She wasn’t ready.

Mounting the broom was easy and took but half a second to complete. Now with the broom between her legs Shilo stood there, holding it tightly as she tried to relax herself. Relaxing while also gripping the broom with all her might… So relaxed. She was definitely relaxed. The way her hands gripped the broom so desperately while her eyes remained glued to the ground in complete silence was enough to show just how relaxed she was.

Caleb noticed how tense she was and realized that he definitely had his work cut out for him.

“Don’t be so stiff,” he advised, his words coming out slowly so she could fully understand him. “You need to calm down a bit. Remember that you control the broom. It does not control you.”

“Yeah, easy for you to say,” she snapped back. “You’re not the one about to lift off…”

“Shilo, calm down,” Caleb instructed, using a measured, assured tone. “You’re going to be fine. Breathe and relax your hands. Just like we practiced.”

After taking a moment to steady her breathing, Shilo managed to loosen her grip just as Caleb instructed. All she had to do was refer back to their previous lessons. Despite how many times they did this, the beginning always seemed to be the hardest part. Just easing her nerves was a daunting task… Eventually her breathing wasn't so frantic, her chest heaving normally. This pleased Caleb. 

“Good,” Caleb said with a small smile. “You did that faster than usual. Okay, now lift off from the ground just a few inches. Nothing crazy.”

Now for the fun part, Shilo thought to herself, scoffing audibly. Nothing crazy. To Shilo, lifting up into the air and away from the ground was crazy enough! Taking in a deep breath, she focused her energy directly on the broom, willing for it to lift off. For a few moments nothing happened, remaining on solid ground. The tension had to be completely let go, which was almost impossible for Shilo. 

The soles of her boots slowly began to lift from the ground, lifting gradually until they no longer made contact at all. She kept her eyes forward, biting her lower lip anxiously. She tried so hard to tell herself to remain calm. Just don't look down and remain calm, just like Caleb instructed. Despite Caleb's words, she couldn't help but let her mind wander into dark territory... 

There’s no ground, Shilo thought nervously to herself. The ground is gone! No... I ‘m just hovering. Not a big deal. Just don’t look... Don’t...

“Shilo, stay with me.” Caleb interrupted her thoughts as he moved in front of her, his eyes locked onto hers.

‘Wha…” She was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of his voice. Though something else caught her attention. She was slightly taller than him. Odd. normally he was practically miles taller than her... Then that would mean.

Wait...

The realization was enough to freak her out.

“You got this,” Caleb said in a slightly louder voice, seeing that he was beginning to lose her. “Just look at me. Okay? Look right at me.”

She looked down.