THE CEREMONY II
JASON
I was sinking into the shadows and the brightness afar was getting dimmer by the second. I was loosing my light and sinking into the darkness in me.
"What do you want from me exactly?" I ask screaming tears falling down my face like a stream.
"I don't want anything from you" the voice replies echoing round
"Then why are you keeping me from reaching for my light? Why are you holding me back?" I ask him and he laughs again.
"You still have not gotten it. I'm not the one holding you back. You are sinking because you don't want to come to terms with your darkness. It is drowning you." he replies in a soothing voice and everything begins to make sense. All this while I have been struggling physically from this hold but it wasnt a physical fight. It is a battle of the mind. By now my body was already totally gone and part of my neck was gone.
For so long I have been against the thought that I was different. My Grandpa always told me I was special but I didn't want to believe him.
"You are right. I'm not just scared, I'm frightened by what I can do and mostly I am ashamed of who I am. My whole life I just wanted to be the normal guy without any connection to the environment or powers because I didn't want to stand out.
It is true I was frightened because I want to fit in and remembering the dangers my powers caused when I was younger when I set our house on fire killing my dog. I have been so scared of harming any other person so I tried my hardest best to push that power down deep inside me to somewhere it will never see the light.
But not anymore" I say and my head was already going down when it stops "it is time for me to get what I lost when I was a child. My Grandpa was right I am too special to fit in. I know my power is dangerous but it is also a part of me so I won't run from it anymore.
I am ready to embrace it, I am one with the energy in the environment and no freaking darkness or insecurity will stop me from being that" I say and I begin to emit a golden light as I burst out of the darkness. I run towards the light and just as it was about to snuff out I jump into it.
Bright light envelopes me as the whole darkness disappears. The light was so bright I couldn't see around me until the whole light dims and disappears completely. I was not in a dark abyss anymore nor was I back in the temple. I was in a garden that looked like Eden itself.
The trees were lush and green and the grasses were so soft. The lake was sparkling as it fed water to all the plants in the garden. The Air in the environment was so fresh and clean and the sun was shinning brightly but unlike on earth the bright sun was cool and soothing. It felt like my was I was in heaven.
"Am I dead or what?" I say as I take in the beautiful view in front of me and a voice behind me replies.
"No you are not" the voice says and I recognised it immediately. The voice was soothing as usual and welcoming with that touch of toughness. I turn immediately and hug the person.
"Gramps, is this really you?" I ask hugging shit out of him and he chuckles deeply as I feel the vibration of his voice.
"Yes it is me kiddo, men you have grown so big" he says trying to lift me and straining and I chuckle.
"I have missed you so much Gramps. A lot has happened over the past week. I really though you were dead" I reply as tears begin to fall down my face and he pulls aways to look at me.
"Hey Kiddo, I am actually dead" he says snd I was shocked "Yeah and it is something I have wanted for so long but the only thing I regret is leaving you without telling you all about yourself" he says wiping my tears with his thumb.
"If you mean the whole manipulator thing. I think I have gotten the memo" I reply and he chuckles.
"Come on we don't have the time. There are some people you have to meet now" he says and pulls me as he walks forward
"You still haven't told me how you died and why I am here or you are here" I ask and he smiles.
"I died of a heart attack and you will find out why we are here soon. Now walk faster we don't have much time before you have to go back to the living realm" he says and we hasten our footsteps. We finally arrive at thr front of a cave. The caves was dark looking from outside and it was a little eerie sending shivers down my spine.
"This is the farthest I can go, you have to take the rest of this journey yourself. Don't worry I'll be put here when you get back" he says snd I try to argue but he shuts me up with a stink eye and I turn. I take a deep breath before walking into the cave.
The cave was a little dark but the moment I cross the threshold the cave lights up. I keep walking into it as the rocks on the walk light up shinning different colours. I touch the crystals and each one my skin touches shines brighter. I walk for a while before reaching the end of the cave.
To the right was a room so I walk in. The room was Illuminated by a hole in the ceiling and the place was so cold you would think it is air conditioned. The room was completely empty but there was about 8 thrones carved from the chair in front of a table. They were obviously empty. I look around and turn to leave
"Where might you be going if we may ask" a female voice asks from behind me and I am getting tired of people sneaking up on me. I turn to face her and she was not alone. The whole eight thrones were occupied already. I look at all of them and they looked basic except their dressings.
The first guy on the right was on a shirt made out of the clouds and a trouser made out of solidified air. He was caucasian with silver-grey hair, eyes snd beard and a staff made of pure lightning. The next person after him was a lady.
She was in a gown made complete out of leaves and flowers. The dress was beautiful and looked like a floral design but it wasnt painted but real flowers. She was Indian with brown hair, emerald eyes and two snakes twirled together beside her as a staff. The snakes were alive and ready to bite.
The next person was a guy. He was in a cloak made completely of tiny shinning molecules and Ions. If you don't look at the cloak you won't see all the molecule reshaping themselves regularly. He was Chinese with purple hair, eyes and two fans made of pure energy. He had a sly smirk on his face.
Skipping the two in the centre the next person was a woman. She was in a tank top made of the wave and a trousers made of solidified water. She was Latino with deep blue eyes, hair and a golden trident with water flowing on it and a electric eel slithering round her neck.
The next person was a man with a Robe made of lava. Yeah pure lava. He had a bracelet made of fire and a ring made of heat energy. He was Lebanese with orange hair, eyes and two swords made of pure fire and lava as handles. He had a frown on his face and his orange eyes were shinning with fury. Well you expect fire to burn.
The final person was a woman. She was in a gown made completely of frost and Ice. She had a crown made of pure ice and heels also made of ice. She was korean, cool with a pale white skin, snow white hair and light- blue eyes. She had two snow men righ behind her and these ones were like humans with frozen arms. Wow dangerous is the cold-hearted queen.
Back to the weird people in the center. They were the only ones on a joint chair. Their throne was merged and so was their hands. They were both African and Completely identical. They were twins with only slight differences. The guy was in a robe made of shadows with jet black hair and Onyx Black eyes. He was holding a half of shield made of darkness. The lady was in a gown made of pure light with golden hair and eyes. She was holding the other half of the shield made of bright light. The shield was merged together as they both sat looking at me.
"I was going to take my leave when I didn't see anyone around but now that you guys are here I might stay behind for a while" I reply and the Air guy chuckles.
"Confident and carefree. I like it" he says and I smirk
"Do you have a reason you are here?" The two in the center ask in a weird joint voice.
"No not at all, I was just wandering round the universe looking for a vacation spot when I found myself here" I reply sarcastically and the earth lady laughs.
"Sarcastic just like you" she says referring to the Ion guy beside her. The twin slam their shield on the floor silencing us.
"What is your purpose here?" They ask together again and I wasn't liking the whole duo vibe.
"Well that is a good question. I will love to throw it to you because the last thing I know I was doing my choosing ceremony. I touched the crystal that shines golden and I end up in a dark abyss pouring my heart to God knows who and now I am here in the midst of some egoistic assholes asking me questions I have no answer to." I reply and it doesn't sit well with them as the Fire man slams his throne and gets up.
"Insolent and arrogant. Who do you think you are to speak to the keepers of the elements in such a manner" he snaps and I chuckle.
"And who are you to ask me such dumb questions. You sent my grandpa to get me for a reason so just get on with it I have more Important thing tot do than trade words with a man dressed in hot orange water" I retort and he was visibly fuming but the twin look at him and he sits.
"Mr Jason Dawson. You are here for the keepers to decide what elements you can manipulate. Here each element keeper will choose if they want to bless you with their elements or not.
"Wow so this is how you guys do things. Because you believe you are keepers of the element you believe you have the right to chose who gets which elements or not. So you have control over the people who becomes channelers or not. Bullshit you guys. I don't even want this whole manipulator shit in the first place. It hasn't brought anything but trouble to my doorstep so you can keep your ahitty elements to yourself." I reply turning to leave but the cave wall closes up leaving me no choice but to stay.
"I can see you really have a lot of control issues. Dont ever loose this part of you that says his mind openly with no holdbacks. You would need it soon" the man in purple Ion robe says and I nod.
"You can't leave here until at least 4 elements choose you and bless you." The Water lady says and I shake my head.
"And what happens if none of you guys choose me or it is not up to four?" I ask and the lady smiles.
"You don't want to know" she says and the fireman cuts her off.
"You remain here and your body remains in a vegetative state for a while until you can get 4 elements. Though after about 6 months you die" he says in a sinister tone and fear sets in. I just called their bullshit. No one will ever want to give me their element. I am really done for completely