Witness: See Series (Volume 1)(76)

The language in which he spoke was foreign to me – but it almost sounded like Latin, a subject I’d managed to get an A in when in I was in the eighth grade. As I struggled to remember that dead language, I finally managed to make out a few words: ‘You are the dammed – and debt is due,’ the old man said. He went on with his speech, and I finally realized that he wasn’t delivering bad news; no, this was more like a sermon. My heart broke for these people. It was like watching all the dark shadows that I’d redeemed gather in one place to hear an evil ruler tell them they didn’t deserve a life.

I felt someone squeeze my arm, and I jumped back to see an older woman holding me. I wasn’t afraid of her; her dark eyes were peaceful, yet troubled. She didn’t look like the people below; she looked like she lived here - like she was royalty.

“Am I dreaming?” the woman asked.

A daring smile came to my eyes as I felt the element of power that seeing was giving me. Quietly I uttered “No, I am,” then focused on where Madison was – that little boy. I felt my soul rush back there.

In front of me was the little boy, and I could hear Madison telling me that I wasn’t going to step into another memory - and that was final. I had gone and returned so quickly, she hadn’t even noticed that I’d left.

“That was mom,” Preston said as he smiled at me.

“That lady that thought she was dreaming?” I asked.

He nodded. “Beth, my mom.”

“What? What did I miss – did you already go? That fast?” Madison asked.

I ignored her. “Who were those men? The old one and the young one? Are they bad?”

“Only one is…my brother is good.”

I assumed he was talking about the younger man, but I had my doubts at the same time. Nothing seemed normal about this little boy.

“Why are you here, and they’re there?” I asked.

In that instant, Preston opened his mind again, and I saw him in a different room of the palace. The young man with magnetic, coal dark eyes was there with him. They were both dressed for a formal evening. The young man was adjusting Preston’s tie. Once he was done, he knelt down so he could look Preston in the eyes. “Listen, buddy, tonight is the blue moon. If something happens to me, mom, or dad, you find a way to Chara. You make Willow take you there – you hear me?” he said in a tender tone.

Preston nodded. “Marc will carry me.”

The young man looked down, and grief seemed to overcome his fearless complexion, which could only belong to a King. “This is going to end badly,” he said quietly.

Preston reached his tiny hands for the young man’s face. “Change is hard, but necessary to reach what our soul craves.”

The young man grinned. It was a stunning grin, one that would stop anyone in their tracks. He then picked Preston up and spun him around before hugging him tightly.

The instant that scene was over, I was back in the field, staring at those blue eyes. I nervously looked to my side to see if Madison had seen what he showed me, but she wasn’t paying attention to us; instead, she was staring at Landen’s home in the distance.

I stood up slowly. “I don’t...um...I don’t really understand what’s going on in your life – but Madison’s right: all of you have your own battles to face. Still, will you tell Austin when you see him that I need him?”

Preston smiled innocently. “He will return when my world and yours must collide to move forward.”

“How soon will that be?” I asked.

“The events in our life have a time and purpose; wishing for them to come sooner will cause you to miss the lesson you’re meant to learn at this moment.”

“How old are you?” I asked, completely mystified by him.

“This life? Six. Who knows how old my soul is,” he said with an innocent giggle.

Madison squeezed my arm. “Can we go now?” she asked nervously.

“Wait,” Preston said as he reached for my wrist. His tiny fingertips traced my Ankh tattoo, and I felt a warm, tingling sensation. Instantly, the raw, burning feeling in my skin had vanished.

Preston smiled. “Happy Birthday.”

My eyes grew wide as I smiled. “Thank you,” I said quietly.

He let go of my hand, then ran toward Landen’s home.

“Now, Charlie – I want to go back,” Madison said as she squeezed my hand.

I closed my eyes, then opened them again and found myself in the now dim living room of Wesley’s home. He was staring patiently at us with his dog on his lap and the love of his life, Erica, sitting next to him.





Chapter Sixteen


I took me a second to gain my bearings, to understand that I was back – what I’d seen. It would be impossible for me to explain to anyone what just happened to us. I looked down at my wrist to see the tattoo I’d gotten this morning completely healed. I looked up to see Wesley smiling at us.

“Welcome back,” he said as he reached to pull Erica closer to him.

“How...how long were we gone?” I asked, looking to my side at Madison. She wasn’t paying attention to me; she was lost in her thoughts.

“Like, at least six hours. It’s nearly seven.”

“Are you serious?” I asked.

“How is that possible? How did that take six hours - but when I went to Esterious, it only took, like, a second?” I asked Madison.