Fallon POV
I awake to the sound of rain. For a moment, I forget where I am. I listen to the thunder and rain. It makes my heart hurt and smile at the same time. I think of my mother, and I think of everything that I have lost. I think of this new journey I am on and how much my life has changed.
"Fallon," a whisper calls out to me.
I roll over and sit on the side of the bed. I wait and listen for the whisper to call out to me again. "Fallon," it says even lower than before.
I see something coming toward me. I am not afraid as she approaches. She is wearing a long green dress. Her hair is red, and she looks like me. I immediately know who this is. It is my mother, my birth mother.
"I am not afraid," I say as she stands in front of me.
The three ancestors suddenly appear, bringing with them their rain. "She has a message for you, Fallon," the three say together.
I stand and look into her eyes. Her eyes are green. I reach out to touch her face as I look into her eyes. I feel so peaceful. "When you retrieve your amulet, do not let anyone take it. No one! Not Libby, Ryan, Bruce, or Mother Agnes. The amulet is for you. It is your weapon against evil. I have guarded your magic and your amulet my entire life, and now it is time for you to take your magic and begin the next phase of your journey. Are you ready, Fallon?" my mother says.
I nod my head. I cannot stop looking into her eyes. She gives me peace. "I am ready," I say.
"Good. I will be watching," she says. My birth mother disappears with the ancestors. The interaction could not have lasted more than a few moments, but it was enough to give me the courage I needed for the next part of my journey.
I sit on the side of the bed for a while, just waiting for her to come back or maybe the ancestors. I hear creaking and clattering coming up the hall. It is not them, but it is someone. The door opens, shining a light directly into my face. It is Mother Agnes.
"I know she came, and that is a lot for you to understand, but you need rest," Mother Agnes says.
I feel like everyone keeps telling me to rest. I am not a child. I may be confused, but I am not a child. Libby begins moving around on her bed. She turns over and looks at me. "She is right. You need sleep. Devour Cemetary is a long drive and then a long walk, plus where ever the map leads you off the normal path. You will need to be rested," Libby says.
"Okay," I say. She does not ask me about my birth mother or the ancestors. She only reminds me I need sleep. The room becomes dark again, when Mother Agnes turns off the hall lights. I hear her talking to Ryan. I wish Bruce would have stayed. I wonder what he is doing right now and if he knows that I am thinking of him. I am sure he knows. He always knows what I am thinking.
I curl up in a ball, cover myself with the blanket and fall into a deep sleep.
I awake and rollover. The room is bright with sunlight. Libby is not in the room with me. I am alone. I hear talking and I hear Bruce. I wonder what time it is. I move the cover and sit on the side of the bed. I hope Bruce brought my things.
I get up and walk to the door. When I open the door, Bruce is standing there with my bags. "Your things," he says. He doesn't really look at me, he is very matter of fact and to the point. I hurt him.
"Thanks, I need a shower, and then we should get started," I say.
Bruce points to the door across from the guestroom. "The bathroom is there," Bruce says.
He walks away, leaving me with a lot of questions that I do not have time for right now. Whatever is going on with me and Bruce or what could be happening with Bruce and me is not important right now. He has to understand that.
I move my things into the room. I open up the small bag and take out a few things I need for a shower and take a change of clothes out of the bag. I gather everything and go to the bathroom across the hall. I lay everything out neatly and lock the door. I turn on the shower and let it get really hot. I feel like I need to stand in hot water.
I don't get to shower long before Libby is knocking on the door. "Are you okay?" she asks. I get so tired of people asking me if I am okay. No I am not okay. I am just winging it right now.
"I am fine. I will be out in ten," I answer her.
I finish my shower and get dressed quickly. It feels like they need to have an eye on me all the time. If I am so powerful and so special then why are they constantly watching me? I guess they are afraid that Umbra will kidnap me or kill me. I guess they are right to watch me so closely for now. It is not like I have my powers yet.
I take my things back to the guestroom. Libby is waiting for me. "He is okay, but he is sorting through how he feels. Bruce is a good guy. He doesn't want to lose you. This journey you are about to start is very dangerous. Your magic and then your training, all of that will change you. He is afraid of losing you," Libby says.
I set my things down beside the bed. "I do not even know who I am anymore. I am not ready for romance. Can I just figure out my life first?" I ask Libby.
Libby takes me into a hug. "I am here to help you find out who Fallon Devour really is," Libby says.
The name is foreign to me. I am Fallon Presley. I have been Fallon Presley for almost 18 years, and now I am Fallon Devour. I am not sure I am ready to change my identity, but I guess that is part of it.
"I am ready," I say.
If I am honest with myself, and I am trying really hard to keep things honest with myself, I am not ready for any of this. I have no choice in the matter, but is not that life? We never have a choice in the way our life plays out. We make decisions, and we can refuse to move on, but then what. We become miserable beings. I do not want that for me. I want to embrace the change and learn from it. So I guess I need to prepare myself for what is coming and stop this endless self-pity parade.
I walk into the sitting room. Bruce, Ryan, and Mother Agnes are talking. She tells them exactly how they will behave while we follow the map. She is also giving them detailed instructions that are not on the map. I listen intently to everything she says.
"Fallon, when you get to Devour Cemetary, the object your mother hid for you will call to you. Go to it, and do not let anyone touch it. It is up to you to retrieve no matter where it is," Mother Agnes says.
I nod my head. "I understand," I say.
"Good, then you three need to go. I will see you tomorrow. The ancestors and I will be ready. Tomorrow you receive your magic, and then the hard part begins," Mother Agnes says