Questioning Magic



  Questioning Magic

  The Opening Magic Saga

  Book One

  By Benjamin J Haynes

  Copyright 2016 Benjamin J Haynes

  A word of thanks,

  To all the people who managed to read the original book regardless of its multitude of problems. I wrote it originally when I was twelve and released it unedited in my early twenties. Now at the age of twenty-seven I am re-releasing it edited as thanks to the readers. Though I may not be the most qualified to edit it even now at my current age, I like to think that after much reworking of the book changing many, many mistakes I feel much more proud to release this book and move forward with the others in the series. So thank you again from the bottom of my heart for not only taking the time to read the original but for reading it in it new edited form and I hope that it is much less messy and full of mistakes.

  Chapter: 1

  Precogni- What?

  "Hello?” He sat there in the darkness hoping for an answer. When one did not come he continued “Is anyone there?” Again he paused hoping that someone, anyone would speak up and alleviate his fears. “Come on” Begging now. “Whoever you are this isn’t funny!" scared and angrily shouting and turning his head first one direction then another in the tomb-like darkness that completely surrounded him. It seemed to muffle his voice and reverberate his fear all at once.

  It felt like he had been running for hour's endlessly wandering, searching for something or someone though he didn’t know exactly where to or what he was running from exactly. He didn't even know how he got where he was or when he had arrived at this place. The earthy and woodsy smell of the forest was all he recognized. A few times he recalled having stumbled into the occasional stray branch or bush, and these signs were his only clue of his current whereabouts. There were also many terrifying eyes in the darkness now, all staring back at him as he searched for something familiar; glowing eye’s each seeming to be different colors or different shades of colors, all around him, laughing in such a painfully dark way, that every snarling chuckle or snicker he heard was like a hot poker to his ears. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t even think. The darkness seemed to get darker with every moment that passed getting colder, it was all around him and other then the eyes it was all he could see or feel now, just an empty darkness ever expanding. They were getting closer, these dark terrifying things with glowing eyes, laughing louder all sounding more excited as they got closer to him, their movements seemingly as silent as the darkness itself. Something rushed out and hit him square in the chest knocking him to the hard cold leaf covered forest floor, where he lay stunned and terrified more now than he ever thought possible. It was now on him, holding him down with inhuman strength the whole time laughing in that dark evil tone, pressing harder on his body, and arms the more he attempted to struggle, the more he fought to free himself, the more it seemed to pin him down with ease. Then just as quickly as the first one had gotten him onto the ground and subdued him the rest of the horrific unknown creatures pounced on him, biting him and digging their fangs deeply into his flesh and muscle wherever they could find flesh to pierce, and soon they began to drain away his life ruthlessness and with ease.

  “Ahti” she shook him and spoke softly but firmly “Ty please wake up!” he heard the familiar voice yelling at him almost as if striking his eardrums like a hammer pounding in a nail and the source of the voice was shaking his body in a considerably violent manner now.

  “Mom could you please calm down” He gently pushed her hands away from his shoulders “I’m awake now. So you can stop freaking out already?” He said dryly to his mother firmly pushing her further away from him as she sat up straight and unfurrowed her brows a bit.

  “Are you sure you’re ok Ty?” She asked obviously worried “You were yelling in your sleep, even louder than you usually do.” She protested trying not to let too much worry take hold of her voice as she spoke to her son.

  He groaned loudly “Just go mom” pausing a moment to ground himself “Please” he begged her with a hint of both guilt and annoyance reflected in his eyes “let me wake up a little and I will come eat with you after I get some clean clothes on. Would that be ok?”

  Nodding although a little hesitant, his mother walked out without speaking another word though she chanced quick glance back at him with eyes that seemed to pulsate with the worrying mind behind them. Rubbing his eyes to rid himself of the sleep in them Ty sat up groggy but still very tired either from over sleeping or restless sleep regardless he knew he was exhausted. He was shirtless, and damp with sweat from the terrifying dream, the cold air of the evening from his open window hit him hard and froze him to his core bringing back the images of his dream but only very briefly. As he always seemed to do each year at this time he had slept in longer than he desired, it was almost dark outside now as the sun was slowly setting in the distance. Every year as far back as he could remember for the past eighteen years he had the same nightmare, and every year the nightmare grew more and more vivid seeming almost real, more terrifying, and even more painful.

  For eighteen years now he had lived in this house in the woods and had been unable to see anything beyond the dense woods around his home. His mother was the one who taught him most of the things he knew, such as math, literature, and science. She didn’t like anything technological such as computers, TV’s, gaming systems, or any of the newer more technologically advanced cars. From his twelfth birthday on he seemed to get some new kind of “Mind numbing device” as she had always called them, from his father whom he had never met in person or exchanged words with in any form. The first thing he had gotten was a computer with a satellite for internet with his first birthday card that said in elegant writing “Happy Birthday Son” and nothing else.

  Ty quickly figured out how to set the computer and satellite dish up, and by the end of the night six years ago he made his first friend on his first online computer game. Her name was Valentine; he met her on a massive multiplayer online game he had stumbled upon when he was surfing the internet and trying to figure out how everything worked. Val as she had told him to call her spoke to him every single day via game chat or emails, especially on his birthdays. His mother being ever vigilant in protecting him and hiding where they were located kept a close eye on him when he spoke with Val and made him promise to never tell Val where they lived.

  Val had asked a few times where he lived and every time he had just told her as his mother had instructed him “Middle of nowhere, and that’s all I can tell you Val.” Two nights ago though Ty’s mother was deep asleep in the other room after a long day of chores while Ty was online and Val was persistent even more now than ever before, insisting this year that she wanted to meet him in person and possibly further their relationship. He had fallen in love with her over the years, enjoying her sense of humor and how she spoke to him so sweetly and openly about everything and his teenage hormones took over that night. Ty gave her his address quickly, while listening for any signs of his mothers’ movements before logging off the game as his mother in the living room woke up with a loud snort.

  Today like he usually did, he logged on even before he put on any clothes, anxious to talk to her and to see how the plans were going for their meeting. Strangely she was not online waiting for him like she was every birthday as long as he had known her. The usual gift of one million gold was in his game inbox, but she was nowhere to be found, in the game itself or the games forums. So Ty logged out and tossed on some jeans and grabbed a t-shirt out of his dresser before heading into the kitchen thinking that she would probably be on later to give him her birthday wishes and the details of how they would soon meet each other.

  His mom was filling a glass with soda as he walked in; she looked at
him with worried eyes bordering on tears for some strange reason. As if seeing him for the first time she took in his every detail of his features, from his messy medium length brown hair with natural strawberry blonde highlights that he inherited from his father, to the soft cheekbones he got from her, and the blue-green eyes he had also gotten from his father. Ty had stubble on his prominent strong jaw and ever so slightly cleft chin. His long neck led to his broad shoulders and well toned torso that he developed from years of working outside chopping wood and other strenuous tasks which accompanied life in such a remote wooded area. He was just pulling his shirt over his head when he noticed her staring at him in such an odd manner.

  Shaking his head he walked up and hugged her tightly in his toned arms with a broad reassuring smile “I am fine mom, it’s no different than any other birthday I promise. It was just a dream, like every other birthday I’ve had.” He reassured her sounding as sure and honest as possible though he knew he couldn’t fool her let alone himself.

  Ty was 5’10” which was about a head taller than his mother, so when he hugged her she was pressed to his chest. She hugged him back tightly, holding him for a few seconds longer before partially releasing him to arm’s length saying “I know you are ok, but I have to talk to you about something when you’re done eating. It’s very important but it should wait until you’ve eaten something first.”

  She finally let go of him after yet another tight hug and he sat down at the table and began attacking the homemade pepperoni pizza with gusto. A few slices later he noticed the small brown box sitting in the middle of the table. It was his birthday present from his father, adorned as it was every year, unwrapped and lightly taped shut. For several years Ty had tried to pry some form of information about his father out of his mother, to no avail of course. The most he could get out of her was when she had slipped and said “Every year, a new dumb device, but not a word as to when it’s all going to be safe again,” when he received his x-box and some games a year ago on his birthday.

  When he reached for the box, his mother pulled it away from him quickly to his surprise, and set it on her lap where he could not easily reach it. She had never acted like that before, and though she always hated the presents his father sent him she had never behaved in such a profoundly strange way, towards him or the present. Shrugging it off Ty thought it was a combination of her worry about his dream, and her dread of whatever the new gift may be this year. Sitting up straight hoping to gain some brownie points for his posture, which she constantly nagged him about when she caught him slouching, he noticed what looked like a letter sitting behind his mother on the counter. He was unable to make out the details of the letter, but he did recognize the handwriting as being that of his father, he choked on a piece of pepperoni, and then took a drink of his soda to wash it down.

  “What’s the note about?” he asked his mother pointing to it, with his glass still in his hand.

  She didn’t respond at first, his mother just looked down at the brown box fiddling with it peeling a corner of the tape then pushing it back down repeatedly until she finally spoke saying “I will tell you when you’re done eating.” Then putting the box next to her on the floor and instead fidgeting with a fingernail.

  Ty stood up so suddenly that he knocked over his chair and almost spilled the remaining contents of his glass on the clean linoleum floor “You act like everything that has to do with dad is unimportant, you try to put off talking about him like it’s nothing, as if he doesn’t actually matter, or as if you don’t care!” he shouted letting his rage get the better of him.

  She followed suit knocking over her own chair, tears flowing freely from her eyes now, yelling in return “It’s not something I can talk to you about Ty.” She hesitated looking down at the brown box now grasped tightly in her hands again as her knuckles turned white from the pressure, then correcting herself she said in a calmer almost whisper of a voice “It’s not something I could talk to you about, before…” She shivered at some thought that he was yet unaware of “Before today, before he told me I could tell you, for better or worse Ahti…” The last bit was so faint Ty could barely hear it.

  Ty was no longer angry anymore, instead fear took its place his mother never shouted or cried except when there was something very bad happening, or he had done something horribly wrong. Calming his own voice he asked “What do you mean mom” He let the question settle for a moment that said “When you say ‘For better or worse’? I can’t eat anymore now anyways. I’m too worried now to eat anymore” Hesitantly he folded his arms as if to comfort himself “I am sorry for exploding like that…”

  Grabbing the chair that had been knocked to the ground and pulling it up to the table, she grabbed the letter, and then sitting down she attempted to compose herself again while she waited for him to do the same. Once he was also seated she began telling him what she had hidden from him for eighteen years “When you were born your father left. That much you have figured out I believe, but what you didn’t know was that he and I were forced to plan it that way. We were both so very happy to be having a child, when I found out I was pregnant with you…” She looked out the window noticing for the first time that it was night now; pitch black was the darkness outside their home and throughout the woods surrounding them in all directions.

  ***

  As if the woman was looking directly at him through the window, Valentine pulled the shadows closer around him as he sank deeper into the bushes. When she turned back to the handsome young man and continued to speak Valentine blocked everything else out listening intently to the story as it continued hoping to glean even more information about the young man.