Predestined

Predestined - Chapter 1(2nd draft)

Chapter 1

The dream started the exact same way it had numerous times before. I was standing in the middle of a vast lush field; the grass was the colour of vibrant green emeralds. The whole scene looked surreal but I wasn't shocked as I'd seen it before. Everything was so quiet, calm and relaxing. I gazed up into the sky to watch the glorious sunset unfold before my eyes. It was a magnificent show, the sky seemed to glow with an orange so intense it resembled flames licking the sky. Then as if by the flick of a switch, the sky was black and was speckled with luminescent stars shining brightly. I slowly lowered myself to the floor and laid back to watch the night sky in all its magnificence. I gazed for some time before my eyes began to sting a little and also became unfocussed. I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose to try and relieve some of the pressure I could also feel.

The silence was suddenly broken by the sound of incoming footsteps. The approach was very quiet but it was extremely noticeable because of the lack of sound prior to it. I tilted my head back reluctantly, dreading whatever was intruding in my dream. I say intruding because in all the times I've had this dream, never before have I ever seen another person here. My dream was different and I had a sense of foreboding. Something about the dream felt completely different to how it had played out before. I was both worried and intrigued by this mystery figure walking towards me. I took a deep breath and gradually pulled myself into a sitting position. I turned my body so I could try and see the entity more clearly but I found I couldn't focus on them correctly. The figure seemed to be blurry, almost as if they were veiled in a cloud of smoke or something. I blinked trying to clear my eyes but it didn't help. They remained painful and sore, almost seeming to throb in rhythm to my heartbeat. It wasn't unbearable but I'd guess I'd call it more of a discomfort than an outright pain. The figure was now mere footsteps away from me, so I rolled onto my hands and knees and proceeded to push myself up into a standing position. The figure stopped a foot or so away from me, clouded in a nondescript aura of shadows yet I wasn't afraid. In fact a feeling of warmth, security and love washed over and through me. Suddenly I felt dizzy and tingly; my entire body was flooded with the sensation of pins and needles. I dropped to my knees gasping for breath through the unfamiliar feeling that engulfed me.

'Fear not my child. This is your destiny' the voice whispered tenderly against my ear, gently soothing me.

'Who are you?' I managed to get out between breaths. Suddenly before I knew what was happening, my back seemed to erupt into an overwhelming, excruciating pain. The agony began in-between my shoulder blades at the top of my back, and it felt as if where the trail of pain lead, fire was following it. Gradually the pain wrapped itself up over my shoulders and met in the centre of my chest mere inches below my collar bones. When the two opposing sides of pain collided together I gasped in agony, it felt as though my chest was going to explode, so much pressure seemed to build although I knew it must have been in my mind. The Burning feeling remained but the sharper pain that inflicted me moments before began to recede, and I could breathe again. My breathing slowly became more regular, and with each breath I took, the burning sensation became more bearable. My eyes still felt sore and I still couldn't focus properly but I was glad to be rid of the intense pain I felt previously.

'Well, I guess you could call me a messenger for all intensive purposes. I am here to deliver a message to you Raven' she replied in a melodious sing-song kind of way.

'Wait, how do you know my name? Why are you here? What's happening to me?' I spoke slowly trying to be as clear and coherent as I could possibly manage. I began to strain my eyes, trying to see through the haze around the so called "messenger" and still couldn't make out any distinguishable features. The messenger was definitely female; the voice was a dead giveaway. Way too feminine to be a man's voice. It was so odd. What was wrong with me? I should be able to see her. Everything else was a little blurry but the figure; I just couldn't focus on her at all. It was as if she was inside of shadows but that didn't make any sense at all.