Chapter 1 – Memories of Someone Else

I just finished Latin class and raced outside to my car. Today I needed to pick up Ashley and I wasn't going to be late. If we timed it right we could get some alone time and hang out. I rushed past the dormer's hall and onto the sophomore/junior parking lot. I found my car and threw my bags in the back. I climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. All I could think about was finally getting time to hang out with Ash alone. Pulled out onto Washman Avenue and headed towards her school. It was mid-November and cold, so I was shivering. My car began to heat up and I loosened up.

"Thanks," I said to my car, jokingly.

I arrived at St. Matthew's School for Girls and saw Ash waiting outside the front doors for me. It was kind of annoying though because I had to go all the way around the school to get to her. The street system had a serious flaw in it. I drove around the school slowly considering the amount of high school girls running to their cars. It would probably not be too good if I hit one of them. Slowly but surely I moved around to the front of the school.

I pulled up next to where Ash was standing and she loaded her stuff into the car with a smile on her face. She moved around to the passenger's seat and climbed in.

"Hey, John," she said and leaned in to give me a kiss.

"Where are we going?" I asked and kissed her.

"My mom just texted me that her grandpa's dying," she said. "Can we swing by to see him really quick and then we'll head to my house."

"Yeah," I said. "You okay? Dying sucks."

"No kidding, but yeah I'm fine," She said with a smile. "He's at his house on Mason Avenue a couple of blocks from my house."

I shrugged and pulled out of the St. Matthew's parking lot and back out onto Washman. I knew Mason was the next right and went that way. I asked Ash how her day was and the usual conversation followed. Before I knew it she said, "That's it." We pulled up and walked into a house to find an old man lying on a bed with Ash's mom and dad sitting by his bed. The man waved us over, and I heard him faintly ask Ash's mom and dad for privacy. I turned to go with her parents, but the man began waving.

"No," he said, in a croaking tone. "You need to hear this, too."

I walked back over and stood next to Ash.

"So you're Ashley's boyfriend?" He asked.

"Yes, sir," I said.

"I trust you're happy with him?" he asked Ash.

"Yes," she said.

"Good," he said and half sighed, half coughed. "There's something the two of you need to know. The two of you and no one else, do you promise to keep this secret?"

I looked at Ash and she looked at me. She gave me the look that said, I have no idea what this is about but please go with it.

"Yes," we said.

"Good," he coughed. "The Event is coming up, and I can't fight anymore. You need to go and take my place. It is tradition for two people to take this task. But when my wife died it was left to me. The two people are always male and female and are eternally betrothed as soon as they take the task."

"Grandpa," Ashley started. "We're only sixteen…"

"Just listen, please," he coughed. "You two share an aura. You are meant to be together. Beside the point, you need to do this. Otherwise, you leave the fate of this world to chance. There are more instructions in the desk in my study. Along with this final act…"

He reached forward for me with one hand and gestured for me to kneel. I did so, and he touched my forehead. I felt a load of memories flow into my mind. One memory stuck into my head. I watched an old woman walk forward to a sleeping girl in her bed. She touched the girl on the head and the girl shook for a moment. The woman went limp, and I rushed involuntarily towards her. I caught her before she fell and looked up. On the dresser in the corner of the room were blocks that spelled out "Ashley". I gasped and came back to my normal vision. The man's hand went limp, and I caught it.

"I understand," I said, looking at the dead body.