The Process

Photo by Johannes Plenio:

Ava woke up in the woods again, her heart pounding with fear. She didn't know how she got there or how long she had been unconscious. All she knew was that she was alone, and she was scared. This was the umpteenth time she had found herself in an unknown place, and it never turned out well for her. It was like she was stuck in a real life horror flick, and she didn't know how to get out.

She tried to stand up, but her legs felt weak and shaky. Her eyes gradually filled up with tears. She could hear her breath and at that point it felt like the loudest sound in the dark as she tried controlling her breath. She looked around, trying to get her bearings, but all she could see was trees and bushes. She didn't recognize anything, and she didn't know which way to go. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She knew that she had to keep moving, no matter how scared she was. She had to find solace or anything at all that could give her a clue of where she was.

With all her might she pulled herself off the ground and gradually placing her feet one before the other she started to walk. Then it came, she heard a roar in the distance. It was a deep, guttural sound that made her blood run cold. She didn't know what it was, but she knew that she had to get away from it. She started to run, her heart racing as she heard the roar getting louder and closer. She didn't know what was chasing her, but she could feel its presence getting closer and closer.

As fast as she ran, she heard the loud, scary voice like it was behind her. It was a voice that seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It was a voice that made her skin crawl, and she didn't know what it wanted from her. She kept running, her feet pounding on the ground as she tried to outrun the voice.

But it was no use. The voice was getting louder and closer, and she could feel something chasing her. She didn't know what it was, but she could hear the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer. She could feel her heart fast pounding in her chest as she ran through the woods. She didn't know how much longer she could keep going, but she knew that she had to keep running.

As she ran, she heard flutters in the trees. It sounded like birds or bats, but she didn't dare to look back. All she cared for was funding safety. Although she couldn't tell what exactly was chasing her, she knew that it was something terrifying. So she kept running, her breath coming in short gasps as she tried to outrun the fluttering sounds.

Just when she thought she couldn't run anymore, she tripped and fell. She hit the ground hard, and she felt the wind knocked out of her. She lay there for a moment, trying to catch her breath, the footsteps getting closer and closer. She tried to get up and keep running, but her legs felt like they were made of lead. Numb and heavy.

She closed her eyes and waited for the worst to happen, then she felt something grab her. She screamed, thinking that it was her chaser, but then she heard a familiar voice.

"Ava, don't be scared," her grandpa said. "It's just me. I'm here to protect you."

Ava opened her eyes and looked up and saw her grandpa's kind, wrinkled face. He was smiling at her, his eyes were filled with concern.

"Grandpa, what's going on?" Ava asked, her voice trembling. "Why am I here? Why am I being chased?"

Her grandpa helped her up and put his arm around her. "You're here because it's your time to become the next seer," he said. "It's a lineage thing for every first daughter in our family who has come of age."

Ava felt confused. "But I don't understand," she said. "What does that mean? What is a seer?"

Her grandpa looked at her gently. "It means that you have the gift of prophecy," he said. "You can see things that others can't see. You can see the future, and you can help guide others."

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Ava felt a shiver run down her spine. She had always been a timid young teenager, and the thought of having a special gift scared her. "But I don't want to be a seer," she said. "I don't want to be chased and scared all the time."

Her grandpa smiled again and hugged her tightly. "I know it's scary, it's part of the initiation process, to determine how tough you are," he said. "But you have to trust me. I'll always be here to protect you until when you're fit for the task ahead."

With that, Ava woke up and realized it was all a dream. But it felt so real that she could still feel the fear and adrenaline in her body. She looked at the clock and saw that it was still early in the morning. She lay there for a moment, thinking about her dream and her grandpa. She knew that it was a scary thing to become a seer, she had heard her mum chant some words while growing up and had asked but was told that when she was of age she would understand better. Now this could be what they meant. She cuddled up in bed scared wondering how long the initiation process would take but she took courage in the fact that her grandpa would always be there to protect her, just as he promised.

Ava got out of bed and went to the window. She looked outside and saw that the woods were bathed in the soft light of dawn. She took a deep breath and smiled. She knew that she was ready to face whatever the future held for her, as long as her grandpa was by her side.