Intuition Read online

  Copyright 2011 J. Meyers

  Smashwords Edition

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of the author, except for use in any review.

  This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, locales, and events are either pure invention or used fictitiously. No character is based on or inspired by any known or unknown persons, and all incidents come from the author’s imagination alone.

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  Cover image Intangible copyright Sergey Pristyazhnyuk :: www.dreamstime

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  Table of Contents

  Intuition

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  About the Author

  Intuition

  Doom.

  Impending doom.

  That’s what Luke had been feeling all morning long. He hadn’t had a vision yet, and he couldn’t shake the feeling. It was making him twitchy.

  He always felt off before a vision, but it had never been this sharp, this all-consuming, this distracting. Usually he had a slight sense of everything intensifying. It would wash over him, all his senses suddenly heightened, as if a veil had been lifted to reveal what’s truly there. His vision was more focused, his hearing more sensitive, more precise. He was more aware of everything he touched—the feel of the chair he sat in or the ground under his feet, how the wind slid across his skin. Smells became more dimensional, more distinct.

  He and Sera half-jokingly called this intensity of his senses impending doom because his visions were almost always about something bad. But the term didn’t only refer to the imminent event—it was also about Luke, that he was doomed to failure. No matter what he did, he couldn’t stop anything from happening. Which drove him nuts.

  And today, he’d woken up with this feeling so strong, this impending doom, and had fully expected a vision to take him right away.

  But it hadn’t.

  He’d waited, laying still for as long as he could, but then he’d had to get up, had to move. He’d had to see, hear, smell, and feel the world with his magnified senses.

  He adjusted the strap on his backpack so it wasn’t cutting into his shoulder. Their hike up the mountain today was just what he needed. Clear his head, take the edge off.

  But even as he stood in the parking lot at the bottom of the trail, he still couldn’t help wonder what it meant, why it was taking so long for the vision to come. And wonder if this time the impending doom was going to more fully live up to its name.

  His intuition was telling him something was coming. He just didn’t know what.

  Luke shook his head, shook off his thoughts, focused on where he was, what he was doing. Maybe this enhanced awareness was just a new aspect of his gift, rather than an omen. Whatever it was, he wasn’t going to worry about it. At least, that’s what he told himself.

  It was a perfect morning—bright, clear, and cool. Just the way he liked it. If not for the feeling of impending doom, he’d be completely stoked. Even so, it was good to be on a mountain with his sister. He tugged the zipper of his navy fleece jacket down halfway and looked at Sera as she climbed out of their car.

  This was a favorite escape for them, particularly in the fall. By the very beginning of October, Vermont was in full color-spectrum splendor, and there wasn’t a better place in the state to take it all in than the top of Mt. Mansfield. It was becoming tradition for he and Sera, this hike. Just the two of them. They could let down their guards, not worry about having to hide their abilities from everyone else. It was a relief—Luke could already feel himself relaxing into the day, and it had barely begun.

  His grin just got wider at the thought.

  “What?” Sera said. Her brow furrowed like she thought his smile might be laced with teasing, and she glanced down at her clothes. That almost made him laugh.

  “Just glad to be here. Nothing like fall.”

  Sera looked at him for a minute and her face broke into a matching grin. “Yeah, I know what you mean,” she said. “Let’s go.”

  The first part of the three-mile hike to the top was a mile-long access road with a gentle grade. Luke breathed in the early morning autumn air. It smelled like a forest—dirt, damp, and green. Within those smells he could detect all the distinct scents of the inhabitants of the surrounding wilderness—plant and animal. It was an exhilarating rush experiencing the world like this, all his senses abuzz.

  “So,” Sera said, breaking into his thoughts, “what do you think about Mom—”

  “—and Dad?” Luke said. “I know. Did you see her this morning when she got off the phone?”

  “When she slammed the phone down three times before hanging it up? Yeah. Not good.”

  “Not good at all.”

  “I wish there was something we could do.”

  Luke sighed. Their parents had been divorced for eight years, but Sera still held out hope that they’d reconcile. It just wasn’t going to happen. He knew. And he was always right about these things. It was part of his gift. But still, Sera hoped.

  “Sera—”

  “I know,” she said, and held up a hand. “I know, Luke. I just...wish. You know?”

  “Yeah,” he said.

  And the thing was, he did know. He knew Sera as well as he knew himself. Maybe even better. That came with the territory, being twins. They were like each other’s missing half. That’s how it was with them.

  They walked in silence until they turned off the mountain road and onto the Sunset Ridge trail. As he started across the bridge just past the trail head, Luke looked back at Sera, grinned, and took off at a run.

  This was also how it was with them. Never an opportunity to harass let slip by.

  “Hey!” Sera yelled, running to catch up.

  “Hey, yourself!” He laughed and glanced back at her scurrying up the trail. “What’s wrong?” he called over his shoulder. “Can’t keep up?” Luke dodged large rocks, leaped onto wooden footbridges. He quickly left her scrambling behind.

  Once he’d disappeared from sight, he kept running until he found a good spot to stop—a couple of large rocks to sit on and a small break in the trees to admire the view. He was breathing hard, and man, that felt good. The cold of the rock seeped through his jeans—a welcome chill to counter the sweat from the run. He took off his fleece and stuffed it into the backpack, and waited for Sera to come into sight. Several minutes later she appeared, glanced up, and shot him a look.

  Luke pulled a water bottle out of the backpack, took a big drink. When she came up alongside him and plunked down on a neighboring rock, he handed her the water with a grin.

  “You—” she breathed hard, “—officially—” took a drink of water, “—suck.”

  Luke laughed. “Hey, I thought you wanted to hike. If it’s too much for you we could—”

  Luke was suddenly up the mountain near the top of the big, steep rock. He knew it immediately—it was on the Sunset Ridge trail. A man in his late twenties was headed down the trail toward the rock, wincing with every step he took. His right foot started to slip on the flat face of the rock and his left foot came down hard as he tried to regain his balance. He cried out in pain, his knee gave way, and he frantically grabbed at bare rock face to slow his fall. He couldn’t get a grip and slid off the rock, his knee slamming into the ground below.

  Luke gasped, looked up.
He was still sitting on the rock next to Sera. Was that it? Was that the vision he’d been waiting for all morning? He looked around, sniffed at the air. No. All his senses were still on overdrive.

  Sera stared at him intently. “What did you See?” she said quietly even though no one else was around.

  “There’s a guy up the mountain. He’s going to fall.” Luke stood up, zipped the water bottle back into the backpack and slipped it over his shoulders. “Come on.”

  Luke hurried up the trail, not quite running because he didn’t want to leave Sera behind this time, but going much faster than he normally would. He didn’t know how long it would take to get to that rock. He knew the place well, but didn’t have a sense for how far up the mountain it was.

  He needed to get there. Now.

  This was another chance to do the impossible. There had to be a point to being able to predict the future. Right? He had to be able to change it. Somehow. Stop the guy from falling. He at least had to try.

  “Luke?” Sera was breathing heavy, keeping up, but barely. He glanced back at her and didn’t know what to do. This was hard for her, but he had to move quickly. “Why are we going so fast? Is he in danger?”

  Luke thought about that for a moment. In his vision the guy had only appeared to hurt his knee. Not a big deal, really. Certainly not life or death.

  “No,” he said. “I don’t think so.”

  “Then what’s the big rush? I can just heal him when we get there.” She paused for a moment, called to him again. “Luke! Slow down a minute, I can’t breathe.” She was bent over, her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. He stopped, turned to face her.

  “I want to stop it,” he said.

  “You want to stop what?”

  “The fall. I want to stop it from happening.”

  Sera looked up at him. “To change the future.”

  “Yes.” He bounced on his feet, needing to get going. His senses on overload. His whole body virtually humming.

  She took one last deep breath, nodded, and pushed past him. “Well, then. Let’s go.”

  Luke let out a whoop and ran after her.

  They raced up the mountain, slowing here and there when they needed a slight breather, but pushing themselves at a relentless pace most of the time. Through the trees, around huge boulders, over rocks and roots. They didn’t talk, they just climbed—both focused on getting there, stopping it, making sure Luke did not fail. They didn’t notice the greens, reds, yellows, and oranges of the season going by in a blur.

  As they arrived at the bottom of a steep rocky climb, they heard someone cry out suddenly. And then silence. Luke stopped cold and stared up the path, his breath gone. That was the guy.

  Damn it. Again.

  He looked at Sera and shook his head.

  Then he ran.

  Sera stayed close on Luke’s heels, and when they reached the guy they were both gasping for breath. Luke got there first, then stepped aside for Sera to see.

  The guy was tall, looked fit, and had short black hair. His face was screwed up in pain, and he was clutching his left leg as he sat at the base of the huge smooth boulder. She couldn’t see his knee because he wore jeans. But she didn’t need to. The pain on his face told her enough.

  Luke took a swig of water and handed the bottle to Sera as she came up to them. She drank, took a deep breath.

  “You okay?” Sera said to the guy.

  He winced as he turned to her. “My knee just gave out,” he said, his voice tight.

  Luke nodded. “Maybe we can help you get down the mountain.”

  “I can’t put any weight on it.” The guy shook his head, then sized them up. “And there’s no way you two could carry me down. I’m going to have to call for help, but I forgot my phone in the car. Do you have a cell?”

  Sera met Luke’s eyes. Of course they had their cell phones, but they weren’t going to call a rescue crew up the mountain unnecessarily. She looked at the guy while she fingered her necklace, a special silver pendant she never took off.

  She nodded, and said, “Yeah, but why don’t we help you move over to this rock to sit on first? I think you’ll be more comfortable. Then you can call.”

  “Yeah, okay, that’d be good,” the guy said. He smiled painfully. “Thanks, I’m Ben.”

  “Sera, and this is my brother Luke.”

  Luke reached out for Ben and ducked under his outstretched arm while Sera got on the other side of him. As soon as her hands touched Ben, heat raced down her arms. She could see his body fill with bright white light that centered hotly on his left knee. She glanced at Luke, his grey eyes met hers, and he gave a quick nod. He could see the healing light, too. But Ben couldn’t—no one else could. Only she and Luke. It was always just the two of them—in this and so many other things.

  As they helped Ben to his feet, his face relaxed, his body became less tense with pain. His knee still glowed with the healing light, but it had started to fade. They gingerly moved him over to the rock and helped him sit down. Sera rested her hand on his shoulder until the light had left his knee completely, then she took a step back. Her hand sought her necklace again. Just as it always did.

  “Better?” she said.

  Ben paused, tilted his head to one side, and frowned.

  “What?” Luke said. “Is it worse?”

  Ben looked up at them, shook his head as he looked from Luke to Sera and back again.

  “No,” he said. “It actually...doesn’t hurt anymore.” He straightened his leg and then bent it again. His face crumpled in confusion. “This is so weird. It hurt like a son-of-a-b—” He glanced at Sera. “Uh, gun. And, now...” He reached a hand toward Luke. “Will you help me stand up?”

  Luke grasped his hand, pulled him to his feet. Ben slowly put weight onto his left leg, looking ready to wince. But as he straightened up his face broke into a huge smile.

  “Okay, this is going to sound crazy, but it’s better. It’s gone.”

  “Your knee?” Sera laughed.

  “The pain.” He took a few steps, shaking his head, wonder on his face.

  This was what she loved about healing people. This moment. The utter joy. Amazement. Euphoria. It was contagious—she could feel Ben’s happiness permeating her whole being. She was grinning like an idiot, but she couldn’t help it. Healing did that to her sometimes.

  Ben stopped and looked at Sera and Luke. Hard. “Did you...? No.” He shook his head. But he looked at them again. “Did you do something?” he said quietly.

  Sera’s smile froze, chills scuttled over her skin. Why would he— How could he possibly jump to that conclusion? No one ever had before, and no sane person would think of that. Even if it was right. She shook her head, took a step back. Could he have felt the healing? Was it possible he’d seen the glow?

  “What do you mean?” she said.

  “I don’t know. Nothing, I guess.” He looked back and forth between them. “It’s just, I felt this incredible warmth when you were helping me and then my knee suddenly stopped hurting. And now I can walk on it again. It’s crazy, I know.”

  Oh, no. No. This couldn’t happen. He couldn’t find out about her, about them. Their secret could not get out. Sera stepped toward him, reached her hand toward his shoulder like she was comforting him. As her hand touched him, she immediately pushed an idea into him. Your knee was never hurt.

  “Maybe you just tweaked it,” Luke said. “And resting for a few minutes made a difference.”

  “I’m sure you’re right,” Ben said, but he still looked confused. “But you know what’s strange? My knee doesn’t hurt at all now. It feels better than it has in years.”

  Luke shot Sera a look. “Well, maybe something popped back into place.”

  “Maybe,” Ben said.

  Sera swept her hand toward the trail, raised her eyebrows at Luke, and said, “Would you like us to walk with you back to the parking lot? Just in case?”

  Luke nodded and started down the trail in front of Ben.


  “No. It’s okay. My knee feels fine now.” Ben laughed. “You know, it’s been bothering me for years, so perhaps I just overreacted a bit. I think I can get myself back to my car and I don’t want to interrupt your hike. You two were so nice to stop and help, but I’m fine. I’ll be fine. But if you find me on your way back down...” He laughed. “No, I’m kidding. I’m fine.” He waved them off and trudged down the path.

  Sera and Luke watched him go in silence. He glanced back a couple of times, but kept going. Once he was out of sight, Luke let out a big breath.

  “Holy—”

  “—crap,” Sera finished for him.

  “Yeah, right? Do you have to heal people so well? I mean, couldn’t you heal whatever was just injured? Do you have to heal years worth of pain and injury too?”

  Sera stared at Luke for a second. “I can’t control it, Luke. The light heals what it finds. I can’t stop healing halfway through and hope it’s enough. It doesn’t work that way.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re blaming me for this.”

  “I’m not. It’s just— How could he tell?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “That ever happen before?” Luke said.

  Sera shook her head. “No.” She looked down the trail where Ben had disappeared. “No,” she said again. Okay, yeah, once in a while kids figured it out. Little kids who still believed that everything imaginable was possible. They could see the truth of her healing power and marvel at it without thinking she was evil or some sort of freak. And she knew no adult would take the kids seriously if they talked about it.

  But this was different. This was an adult with all his childhood illusions long since gone. The reality of his world made it impossible for him to understand what she’d just done. Or, for that matter, say it out loud, let alone believe it.

  And yet he had.

  Sera looked at Luke again. Their gifts had to remain their secret, as they had for so long. If people found out it could rip their lives apart. Like with their grandmother, who hadn’t wanted anything to do with them since they showed her what they could do when they were six. Eleven years ago. Yeah, they’d already had a taste of what happens when people find out. It wasn’t something they ever intended to repeat.