The Awakening - Dakota Edgell (elon musk reading list TXT) 📗

my nose picked up another. The smell of smoke. And burning grass. I gasped, and looked at the window, noticing an orange glow.
I instructed my mother to stay in her room and not to leave it. I ran out the door, looking around. The house was surrounded by fire, and nobody was around. I ran back in, gathering as much water as possible, and called 911. I informed them of the situation, excluding the weird person following me. Running outside again, I remembered something my father taught me. Be calm. Relax. If you believe, everything will go your way, and you can will anything to happen. In dire situations, just concentrate on focusing your chi into something that will help you in that situation, and will it to do your work. I never knew what he meant, not until now. I sat down in the middle of the raging blaze and concentrated, feeling the water's presence. I felt the energy within it and linked mine with it. I felt in control of it all, of every tiny part of the water. I imagined raising it, and stood up, moving it with me. The liquid smoothness kept me concentrated. I opened my eyes and saw what I had been imagining- the water moving to my will.
I did more visualization, this time watching the water. I made it spread it self into a wall, and it looked like a tidal wave in freeze frame. I pushed it slightly and sent it forward, dousing some of the flames in front of me. Pulling it back, I whipped it in a circle, slashing several blazing towers. People began to come out of the small cracks of our neighborhood, staring in awe and horror at my new found abilities. I took some steps back, placing my self closer to the house. I made the water into a whip, and cracked it at the pillars of fire. I spun it in circles around my body and sent it all out at once in a ring, stretching it into waves as it went. It extinguished every flame, and the fire ceased, just in time for the paramedics and firemen to come.
Over the wailing sirens, I heard the chuckle again. I snapped around and looked at the trees. There, on the tree, were bare branches and claw marks. On every tree, actually. I backed up into a policeman. "Sorry, sir," were my words.
I ran inside to my mother, prying her from the bed. "It's over mom. Get up, please." I begged like this for a minute, and realized she was dead asleep. Too much excitement, I guess. I went back out and told my story (still without the weird man) to several cops and news reporters. They flew in a network copter to capture the image left by the burns in the grass. After telling the story about twenty times, it still remained frightening. Not as monotonous as you'd think it would get. I eventually effused to relive it and slammed my door shut. I lied down and slept.

I decided I might as well cook. Mother was still scared. She was paranoid that if she did anything she would get hurt or die. So, I made dinner and let her eat. I just wasn't hungry. So, walking to the bathroom, I grabbed my robe and took a nice hot shower. Time to unwind.
I got out of the shower and dried myself, putting on the robe afterward. As I brushed my hair back into it's everyday fashion, I thought of the incidents and my paranoia over the first one. Maybe the paranoia was good for me. It kept me safe.
I kept thinking of it, and began to just lose myself in my thoughts. As I slipped further, I heard it- the chuckle. I peered into the mirror and twisted around. I snarled at him, a noise that ripped right from my throat, sounding as if it came from the belly of the beast. About to crouch, I felt a crushing in my throat. His hand had moved as fast as God's striking lightning. He had his hand around my throat and was crushing. I managed to let out the same demonic growl as before, making him laugh. I panicked, wondering if this would be my end. I stared into his soulless black eyes, trying to figure out a way around this. I noticed his every feature. With this closer look at him, I saw that his features were more beast than human. The black was not tinted with any color- just pure black- and the skin was as white as snow, just like mine…did that make me one of his kind? He saw my look of confusion and angled his head towards me, a look of pure frustration. He appeared to be angry at my lack of panic. Then I remembered what I had been thinking- more beast than human.
It hit me- it doesn't matter what you are, beast or man, you still have water inside you! I relaxed completely, and the expression on his face was of true horror. I knew what he was thinking- How is he not panicked? He is in my grip!
I let his thoughts fly and wander around his mind. Meanwhile, I was concentrating on him- the presence of water within him. I fed my chi into him, merging it with his blood. I pulled at it like strings, causing his arms to move. He was shocked and at once realized was doing. He snarled at me and bared his teeth. Gaining control of his left arm, he slapped me right on the jaw, and I felt it dislodge the tiniest bit. I used my hand to straighten it. I heard him speak in his strange, snake-like language. Then, as if in translation, he said seven words. "You will be one of us soon."
With that, my breathing was normal, and he was gone. I panicked at those words. I was going to be like him?! But…that's impossible! I can't be a beast like that! Or can I? I thought about everything that happened - my growls, my snarls - all that of a demon…. No! I wouldn't accept this! I ran down the stairs, dashing through the kitchen and grabbing some supplies. I knew just what to do. I grabbed the herbs and some other ingredients, thinking of what had to be done.
I felt guilty- I had promised everyone to never do this again. But I had to. It was my job. I grabbed some matches and ran to my room. This is what was destined to happen. If I couldn't run away from this, I'd do one thing to end it all. I'd make a potion, a potion to poison myself. I had promised everybody not to practice magic again, but I had to get out. This was the only way.
I threw in every herb I had gathered, and slowly began to brew my liquid end. I followed the recipe ever so precisely. If not, this would only make me sleep for a few days. This had to be done right. As I followed the recipe in my own book, I realized that it said it had to brew for at least two months. Two months…it would be ready on my birthday. One hell of a birthday present that would be.


I waited the two months, every day passing in essentially the same way- get up, go to school, come home, and sleep. Same old story with minor tweaks every day.
It was the day before my birthday,and I was mentally preparing myself for what was to come. I knew that it was wrong, and that I should just find an alternative, but I was set on one thing and one thing only- death. Looks like he never did give in. I played right into his hand, and he beckoned me to go with him into the next life.
I walked down the hall, keeping a brisk pace without trying. I walked through a patch of air that was smuggled with perfume. I was totally emotionless, and stepping through the doorway of the classroom, felt a presence behind me. I began to shake in anger and shock, thinking that it was him. Breathing deeply of the perfume odored air, I smelled that it was a more subtle scent, one of berries .
I turned around, only to see it was Ashley. What did she want? I raffled through everything from out last conversation and saw nothing that we left off on when we had to go. I pulled her back into the hall to talk with her, seeing that this is what she wanted. Asking her what she needed, I wondered some more about what was in store for me tomorrow.
Her sweet angelic voice rang out in the clatter of my thoughts, and pulled me back to the conversation. "Well, umm…I was just wondering something…"
"Yes? Go on."
" Well, umm…" She began to blush uncontrollably and giggle. I raised and eyebrow at her and began to wonder about the thoughts in her head.
"Yes? Continue…"
"Well, God it's hard to even think, let alone say….. I've been wondering for a while. Jeremy, will you go out with me?" She blushed uncontrollably, and hung her head in silence. "Sorry. Probably a no anyway."
She walked off slowly and full of sorrow. My thoughts ran fast, and so did I. I stopped her. This was the girl I'd waited my entire life to date. "Ashley- wait!" I blocked her path and picked up her head by the chin, ever so gently. "Yes. I will."
She smiled and hugged me tight. We walked together, planning on skipping class. As we approached the lockers,she grabbed me by the shirt and kissed me, locking her lips to mine. I picked her up and pulled her close.
We hid in the school garden and the janitorial closet until the end of the day. Then we ran to my house laughing. I carried her to my room and set her down,letting her watch TV until I returned with the sodas and pizza. I rushed around the kitchen, enjoying the best day of my life, letting all of my worries melt away. Even death didn't matter now. I found my hidden concoction and hid it in an even more secure place to brew. I grabbed a pizza, six sodas, and my lucky tank top.
Walking up the stairs, I realized there was a stain on the tank top. I couldn't believe it! SO, I threw it in the laundry hamper and bolted upstairs. I sat down with the food and drinks and scooted closer to her. She smiled and laughed at my silliness. Had I lost my mind? No. Was I in love? Yes.
We watched silly cartoons and played games to pass the time. I always lost, but I didn't mind. She laughed really hard at an old joke of mine, and ended up spilling Mountain Dew all over my shirt. After a thousand apologies, I finally got in a word without her frequent "Sorry! Oh my God I'm so sorry!" apology. I told her it was all right and kissed her gently on the lips. I told her I'd just have to find another shirt. I walked out of the room and took off the old shirt, knowing that she was following me. I turned around and hugged her, allowing her to press her face to my chest. I whispered into her ear the three binding words of eternity- "I love you".
She dragged me back into the room, telling me to forget about the new shirt and to just have fun. I kicked off my shoes