire.