To Catch An Element

chapter 2

Three years later

"It's not a big deal just go down and tell her" l stood in front of my mirror trying to pluck up some courage my tooth brush lay idle in my hand "You Avery Knight are an adult this is your life you call the shots I will not be intimated by my mother" great I thought now I just have to figure out how to say this in front of my mother and not my reflection

Oh this is useless I threw my toothbrush back in it's holder and left the bathroom into my bedroom once back in my bedroom I began to pace I've been trying to come up with some way to tell my mother that I wanted to take a gap year and not go straight to college because honestly I have no idea what I want to do with my life. School finished two months ago my mum will be expecting acceptance letters soon I can't put it off any longer I have to tell her with a new resolve and a whole load off dread I made my way down the stairs into the  kitchen me and my mum lived in a small two bedroom apartment on the outskirts of town. My mother was sitting at the table, she was reading a book intently you can do this I mentally told myself

"Um, mum I was hoping I could talk to you about something" I said as I sat down next to her

"Of course honey what is it?" She put down her book and looked at me waiting for me to continue

I took a deep breath "Er mum I wanted talk to you about college" before I could continue she interrupted me

"What about it? I know it's a big change but you'll get used to it, now shouldn't you be getting to work"

It was now or never I needed to get this over with "mum I don't want to disappoint you and I've given this a lot of thought, but I don't want to go to college this year" it felt like a great weight had been lifted from my chest I done it now all I had to do was stand my ground. An uncomfortable silence filled the room until finally my mother spoke "don't be ridiculous" she said at last "of course your going to college what else would you do?"

"well that's the point of a gap year is for me to discover what I want to do" I tried to explain

"Avery you are going to college end of discussion" She said her voiced raised this is exactly how I knew it would go but there was no way I was giving in I got my stubbornness from her after all

"I'm eighteen mum I'm not a child I can make my own decisions" I told her angrily my mother got out of her chair "start acting like an adult and I'll treat you like one, my god Avery there comes a time in your life where you have to grow up and start to be responsible" it was my turn to jump off my chair I stormed into the living room and grabbed my satchel I turned around to look at my mother who was standing in the door way looking just as angry as me "would you just listen to me, I know this isn't ideal but this is my life I get to decide what I do with it" I tried to say as calmly as I could but it was becoming very hard not to yell

"would you stop acting so immature?" my mother said she was doing nothing to hide her anger the word immature stroke a chord with me I wasn't bothering to stay calm anymore

"I'm off to work or is that too immature?" I didn't give my mum a chance to answer I marched out the door and slammed it behind me

Immature, immature! All my life I've been called that not just by my mum but by teachers, friends even strangers just because my life's ambition wasn't to sit in an office all day dying of boredom just because I didn't have every second of my life planned out just because I dared to dream that maybe just maybe the world had more to offer than this! I continued my rant inside my head all the way to the bus stop when the bus finally arrived I forced my self to calm down and let go of my anger as I got onto the bus I made my way to the back  reminding myself that she was still my mum and she had my best at heart I stuck my earphones in my ears and blasted my music hoping no one sat beside me I looked out the window the scenery became a blur of green, black and grey maybe mum was right maybe it was time to grow up

The bell above the door chimed as I opened it I walked into Here nor There with what felt like a dark cloud above me no matter what I did I couldn't get rid of my anger. Here nor There was the name of the shop I worked at, it was right in the middle of town the name couldn't fit the place better it was a wide space filled with shelves full of knick naks and lots of random things it is very popular with tourists as we have lots of 'mythical' items at the far right corner there is two shelves lined together to make some sort of library where there never seemed to have the same book twice

I made my way over to the counter where Lizzy the owner and manger was. Lizzy was in her late forties she was short and lean with mousy brown hair tied in a ponytail she had a serious case of RBF (resting bitch face) I don't think I've ever seen her so much as quark her lips upward

"Good morning sunshine" Lizzy said mockingly I sighed "is it that obvious?" I asked

"If you're mood was any darker I wouldn't be able to see you" she replied

"I'm just after having a fight with mum and I know she ha-" before I could finish Lizzy interrupted me

"Yeah, I'll stop you there kid. I don't care " I forgot who I was talking to "in the back" she continued "I want you to go through the log books and make sure everything is in order" great as if this day couldn't get any worse before I knew it I was in the back dusty room surrounded by thick old books rifling through pages I felt my eyelids begin to get heavy one book down far too many to go I placed the book into the cardboard box and reached for another one. I tried to keep my spirits up but there were just so many numbers 143...447...564...444... "come on Avery concentrate" I told myself maybe if I closed my eyes for just a minute. No this is my job I am getting paid for this I will not fall asleep no matter how boring this is
I've always hated maths, the numbers on the page began to blur maybe a small break wouldn't hurt...
An explosion of red blue green and silver light illuminated a stone on it a carven of a broken mirror a Eagle and a raven purched on it then it was replaced by
Loud terrified screams
A woman stood clear in the center of all the chaos a tall beautiful woman. She was wearing a stunning fitted blood red dress her sliver flowing hair cascading over her shoulders, her face had the most delicate looking features her lips were the same colour of her dress but were twisted into a cruel smirk but her eyes there was something so captivating about them but not in a good way
They were as blue as the ocean but they were cold and unforgiving looking directly into them I couldn't help but shudder she had a sword clutched lazily in her hand
I knew she was relishing in the screams l knew she was the cause of them
And suddenly the image disappeared and replaced with darkness, nothing
And then I saw it a gold light that somehow brightened my surroundings but I didn't take my eyes of the light it was truly beautiful as it floated towards me a whisper of a melody echoed from it
" Come join us where the world's
collide, you must set a wrong right,
To return to the world you call home you must collect the Four before dark and light become one
You will have a gift unlike any other that cannot be given or stolen by another journey a path of your making, to lead or to follow? Only time will tell,
To transform, shape, move and help
You will understand in the end
For you have been chosen to make amends"

The light started to dim, no I didn't want it to go I wanted to hear more. I tried to reach for it but my arms wouldn't move and then I felt a cold sensation dripping down my back and then I was ripped from this vision back to reality where I was lying flat over the dusty books with a scowling Lizzy standing above me with a bottle of water in her hand

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