by C. C. Lynch
“Looks like we’re roughing it tonight,” I giggled as I sat down in front of the middle mattress.
That night and the following one we used the fort to watch movies and hang out. A strong friendship had cemented between Vlaine, Draxe, and me over those few nights and I was seeing them differently. They were closer than I realized and played off one another in such a way that hilarity constantly ensued. It was a harsh call back to reality when the students began to trickle back in throughout that Sunday. I did not want to deal with the stresses of Glaston; I wanted to stay hidden in our childish fortress.
Monday morning I awoke startled by my vision. I was always afraid to fall back asleep after them and I decided going for a walk would be a good way to clear my head. It was still dark out, but I wanted to go to the stables and check on Cinnamon.
When I returned to the dormitory I could feel the energy buzzing around the place and it was more chaotic than usual. “What is going on?” I asked a quiet girl that lived diagonally across the hall from me.
“You feel it too?” she pushed her glasses up on the brim of her nose.
I nodded, “it feels awful.” I searched around for the source.
“I think it’s outside now. Tennis courts?” she nodded her head in the direction of her best guess. We began walking towards the area.
The sun was just beginning to rise; red hues glowed above the frosted grass. Our footsteps crunched as we walked towards the tennis courts. I could see two figures in the distance and jogged closer to see what was happening. I was just a few yards away when I saw Vlaine lift his hands. A strange wavy air was in front of them, as if they were the pavement on a hot summer day.
Vlaine pushed his hands forward forcefully and a ball of the wavy air sped towards Erik and once it reached him he was thrown backwards. I could feel the reverberations from the blast and I was knocked onto my rear. A horrible scream erupted from my throat before I was able to process the event.
I ran to Erik’s side. The side of his head was bleeding, his ears were bleeding, there was blood everywhere.
“I can heal you, I can heal you,” I sobbed as I forced my shaking hands towards him.
“You need permission,” the girl grabbed my arm. I looked up to see tears spill over. She was shaking just as badly as I was.
“Vlaine,” my voice shook, “give me permission to heal him.” I could not meet his gaze.
“Don’t!” Vlaine growled through gritted teeth. “Do not touch him, Abrielle.”
“He’s going to die,” I screamed, finally looking at him.
“Good,” he spat.
“No. No. I’m going to save him,” I stood up and began to run towards the school. Vlaine grabbed my arm to stop me. “Don’t touch me,” I pushed his hand away and continued running to the school. I felt so betrayed. I had trusted Vlaine completely but just witnessed him try to kill someone he once called a friend.
“Hello,” I screamed into the hallways. “Hello, I need a professor.” I was running as quickly as I could, trying to find anyone.
A hand grabbed my shoulder from behind me. I turned quickly to face Professor Horicon. “Professor, I need you to give me permission to heal someone.” My words were barely audible from my sobbing.
Professor Horicon grabbed my arm tightly and we were suddenly in his office. I shook my head, I’m in shock. It was the only explanation for me not knowing how we got into his office. I begged him for permission once again to heal someone.
Professor Horicon was irate. “Your little stunt screwed up the plans.”
He continued screaming at me, but I could hardly understand what he was saying. I had seen this before, I knew this situation. I had seen it in my dreams so many times and I was finally here. I backed up away from the venomous Professor Horicon and he closed the space and grabbed my arm. Suddenly we were in that room, inside the lighthouse at Valdor.
“Teleportation,” I tripped backwards in shock. Professor Horicon’s ability was teleportation and that was how I had gotten to the lighthouse.
He stopped yelling and was holding my arm steadily. “Calm down, he will be here soon.” He glared at me with odium.
“Who?” My body was shaking so terribly that I didn’t think I could run away without collapsing. “I need to heal Erik,” I pleaded.
“Jeremiah, of course.” His voice was slimy, if words could ever have a texture.
My stomach dropped. Liz was terrified of this man. If a girl with invisibility was terrified of someone then I certainly needed to find a way out of there. Teleportation. If I could calm myself enough to find the gift beautiful and extraordinary I could replicate it. That was why I needed to run up the stairs. To allow myself enough time to focus on the beauty of the gift.
Turning on my heel I broke from his grasp and ran up the stairs of the lighthouse. I thought of how incredible it would be to travel the world. The incredible ability to go anywhere in a single moment was certainly an incredible thought: Paris, the pyramids, pink sands. Why was I thinking in alliteration?
I burst through the door of the lighthouse and thought about the stables. A pile of hay sitting outside the stables seemed like a soft enough target for my first attempt at teleportation mimicking. I squeezed my eyes and imagined it. I closed my eyes and I was still on top of the lighthouse. Once more I clenched my fists and tried to teleport but it was too difficult. I would need to contact the source of my replication, just like how I needed to touch Liz to be invisible.
Professor Horicon came barreling through the door and towards me. In his frenzy he grabbed me but I stumbled backwards over the edge of the lighthouse where the railing was broken.
The moment of contact was precise. I felt my body fall through the air but it fell onto the hay. A guttural cry rang through my ears. I tried to look around but realized my mouth was the source of the sound. Pain was radiating from every point of my body. Footsteps ran towards my side and I saw Draxe look over me.
True concern was in his eyes. His hand went towards me but quickly retracted. “Are you okay?”
There it was. All these years of seeing him ask me that question and it finally happened. His appearance was as flawless as I had seen it so many times before and just as I felt in the dreams I wanted so badly to touch him. I wanted to hug him and share my excitement that the vision had finally happened. I tried to reach for him but I could not move my arm. Panic set in as my limbs failed to work. All I could do in that moment was blink and make horrifying noises.
“I’ll be right back with help,” Draxe’s eyes were filled with fear. “Just hold on Abrielle, I’ll be right back.”
It felt like hours, though only seconds had gone by when I heard Draxe yelling, “Dad! Dad I need your help.”
I tried to calm myself but the more I thought about what was happening the more panicked I became. I was paralyzed. The teleportation had saved me from getting killed upon impact, but I still fell far enough to get paralyzed from my fall onto the hay.
How is it fair that I cannot move my body, but I can feel the pain? I thought to myself while the tormented moans continued to escape my throat.
“Oh God, Abrielle,” Vlaine’s voice was close by.
I tried to move away from him as an image of him killing Erik came into my mind. I was assuming Erik was dead by now. There was no way he could have been alive after all that blood loss.
“Listen to me Abbs,” Vlaine’s voice was shaking, “you’re going to be just fine. My dad can heal you and I can make you think that you’re not feeling any pain. I am going to manipulate your mind so you don’t feel anything, okay?” His voice smoothed into a calming one.
A few seconds later the pain lessened significantly. I could still feel it radiating from every part of my body but it had subsided enough for the horrible moans to cease.
Why? I thought to him because I could not speak. Why would you do that to Erik?
“He was spying for Jeremiah. I thought he was just a scout for Valdor, but he was one of Jeremiah
’s spies. He was going to kidnap you.” His hand touched mine lightly.
Is he dead?
“No, not yet at least. He is in a coma for sure, but last I saw he was still breathing.”
For some reason I felt at peace with that answer. I did not care what condition Erik was in at the moment as long as I knew he was alive.
My vision finally happened. Professor Horicon was working with Jeremiah too. Teleportation really is a beautiful thing.
“Abrielle,” a smooth deep voice spoke by my side. “I am going to put my hand on yours. I can replicate just like you so I am going to use your healing gift on you.”
Headmaster Josnic’s hand was hot against my skin. I knew he was trying to heal me, but I could feel nothing being mended. A huff escaped his mouth after a few minutes of having no results.
I calm the animals first. Once I know they are calm I picture every cell in the body getting healed. It takes a lot of concentration, but it’s effective. I thought out loud to anyone that would listen.
“Did you hear her, Dad?” Vlaine whispered harshly. “Calm her and yourself, then imagine the body being healed starting from cells and working your way up to the full tissue. Take your time, she sure has to. I saw her work for the better part of an hour on a dog that got hit by a car.”
The headmaster grunted in response.
“You’re going to be okay, Abrielle.” Vlaine put his hand on mine gently, “I promise.”
Those were the last words I heard before I passed out.
21
Consciousness crept slowly through turbid images. I could hear groans but my eyelids were too heavy to open. More moans echoed in my ears.
“Oh thank God,” I could hear Liz’s annoyed voice.
My eyelids fluttered in response. As the light from the room filtered into my vision I recognized the noises belonged to me. A breath caught in my throat as a whimper battled with words to find which one would slip through my lips first. A strangled bark resulted making me jump at the sound my own body had made.
A hand tightened around mine and pressure dissipated from my shoulder as a face came into my peripheral vision. My body ached and turning my head sent a deep burn into my throat. Fingers swept the side of my face and blurred features hovered above mine. I squeezed my eyes trying to clear what I was seeing. The fingers were caressing the top of my head. It was soothing and I had to fight the calmness not to fall asleep.
“Where am I?” I croaked after much effort.
“In your room,” Liz grumbled irritated, “now that you’re awake maybe your sentinel can finally leave.” I could hear rustling, but my eyelids were too heavy to open. “I’m heading to class. Call me if you need anything.” The corners of my lips tilted up at her hidden kindness.
“Stop,” I coughed and fought for strength to speak, “stop the stroking, it is making me fall asleep.”
The hand stopped in place allowing my alertness to grow. I fluttered my lids and my vision finally cleared. Vlaine was looking down at me.
“Are you okay?” he was leaning over me. Wisps of dark hair fell into concerned eyes.
I began to laugh at the complexity of the situation. The vision of Draxe leaning over me had come into fruition. Now the twin of the man I had seen in the vision was leaning over me completing the vision in the same manner.
The laughing turned into a sob. There were so many emotions just swirling with confusion. “How long… what day is it?”
“Tuesday,” Vlaine seemed worried and began caressing my hair again.
“I was asleep for a day?” I wanted to sit up and see if the headmaster was able to heal me, but fear was winning over curiosity.
“You’ve been recovering for a week and a day.” His touch was gentle and cautious as if I was a Fabergé egg.
“Wow” was all I could muster. I had never been asleep for more than twelve hours before then.
“You were thrashing a bit but I think that my dad was able to help you. Maybe not completely, but the sleeping probably helped with the remainder of the healing. Hopefully.”
“I’m afraid to try and sit up,” I whispered ashamed.
“I’ll help you.” He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear then grabbed a pillow from the floor and put it against the wall. Warm hands wrapped around my waist as he hoisted me up against the pillow.
“1…2…3…” I sucked in a sob. “3...2...1...”
“What was that?” His brows were furrowed trying to understand what I was doing.
“It’s something I do when I don’t like what I am feeling. If I am mad I let myself be mad for three seconds. Then I give myself another three to get over it. Same with any other negative emotion; be it anger, worry, jealousy, so on and so forth. Right then I was petrified, but it was not helping me figure out if I can move. Then I gave myself three more seconds to become strong no matter what happens.”
“You’re amazing,” he breathed.
I blushed and tried to calm the butterflies swimming about my stomach. Vlaine’s face was only a few inches from mine and the sheer proximity was causing electric pulses to flow through my body.
I decided I would try wiggling my toes first. They moved on command. Next I would try my entire leg. I shook my leg followed by the wriggling of my fingers and arms. Finally I pushed myself up higher on the bed with my fists.
“I can move,” I laughed relieved. “He did it, he healed me.”
“I’m going to go let him know.” Vlaine’s entire demeanor changed from a caring friend to that of an instructor.
“Vlaine, wait.” I called out before he left the room. He stopped and turned to face me and I pushed myself up from the bed slowly then closed the space between us. I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly. “Thank you so much for staying with me and thank you for being there when I woke up.”
His arms wrapped around my waist tightly in return. “Go ahead and jump in the shower and get ready if you can. We are going to have a meeting shortly and you’ll need to be there.”
I was actually being invited to a meeting that concerned me? Falling from a lighthouse and transporting to a pile of hay to become paralyzed and on the edge of death had done wonders for my own sovereignty.
“Considering how slow I am moving I will be ready in half an hour. Where will the meeting be?”
“Meet me outside the Portrait of Dr. Gachet, I know you know where that is.” Vlaine flashed a devilish grin and sauntered off.
Every movement came with great effort and difficulty but I was ready within half an hour as promised. Students parted and moved out of my way as I made my way out of the building and to the school. Just call me Moses, I thought as every student parted like the Red Sea.
Vlaine and Draxe were huddled next to the painting, their dour expressions matching that of Dr. Gachet. Whatever they were discussing was so solemn and personal it felt insolent for me to intrude. Even the silence felt intrusive to the moment. In unison they looked up at me and motioned me to move closer. Cautiously I did as they gestured, still feeling as if I was intruding. They both gave a quick look around before opening the door to the secret room.
Before that day I had walked up the stairs as an eavesdropper but somehow being invited felt just as immorally inquisitive. Nevertheless I followed the two men into the secret room holding onto the hope that the fruition of the vision meant there would be no more brushes with death.
Sitting upright with hands folded properly on one another was the headmaster. Vlaine and Draxe sat in the chairs on either side of their father. The Josnic family truly was beguilingly affable. I sat in the seat directly across the headmaster and the discomfort I felt when I first entered the classrooms came back with the possibility I was sitting in the wrong seat. What a silly thing to worry about.
“Good afternoon Miss Abbott.” The headmaster’s voice was smooth and had a hint of a foreign accent. “Egregious events have warranted my attention and immediate action. You seem to be at the center of these nefarious
incidents.” He paused for a moment, still as a monument then continued. “Your gifts have gained the attention of certain bellicose individuals.” He stood up and walked towards a wall with a whiteboard then turned to me. “Far be it for me to be contumelious, if you wish to join their efforts I will grant you pardon just this once.”
“No sir,” I spoke clearly and without hesitation. “I don’t know what these people want, but I know that I don’t want to help them get it.” I really had no idea what I would be used for and why. In fact, the entire situation was confusing.
“Very well,” the headmaster cleared his throat. “A vile man that goes by the name Jeremiah has been known to infiltrate the sister schools of Glaston Academy. He had spies here, one of them being my trusted friend Leonard Horicon. I haven’t the slightest idea how many other spies are here, but I will need assistance finding them and finding out what they plan to do with their accumulation of students.”
“Recent events, sir?” There was clearly more to the story than Professor Horicon teleporting me to the lighthouse at Valdor Academy.
“A few other events have occurred while you were in your coma, none of which you should concern yourself with.” Silence hung between us as I fought myself to be polite. I was about to protest for answers to what exactly he meant by a few events, but he halted my thoughts with a gentle question. “Do you wish to help me?”
I rubbed my hands together nervously. I did not want to enter into some reconnaissance without understanding the depth to which I would be used. “I would love to help, Headmaster Josnic. What can I do?”
In graceful yet rapid movements the headmaster wrote a list of names on the board. “The names of the individuals we feel suspicious of will be written on this wall. In the meantime I would like you to focus solely on strengthening your abilities. I will grant you absence from your classes but you will be expected to complete all assignments and examinations on time. Fortunately, we have winter break coming soon and hopefully you can resume classes normally once the next semester begins.”