Twilight Shadows

Chapter 37

"Umm..." I looked into the stern gray eyes of the Headmaster, thinking of where to start. "Well, after we got out of Twilight territory... We opened up the scroll, and it showed pure light. We tried the Garden of Heaven, but it wasn't there. Instead, the Graveyard of Hell showed up..." I mumbled.

"The Garden of Heaven is gone?" The Headmaster gasped. "That's not good. That's really not good... Continue."

"So then I was trapped there myself, but I blasted my way outta there..." I kept on mumbling. "So since the Garden didn't work and the nymph wasn't there, we tried the ocean... But the Puppet Master was there. Noah got separated. We defeated the Puppet Master later on, and Joshua and I set out to the ocean. We discovered an ancient sea palace underwater, and a horde of monsters that shouldn't be alive were there. I don't know how they got there, but... They did."

"Hmm..." The Headmaster tapped his chin. I just noticed how worn out he looked, black shadows under his eyes, and his gray hair streaked with white. He looked pale, too. "There's only one book, but... That's not possible... It can't be..."

I didn't know what he was talking about, so I kept on talking. "After that, we all got separated. I was alone, Noah was gone, and Joshua ran off somewhere. I decided to return, and met the village leader Adoni just past the forest." I signaled to the dark forest beneath us through the window. "I..." 

"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" The Headmaster asked softly. Even under his weary condition, he could understand his students very well.

I sucked in a huge breath. "Yeah..." I exhaled. "I saved the village dragon who was poisoned, and he told me that I was the Healer... I didn't know what he meant by that, but journeying here, I realized that I was the nymph. That's... That's what the prophecy meant."

"What prophecy are you talking about?" Headmaster Dyson asked.

"Umm..." I began again. "When we were underwater and at the palace, I found a scroll containing a prophecy. I realized that I was the person the prophecy was describing, and... The verses just made sense after that."

Headmaster Dyson nodded thoughtfully, wrinkles and creases on his face becoming clearer to see. "So. You believe that you are the nymph."

"Yes." I answered confidently.

The Headmaster laughed, wheezing. I waited until he was done, a little confused. "You, are the Healer? You must be kidding me." The Headmaster laughed some more. I was baffled. 

"Wh-What do you mean sir?" I questioned. "I am the Healer."

"No, you can't be!" The Headmaster laughed. "The Healer must be somewhere behind you, just waiting. Stop joking with me. You can't be the Healer!"

By now, I was getting a little pissed off. I stood up abruptly, knocking over a flower pot on the Headmaster's desk. The Headmaster's laughs came to a stop. He stared at me.

"Stephanie Johnson," He said, his voice deadly soft. "You are going to have detention with me. Tomorro - "

I turned away from him, and to the flower pot that I knocked over.

"I am the Healer." I repeated, spitting each word with all the force I could muster. "And I will prove it to you right now. If you don't let me help you, you and all your Twilights will die. Fade. Let me help you, and maybe your sad little lives won't be that bad." I snapped at him. I know this was the Headmaster, but I didn't care now.

Without waiting for a reply, I concentrated on the flower pot, my hands glowing. I pointed a finger at the pot, and the beam of warm, golden light struck it, bringing the pieces back together. The flower pot itself with the now-very-healthy flower floated back to its place on the Headmaster's table.