The next morning, Charlie woke late in the day. With his mother and sisters out of town for the weekend, he was indeed the king of the castle. After scarfing down what was left of the cereal, he threw on some clothes, ran a comb through his hair and headed out the back door.
As Charlie rode his bike towards the mall, it dawned on him that things were extremely peaceful. In all of his twenty minutes awake, he hadn’t seen one vision. Pedaling slower, he went out of his way to look down alleyways and across open fields. All he saw were things of this earth, and it gave him peace. Maybe at last he was free of it all. Was this a dream?
Even at the mall, surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of people, no sightings were had. He got what his mother had penned on the list, and dumped them into his backpack, all the while noticing a dark skinned Man with a Mustache showing interest in him from afar. Riding the escalator down, turning corners…This person was truly following him, and the panic set in.
Thoughts raced. Who was this? And why are the visions gone? Who will help me? Charlie began sprinting through the food court, only to fall flat on his face. An older gentleman helped him up. “Are you alright?” Charlie looked behind him. The man wasn’t there. Scrambling to his feet, he saw the exit and bolted towards it.
As the door closed behind him, he felt a strong grip on his shoulder. In ashen tone, he turned around to be faced with the Man with the Mustache. Charlie went ice cold.
And then the Man spoke. “Charlie, I have come so you do not have to be afraid.”
Charlie sputtered, grasping for words. After a deep breath or two, he asked, “How do you know me?”
The Man’s response both warmed his heart, and chilled his blood. “I have always known you, Charlie. I have been sent to help you, to awaken you. Today is different than all others.”…
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