Nerissa swung her flute case absentmindedly. She had been out of it ever since what happened at that odd shop yesterday….What ever it was. Much to Nerissa's dismay she could only briefly remember the shop keeper and the trinket. She remembered leaving the shop and running into Cassidy on the way.
What ever happened between that time was escaping her and it bothered her to no end.
Tri lee tri lee tri lee lee lee. Tri loo tri loo tri loooo.
She played the song she had composed on her flute. She always turned to her flute when something was bothering her. Nerissa's music was the only thing that could calm the chaos that was her house hold, it was her only escape from her wacky family's loud antics, and it was her passion.
She was good at it. And most importantly it was normal.
Until Nerissa had met her four best friend's: Kadma, Cassidy, Halinor, and Yan Lin, she had never really felt as if she belonged. Some times she still didn't. She felt older than her years at times and she was certainly wiser. Her Nana said: 'Nerissa was an old soul.' 'A special girl who was going to go far.' In that animated Italian fashion of waving her hands in the air. Nerissa used to have premonitions and strange dreams when she was little. Until she picked up a flute in elementary school and had met her girl friend's, she never fit in. Now she was what they called an 'Infielder' at Heatherfield Institute.
"Beautiful Nerissa. Just beautiful." Her music teachers, Mr and Mrs Harris complimented.
The forty something year old couple rotated between the middle and high school teaching music and the marching band. They were a force to be reckoned with when they made music together. Nerissa admired the way their love for music made their relationship as a couple stronger. She wanted to find that kind of love one day as well.
"Is that the piece you plan on playing at the county level competition this year?" Mrs Harris asked.
"Yes ma'am it's my own."
Nerissa had been practicing the melody since the winter and had finally managed to turn it into a full blown song. The normal part of her told her: That she had written this out of her own pure talent. But the other part of her said: That this melody was more significant than that.
"It's called Nerissa's trill." Nerissa proudly explained.
"Well Nerissa it's beautiful and simple. Sure to stand out." Mr. Harris praised her.
Nerissa had been trying to move up to state level competition on her flute for the past year and was doing so swiftly but even in the local competitions Nerissa recognized everyone's game. They pulled out too many stops. All the bells, whistles, trills, and tricks that they could possibly play on their instruments they did. So Nerissa had decided to play a simple piece instead.
"Shall we run through it again?" Her teachers proposed.
As Nerissa began to play her melody, visions came to her. Strong ones.
Oh no not this! Not again. Nerissa thought, horrified.
She hadn't had premonitions or visions since she was little but if they were anything like what she remembered, she had absolutely no control over stopping it.
"Oracle can this not wait?" Tibor, the Oracle's right hand, questioned. "Are these young ladies even ready?"
The Oracle laced his fingers, letting his robe clad arms dangle in front of him.
"I am as worried as you are Tibor, but our threat grows stronger everyday. The heart of Kandrakar is restless inside Nerissa, and her friend's powers are blossoming as well."
The Oracle watched Nerissa play her flute, a look of distress on her face. She had always felt indifferent toward the powers that had lay dormant in her-he knew- for years now. Unlike Cassidy and Yan Lin who had secretly embraced theirs. Even utilized them long ago. As for Kadma and Halinor they would always be the most reluctant to accept their gifts. Both girls were intelligent and grounded. Not as imaginative as their air and water controlling friend's, but that would change very soon…
Nerissa gasped as she suddenly remembered what she had forgotten at the shop.
"I have to go!" She exclaimed, startling her instructors.
"Um sure Nerissa." Mr Harris agreed.
Without packing her flute or even bidding her music teachers goodbye, Nerissa grabbed her things and flute case and darted out of the school. The sun was just beginning to set and by the time she finished doing what she had to do the street lights would be on and her mother and father would yell at her, but that was just a risk she would have to take.