The way to become the Great Sorcerer

Chapter III: Heat waves

Afternoon sunlight passes through the glasses of my window. Dust particles that are floating in the air are like snow in the winter season. My sweat trickled down to my forehead to my eyes. I squint to get rid of the water. I sighed rolling around on the floor trying to cool off but it only resulted in me sweating again. Giving up on moving I laid down there in a star-shaped form staring at my ceiling.

I noticed that a spider was occupying near my light bulb. Wondering whether if insects also feel the heat in this tropical weather ‘ah right, I forgot to clean my room’ Too tired to even move, I decided to do it again tomorrow, one day of procrastination won’t have a big effect on my life. I tried to distract myself from the heat, grabbing my phone, I decide to scroll around my social media. 

I saw my former classmate’s post that made me sighed. He was currently on the beach with his family, smiling so widely in the photo. How lucky, sometimes I just wish in this kind of situation, to have some sort of superpower that can make me teleport to any place with just a flick of a finger. “I hate summer” I groaned. No thoughts, head empty. I pick a song to cure my boredom, blast it in full volume. I almost dozed off to my dreamland when my mom’s voice booming inside the house caused me to flinch. I tried to pick up what she said but to no avail, my effort was wasted. 

Groaning like an old man, I force myself to get up on the cold floor, the only source that helps me to cool off in this blazing heat of summer. Saying goodbye to my precious DIY cooler, I went downstairs to know what she wants. “Mom you sounded like a wild cat when you’re shouting, what do you want?” Perplexed by what she’s doing, I sat opposite of her. I attempt to understand what she was doing.

“Can you get the boxes in the attic for me please” She requested, the moment she notices my presence I finally grasp the situation she was in? In our big dining table, there are some objects scattered everywhere, I realized these are supposed to be thrown out yet end up forgotten since it was stored in the attic. “There are red x marks that I wrote on those boxes.” She notified me. 

Making my way into the attic, I notice my neighbor’s house visible in the window of our hallway. I stopped when I caught sight of someone. When I realized what was in the neighbor’s window, my mouth gaped open. On behalf of the welfare of my eyesight and my brain, I ignored what I saw. I avert my eyes forward, decided to continue my journey to the attic, I keep on repeating to ignore the unsettling sight that happen not too long ago. 

Arriving in the attic, I find the boxes that my mom marked with an x sign. There are only two boxes left. I tried to lift each of them to know if they’re heavy enough for me to carry. Concluding they’re light enough, I piled them up for me to carry both. Before I left the attic, I explore it a little. It’s been a while since I come up here, the last time I did when I was a child, it wasn’t a pleasant memory to remember. I shook my head. I took notice of one box filled with old vinyl and a cassette player there are also books buried underneath it. 

It piqued my interest, I decided to carry it with the others. I stack it up with the other boxes, I tried lifting it, luckily the other boxes weren’t that heavy. I carefully went downstairs and proceed to my mother. I noticed my brother with a bored face gazing at my mother. My mom’s attention darted at me. Realizing there are three boxes I brought, she dashed in my direction to help me carry one box. “I thought that there are only two boxes, I don’t remember I included this.” My mother asked with confusion as we place the boxes on the table. Inspecting the box, I brought.

“It piques my interest so I can’t help to bring it too,” I answered with a smile. She finally understood and push it to my side. “It looks like it was your Father’s” uncertain about what she said, she just brushed it off with a laugh. She proceeds to take out the things in the box. There are a bunch of old baseball gloves, there are also dusty old home decors with loose screws and loose parts. 

“What would you do with these things, mom?” Calypso, my younger brother, can’t help but ask our mother. My mother smiled with excitement as she picks random objects on the table. “Well, I’m planning to sale these things on the internet” confusion was shown on my brother’s face that made me snicker. My brother opened his mouth but he decided to close it, then he opens it again then close it again, repeating the actions two times, he eventually said what he had in mind. “Aren’t all of this broken? I don’t think you can sell this” Picking up a broken lamp on the table, he scans it while squinting his eyes and caressing his chin, acting like a detective on a job. He quickly put it dusting off the remaining dust in his hands. 

My mom offended what he said, attempt to retort back “Your mother is not an i***t, Cal. I’m calling Mr. Eastwood to repair these things.” Which my brother snickered, not forgetting to roll his eyes. “Mom, Mr. Eastwood repairs cars, not these useless junks” They began to bicker nonstop, I looked at them blankly. I’m so done with them and their childish actions. Escaping silently, I carried the box without making a noise and head out to my room.

Placing the box on the floor, I take out all the music disks and the cassette player, wishing that it’s not broken. Picking up the cassette tape I tried to put it in the player and press play. It successfully plays a song. The song started with a woman singing incoherent words, the melody and the tone felt weirdly familiar to me. I tilt my head in confusion trying to find a memory. The afternoon sunlight was blocked by a passing cloud, and the winds dance as if it was overjoyed by the song, birds chirping joining the wind. At that moment everything was so peaceful that I can’t help my heavy eyelids to open, I finally dozed off into my dreamland while listening to the first verse.

Heaven, heaven, My own heaven

I opened up my eyes and was stunned at the sight before me, I suddenly went to a place, that seems so strange yet seem so familiar, there are lots of trees and flowers surrounding me, I looked around trying to explore the place and I notice a big mansion behind me. The door went flying while people who I never met before coming out the door, they waved and smiled at me, I wave them back awkwardly, they laugh because of my actions. 

Everything felt so familiar to me. I was expecting It to be part of my childhood that I forgot growing up but it wasn’t. Women dancing wearing pretty pastel dresses, barefooted in a grassy lawn, laughing at every action they make, the men join them without a second thought, all of them are wearing formal attire. ‘I guess this might be a party.’ the next thing I saw was strange creatures joining them to dance, I was shocked and disbelief at what I saw. Creatures with horns and tails, there is also a creature that is made out of wood. The wood creature was tall an 8-footer, I think. I flinched when he greeted me, I stand there with eyes wide open and pursed lips. And then I concluded that all of this might be a dream.

In the dark, In the dark turns into night

But then a speck of dust went into my eyes, closing my eyes, I tried to remove it by closing and opening my eyelids when I can’t help it, I rubbed my eyes to completely removed it. The moment I regained my composure, I gasped at the sight before me, it was no longer in the forest, I had barely seen any flowers, a while ago everything was booming with life and joy now it was all death and devastation. The people that were dancing were now laid down in the cold hard ground lifeless. The mansion, the forest everything was on fire, the creatures that once join them to dance now joining them in the ground, dead. My head was empty, I cannot process what was happening before me. The joyous scene that I saw was now filled with cries and death. 

My knees were shaking and my whole body trembled, the stinky smell of blood hits my nose as I tried not to vomit. Covering my mouth and nose, I close my eyes begging myself to wake up. All of this doesn’t feel like a dream, the cries felt real the smell, the heat of the fire surrounding me was real. I gasped for air as I panicked. “Get me out of here! Get me out of here!” I was close to losing my mind, I fell to my knees hugging my body, trying to comfort myself, ‘all of this is a dream, all of this is not real.’ Repeating the words that help me hold on to sanity.

I saw people ran away crying for help, just like me. Because of the situation I’m in, I couldn’t think straight I was confused; everything was too overwhelming for me. The people who tried to escape met their doom. They were massacred by dark apparitions that I cannot comprehend, they were stabbed and beheaded. I squinted my eyes shut, trying my very best to not print it on my mind. I want to get out of this hell hole, my panic attack was slowly taking over me and as time passes, I began to breathe heavily. My tears stream down my face that I can’t control, my heart is beating rapidly. I shake my head to express my answer. “No!! Get me out of here! Just please.” Everything was killing me. ‘If there’s someone out there who heard me, please help me, save me’ after I plead those words repeatedly in mind, like magic, everything that surrounds me changes abruptly like a scene in a movie. I figure out that everything that reminds me of hell was changed to this wall of pure white.  

The feeling of helplessness I went through a while ago seems like an illusion, the fire, and the corpses were gone as if it wasn’t even there to begin with. As though everything that happens in that hell hole, we’re all just an elaborate hoax. I gulped down the excess saliva in my mouth. I slowly regain myself. I look around still scared of what was going to happen to me. Abruptly, out of nowhere, a woman dressed in white came floating towards me. She was beautiful, she had beautiful raven-colored straight hair, her forehead was covered by her bangs. She had gentle features; her skin was the coopered color. She raises her arms to me which causes me to flinch and back away. She stopped because of my actions; she scratches her head awkwardly she attempted to ease my tension with a smile which I only return with a glare. Her facial features were shocked because of that, her head dropped down, revealing her disappointment and sadness “Who are you?” I asked with caution, I don’t want to experience any weird s**t again. She darted her attention to me; she was shocked as I saw her eyes twinkle with delight. She turns around, squirming while her shoulders trembled.

‘I already told myself, I don’t want to experience any weird s**t yet here we are.’ Confusion was written on my face. I stare at her as she tries to calm herself down. I flinch again when she suddenly turns back. With an apologetic face, she pursed her lips. It looks like she is hesitant to talk to me. After a few seconds, she smacks her head making a decision.

“Larcade Dewin” I was startled when she said my name, I immediately put my guard up. A woman who I don’t know suddenly calls my name, this is not just any weird s**t. “Don’t be afraid, I was greatly overjoyed when you suddenly called for my help.” She said with a gentle smile. I was conflicted about the things that she said. I never once called her for help.

“I can sense your confusion but I don’t blame you, I’m sorry for taking so long to get you out of there, It’s my fault” She bowed 90 degrees to express her forgiveness “As much as I want to talk to you and caught up on things, I don’t want you to stay here for too long.” She caressed my cheeks the moment I let my guard down. But I can’t seem to complain, her hands were gentle like a mother’s touch. I unconsciously lean for more which resulted in her to giggle. Embarrassed I back away from her touch. “Larcade, the path you’ll take to become as the ??? might be hard and rocky but I believe that you can overcome those cruel challenges that you’ll face in the near future. Just listen to your heart, you will eventually understand.”

I slowly open my eyelids, trying to adjust my eyesight. Realizing the sunlight was directed at me I blocked it with my hand. Sitting up, I can feel my stiff muscles due to sleeping on the floor. I look around checking if I’m awake. I breathe a sigh of relief as I recognize my room. I heard my mom shout my name downstairs, I groaned standing up, messing my hair up in the process still trying to fight my drowsiness ‘this feels like a déjà Vu I was about to get out of my room when an apparition appeared in the corner of my eyes, I took a glance but dismissed it as I proceed heading downstairs. Not forgetting to ask myself, what the hell was that dream about?