Witness: See Series (Volume 1)(75)

“Um…hi,” I said as I looked over him carefully. I knew I didn’t know him; in fact, I couldn’t think of a single child I knew. I wasn’t even sure how to act around children. “Do – do I know you?” I asked, looking from him to Madison, then back to the little boy.

He smiled widely. “Not yet. I’m Preston.”

“How – how did you know my name?”

“Lucky guess,” he said with a mischievous smile. His eyes moved to Madison, then he reached for the wrist that had her Ankh on it. She didn’t pull away or flinch; her tense composure instantly vanished. She was staring at him with absolute wonder. Preston traced her tattoo, and almost instantly it was healed. There was no sign of red where her skin had been pierced, and the ankh wasn’t raised in swollen protest anymore. You would have thought she had it for years.

“Is that...uh...um...is that Landen over there?” I asked as I swallowed hard.

Preston nodded as he held Madison’s hand. I furrowed my eyebrows, finding this little boy odd – and the way Madison was acting was even odder.

“He looks sad,” I said, trying to get his attention.

“He is, but it’s almost over, so he’ll be happy.”

“Over, like, in day or so – or like now?” I asked, thinking maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to go down there after all.

“Like soon – but he doesn’t know that yet,” Preston answered.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“I listen.”

I raised my eyebrows as the thought of Monroe instantly came to me; she’d pretty much said the same thing to me last night.

Preston looked up at me. “She listens, too,” he said.

“Who?”

“Monroe.”

“You know Monroe?” I asked.

“Not yet,” he said as he smiled.

As frustrating as it was to talk to him, I couldn’t help but smile, too.

“I’m looking for Austin. Preston, do you know him already? Can you show me where he is?”

“I do,” he said as he smiled. “I can.”

“Charlie, you’re crazy. You are not stepping into a memory – inside of a memory! You have no idea if that’s even safe – that’s too deep!” Madison argued.

I didn’t know where this Esterious place was; for all I knew, it was down the street - but I wanted to find Austin.

“What do you mean, ‘deep’?” Preston asked.

Madison looked down at him and smiled. “It’s hard to explain.”

“Seeing isn’t hard to explain,” he said innocently.

“You know what would be easier?” I said with a bit of a smirk. “For you, little one, to tell us what you already know. Can I see where Austin is through you?”

“Yes.”

“Charlie, you could get stuck or lost - are you crazy?!”

“Her soul cannot be stuck. No one’s can be; you go where you want - you know that. How many souls have you told that to?” Preston asked.

“I’m not going to that Est – whatever they called it,” Madison said.

Preston’s tiny hand tightened around her hand, and an almost instant calm seemed to come over her.

Taking advantage of the distraction he was giving me, I knelt down to look him in the eye. “Preston, show me Esterious. Show me through your thoughts. Can you think of it for me?”

He smiled and reached for my hand, the one that had my new Ankh tattoo on it. A numbing calm – one that matched the peace I felt around Silas – instantly came over me. I stared into this little boy’s eyes and asked: Where is Esterious?

Instantly, my soul was moved. I was in a palace, an elegant, gothic palace. It was as if it were stuck in a lost era. There were dark hardwood floors, elegant paintings, and chairs and couches that reflected nothing less than royalty. There was a large wall of windows to the left. Nervously, I walked there, trying to get my bearings. Before I even reached the window, I could see a deep gray sky. Everything was gray; the buildings, the landscape - it was as if all of the color of the world had been erased from this place. When I reached the window, I looked down and saw millions of people gathered in the courtyard, looking up at the palace. Each of them were dressed in long black cloaks. They were silent, still, and held the deepest sorrow in their expressions.

I heard whispering, low voices and quickly hid behind the long drape around the window. When I peeked out, I saw an old man surrounded by servants that were leading him to the balcony door that was just a few feet away from me. I assumed this man was the King or something of this palace – not because he looked like a strong leader, but because he looked like a miserable old man that would lead these lost people.

A moment later, a younger man entered the room, followed by his own group of servants. His image was nothing short of breathtaking. He was tall and lean, yet had broad shoulders that almost commanded authority. His dark hair was swooshed away from his eyes, which were magnetic; black as coal, yet even from this distance I could see the pull of power they must have.

The older man stepped out on the balcony, and a second later the younger one followed. I expected to hear applause, but when I didn’t I turned in the drape to look out at the others. The crowd remained still, silent. I thought that maybe this old man was about to tell them horrible news and they knew that, and that’s why they were quiet. I listened intently as the old man began to speak.