Chasing Nature

1| Where We Get The Letter

Sometimes I feel like my powers aren't a boon, but rather a curse.

I'm Eve. I'm twelve years old, and I've never had so much fun fighting against evil in all my twelve years. I'm writing this so that other people can know the dangers we face while saving the world. We might be nature bearers, but we are not the stereotypical gardeners you might be thinking about. We're way cooler. I think. Oh, wait, I'm rambling. Let's get on with the story.

It all started one summer afternoon when I was at my friend James's house. He had gone into the kitchen to make us some coffee. "Can you please rethink the offer I gave about working at Avery's café?" I begged. "Your coffee is probably up to her mark, considering it's better than mine, and I'm dying having to endure her hourlong lectures about hard work and perseverance or whatever. She doesn't even own the café!" You'll find that I tend to ramble a lot.

James grinned. "I'll have to make you suffer. I need to take care of Grandpa all day, remember? You have to deal with your sister by yourself, Eve."

"Take care?" James's grandpa asked incredulously in an armchair next to me. "Excuse me, but who's taking care of whom, young man?"

As I waited for the coffee, a bell went off in my ears, ringing loudly and clearly, as though I was right next to one. I thought it was just my ears messing with me, but the sound rang and roared louder and louder to the point where I had to cover my ears. What was happening? Was it a sort of alarm that had gone off in my brain or something?

"Anything wrong, dear?" Mr. Wright asked me. 

I shook my head. "There's an awful ringing in my ears," I explained to James's grandfather.

"Ah!" We heard James wince from the kitchen. "I think my ears are malfunctioning." He stumbled into the living room, hands pressed to his ears. A branch snapped with a loud noise from a tree in James's backyard outside. Suddenly, the ringing stopped. My head no longer thudded in the rhythm. I lowered my hands, bewildered.

Trying to change the subject, as Mr. Wright looked at the both of us, utterly confused, I said, "Let's check out the branch, maybe you can fix it."

We went outside and James, being an earth bearer, easily reattached the branch to the tree. I knelt and picked up the letter that was under it. "Another one?" James asked, exasperated. I nodded. "Think they'd run out of creative ways to send these letters."

We came inside the house and told Mr. Wright about the letter. "Why did our ears ring right before the letter came?" James asked.

"It's obvious, you half-wit," I told him. "It was a heads-up. Every time we get these stupid letters we get alerted somehow."

James's ears reddened. "Don't call me a half-wit."

"What's stopping me from telling the truth?" I countered. James scowled.

"What does the letter say?" Mr. Wright asked, ignoring our arguments as usual. I gave the letter to James and he read it out loud.

TO JAMES WRIGHT AND EVE MONROE

This letter is to inform you both that you have not yet signed up officially at the Nature Bearers' Cooperation, Pebblestone. You might know that you can only use your power to benefit others if you have signed up. We have collected information that you continue to use your abilities unofficially despite this. Ergo, we have mandated that you must come to the NBC by Friday to make it official, or consequences will have to be dealt with. We await your presence.

Signed,

Matthew Green

Earth Bearer, NBC

"Matthew Green is new," James remarked. "I don't remember any of the previous letters being written by him."

"One thing I don't get is why the headquarters of all nature bearers in Pebblestone has to be treated like a corporate place," I added. I turned to Mr. Wright. "Um, what happens if we don't go there on Friday?"

"I think it's best if you two go this time," he replied. "We've been getting many of these lately, possibly because you are of age now that the NBC has recognized you."

James sighed. "All right."

Just then, a horrible smell came from the kitchen. I pinched my nose. "James, you burnt the coffee!" I shouted nasally.

James stirred and ran towards the kitchen. "I sure did," he confirmed. "And Eve is going to clean it up." He looked at me. "You owe me for the taco incident."

I did not want a repeat of the taco incident. I sighed. "Fine, you win."

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Hi guys! This is my first actual fiction book and not fanfiction. So I'm kinda new to this, and I would appreciate your votes, comments, critiques, and reviews. Thanks for reading and let me know how this chapter was in the comments!