Flower Child

By A.C. Virden

Flower child is a coming of age story about an eighteen-year-old girl named Breanna who discovers something unique about herself. She has the ability to communicate with animals and heal them through touch. She also has power over nature where she can make things grow, control things telekinetically, and converse with the trees.

She goes through her life thinking she is the only one – feeling awkward and worried that someone will find out. Then she meets someone who shows her the secret world she belongs to – a world where there are others like her working together in a common goal. Together they are destined to serve and protect nature – helping to keep the balance between man and earth.

Of course, where there is good, there is almost certainly evil hoping to exploit it. Breanna discovers there is someone who wants her for her powers and will stop at nothing to get her. She also learns that not all creatures are naturally occurring or within her control.

No story would be complete without love and the woes that go with it. Along Breanna’s journey to discover who she is, she also finds the love she’d longed for. Though, it doesn’t come easily and is not without its ups and downs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.C. Virden
• Release date: May 11, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311232588

A.C. Virden

My name is Anastasia. I am a writer, dreamer, baker, wood worker and many things besides. For this, I’ve been called a renaissance woman and, though I’m usually modest, I most humbly agree. I love nature, live for coffee and enjoy food more than I should – particularly sweets.I live in Arizona on five acres with my husband, two horses, and feisty cat. In addition to writing, I love reading new books, especially when I can see myself in the character's world. Anything that stimulates my imagination is like food for my soul.

Book preview

Flower Child

By: A.C. Virden

Copyright © 2015 by A.C. Virden

For more books by A.C. Virden, visit:

http://acvirden.com

DEDICATION

In loving memory of my father who planted

the seed of imagination in my heart.

Introduction

I always knew I was a freak. Even my parents told me I wasn’t like all the other kids. I know, that sounds harsh, but they didn’t mean it in a bad way. They said, unlike most kids, that I was very independent, rarely ever cried and never got into trouble. And, physically, I never suffered from the scrapes and bruises which seemed to go with the territory of being a clumsy toddler getting their bearings. I also didn’t require constant monitoring and seldom needed anyone to keep me company, always perfectly happy to keep myself entertained when friends were scarce. That was a good thing considering all of the moving I did while I was in grade school.

With my parents divorcing when I was only five and living on opposite coasts, the alternating years between them made it challenging to make and keep friends. I’m not complaining though. I had a good life and parents who loved me unconditionally. I was just worried that would all change if they ever discovered the secret I’d been keeping for more than half my life.

My name is Breanna by the way, Breanna Kinsley. The little secret I’d been hiding was something that I first discovered when I was five. Actually, come to think of it, this was only shortly after my parents’ divorce. Anyway, I was wandering around the woods behind my house one morning before school. It was sort of a gloomy drizzling day, as most days go in the state of Washington. As I walked down a particular little trail I always traveled, I came upon a small bird. It looked like a small, damp feathery ball with two sad little eyes peering out from the top.

I sensed that this bird was injured, because it made no effort to fly away as I approached. Feeling a pain in my heart for the poor little guy, I carefully drew closer to it, reaching down slowly to pick it up. I didn’t know the first thing about caring for injured animals, so all I could think to do was stroke it’s head and back and try to comfort it. As I was doing so, I noticed the color of the bird’s feathers changed. They gradually went from a muddy grayish-brown to a rich golden-beige. I could also feel the once faint breathing grow stronger and before I knew it, the little bird unfurled its wings and took flight, chirping a happy little song as it flew away.

I was so happy that the little bird was okay and couldn’t hold back the tears of joy as I watched it fly off. I wasn’t entirely sure that I had anything to do with the bird’s miraculous recovery. I was just relieved that it wasn’t suffering anymore.

I ran back to the house to tell my mom what happened. When she saw that I was crying, she grabbed me immediately and hugged me for what seemed like hours. She kept telling me that everything was going to be okay as she rocked me back and forth. I guess she mistook my tears as ones of sadness over my parents’ split. While I was cradled in her arms, just enjoying the attention, I forgot all about the little bird. It was probably for the best anyway. For one, I doubt that she would have believed me, and secondly, I don’t think she could have handled the guilt thinking her daughter was acting out wild imaginations in order to deal with her parents’ divorce.

Since that day, so many other things happened that I can’t even begin to list them all. The long and short of it is that I discovered I had certain abilities with plants and animals. I quickly confirmed that my touch could heal animals, but I could also talk to them, not verbally, but telepathically. Through that I was able to earn their trust almost instantly.

And with plants, I could restore them to fully vibrant and blooming, when it looked like there wasn’t an ounce of life left in them. Oh, and remember what I said about not being afflicted long with the discomfort of injuries? Well, that is because I also healed incredibly fast.

Sure, on the surface, this all sounds amazing. I know my parents, not knowing the truth, just thought they were extremely lucky to have such an easy child. But I was sure if they or anyone else found out my secret, they’d think I was some sort of freak too!

Chapter 1

Winter break was drawing to an end and my final semester of high school was closing in on me. This meant it was time to gear up for my future, which would likely involve a career in plant and animal care. I took horticulture classes in place of all my high school electives and I’d been a prominent member of the 4H club for as long as I could remember. That and my unnatural abilities with plants and animals won me several nods from well-known environmental studies colleges from around the country.

The first day back to school was like any other day. It was actually partly sunny which is rare for a winter day in Washington. I didn’t live far, so I always walked to school when the weather permitted and drove the other ninety-seven percent of the time.

When I got to school, I noticed the usual cliques. Every school has them and mine was no exception. There are the athletic guys known as the jocks and the intellectuals often referred to as the nerds. And, no high school would be complete without the beautiful people everyone envies and wants to be.

The beautiful girls, the ones I secretly called the Vogues, were always primped and posed to be prominently and fashionably on display. They took up the left side of the school’s front entrance. This way they were sure to be seen by everyone who entered and could easily observe (and judge) them as they walked by.

To the right, stood the GQs – the beautiful guys. They always stood there secretly looking around to see who was looking at them all the while trying to look cool and as if they barely noticed anyone but themselves.

I’d been told I was pretty enough to be a Vogue, but I never really saw myself fitting in. Of course, it was my best friend Lila who told me and she was always saying nice things like that. I always felt awkward around other kids my age and, through most of my time in high school, lacked the sense of style necessary to get noticed. I guess that goes both ways though. I had just enough good taste to be boring and still manage to dress well enough not to be made fun of. It wasn’t until the summer before my senior year that I became totally obsessed with fashion. Not to say I was worthy of getting noticed by the Vogues and GQs. Just that I learned a few things to graduate from boring to halfway decent.

As for looks, well, I’ll just defer to how Lila described me one time when she created on online dating profile for me. It read I have waist length light brown hair that falls in bouncy waves along my back and takes on a golden sheen when standing in the sun. Standing at 5’2, I have a slim athletic build, not skinny, but with a few well-placed and modestly proportioned curves. My skin is a light sun-kissed olive, giving the appearance of a year round tan. I have ‘Spanish eyes’ of a deep chocolate brown, large and full of expression." Sure it all sounds great when you read it, but I never thought I was pretty and always struggled with a bad self-image. Oh, and no, I did not let Lila post the profile!

As I was passing between the two groups, I heard someone yelling my name. I looked ahead as Lila was running towards me, looking excited and flushed. Lila was a few inches shorter than me and what most would consider slightly full figured. Her hair was a deep shade of red and straight as a board, and her complexion was that of milky porcelain. Her eyes, the shade of emeralds, always sparkled with her bubbly personality. She was the sweetest person I’d ever met, but she could be rather quirky and clumsy at times, making an easy target for teasing and rude remarks. From the corner of my eye, I could see some of the Vogues whispering to each other, no doubt saying something mean about Lila, and since I was her friend, most likely me as well.

Lila finally caught up to me and stopped just short of crashing into me head on. I managed to position my hands in front of me just in time to catch her shoulders and prevent her forehead from smacking into my nose.

Oh my gosh! Breanna! You’ll never believe what I just read on the bulletin board! Lila gasped as she tried to catch her breath.

Oh yeah? I asked as I gently tugged her by the arm, leading her to a bench away from the entrance and out of earshot. Knowing Lila, she was no doubt excited about something that would be perfect ammunition for the Vogues to tease her about later.

So, what’s up? I asked as I sat down.

Okay, you know how you’ve been all flustered about, ‘Do I want to be a vet or do I want to study plants? Do I want to save and rescue animals or do I want to…’ Lila was saying and then I interrupted.

Mmm hmm, I got the idea, so…?

Lila continued Well, I just read a flyer that says the Friends of the Forest Foundation, you know the group that is dedicated to the caring for and preservation of the local forests and wildlife? I nodded to indicate that I was tracking. Well anyway, they’re going to be here next Friday for the career fair to conduct interviews for fully paid summer internships! she exclaimed barely taking a breath.

Wow! They’re coming here? Really? I said slightly perplexed, and unlike my usual inclination to feign interest, I was actually kind of intrigued about what she told me.

The Friends of the Forest Foundation, or F.O.F.F. for short, from the many articles I’ve read, sounded like the perfect place for me. Like Lila said, I was torn because I wanted to do it all and wasn’t sure I’d be able to find a career that allowed me to put my abilities to full use. Well, the F.O.F.F. had an impressive facility up near Mt. Rainier National Forest housing labs full of scientists and field researchers who worked to protect and revive nature. They weren’t environmental extremists. They were simply dedicated to researching and educating people so that man and nature could learn to live in harmony and balance.

I got lost in thought for a moment and sort of forgot that Lila was still there.

Hello? Are you still with me? Earth to Breanna, she said sounding slightly irritated.

Suddenly realizing that there wasn’t much time before class would start, I jumped up, grabbed Lila gently by the arm again and we made our way to our first period class, Horticultural Studies.

As with all my classes where plants and animals were involved, I had to be very careful not to use my abilities, and when I did, to hold back the potency. Without restraint, I was able to plant a seed and cause it to germinate and bloom instantly, and I could heal most animals’ injuries with ease. So, I really had to exercise control which was much more difficult than you can imagine. Never quite being able to shut off my communication with animals, it took everything I had not to heal them instantly when they were in pain. But, it could be done and was all a matter of concentration, to manage and control the amount of energy I released. As long as I had power over my thoughts, I was good. When I lost focus, watch out!

For instance, towards the end of freshman year in Marine Biology, we were supposed to dissect a squid. I looked forward to this class because there was this one guy there that I had a bit of a crush on, Brad Thompson. Well as fate would have it, the list of lab partner assignments came out, and he was assigned to work with me. I was both elated and horrified. Please don’t let me screw up in front of him!

We got to our station and everything was so far, so good. I kept telling myself to focus and not allow his close proximity to distract me. I was pinning down the squid into the tray. Everything was going well, the squid was still dead, no moving tentacles, etc. Then he leaned in toward me, brushing his chest against my shoulder and whispered, Hey, would you like to go out this Friday? I could feel a heat rush up into my cheeks and the next thing I knew, the squid came to life, jumped off the table and smacked Brad in the face before landing and flopping around frantically on the floor. Talk about embarrassing!

I spent the rest of the class rescuing the now live squid from under the desk it flopped its way under and convincing my teacher that the squid must have been alive all this time. Oh, and Brad? Well, I later discovered that he thought I slapped him with the squid for asking me out. I never had an easy time getting a date as it was, but now that word got around, it was next to impossible. The running joke anytime someone got turned down was that they had been fish slapped. Really? It’s not like I carried an endless supply of dead fish around with me in the off-chance some guy I didn’t like would ask me out!

So, Lila and I arrived to class just as the bell rang. With most of my other teachers, I’d have gotten an evil glare, but Mr. O’Reily wasn’t like any other teacher I knew. He was really cool! He just gave me a wry smile and a wink as I took my seat.

Good morning class! he said in his usual cheery voice.

Mr. O’Reily was a tall, medium-built man with tight curly brown hair and a neatly trimmed moustache. His features were warm and kind as he smiled.

Today, we’re going to do something a little different. He continued, Actually, we’ll be deviating from my original lesson plan entirely.

A couple students who were only taking this class for an easy A, groaned with disappointment.

No doubt, some of you have noticed the flyer on the announcement board? Mr. O’Reily said, ignoring the groans and glancing at Lila with a friendly smirk. Well, I want to make sure that those of you interested in working at the Friends of the Forest Foundation, he cleared his throat in acknowledgement of the less than enthusiastic students and continued, are well prepared for the interview process. The foundation was kind enough to send packets with the interview questions and hands-on labs they’ll be conducting. So, over the next two weeks, I’ll be basing my lessons on the material you’ll need to study in preparing for your interviews. As for those of you who could really care less, it looks like you have a free period for the next two weeks. Use it wisely.

The class divided up into two groups, those who wanted to be there in front, and those who didn’t moved to the back. Mr. O’Reily started handing out the packets containing the interview material and what appeared to be a magazine. I pulled the magazine out and was drawn immediately to a very handsome face looking back at me from the cover. As though reading my mind, Mr. O’Reily explained that the dreamy man on the cover was the founder of F.O.F.F., Dr. Sebastian Elliot.

Doctor! But he didn’t look nearly old enough, no more than mid-twenties surely.

He had medium length sandy blonde hair cut stylishly and eyes that could pass for green or blue depending on the light. His features were slightly rugged with a hint of five o’clock shadow from not shaving for a day or two. He had the look of confidence and of someone who came from money. If it weren’t for the magazine heading, I’d swear I was looking at the cover of Forbes featuring some devilishly handsome young wealthy philanthropist. I was hypnotized by the picture, so lost in my daydream that I barely noticed the bell ring.

Lila and I only had a couple of classes together, but we did have the same lunch period. My second period class was Calculus while Lila had Anatomy. Then my schedule continued with Chemistry, Lunch, English Literature with Lila, History and finishing up with Phys. Ed. It was a pretty good schedule I think. My gym teacher was an avid sports enthusiast, so he liked to work us until the last possible minute, which unfortunately never seemed to give us enough time to shower before the next class. So, having Phys. Ed. at the end of the day meant longer showers and not having to go around all sweaty to any of my classes.

When I met Lila for lunch, I noticed a group of guys standing just outside the cafeteria. Among them was my former crush, Brad. He played on the varsity soccer team, and, with his perfect teeth and boyish good looks, could easily have been a GQ. I didn’t think it was possible, but he was even better looking now than freshman year. His skin was like caramel and his hair was a warm brown with a slight curl to it. There was one strand that came down over the right side of his brow that gave him an even dreamier quality. He stood about five-eleven and had the typical soccer player physique.

As Lila and I walked past, I couldn’t help but glance over at him. When I did, our eyes met and he gave me a rather alluring grin. Wow! My heart jumped and the breath caught in my lungs briefly. All I could do was smile back shyly and quickly look away. I didn’t know the first thing about how to be sexy and wasn’t going to risk trying it now.

The rest of my first day back from winter break went on without much excitement, as did the rest of the week. With each day starting off with another round of interview preparations, I found myself shamefully thinking about Dr. Elliot. But, by the first passing of classes, my thoughts shifted to Brad who, each day, would smile at me as I walked to my locker, holding my gaze until I looked away. I wasn’t sure what was going on with his sudden interest in me, but I kind of liked it.

It was finally Friday afternoon, school just ended and I was leaving through the main hallway when I happened to notice the F.O.F.F. internship flyer Lila was so excited about earlier in the week. Just then a thought occurred to me. I wondered if Dr. Elliot would be one of the people conducting the interviews. Part of me was giddy about the possibility of meeting him face-to-face, while the other part desperately hoped he wouldn’t be coming. I knew there would be a strong chance that my concentration would suffer with him there and didn’t even want to think about what could go wrong.

I continued out of the school, making my way back home by means of my usual shortcut through the woods. I had just made it through the tree line from the clearing of the school parking lot when I heard a noise. Startled, I turned in the direction where I heard what sounded like a small branch snapping under the weight of someone’s foot. I was hoping it was just a deer or maybe a stray dog, but the only animals I could sense were a couple of birds in the nearby trees and a rabbit in the distance. I stood still for a moment, but I didn’t hear anything more, so I continued walking.

I took maybe five or six more steps when some birds in a tree a few yards in front of me suddenly flew up from the branches. I quickly looked toward the base of the tree to see what frightened them away. But, by the time I did, all I caught a glimpse of was the back end of a large animal with tan fur as it ran away with amazing speed. By now my heart was racing and my mind right along with it.

What could this animal have been and why didn’t I sense its presence? My first thought was that it looked like a lion, but I dismissed that idea right away. What would a lion be doing in the middle of the woods and in Washington no less? Well, whatever it was, I wasn’t about to stick around and find out. I made it home in less than half the normal time, running the whole way.

When I got home, it was no surprise to find it empty. I lived with my dad who was frequently off and away on business. In fact, he was currently in Hawaii getting ready for a gallery opening. He wasn’t expected back for another couple weeks. I had two brothers and a sister, but my oldest brother was off at NYU and my younger brother and sister lived with my mom in Florida. So, I pretty much lived by myself.

My dad trusted me and knew that I was capable of taking care of myself. Because I valued his trust, I never wanted to do anything to break it. Besides, with my nonexistent love life, it wasn’t likely I’d be inviting any boys over. My dad always left me enough cash to buy the necessities, and what that didn’t cover, my modest paycheck from working at the nearby animal shelter did.

My job at the shelter was great. It was mostly like paid volunteering really. They couldn’t pay a lot since the only money they had coming in was from donations. But, I didn’t have a set schedule and had complete freedom to care for the animals in my way which made up for it. I tried to make it in at least a couple nights a week. I was usually the only one there at night except for the dispatcher, so I didn’t have to be on the lookout when caring for the animals. As heartbreaking as it was to go there and find more animals without a home, it was always reassuring to know that I was at least able to comfort them and show them I cared. Had I been born wealthy, I’d live in a huge house and could take all of the unwanted animals home with me.

As it was though, my house was only a modest single story rambler with three bedrooms and two baths. My bedroom was on the left as you entered the front door with a shared bathroom separating it from the home office/guest room. To the right was a modest-sized living room and my dad’s room down a small hallway beyond that, and the kitchen was straight through to the back. All in all, it was a nice cozy little home, just perfect for dad and me.

I made my way into the kitchen to make myself a snack before heading off to work. As I was washing up my dishes, I glanced out the window overlooking my backyard. A slight movement caught my eye, and I saw a large animal peering toward the house through the trees. It was a mountain lion, but on steroids! From the distance I estimated he easily stood four feet to his shoulders and must have weighed well over 300lbs. It had to be the same animal I saw in the woods walking home.

We met each other’s’ gaze for a few seconds and then he slowly turned back into the woods and disappeared. What was he doing there and why did I feel like he followed me home? It was so strange because the expression on his face was almost human, like he was smiling at me. And yet, he was clearly an animal but, I couldn’t read his thoughts. This was starting to get frustrating and just a little unsettling.

When it was time to leave for work, I was a little apprehensive to leave the house. My car was parked a short distance away, but after seeing how fast that lion could run, twenty to thirty feet seemed more like a mile. Knowing that I couldn’t outrun him even if I tried, and not entirely sure he was still there, I decided to just walk cautiously to my car.

I had my keys in hand and made quick work with the lock when I got to it. I swung open the door, leapt into the driver’s seat, slammed the door shut and let out a huge sigh of relief. I’m sure if anyone could see me, I’d have looked like an idiot. I laughed at myself just thinking about it as I turned the ignition and drove away. I don’t know if it was my overactive imagination or what, but as I drove off, I thought I saw the lion sitting in the field across the road from my house from the corner of my eye.

Chapter 2

The weekend passed by like a blur, with no further sightings of the mountain lion. By Monday morning, I had all but forgotten about the strange encounters, but still thought it best to drive to school, just in case. I arrived at school and pulled into a parking spot as far from the entrance as possible. My car wasn’t exactly a show piece, unless you consider a black rusted out Nissan something to envy. Not only did it look bad, but it had the tendency to backfire when I least expected it. So, I wanted some distance between it and the school to muffle the sound if necessary.

As I made my way to my locker, I heard a guy’s voice call my name. I turned around and – to my utter disbelief – discovered it was Brad!

Hi Brad. I tried to act casual, as though drop dead gorgeous guys came up and talked to me all the time. But, I couldn’t help feeling slightly skeptical and, of course blushing like an idiot.

He noticed I was a little taken back that he was actually speaking to me and smiled, nonchalantly sizing me up. As he stood there admiring me, I got nervous and uncomfortable. He did call my name, right? Or had I just imagined it and now, here I stood like a dork waiting for him to say something?

What’s up? I asked apprehensively.

Well, I thought maybe you and I could go out this Friday, he said with a sheepish grin. Oh good, I hadn’t imagined it! Though now registering that he was asking me out, I got a little defensive – recalling the last time he’d asked me out and all of the rumors that ensued.

Oh? Hmm, I don’t know. Aren’t you afraid I’m going to throw another fish at you?

He gave a small laugh and took a step closer, now standing about a foot away. Yeah, um, sorry about that. I guess I was just embarrassed and sort of gave everyone the wrong impression.

Sort of! Brad, I spent the last couple years being avoided like the plague by every available guy in the school because of you! I blurted, now feeling the anger boiling inside at his lack of sincerity.

I turned away from him, grabbing my books from my locker and slamming