The Gifted are Hidden

Chloe is a young girl who lives with her parents in a cabin. This cabin is located in southern Alaska. Inside this cabin lives a three person family that gets through everything together. Even the huge Cyclone Blizzard back in November of ‘11. They were snowed in without power and with a limited supply of food for six days until help came. Then, they just stocked back up on food and moved back. They weren’t getting rid of the cabin, at least not yet.

Chloe was born eight and a half weeks too early but she survived. Albeit barely. They were grateful. They took it as a sign. Chloe was special. It turns out, the name did fit her. That spring the most extraordinary thing happened. All of the plants bloomed, there were flowers and blossoms blooming everywhere in our perception. Chloe means “blooming and fertility” in Greek. There were animals that they’ve never seen before walking across their front porch. Ranging from Moose to the miniscule butterflies that flew in front of your eyes. 

One night while watching the sun set, a queer looking butterfly landed right on Chloe’s baby nose and looked right into her eyes. Chloe didn’t say anything just stared at it with huge eyes full of wonder. The butterfly looks to the parents and then flies away leaving them in awe.

As Chloe grew up, admiring the animals and the views that nature provides, she didn’t know how special she was until her thirteenth birthday. She’d always loved walking through the forest, swearing that she hears voices whisper in the wind and the flowers dance when she walks by. Her parents always believed that she had an overactive imagination. Little did they know, their daughter had an ability.

On her thirteenth birthday, she received a camera from her parents. They knew about her love for nature and she’s been asking for one ever since she saw a fawn with its mother out in the forest two years ago. Today, after enjoying a pleasant breakfast made of waffles with maple syrup, then having lunch made up of her dad’s homemade grilled cheese, Chloe goes outside with her camera prepared in her hands ready to snap the button at any given moment. She can’t suppress the smile of joy on her face.

Chloe has been walking for about ten minutes when she comes across an absolutely stunning flower field to the right of the path. There is a huge variety of flowers, like Fireweeds, Bunchberries, Douglas Asters, and loads of Forget me nots. She snaps photos and is about to head back when she hears a strange noise.

It is actually quite delightful. It sounds rhythmic and it is too quiet to make out. It sounds like singing but she’s been living in the same place for the past thirteen years only knowing her parents and the shop where she buys milk and eggs. Items that they don’t have. Even then, the shop is miles away. The voice gets louder, presumably getting closer and Chloe leans back and listens. The voice is amazing. It is merry and melancholy at the same time and the voice flows past your ears making it impossible to tell where it is coming from. Chloe looks around and gasps as she comes face to face with a moose. Its eyes boring into her in a calming sensation. The moose is huge. It stands tall about two feet above her head. Chloe blinks and is about to run away when she hears the voice. 

It is quiet but clear so Chloe understands it perfectly. It echoes in her head like only she could hear it. “Come with us…” It says in a gravelly voice and Chloe looks around. Her eyes meet at the moose again. It hasn’t moved and looks like there is no intention of moving any time soon. “What?” Chloe questions thinking that she’s gone mad. “I’m the Moose. My name is Mac.” Chloe looks to him. “Then what does ‘us’ mean.” 

Laughter that sounds like the singing voice erupts from behind Mac. “Hi. He means me, I’m Keith.” Kieth holds out his hand and Chloe bends down to reach it. The man, well creature, in front of her is about three and half feet tall. He has blond hair intricately braided behind the ear. He is wearing brown leather boots and bears a bow in his hand with a quiver strapped to his chest holding small arrows. “You must be Chloe. I know because you are gifted. You are able to talk to us and the animals, like Mac here. We are here to introduce you to everyone else.” He smiles before jumping onto Mac.

“Come. Hop on” Mac turns sideways as if inviting her onto his back, and then kneels down on his hind legs, creating a step for her.

Chloe glances back in the direction of her cabin, knowing that her parents will worry if she is not back soon. Mac, who senses this reassures her. “It’s okay. You’ll be back home soon.” Chloe eyes him warily and slowly climbs onto his back. Her hands find a grasp in his scruff, mindful of Keith.

He starts out slow and Chloe eases her grip. Mac starts jogging before full on running through the forest. Chloe gains a new sensation that she has never felt before. She’s free. With the wind in her hair and the world behind her back Chloe looks around as if seeing the world for the first time. 

Eventually Mac comes to a stop and kneels down to let Chloe and Kieth onto the cool earth. Chloe is left awestruck and wide eyed. She gasps when Mac nudges her back to reality. “Come. Follow me.” Chloe trails behind Mac into an opening, there are trees and it is almost too perfect of a circle to be natural. “Do you hear them?” Mac questions looking at her with those big eyes again. “Who?” Before she can voice the question, Mac turns away and makes a rhythmic grunting sound. He ends with one final hollow grunt. Suddenly the clearance is filled with animals ranging from other moose, deers, skunks, and the smallest of bugs climbing on the trees. There are butterflies floating around with their profound grace.

She admires each and every animal. She looks closer and sees more of the smaller people. Some with long hair and large beards, others with pointy hats and robes going down to their feet. And others that look like Kieth. There were other ones hovering with meager wings flapping behind them, keeping them upright. Each small figure reminded her of the fairy tale stories that she was told as a child.

Mac steps up and Chloe looks to him expectantly. “Chloe Moores, when you were born the planets aligned and you were gifted with a special ability. You can talk to the forest. To us, to the trees, to everyone. Us creatures use your ability and help you control it for the better. Do you trust us to take you in?”

“Well yes, you guys look really nice and Mac already gave me a ride here, but what do you mean by take me in? Will I see my family again?” She asks worriedly.

Kieth steps forward and reassured her. “Yeah, in fact you’ll be there in a little bit. We just wanted to welcome you to this family.” Chloe smiles and looks at everyone. “Thank you. Really. I’ve always been amazed by you guys, and to now know that I can talk to you...wow…” She trailers off and looks happily around her.

Kieth smiles. “We are really happy to meet you too.” Mac steps forwards and kneels down, allowing Chloe to hop on. “Your cabin is about three miles to the east. The sun is setting and we must take a leave. We are happy to meet you and I bet we’ll see eachother again. But for now, we must ride.”

Chloe hops on and with one final glance back to the animals, well now her family, Mac starts the sprint back. Mac drops her off a couple meters away from her house so she can walk in. “Thank you Mac.” she says as she climbs off his back and steps onto the ground. She reaches for the camera wrapped around her shoulder. Then smirks as if asking ‘mind if I take one?’ 

Mac chuckles and takes a couple steps back. “Sure” Chloe holds up the camera and presses on the shutter button. She got the picture of a magnificent moose in the woods looking directly at the camera. She can’t wait to show her mom. She looks back up to thank Mac again, but he is gone. She smiles and turns on her heel to head back to home. 

If her parents notice anything different about her, they don’t comment. After eating dinner and going up to bed, Chloe can't sleep. Her mind is too restless and her heart is racing. She feels so...so alive. She stands up and heads outside, careful of the squeaky last step on the stairs. She goes to the front porch and out in the yard. She breaths in the fresh air and then walks over to the hammock tied to the trees next to her. She lies down and blissfully falls asleep the second she gets comfortable. That is how her parents find her in the morning. 

Chloe wastes no time eating her breakfast before running outside and heading to the opening. It’s three miles away, she knows, but she is pumped with adrenaline with what happened last night. She gets there after about forty five minutes. She leans against a tree and waits. After ten minutes, a skunk hobbles over to her. “Hello?”

She is startled by the sudden appearance but smiles gently at the animals and opens her arms as if offering a hug. “Yeah?” She asks as the skunk crawls into her lap. 

“My name is Louie. I was wondering if you can tell me about you because it must be cool to be a human.” Louie looks to her expectantly with big eyes. She chuckles and lunges into stories of her lifetime so far. She tells him how humans think that animals are so amazing. “That’s why I think it’s so cool that I can talk to you.” Mac is watching from a distance with a smile tugging on his lips. “She’ll be the best that we’ve had.” He thinks, before turning around and running in the opposite direction.

It’s been almost a full year now and Chloe has mastered her ability. Not that there was much to learn. But she can now talk to every animal in the forest and as she walks past the trees she can now make out the little whispers that she used to hear.

It is Chole’s fourteenth birthday today and after eating the cake with her parents, who have noticed the amount of time she’s been spending in the forest increasing every day, Chloe heads on out and meets Mac. She jumps on his back, having grown used to the process and thanks Kieth as he wishes her a happy day. She has gained an adamantine bond with everyone and has learned tons of new skills. 

The elves, as she has learned, had taught her archery. The elves enjoy braiding her hair, thinking that she has great reddish gold hair. She has never realized it until they said it but under certain lighting from the sun, her hair has a golden hue. It looks stunning when the elves braid them behind her ears, box, french, dutch, fishtail, and many more. She sometimes practices on them but her fingers aren’t as small and coordinated. The elves had also taught her how to sing. She was actually pretty good when she wanted to be. She loved humming small elvish tunes while walking through the woods.

She loves that the Fairies showed her how to be graceful and run through the forest quietly. She is much more agile and way faster when running through the forest. She is proud of that. 

Chloe is a gifted person and while she may not realize it, she is gaining more and more powerful each day. Mac hasn’t told her yet but she’ll one day be able to mind control certain animals. He isn’t worried for her, because he knows her dedication and pride to her ability. She’ll never use it for evil, but no one can be too sure