FIRST MEETING

CHAPTER 4

Samuel left for school while my father bought a plane ticket for our trip. The seer lives in the capital. Eden's capital is a floating city where the only way to visit the place is by air. You cannot enter the capital unless you have a visa or permit. There were only select citizens that were allowed to enter the capital. It was a place where the seat of power resided. I figured that my father had some clout with the government since he quickly got our permits approved. You see, the requisite of entering Eden was by official business, by invitation, or you are wealthy. My father, Victor Grey, was not rich, but I know he has friends from high places of the government. 

I'm incredibly excited about the idea of meeting someone like me. Another person with the same gift made me feel I was not alone. I packed a few basic clothes for the impending trip. I am also looking forward to seeing my friend Aliyah, which Samuel promises to bring her to see me. However, my father warned me that telling Aliyah about my vision of her past and knowing nothing about my curse was a better alternative than telling your best friend that you're a freak. My fear of losing someone I genuinely love made me more afraid. At the right time, I will tell her. Until then, I kept my vision to myself.

I heard a car arrive in our front yard. I peered from my bedroom window and saw a black car park just outside our front entrance. Three men in black suits alighted from the car. They looked strange in our neighborhood. My home was tranquil and in the middle of nowhere. The only neighbor we have are a mile away. Trees, rivers, and mountains bounded our property. Nobody in my town looks like them. They looked around and walked towards our front porch, and knocked on the door. Hurriedly, I stooped low and tried to hide from them. Instinctively, I knew something was not right.

"There's no one..." One of the men said to his companion. I peered again and saw one of the men talking to someone at the passenger seat in the back.

The backseat door opened and came out a man. He was different from them in stature and clothes. He was wearing an overall red pantsuit. He had a hoodie on, and he looked pretty young, as the age of Samuel was. He had a square jaw and the bluest eyes I've seen. He looked like those gods that I've seen on books and television. The red suit man looks around. Suddenly, he looked up exactly at my bedroom window. And then it started...the ache in my heart started to squeeze out from my body. I gritted my teeth to stop myself from screaming in pain. I tumbled on the floor, writhing with pain.

"Let's go. No one was here." The red suit man commanded the rest of the men. I heard the car start, and they left while my aching heart slowly returned to regular beating. I stood up weakly and stumbled out of my room to the kitchen. I was grabbing a bottle of mineral water from the fridge and drinking it thirstily.

Samuel and my father arrived later without Aliyah. They found me having my third bottle of water, still weak and tired from the experience I had that afternoon.

"What happens? "Samuel ran towards me and touched my forehead. "Sam, did you have your vision again?" He asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Samuel...just a little weak. "

Papa sat down beside me and looked at me intently, "What's wrong, Sam? Your face looked pale and..." He glances at the water bottle at the counter. "You looked like you consume a lot of this stuff."

"I was so thirsty after my heart pain..."

"You have heart pain? How did it happen?" Samuel studied my face. He looked puzzled as he watched me intently. He said quietly, "Did someone come this afternoon, Sam?"

I looked at him in surprise, "How did you know?"

"Who came here, Sam?" Papa asked in alarm.

"Three men wearing a black suit and one with a red suit. He looks like the boss, but he is younger than them. More like your age Samuel. But I hid because I was alone, and they feel wrong and strange."

Samuel's face turned white. "He came here? Are you sure?"

I looked at him in amazement. "Do you know him, Samuel?" I asked curiously. "Is he your friend?"

He looked away from me and said painfully, "Once...but now, I don't think we can patch up our differences."

Papa said grimly, "It seems they know where we live now. "

"It's bound to happen, Papa. Sam will be turning eighteen soon."

"What's that got to do with my age Papa?" Confusedly, I looked at them, begging for an answer.

Papa sat down tiredly and said, "Sam, I already told you about your power, but eighteen was the age of reason and maturity. It is also the age where your gift is in full bloom. That's why you have this frequent vision. Your vision attracts other energy. They can find you more easily. Your vision was like a magnet to them. The more you manifest your power, they will sense you."

Samuel said coldly, "Those men who came are the "seer seekers." Seer seekers, the mission was to find people like you, who have the gift to see the future.  They will come to get you, Sam." He looked at my father. "I don't think it's safe for her anymore. We must move."

"Your right Samuel. I did not expect them to come this fast. They must have seen the storm last Saturday morning."

"No, I think something else than the storm ---someone must have told them. He could not have known since he resided in the capital. The  storm was too short of upsetting the balance."

"Balance? What balance?" Confused and afraid, I pleadingly look at Samuel for an explanation. Both of them stop talking. "I felt lost already. Please, I need to know."

"When strange and unexplained phenomena disrupt the balance of nature, the power that holds everything together will be disrupted. It can only occur when someone or something higher than a human being creates or triggers the change. I believe your gift causes the storm, consciously or unconsciously."

"What am I, Papa? Why does it happen to me? Am I a freak of nature?" I felt numb. What more can I take?

My father hugged me tightly. "Don't ever say that again, Samantha Grey. You are our gift and a freak. Please open your mind to this uncommon truth. Like you, when I learned about your gift, I, too, felt lost, but I realized your mother was right; you're a gift."

"This is no time to be sentimental, Papa," Samuel cut in. "We should leave immediately."

"If we leave now, Samuel, the town would think it strange. I don't want to leave this place without keeping things in order. Just give me a week…."

"Guys! Are you going to shut me down again? Don't you think it's time for me to make a decision too? Why don't we tell the police so that those men can be imprisoned?" My frustration was getting to my nerves. I feel like my whole life was a sham.

"It's not possible, Sam. They are beyond the government or any powers here on Earth. They roam on space and time to hunt down Seers, diviners, prophets, or any humans who can tell the future. Seer seekers exist for a reason to find people like you." My brother looked at me gravely. "You call them Angels...or Demons."