Chosen (Second Sight) Read Online Free PDF Page A

fields of vegetables. Isabelle was no gardener but she at least recognized corn stalks. Someone was exiting one of the rows with a wheelbarrow full of green plants that looked as though they had big, dirty roots attached. She saw a small flash of orange. Carrots?
    Off to the left, two windmills slowly turned and, as the car came to a stop, Isabelle noticed it was the only one in the parking lot. As Susan turned off the engine, Isabelle saw a few people in the distance, curious looks turning their way. She also realized that virtually every patch of green grass had a play set or a jungle gym and children were playing at each of them.
    “Welcome to Green Earth Commune,” muttered Susan. “Now go home.”
    As they got out of the car and Susan locked it, Isabelle inhaled the smell of something she could only characterize as fresh air. They’d left the air pollution below in the valley, a distinct brown layer that had been particularly thick today. But here–Isabelle shielded her eyes from the sun–the sky seemed a bit more blue and the high, wispy clouds a brighter white. Perhaps it was the fields or the myriad stands of oak trees but the scent on the air was sweet and clean.
    When Isabelle returned her gaze to the complex, she saw that no one was taking much interest in them any more. Though it looked as though they didn’t get many visitors, it didn’t seem to matter, except to the children. A few of them, at the nearest playground, had simply come to a stop and were standing staring. She gave them a little wave that sent them into a near panic. As one, they turned away and ran for the next playground. All except one boy who looked like he might be kindergarten age and hid under the slide and peered out.
    “I have no idea where to look,” Susan said, coming alongside her.
    “Maybe that big house?” Isabelle suggested. “At least as a place to start?”
    Susan frowned.  
    “That’s what I thought last time,” she said, “until the eco-police showed up and asked me to leave.”
    “Okay,” Isabelle said. “Maybe that group of people over there.” She pointed to where the children had run. “We have to start somewhere.”
    “Well,” Susan said. “I was thinking you might want to use that…gift of yours.” She looked at Isabelle’s gloves. “That way we wouldn’t have to talk to them.”
    Ah , thought Isabelle. That’s really why I’m here.
    “I’m afraid it doesn’t quite work like that,” Isabelle said. She’d have thought Yolanda might have clued Susan in. “In a public place like this, I’d read everyone who’s been here. Though I might get a glimpse of Kayla, she’d be jumbled up with everybody else. It’ll be much quicker if we just ask for her or look around ourselves.” Susan grimaced. She’d apparently been hoping to just bring Isabelle, follow a trail to her daughter, and then leave with her. It wasn’t going to be that easy. “If you want,” Isabelle said, “you can wait here.”
    “No, of course not,” Susan said quickly. “I just thought…well, no matter what I thought. I just want to find my daughter and get out of here.” She eyed the people at the next playground. “They’re as good a place to start–” She paused. “Uh oh. Don’t look now but the eco-police have arrived.”

    • • • • •

    Geoffrey rubbed his hands together and smiled the winning smile that he knew melted hearts.
    “ Ladies ,” he said. “Welcome.”
    He waved off the security guards behind him, not that he’d wanted them in the first place. In their t-shirts, baseball caps and boots they looked more like police than commune members. He was always worried that it put off the women. And that was the last thing he wanted. These two were hardly a threat. From afar they’d appeared the same age but now he could see that only one of them was under thirty. He immediately focused on her–which was not a hard thing to do.
    “I’m Geoffrey,” he said extending his hand to the