Spirit

Closing the Distance

"Umm, no you din't!" Maddie said as she was trying to catch up with me.

"Umm, yes I did!" I replied, way ahead of her, trying to get to the warehouse to tell the others.

"Luke, stop!" Maddie blocked my way. "If you have truly found your spirit, I would've seen it. It would-"

"HE!" I interrupted.

"He?"

"Oh trust me, it's a he." I smiled.

"Luke, please. If you have found your spirit, it would've appeared in the real world, but it didn't."

I stopped, confused. I can't believe I got excited for nothing.

"Hey," Maddie said "don't think you didn't do anything. You just scared the shit out of me!"

"What do you mean?"

"When you sat down again, your eyes started shining bright blue. Avatar kind of shit. I tried to wake you, but you didn't even faze. My mid control abilities wouldn't work on you, and the air around you started to go out of control. I hit you twice with energy balls, I enjoyed that by the way, and that's when your eyes started going back to normal."

Wow. I can't believe I did that.

"Maddie, I thought I found my spirit because I had to search for it. Literally. I was in this forest, I swear it wasn't a dream, and I-"

"Wait." She interrupted. Her eyes were wide, scared wide. "Dark forest, tall trees, starry sky, all alone until you found our spirits?"

"Your spirits? No just mine."

"Oh God. We have to hurry back to the warehouse."

She started running. I ran after her.

"Hey! What's wrong?" I asked, barely being able to keep up.

"Isn't weird how we found you and took care of you out of nowhere? Haven't you ever thought of that?"

Actually, I haven't until now. But I didn't have time to think about it for so long, because the warehouse was under attack.

A giant spider, controlled by Leena, was shooting webs at the enemy casters, who were trying to light the warehouse on fire. A gorilla put its fists on the ground, and the whole earth shook under our feet, and two pillars came out under two other enemy casters and sent them flying away. Rob, I thought. Oliver's raven was attacking an eagle, scratching at it with it's claws, and throwing dagger-shaped feathers at it with it's wings. Jack's falcon was fooling the other casters and spirits by letting all the attacks pass through him, and then viciously plant his beak in them. Roy was on the back of his scorpion, standing at the door of the warehouse, sapping at anyone who dares approach it. 

At the sight of the scene, Maddie immediately lunged with her hyena by her side and started killing one enemy at a time. I stood motionless, not being able to attack with anything. Damn stun-guns not by my side when I need them! 

Apparently I didn't need one, because when one of our enemies saw me, he cried "RETREAT!". I was as surprised as the rest of the gang, but the one who called the order looked at  me and said: "This isn't the beginning, kid. You are." He smiled then ran away with the rest of his goons.

"I can't leave you guys for 2 hours without you getting attacked?" Maddie yelled as she started helping an injured Leena.

"Yeah thanks for appearing for 2 minutes Maddie, you really helped getting things under control." Roy mocked.

"We don't have time for this. We have something important to discuss. Actually two, now that something 'has begun' and related to Luke." Jack said, smiling at me.

"Why is this exciting? Oh oh! Before you answer! Speaking about exciting, I did something near Maddie just about half an hour ago."

"Eww, Luke! Too much information!"

An energy ball hit Jack in the gut. "Maddie!" I yelled. "Though you kinda deserve it." I murmured, looking at Jack.

After all the damages were taken care of, we sat down on the sofas, and Maddie told my 'not-finding yet finding' my spirit story. 

"Okay, what's so special about that forest?" I asked, feeling like an idiot.

"Luke, when we chose to get you out of the hospital, we didn't choose you randomly." Jack started. "We all had the same dream about that forest you were talking about. Our spirits were there. They told us about you, a lone spirit that needs help. We don't know why."

"It has to do something with me being the 'beginning'. But the beginning of what?"

 "I don't know Luke, but it can't be good, it has to be something really important, and dangerous. Because where you were, that forest, that was the Spirit World."

"The what now?"

"Where spirits live! Duh!"

"So you're telling me that every night, I go take a stroll in the Spirit World?"

"Woah woah woah!" Roy stopped me. "I thought you said just today."

"Umm, no. Every night, I have a dream about this forest, and-"

I just realized something. "I just had a daydream earlier, hadn't I?" I looked at Maddie.

"Well, it's more than a daydream, considering what your eyes did. You don't do that every night, do you? I mean, we would've noticed."

"Aaaargh, this is too much. Can we please just call it a day? And a night?" I complained.

We all agreed. I went upstairs and put my head on my pillow. Too much was happening in a short time. As usual, I felt like a mess. 

But something was different this time. I felt more... in control. I remembered seeing my spirit, my fox, just a while ago while I was in my trance. I saw him, just a glimpse of him, but I saw him. He wasn't bleeding. He wasn't in pain. He was standing strong in front of me, his tail slightly bigger than a normal fox. His bright blue eyes were piercing my very existence. That feeling was stronger than anything I felt.

Stronger than the pills.

I needed to do it again.

It was nighttime by the time I made that decision. I went outside without anyone noticing, went to the middle of the woods and closed my eyes. I reminded myself of everything I felt. Let it fill me up. 

I felt a slight tingle in my hands. 

What the...

I cupped my hands. A faint energy ball formed itself between them.