Gifted

Part 77: Self Love

"This is it! This has to be Jordan's dreamworld portal!" Casper said as we found the portal by the bus stop. We wasted no time running through it at top speed.

"I think we should have asked for Mr. Matthew's help. Maybe it would have been easier with more than one hunter with us." I said as we walked through the new dreamworld.

It resembled a long dark hallway. As we walked through it, lights flickered and faint screams could be heard. It almost looked like an old abandoned hospital. There were doors on either side of us, but Casper and I ignored them. I followed him down the hall where the end was not yet in sight.

"No way. That guy would only get in our way. Besides, he wouldn't have allowed you to come anyways." Casper said.

"Aren't you guys friends now?" I asked him. Casper laughed.

"Ewww no! He's like thirty and old. I don't care if he is a hunter, he's still a teacher. He and I share similar goals sometimes, that's all. We've teamed up a few times on some hunts, but that's it." he said. "I'll need him when the time comes to fight the Devil." Casper said.

"Fighting the Devil?" I asked. I wondered if Casper knew the truth about Alice.

"Yes. The Devil is supposed to attack the city soon, or at least according to Mr. Matthews. It's an extremely powerful demon. Mr. Matthews and I are both not powerful to take it on alone, so we've decided to work together. I'm not super psyched about it, but I guess it's better than fighting alone." he said.

"Casper..." I said. He stopped walking and turned to face me.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I feel like, everyone else is fighting but me. When I see you and Mr. Matthews and even Jordan, I feel so useless. Like, why am I even here? Even now, when we're going after Jordan, I'm just along for the ride. I'm not actually going to fight anything. I might even hold you back. Especially since I don't have any powers. Maybe I should have made a contract with Alice before we came here today." I said.

"Why would you want powers anyways?" Casper asked.

"Huh? Well, because everyone else has them!" I said. Casper laughed.

"Then that's all the more reason to not have them. Fitting in is so overrated, believe me. Remember in middle school when no one would sit with me? And then, Jordan came over and you guys started talking to me? If I had fit in from the very beginning then I wouldn't have made friends like you guys! I'd have a completely different group and I would have missed out on so much with you! So, stop looking up to people with powers so much. Abilities aren't everything. Someone can be super powerful and still be an asshole on the inside. You got to not only accept your own differences, but also appreciate them, and even love them." Casper said.

"You're right." I said. I felt bad for complaining to Casper, especially since, he was my only friend who had once completely understood how it felt to be alienated by society. I merely felt isolated because of my lack of ability, but Casper was once truly isolated for nothing more than his quiet personality. We both could comprehend the loneliness of being different.

"A contract is a serious thing. You won't get powers for free. Hunting demons is extremely dangerous. You should appreciate who you are now instead of trying to change. Sure, you might not have powers, but that's the only thing you lack. You have a family and friends that love you, and a future full of opportunity. You shouldn't trade all of that for a stupid reason like fitting in. It's not worth it."

"Casper. You're family would have been proud to hear you say something like that." I said. He smiled sadly.

"Becoming a demon hunter is a choice that shouldn't be made in an instant. You need to seriously think about it, and consider your options, and if you have any other choice, than you should definitely go with that instead." he said sadly. My heart sank. Jordan had told me about what happened to Casper's parents. "If there ever is a time where you feel the need to join the fight, then you'll be very lucky, because it will be completely your decision. You will already have put enough thought into it." he said. "You will always have a choice, Nora. Be thankful for that."