The Syphon

Chapter 1

Abomination.

Disgrace.

You'll never amount to anything.

I can't believe I gave birth to you.

Rayne was left out of every family event her whole life just because she was not like the rest of them. She couldn't conjure magic out of thin air as they all could. They always teased her, talked down to her, and belittled her just because she was unable to. That is all but her grandmother, who her mother sent her to live with once she turned twelve. Her grandmother saw potential in her. She saw that she had just as much strength, if not more than the rest of her family. She just needed something to hold onto so she could conjure that power. Her grandmother taught her everything that she could, against her mothers wishes. It didn't stop her though because her mother was the one who left Rayne for her to take care of so she decided to raise as she saw fit. Because her family left her out of everything, her grandmother spent more time training her. She wanted Rayne to be the best that she could be, better than what everyone else thought that she could be.

Rayne had lived with her grandmother for nine years and was now taking care of her. She was recently moved to the hospital after falling very ill. The doctors had already told Rayne that they did not expect her to return home. She would go to her grandmother's hospital room after getting off work and staying with her until visiting hours were over and then return to the home that they had lived in for many years. This evening was different from the others. Her grandmother was very quiet, but her vitals showed that everything was currently fine.

"Ray," she called to her granddaughter softly.

Rayne smiled softly as she heard her speak, using the nickname that only she called her. She always said that she was her little ray of sunlight. "Yes, Mawmaw," Rayne replied.

"I want you to have this my dear," her grandmother said as she held her hand out to her, holding the crystal necklace that she always wore.

"Your necklace?" she asked her confused. "But you never take it off."

"You'll be needing it more that I will, sunshine," she told her as she smiled softly, taking her hands into her own. "You will shine above them all." Rayne didn't notice that her grandmothers vitals start to decline as she was given the necklace, as if she knew that it was her time. "Visiting hours are over, Ray."

Rayne looked towards the clock on the wall, realizing that she was right. "I love you, Mawmaw," she told her as so stood to get ready to return home. "I promise to come back tomorrow after work."

"There's no need for that dear, take care of yourself." She always told Rayne this. That was why she never thought anything of it as she left the hospital and began the walk back to her car in the parking garage. She stopped at the door of her car and looked at the necklace in her hand. It was a beautiful purple stone that she thought to be lapis lazuli. Before unlocking the car and getting in, she unclasped the chain and hung it around her neck. Once in the car, she started it and let it warm up as she pulled out her phone and connected it to the Bluetooth radio. She selected a playlist before putting the car in drive and starting towards home. As she was driving, she felt a strange surge of power from her grandmother's necklace. She had looked down at it as she heard her phone start to ring. Feeling the dread of something happening to her grandmother, she answered her phone, something that she never did while driving.

"Hello," she answered, voice shaking in fear.

"This is the University medical center of New Orleans calling for Rayne Lambert with an urgent message about her grandmother. Is she who I am speaking with?" A male voice asked her.