The Spirit Awakens

Chapter 3

--ADDI POV—

 I stood to the side after giving Amy one last hug.

 The village leader stepped towards Amy with a strange bowl in his hands. 

“We have all gathered here to witness and except Amy Stone's awakening, when the spirit within her awakens and transform this young woman into a full member of The Blessed.” Leader Alex dipped his thumb into the bowl and then drew a circle on Amy's forehead with a dot in the middle. 

Leader Alex then turned and took his place to the side next the Elder Shen who was watching with a serious stare. 

Amy took one last glance at me before she kneeled before the statue and closed her eyes. Everyone watched with anticipation, people wondered what spirit she would be blessed with.

 Suddenly, Amy's red hair seemed to faintly glow, everyone held their breath as they waited with anticipation and excitement.

 I watched with worry as she suddenly hunched forward with a painful expression on her face, I could even see tears falling down her face and she struggled to hold in her scream.

 A bright light forced people to close their eyes and look away as the sounds of bones breaking and cracking. I stared through the light trying to see my best friend, hoping she has an easy awakening but her scream tore out and stabbed through my heart. Her screams died down with the last of the breaking sounds ended and the light died down allowing everyone present to return their gazes to Amy.

 Gasps could be heard as their gaze landed on a very large red fox, it stood on wobbly legs but then straightened its form and looked upon the crowd of people. Golden eyes looked towards me and I smiled as I proudly gazed at my bestie, she was so lucky, she was a fox!

 It wasn’t often when someone was blessed with an animal bigger then a medium dog, most were parrots, spider monkeys, squirrels, raccoons, and theres even been mice, granted they are all bigger then normal animals, like Amy's fox was the size of a wolf.

 Amy looked at each of her paws and then spun around as if trying to see herself. I quickly dug in my bag and pulled out the 12x12 mirror I brought so she could look at herself. 

I brought it close to Amy “Amy look" I called out to her. 

Amy stepped closer and gazed at the mirror, turning her body as she stared into the mirror as to try to see every part of her blessed spirit form. 

Elder Shen stepped forward “It is time to seal the link to our people, please join Amy and release your spirit form as to join her in this moment.” 

As soon as Elder Shen finished his words people slowly were replaced by all sorts of animals. There were all sorts of birds flying of different colors, reptiles, mammals, and all sorts of creatures. The park erupted in all sorts of animal sounds as their spirit forms shout congratulations towards Amy. Amy stood there, head held high, just soaking it all in. I glanced around to see if my mom or dad was there, they were some of the few larger animals in our blessed community, mom was a large black bear, and dad was the majestic lion. Everyone had high hopes for me and my brother, but most of the people paid no mind to it since size and power of the spirit hasn’t been important for a very, very long time now.

 Now was a peaceful time of acceptance and love, whether you were a mouse the size of a raccoon, or a giant black bear who could stand 15foot tall. But regardless, she was just happy for her friend, she always wish to be a cute spirit, she would have hated to be a reptile, like Mrs.G. Mrs.G was the biggest reptile in their village, she is a large crocodile.

 Amy looked towards me again, this time approaching, the height of her back reached just above my waist. I knelt down and hugged her neck as she placed her chin inbetween my shoulder blades. As I felt her red fur, it was so soft and warm. 

“You have such pretty fur Amy!” I lean back and gaze into those golden eyes, not realizing tears were flowing from my eyes until she lick them away, always comforting her as usual.

 I laugh “Amy your amazing, Im so happy for you" 

Suddenly an intense heat filled pain twisted in my stomach and I screamed in pain and doubled over holding my stomach. I could hear the roar of a bear and was suddenly enveloped in blackness, no not blackness, just black fur. I gaze up with tears in my eyes as a big black bear was protectively curled over me, as if sort of danger was near. 

“Mom!” I cried out as more pain twisted inside of me and my body started to feel like I was thrown in a furnace.

 Elder Shen who had transformed into his grey wolf formed turned back to his human form. “She is going to awaken soon, someone get me the sacred blood!” he yelled out.

 A gorilla, our leader, appeared holding a cup to the old man. The old man quickly dipped his thumb into the cup and quickly drew a circle and dot onto my forehead as I cried in pain. “Now listen closely Addeline, I know your awakening wasn’t supposed to happen this soon but you cant fight it, you have to accept it, I know it hurts little one but you have to embrace the pain and heat and let it guide you" he quickly spoke as he knelt down and held her shoulder to make sure I heard him. 

I nodded weakly and tried to relax my body. This wasn’t supposed to happen, it was too soon, was there something wrong with me? Everyone knew you were supposed to only awaken on your birthday, and I still had a week before that! 

As all the creatures around me stepped back to watch me I suddenly felt like a freak. As if someone poured gasoline on me and light a match my body suddenly felt like it was on fire, even the grass around my had was turning black from the heat. 

My mom was unable to handle the heat being produced from my body and quickly stepped back with a whimper and eyes watery as she watched her cub in pain. My mom kept looking at the Elder and leader with questions in her eyes. I couldn’t pay attention to anything but the pain now, it HURT so bad, I could feel my skin peel up as the flesh inside of me started to burn from the heat, I couldn’t hold the scream anymore and let out a blood curdling scream as my skin started to split open and the flesh under the skin started to turn black. I didn’t want to die but that’s what it felt like was happening to me. I could faintly hear a roar of a lion, my dad was here. 

At least if I am dying, my family and friends were with me, I just wished my death wasn’t so painful. I grit my teeth through the pain and force myself to look up at my dear friend who had stepped back by 10feet but I could see the tears in her beautiful golden eyes, I wanted to tell her one more time that I was thankful that she was my friend, she was like family to me. 

I reached out to her with my half burned hand as blood dripped from my wrist. “T..Th..Thank…you..for…b-being there for me" I was able to weakly get out of me.

 There was another wave of even more intense heat and I closed my eyes and screamed in pain as I curled up into a ball with my eyes tightly closed. I was so absorbed in my intense pain I didn’t even notice that clumps of burnt flesh fell from my body. 

“Something is wrong, Elder Shen please help her!” I could here my mom scream, she must have turned back into her human form. 

Elder Shen just shook his head “Even if I wanted to nothing can touch her now without joining her in being burned.” He spoke grimly. 

I shook my head as I cried out “Don’t come close, I don’t want to drag you all in this" surprising myself that I was able to get that sentence out fully, but it was only a fleeting moment before the pain intensified. I had my eyes closed and so I didn’t realize that actual flames started to come out of the spot of missing flesh.

 I felt blasts of cooling sensations but it wasn’t very strong, I peek to my side and looked at my brother, with tears in his eyes and terror on his face as he tried using a fire extinguisher on me. 

I smiled painfully, I could feel the fire coming from within so I knew no matter how much he sprayed on me that it couldn’t stop this. The only thing I could do to help this get over with is succumb to the heat and let it take me faster, so that my family and friends didn’t have to watch me suffer anymore. 

I closed my eyes and focused on the intense heat, trying to will it to hurry up and end me. And just like that I passed out.

 --AMY POV— 

I couldn’t believe this, my best friend was being burned alive!

 I felt myself return to my human form as I ran to her when I saw her collapse. I tried to touch her shoulder to roll her to her back but her skin was too hot for me to touch. 

“Don't touch her Amy” Elder Shen yelled and then looked to James “empty the can onto her, cool her body so the doctor can tend to your sister!” his voice seemed to break James out of his thoughts and he quickly blasted Addi's body with the extinguisher. 

After a few minutes and the can was emptied Addi's mom June and her dad Richard ran to there daughter followed by James, the doctor and myself.

 The doctor carefully rolled her over and checked her pulse. 

After a few seconds “Theres a pulse, quick get the stretcher!!” he yelled behind him and that’s when everything moved fast and all I could do was stand there crying praying that she is ok.