Oracle

Monday, October 5

 I got up early, as if I had to get to Geography. I didn't, of course. There were no classes. But Monday, October 5th will live on in Lloyd Memorial's memory, long after I'm gone. It was on Monday that they found her body.

I woke up too early, as usual. I'd had the train dream again. There was more detail this time- I was wearing a brown leather jacket, and I knew that kids at the station were my brother's friends. Which is weird, because I don't have a brother.

I got out of bed and got dressed. I had to stop and smother myself with a pillow to stop myself laughing. My shirt smelled like cinnamon. I wonder why? Once I had myself under control, I went to the cafeteria.

No one else was awake yet- by 'no one' I mean 'no students'. The cafeteria staff were all awake, and there were pancakes for breakfast. Since I was alone, I started re-reading one of my Tintin books- Land of Black Gold, I think. I was thoroughly engaged, and so failed to notice that someone had sat down next to me. Until said someone tapped me on the shoulder.

I spun around expecting- I don't know. Jesse, or maybe Gaia. I looked into Abs' gentle smile. "Hey, stranger," She sat down next to me. "I haven't really seen you lately. You've off with..." She seemed to sigh. "Whoever you've been off with."

"Abs..." I couldn't think of anything to say. "I'm sorry, it's just..."

"Yeah, I know. You've finally found your place in the world, and you're trying to fill it. You've heard your calling."

"Um, yeah, I guess." This was not how Abigail usually talked. This was weird.

"So you've found the others." She didn't look at me, but dug into her scrambled eggs.

"What?"

She looked up. "Oh, for the Gods' Sakes, did you think I didn't know? You're the Oracle. You see the future. And the past, and the present."

I gaped intelligently.

"Don't you get it? These flashes you have? You have flashforwards and flashbacks, and now you've started having flashsides. That what those visions are."

"Yeah, I know," I said. "But how did you know?"

She shrugged. "I'm just cool like that."

"No seriously. How did you know? I thought I kept it pretty well hidden." Then I got it. "You're one of us! Are you a mind reader, like Jesse?"

She shook her head. "I'm not. I'm not special, Eric. I'm just human."

"Then...how?"

"I'm like a Keeper." She smiled. "Like a Watcher." She breathed deeply. "An ordinary human, who keeps freaks like you under control. Make sure no one knows who doesn't have to."

"Is Chase one? A Watch-keeper?"

She looked shocked. "No! Of course not! Why on Earth would you think that she's a human?"

"I- I don't know. Isn't she?"

Abigail laughed. "If she is, I'm the Pope. Chase is...well, don't mess with her. That's all I'm saying." She paused, as if she was going to say something else, then shook her head and went back to eating breakfast.

"Okay then." I went to take another bite of my food, only to discover that I had already eaten it all while I was lost in Arabia. "So, when did you first know you were a- a Watch-keeper?"

"The proper name is Mallam. It means 'scribe.' I just said those because...well, I guess I thought you read more than you do."

"I read plenty!" I pretended to be filled with dignified outrage. "Wait, what's it from?"