Chapter One

Chapter one of my book

Chapter One

                It was 5:30 in the morning when the first signs of dawn crept across the sky. I’d been awake all night so far; I was in the waiting room of the local Hospital. My grandmother, only fifty five years-old, had a massive heart attack five years back, leaving her weakened and almost constantly ill.

                At only the beginning of the autumn season, she has already fallen ill with double pneumonia. Her doctors said things weren’t looking up for her this time. The very thought of losing her brought tears to my eyes; she was all I had.

                I have not a single memory of my mother; my dad and grandfather left when I was almost five for some special services project. The day they left was the last day anyone heard from them.

                The smell of rain weighed heavily in the air. A storm was brewing off in the distance, still in the early stages of development.

                “Lucas,” said a nurse, snapping me out of my thoughts. “You may go visit Miranda now if you wish,” she told me. Standing up I thanked the nurse for letting me know.

                I let out a yawn and stretched my tired muscles. With each stretch I could feel the knots lumped up on my muscles smooth and even out. The knot in my stomach however, was growing larger as I approached my grandmother’s room, room 398.

                Walking into the room, I felt as if I’d been punched in the gut. There were all kinds of machines hooked up to her. Tears swelled up in my eyes as I sat down beside her; I somehow knew she wasn’t going to leave this room.

                Though I knew she was miserable, she appeared to be at peace. Her torso gently rose and fell with lightness of her breath. She lay there with her eyes closed, and if I didn’t know better, I’d almost say she was smiling.

                I looked up at the clock hanging above her bed, 8:45 am. My time spent at the hospitals was nearing the twelve hour mark, having arrived at 9:10 last night.

                “You can wake her now if you’d like,” said her doctor. “She’s been sleeping soundly for nearly ten hours now,” he said before closing the curtain and waling away.

                Though I would have preferred to let her sleep, I rose from my chair and walked to her bed side. I took her hand in mine and focused on her. I focused ignoring everything else in my surroundings and I began to sing.

                When the first verse ended I opened my eyes after having closed them and found myself standing outside of my house. The trees had leaves of flaming orange flowing in the branches. A hooded figure cradling a baby was walking up the side walk and I knew what was happening: I was having a vision.

                Usually I’d tell myself to get out of the memory, but this time my curiosity took hold. I followed the hooded figure up to my house as a light autumn breeze blew cool air across my face and through my hair. The hood was blown off the figure’s head to reveal lusciously blonde hair. It waved in the breeze, glad to have escaped the prison of the hood.

                Remembering this was only a vision, I ran forward to see the identity of this woman. My feet froze to the ground bringing me to a halt along with my heart.

                How could this be possible? This shouldn’t be possible, I told myself. I’d only ever seen one picture, but I knew the name of this woman. Sylvia, my mother, was right in front of me, holding me in her arms.

                Knocking n the door she looked back at me. It was as if she knew I was there. She looked me dead in the eye, and I knew instantly she could see me. Tears were filling her eyes as she looked at me. A smile crept its way onto her face and she said, “It’s good to see you again after so many years.”

                Confusion swept over me like a tsunami. She could see me, but how? I took a step back and managed to say, “How?”

                Her smile slowly ebbed away, and I could feel the waves of mixed emotion radiating from her as she contemplated what to say next. The tears had stopped streaming down her cheeks by the time she spoke again.

                “Please understand Lucas, I love you. If it were my choice I’d raise you myself,” she had said just as the door began to creak open.

                I stood there, listening and watching as I was handed over to my grandmother. She too glanced over in my direction but showed no acknowledgement of my presence. My mother gave me one last kiss before my grandmother carried me inside.

                The door slammed shut and I was left alone with my mother. Her hair held a soft angelic glow in the glistening morning sun. She was just standing there, yet she seemed to be radiating a beauty of her own.

                “Times are about to get rough Lucas,” she said as she began to stride away. “This is only the beginning of something far greater than you could ever hope to understand right now,” she blatantly stated.

                I could feel the vision fading around me as everything slowly became encompassed in shadows. Time was running out and my mother just said this was only the beginning. Darkness now swallowing the vision into the depths of its cold, dark stomach consumed and ejected me back into the hospital room.

                My grandmother then sat up and looked me over. In an instant I was taken aback by the sudden waves of pure hatred emanating from her. She jerked free of my grasp and began to speak in the hateful tone I’d ever heard but…it wasn’t any language I’d heard before.

                My mind reeling at what was happening, I began to turn away when she exclaimed, “You’re an abomination born in the light’s shadow! Devastation is coming boy, it’s ALL about you!”

                I stared at her in disbelief, taking a step back when a hand pulled me back. My grandmother was again laying in the bed, the doctor checking her vitals as the hear monitors beeping slowed.

                My thoughts became more chaotic by the second: Is this really happening? Why is this happening? No, this can’t be, not now. I need to get out.

                “Lucas,” said a nurse. “You don’t look so well. I think you should come with me,” she suggested as she beckoned for me to follow her into the hallway.

                We had nearly reached the waiting room when I stopped at the sound of the doctor’s feet scuffling down the hallway. He was emanating waves of confusion, very strong waves at that, and anxiety; there was anxiety in there too.

                Tears welled up in my eyes before he even began to speak. My grandmother had passed; leaving me alone.

                “Lucas, she also asked me to relay a message as soon as you walked out,” the doctor said.

                “A message?”

                “This is what she said, ‘For the sake of the future, you must first understand the past, then seek the knowledge you will come to desire.’”

                I was dumbfounded. I had no idea what she was talking about. I had begun to walk away when I remembered the vision I had: my mother’s hair, she could see me, she spoke to me!

Hate. So much hate, all emanating from my grandmother. It had begun to overwhelm me when I remembered: It was only a vision. Vision or not, she hated my very being.

I wanted to be alone, no, I needed to be alone, so I ran. I ran through the hospitals waiting room, out the main doors, turned toward the landing pad, and ran to the one place I knew no one would ever find me.

Author's Note

This is the rough draft of chapter one. It is curently being edited and once I have all feedback I will make edits based on what my editors have to tell me. Thanks for your patience. :)