The Sleeping Girl

Prologue: 500 years ago

"Keela," said Mother. "Tegan will awaken in eight years, at which place you will take her place. For five hundred years you will slumber, to draw out all of the natural magic of the world. You know this. You know that the Earth is a living pulsing thing, full of light magic that can only be channeled through the girl who bears the mark; the Sleeping Girl. But what you do not quite comprehend is that your slumber will leave its mark on you, and I am not talking about your physical one this time."

"What do you mean?" I asked, thoroughly confused, and sensing that the conversation had drifted away from the topic of Abel. 

"Without the Sleeping Girl, dark magic would take over the world," Mother replied. "Vampires, werewolves, evil sprites, dark faeries, witches, and so on. Without her, you, there is no strong power to whisk them away. Mostly dark magic is kept in check from the Girl's magic. From how we as members of society draw magic out of her, the magic that she channels from the Earth. We all work together, as we are mostly human."

I nodded; this is true. There are far more beings of dark magic than light in the world. Although 'tis true that we have a few good sprites, one or two light faeries, a couple sorcerers, for the most part our society is composed of humans. 

"Anyways, although our few magical beings have power, and we get power from the Girl, the Sleeping Girl is still by far the strongest being. The most powerful. Her sleep leaves her full of magic, of power. And whilst it fades the longer she is awake, it is still far more than anyone else has. Once you awaken, you will have to be a leader of sorts. Not the leader of society, but someone they can look up to. Someone to protect everyone, to take power and responsibility. Your life will be in no way easy, and I suppose we just want to protect you from it as long as possible."

"Keela?" says Tegan, jolting me out of my memory. "Are you okay? You went kind of distant for a bit there. There's really nothing to be worried of."

"No," I say softly. "I am fine. I was just remembering. Perhaps the memories will fade overtime, and I do not want that to happen. So I am remembering now, I suppose."

Tegan shakes her head. "I do not know about later in life, I guess I shall just have to wait and see. But my memories about my friends and family, about my life, have not faded with my slumber. I am still seventeen, I suppose."

"That's good to know," I say, smiling a little. "I will be glad to not wake up an old lady. Although when one thinks about it, 'tis actually rather creepy to think that my body will be frozen in time for the next  five hundred years. That I'll look just a girl when I'm actually a many greats grandmother."

Tegan laughs slightly. "You will not be. At least, in my opinion. I mean, I do not believe myself to be that old. Now that I've awoken, I will continue aging just the same as regular mortals, and I will eventually die, just like regular mortals. Same goes for you. I believe that right now I am seventeen years old, the same as I was five hundred years ago. I just took a nap, and as of one week ago, will now continue my life as a regular girl. Or regular society super powerful Girl, anyhow."

Tegan woke up one week ago. One week is the period of relief time between slumbers, when the power from the previous Girl carries over for just enough time for the one who has just awakened to tell the one who will soon slumber what to expect, what will happen, what being Sleeping Girl really is. And then the next Girl must to go sleep.

I nod. "Super powerful is correct, Tegan. I just hope the world can handle you."

"I hope they can handle you."

We stand in silence for a few moments, and I sense the conversation has died. I am here, I am ready. There is no use in delaying the inevitable any longer.

I look around the clearing, trying to get used to the feel of it. The Sleeping Girl must always sleep in a site of nature, or else she cannot reach the magic of the Earth. She can be moved- necessary as our society has to move around sometimes- but she can never be away from the soil of nature for more than one day; twenty four hours. This clearing is where Tegan woke up, and where I shall fall asleep.

I sit down on the moist ground, extending my legs in front of me, twirling a lock of blonde hair around my finger, a nervous habit I have. I realize that I am stalling for time. I am afraid. I do not want to go to sleep just yet, am not ready to leave my life behind.

Yet I must be.

I smooth my skirt a few times, rake my fingers through my hair. I stretch my arms up, one last time. Then, I lean back, placing my hands together beneath my head. My eyelids have never seemed heavier as I struggle to keep them alive, struggle for one last glimpse of the world. But the Earth is humming a sweet tune, a lilting tune for my ears only. I cannot resist its pull much longer. I will not try. I will embrace my fate.

"Have sweet dreams, Keela," says Tegan. I close my eyes and let sleep take me.

A/N- I hope you liked the prologue! This is my first story on wattpad. The prologue is short, but the rest of the actual chapters will be longer. Please vote and comment if you liked it :)