by Storm Jk
The Eve Continuum - Book 1: Emily
by Storm JK
This is an IndieMosh book
published at Smashwords by MoshPit Publishing
an imprint of Mosher’s Business Support Pty Ltd
http://www.indiemosh.com.au
Copyright 2013 © Storm JK
All rights reserved.
Cover by Stephanie White at Steph’s Cover Design
http://www.stephscoverdesign.com/
License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
To my muses:
Norma
&
Vladimir (King)
The inspiration of who you both are, breathe life into my book.
I am loved by my wonderful father Wayne
and my very talented and beautiful sisters,
Jacqui and Rebecca.
How lucky I am.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Print Edition Copyright Statement
Coming soon
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Chapter 1
Emily placed the wild flowers she had spent the morning picking, on her mother’s grave. Pulling out a yellow dandelion from the bunch, she reached over and placed it onto her father’s grave that was nestled close to his wife’s. It had been eighteen years since the accident took their lives, leaving Emily alone in the world. Tears rolled down her face as she remembered the day and how the celebration of her sixteenth birthday had been so wonderful. Emily had worn a new dress of pale blue and her parents had taken her to a stylish waterfront restaurant on Sydney Harbour. After the restaurant they went to a concert at the Sydney Opera House. The music had been wonderful with the Russian Symphony Orchestra playing classical pieces from Russian composers, favourites of her father. Her father had allowed her to have a small glass of champagne, leaving Emily feeling so grown up and special. How can such a perfect moment turn to such horror? Emily thought to herself.
She didn’t really remember the crash itself. Over the years, random images of wreckage and blood flashed through her dreams; she did not know if they were real or just imagined. Emily had not been hurt, in fact, she was found lying in a field fifty metres from the crash, unconscious, with not a scratch on her. The paramedics that found her had claimed it was a miracle and the doctors announced that the extreme exhaustion, that lasted a week, was due to shock.
A bird flew down and sat on her father’s tombstone. After a moment another and then another, peering at Emily and causing her to smile as she opened up the connection to them. She felt simple waves of emotion emanate, they were just curious.
‘Hello my friends,’ Emily cooed softly. She could feel that the little bird closest to her was happy in the moment. It was her gift to communicate with animals. In fact, her talent had started when she opened her eyes in the field after the crash. While her body felt like lead, her mind was overwhelmed with information, as if she had awoken to a new world. Mercifully it was shut off as she passed back into unconsciousness. Over the next week in hospital, Emily spent large amounts of time sleeping and her dreams were full of strange events and images. The emotions that came with the dreams left her feeling confused.
It was raining when Emily woke up on the seventh day and feeling a little stronger, she got up and went to the window. As she looked out along the ledge she saw a large, black crow. She could sense that it wanted to find shelter from the rain so she opened the window and thought, how good would it be for him to come in? Emily was momentarily surprised when the crow flew in and settled on the back of the chair and it spent the afternoon with Emily until one of the nurses came in to give Emily her dinner. The crow simply flew out the window and Emily could feel its annoyance that its dry place had been invaded.
The next day, David Swan, a family friend, came to pick her up. She had known David her whole life and, being ten years older than her, David had often babysat Emily as their farms were next to each other. There were many days that Emily crossed the fields to see what David was up to or to bring him something from her mother’s kitchen. They were firm friends and he was like her brother.
‘How are you feeling?’ David asked softly, once they had left the city. David was a man of few words, and when he spoke you listened to him.
Emily was so grateful that he had not asked if she was alright; nothing felt alright. Pausing for a moment, Emily struggled to find the right words so she simply said, ‘I think something has changed in my brain since the accident.’
Stomping on the brakes of the truck, David pulled over. He was a doctor that specialised in gene research and turning to look at Emily he said, ‘Are you in pain?’
‘No, it’s not like that,’ she replied, feeling foolish.
David reached across and took Emily’s face in his hands. He looked deeply into her eyes, looking to see if her pupils looked normal. Her eyes were, at this moment, a pale blue. Over the years that Emily’s eyes changed colour from the palest grey to deep purple depending on her mood. Her skin colour was good and he checked her pulse. Having satisfied himself that she was not in immediate danger he asked, ‘What do you mean?’
‘I…I…can hear what birds are thinking. Well, maybe not thinking but definitely feeling. In fact, see that cow in the field and how it’s looking at us?’ David turned and wound down the window to get a better look at the brown cow. ‘I can sense its curiosity, wondering what we’re doing.’ David wasn’t sure what to say, he’d never known Emily to lie in her whole life. For a minute he thought that it was a delusion caused by the death of her parents.
Emily got out of the truck and said softly, ‘Watch me,’ and she slipped through the fence and went into the field. She lifted her arms up above her head and within twenty seconds, birds came from all directions and settled on her head and arms. Then they all rose up and slowly flew in a big circle around her head before disappearing, going back to their business.
David’s mouth was open as he looked at Emily, then he smiled and laughed. ‘Oh WOW! Emily, that is so crazy!’
Tentatively smiling back Emily said, ‘So you think I’m ok?’ The cow had come over to Emily and was rubbing her head against Emily’s body.
‘Well, I would like to get some brain scans done just to make sure nothing is loose,’ David said teasingly, ‘but I think this is a gift.’
‘A gift?’ Emily murmured softly rubbing the cow on the nose.
*
After putting Emily through extensive brain scans, David pronounced that she was physically okay. Showing her a scan of her brain, he explained how dormant parts of her brain had fired up and were now active. Putting the scan back into the large white envelope David said, ‘You know Emily, I could write a paper on you and become famous.’ Seeing the look on Emily’s f
ace he smiled and handed her the scan. ‘But I won’t put you through such a thing. Besides, I’m quitting human medicine.’
‘Human medicine?’ Emily echoed.
‘Yes Emily, I’m going to become a vet.’
‘Oh David, that’s wonderful.’ And it was such good news that for the first time since her parents’ death, Emily felt a slight easing of her pain. It had always been David’s dream but his father had wanted him to become a doctor. But his father had died the year before and now, with the awakening of Emily’s gifts, he could see that it could help him to become what he wanted.
*
Remembering back to the past it, it had only taken David two years to become a vet. Opening his own practice had been relatively easy. With the use of Emily’s talents he was almost totally successful in his diagnosis and treatment of animals. They worked as a team for years before Emily branched out on her own, although she still worked for David whenever he needed her.
Standing up from her parents’ graves, Emily went to find David. As she walked up the small hill to his home she could see that he was unloading his truck of hay. Helping him was Applejacks, a grey, almost silver, Arabian stallion. The horse picked up the hay by grasping the string around the bales in his mouth.
Applejacks was special. A bond had been forged between them through an incident that he and Emily had experienced when they were younger. He demonstrated a vast intellect and, while he could not speak, he could talk telepathically in English with Emily. David had worked out a way to talk with Applejacks through body language and interpreting the sounds he made.
Connecting mentally to Emily, Applejacks enquired in his formal tone, ‘My friend, are you well?’
‘Oh yes Applejacks, I feel well. Today is a funny day.’ They pressed their heads together for a moment as Emily shared her morning with him.
The tradition that Emily had set for her birthday was; the morning belonged to the grief of her parents, the afternoon to the celebration of her birthday.
‘It is the duality of life,’ Applejacks thought kindly to her.
‘I know my dear friend,’ Emily replied and it was true. Life and death were so clearly joined, especially living on a farm.
Lifting the last bale of hay from the truck David said, ‘Come inside, I have a present for you.’ Emily smiled as she entered the small cottage – David’s gifts were always special. The cottage was kept in a plain bachelor way, neat and simple.
‘When are you going to find a lady?’ Emily joked.
‘Ladies aren’t the problem, I’m just waiting for the right one,’ David smiled back.
She enquired after his love life weekly as David had dated most of the single women in the area. For a while he had settled with a single mother with two children but the relationship had faded after a year before they split, remaining friends. Pulling out a large paper bag, David handed it to Emily. He never wrapped his presents; he thought it was a waste of time. Peering into the top of the bag, Emily gave a gasp and carefully pulled out a delicate, china teapot, it matched some of her mother’s cups.
‘Oh David, what a wonderful present! Thank you so much, where did you get it?’ Emily pulled it out of the bag and was looking at the bottom to see if it was from the same manufacturer.
‘I found it in that old shop in town, the one called Past to Now. Is it the same as your cups? I wasn’t sure.’ It had been a while since he had seen the cups but he knew that Emily would like it anyway, she had a fondness for old china.
‘Yes it is. Oh David, you’re so thoughtful. Will you come over for dinner tonight?’ She put the teapot back in the paper bag.
‘Isn’t there a saying about three’s company four’s a crowd?’ He teased Emily often about her unusual relationship with the two men she lived with. While he liked both Vladimir and Eric, there was a quality about them that made him feel uneasy. Both men were just under two metres tall. Vladimir was huge and David had seen him lift the back end of the tractor when it was stuck in the mud. He owned a lawyers’ firm in Sydney, totally at odds with how he looked, but he had a sharp mind and an intellect that David respected. Eric’s body was leaner; he was built to run. David saw him running around Emily’s farm every day, sometimes with Applejacks cantering alongside him. Emily liked to run too but as she was only 1.6 metres tall she never ran with him, he was too fast. Eric was an artist and made a reasonable living from his work. With Vladimir and David’s help they had built a large studio for him to work in on the farm, and though it was odd that Emily had two lovers, they were the essence of domestic happiness.
‘Please come,’ Emily asked David again, knowing he would. ‘Eric is cooking a special Czech dish.’ Both men were from the Czech Republic and had lived in Australia for over twenty-five years.
‘How can I say no to a free dinner?’ reaching out he pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the head. ‘I have to make a call to McCarthy’s farm, they have a sick cow I need to look at, I’ll come over around six.’
‘Okay David, I’ll see you then.’ As Emily left his house she found Applejacks waiting outside for her. The wind had picked up so Emily tucked her long blonde hair into her jacket. Applejacks walked along on the left to shield Emily from the cold wind with his body.
Smiling at the horse Emily thought, ‘You’re such a good friend to me.’
‘As you to me,’ Applejacks replied simply in his formal tone.
The emotional day was bringing up thoughts of the past and Emily recalled how she had met Applejacks.
Chapter 2
Two years before she met Vladimir and Eric, a bushfire had swept through a farm near her own in the Hunter Valley. David had called in the early morning hours requesting that Emily come and assist him, knowing he would need her special abilities. She could smell burnt flesh when they arrived at the farm and sensed overwhelming pain. Before she left the car Emily shut down her emotions by placing them behind an imaginary glass wall. She had practised for situations like this and would grieve later for the animals lost.
Only a few animals had survived the fire and David had put down four sheep before she had arrived. It was Emily’s job to soothe the animals so that David could see which of them could be saved or mercifully put to sleep. The first animal Emily saw was an old sheepdog called Bengi whose paws were badly burnt, and she removed the pain from the old dog the minute she saw him. This was something David had suggested she try and she had found that if she concentrated on the animal’s brain, she could block the commands to the nerve endings. It was something that Emily rarely used because the animal would tend to move the affected part thinking it was better and hurt themselves more. The dog was so distressed that Emily had a hard time remaining focused on the job. The next three animals were goats that all had to be put down as their burns were too extensive.
The last animal Emily was taken to was a mare and she was in frightful pain. It took all of Emily’s willpower not to cry with empathy. She pushed her mind into the mare’s, sending it soothing thoughts and, as the pain began to recede, she received pictures from the mare of her foal standing nearby in the river. The mare showed Emily how she had shielded the foal with her body from the ferocious fire, pushing the little foal into deep water.
‘David, the mare is telling me a small grey foal has survived the fire. Where is he?’ Emily called out to him.
‘There is no foal here. Ask Seth over by the truck, he owns the farm,’ he replied. Now that the mare was calm he began to examine her. Emily walked to the group of people standing by a neighbour’s old truck. The neighbour had come over with hot drinks and food for the fire crew who were still trying to put out the last of the fire.
‘Who is Seth?’ Emily asked them.
‘I am, little Missy,’ an old man replied. He himself was in pain, with burns to his hands and face; the night had pushed him to hell and back.
Pointing to the mare, Emily asked, ‘This mare has a small grey foal, do you know where it is?’
‘Well, she had
a small stallion that we called Applejacks, as he had a talent for stealing apples from the orchard, but he would have died in the fire.’ Seth’s grief for his animals was plain on his face. Emily liked him from that moment, recognising a kindred spirit. Pushing her mind out to see if she could sense the foal, Emily picked up a weak connection. The little foal was still in the water and was very tired. She was trying to see where he was but the smoke and Applejacks’ panic made it difficult for him to show her a clear image.
‘Seth, where in the river is there a wall of stone with boulders around it?’ Emily asked the old man.
‘What are you talking about?’ He didn’t understand why Emily was there, he’d thought she was a vet nurse.
David walked over and instructed Seth, ‘Just tell her and I’ll explain later.’
Confused, Seth thought for a minute. ‘Three hundred metres through the trees is a river. If you walk due east for another hundred metres, you’ll find a spot that sounds like that. But it’s still too hot for anyone to walk through.’
‘Don’t worry, Seth,’ called Emily as she jogged over to her car ‘I plan to run.’ She pulled an old oil slicker that had belonged to her father, out of the boot. She was already wearing long black gumboots and reached for a pair of heavy leather gloves and a short rope. Securing her hair under the hood of the slicker, she soaked a cloth with water from a water bottle and used it to cover her nose and mouth. Usually she enjoyed running, but now, as she ran through the smouldering trees, her eyes stung from the smoke and she found it hard to breathe. She covered the three hundred metres in less than two minutes, it was hard going dodging the hot spots, and looking east she saw the river. She ran until she could see the stone wall, and then she spotted Applejacks’ small head just above the water.