The Seer Chronicles

Destiny awoke with a feeling of foreboding, unsure what had jolted her from her strange, recurring dream. She flicked on the bedside light and scanned the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She listened to the rain pouring onto the roof of the Victorian house. The sound calmed her when her sleep became troubled.

Grabbing her sketchbook and tools, she calmly began to fill in the blank page. Her pencil guided across the sheet of paper, knowing exactly where to go next before she herself did. It wasn't long before the familiar face, she’d never seen in person, but appeared in her unusual dreams began to take shape. An eye patch covering their right eye.

A flash of lighting startled her, breaking her concentration. She stared out of the window as another bolt lit up the sky, silhouetting a figure as it leaped from a nearby tree.

‘What on earth?’ She peered out into the darkness, but the figure had vanished into the shadows. ‘Is someone really outside in a storm like this? Or am I becoming as paranoid as Dad?’ she wondered.

The strong winds made the window burst open, and the freezing wind and rain battered her face. She awkwardly reached over, struggling to fasten the latch, the bitter cold making her fingers fumble. Before, snuggling back under the covers, rubbing her weakened leg to return the blood flow and ease the pins and needles, cursing her condition for making things difficult.

Having cerebral palsy sucked. She sighed and stretched her legs, then dropped her sketchbook at the sound of a strange noise coming from downstairs. The most logical explanation was tree branches tapping on the windows. Her tired mind must be dreaming things up. A mug of hot chocolate would help her sleep.

She stood up, slipped her dressing gown over her shoulders, and headed for the bedroom door. She made it about two steps before tripping over something, which sent her crashing to the floor. Cursing under her breath, she picked herself up. Her elbow burned, and a dull ache shot through her knee. She inspected her elbow, and sighed at the sight of a nasty carpet burn.

The brass door handle creaked loudly as she turned it, breaking the silence in the darkened hallway. She was just about to pass the door to her parent’s room when she sensed something rush past her. Destiny froze, before telling herself that her mind was playing tricks, and the storm was setting her nerves on edge.

She carried on, carefully avoiding the creaky floorboards, although there was little need as her parents were deep sleepers. A loud crash sent Destiny rushing down the staircase and into the kitchen, where she fumbled for the light switch. The glass panel in the back door had been smashed in, and the door itself was hanging off its hinges. The kitchen had been completely ransacked. Pots, pans, and food covered the floor.

She frowned, confused, as something scurried across the counter, knocking the fruit basket over. A ring-tailed possum stared at her with rich brown eyes and rain-soaked fur, before jumping off the counter and chasing a blood plum across the floor. The plum came to rest by a brick. The possum grabbed its prize and took a bite, watching Destiny carefully as it ate.

‘So it definitely wasn’t you that destroyed the door,’ she whispered, as she took in the scene, with the broken glass and the brick. Grabbing the baseball bat that her dad kept hidden behind the kitchen door, she grasped the handle firmly, and began scouting the ground floor. Starting with the lounge room, she found all the books had been pulled from the shelves, and Selina’s expensive laptop had been switched on. A file was open on the desktop - one of the ones about witchcraft.

Destiny glanced up as she heard floorboards creak above her. Whoever had broken in clearly didn’t know their way around the house. Creeping back upstairs, Destiny resumed her search. The guest room remained untouched, but her bedroom door was wide open – not how she had left it. She entered cautiously, noticing immediately that the intruder had ripped her drawing of the strange boy out of her sketchbook. She looked around, but nothing else had been taken. Leaving her bedroom, she noticed a soft glow coming from under the door of her father’s study.

Destiny crept over. The door showed no sign of forced entry. She shook her head. Her father’s paranoia meant that he always kept the door locked, and the key on him. Someone had clearly got inside the room, though, so her father must have forgotten to lock the door.

She softly turned the handle and pushed the door open with her foot, holding the baseball bat in both hands, ready to take a swing if someone rushed out at her. The place was a complete mess. Books, broken ornaments, and important documents were strewn across the floor, and the bookcases had been moved, exposing the safe that was hidden behind them.

Seeing no sign of the intruder, Destiny stepped into the room. As soon as she crossed the threshold, something seemed off. It felt as though someone was watching her, but the room was empty. Destiny crept over to her father’s desk. All the drawers had been pulled opened. She reached into the middle draw and removed the false bottom, taking out the leather-bound journal that contained her father’s life’s work. She opened the journal and scanned the yellowed pages. It looked as though everything was still there. Hearing footsteps in the hall, Destiny held her breath, listening intently, before hiding under her father’s desk, just as a shadow fell across the room.

‘Fuck. This is not good,’ she thought.

The figure began searching the room again. Shadows rose from the darkness, becoming solid, and blocking Destiny’s escape route.

′Holy fuck! Magic? Who are they?′ Destiny’s mind was gripped with fear, and she clutched the journal tightly. Calming her nerves as much as she could, she took a quick peek out from under the desk, trying to sneak a glimpse of the person she was dealing with.

The figure was not much taller than her, maybe about five foot six. He was dressed in black, perfect for blending in with the darkness, but his movements were hurried and clumsy, and he seemed to be becoming more and more frustrated, muttering to himself about running out of places to search.

He turned his attention to the desk, his gaze scanning the neatly piled paperwork. In three quick strides, he had crossed the room, and began searching through the open drawers. Destiny crouched in the tiny gap under the desk. The intruder’s foot connected with the bat, and Destiny mentally cursed as the figure bent down to pick it up. Destiny’s heart pounded loudly against her chest, but with their attention focused on the search, the figure somehow didn’t see her squashed into her hiding place. Instead, he straightened up and placed the bat on top of the desk, before resuming the search.

Destiny gripped the journal even more tightly. She knew instinctively that this was what the shadowy figure was looking for. It contained detailed records of cases of paranormal activity, along with her father’s theories about a connection to another world. She considered all of this to be a load of bullshit, but even if it was true, the journal was useless unless they could read her dad’s terrible handwriting.

Her left leg was beginning to cramp. That wasn’t good. She knew that if her muscles got too tight they would spasm, making her kick the desk. If that happened she would give herself away. And squashed under the desk like this, there would be nothing she could do. She had no choice. She was going to have to make a run for it. As quietly as possible, she eased herself out from under the desk, before impulsively rushing towards the door. Before she could make it, though, the solid shadows blocked her path and tried to ensnare her body. As they grabbed for her, she tripped, one of the few times she was grateful for her clumsiness, but now she had a new problem. The intruder knew she was there.

Destiny lay helplessly on the carpet as the intruder stood over her, both of them staring at the journal that was lying on the floor, just beyond their reach. The intruder slowly walked over and picked it up, examining it closely, before locking eyes with Destiny’s evergreen ones. The intruder’s aqua eyes shone through the darkness, a strange hunger burning within them.

He walked back over to Destiny and slowly leaned towards her. Her body shook in response as the shadowy figure’s chilling breath tickled her ear.

‘Thanks for the help, sweetheart.’ His voice was gentle and strangely hypnotic. Destiny glared at him, an uncontrollable rage building, but the intruder simply turned his back on her and walked towards the window.

Destiny sprang into action, jumping up and grabbing the baseball bat from the desk. She rushed towards the intruder, swinging the bat with her full strength, connecting with his back and throwing him off balance. The figure grunted, lost his footing, and smashed through the window. As he fell he twisted in the air and landed gracefully, leaving nothing but a small piece of cloth on a glass shard of the broken window. Even though he had landed softly, he limped heavily as he disappeared into the tree line, carrying her dad’s precious journal.

Destiny dropped the baseball bat. Adrenaline coursed through her body as she leant out of the broken window, scanning the darkness for any sign of the intruder, ignoring the rain-soaked winds that blew her ice-blonde hair everywhere.

The beam of a flashlight appeared in the darkness, and her father ran out in his robe, frantically searching for the intruder. He returned a few minutes later, soaked to the skin and empty-handed. Destiny stared, as she caught sight of the intruder crouched on a tree branch, staring right at her, before jumping down, merging with the darkness, and vanishing completely.

Selina held the phone in her slender hand, hugging Destiny from behind, her warmth calming the chaotic emotions threating to burst from her shaking body. They stared out through the broken window. Surely no human could fall from such a height without at least breaking their legs? However, although he had walked away, the intruder had clearly been injured. Bloodstains spread across the wet grass, and spattered the glass that had fallen from the broken window. Destiny heard the sirens before seeing the flashing blue and red lights. Her stepmother led her from the study and down into the kitchen.

Destiny’s father, Alaric Morgan, spoke with the detectives, while uniformed offers spread out across the forest. Destiny suspected they wouldn’t locate the intruder. He would be long gone by now.

Her father described the journal and stated it was the only object stolen. The detective’s partner inspected the study. Destiny followed him upstairs. Standing in the study doorway, she cleared her throat to get his attention.

‘He cut his leg. There are bloodstains on the grass,’ Destiny said. The detective peered out of the window and nodded. He radioed through to the uniformed officers and they swabbed for samples while he continued checking the study, taking meticulous notes on his notepad

Stress had streaked his brown hair with white, although his clean-shaven face suggested he was no older than twenty-five. His grey eyes seemed kind. When he had finished looking around the study, he came over and shook Destiny by the hand with a firm grip.

‘I’m Detective Willows. It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Morgan. I don’t think this isn’t the first break in this chap is responsible for. However, it’s difficult to be sure, as the other victims weren’t able to give us a description. Hopefully we will be able to retrieve DNA from the blood samples. I know it’s been a long night for you, but I need to take your statement, Miss Morgan,’ he explained gently.

Destiny chewed her lip nervously. ‘I awoke during the storm because of nightmares and went down to the kitchen to make some warm milk. I noticed the back door had been smashed in, and I heard movement upstairs, so I grabbed the baseball bat. I went to Dad’s study and got his journal, but the intruder found me and he got away with the journal,’ she blurted out in one breath.

‘Did you get a glimpse of his appearance?’ Detective Willows asked.

‘Only that he wore dark clothing and had aqua blue eyes. And I know that he injured his right leg.’ The detective finished taking her statement, and handed over his card.

‘If you remember anything else, no matter how small, contact me.’

They made their way back downstairs. Detective Willows approached Destiny’s dad.

‘Alaric, your daughter has been extremely helpful, and hopefully we can return your stolen journal.’ He smiled at Destiny with an impressed stare. The family all followed the detectives outside as they returned to their cruiser. They watched the car pull away, before heading back into the house.

Destiny knew her parents’ disapproving gazes without looking. She was used to it - her cerebral palsy meant that they constantly underestimated her. She followed them inside, along with a chilling blast of cold night air. Her parents sat at the kitchen table. Selina rubbed her forehead and sighed, ‘All this excitement has given me a migraine.’

Destiny filled the kettle and switched it on, then got three cups from the cupboard to prepare the tea. Selina read the paper, determined to keep calm. Destiny was relieved - her stepmother’s temper would make volcanos stay dormant. Destiny closed her eyes and listened to the downpour, trying to make sense of tonight’s events. Alaric Morgan remained quiet, his shoulders slumped and his grey eyes weary.

The kettle boiled and Destiny poured the water onto the teabags, adding three spoonsful of sugar to her father’s cup. She placed the steaming mugs on the table. At the same moment the possum reappeared, jumping up onto the table to investigate the interesting new smells. Destiny giggled as the possum stole a strawberry from the fruit bowl.

‘Destiny, get rid of that animal now!’ Selina ordered, frozen to the spot.

‘Calm down Selina, he’s just hungry and taking shelter from the storm.’ Destiny grabbed a handful of strawberries and clicked her fingers to get the creature’s attention. She led the possum outside. It gently took the strawberries Destiny offered, before heading back into the forest.

Destiny returned to the kitchen and drank her tea in silence, sensing the tension between her parents. Selina Morgan had never approved of her husband’s job. His research meant he often needed to take long trips away from his family, something Selina had always resented.

Destiny was puzzled by Selina’s outbursts about her dad’s job. Something always seemed off about her words. They never rang true. Sometimes Destiny thought Selina was concealing things.

Destiny watched as a change washed over Selina’s features. She brushed her hair over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist, her other hand tightening around her mug, her lips thinning as she sipped her tea. They were all familiar signs that Selina was about to voice her disapproval. Alaric tried to soothe his wife. ‘I understand your distress, Selina. This night has been eventful for everyone.’

‘Damn right!’ Selina replied, her seething tone laced with accusations. Taking this as the signal to leave, Destiny grabbed her tea and took refuge on the staircase, close enough to the kitchen to overhear her parent’s argument.

‘I never approved of you working for the paranormal agents, Alaric, and now look - years of research stolen from under your nose. I told you time and time again to make sure it was hidden. But my words fall on deaf ears.’

′Paranormal agents? Who are they?′ Destiny wondered.

‘It’s only the journal, Selina. It is useless without the field guide, and that is quite safe. Although the loss of the journal is unfortunate. It almost certainly means that I shall have to return to Andriel.’ Alaric replied. He sounded wounded, but not defeated.

′Where is Andriel? And what was the field guide?′ Destiny wondered.

She heard Selina moving around the kitchen, an impatient shuffling of feet, followed by the sound of the tap running.

‘Will you please stop going on about Andriel. Can you try and focus on what actually matters for one moment. The paranormal agents are going to be furious.’

Destiny was puzzled. Selina hardly seemed concerned that their house had been broken into or that her father’s research had been lost – all she seemed to care about was what these paranormal agents would think.

‘Enough is enough,’ Selina continued, ‘we are moving to Violet Springs. Which means you will have to quit the Paranormal Agency. End of discussion.’

The kitchen became quiet. She heard her father sigh, but she sense it was in agreement. Where were his usual comebacks? He never usually agreed to anything so quickly. He moved to the beat of his own drum.

‘Perhaps it’s for the best. I know how much Destiny would love to investigate paranormal events, but with her condition it will never happen.’

Destiny’s teacup slipped through her fingers, spilling fiery liquid all over her clothes, and smashing her favourite cup against the wooden stairs. Her shoulders slumped, then she turned and stomped up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door in frustration. ‘He never gives me a chance,’ she thought, her eyes blurred with angry tears.

Destiny’s room was her haven, a peaceful place where she could escape the shouting and troubles of family life. She inhaled the distinct aromas of sage, lavender, and rosemary from her small window box, and ran her fingers along the comforting solidity of the sturdy bookcase, filled with her collection of books about Wicca, Magick, and supernatural beings. Hidden behind the books was her secret stash of old paranormal cases that she studied, to practice becoming a researcher like her dad.

Her oak desk was artfully arranged with school textbooks, stationery, and her favourite CDs. The walls were painted a deep blood red, and hung with fantasy art, from dragons to a burning phoenix. Destiny picked out jeans and a black top from a pile of clothes sitting crumpled in the corner. She changed, then slumped into her worn leather chair, opened her laptop and her journal, and selected a black pen from her penholder.

She typed ‘What are paranormal agents?’ into her browser, but nothing came up. She hadn’t really expected it to. She knew the group her father worked for was highly secretive and covered their tracks well. She had only met the leader once, and could barely remember them, as she had only been three years old at the time. Even so, that one encounter had set Destiny on her path.

She deleted the term, and tried ‘Andriel’ instead. Out of a list of results, one article caught her attention. The title was ‘Portal in the Mists’, and according to the article, beings travelled within the rolling mists of the forests, and people had glimpsed a strange world beyond the mist.

Destiny enlarged the image. Ripples of unknown energy flowed from the mists. She could always see ‘unseen’ things, even in photographs. This ability frightened her more than anything. In the centre of the mists a circle glowed. ‘The source of the energy?’ Destiny whispered. She sketched a drawing of the circle. Could it be a symbol? No, a symbol wouldn’t create energy.

Maybe a gateway? Possibly, but where would it lead? She scrolled down the page. The location caused her blood to run cold. Violet Springs.

‘Violet Springs has always been a hotspot for strange events. The Portals in The Mist are just the latest in a series of mysterious occurrences,’ Destiny read out loud. She clicked ‘print’, and placed the folded article in her journal. The sound of silence filled the house.

There was a light tapping on her door, and Destiny quickly hid her journal, before calling out, ‘Come in’.

Selina opened the door, the rage which had filled her eyes was now just a distant glimmer. ‘It’s past midnight, Destiny. It’s time to go to sleep.’ She glanced at Destiny’s computer screen and the fire came back into her eyes as she saw the article about Andriel. Shaking her head in bitter disappointment, she closed the door.

Selina was a woman of few words, but her disapproval cut Destiny’s heart. Her chosen path had placed a strain on her relationship with Selina, and with her dad. Why couldn’t they understand? She shared her father’s passion, but they didn’t approve. They just wanted her to live a quiet, boring life, free of danger, so that she could comfortably manage her disability. A caged life.

Destiny longed to experience something which would change her dull lifestyle. She shut her laptop, wondering what the locked safe within her father’s study contained. Could it be notes on his investigations? Destiny had witnessed real magic tonight, and her heart filled with a childish excitement, knowing that she had discovered more than she had ever dreamed of. The images of the night’s events filled her head as she drifted into sleep.

***

Destiny awoke to blinding sunlight, which stung her tired eyes. Selina’s humming filled her ears - a strange, hypnotic sound - as her stepmother bustled around the room, collecting Destiny’s washing. Destiny didn’t sense the anger from last night, but she was grateful for the silence when Selina left the room.

Destiny sat in the window seat. The rolling mists flowed down from the forest, clouding the house in a blanket of thick fog. She smiled as the glass grew ice cold, numbing her fingertips. Winter arrived in June. The thick fog always concealed things - an old saying which Destiny thought was accurate.

A figure walked through the fog, entering the forest. Destiny thought nothing of it. Hunters were a common sight, in pursuit of the deer that roamed the hills. She headed downstairs, the sounds of fresh eggs popping in the frying pan. As she walked into the kitchen, she noticed her favourite teacup sitting on the worktop.

Hadn’t she smashed the cup on the stairs last night?

Destiny knew her stepmother was a practicing witch, selling ingredients for spells and candles in her online store, but that wasn’t the same thing as being able to cast real magic, like mending broken cups. Selina poured a freshly brewed mocha into the cup. Destiny put the thought out of her head and took her place in her usual spot at the table, sipping the hot, sweet drink, allowing herself to slowly wake up, trying to figure out a more rational explanation for how the cup had become whole again.

Destiny sensed something was off. Her father remained unusually quiet, focused on cooking the eggs. Destiny’s stomach growled. The toaster popped and she got up to butter the golden pieces. Her father’s eyes were completely vacant as he served the hot eggs. It wasn’t until he sat down at the table that he finally noticed Destiny.

‘Good morning, sleepyhead.’ His voice lacked his usual spirit. Destiny stabbed her food, trying to name the different spices on the eggs. Selina made a disgusted face and ate the hot buttered toast, leaving her eggs, because she disliked the spices. Alaric Morgan’s phone buzzed and he jumped up to answer the call.

‘Hello? Alaric speaking…’ He left the kitchen. Anger crossed Selina’s features, before she sighed in resignation. Tying her long blonde curls into a ponytail, she gathered the used dishes and began to do the washing up. Destiny grabbed a tea towel and helped to dry the clean plates.

‘Did you and Dad make up last night?’ she asked.

Selina turned to face Destiny. ‘It’s none of your business,’ she snapped in reply. ‘If there is something important to tell you, we will. Until then, stay out of our disagreements.’ The plate she was holding slipped from her soapy fingers, shattering on the tiles. She shook her head, grabbed the broom, and swept the shards into a pile.

Destiny had never been spoken to in that venomous tone before. Her father returned, oblivious to what had happened. He cleared his throat and announced, ‘We are having a family meeting in the den.’ He clenched the phone in his hand. Destiny wondered why he seemed so worried.

She followed her parents to the den. Could this be about the move Selina had suggested? The burning oil lamps provided dim lighting. The room always contained a dark smoky aura, which floated around the shadows of the room.

Destiny could never locate the source.

Her father paced up and down with a vacant expression, lost in his own thoughts. He was normally an outspoken, straightforward man, but today his words seemed to weigh heavily on his mind.

‘I’ve been asked to move to Violet Springs. The agency are investigating some disappearances and they would like my input.’

‘When do they want you to start?’ Selina asked.

‘Next week. They are already making the arrangements.’ Her father sat in the comfortable armchair, watching Selina closely. She sighed.

‘I know I suggested going to Violet Springs, but we can’t be expected to make such a big move in a week. However, maybe a new start is for the best,’ Selina mused. ‘After all, there’s nothing to stop the intruder returning.’

Destiny shared the same thoughts. She had so many questions, but she knew that asking her parents would get her nowhere. She had the feeling that Violet Springs would lead her to the answers.