Free Aurator, The by M.A. KROPF Page B

shopping, and played in our yard. Enjoying the time together. Sunday night came and the reality of going back to work and school landed squarely down on top of us.
    My husband got the girls dressed and tucked into bed while I made lunches. Halfway through, I sighed, realizing that we were out of bread and feeling like a bad mom for not having done all the shopping this week. I looked up at the clock. Nine o’clock, I could still run out for bread. My husband offered to go but he was already snuggled up with my two youngest reading one of their mystery books. I laughed as I walked out to the car. You want a mystery, try spending five minutes in my head, I thought .
    Starting the car, I was off to the store and thankful for a few minutes alone. Since meeting Max two days ago, I still felt as if I was trying to process the information. If I was supposed to be the strongest Aurator ever, what did that mean for me and my family? Was I going to miss my oldest daughter’s high school graduation because, “Oh I’m sorry honey, Mommy can’t be there because I have to kill someone?” I muttered in my frustration. I shook my head and started to think that if I had been able to resist in high school then maybe Max and Aaron were wrong about me. I don’t even remember having an urge to hurt anyone. The memory of the girl from my dream in the emergency room and the anger that accompanied being near her perplexed me. I don’t usually get so angry. That was one experience I couldn’t explain.
    Finding parking at the store was tough. It seemed late to be so busy. I locked my car and started into the store. Placing my keys in my purse, I stepped on the rubber pad to open the automatic door.
    Then it happened so fast that I had no time to process anything. I felt a cold slap to the left side of my face, my vision went blurry and everything was red. My entire body felt as if I had received an electrical shock, coursing from my core out through my fingers and toes. My breathing sped and my skin felt like it was on fire. Out of dizziness I grabbed at the metal bar separating the entrance from the exit. I heard a cracking noise as I dropped to my knees. Faces flashed in front of me. The faces from the dream… the women… the victims. I heard voices in the distance, saying something I couldn’t quite understand, getting closer. Finally able to take a deep breath, I closed my eyes again, and intense anger inside of me seemed to emanate from every inch of my body. I noticed that I could feel every muscle in my body as if each one was its own entity that I was able to control individually. My head snapped to the side as I felt someone grab my shoulder. Straining to regain control, I was slowly able to focus on a gentle face of concern in front of me. “Ma’am, ma’am, are you okay?”
    My whole body was numb except for something cold in my left hand. Looking over, it became clear to me that the cracking sound I had heard was me pulling the metal handrail out of the ground. I looked up toward what was now a crowd standing around me. I could hear them chattering excitedly as if in the distance, “Oh no, the handrail broke… she fell… is she bleeding? . . . did someone call an ambulance?”
    I struggled to stand, still a little unsteady. “I’m okay,” I finally got out. Everyone was looking toward me but I was looking elsewhere, searching… what was I looking for? I felt a pull and I turned slowly toward the parking lot. I scanned the cars that were around, difficult given that it was late at night.
    Then I saw it… the dark aura, walking slowly away from me, gliding under one of the tall lamps. I felt a stab of pain and anger within my gut. It was a feeling that I had never had before. It took every bit of my strength to not go after it. There it was, my purpose, and I realized that at the core of who I was I would be unable to fight this pull.
    I struggled to keep composure. There were several workers around me trying to make