CHAPTER 5- The Call (Tasha)

"Where am I?" was the question that flooded my head as I looked around me.

I was under the cover of night, surrounded by trees so tall they seemed to disappear into the dark clouds overhead. The sky was inky black, and with the full moon as the only light source around, I could barely see beyond the cluster of trees.

"Hello!" I called, trying to ascertain if I was the only one, but the only reply I got was the echo of my voice.

How did I get here? I wondered as I walked around the small clearing I found myself in, too worried to enter the woods lest I get attacked by whatever lay on the other side.

"Hello!"

"Would you quit yapping like some lost dog?" an irritated voice responded. Too relieved to hear another voice apart from mine, I did not bother to come up with a retort for the crass talk.

"Who is there?" I asked, looking around me for the umpteenth time.

"Do I need to answer that?" The voice responded—a female voice. "Stop wasting your time; you won’t find me." When she was sure I had stopped my search, she continued, “alright, to the main reason you are here."

"Wait, you brought me here?" No reply came forth. After a few minutes, she continued as if I had never spoken.

"There is great evil in the land, Tasha," she said, pausing as if to let her words sink into me.

"And its powers are steadily growing each day. I'm sure you felt it earlier."

"I did?"

"Of course you did." At her words, I remembered the odd feeling I got that something was wrong. But how did she know?

"If this happens—if he succeeds and gains his full powers back—the world will be lost."

"Who is he?"

"You will find out soon enough."

"And what has this got to do with me?"

"Are you dumb, or weren’t you paying attention?" She replied, sounding angry. Good. I was getting irritated by the way she spoke to me.

"You said it yourself: a great evil is in the land. How am I supposed to compete with that?"

"You were blessed with a special gift—a unique bloodline. The only strength that can withstand those evil forces"

"Oh really, well, I don’t see anything special about me or my bloodline, so I think you have the wrong person." I replied, dismissing her words as mere errors.

"That is left for me to decide, you thick-headed fool." She cursed exasperatedly, "You have a long journey ahead of you, so you best prepare." Her voice was beginning to fade.

"Wait, I never agreed to anything!"

"Oh, you will; it’s your destiny."

"What? Wait! You can’t just leave me here!" I yelled.

"Who said you were here?"

***

Thoughts of the dream I had last night plagued me all day.

What exactly did it all mean? Even Rachel’s insistent jabs barely affected me. Even if what she said was true, how was I supposed to leave? I wondered as I lay on my bed, a book in hand.

For a long time, I have yearned to leave this place and explore a bit. I have always felt caged in this vicinity, which is why the night I was to be chosen as a mate held so much value to me.

I knew it would be difficult to convince them that I had some kind of ethereal mission that involved saving the world.

Heck! I found the whole concept preposterous. But then anything I could latch on to to leave this place was welcomed. Especially since the Night of the Fated, when I was totally ruined.

On some occasions, I would escape the house to meet with some people and probably get some air, but now I can’t do that for fear of being seen.

I was just too embarrassed to meet with anyone outside this house. I mean, what will they think of me now? I guess most of them think of me as the rejected one. I guess it was my fault for ever thinking that I could escape this life.

But if what she said is true, then I better get moving. I have always felt there was something more out there for me. I guess all I have to do is go for it.

The door clicking shut heralded my uncle’s arrival.

Rachel had just left to meet up with some friends.

I bet she would gossip about me. I knew she wouldn’t be back anytime soon. It’s now or never. Slowly, I walked out of my room to meet him in the parlor.

"What‘s up?" Paul asked from where he sat on the couch in front of the TV without turning, and I edged closer as he popped the cover of his bottle of beer. As I walked up to him, I could not help but feel nervous.

Fortunately, the smell of the scented candle made me feel better. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves.

"Nothing much." I sighed. "It’s just that I have something I would like to talk to you about."

"That important?" he inquired, tilting his head back to look at me.

"Yes, it is."

"Then you better take a seat," he said, pointing to the chair to his right with the beer he held while using the remote to reduce the volume of the TV.

After we sat in silence for a moment, I finally steadied myself enough to ask a question that came to mind.

"Do you believe in premonitions, dreams, or visions?" After taking a long drink from his bottle, he sighed,

"Well, we have an oracle in our pack who sees all that stuff, so yeah, I do." After a short pause, he asked the question I was expecting him to. "Why did you ask?"

"I had one. It was more like a dream, only this time it did not involve any other person except for me and the voice that spoke to me."

"Oh, so what did this voice tell you?" he asked casually, taking another swing from his bottle.

"She said–"

"She?" he interjected. "The voice was feminine," I explained.

"Sorry, continue" Well, she said that there was a great evil rising that threatens us all, and I am the only one that can stop it."

"And why is that?" he asked. "She said I had a special bloodline that would lend me strength to fight." The beer he was about to bring to his lips paused in mid-air.

"So why are you telling me all this?"

"I need your..." I trailed off. What am I doing? Before I could talk myself out of the crazy idea I was about to propose, I thrust my chin out and quickly said, "I need your permission to leave." Lifting a brow, he stared at me to the extent that I almost squirmed with discomfort under his hard gaze, but I did not dare to look away.

"Can you listen to yourself speak?" "This could be a trap for all I know, and you sit here asking me to grant you my permission."

"I have thought it through, and I have made my decision." He got up from the couch, placing the now-empty bottle on the tiled floor. "And you think I will just let you go?" He said this, pinning me with one of his hardest stares.

I was afraid he would say that.