Allegra took a step back as the situation was beginning to get out of hand. The loss of control was evident and at first it may seem unstoppable, but the witch was an elder, part of the C.O.T.U.M., the councilāshe wasnāt going to back down against one of her own. More importantly, she wasnāt going to let her sister cause herself anymore pain. She needed to know that this was somewhat normal and that she can eventually get a grasp on it. Allegra needed Juni to hopeĀ and believeĀ in herself and although the witch was exhausted mentally and emotionally, she wasnāt going to give up.
Because Allegra Teslow didnāt give up on family.Ā
Even if Juni wanted nothing to do with her.
Even if Juni hated her.
Hated who they were supposed to be.
Although she had her doubts, just hearing the desparation and frustration in the young psychicās voice was enough for Allegra to get a grip on herself and not get so defeated. āYou will make it stop, youāll learn how.ā replied the witch in a calm tone as she lifted both hands focusing all her energy on their surroundings. The agitation that the young girl felt didnāt stop the havoc from ensuing, but with the elements around her, she took it to her advantage to repel the objects from aiming at them.Ā
āYouāre not a freak if you donāt knowĀ how to control it!ā exclaimed the eldest Teslow as she took a step forward.Ā āJuni! Youāre saying this because you see destruction, but what do I see? I see a cry for help.ā Inhaling sharply, Allegra made turned her hands over making both palms face the ground as she heard the psychicās plea to make it stop.Ā āI need you to take a deep breaths and focus all your energy on a time you felt peace. It could be a memory, something or someone you love, the family and friends you have nowāthink of how you felt at that time. The atmosphere, the setting, just the little things that mattered, whyĀ it made you content and calm.āĀ
The ground beneath them shook slightly once Allegra focused on the earth element once again, larger and thicker vines encircled around them acting as a barrier for whatever objects was being aimed at them. The older woman slightly feared that she may have made things worse if Juni didnāt think her words and actions were helpful, but to say that Allegra was reallyĀ trying is a complete understatement. She was giving it her all and she wanted to erase all that pain from her sister, to see the good in who she is and what sheās capable of doing. Without any hesitation, the eldest Teslow closed the distance between them as she pulled Juni into a gentle hug.Ā āItās okayā¦.ā she whispered out.Ā āAs cliche as this sounds, Itās okay to feel helpless, to not be okay. Youāre going to get through this, if you donāt believe it, just know that I will. Iām not giving up on us, I wonāt lose hope.āĀ
Ā Ā Ā The first time that she had noticed her powers was third grade. Earthquakes didnāt happen on the east coast, but neither did hearing words that werenāt spoken aloud. Juni had reacted Ā poorly to a girl teasing her about her hair, but in truth the little girl had only thought the words, but even at that age had enough tact not to say her thoughts for anyone to hear. Her anger had gotten the best of her, however, and she was going off the handle and when the ground shook, she wasnāt sure why. Over the years it became more frequent and became less of the ground moving around her and more of anything moving around her.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Juni wanted to argue. She wanted to tell Allegra that she was wrong, that these powers did make her a freak and there was nothing anyone could do to convince her otherwise, but her throat was choked and she just wanted everything to fade away again.
Ā Ā Ā A happy memory? A place she felt at peace? If Allegra thought thinking of her friends and family would make the girl happy, she was sorely mistaken. Laughing bitterly through her sobs, the psychic shook her head.Ā āWeāre not peaceful people.ā She managed out, voice sounding raw. Alexis was perpetual sunshine with a dark cloud that hung over her and darkened her life for no reason. Nathaniel was constantly depressed and rarely told her why. Daniel was dead. Her father was an alcoholic that needed her to take care of him. Her girlfriend... well, there were too many things to state in that. What peace was found with them? If she thought of the people she loved, Juni only became more stressed.
Ā Ā Ā Ā āI donāt...ā She wanted to say that she didnāt have a peaceful moment in her life, but then she thought back to something unconventional. Though it caused others sick with worry, she thought back to her coma. That astral plane that her mind had gone to and the silence that was there: no voices in her head to block out, no wondering if sheād hurt anyone with what she was capable of, and more importantly: her mother. Being held by her, being able to see her, to get a few answers to questions sheād had for years. It had ended too soon and she didnāt know how to get back. She wanted to go back to that.
Ā Ā Ā So focused on that place and how it had made her feel, Juni didnāt realised her breathing had evened and her tears stopped until everything was over. There was an eerie stillness above them and she pulled her knees into her chest, appearing for all the world like a small child.Ā āI donāt want this. I donāt want to be like this.ā