Augur of Shadows Read online

  “Perfect. You aren’t ready to command a vision. It’s extremely dangerous. You must be aware that you’re a projector.” Siméon realized that he was distracting Henri from completing his test.

  “A memory, eh?” Henri had an idea. His instinct told him to follow the emotions. He knew that he couldn’t focus on a definite person. Instead, he figured that he followed the emotions he felt when he was around Siméon.

  “Stay focused,” Siméon reminded him.

  “I can’t believe this. Is this real?” Henri felt that a part of him had leaped through a doorway, and he landed somewhere new.

  “Wi.” Siméon figured that Henri had projected to the past.

  “I somehow know where to go.” Henri was beyond amazed. The sensations during a projection were indescribable. He could feel the sunlight hit his face and the warmth kindle his internal body temperature, and still, he could simultaneously hear Siméon’s voice.

  “Siméon, I know where I need to go.” Henri ventured through his projection on the farmland. He saw an enormous, vibrant forest in the distance. He continued on the path to the clearing. Henri rubbed his hands across the leaves of the trees. He heard the birds sing their saluting tones, and the grass between his toes sent feelings of completeness.

  Henri crossed the threshold of the forest, which felt as though he entered a new plane. The rocks beneath the soil felt cool to the touch, and the shadows cast images that danced in the breeze. Henri absorbed as much of the environment as he could until he heard a not-too-distant whistle. He faced the direction of the tune, and he locked eyes with Siméon.

  “What is going on?” Henri couldn’t believe the entire experience. He rushed over to Siméon with joy in his step. Henri began to enjoy projecting because he received exactly what he had wanted for such a long time - freedom.

  “Fancy seeing you here.” Henri noticed as the breeze from the wind decided to cool him down as though he petitioned the wind gods. The sunlight bounced off Siméon’s skin, giving him a radiant aura, which left Henri mesmerized.

  “So, you’ve always had warrior-like energy, eh?” Henri saw that his compliment didn’t affect Siméon, so he decided to change the subject.

  “Henri, you took too long.” Siméon tried to get Henri to focus his attention, but Henri was under the effects of the projection.

  “Henri!” Siméon strutted over and shook him to his senses. Henri quickly snapped out of his haze.

  “Siméon! What are you doing?” Henri became irritated at Siméon’s arrogance and rudeness.

  “Henri, you must focus. We don’t have a lot of time.” Siméon displayed a look of hurry across his face.

  “Why? Nothing is happening.” Henri paced back and forth, waiting for Siméon to begin.

  “Projection has effects on one’s body, and you are no exception. You may have a unique gift, but you are still human.” Henri dropped his attitude after he saw Siméon’s concern.

  “Okay. Sorry.” Henri shut his mouth and allowed Siméon to proceed.

  “Henri, you are here for a reason. One of the reasons is for you to see what projection is. Secondly, you are to know about our history.” Siméon waited to see Henri’s reaction to the news that they had encountered each other in a different lifetime.

  “Hold on. What do you mean different lifetime?” Henri couldn’t hold his worry any longer.

  “Henri, you have projected to one of your past lives, and I am one of Siméon’s past lives.” He was still dreading Henri not believing him. Henri’s remaining sense of sanity broke, and he started to spin inside his head. His thoughts started to race rapidly, and he couldn’t stop them. Henri’s ability to focus was gone. He felt as though the one thing that had been holding him together was gone, and every single thought he had had, every argument, feeling and emotion leaked out of his brain.

  Suddenly, Henri fell to the ground, blacking out momentarily. Siméon rushed over to him, and he picked Henri off the ground. He tried fanning cool air across his face to bring him back.

  “Henri! Come back to me!” Siméon fanned him in a swifter motion, yet nothing seemed to work. Henri wasn’t waking up. Siméon was at a loss. He poured all of his emotions to the surface and cried. Siméon couldn’t live if he had lost Henri. Not again.

  CHAPTER 5

  Out of nowhere, Henri snapped out of his mini-slumber, and Henri saw Siméon hunched over him, holding his hand. He saw the tears trickling down Siméon’s face. Henri saw the vulnerability in Siméon, and he knew that he cared more than he had thought.

  “Siméon, what happened?” Henri couldn’t remember anything before blacking out. Siméon helped Henri off the ground, making sure that Henri hadn’t hurt himself during the fall.

  “Henri, you fainted.” He wouldn’t leave Henri’s side till they reached the nearby hill.

  “I fainted? How embarrassing. What seventeen-year-old man faints?” Henri couldn’t hide his blushed cheeks from Siméon, and he started to laugh at Henri.

  “What’s so funny?” Henri slowly turned around to face Siméon.

  “Henri, you don’t have to hide anything from me. I’m just glad that you’re okay.” Siméon knew that Henri was embarrassed. He changed the subject so that he felt less on the spot.

  “Guess I’m not that special if I can’t handle a simple projection. What an Augur?” Henri was no longer enjoying his time, and Siméon clearly felt Henri’s anguish.

  “You haven’t known that you’re the Augur for that long. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Siméon rubbed Henri’s back for comfort. Henri felt relaxed, and he was able to calm himself.

  “An Augur?” Henri couldn’t take any more information presently. Plus, Henri always thought that the “hero” of a story usually landed themselves with a cliché title.

  “A special seer.” Siméon wouldn’t elaborate any further, which left Henri lost and confused.

  “Fine.” Henri had reached his breaking point, and he didn’t want to hear any more. He wanted to return home.

  “Trust me. You will learn more real soon, Henri.” Siméon saw the frustration in Henri’s face. He tried to lighten the mood, yet he failed at getting Henri’s attention.

  “Let’s get back on track. And, Siméon?” Henri gathered enough courage to speak his truth to him.

  “Yes, Henri.” Henri saw that Siméon had stopped walking to give him his full attention.

  “I want to thank you for helping me.” Henri felt the tension building between the two, and he wanted to lean in for a kiss until Siméon felt someone’s presence. He swiftly scanned the area for any other signs of life.

  “What’s wrong?” Henri sensed Siméon’s shift in focus.

  “Someone is here.” Henri was shocked to see that Siméon’s aura changed into a fiercer, more aggressive energy. Henri wasn’t scared of the energy emitting from Siméon, but he knew that there was something more to the boy. He acted differently as though he wasn’t the Siméon from moments before.

  “No one else should be here.” He tried to walk away until Henri stopped him by grabbing his hand. He stared deeply into Siméon’s eyes, and Henri saw something that he had never seen in his life. He saw fire dancing in Siméon’s eyes.

  “Siméon, don’t go. We must finish our conversation. I can feel that it’s almost time for me to return.” Henri was proud that it wasn’t he that was not focusing.

  “You’re right.” Siméon calmed his nerves rather quickly as though he was a Tibetan monk, and once again he gave his attention to Henri. Henri refocused, but he found difficulty with Siméon’s recent shift in personality. He didn’t know what happened or what he was. Henri pondered what would have happened had Siméon lost control. For a moment, Henri believed that he was in his own Beauty and the Beast situation, leaving him with a giant grin on his face.

  “What was the second reason for this vision quest?” Henri wanted to stay on track before he returned back to his time.

  “You need to realize that you have lived many times before. As y
ou can see.” He directed Henri’s glance over the land in front of them.

  “This was once your life. Your life was here… with me.” Henri’s jaw dropped. He finally understood why he felt the way he did about Siméon. Henri sensed waves of both anxiousness and confusion, but he knew that he was going to be okay.

  “Henri, our souls have been around each other in past lives.”

  Henri interrupted Siméon’s explanation. “Are you saying that we are soul mates?”

  “I am saying that we have history. Real history. Each life is different, but we always end up together.” Henri had no words to respond. He started to feel overwhelmed once again, so he decided that it was time to return home.

  “Henri, go further.” Siméon extended Henri’s vision. Henri realized that looking into the past was extremely draining, and he had no desire to continue with projecting.

  “Siméon, I’m done. I don’t want to hear any more.” Henri stood and walked away from Siméon.

  “You can do it. I believe in you.” Henri heard Siméon’s words, yet he continued walking away. He heard the whispers of a familiar voice urging him to continue.

  “Dad?” Henri thought the voice was of his deceased dad. When no one answered him, Henri continued walking back to Siméon. He sat and prepared to return to Siméon’s place in Haiti.

  Henri discovered he couldn’t find the strength to return home, and as a result, he started to have another panic attack.

  “Siméon, I’m zapped. I can’t do it again.” Henri dropped to the ground, grabbing his chest. Henri didn’t want to be stuck in a place he didn’t belong. The thought of not seeing his mother again bothered him.

  “Henri, we will get you home.” Siméon hoisted Henri on his shoulder.

  “Where are we going?” Henri asked softly, while Siméon shushed him, and he showed Henri an enormous stone circle. Siméon led Henri through the circle and placed him in the center.

  “It’ll be okay.” Siméon couldn’t take his eyes off Henri. “You haven’t changed a bit, Henri. Even in a different time, you have it.”

  “Have what?” Henri wanted to understand. However, Siméon chanted unfamiliar words, and he snapped his figures. When Henri opened his eyes, he orientated himself. He saw the Siméon he met in Haiti.

  “Henri, breathe.” Siméon knew the emotional wreck Henri was, but he also knew that Henri had one more trip to make - a trip back to his time.

  “There is no way, Siméon. How the hell? You can’t expect me to believe all of this. I… I can’t.” Henri felt his pulse quicken and sweat dripped down the side of his face.

  “Henri, it is a lot, and I understand. However, you wanted to find out why you felt so strongly for me. Well, now you know,” Siméon explained smoothly and easily.

  Henri became overwhelmed with the idea of past lives and the understanding of an Augur.

  “You are much more than a seer. Believe me, the rest you will find out soon enough,” Siméon explained the best that he could.

  “What the hell is going on?” Henri was overloaded at this point. He simply wanted to return to French class.

  “You are closer to the answer, Henri. I convened with the Ancestors, and they confirmed that I’d have a visitor from the not-to-far future, and they instructed me to lead him or her down the right path.” Siméon moved closer to Henri, “Please, sit down here, and we will talk.”

  Henri heard his words, but he felt irritated that Siméon wasn’t giving him time to process it all.

  “Henri, do you understand?” Siméon waited for Henri to respond.

  “Do I understand what?” Henri used his remaining strength to stand against Siméon. Henri was done with everyone assuming that he wasn’t taking anything seriously.

  “Yes! I heard you!” Henri knew that he had reached the end of his patience, and he decided to return home at any cost. He was done listening to everyone.

  “Henri, what is wrong?” Siméon wanted to understand Henri’s feelings and emotions, but he knew that Henri had had enough.

  “I’m going back. Now.” Henri wiggled back onto his feet, waiting for Siméon to share the secret way back home.

  “How do I get back?” Henri felt his blood rush to his face, displaying his rosy-cheeked appearance. He understood that most of his anger and frustration didn’t come from his experience with Siméon directly.

  Henri hated that he was feeling not in control of his life. He already fought internally about who he was, but now, he must add another aspect to it.

  “Okay. Okay. No more for today.” Siméon stood staring at Henri, hoping that he would show a smile or make a joke. Siméon sang a song similar to his mother, and the tune brought the wind, and the wind encircled Henri. When Siméon felt the pinnacle of his song, he followed it by snapping his fingers, instantly transporting Henri back to his time and place. Siméon had never felt so defeated in his life. He felt as though he had failed the Ancestors, and more importantly, he had failed Henri.

  CHAPTER 6

  Henri neither felt the warmth of the sun on his skin nor heard the sounds of birds. By the scent of old, used books and sweaty teenagers, Henri realized that he projected back to class. Henri opened his eyes to see Monsieur Dickinson was still giving the same lesson. He looked at his watch to see what time it was.

  “No way.” Henri was shocked to see that time hadn’t progressed. He thumped his watch to see if it was working while he looked around the room to reorient himself. The only sound he heard was the rumbling in his stomach. He fought to hide the sound from the class.

  Instead of listening to the class lecture, Henri replayed his entire conversation with both present and past Siméon. He hated how he had acted during the vision, and he knew that if his dad had seen him act in such a way, he would’ve been extremely disappointed in his son.

  “Why did it have to be me?” Henri lost interest in the lesson, and he had no desire to remain at school for the rest of the day. He couldn’t wait till the bell rang, so he could escape an awkward conversation with Siméon.

  “Okay, class, now we will be having an exam next week. The exam will count for more than half of your semester grade.” Monsieur Dickinson dismissed the class, staying behind to clean the board for the next class.

  Henri leaped from his seat and swiftly walked towards the door. He planned his exit so that Siméon wouldn’t stop him to talk. Henri’s brain was on overload, and he didn’t want to talk to anyone.

  “Monsieur Jacobson, please see Siméon for the introduction packet that will get you caught up for the exam. Usually, we give new students a pass on their first exam. However, you have had French before. So, you should be used to the language at this point,” explained Monsieur Dickinson.

  “Oui, Monsieur Dickinson,” Henri answered, rolling his eyes at his demands. Henri lowered his head in defeat as he remembered that he hated foreign languages. He panicked about the potential conversation with Siméon, and he wished that he had run straight out of class because the alternative wasn’t sounding too delightful right now.

  “Ça va, Henri. May I speak with you for a moment?” Siméon’s alluring, magnetic aura pulled Henri into his vicinity, and he couldn’t help but stare into his eyes.

  “Yeah.” Henri’s nerves were everywhere. Sweat dripped from his forehead, embarrassing him in front of Siméon.

  “Here is the packet he wanted you to have. It’ll get you caught up with all the material we have been discussing these past few weeks. Do you have any questions?” Henri couldn’t focus on what Siméon was saying. Henri was completely burnt out.

  “I don’t have any questions right now. I do believe that the packet will help me catch up. If anything comes up, Siméon, I will ask you.” Henri shook Siméon’s hand, surprising the boy with a non-personal gesture.

  “Henri, how are you feeling?” Siméon tried to get something out of Henri, but he wasn’t in the mood to have a discussion of this magnitude in the middle of their class.

  “I’m processing things,
Siméon.” Henri’s mood instantly changed, and Siméon noticed the change in his responses. Henri wanted to run from the conversation because he didn’t want to discuss this matter anymore. Henri was over the concept of destiny, and how his was intertwined with the universe.

  “Okay. We will have to discuss it at some point, though, Henri.” Siméon knew that he was forcing the issue, but he wasn’t accustomed to having someone neglect his or her responsibilities.

  “When I am ready.” Henri had had enough of their conversation, so he said his goodbyes as he walked out of Monsieur Dickinson’s classroom.

  Henri didn’t understand why he had to be the one with this destiny. He grew more frustrated because he didn’t want to discuss the whole thing, but it was the only thing that was running through his mind. He found it ironic that the one who wasn’t a member of any religious affiliation was chosen to be the knight in shining armor of the cosmos. Henri chuckled at the thought of him saving anything. He wasn’t the most responsible person on the planet.

  “Oh, the fates. The joke is on you, ladies. You chose the wrong guy.” Henri made his way through the mysterious maze of a high school, and he prayed that he would have a “normal” rest of his day.

  CHAPTER 7

  HENRI’S NEIGHBORHOOD

  Henri took his time on the train to gather his thoughts on his day. The shock of the train’s arrival broke his concentration, and he realized that he had reached his stop.

  The one thing that Henri enjoyed most about his neighborhood was its historical essence, which soothed his mind. When he stepped foot on the gravel of the train, instead of feeling his usual excitement for the area, he felt a strong, bad feeling. He knew that something was off, but he couldn’t see anything different.

  He tried to ignore the feeling, and he tried to focus on the events of his projections. Henri remembered about dealing with his mother, and he knew when he arrived home, he would have to deal with the consequences of his behavior. He knew that his mother enjoyed punishing him.