by Mandi Oyster
Cody turned from Sarah to me. “Why not now?”
Sarah looked at her watch. “I do have some time if you’d like.”
I nodded.
“Since we met on Thursday, I’ve been going over my grandfather’s journals.”
“Not the prophecy.” I shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “I don’t think I can deal with that today.”
“The prophecy is written in the journals, yes, but it also contains information on how I might help you.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
She grabbed a pen and notebook off the coffee table. “Do you have nightmares?”
“Yes,” I whispered, “every night.”
“She doesn’t talk about them.” Cody narrowed his eyes at me.
“Until last night, they weren’t really anything.” I placed my hand over Cody’s. “I saw creepy, yellow eyes and heard screaming. If they didn’t feel so real, I don’t know if they’d even be scary.”
Sarah’s elbows rested on her knees. “What did you dream last night?”
A thousand butterflies sprang to life in my stomach. Their fluttering made my hands shake and my thoughts scatter. I opened my mouth but couldn’t find the words. Sarah’s teacup started dancing across the coffee table, and the knick-knacks on her shelf rattled.
“Dacia, breathe,” Cody whispered in my ear while he rubbed my hand. “Everything’s okay.”
The butterflies settled one by one, giving control of my body back to me. I squeezed Cody’s hand before running mine through my hair. “Sorry about that.”
Sarah offered me a comforting smile. “That’s perfectly fine. After all, it’s why we’re here.”
I lowered my head so I couldn’t see Sarah at all. “Last night, my dream started the same. I ran toward the scream, but this time I saw a body on the ground.”
“Who was it?” Cody asked.
“I … I …” I wanted to lie to them, but what did it really matter? It was only a dream. I looked into Sarah’s eyes. “It was you, Sarah.”
The color drained from Sarah’s face.
“I’m sorry.” I wrapped my arms around my belly. “I didn’t want to tell you, but it’s only a dream. Right?”
“That depends on what you believe.” Sarah’s eyes were haunted. “For you, they are just dreams. However, I believe in the prophecy, so to me, they are premonitions.”
“Premonitions? As in, I can see the future?” Nervous energy pushed me to my feet. I walked to the window and rested my forehead against the cool glass.
“How long have you been having these dreams?” Sarah asked.
“Since my first night here.” My breath settled on the window, haloing the mountains in fog.
Cody crossed his arms over his chest. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know.” I pulled my fingers through my hair. “I feel like … like I’m going to have an anxiety attack every time I think about talking about my nightmares.”
“Is there more to your dream?” Sarah asked.
“After I found your body, something told me to run, hide. I did. I saw the monster’s eyes through the fog. They looked right at me, without seeing me. Then I screamed. I had nowhere to run. I backed myself further into the corner. Right before I woke up, an enormous clawed hand reached in to grab me.” The image of it made me tremble.
Sarah gestured toward the couch. “Whether you believe your dreams are premonitions or not, I think it’s time to start training. Why don’t you have a seat?”
Once I resumed my spot next to Cody, Sarah said, “I want you to relax. Close your eyes and picture yourself in a safe, comfortable place, somewhere you feel at ease. Focus on your breathing, and let all of the tension leave your body.”
Taking long, slow breaths, I pictured myself sitting on a rock on the edge of a mountain lake. The reflection was so clear that if you took a picture, you wouldn’t be able to tell which was the sky and which was the water.
“You should feel at ease.” Sarah’s voice blew in on a gentle wind.
The sun kissed my cheeks, and the breeze blew my hair back from my face. I felt completely at ease, like nothing could touch me here. Tension drained from my body. Gentle waves lapped at my feet.
All too soon, Sarah said, “It’s time for you to return.”
With a sigh, I opened my eyes, blinking several times as if awakening from a deep sleep. I stretched my arms out in front of me.
“Whenever Cassandra bothers you, I want you to picture yourself in that place. If you can do that, you may be able to control your powers.”
“That would be nice.”
“You’re going to have to practice,” Sarah said as we started for the door. “If this doesn’t work for you, we’ll try one of the other relaxation techniques.”
Samantha frowned at us when we walked in. “So did you get lost?” She was sitting at the desk dressed in a red shirt and black leggings.
“No. After what happened this morning, Sarah thought I should start training right away.”
“What does that entail?”
“Helping Dacia relax,” Cody said.
“So … uh, I’ve been thinking.” She looked down and tugged on her earlobe. “In all the books and movies, there’s a point to prophecies.”
“Yeah?” I coaxed her along.
“So what’s the point? What are you supposed to stop or defeat or end or whatever? There must be something.”
My head slumped forward. “Oh.” I pictured the yellow eyes and monstrous, clawed hand from my nightmare. That can’t be real, can it?
Cody set his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not like you believe in it anyway.”
“No, but Sarah does.”
Chapter 11
Uphill Battle
Cassandra blocked the doorway to advanced algebra. “You’re going to pay for what you did to me.” She jammed her finger into my chest.
“Really, that’s the best you can come up with?” I tapped my index finger against my chin. “It lacked content, and the intimidation factor … I’m not really feeling it.” I pushed past her.
Hatred flashed through her eyes.
Cody and Samantha followed me in and sat on either side of me.
“What was that?” Cody asked.
I traced my fingers over the desktop, following the grooves in the wood. “I didn’t sleep last night, and I’m sick of dealing with her crap.”
Samantha patted my back. “It was. Awe. Some.” Her voice lilted up at the end.
“I just wish she’d leave me alone.” My hands hardened into fists as I watched Cassandra sit down with her entourage. “After what I did to her, wouldn’t you think she’d be scared? Wouldn’t you think she’d stay away from me?” I took deep breaths, but my fingers continued fusing together. Strength surged through my muscles, and I felt myself slipping away.
“I never understood why she had it out for you in the first place,” Samantha answered.
Cody’s eyebrows pulled together. “You okay?”
Your parents must be so ashamed and embarrassed by you, Cassandra’s words echoed through my memory.
The part of me that fought to pull myself together warred with the part of myself I didn’t want to admit existed—the part of me that wanted to see her suffer.
“Good morning,” Professor Granite said as he walked into the room.
I concentrated on Professor Granite. His salt and pepper mullet suited his easygoing personality. His matching mustache wiggled like a wooly worm resting on his upper lip while he delivered his lecture to us. Warmth in his gray eyes belied his sternness. I had never been so happy to see a teacher before.
The hatred that had threatened to consume me slithered away,
hiding in the darkest shadows within me until it could surface again.
I held myself together through the rest of class, but when he dismissed us, I grabbed my books and dashed out of the room without glancing in Cassandra’s direction.
“Training for a race?” Cody asked when he caught up to me.
“I needed to get away from her. I don’t want to lose control.”
“Let’s get lunch and eat in your room,” he suggested.
I paced in Sarah’s office. “I’m not sold on the idea of a prophecy, but I want to know what I am supposedly training for.”
“I wasn’t expecting this so soon,” Sarah said.
I waved my arm in the air. “Well, Samantha pointed out last night that prophecies tend to involve more than just training.”
“Yes, and this one is no exception.”
My heart sank like the small jerk you feel when an elevator comes to a sudden stop. “I was afraid you would say that. So what is it?”
Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose. “Are you sure you want to know?”
“No.” I plopped down on the couch across from her. “I really don’t want to. I’d rather be oblivious, but I don’t think that’s a choice I have anymore.”
“Will you excuse me for a moment?” she asked as she got up from the couch.
“Sure,” I answered with a hard edge to my voice. What am I supposed to think when she can’t even answer a simple question?
Sarah went to her office. After a few minutes, she emerged carrying two books. One of them was a battered relic. The cover was worn leather, and the binding was hanging on by a thread. The other seemed to be a newer version of the first book.
Sarah opened the newer journal. “This has been translated from Latin, so there’s always a chance something is slightly off.” She flipped through the pages. “Here it is. The chosen will emerge with powers unrivaled in this world. To fight a demon from the Abyss is the savior’s onus. Fail and the world will perish. Succeed and win nine hundred ninety-nine years before the cycle begins anew.” Sarah closed the book.
“A demon? Like a little gremlin? Or a devil?”
“No.” She opened the older book. “This is the demon referred to as Nefarious.” She handed the book to me.
A detailed drawing covered one page. A beast with scaly skin, massive, clawed hands, and bat-like wings held a flaming sword.
I threw the book down on the couch and sprung to my feet. “That’s what I’m supposed to fight?” I pointed a shaking finger at the picture. “And how do you propose I kill something like that?” I can’t even deal with Cassandra. How am I supposed to deal with this?
“You can’t.”
“Oh … well, thanks for the vote of confidence.” I yanked up my jacket and started for the door.
“Dacia, stop.” Sarah’s voice shook. “That’s not what I mean.”
“I have no doubt. I can’t kill something like that.” My shoulders slumped. “I can’t even get Cassandra to leave me alone.”
Sarah gestured toward the couch. “Please, let me explain.”
I looked from her to the couch, wondering if I should listen to what she had to say or if I should turn and leave. This can’t be real. I ran my hand through my hair and walked to the couch, perching on the edge, ready to leave if it was too much. “Go ahead.”
“Demons are not from Earth. They’re from the Abyss and can only be destroyed there. Each demon is able to return to Earth every nine hundred ninety-nine years without being summoned here.”
“Okaaay.”
“Nefarious will return over and over again until he defeats the chosen one and conquers the world.”
I pulled my fingers through my hair. “No pressure then.” An uneasy laugh escaped my lips. “How am I supposed to do this?”
“You have to find a way to send him back to the Abyss.”
Why did I think I needed to know this? It could have waited. “So, the only way to end this cycle is to fail?”
“Unless somebody can figure out how to travel to the Abyss to kill him.” Sarah resumed pacing. “You, Dacia, are the chosen one the prophecy speaks of, and somebody with my bloodline has been the teacher for every savior. You must master your powers in order to prevail.”
“What if I don’t believe in the prophecy?” I folded my arms over my chest. “What if I refuse to learn?”
“Well, it’s hard to win if you don’t try.” She walked over and sat beside me. “I know this is a lot of pressure to put on you, and I am sorry for that.”
I shrugged.
“I know you don’t have to believe a word of what I’ve said, but I would like to keep training you in the meantime.”
“I have to keep training,” I told her. “I have to control my powers before I end up seriously hurting somebody.”
“In that case, why don’t you try to relax, like I showed you Saturday?”
I closed my eyes and tried to picture the mountain lake, but my mind whirred with information. Nine hundred ninety-nine years kept running through my mind. Unable to relax, I opened my eyes and asked, “If Nefarious hasn’t been around for nine hundred ninety-nine years, how did the prophecy get handed down through your family without being distorted? You would think somebody would stretch the truth or quit believing in it.”
Sarah picked up the newer journal. “This belonged to my grandfather. Before he passed away, he gave it to me. In it, he wrote about when his father first told him about the prophecy.” She flipped through the pages of the journal, “He wrote, ‘My father was a man of few words, never speaking unless he thought it was of the utmost importance. One cold December morning, he sat me down and told me to pay attention because what he had to say was crucial. My father’s revelation stunned me, but I knew he wouldn’t tell me something this farfetched without believing in it unconditionally.’ My grandfather carried that same conviction with him to the grave; he never once faltered in his beliefs.” A look of nostalgia passed through Sarah’s eyes.
“This book” —she held up the relic— “begins by telling the tale of a young man who defeated an evil monster. It describes the beast, speaks of its return and the chosen one who must face it. This book holds the prophecy.” She held the book so the cover faced me.
“What’s on the cover?” I asked.
She held the book closer to me. Embedded in the cover was a gold, diamond-shaped pendant with what looked like a cat’s eye in the center. The eye was an almond-shaped sapphire with an onyx pupil. The gold around the outside edge of the pendant was smooth with diamonds on the four corners. The inside was rough with inscriptions that I couldn’t read.
“This was worn by the last chosen one. In this journal, it is written that the pendant will give the savior extra strength to help them stand against Nefarious. When danger is near, the eye is supposed to glow.”
“What does the writing mean?” I asked.
“Find courage within yourself—loosely translated. I’d like you to take it with you, to help protect you from Nefarious.”
I reached out to it then pulled my hand back. I didn’t share her beliefs and wasn’t ready to be sucked into them. “No, I don’t think so.”
Sarah sighed. “I wish I could make you believe, but it is a choice you have to make on your own.”
We sat in silence for a moment while I tried to process all this new information. Sarah’s certainty and the evidence she had to back her beliefs surprised me. “Why nine hundred ninety-nine years?”
“There are nine hundred ninety-nine realms attached to the Abyss, and demons can’t return to one until they’ve been to them all.” She waved a hand above her head. “Well, unless of course, they are summoned.”
“So how many years are left? Twenty? Thirty?”
Sarah swallowed
hard, and my stomach dropped to my toes. Her voice was nearly a whisper, “At most a year.”
“Out of nine hundred ninety-nine, I get less than a year to figure this out!” Heat fluttered across my skin, and beads of sweat formed on my forehead and neck. I laid my head back and covered my eyes with my arms. Breathing slow and steady, I tried to picture the mountain lake again.
“I’m sorry,” Sarah’s voice threatened to break my concentration. I held my finger up, hoping she would realize I needed some time.
Once I regained control, I asked, “So besides the journals and the pendant is there anything else that can help me? A magic sword that wields itself? Or something?”
One side of Sarah’s mouth lifted into a smile. “Though it’s probably not what you’re looking for, there is a vase.”
“A vase?” I held my hand out in front of me. “Here Nefarious. Have these nice flowers and run back home.”
Sarah stacked the journals. “I have no idea what the vase is for, but it was handed down with the rest of the stuff.”
“So where is it?” I looked around. A few vases sat on Sarah’s shelves.
“In a safe. It’s a priceless artifact.”
I rubbed my neck, trying to ease the tension building there. “Is there more I should know?”
“When you’re ready.”
Fire.
Everywhere.
Flames leap across the tops of trees, devouring foliage. Crackling branches drop to the ground like missiles.
Smoke burns my eyes. The pungent taste gags me.
Did I do this?
I run, trying to stay ahead of the orange flames. Orange flames? I fall to my knees. Air catches in my throat. My head spins, and my pulse beats in my temples. I claw at my neck, trying to pull oxygen into my body.
Tortured screams break through the roar of the fire.
Get up.
Sweat drips into my eyes. The flames stretch forward, longing to embrace me. I pull myself to my feet and run through the trees. Breaking out of the forest, I come to a stop.
