Blind Rage

      I never thought the day I died would be so happy, so bright. Death’s cold, comforting embrace kept pulling me closer, yet, something else kept drawing me back, back into the world of lies and deceit. It all started in Burnsburry, England in 1495….
      I was, mostly, an average boy. I did chores, and I even had a job to support myself. The only things separating me from the others my age, was that I was an orphan, and that I could see things the others couldn’t.

      It began when I was thirteen. I was at the orphanage, getting ready for bed, when I saw a face. The odd thing was that, when I looked at it, it smiled at me saying, “I give you the sight, Jason.” Its eyes grew red, engulfing my vision. I closed my eyes, for the light was too bright. Suddenly, the light died down. As I opened my eyes, I realized the face had done something to them. I could now see other faces, and people! Most were partially transparent, yet some I could see as clearly as if I was looking onto the city’s streets.  For the first time in my life, I fell asleep scared.
      A year later, I had another event happen that was indescribable. I know knew how to converse with the spirits, for they were indeed dead people. I was walking home from work when a man or rather, a ghost approached me. “You are summoned by Lord Athrix, Master of The Sight.” As he said this a note appeared in my hand with directions.
     As I started to journey toward this Lord Athrix, I realized that I could potentially be walking into a trap. Turning on my heel, I began striding towards the blacksmith’s shop, to use my hard-earned money to purchase a sword.
      “Hey Jake, are you in?”I yelled
      “In the back!” came his response. Opening the door immediately led to the intense heat of the forge.     
      “Whad’ya want?” he called in his gruff voice.
      “A sword” I ordered “cheap, but durable.” After we exchanged money for sword, I strapped the heavy long sword to my waist.
       Using the note, I, yet again, began my journey towards Lord Athrix. The first landmark was the Caverns of Foresight, yet as I neared the location, I noticed something that took my breath away. I looked on, awed, by the giant crystal in front of the caverns. Sword at the ready, I cautiously entered the caverns.
       Slowly descending, I noticed there seemed to be less and less light as I walked further down. Whilst deciding whether or not to leave, I saw a light coming towards me. Hiding in a crevasse in the wall, I waited patiently for the strange light to come. As the light grew stronger, I saw a human holding a lantern. I waited until he came near, and I effectively knocked him unconscious, taking his lantern.
       Eventually the uneven ground started to veer upwards, so I knew the exit was near.  I looked, dazed, into the bright sunlight.  Looking at the note, I realized I was at the castle of Lord Athrix. As I went to leave, a sudden pain struck my head, and I fell, limp to the ground as a vision filled my head.
       I saw a man and a woman, hands clasped together, kneeling in front of a man in a robe.  The robed man mumbled an unintelligible jumble of words, and suddenly the couple fell over, dead. A baby rolled out of the woman’s cold, lifeless arms. The robed man picked up the child, and a few, barely audible, words came from his lips.
      “Jason, son of Deborah and John, I will give you a gift when you come of age. Then I will train you after it becomes a common way of life. I am Lord Athrix, remember my name, for one day I will become your teacher.”
       Suddenly, everything but the baby dissipated. As if time was speeding by, the child went through its life, when it stopped, staring at me. It was about fourteen with a long sword strapped to its side. A shiver ran down my spine as I realized the child was me.
       I awoke in a cold sweat, suddenly aware that I wasn’t outside the cavern anymore. The robed man from the vision, Lord Athrix I remembered, was sitting beside me in an oak chair.
      “Meet me in the North Tower when you recover from your….fall.” He said bluntly, as he left. I then realized what the vision had been trying to tell me, he was the reason that I was an orphan. He murdered my parents, and stole my family from me!
      Angrily, and unconsciously, I grasped where my sword was, only to find it laying on the table, and not on my waist. I hurriedly strapped it on while trying to find the nearest person.
     “Where’s the North Tower?” I demanded, anxious. The woman looked at me curiously, and pointed to a round staircase. Taking Each step two at a time, I reached the top drenched in sweat. I saw Lord Athrix, standing at the edge of the tower, and I took the opportunity. Running, ready to tackle, I ran into him with such force that it drew the very breath out of my lungs. As he fell into oblivion at the landscape below, I thought it was over. Out of nowhere my chest flared with an unseen pain, and I blacked out.
      I never thought the day I died would be so happy. Death’s cold, comforting embrace kept pulling me closer, yet something else was pulling me back, back into the world of lies and deceit.
      I looked around, vision blurry, to look at my would-be-killer. It was a young girl, about twelve, with a bow in her hand. I staggered to my feet, each movement pouring searing pain throughout my body. I grabbed her shirt, and spoke in ragged gasps.
     “Don’t let rage consume you.” She looked at me with anger and curiosity. With my life near its end, I dove off the edge to lie beside my enemy.