Post by Teagan on Nov 15, 2009 1:05:42 GMT -5
The echo of running footsteps resounded down the lonely street. Rubbing her shoulders from the chill, Teagan raced through the suburbs of Seattle. Her feet hurt, her side ached, and her lungs threatened to collapse at any moment.
But she had to keep going. What if something was following her? Her pace quickened at the thought of the possible threat. Not a chance she could take...if she didn't stop soon though, her body promised to take her out on its own. Reaching a stop sign, Teagan paused to catch her breath. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, trying to return the distribution of oxygen through her system to normal levels.
Emerald eyes darted about, looking for any sign of danger. A light wind drifted through the trees, birds hovered in the air, and a blue sedan drove along the quiet street. Nothing supernatural. Feeling safer, Teagan scanned the horizon, trying to pinpoint her location. Not too far from the Needle.
Ten minutes later Teagan strolled through the large doors of a quaint looking gift shop. A couple feet away, the iconic Space Needle towered over the city, casting a large shadow on the streets below. A salty scent polluted the air as traffic crawled through the busy streets. Horns of both cars and boats coursed through the skies. Taking a seat on a nearby bench and absorbing the scene, a small pit of discomfort arose.
For the first time in a long time, Teagan paused while the world around her rushed forward at a dizzying speed. She inhaled deeply, calming her tightened nerves. What felt off? She was back in Seattle; she should be fine! How many times had Teagan traveled this same street and never felt an ill reaction?
"This is absurd," Teagan muttered, examining her hands. Nothing seemed wrong.
Regardless, something was. Of course, zapping back to the present from a morbid future in which she didn't exist may have had something to do with her unease, yet only a little. The real answer lay in a single question:
What was she doing there?
Waiting for Aiden and Yuki, she scoffed at herself. What kind of question was that? Any minute the two would find her or call her. But then what? They would all drive back to Portland and live in the happy world of hunting? Teagan felt a wave of panic overtake her, and with a sickening feeling she realized she had uncovered the source of her discomfort.
Could she live the rest of her life as a hunter? Turn her back on her past and future and work on keeping the world a better place? Did she really want that? Sure, Teagan admitted that this was the best summer she had ever had: meeting new people, learning new skills and ultimately saving lives. But at the same time, it was also the worst time in her life. A frightening world had been revealed to her and she had nearly died after being kidnapped. Not to mention this new development in which -oh right, she died.
Teagan shuddered. Having death briefly visit once was bad enough- knowing it would soon be her companion again? No. Not an option. So what now? Could she really just quit? Leaving hadn't worked back at the camp, so why would leaving now be any different? How long would it take before another supernatural occurrence invaded her life? Months? Weeks? Days?
What would Yuki and Aiden think? Oddly enough, Teagan felt devastated at the thought of leaving them more so than she worried about anything short of death. They were a team-the Portland faction! No one kicked behind like they did. But it took all of them-together. Aiden might think he could handle everything alone, but he had relied on their help countless times in the past two or three months. Teagan enjoyed learning from him- their spars and conversations were always enlightening. And Yuki...while Teagan had nothing positive to say about her cooking, in the moments where they managed to peacefully hold a conversation, Teagan discovered that the girl wasn't the complete ice storm she seemed to be. In fact, she had become more like a stubborn older sister than the rude stranger Teagan had met that first day back in Keystone. How could she leave either of them now?
But how could she choose them over the friends and family that waited for her a few miles away? What on earth had convinced her that these two people and their dangerous lifestyle was worth the loss of everything she had known?
Teagan gritted her teeth, the answer suddenly very clear before her eyes. Of course it would come down to that, wouldn't it? Life and death. If she stayed with Yuki and Aiden, they would all die. The path of the hunter would take them all on a one way trip to their deaths. The memory of that world they had just returned from still lingered in her mind: the musty smell, darkness, and overall sense of dread that lay behind the four walls she was thankful that surrounded them. Without even peeking outside the windows, Teagan knew that in the future nothing was bright. Nothing was happy. No one was safe.
And she had the chance to stop it. Arthur had revealed that Teagan had never gone to college. Could the choice of going now reverse the entire course the world was on the way to reaching and send it down a brighter path?
If it could, then how selfish would it be of Teagan to refuse? If by giving up two lives she loved would save them both, what other option did she have?
Teagan rose from her seat, her path clear before her. Aiden and Yuki would be here any moment and she didn't want to have to explain this face to face. More than anything, Teagan feared death. She didn't know what would happen after wards -if there was a god or reincarnation or what not- but what she did know about death she dreaded. The coldness and darkness and sense of being smothered- she wanted no part of it, nor any of her friends to ever have to experience it like she had back at the summer camp. She had never told Aiden or Yuki about what she had experienced, and had never held any intention of doing so. If she tried to tell them now about her plans...
No. She couldn't.
With a pace quicker than any short person should be able to take, Teagan rushed out of the building and away from the Needle. Before she reached the end of the block, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Oh crap-had they finally arrived? She fished her phone out and opened a new text from Aiden.
Good luck. If you need anything, -don't- hesitate to call me, I'll come out...and listen the first time this time.
At first, confusion reigned in Teagan's mind. This time? Had he not at an earlier time? ...and how did he know about her thoughts?
...how did he not? He had seen the future as well, and probably had expected her to run. Again. Teagan hated herself for being unable to do anything else in difficult situations. Why did she always have to be weak and freak or run?
No, this time is different, Teagan assured herself. She was making the right choice- saving lives and changing the future. Nothing weak about that. And now that she had Aiden's blessing (or so it seemed), it was time to start.
It was time to go to college.
But she had to keep going. What if something was following her? Her pace quickened at the thought of the possible threat. Not a chance she could take...if she didn't stop soon though, her body promised to take her out on its own. Reaching a stop sign, Teagan paused to catch her breath. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, trying to return the distribution of oxygen through her system to normal levels.
Emerald eyes darted about, looking for any sign of danger. A light wind drifted through the trees, birds hovered in the air, and a blue sedan drove along the quiet street. Nothing supernatural. Feeling safer, Teagan scanned the horizon, trying to pinpoint her location. Not too far from the Needle.
Ten minutes later Teagan strolled through the large doors of a quaint looking gift shop. A couple feet away, the iconic Space Needle towered over the city, casting a large shadow on the streets below. A salty scent polluted the air as traffic crawled through the busy streets. Horns of both cars and boats coursed through the skies. Taking a seat on a nearby bench and absorbing the scene, a small pit of discomfort arose.
For the first time in a long time, Teagan paused while the world around her rushed forward at a dizzying speed. She inhaled deeply, calming her tightened nerves. What felt off? She was back in Seattle; she should be fine! How many times had Teagan traveled this same street and never felt an ill reaction?
"This is absurd," Teagan muttered, examining her hands. Nothing seemed wrong.
Regardless, something was. Of course, zapping back to the present from a morbid future in which she didn't exist may have had something to do with her unease, yet only a little. The real answer lay in a single question:
What was she doing there?
Waiting for Aiden and Yuki, she scoffed at herself. What kind of question was that? Any minute the two would find her or call her. But then what? They would all drive back to Portland and live in the happy world of hunting? Teagan felt a wave of panic overtake her, and with a sickening feeling she realized she had uncovered the source of her discomfort.
Could she live the rest of her life as a hunter? Turn her back on her past and future and work on keeping the world a better place? Did she really want that? Sure, Teagan admitted that this was the best summer she had ever had: meeting new people, learning new skills and ultimately saving lives. But at the same time, it was also the worst time in her life. A frightening world had been revealed to her and she had nearly died after being kidnapped. Not to mention this new development in which -oh right, she died.
Teagan shuddered. Having death briefly visit once was bad enough- knowing it would soon be her companion again? No. Not an option. So what now? Could she really just quit? Leaving hadn't worked back at the camp, so why would leaving now be any different? How long would it take before another supernatural occurrence invaded her life? Months? Weeks? Days?
What would Yuki and Aiden think? Oddly enough, Teagan felt devastated at the thought of leaving them more so than she worried about anything short of death. They were a team-the Portland faction! No one kicked behind like they did. But it took all of them-together. Aiden might think he could handle everything alone, but he had relied on their help countless times in the past two or three months. Teagan enjoyed learning from him- their spars and conversations were always enlightening. And Yuki...while Teagan had nothing positive to say about her cooking, in the moments where they managed to peacefully hold a conversation, Teagan discovered that the girl wasn't the complete ice storm she seemed to be. In fact, she had become more like a stubborn older sister than the rude stranger Teagan had met that first day back in Keystone. How could she leave either of them now?
But how could she choose them over the friends and family that waited for her a few miles away? What on earth had convinced her that these two people and their dangerous lifestyle was worth the loss of everything she had known?
Teagan gritted her teeth, the answer suddenly very clear before her eyes. Of course it would come down to that, wouldn't it? Life and death. If she stayed with Yuki and Aiden, they would all die. The path of the hunter would take them all on a one way trip to their deaths. The memory of that world they had just returned from still lingered in her mind: the musty smell, darkness, and overall sense of dread that lay behind the four walls she was thankful that surrounded them. Without even peeking outside the windows, Teagan knew that in the future nothing was bright. Nothing was happy. No one was safe.
And she had the chance to stop it. Arthur had revealed that Teagan had never gone to college. Could the choice of going now reverse the entire course the world was on the way to reaching and send it down a brighter path?
If it could, then how selfish would it be of Teagan to refuse? If by giving up two lives she loved would save them both, what other option did she have?
Teagan rose from her seat, her path clear before her. Aiden and Yuki would be here any moment and she didn't want to have to explain this face to face. More than anything, Teagan feared death. She didn't know what would happen after wards -if there was a god or reincarnation or what not- but what she did know about death she dreaded. The coldness and darkness and sense of being smothered- she wanted no part of it, nor any of her friends to ever have to experience it like she had back at the summer camp. She had never told Aiden or Yuki about what she had experienced, and had never held any intention of doing so. If she tried to tell them now about her plans...
No. She couldn't.
With a pace quicker than any short person should be able to take, Teagan rushed out of the building and away from the Needle. Before she reached the end of the block, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Oh crap-had they finally arrived? She fished her phone out and opened a new text from Aiden.
Good luck. If you need anything, -don't- hesitate to call me, I'll come out...and listen the first time this time.
At first, confusion reigned in Teagan's mind. This time? Had he not at an earlier time? ...and how did he know about her thoughts?
...how did he not? He had seen the future as well, and probably had expected her to run. Again. Teagan hated herself for being unable to do anything else in difficult situations. Why did she always have to be weak and freak or run?
No, this time is different, Teagan assured herself. She was making the right choice- saving lives and changing the future. Nothing weak about that. And now that she had Aiden's blessing (or so it seemed), it was time to start.
It was time to go to college.
