The Awakening

Chapter one: SAY OUR GOODBYES?

It was dark, somewhere after twelve-thirty a.m. I had just left night shift at work. I looked up at the full moon brightening up the cloudless night sky, everything seemed motionless as I walked down the dark alley ways of the streets.

Faint lights from apartment building windows illuminating the paths guiding me home, I was humming a song to myself when I heard a sound behind me, I stopped dead in my tracks and quickly spun around scanning the area with my eyes. "Hello...is someone there?" I turned back around after a few seconds and paced slowly, *clink*  a loud sound descended out of nowhere, then a dark shadow leapt out from behind a trash can, I shrieked then bit down on my tongue holding back the rest of the unsettling noise realising it was just a mangy old cat, it hissed at me running back to the alleyway to witch it had came from. I continued to walk on the pathway that led me home relieved, mumbling "stupid cat".

A gust of wind blowing out into North makes me face the other way, I notice an unusual figure in the far distance where the old stone bridge is. It looked like a man no older than me standing at the edge of the railing, the face he was making looked like he was contemplating whether to jump or not.

Sudden realisation hit me. I ran towards him rationally thinking I could stop him from jumping, "what're you doing?" I shouted, he turned to face me with his strangely beautiful violet eyes, his was gorgeous, I slowed to a stop with my last step I was only five feet away from him but something was off, I stopped for a moment, just staring at home wide-eyed, why was he...smiling? Not a sad smile but a happy one full of joy. He mouthed the words good-bye then leapt backwards off the bridge, I screamed and ran towards the railing hoping I could dive in and save him on time but I couldn't see him. He couldn't have hit the surface of the water that fast, there wasn't even any hint of a sound, was I hallucinating all of that?

*BEEP BEEP* I awoke to the alarm clock buzzing beside my left ear, I groaned and tossed the sheets to the side and struggled to sit up straight as I hit the snooze button on the clock, a dream huh, well that wouldn't be the first. I'm Tori Avery, seventeen years old, I've been having those weird dreams on and off ever since I turned seventeen six months ago.

I live by myself too, no relatives, my dad passed away when I was four years old, and my mum, well let's just say no one has heard from her since my fifteenth.

I make my way to the bathroom and look into the mirror, I notice I'm pale and sweaty, my messy pink bed hair and misty blue eyes doesn't exactly help with my complexion. Once I was done brushing out the knots in my hair and washed my face I get dressed and make my way out the door, grabbing my keys off the little chestnut brown table before I headed out the door.

Halfway to school I was walking along the foot path when I came across a little shrine for demons, weird who knew there was a shrine for demons I thought, stifling back a laugh. I was about to head off again when an old lady grabbed my arm and forced me down to her height, "you shouldn't disrespect the spirits of the shrine" she said, "um, excuse me?" I replied confused, "all I'm saying is that not everyone fears what they can see but what they cannot see..." She stated bitterly giving off bad vibes that sent chills down my spine, I hesitated for a moment then pulled my arm back standing up straight, I forced a little smile before I walked off. What was her problem?

Twenty minutes later I finally arrive at school with a few minutes to spare, I was at my locker digging around trying to find my books for first period, when one of the teachers had spotted me, oh no, "hello miss Avery, how are you doing?" She called cheerfully, "I'm fine miss..." I trailed off forgetting her name, I noticed she was as bright and cheerful as always, god, she could probably pass as the happiest teacher alive, I laughed at my own thought and she gave me a weird look. As the bell snapped me back to reality I hesitated a bit then quickly dodged the teachers last question and bolted straight for class.