01_-_The_Alchemyst

the cloying earthiness of her surroundings, her brother’s twenty-four-hour
deodorant, which was plainly not working, the supposedly unscented gel in
his hair, the mint of the toothpaste she had used earlier.
Sophie’s aura began to glow, silver mist rising off her skin like fog off a
lake. It surrounded her body in a pale oval. She closed her eyes and threw
her head back. Colors, smells and sounds were rushing at her: and they were
brighter, stronger, louder than any she had ever experienced before. The
effect from her heightened senses was almost painful…no, it was painful. It
hurt. Her head throbbed, her bones ached, even her skin itched—everything
was just too much. Sophie’s head tilted back, and then, almost of their own
accord, her arms shot out to either side…and she rose four inches off the dirt
floor.
“Sophie?” Josh whispered, unable to keep the terror from his voice.
“Sophie…” His sister, wrapped in an undulating silver glow, was floating in
the air directly before him. The light from her body was so strong that it
painted the circular chamber in shades of silver and black. It was like a
scene from a terrifying horror movie.
“Don’t touch her,” Hekate commanded sternly. “Her body is attempting
to assimilate the wash of sensations. This is the most dangerous time.”
Josh’s mouth went dry and his tongue was suddenly too big for it.
“Dangerous…what do you mean, dangerous?” Something in his mind clicked
and he felt as if his worst fears were about to be realized.
“In most cases, the brain cannot cope with the heightened sensations of
Awakening.”
“In most cases?” he whispered, appalled.
“In almost every case,” Hekate said, and he heard the regret in her
voice. “That is why I was unwilling to do this.”
Josh asked the question he really didn’t want answered: “What
happens?”
“The brain effectively shuts down. The person is left in a coma from
which they never awaken.”