Wattpad CommunityInteractive Prompt: "Bridge to the Unfamiliar": Incorporate a magical element into a story in such a way that it doesn't seem out of place in the real world.

Story word count = 2712

"Mother Earth is a heartless beast. Not at all the nurturing goddess portrayed with flowers in her hair and life spilling from her hand."

I paused for effect, watching the eyes of the young student widen at such disrespect. "Many times had she wiped out great swaths of life. It's not that she hates humanity. She just doesn't care. It is for us as for all life that infests her surface - adapt or die, maybe both."

We sat outside on a metal mesh bench on this pleasant spring morning. Sprawling limbs of a singular massive oak tree provided shade against a sun that would eventually make for a hot muggy afternoon. Sipping a cold soft drink through a straw, she seemed so young. Her soft honey-brown eyes appeared far too innocent for her calling. Yet, so it once was for all of us.

It must be intimidating for her - a poor second-generation immigrant, the first of her family to attend college, and a new freshman - to be singled out by the head of the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma.

I leaned back, putting a hand to my signature trimmed red beard. "Ms. Perez, I understand you have an interest in the weather?"

She nodded, pushing back strands of her long black hair twirled by a sudden breeze. "Yes, Professor Raine. I've wanted to be a meteorologist since I was a little girl."

"I sense, though, that your interest is more than just academic. You feel the weather, discerning its mood, if I may say. The atmosphere speaks to you."

Her eyes widened and jaw dropped. Obviously, this ability was something she kept away from those who might judge her. That much was common for most of us, too.

I raised a hand. "Do not be alarmed, Ms. Perez. Your secret is safe with me. It is a very rare and special ability. There are others like you, including myself." I took a sip of tea from my paper cup, the tag from the teabag fluttering in the same momentary breeze that unsettled her hair. "Ages ago a group of people with such special abilities came together to protect humanity from the ravages of the elements. We became known collectively as the Elemental Conservancy."

I looked up to her face. She sat stiff and frozen, her eyes still wide. This was a lot to take in.

"Some have an affinity for the weather, such as you and I. Others specialize more in the tectonic or cosmic threats. As for us, we call ourselves Weather Guardians." I tilted my head. "Not a very imaginative name, but it fits." I paused a moment for her benefit. "Allow me to cut to the chase, I am here to recruit you to our organization. You will have the opportunity to serve in noble benefit to mankind, but I must be clear, there would be risks to your well being. If you desire, we may end this conversation now and I will never speak of it again. Do you wish me to continue?"

She dipped her head and spoke in a voice smaller than she was. "Am I at risk anyway just because of what I am?"

Her astute question impressed me. "Yes, you are at risk regardless. But perhaps less so then if you joined us."

She paused in thought. "Please continue, Professor."

"We have the ability not only to sense the weather but to shift atmospheric energy. Thus, a hurricane that would have wiped out a seaside city may be weakened; the severity of a blizzard decreased; the effects of a drought might be lessened. But each action has serious consequences. Rain brought to one region might cause a drought in another. A storm suppressed at one location might lead to a larger one elsewhere. The atmospheric energy has to go somewhere. It seems like magic, but the laws of thermodynamics still hold. It takes a great deal of wisdom and training to wield such power. That is what we would teach you."

"I would be able to control the weather?"

I nodded. "Yes, to a degree. It is a great power. From this comes the risks, though. Handling too much energy may result in harm. In a way, it is like playing with fire - it may burn you."

"I see."

She jerked back as I flashed my eyes to up hers. "That is not the worst of it. Power corrupts, Ms. Perez. It always has. Some nations and organizations would like to control us for their selfish gains. Can you imagine the destruction they might cause? That is why we must operate in complete secrecy and with the strictest of moral codes." I shook my head. "Also, others might fear us. In ages past, some with our ability were accused of witchcraft and suffered the wrath of the intolerant. Today's society is not that much more enlightened."

She dipped her eyes. "I understand."

"No, Ms. Perez. I don't think you fully understand. But we would clearly explain the risks so that you could make an informed decision."

She asked, "Would I have to drop out of school?"

"Oh, no. In fact, we would insist that you continue your studies. Knowledge is vital in what we do. There is someone I would like you to meet. Do you have an hour or so?" She nodded and I stood up. "Come with me, then."

She gathered up the red backpack slumped on the bench beside her and followed me toward the National Weather Center, located nearby on campus. Officially, I split my time as an advisor to the service with my duties as a university departmental head. Out from under the shade of the oak tree, drops of sweat began to form on my forehead as we walked.

I asked, "Tell me, what do you feel of the weather now?"

She thought for a moment. "It's humid, not much wind, and getting hotter. I heard a cool front is coming our way. That might trigger some storms."

I shook my head. "No, Ms. Perez. What do you feel? What does the atmosphere say to you?"

She stopped and closed her eyes, slowing her breath. "I feel... a chaos, el furor. And energy, so much energy. It hurts to get close."

I smiled. "Yes. And do you anticipate the coming turbulence? The crossing winds aloft and the rising warm humid air? Do you feel the condensation as the clouds begin to form? The separation of electrical charges? The conditions are ripe for strong super-cell thunderstorm formations and a tornado outbreak."

She opened her eyes. "Yes. I feel it. Would you change this, Professor?"

"Let's go find out."

We approached a four-story brick and glass building. Two plaques and raised silver letters on a brick wall labeled it at the 'National Weather Center'. Five aluminum poles behind the wall held up five lazy flags. I held open the door for her. Happy to be out of the humid heat, we made our way to the Storm Prediction Center. It looked like a war room where generals devised their battle strategies, and in a way, it was. Dominating the open area were four semicircles of tables lined with keyboards and monitors. Scattered charts and markers laid atop other tables.

Several of the chairs were occupied - not unexpected due to the unstable atmospheric conditions. The sounds of clacking keyboards, squeaking markers, and shuffling papers created a dull din. Most peered at the monitors mounted before them, oblivious to the new visitor.

We made our way to a thin woman with skin like dark chocolate. She had one striking feature - her frost white short hair. She bobbed her head to the music playing in her headphones. Typical of her.

"Sadi?" She did not respond, continuing to move to the music. I reached over and touched pause on the cell phone beside her.

She turned and put on a big toothy grin. "Oh, hi Teddy!"

Excessive informality was also typical of her. "That's Dr. Theodore Raine."

"Of course it be."

I sighed and motioned my guest over. "Adriana Perez, this is Sadi Musa, one of our weather scientists and my grad student."

Sadi jumped up and extended a hand. "I be pleased to meet you, Adriana."

"Thank you, Ms. Musa."

"Oh, please call me Storm, like most everyone else, except Teddy." She tilted her head back and forth. "I know, it be a corny name for someone working at the Weather Center. But it be fitting if someone tries to eat my lunch again." She shot a menacing glare at a young man three seats to her right. Her smile came back as she turned to Adriana. "I went to our last Halloween party dressed as the Marvel X-Men superhero character 'Storm', and I rocked it!"

"Pleased to meet you, umm, Storm."

I motioned behind me. "Sadi, let's go to your office where we may talk in private."

I closed the door as the women sat down in the small office, checking that no one else lingered outside. Sadi's desk lived up to her nickname. Papers, books, and charts were scattered about in random disarray. Nonetheless, she always seemed to be able to find what she looked for. Framed photographs of weather phenomena decorated portions of the gray walls. An X-Men Storm action figure watched over us from atop a tall file cabinet.

Sadi smiled at Adriana. "I had hoped you would consider joining us."

Adriana widened her eyes. "You know?"

"Aye, girl. I be a weather witch like you."

Adriana turned to me. "Does everyone here have the... ability?"

"No. Just Sadi and me. There are more of us elsewhere. With all the data available, this makes for a convenient location from which to operate. Something you would learn to utilize in time."

Storm leaned forward from behind her desk. "Now, don't let Teddy intimidate you, girl. Inside he be like a big soft teddy bear."

I rolled my eyes as Adriana put a hand to her mouth to cover a grin. "Sadi, would I regret letting you mentor her?"

"Most likely."

Hoping to change the subject, I asked, "Sadi, what do you make of the coming disturbance?"

"A monster it becomes. The simulations indicate wide-scale destruction and mortality across Kansas, Oklahoma, and into Arkansas and beyond. In comparison, the May 2013 tornado outbreaks that wiped out Moore would look like sprinkles and rainbows. I think we be able to bleed some of the convection energy into the Arctic without much harm. There will still be severe storms and some tornados, but if we can keep the cloud tops below eighteen-thousand meters, we may stop the worst of it."

I nodded. "Let's do it. Do you mind if Adriana looks on?"

Sadi smiled. "Of course I don't mind."

I sat down next to Adriana. Sadi curled her legs up, perching cross-legged in her desk chair, and closed her eyes as if meditating.

I explained to Adriana. "Clear your mind and let us guide you in the Aura. For now, just hold back and watch."

She nodded, biting her lower lip.

In a moment we flew through the sky, 'seeing' contours of the atmosphere in our minds - pressures, temperatures, humidity, and flowing streams of energy. I heard Adriana gasp. To the north and west, warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico met a cool front. There the battle lines were drawn. Already lightened by the sun's heat, the wedge of cool air shoved the warm air ever higher. Columns of air rose - silent, invisible, and bristling with potential energy. The clouds that began to form, boiling from the release of latent heat, spoke of impending fury.

"So it begins," Sadi said over the mind link.

Crossing winds, from the west aloft and the south below, swirled the rising columns and twisted the lines of energy. Fine droplets became ice crystals in the cold cloud tops, releasing more of the latent energy. Colliding ice particles drug along electrons, setting up static electrical charges within the clouds that later would be unleashed as lightning.

I was not able to resist this teaching moment. "Do you see, Adriana? See how the super-cell storms form? They seem alive, and on a psychic level, they are. But at the core, it is all thermodynamics."

Adriana mentally nodded. I felt her awe of it all.

Sadi said, "It's time to tame these beasts before they grow up. You be with me, Teddy?"

"Lead the way, Sadi." I cautioned the young one with us. "Adriana, hold back while we do this."

Sadi and I collected packets of atmospheric energy along the front line. We directed them to the air above the Yukon tundra. We repeated the process over and over, taking only what we could carry. As requested, Adriana stood back and watched.

We continued to drain the monsters of their power in the quest to subdue their ultimate fury. They would still become strong, but not nearly as fearsome. As a consequence of our actions, there would be a round of heavy snows in the Canadian arctic.

But the brewing storms fought back from within the Aura. In primal anger, they swiped with dark mental claws at the energy thieves. This was not unexpected, they always resist, but these were particularly hostile. With practiced skill, we dodged the assaults.

Sadi noticed it too. "These beasts be in a foul mood."

As I turned back to make sure Adriana stood well away from the danger, I noticed the attack that came from behind, looping around and straight for us.

I yelled out, "Sadi, watch out!"

She turned to see sharp talons of dark psychic energy grasping at her. Having more time to react, I shoved her out of the way. Hot pain ripped through my mind as the talons raked my Aural form. After that, everything faded to black.

I woke with a start, jerking my head up and gasping for breath. My eyes revealed that we had returned to our natural vessels in Sadi's office. She looked upon me, concern painted on her face.

Sadi stood with a hand on my shoulder as I sat. "How feel you, Teddy?"

I paused to catch my breath, then grinned. "That's Dr. Theodore Raine, Ms. Musa."

Sadi smiled, then turned toward Adriana. "He be back, all warm and cuddly as usual."

My grin faded. "That attack was unexpected, almost as if it was coordinated. This concerns me. Nonetheless, Sadi, thank you for pulling me out."

The smile on Sadi's face became all warmth, lacking the usual mischief. "I be thankful to you. If not for your push, I would have suffered the full fury. But it be not I that rescued you, but our new friend that took us both to safety."

I had forgotten about Adriana! That must have been terrifying for her. She sat in the chair beside me, her knees pulled up to her chest and her chin quivering.

I dipped my head. "I am sorry, Adriana. That kind of fierceness does not normally occur. We should not have subjected you to that," I lifted my head and smiled, "but I am glad we did. We are indebted to you. For your first time without any training, you performed with exceptional valor."

She spoke softly. "Thank you. That was scary, and amazing at the same time."

Sadi said, "The first time be like losing your virginity - wonderful, frightful, and it hurts some. Better it becomes later."

A bit of color came to Adriana's cheeks as she turned away.

I groaned. "We would have done well without that metaphor, Ms. Musa."

"Sorry."

I turned to Adriana. "So, Ms. Perez, would you consider joining us, on a provisional basis at first? I offer you a full-tuition scholarship and a paid internship at the Weather Center. And I promise you it will not be as intense as you just experienced. Well, most of the time anyway."

Adriana's mouth gaped. "I don't know what to say..."

Sadi turned up one corner of her mouth. "It be a grand adventure, girl! We make a good team. This be the part where you move your head up and down and say 'yes'."