Grashben

The second chapter where we find out what the creatures in the wood are.

      After about an hour and 2 cups of steaming tea, I calmed down enough to ask my Father in a shaky voice, "What on earth were those things?"

      "They were ancient creatures. Men of the old times, back during the witch hunts, feared them above all other things in this world: living and dead.  We named them Grashben after Satan cast them out of Hell. They were the original demons. Terrifying beasts with no respect for any other living being, made worse out of the culmination of the hate and fear spread by the witch hunts. They are immortal. We can send them back to Hell for a time but they never die. My Father, and my Father's Father, and his father before him all hunted these beasts to the ends of the earth in hopes of protecting everyone else from them. I had always held out hope that they would not recognize your gift before your 16th birthday."

      "Wait, what happens on my sixteenth birthday? Is it something I should be worried about, like some life-changing event or a big revalation?" As freaked out as I was about the demons I thought I would start with the basic questions.

      "Sort of." He said. After a moment's contemplation he went on, "This may sound a bit scary but you are a medium. Before your sixteenth birthday your gifts are only partially developed. Once you hit that age they become fully available and at that point it would be safe to train you in the art of control and  hunting."

      "So I'm a psychic? You have got to be kidding me! First you talk about original demons and witch hunts, and now your saying I'm a psychic? I'm willing to humor you on that first one. But there is no way I see ghosts and demons and s**t at only 15 years old! Besides...I'm only a girl. This can't be real...."

      "I know its hard to accept, but just think on this: you remember how you always used to know who my friends were before I introduced you? And how you always had those vivid nightmares before we took you to a hypnotherapist? Well the reason why we took you to her was to surpress that psychic side of you until you were ready to control it better. Unfortunately it came back early, otherwise you would have never been able to see those things in the woods like you did today."

      "Ok, maybe all of this is real. In that case what do I do now? I mean I can hardly just continue on with my normal life and pretend like this never happened."

      "And we don't expect you to. From now on you will live out here with me, you will tell your Mother only part of what is going on, and you will begin your training a week and a half early. Do you understand me?"

      "Yes. Can I just do one thing first?"

Author's Note

This is the finished second chapter. I hope you enjoy it and will be working on more of the book later.