The Forsaken

Chapter 1: Genesis

I looked up at the dark clouds as my taxi drove down the rainy pavement in the downtown area. Skyscrapers towered over me and the townspeople that walked along the sidewalks, shielding themselves from the rain. Stores were lined side by side and varied from healthy food joints and cafes to clothing stores and art galleries. I laid my head against the seat and closed my eyes- listening to the humming of the taxi driver and the rain tap on my window. 

"What brings you to Seattle?"

The driver had ended his jingle to make small talk- something I was hoping wouldn't happen. Keeping my eyes closed, I thought about the past I was leaving behind. I had decided to finish out the rest of my semester in a new city, leaving behind the friends I made prior. I had no family, so it wasn't hard to leave, though it wasn't exactly last minute either. I kept having a strange feeling about Seattle and took it as a sign that maybe my life's purpose was here, so I applied for University of Washington, booked a one way ticket, and packed all that I needed in a single bag before leaving. 

Taking a deep breath to prepare myself, I opened my eyes to meet his and said, "I don't know yet".

The taxi driver shrugged and continued sitting in silence before saying, "Well this city is known for the opportunities it provides- I'm sure you'll find whatever it is that you're looking for".

The rest of the ride was silent as I tried to imagine what Seattle may have in store for me.

****************

Not too much later, we arrived at the college. I tipped the driver and headed inside the bland lobby before making my way to the elevator. I set my damp suitcase aside and searched for the paper I had prepared with my room number on it. '444' it read and I pushed for level 4, feeling my heart beat anxiously imagining who my dormmate would be.

Breathe in and breathe out, Asura. Everything is going to be okay.

I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding and grabbed a bit harder onto the handle of my suitcase as the door opened for me. When I arrived to my assigned room, I noticed the door was already open and a woman was inside, sitting on a bed I assumed she had already claimed.

"Hey there! I'm Kayla, so you must be Asura!" 

I set my bags on the bed on the left side of the room.

"Yep, I am."

I turned to face her and gave her a genuine smile. Kayla let out an excited noise and clasped her hands together. 

"Just by your vibe, I can already tell we're gonna be great friends!"

"I hope so- I could really use one, being new to this city and all."

Kayla began to walk over to the door as she spoke. 

"I grew up here, so I can't relate, but I'm sure I'd feel the same way if I ever moved somewhere new."

I began to unpack the small amount of clothes I brought with me into a nearby dresser the school had provided as Kayla laid on the doorframe.

"Well, I'm starving. Do you want to join me at the Caf?"

Figuring she was talking about the cafeteria, I declined, wanting to be alone to gather my thoughts.

"I'm a little exhausted from the flight, but thank you, though."

Kayla shrugged and displayed a sly smile.

"I guess I can understand that. I'll see you when I get back then!"

She waved to me as she left and I fixated on the door as it shut behind her.

Once the door shut, I threw my limp body onto the hard mattress- tired of the plane, the ride, the talking and listened to the sound of rain tap my window. As if being sung a lullaby, my eyelids slowly began to close and it wasn't long before I was asleep.

For the first time, I dreamt. I hadn't had a dream for as long as I could remember, but this wasn't unique. I had a type of memory loss where I'd forget everything within a year. I didn't know any family I had, what I did most of my life, or anything else of the sort, so when I had dreamt, I was surprised by it and saw everything so clearly.

There was a woman with similar features as mine, but she was dressed like an ancient goddess. The way she glowed as she played a piano in an empty room made of marble. She wore a robe that touched the floor and had a crown of vines on top of her head.

The song she played was beautiful and I almost felt hypnotized by its melody, until a large creak signaled a door had been opened. The woman stopped playing quickly and bowed her head in respect. Before I could get a view of who it was, I woke up. 

Kayla's alarm was going off and as she turned it off, I quickly reached for my own phone to check the time.

"6:45" illuminated my screen and I quickly stepped out of bed to get dressed. Noticing Kayla still sleeping, I tiptoed to grab the backpack and supplies I bought for my first day and tiptoed out of the room.

Painting at 7:00 am in Room 117 and Religions in Room 424 immediately after.

I stepped inside and saw a man was also in the elevator, stepping aside to make room for me.

Noticing that the first floor had already been selected, I stepped to the far left corner and tried to take a glance at the stranger.

My heartbeat began to pick up as I saw him. He had golden hair that was combed to the side and engaging bright blue eyes that were enough to catch anyone's eye. His chiseled jawline and toned arms were hard to miss, but as my eyes trailed back up to his face, I noticed he was looking at me as well. His face was concerned and I began to get nervous.

"Is there something on my face?" 

"No- no, I apologize."

He briefly looked away with a grin on his face, as if he just realized something, but he slowly looked back into my eyes with a sense of... longing. "You just look like someone I used to know..."

The doors opened to the main lobby as I spoke.

"I'm sorry, but that's likely impossible. I just moved here yesterday."

"Ah, my apologies then."

He spoke so quietly, it was nearly a whisper.We both stood there awkwardly at both the conversation and who would exit first. Finally, he broke the tension. 

"Ladies first," he said regaining a smile. 

"Thank you," I said and meekly stepped past him. In return, he gave me a shy smile and stopped by a nearby water fountain for a drink.

Wow, he was definitely the most handsome guy I've seen yet.

I quickly shook my head to rid it of thoughts. I made a pact with myself to stay away from men for as long as I can remember and unlike everything else in life, I wasn't going to forget that.

****************

"Hello, class! I'm Kay Williamson, but I prefer you call me Kay- none of that 'Mrs.' or 'Dr.' nonsense."

I removed my earphones just in time to hear the professor's introduction and a silent chuckle from the class. 

"I can't wait to get to know all of you and I feel that art is the best way of self expression! To start things off, you all will paint a picture in which you feel describes you best! Beside the window, there are large papers for you to use and painting supplies near the sink. You have 15 minutes!"

Everyone slowly walked over to get their supplies while my attention was stuck on the professor. She was quite interesting between her frizzy, long, peppery hair and 70s attire and reminded me of the bra-burning generation I had heard about.

After everyone had sat back down, I finally stood up and grabbed my supplies. When I arrived back at my seat, I pondered about how to describe myself before finally deciding on a self portrait.I worked fast, but made sure to focus on the depth of my bright green eyes and the shine of my chestnut brown hair along the way.

15 minutes later, a timer I didn't even know was set went off and I laid my brush down to admire my artwork.

"Let's start with you- say your name and what your piece explains about you!" 

My eyes followed hers' as the student to her left stood up and smiled to the class.

"My name is Nithael and this is my painting."

The man from the elevator!

A man with a long white beard and blue hood appeared on his canvas. He wore a crown and looked stern, causing curiosity to fill me. As if on cue, he began speaking- his voice electrifying the room with a loud boom.

"My dad is a big inspiration to how I live my life and the morals I hold so dear to me. When I see myself, I see a reflection of my father's hard work and thank him for the things he sacrificed to give me the things I cherish today."

His eyes began to sparkle as he talked about his dad.

"He's like my guardian angel, in a way."

The room filled with applause all around me. Nithael met my eyes and seemed a little surprised I wasn't clapping. I quickly looked away and pretended to be distracted by something else.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Nithael! I love what you've done; you're certainly gifted, my boy!"

We went around the room giving introductions, leaving me to give mine last.

"Last, but not least, we have one more student!"

All eyes fell on me as I stood and flipped my portrait to the class. Some looked impressed others showed no emotion, but I avoided making eye contact with Nithael.

"Hi, my name is Asura. I took this assignment pretty literally, but I think that says a lot about me as a person. Sometimes the best way is the easiest way, and I like the directness of what I've demonstrated."

"I agree with you, Asura, I love the interpretation you had of the assignment and that's what art is all about!"

I looked down at my feet and blushed as I sat back down. 

Kay explained what to expect for next class, so we began to put our supplies back where we found them before packing up to leave. I couldn't help but sneak glances towards the clean-cut young man as I packed my things. There was something about him that almost glowed and could catch anyone's attention both near and far.

Sometimes, he'd meet my gaze and I'd quickly turn my head, but it wasn't long before class was dismissed and I headed towards my next class.

*****************

"You must ask yourself 'What do I believe in' and then challenge those thoughts. Some of you are religious to your very core- knowing that there's a higher being."

I could hear whispers from my classmates about what they believed in and tried to not become distracted.

"Some of you focus more on science and believe that we're just an evolutionary component to the Universe. Whatever the case may be, you must understand the importance of religion and how it's evolved throughout history to understand the now. Let's begin with Chapter 1 or what we'll call: Genesis."

My professor was an older man with piercing eyes. He calmly paced the room before changing the slide on the projector.

"How was life created? Perhaps we were made from the stars and evolution lead us to the human body we know today: two ears, one nose, thumbs-"

He wiggled his thumbs and chuckled.

"Or perhaps we were created for a purpose- maybe there is a God or many Gods who created us to make her years go by faster. Whatever the case may be, it's important to be open to all possibilities. You can learn a lot about yourself and others when you practice this sort of understanding."

I couldn't help but to notice his transparency towards religion. He seemed as if he genuinely believed that there could be many ways of our existence and that no one way was correct. 

"In Genesis, a higher entity named God created many things over the period of days. Among them: the light, the dark, animals, and man. I'm sure many of you have heard this story, so who do we suppose was that man?"

A girl in the front row shot her hand up frantically and the professor called on her.

"Adam, and from his rib, Eve!"

She spoke matter-of-factly and I couldn't help but cringe at the sound of her high-pitched voice.

"Very good. In contrast, Hinduism teaches that there is no absolute start to time, as it is considered infinite. Similarly, the space and universe has neither start nor end, rather it is cyclical. The current universe is just the start of a present cycle preceded by an infinite number of universes and to be followed by another infinite number of universes."

I felt myself get lost in the doodling I had done on my paper until the professor stood over me in silence.

'I hope you are listening, Asura, because this information could be very important to you, later.”