Aurator, The (15 page)

“Everything is connected between earth and space. Yes, we are connected to the magnetic core.”

“So what does that have to do with the timing of us fighting and, as you put it,
the end of days
?”

Aaron’s eyes moved back and forth as if he were reading from the pages of an invisible book, “You see, the earth is due to change its magnetic poles. Switch, north and south. Currently the magnetic current in the earth’s core runs from north to south and is… well has been changing for some years now, at least since Hippocrates’s days to run the other way. This will cause the magnetic core to temporarily destabilize, and in Nostradamus’s predictions when this happens all of our kind will come together to fight.” His forehead creased and he looked at Max.

“That’s as much as we know,” Max began. “Unfortunately we don’t have details. We know from modern science that the destabilization of the earth’s magnetic core really won’t cause a major catastrophe. The switching of poles, the Aurators coming together, a fight, and… you… are connected but that was all Nostradamus wrote. There really isn’t an end of days. Rather a beginning. At least that’s the hope. A chance to do something different with the world we’ve been given.”

“So there’s no Armageddon?” I asked. “What about all those movies and predictions about the end of the world. All of it is… made up?”

Aaron stepped toward me, “Sort of a lie, yes. But most people don’t have the information we do so they can come to no other conclusion to the predictions than Armageddon. You know… the world blows up… California and half of the western United States fall into the ocean… blah blah blah. Come on Megan, I know you’re smarter than that. It would take a cataclysmic event of gigantic proportions… several of them… to occur simultaneously around the world. Honestly, the idea of the end of the earth has always bothered me. Okay, separate from what I already know being an Aurator. Armageddon, unless God him or herself came down to earth and caused it… is a scientific impossibility.” He paused. “Now if a meteor, say six miles wide, hit the Earth…”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough.” Max interrupted.

“Wasn’t there something about the Mayan calendar?” I asked. It ends and the world is supposed to end?” I remembered this from one of those history shows that Luke and I loved so much.

Max chuckled, “What makes you think that’s why they ended the calendar? What about the possibility that… well… they just got tired of chiseling those calendars out?” He mimicked chiseling in the air in front of him. “It would be a rather ridiculous assumption to think that the Mayans would just keep making calendars… we don’t even do that. Have you ever gone to the book store and tried to find a calendar for five years from now? Impossible. Throughout history all the
end of days
predictions come and go with nothing to show for them.”

My head was spinning, and I was feeling the fatigue of the night. Aaron walked over and put his hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry but we have more questions than answers. I think that’s why you’re here… to fill in the blanks.”

The dawn was starting to light up the fog, and I suggested that it was time to go home. The others agreed and we drove back to Max’s in silence. Getting into our respective cars after nodding to each other, we left.

18. Assets
 

I drove through the streets toward home. I felt hungover. My head hurt, I had trouble remembering last night, and my body ached. Plus, my ears felt like they were plugged because I kept hearing echoing sounds… crap, I hoped I wasn’t getting sick. I didn’t have time for
normal
stuff anymore.

Then it hit me like a huge life-altering epiphany. I wasn’t normal. I never had been. At least I never felt normal. I let out a sigh of relief that was immediately replaced with a feeling of angst. On the one hand, yes, I was different… very… and would never be normal, but… growing up… I never was…
normal
. Ironic. That which I wanted so badly in my youth was now painfully unattainable forever.

Odd. A couple of weeks ago this would have caused me severe distress. However, today, at this moment I felt the angst pass and a sense of relief settle into every pore. My body felt relaxed and warm. I… finally… fit. There was no other way to explain it. I definitely belonged, but something about it wasn’t right. Max and the others had told me over and over again that I was the one to lead us to defeat the others.

Something wasn’t right about this.

I pulled up to my home and breathed a long sigh. I loved my family. What would all of this do to them? Should I tell my husband? Max’s wife Vivian knew and she accepted it. Could I expect as much from him? Then I chuckled when I realized that in all the excitement I had forgotten to change back into my nursing uniform. Luckily the bag was just in the back seat. A quick change and I was walking into the house.

The house was still. I took in a deep breath. I loved the smell of my home. I went upstairs, careful not to wake anyone and showered. I knew I should be tired but I wasn’t, and all I wanted was to spend some time with everyone. After showering and dressing, I found my way downstairs to cook breakfast and make some coffee.

I could hear the movement beginning upstairs with my husband first, then my girls. Alex waking up the younger two, who seemed to be fighting it the whole way. I smiled at this. I had never put the responsibility on her to take care of her sisters but it was a job she willingly accepted. She has always been such a wonderful, sweet character. Kind to others. Always the first to stand up for what was right and fair in the world. Fighter for the underdog, my husband would always say… that is, as long as the TV wasn’t on.

Trina was the first to complain about getting up. She loved to sleep. When she was a baby, the doctor had told me to wake her up every two hours to feed her, whether she liked it or not. She didn’t. My only child who slept through the night from day one. My intuitive one. Trina cared about others like Alex, but it was because of her uncanny ability to understand how people felt. She has always had a brand of empathy far beyond her years. Also, she was our only child who at the age of two could scale the tallest dresser in 2.3 seconds.

Then there was my Abigail, my baby. We weren’t sure if we were going to have another child. I was fine with two but my husband pushed and pushed to have one more.
We’re such great parents
 . . .
we should try to get as much good in the world as we can.
An inflated opinion of our parenting skills, but I could see that it meant more to him to have another child than it did to me
not
to. So… Abigail. I wouldn’t have changed it in the slightest. What a bright spot on the planet. So full of love and happiness. Everyone always said she was the happiest baby they had ever seen.

I took a deep breath in and a long drink of my coffee. This has got to be the closest to heaven anyone ever gets.

My husband came down the stairs first. Looking somewhat stunned to see me dressed and coherent, he smiled. I couldn’t help noticing that his aura seemed even darker this morning. Why? What was happening? Walking over, he wrapped his arms tightly around me and I noticed that I did not have the familiar sense of ease I usually did. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out, wondering,
Is it me?
Throughout our marriage any time we had an argument, which was very infrequent, all he needed to do was wrap his arms around me and all the cares in the world were gone, nothing could hurt me, and it was going to be okay. He didn’t possess this skill with just me. He was also the go-to guy when the girls were sick. When they had fever, pain, or just plain didn’t feel well, he would go to them and wrap his arms around them… instant “daddy medicine.” I used to love to look in on our girls when they were sick, and Luke would be there sitting or lying on the floor next to the bed, sound asleep but with one hand on them in some attempt to be there for them. I was the nurse, yet he was the one who comforted them the best when they were sick. But for some reason his “skill” was not there right now.

He pulled back from his hug and looked at me with those gorgeous eyes that made me fall in love with him from day one. “Good morning, love,” he whispered.

My brows furrowed, “Good morning.” I felt confused and a little off balance. But he held me securely in his arms and started kissing my neck.

“Mmmm, Bengay. Sexy,” he murmured. I laughed out loud this time. I was a little sore from all my… exercise lately, along with some serious lack of sleep, and had put some Bengay on after my shower.

I’m sure this new
 . . .
aura
 . . .
is about me
 . . .
right? I must be just seeing things differently.
I thought.

We both turned our heads toward the thunderous pounding of six feet barreling down the staircase.

“Morning,” they bellowed in unison.

“Morning, girls,” we echoed back.

We sat for quite a while eating breakfast, and I spent more than a few minutes examining each of my girls’ features. Trina’s bright red hair. This made me chuckle. Alex looked so grown up. And Abigail… my baby. My eyes welled up and I turned to avoid anyone seeing. They are getting so big and the time was flying by so fast. My husband got up and kissed me on my cheek, then walked over to put on his shoes.

Time. How much would I have? I wondered if I were doomed to hide from my own family… afraid that every time I left the house I wouldn’t return. It was at this moment I realized I needed to appreciate every moment with them.

Everyone moved slowly toward the door as they finished getting ready for the day. I grabbed my purse and keys and announced that I would take the girls to school.

In the car, the girls babbled bits of gossip that they had been privy to and I hadn’t. I relished every minute. Trina kept looking at me from the back seat through the rearview mirror.

“You okay, honey?” I asked her.

“Sure, mommy, are you?”

The other girls stopped talking and also looked up. I was suddenly aware that there was an unspoken question that I needed to answer.

“Girls, mommy has been working a lot and in… different areas than I’m used to. So it’s just an… adjustment for me.” There, I thought, the truth, sort of. Alex and Abigail smiled at me and shook their heads in agreement. Trina definitely seemed a tough sale on this. I should have known better, she was always so intuitive. But she smiled as she squinted at me inquisitively.

I exhaled.

After dropping them each off I went back home. Luke was already gone for the day. I was actually working at my real job tonight and should probably get some sleep. I walked upstairs and sat on the edge of my bed while taking my shoes off. I suddenly felt my breathing getting heavy.

I struggled to take a breath. Then I couldn’t breathe. I wasn’t near water, yet I could feel my chest being compressed as if I was going under. I gasped again. I felt like I was going to pass out.

Then I saw it… as clear as if it were happening right in front of me… a victim. A woman… no, a young girl. I sucked in a deep breath. She was being dragged backwards from me. I didn’t recognize the face but I knew the panicked look. She was in trouble. I reached out to her. She was so real that I thought I could feel her, save her if I could just reach her.

She disappeared in a foggy black cloud and was replaced by several other faces circling around me. The same pain… anguish. They were screaming at me…
help me
 . . .
it
hurts
 . . .
stop
 . . .
please
. I screamed and threw my hands over my ears. My ears pounded and sharp pains shot through my head. Dropping to my knees, I clutched my chest. Breathe, breathe, breathe!

Then it stopped.

What the hell was that,
I thought. The pain ended, the faces, the anguish, all gone. But then I felt a growing warmth inside again, just like before. I saw my daughter Alex’s high school suddenly. My muscles stiffened, as my hands formed tight fists. I let out a noise that was something just short of a growl.

I put my shoes on and quickly ran to the car. The tires squealed as I tore out of the driveway.
What’s wrong?
I heard, but I didn’t stop to think about it. I just shook my head and continued on. I drove through every stop sign and stoplight. Again I announced my arrival as the tires squealed into the parking lot at the school. A few boys who were in the parking lot turned to look toward me, obviously cutting class.

Getting out of my car, I could feel a pull. I knew where to go. Walking slowly so as not to miss any subtle cues, I walked around the outside of the school then out toward the fields. There was a small football stadium, and at one end was a wooden baseball backstop. I walked slowly toward it. Yes, I was going the right way. I was distracted for just a second when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket but I ignored it.

I crept around the backstop, and there he was.

I hadn’t seen his face in my visions, but all the faces showed up and floated around the back of his head as if drawing a bulls-eye. In front of me was a man of medium build kneeling down behind the backstop, watching. But what was he looking at? My eyes followed where he was looking, and just past the bleachers was a girl in a cheerleader uniform, getting ready for practice. She was standing by herself and I traced back to the man. He was breathing hard and brought his arm up to wipe the sweat on his brow with his sleeve.
Oh my God,
I thought,
this is why I’m here
. My muscles tightened, my breath quickened. I was here for him. I closed my eyes. Everything inside of me was guiding me here.
Listen to what you feel, Megan
, I heard
and my eyes shot open as I briefly looked left and then right. No one else was here.

“Hey!” I hollered out.

I looked toward the young cheerleader. She had heard me and was looking in our direction, but unable to see us, she appeared generally uncomfortable and grabbed her bag to walk briskly toward the school.

The man was standing in front of me with anger dripping off his face. I smiled and said, “Good, we’re alone.” This newfound smugness on my face must not have been quite what he was expecting and his eyebrows furrowed.

I paced and stalked like a cat around the space where he was standing, then asked, “What’s your name?”

“What does it matter to you?” He looked me up and down. “You know, you’re a little old for me but you’re kind of cute.”

I stopped and my head cocked slightly. “Your name?”

“Craig… yours?” He was now looking me up and down.

I could feel the anger boiling inside of me. My muscles tightened and I started to walk toward him. He moved to grab me, but with a strength I was now becoming familiar with, I pushed him to the ground. He struggled to stand but I was holding him down. His eyes went wide. “Who are you?!”

“That’s a good question.” After considering whether I should tell him my name, I concluded it wouldn’t matter since he would be dead soon. “Megan.”

“What is this to you?” He was having trouble breathing. I could feel him struggling against my hand on his chest, but my strength was greater.

I looked him up and down. Enjoying this, and smiling again, I said, “I’m someone who is going to make sure you never hurt anyone again.” And with that, I could see his color changing. He was grasping at his chest. I put more pressure and he gasped. I could feel and hear bones cracking and he struggled to scream. I knew that if I could put enough pressure at just the right area of his chest and compress his heart with enough force then it would not be able to beat… to pump the blood around his body… to live. He would slowly die… from lack of blood… from the inside. A whimper escaped his lips as I watched him for a moment and he took his last breath. Dead.

I looked at my hand. There was nothing different about it. Warmth filled every corner of my being and I realized that I was about to transition, as they called it. Time to go. I noticed students beginning to mill around in the distance and walked around a different way to avoid contact with anyone and any unwanted eyes from pot-smoking, class-cutting boys in the parking lot.

I got into my car and drove away. I could feel my arms and legs shaking and knew that I had to get far away from the school before anything worse happened or, God forbid, the pain. Turning onto several streets until even I didn’t know where I was, I finally pulled over and cut the engine. I felt the ache slowly creeping over my body like the fog coming in off the bay. I grabbed the steering wheel and braced myself for the worst. A sudden rush of ecstasy rushed through every cell in my body as my breathing raced ahead of me. Then it passed. I felt nothing else. My breathing slowed, the feeling inside me stopped, and my body felt normal. Well, better than normal actually… strong. I started the car and drove home.