I held onto the table as the floor vibrated beneath me. It was an earthquake, I realised, shaking Llyncroft.

Oliver jumped to his feet. "It's happening!" he said. "I knew it. I knew something awesome would happen."

Bella, his younger sister, looked up at him. "But Oliver," she said. "We don't got earthquakes in the UK."

"We don't often," Oliver stressed. "But this, this is different. It must be because of all the paranormal people here. Isn't that awesome."

The room trembled again as he spoke. The plants in the room swayed, their leaves rustling in response to the movement. I watched them and wondered if the uneasy feeling was coming from them. It was almost as if they were calling out to me to hug them.

In that moment, Mr. Lawson showed he was a historian who loved teaching. He adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "While it is true that we get earthquakes in the UK," he said. "They are very rare. Usually only a few a year."

Bella turned to him. "Really?" she said.

Mr Lawson nodded. "Yes," he said. "And they are usually so small that most people don't feel them."

"But this," Bella waved a hand at the still shaking room. "This is big."

"Yes," said Mr Lawson. He looked at me and I felt a shiver run down my spine. "But I'm something I'm sure our hostess can explain for us."

I felt every pair of eyes in the room on me. The room grew silent as the floor shook one last time. In the kitchen, there was the faint sound of crockery settling.

Mr Lawson's words hung in the air like an accusation. I tried to speak, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to say. I blushed, frozen to the spot as if fast-growing ivy had wrapped my ankles.

"I don't know what's happening, I'm as confused as you are." I looked at the plants, which were still shaking from the tremors. Did they feel disconnected from the earth because of the shaking and living the pots?

Margaret tilted her head. "I'm curious. When we booked this place, your grandmother said she was connected to the earth. It was part of the reason we wanted to visit. It's a shame she's not here to explain this." I could tell she wasn't trying to be unkind, but her words caused me to feel further out of my depth.

I nodded, considering how I wanted to answer. "I didn't know about that connection before I moved here. So I don't have any answers, I'm sorry. I guess sometimes nature does things we don't understand."

Bella looked worried. "Should we be worried? Is it going to happen again?"

I had no idea, but I could see that she was scared. The problem was, I knew no more than they did.

"No," I said. "You don't need to worry." I was as much reassuring myself as them. "Llyncroft is a bit weird, but it's safe."

Mr Lawson nodded. He looked into my eyes for a moment before speaking. "Well," he said. "I guess it adds a bit of excitement to our stay."

There were a few murmurs of agreement and a few tentative smiles from the guests as they relaxed.

I looked out of the conservatory windows. The early morning haze was clearing, and it was going to be a beautiful day. The peaceful garden showed no signs of turmoil, yet I could feel tremors running through my bones.

My heart raced, but I wondered. If I was an earth elemental, I could work out what just happened and why.

The greenery of the garden looked undisturbed, but I sensed something else beneath the calm exterior. It was a hum, a rhythm that matched the beat of my heart.

"Maybe we should go into the village," Mr Lawson said, adjusting his glasses. "See if Oliver's theory about paranormal activities holds any water."

Oliver's eyes lit up. "Yes! Let's do it. Maybe we can find some proof."

"Proof of what?" Bella said. "That our brother is a nutter?"

Oliver stuck his tongue out at her, and she rolled her eyes. I chuckled at their sibling banter.

"I'll stay here," I said. "There's still so much to do."

I felt Mr Lawson's eyes on me briefly. "Okay," he said. "We'll leave you to it."

Following the hustle and bustle of trying to get two teenagers out of the building, I was glad when they left the inn, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the strange rhythm beneath my feet.

As I stepped into the back garden, fresh air and warm sunlight enveloped me. I ran my hands over the soft petals and leaves, greeting each plant as an old friend, feeling the cool earth under my feet. It was like coming home.

I stood near the oak and looked out to sea. With closed eyes, I sensed the earth's vibrations. They differed from the last time I stood here. There was a faint rhythm, a pulse that seemed to echo my heartbeat. The garden was talking to me, in a language I was only just learning.

I consciously reached out with my senses. I could smell the damp earth and hear the leaves rustling and feel the breeze on my skin. Underneath that I felt something different, more than my 5 senses. The rhythm of the earth was steady and unrelenting.

I knelt and placed my hands on the soil. The turmoil I sensed with the earthquake was gone. There was only a living sensation beneath my fingers, which I struggled to make sense of.

Gran always told me not to stress and just let things happen. It was like she was here in the garden with me. I took a deep breath and allowed myself to be. Trying not to analyse or question.

I could feel the life force of every plant. I allowed the rhythm I could feel wash over me. To become one with it.

I heard Agnes's frantic voice calling for me. "Evie! Evie, are you alright?"

My heart jolted with the surprise of her presence, and it was as if the land responded by shaking the leaves on the rose bushes.

"I'm here," I said, waving to her. "I'm fine."

Agnes rushed over to me, her silver curls bobbing. It only took her a moment to reach me. "I felt the earth shake," she said. "It was like all of a sudden, and I was worried something was happening to you."

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