This is Normal

one

Stars shine brightest in the darkness, and all stars must fade away. One day I'll have to succumb to darkness, and be lost in the void of time. It's lonely. It hurts. I want to cry out for help. But, today isn't my day to fade away. So why do I feel like my light is getting snuffed out rather than burning brighter than before?

"Close your eyes. Count to three. Breathe in, breathe out. Who do you see?"

"Nobody. I don't see anything, doc. And it's kind of hard to focus when you have me turned upside down in midair."

Lying has never been my strong suit but, trapped in a tiny room with my worst enemy forces me to at least try. If I'm going to be honest with myself, it isn't the floating that's freaking me out or making my mind wander. It's the fact that in here I can't guess at the outcome, and I have no say in deciding my fate.

I turn my head as Doctor Norwood sighs and jots down more notes about God knows what. I can feel the frustration radiating off of her despite the pleasant smile on her face. Even though this is suppose to be our last session together, she's been trying her hardest to convince me I need to come back for more. Norwood promised me last time if I really opening up to her, she'd sign the paperwork I needed to get out of this mental dungeon. Instead, it landed me another look at her wrinkled face and disapproving glare, a big mistake.

Figures. I should've know better than to trust an imp with my secrets.

"Danielle. You do know the more you fight the process, the harder it is for me to help you, right?" Every word is punctuated by silence, making me feel like a kid. It's not like I don't understand why I'm in counseling. I just don't care either way! She can't force me to talk.

"It's a joke that's why!" I roll my eyes as she leans into me, eyes sparkling behind her huge rimmed glasses. It's like I'm a tiny mouse trapped by an owl. A little, magical, prison guard of an owl at that.

"A joke? I don't think so young lady. You have been displaying odd behavior since you were a child but, your mother and I looked past it to spare you from the Council's prying eyes and wrath. Now you're an adult. Things are different now Dani—"

"Danielle."

"...Danielle." She scoffs as she says my name, "Danielle, you must remember your duty to your line. A Gatekeeper stands in between destiny and chaos. She must preserve the balance of good and evil, right and wrong, and the Land of Gray between and within the Sea of Time."

"Blah. Blah. Blah," I cut into her speech before she keeps droning on about all that nonsense, "Like I said, it skipped me. Sure I can see how well I'll do on a test here and there , but trust me when I say I don't have powers like my sisters or my mom. Especially not my mom," my reply doesn't seem to go over well with her.

Norwood twirls her pointer finger in a "no-no" motion in response, making more notes I'm now convinced is just a series of doodles until I break. I turn away from her the best I can and gaze into the dark sea of stars before me, shaking my head so my braids stop whipping at my cheeks. It's strange, always, the feelings that wash over me in the Sea of Time. The gentle lull of voices and noises and the snippets of moments across history would almost be soothing, if I were here of my own free will.

Every little speck is a memory, a past, a desire, a future that splits into infinite possibilities. Im there too. Here, as a person, there as who I was and who I might become. The only difference between me and the others is that I'm in charge of guiding them to their full potential, and pointing out the bad apples and wrong paths. Or so they say I'm suppose to be, a shepherdess. I've inherited nothing from my bloodline other than bad luck and a penchant for guessing lottery numbers I couldn't cash in on till this year.