The nightmare always ended the same way.
Samuel Anderson stood in the middle of fifth Street, smoke curling through the dawn-Light like Fingers reaching for something already Lost. Springfield Stretched around him In every Direction but It was not the Springfield he knew. The Capitol Dome had Caved inward. Cars Lay overturned and Charred along the Curbs. And the bodies were stacked in the Intersection like firewood
Limbs Tangled, faces frozen In expressions
That Samuel would never be able to forget upon waking up. Then the Voice came. Low.
Ancient. Patient. Find me. It did not shout.
It never shouted. It simply pressed against the inside of his skull like a Thumb Testing the Ripeness of Fruit, Samuel would feel
His legs move toward the Pile of Corpses, as
If of their own accord. Something was buried Beneath them, something Bound In Leather and Humming with a Frequency that made his Teeth ache. And the voice spoke again,
Find me. Samuel had woken up gasping.
His sheets were damped from sweat, his
Heart was slamming against his Ribs.
Sunlight sliced through the blinds of his
Small bedroom. Reddish carpet was
Sprawled across Samuel's bedroom floor.
Downstairs In the kitchen had been Karen Anderson, Samuel's mother. After Karen finished making her coffee, she had turned
Around to face the kitchen Table, where
The letter resided. A soft sigh escaped From Karen's pink Lips, Karen knew that it was
Selfish but...she had hoped that Samuel
Would be like her and his father, Jason.
Magicless. It would seem that fate had
Other plans for her son, upstairs in Samuel's
Bedroom. He had pressed his palms against his eyes until his Pulse slowed. He had
The same nightmare for three months
Now, and he is determined to find out
Why...eventually, for now...he has the first
Day at the academy to worry about today.
Samuel swung his long legs over the side of the bed to stand up, Samuel was tall for
His age. Standing slightly over Six-Foot-One
He had short black hair and Light Brown eyes
He had Fair, Caucasian skin. His Jawline was
Well-defined. He had been about fourteen
Years old, after Samuel had changed into
A simple White T-shirt and Light Blue Jeans
He'd left his bedroom. The hallway's walls
Were lined up with pictures of Samuel and
Karen, and of other people that he didn't
Quite remember. Upon reaching the last
Step, his Light Brown eyes flickered into
The Kitchen. There sat Karen at the kitchen Table. Her medium Length, pale blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her Light Brown eyes didn't flicker up at him. They
Remained locked on the letter that resided
On the kitchen Table, her Light Blue T-shirt Had Clung to her Slender Figure. She wore
Light Blue Jeans, she was around forty years old. She had Fair, Caucasian skin. She wore
Heart-shaped earrings on both of her ears.
Samuel's eyes Flickered down to the letter,
The Cream-Colored envelope had already wrinkled at the corners from how many times
He had unfolded and Refolded the page inside, the seal was a tower wrapped in silver flame that still shimmered faintly when
The Light caught it. Springfield Magic Academy cordially extends its invitation, the letter had said. Samuel had read It Forty times. He could recite It from Memory, and today was his first day. Samuel walked into
The kitchen, he pulled out a wooden chair
Right across from Karen. Immediately, her
Light brown eyes Flickered up to meet his.
"How do you feel?" Karen's voice was soft,
But Samuel could hear the faint tremor.
"I...feel excited, and nervous." Samuel admitted. "You have no reason to be nervous" Karen told Samuel, her voice was
Soft, warm. "How can you say that...? So
Many incredible Magic users will be there.."
"I know. And you will be one of them."
How could she say that about me? I'm not
That impressive. I am unable to do fire magic
Without it blowing up in my face...and
Judging by the look on Karen's face, and
How tightly her lips were pressed together.
Samuel Is going to assume that she knew
What he was thinking, somehow. "I can tell
By your face, that you don't believe me
When I told you that You will be one of those
Incredible magic users..." Samuel's eyes flickered away, a soft but sad sigh escaped From Karen's pink Lips. "Sweetie..."
The medium-sized clock on the wall, above the TV in the living Room began to ding.
Shit! 9:00! Samuel thought to himself, he
Knew that if he didn't hurry, he would miss
The bus. In the living Room, on the couch
Lay his Light Blue bag. It had already been
Packed with clothes, notebooks, a flashlight
And tucked into the inner pocket was a photograph of him and his mother Karen
Standing In front of their house on Ash Street. The bus had arrived at 9:15. It looked ordinary from the outside, a standard yellow school Bus idling at the corner of Ash and Monroe. As Samuel stepped onto the bus
He held up his letter, the bus driver, a Heavyset woman with Medium Length Caramel-Colored hair and Warm brown eyes
Scanned through his letter. After a minute,
"Welcome aboard" the woman said, her voice was warm. The bus had been Half-Full, some
Of the kids were older than him while some
Were his age. They were wearing the exact
Expression that he'd wore as he spoke to
His mom. Excitement mixed with Nervousness, Samuel had slid into an empty
Seat near the middle. He'd set his Light Blue Bag on his Lap, a girl across the aisle managed to catch his eye. A smile Played
Upon her Pink Lips. Her Long, Light brown hair was pulled back In a loose braid.
Her chocolate brown eyes seemed to hold
Mischief. if she were to stand upright, she'd stand about Five-Foot-six. She had Fair, Caucasian skin. Hanging down from her
Neck had been a silver cross necklace.
She had been around Fourteen years old,
Her Bright Pink T-shirt Had Clung to her
Athletic build. She wore Light Blue Jeans,
She wore two Diamond-shaped earrings on both of her ears. "First year?" Her voice was soft. Kind. "Yeah, you?" Samuel asked,
"Yep!" The young woman grinned, she extended her right hand across the aisle
"Elena Vasquez!" The now, named Elena Vasquez said, her grin never faltering.
His right hand met hers, "Samuel Anderson"
The Handshake was firm and Brief. "You look
As though, you slept about as well as I did"
Samuel let out a small, genuine chuckle as he asked, "That obvious?" Elena nodded as
She Responded, "a Little bit" she tilted her
Head slightly, "bad dreams?" Elena asked,
"...something like that. You?" Elena froze, her grin faltering. Samuel tilted his head to the
Right slightly, his eyebrows furrowing in
Concern. "You okay?" Elena snapped out
Of it as she nodded, "Y-Yeah! I'm Perfectly okay!" That didn't look okay Samuel thought to himself. Springfield rolled past the windows, familiar streets, familiar storefronts.
The ordinary world he had known for Fourteen years. And beneath It all, Beneath the rattle of the Bus and the Murmur of nervous and excited students, Samuel had felt it again. Faint. Patient. Waiting. Find me.
Samuel had closed his eyes and said nothing.