Dogs And Devils

Chapter Six: Sight

 

“I can't believe I'm agreeing to this.” I muttered over and over again, leading Gabriel to my backyard.

 

“Nice place. So anyway, you have to make sure you're actually ready to see. And then when it's over, you have to accept what you saw or you'll become very ill. It's kind of like if someone gives you a gift and you act ungrateful, they get angry. Well the earth is giving you a gift, and if you don't accept then you seem ungrateful and it retaliates by making you sick. Understand?”

 

We seated ourselves in the grass near some ghastly gnomes my mother had placed around. I fixed my color streaked hair from the wind and nodded. He watched me curiously.

 

“So how is it done then? Don't we need some sort of crystal ball? Or like in Snow white? Mirror Mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?” I joked. He laughed.

 

“You watch too many movies. No, what we need is....” He reached into his pocket and retrieved a large, red stone. “This. I got it when I was traveling in China. That's where I met this man named Forester, and he taught me a lot of things having to do with magic and divination. Then the Chinese found out he was hiding from the Swiss and executed him. Sad story, really. But anyway, he called it a Sighting Stone. Apparently, they aren't hard to find so if you get this down, maybe I'll find you one of your own.”

 

“That'd be really awesome! Okay, okay, how do we do it?” I clapped excitedly. He set it down between us and drew a triangle around it with his finger. Then He recited something:

 

Ashtyn's future we wish to see

Bring your knowledge straight to me

Be crystal clear, be precise

In this triangle I turn you thrice.

 

 

 

“Is that grammatically correct?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as he turned the stone over three times. He shrugged and brought my hands down to touch it.

 

“I'm really not sure, but even if it isn't, it works. Those are the words Forester taught me. He said it has to rhyme to make it powerful. I'm not so sure about that part. Anyway, clear your mind, breathe deeply and stare into the stone. It may take a while for you to get anything, but that's perfectly normal.”

 

I did as I was told and stared at the Sighting Stone until I wasn't aware of the grass under me anymore. Gabriel had vanished, my yard had vanished. Everything was gone. It was replaced by a scene with a red sky. I was outside a tall, white building with blue stained glass windows on towers. A castle?

 

“Attention citizens, this is just a friendly reminder. Littering hurts our planet and is just plain ugly, not to mention against the law. So please make sure your trash makes it to the trash cans. Have a happy day and remember, keep smiling.”

 

I looked around, searching for the voice that said it. It sounded like it came from a very loud P.A system. All around me, people walked briskly picking up little pieces of waste from gutters, under benches and in front of doors. They moved like soldiers, but with smiles on their faces,and they waved to each other. Every building and the areas around them were immaculate, there wasn't a stain to be seen anywhere.

 

There were large screens attached to billboards with ads and reminders on a repeat loop. One said:

“The White City, where we work hard to better your world. Largest touring community in the world, home to the great ruler Ashtyn the Pure. Welcome, to those of you who are new. We hope you enjoy your stay.” I stopped cold. Did that ad just say that I was the ruler of all this? Nah, there are billions of Ashtyns in the world.

 

The more I walked, the more it seemed like utopia. Everyone was polite to each other, there was no violence, everything was perfect. It was beginning to look like maybe I was the one who had created this. I entered the castle doors and found a great hall with flags hanging down that had my face plastered all over them. I wasn't much older than I was now, maybe a year or two. I shuddered. How could any of this happen so soon?

 

 

 

Then I was sucked back into the present. The sun was setting and Gabriel had his eyes focused on me. I rubbed my head.

 

“Do you accept what you saw?” He asked after a long while of silence. Did I accept? In the future I made the world a better place, I promoted love and good health and I'm sure I even ended war and world hunger. Of course I accepted.

 

“Yes, I do.” I said.

 

“Did you enjoy it? Anything funny coming your way in the future, Ashtyn?”

 

“Uh, yes. Yes, I'm going to throw a slime ball at Selena Matthews and it's going to hit her in the head. Jolly good fun.” I lied with a half smile.

 

“Ah. Well it's getting late, your family will probably be home soon. I should go. Thanks again, today was nice.” He got up to leave and without thinking, I called out to him.

 

“Gabriel wait!”

 

“Hmm? Oh, you can hold the stone in case you want to use it again.”

 

“No, not that. I was going to ask where you're staying at.” I said, standing up and dusting the grass off my bum. He smiled again, I was beginning to like that smile.

 

“I'll be around, don't you worry.”

 

“But is it warm enough? Are you safe at all?” I considered asking him to stay with me, but then I remembered I was only a seventeen year old girl and I still lived with my parents.

 

“I'm fine. See you later, Ashtyn Montgomery who is without a boyfriend.”

 

I laughed and stared after him as he walked out the gate.