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How to Seer

copyright comidacomida 2019

My eighth grade year really hard, not just because my mom and dad were so hyper focused on losing a daughter to a swimming accident, or because I lost my sister myself, but because my two best friends had gotten to know her so well; when I was with them, I was always remembering that our group was one short. They both really tried to help where they could but most of the time they'd say some comment out of nowhere about "Man, if only your sister could have seen that." or, worse "I still miss Stef.". It was bad.

Sometimes I still don't know how I managed to survive that year; it was emotionally draining and painful beyond all measure. Toward the beginning of the summer my parents thought it would be smart to attend family counseling-- all three of us. It wasn't long before they got me a separate specialist and started going to marriage counseling on their own. It was almost the end of summer by the time I had a chance to even stop and catch my breath. With two weeks to go before classes, I decided I wanted to go back to the river-- it was the first time for me since Stef'd died.

The trip down to the river meant I had to walk down five different streets-- not quite a mile, but still a decent trip when it was over 90 outside. The journey also took me past Kyle Harrison's house; he was one of my best friends. Although I weight the option of going alone or inviting him, the decision was made for me since he was in his front yard and ran over to join me all on his own. His question was pretty straight forward. "Wow... you going to the river, man?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I think it's about time. I really need to."

He didn't bother objecting or pushing any further, but he stepped in line with me and the two of us went down there together. It was easy at first, taking the path I'd walked a few dozen times but, as we got closer to the embankment that led to the water it got harder and harder. By the time I reached the shoreline and saw the large rocky outcropping where Stephanie had fallen in it was almost too much.

Kyle put things in perspective pretty quick. "I'm gonna jump. For Stef."

Before I could object, he had run the distance, clamored up onto the large boulder that made up the base of the outcropping, and sprang out into the air, legs bicycling beneath him as he fell the nine or ten feet down into the water, landing with a large splash. I couldn't say why my heart was beating so powerfully in my chest when he did it seeing as we'd all used to jump off it before 'the incident', but I felt a huge amount of relief when he surfaced again and gave me the thumbs up.

After that, I knew I couldn't pass up the chance to do the same. My heart started beating again quickly as I climbed to the top of the rock pile. Although it hadn't been anything out of the ordinary for me to jump into the water anytime previously that time I paused. Stephanie had been standing where I was; she had jumped just as we had any number of times before; she had died. My psychologist and I had talked about what I was feeling at that moment often enough, but I never felt like she really understood what I was going through. Then again, I'm not sure I did.

Lingering on the rocky outcropping for a few more seconds, my mind was made up for me. Before I realized what was happening some loose gravel gave way beneath my feet. I fell backward onto the rock, hit my head, and then, amidst a feeling of weightlessness and falling-- blackness.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, caught up in the surging tide of thoughts (and maybe water), I could have sworn I heard Stephanie calling out to me. Her voice was getting clearer and clearer but, just as I thought I was going to understand what she was saying the sound was banished, replaced by a loud ringing and a painful shaft of light as I opened my eyes... and what I saw immediately knocked away all of the cobwebs in my brain. Gazing down at me was a sopping wet humanoid Raven wearing a pair of swim trunks. When he spoke, he sounded like Kyle. "Hey! Billy! Billy? Say something, dude!"

I was laying on the rocky shoreline of the river and, as I sat up in astonishment, the whole world started swinging wildly around me. Turning to the side, I vomited up tons of water. Steady digits pressed into my back from behind me, massaging my shoulders and spine as a deep voice spoke in a language I didn't understand. The Bird spoke in Kyle's voice, but the words were just as alien as the second guy behind me. When I stopped coughing I noted "I... can't understand you... I think I hit my head..."

The Raven put a wing down on my arm; it felt a lot like a hand and he seemed to use it that way. "You fell in. I got you out but--"

"Why do you look like a black bird?"

The words were out of my mouth before I could think to stop them but, rather than tell me I was crazy or that I was hallucinating, Kyle stood up and stepped back. He turned over one wing, then the other, then about-faced and I watched his tail flex and wiggle above where he had the elastic of his shorts pulled to. "What do you mean by 'a black bird' exactly?"

I clarified, still wondering what was going on. "A Raven... I--"

My words stopped when I brought my hand back from my head and saw blood on my fingers. Before I could say anything else a black-fur-covered paw reached out from behind me and wiped the blood away. That deep male voice spoke up again in that language I didn't understand. I was so stunned that I stopped talking altogether, but Kyle questioned me nevertheless. "Did-- I mean... can you see... HIM?"

Despite the headache and the dizziness I slowly turned around to see who had been propping me up; a large black cat man was kneeling on the shore behind me. He looked a lot like a lynx with tall, tufted ears and fluffy cheeks, but his paws were webbed and his tail, rather than appearing feline had a faint reptilian look to it. "What in the hell?"

It was my first introduction to spirits and, I realized, they were both as surprised that I could see them as I was. My many lessons didn't get any less surprising from there.