Awakening (The Way Chronicles Book 1)

by Turner Duraski

  "You know you should." He grunted.

  “I already have a student, Merrick,” Oliver sighed back.

  "But you’ve trained two students at once before.”

  “And do you remember how that worked out?” Oliver looked momentarily saddened.

  “That wasn’t your fault, Oliver,” the military guy, Merrick, I guess, replied. “You know I’m right. You have experience teaching and this boy clearly leans to your specialties, in his abilities; it just makes sense Oliver."

  Oliver fell quiet for a second as I stared at him confused.

  "Wait" I grunted sitting up. "You want Oliver to train me? What if I just wanna go home?"

  "Are you still on that?" Oliver and Merrick snapped at me in unison.

  I flinched back and covered myself with the new shirt a nurse had brought me.

  "Maybe a little," I said softly peeking out from behind my arm. "My parents will be home tomorrow. They'll be worried."

  Eleria motioned at Oliver and Merrick to leave the room with her. The door closed behind them and I turned my conversation inwards.

  "Hey you there?"

  Yeah, I'm here. The voice replied. You're welcome by the way.

  "Yeah, ok." I glanced at my arm.

  Best I could do with such short notice. It chuckled. So why'd you lie?

  I sighed and looked at the door. "Because they're already treating me like some kind of science experiment. I don't understand anything that's happening as is and the last thing I need is for that Eleria chick wanting to lobotomize me or something."

  So, what? You think you can figure this out on your own?

  "Not hardly," I shook my head. "But until I know if I can trust them. I'll tell them nothing."

  Chapter Nineteen

  The trio came back into the room a few minutes later and explained their plan. In order for me to keep my family safe from the Alé and other monsters that were going to be after me, I couldn't stay at home for long. Oliver was going to accompany me home for a few days and pretend to be a recruiter for a boarding school a town over that wanted me for the martial arts program.

  Apparently, the school the question was a front for the Midnight Society. Oliver promised to handle everything. I just had to pretend to be determined to go.

  "So, why don't we just tell them the truth?" I wondered aloud as I was led down the hallway to an unknown destination.

  "Can't do that." Merrick said. "Better to let people live their lives without worrying about everything that goes bump in the night. That's our job."

  "But my parents have a right to know!" I argued.

  "Fine," Oliver said. "Explain to your parents, who already think you're insane, that you've stumbled onto a secret society dedicated to hunting monsters. We'll be sure, not, to back you up."

  I growled in the back of my throat realizing he was right. It wouldn't matter what I said, everyone I knew already thought I was nuts. Merrick and Eleria turned but Oliver continued leading me straight.

  "So, where are you taking me right now?" I muttered.

  "To the garage," Oliver said. "You're going home. We'll have guards posted around your house and someone inside with you."

  We arrived at the end of the hall and Oliver pushed through the double doors into a huge parking garage. He led me past row, after of row of cars until we arrived at a carbon copy of my Yukon.

  "Um," I stared for a second. "That looks exactly like my car."

  "That's ‘cause it is kid," he replied wagging the keys at me. "I had the mechanics here rush fix it to cover up the attack. Now, let's get you home for a few days."

  Oliver drove out of the garage and onto a long dirt road. I looked behind us as he drove away and saw nothing more than a large warehouse like building.

  "Most of it’s underground, in case you're wondering." Oliver explained. "So it’s pretty easy to get confused down there."

  "Yeah, no kidding." I muttered at the irony of that statement.

  We rode in silence for a while before I finally turned on the radio. Whoever had been in control of my car last had put the radio on a classic rock station and the sounds of Metallica's ‘Enter Sandman’ came crashing through my speaker system.

  I smiled and left it there, before rolling down the windows. As the song continued to play I glanced over at Oliver and noticed his mouth moving as he sang along silently.

  "Aha!" I poked him in the arm teasingly. "Looks like we've got something in common after all."

  He shrugged me off and cut me a sideways glare, but I kept teasing.

  "Come on!" I drug out the word ‘on’ for way too long. "I wanna hear your beautiful singing voice."

  "No, you don't," Oliver growled. "My real singing voice would destroy your eardrums and, very possibly, liquefy your brain."

  I stared wide eyed for a second as James Hetfield continued obliviously in the background.

  "Um..." I blinked a couple of times and turned to stare out the window.

  The car ride seemed to drag on forever. As the sun began to set, I fell into an uneasy sleep.

  I woke up as the car was slowing to stop and immediately looked forward. We were, indeed, at my house and three nondescript black vehicles were parked on the street.

  "Those my body guards?" I asked.

  Oliver just nodded. "We'll coordinate out here. You go inside and do not," He put an insane amount of emphasis on the negative. “Come out under any circumstances."

  "Understood. I will remain in the closet!" I mock saluted, took my keys, and marched to my front door.

  Once I'd let myself in, I immediately went straight to my room. I opened the door and froze half in my room and half out of my room.

  "What the hell are you doing in here?" I demanded angrily.

  "My job, primarily." Raven replied glancing away.

  "Oh, hell no." I growled turning to leave the room. "I'm not spending the night anywhere near you, much less in the same room."

  "You don't have a choice." She barked; catching me in my tracks. There was silence for moment before she continued softly. "I mean...what are you gonna do? Go down to Oliver and demanded a new bodyguard? Good luck but I guarantee it won't work. You're stuck with me...and...I’m sorry."

  "For what?" I said softly turning back around. "Me being stuck with you?" My voice rose quite a few decibel levels. "Or for letting your psycho friends tie me up and hex me? Because of you, I have been attacked by demons, kidnapped by a cult, forced into a weird battle royale, and electrocuted and permanently scarred by your boss!”

  Her face fell and she sat down hard on my bed. The red streaks in her hair looked more like blood tonight than the sunset streaks of the party.

  "Anything I say now is just going to sound like excuses," she said softly with tears in her voice.

  My heart softened a little and I took a few hesitant steps forward. "Don't make excuses," I said as my anger faded slightly. I choked down my pride and stood in front of her. "But tell me what happened."

  She wouldn't look at me as she told me the story:

  After I passed out, Oliver had carried me to his car and they'd decided to take me to the Midnight Society compound for a few reasons.

  Reasons including: the language I'd spoken during the exorcism wasn't anything they'd ever heard. It wasn't latin, greek, hebrew, or any of the other languages sometimes used for exorcism. I also appeared to be injured and they obviously couldn't take me to a regular hospital.

  Once they'd gotten to the compound she'd been separated from me and debriefed. The next time she saw me was on the screen, after I'd woken up strapped to the bed.

  "So," I rubbed my brow with my left hand, trying to process everything. "You didn't know what they were doing until it was too late?"

  "I should've done something though," she brushed her eyes hard, pushing away the last of the tears she'd never let fall. "I saw you stuck there, fighting to get out and I just sat there. I wanted to tell them to let you go but I couldn't. I couldn't even open my mouth."
<
br />   I sighed and slumped into my desk chair. I stared at the roof for a moment, wishing I wasn’t still as angry as I was. It wasn’t all her fault but I couldn’t make myself not blame her a little bit. The fact of the matter is, I wouldn’t have been in that mess if not for her. I looked at my arm and felt the anger rise within me again.

  “I’m sorry Raven,” I let out a deep breath. “I don’t want to be angry, but I can’t help it.”

  “I understand,” she stared at the floor. “It’s my fault you’re in this situation to begin with. I’d completely understand if you hated me.”

  I sat up and looked at her. “I don’t hate you, Raven.” She looked over at me. “I really don’t. You’ve been amazing, but…I just don’t know that I can keep going how things have been. It’s just one more complicated thing piled on top of my life completely exploding.”

  She nodded and tightened her lips into a line. “I figured you’d say that. I think it’s probably smart. Especially, if we both end up training with Oliver; trying to also be in a relationship would be really weird.”

  I nodded my agreement. “So we’re…friends?”

  “I’d like that.” She nodded.

  Suddenly, the door flew open making me jump and spin to face it. Oliver strode into my room and gestured at Raven, while ignoring me completely.

  “Can I help you?” I growled.

  “No, but she can.” He nodded at Raven. “Come on, I need you on one of the wards.” She jumped up to follow him out. “Don’t worry, I’ll bring her right back.”

  I growled at him again as the door shut.

  What is up with you, lately?

  "I don't know what you mean." I replied aloud.

  You've got girls falling all over you, you're more aggressive–

  "I've got an annoying voice in my head pointing out things that I already can't explain?"

  Well, that too. The voice laughed at me. So, I've been digging around in here.

  I shivered at the thought of someone, even if it was possibly just another version of me, digging around in my head.

  "Yeah and?"

  There's all sorts of cool stuff locked down in here. Like, did you know with some well supervised practice you could control fire? Provided you didn't roast yourself alive that is. He trailed off.

  I stared blankly into space. A few days ago my biggest fear would have been being noticed in the halls at school. Now, I was having to worry about demon attacks and magic and not burning myself alive.

  Life's a bitch.

  "You got that right." I grunted moving to lay down on my bed. I closed my eyes and before I knew it I had dozed off again.

  And as I slept I dreamed.

  Hey there. I stared blankly at the speaker. He and I were the only things in... nothing. I looked around but all I saw was black. But, it wasn't dark in a traditional sense; I could see the person talking to me clear as day.

  Cat got your tongue? The figure spoke again. He was my height and build but his face was hidden under a deep hood.

  His outfit was a strange blend of military and punk. His legs were covered by, black ACU pants tucked into combat boots, with an odd assortment of golden charms hanging from his belt. On his torso, he wore a black side zip jacket with gold trim and dangling from his neck was a gold lightning bolt pendant.

  "Your voice," I said in amazement. "You're–"

  The voice inside your head. He gestured around. And isn't that where we are?

  I looked around. "I don't think so. There's no demons running around trying to eat me. That's what's been in my head for the past few hours anyway."

  His shoulders shook as he chuckled. This is what you want your world to be like.

  "No, not really." I looked around at the inky blackness. "I'd prefer some hot chicks running around. Maybe a water slide, a puppy...oh and definitely–"

  You miss my point. He sighed in vaguely entertained annoyance. You want your world to be simple again. Weren't you just wishing things would go back to being bland and ordinary? Just you and me?

  I looked around for a second realizing what he meant. My mind was taking the feelings I had literally.

  "So, what's the point of this?" I wondered aloud. "Why am I here?"

  You're always here it's your head.

  "You know what I meant," I sighed and he laughed again.

  You're here because I pulled your consciousness here when you fell asleep.

  "And you did that why? Wait, and how?"

  So, we could talk. He ignored the second question. Face to face, I mean.

  "Then take off the hood." I demanded.

  I was just worried how you'd react. He turned away. I've never seen my own face you know.

  "So you don't know." I said suddenly. "You have no idea if you're actually me or not."

  Not a clue.

  "Then let's take off the hood," I was suddenly excited. "Let's know for sure."

  He ducked his head down in what I assumed was a nod, though it was hard to tell with his head covered. His hands came up and grabbed at the hood. He hesitated.

  You sure?

  "Completely." I nodded.

  The hood piled around his shoulders and my face fell with it

  Looking back at me was, well, me.

  A slightly different me though.

  What do I look like?

  "Me," I replied and he frowned. "But a little different. Your hair’s jet black, mine’s dirty blonde. Your eyes like…glow," I paused for a moment as I took a second to understand what I was looking at. “Your irises literally swirl with black and gold...that's not normal."

  Neither are we.

  "Fair point." I replied still a little unnerved by what I was looking at. "So you're a darker, magical version of me, I guess?"

  Looks like it. He looked down at his arms. It still doesn't make sense to me. How can I be you but...not be you?

  I shrugged. "Maybe I...we...you know what I mean, have some weird magical disorder. Like a weird, magical multiple personality thing.”

  I just don't even know anymore. He...I...the other thing sat down hard on...the ground? This whole damn place had me turned around.

  "So, it's occurred to me," I sat down next to him trying to turn my mind from the disappointment. "That I don't know what to call you. I mean 'the voice' is getting old seeing as you're clearly more than just a random voice in here." I knocked on my forehead.

  How about...He paused thinking.

  "Zanj." I said suddenly.

  What the hell– He raised an eyebrow at me. –does that even mean?

  "I...I don't really know," I said. "It's a word I remember hearing when we lived with my cousins in New Orleans. It just feels right, ya know?"

  Zanj...I agree. He nodded. It does feel right. He smirked at me. Nice to meet you, Way. I'm Zanj, the voice inside your head.

  Chapter Twenty

  I woke with the sunlight hitting my eyes and Raven shaking my shoulder.

  “Hey,” I sat up and yawned, rubbing the back of my head. “What’s up?”

  “It’s morning,” she said simply. “Oliver wants you to get up and get ready so he can brief you before your parents get home.”

  “Alright,” I got up slowly and swung my legs off of my bed. “Did you come in last night?”

  I looked up at her and noticed the bags under her eyes.

  “Yeah, I just dozed in the chair.” She shrugged.

  “Jeez,” I laughed moving towards the bathroom a little awkwardly. “That couldn’t have been very comfortable.”

  “It wasn’t too bad,” she shrugged again. “Get a shower; I’m gonna head on out. I’ll see you in a couple days when you get to the school though.”

  “Ok,” I smiled at her. “Be safe.”

  I came out of the bathroom a few minutes later and found Oliver waiting for me with two nurses.

  “Boy, you better be glad I changed in there.” I glared at him.

  "Your parent's ETA is twenty minutes." He said as the nurses moved t
o the remove the bandage from my arm. I’d been told it would be fine to shower in so it was soaking wet as they peeled it away from my skin. I stared in amazement as the cloth came away to reveal nothing more than an angry red scar circling my arm.

  “Wow!” I turned my arm over. “That’s amazing.”

  “Nineteen minutes.” Oliver grunted.

  "Ok..." I said scratching the back of my head still staring at my arm. "So, how do we play this?"

  "Simple," he pulled a brochure and small plastic package from his inside jacket pocket and handed it to me. "You'll give this brochure to your parents and play your role out. Tell them you've already made an appointment to meet with the admissions and scholarship officer, a man named Oliver Travestiré, for this afternoon at three o'clock."

  As he was speaking, I was opening the bag. In it was a skin colored sleeve similar to a basketball shooting sleeve.

  "What's this for?" I asked, holding it up.

  "To hide the scar on your arm," he said as though it should have been obvious. "It would take more magic than it’s worth to make it go away. Not to mention it’d be extremely painful. So instead, you'll just hide it."

  I slid the sleeve on my arm and it blended in perfectly. "Woah," my arm looked completely normal again.

  "So after I tell them this stuff about the school, then what?" I said. "What if they say no?"

  "We have...contingency plans."

  Fortunately, it didn't come to that. After the initial shock of me making a decision for myself they were extremely supportive.

  Three o'clock rolled around and my doorbell rang. I opened it to Oliver.

  "My 'rents are protective," I warned quietly, as I closed the door behind us. "Be careful."

  "No worries, kid," he grunted brushing past me. "This isn't the first time I've done this."

  The next thirty minutes left me speechless, as Oliver put on the most amazing show I'd ever seen. I knew he was lying and yet, even I found myself starting to buy it.

  After he was done with his presentation my mom looked at me. "Well, honey...if you're sure about this."

  I forced a smile and nodded. "I am mom."