Don't Turn Away

Prologue

          A dull glow emitted ahead, partially hidden by the deep undergrowth and thick walls of oak trunks, stretching on as far as the eye could see-- the only light there was at this hour. No moon shone, no stars glimmered above, no creatures chattered overhead, no birds chirped, no squirrels bounded-- all was still. It was as if not a single life was amongst the forest's leaves, entangled in its roots.
          Suddenly, a boy stepped into the soft, silent light. He seemed to be uncertain of where he was, but not afraid in his dark and silent surroundings. He glanced around. He felt he had seen this place before. If not for real, then in a dream.
          His quick steps were muffled by the soft grass underfoot, the cool summer night's breeze gently blowing past. One step by one, he grew nearer to the light, uncertain of what he would find, but curious all the same.  
          Then, he stopped, dead in his tracks. The light was very close now, but no more than the light you'd find shining from a small number of candles. He took one final step forward, and instantly knew what he was facing.
          It was a man. Old, yes, but his deep green eyes held more wisdom than which the boy had ever seen. He had no hair upon the top of his head, but his snowy beard reflected the soft gentle glowing of his staff, which was as tall as he was, made of an old, gnarled branch of an oak tree similar to the ones surrounding the beings, now face to face, but much, much bigger. A small glowing orb of pure light floated silently above the top of the old man's staff, which seemed to light up the whole of the small clearing the two stood silently in.
          The boy's eyes lit up upon inspecting the man's face closer, recognizing him from many, many years before.
          "Lusious!" The young boy stood in disbelief at seeing his old friend. "I haven't seen you in what feels like centuries! How have you been? Gosh, I have so much to tell you about what I've been--" Lusious's hand rose in a calming manner. "What is it?" The boy paused, clearly confused at what Lusious's had called him here for.
          Lusious sighed. "Well, you didn't exactly think I brought you all the way here to have a friendly conversation, now did you?"
          The boy shook his head.
          "As I thought. Now while that would be nice," Lucious motioned the boy to sit in the grass along with him. "I unfortunately do not have the time or desire to put the whole of the mortal world in that kind of danger by procrastinating and wasting precious time." He grabbed his staff from where it lay on the ground and began to wave it in the cool night air, a picture beginning to appear.
          "I have had a vision." Lusious began to speak, then he sat still, no longer swirling his staff. "And I believe it has something to do with you."
          The boy sat in shock. I haven't been important to anyone up to now, his thoughts swirled in his mind. Why would I be important now?
          "Lusious, you know me. I am not even fully human, nor am I fully a magical being. You know how difficult it is for me, trying to hide in plain sight in the mortal world. If you've had an important vision, it must not have anything much to do with me." He sighed quietly. "Lusious, I'd love to help, but I'm afraid that I'd fail. I can barely manage to look after myself without getting caught by anyone, let alone carry out a full-on mission. Isn't this a lot of pressure?"
          Lusious's response was a sympathetic smile. "Listen, child. I do not get to choose who does what. I am only a messenger. I get sent the prophecies in the forms of visions by the Ancients. It is my job to relay them to you, not interfere with what I've been told. If they believe you can do it, then I do, too." He chuckled, almost to himself. "And frankly, you should believe in yourself as we all do."
          The boy sat still, thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged. "Okay, but it depends. I at least need to know what I'm doing before I take a leap back into that place."
          Lusious stood. "Okay, fair enough." He began to wave his wand again. "Watch as the vision appears. Do not speak. It may interfere with my thoughts, which could in turn mess with what is shown here."
          It was the boy's turn to stand now. Nodding he signaled to Lusious that he wouldn't say a word.
          Then, almost in a blur, Lusious's thoughts skimmed across the small projection of light which was lighting up, almost like a screen. One by one, different images flashed from one side to the next, until finally one stayed.
          There was an image of a girl, no older than the boy most likely. She was standing on a thin wire, almost like a piece of yarn. On either side were two different pools of water, one light and one dark. There was a strong wind, which was pushing her toward the dark pool, and she wasn't fighting it. It seemed as if she were asleep, but her eyes were open and she was standing. There were no signs of her knowing her position and the major problem of which she faced-- falling most likely hundreds of feet into the dark pool below.
          The boy was confused at this point, but even more so when all of a sudden, a huge gust of wind, stronger than anything the boy had ever seen, pushed the girl into the dark water. She at this point was conscious, screaming and attempting to swim out of the shadowy depths, but there was no escape for her. She thrashed and kicked, but it seemed as if the water was sucking her into itself, as if it were attempting to swallow her.
          The boy watched this, horrified. His hands were shaking in fear for the girl. He went to tell Lusious to end the vision, but remembered that he shouldn't talk, so he decided to just watch the poor girl's unfortunate fate and get it over with.
          Suddenly, a being that looked so gentle and kind, yet brave and determined, grabbed the girl by her outstretched hand, the only thing not submerged, and lifted her with ease out of the beastly waves, saving her from her death and gently carried her with comforting arms over to the light pool, which was shallow and calm and warm. The girl at this point seemed so relieved and happy to be out of the grasp of the dark pool and settled happily into the light one.
          The vision was fading, with the images first becoming blurry, then fading altogether. The boy could by now see the grass below the vision, and he stood, motionless, gaping at what he had just seen.
          "W-what..." He stammered, still staring blankly at the ground, "What did that mean...?" He looked up, a mixture of horror, relief and wonder in his eyes. "And what did it have to do with me?"
          Lusious shook his head, most likely trying to clear it after witnessing that nightmare a second time over. "Well, my boy." He sighed. "I believe you are that spirit that saved the girl from the dark waters. You are the one who will save her on Earth."
          The boy focused and pondered this for a moment. Then, he finally decided, "Alright, Lusious. I will do this, if not for my own self then for the girl. If she is destined to suffer any kind of fate similar to what we have witnessed here, then I would not be the one to let her. Just one thing," he held his finger up in a questioning manner, "What kind of trouble is she in? What is the symbolism? What exactly do I need to save her from?"
          Lusious's expression became even more serious, if possible. "I can't tell you. That is for you yourself to find out. If I were to tell you, I may as well go down there and save her myself. You must be the hero here and go save her. Believe in yourself, and all will go well." He paused then added, "I wouldn't choose anyone else for this mission.
          The boy nodded solemnly. Suddenly, he ran up to Lusious and gave him a huge hug. "Thank you," he whispered quietly. "Thank you for believing in me."
          With that, the boy exchanged a farewell with Lusious, and as he began walking away, the old man shouted, "I believe in you, Lion!"