The Awakener Read online

Micah’s gaze remained fixed on the painting long after the McCarthy’s had left. I can’t believe Eden saw the woman. With his dad helping his mom with the dinner dishes and Caleb talking on his cell phone, no one noticed him slip back into his dad’s study. He wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted, he just felt a need—an insatiable hunger. Scanning the desk, he realized he was searching for something specific. Not here. He turned and spied it lying on the chair where he’d left it earlier that night, the leather Bible.

  Anxious to open it, he decided he might have more privacy in his bedroom. He was at the base of the staircase when his mom came into the front entry.

  “That was a fun night. Looks like you and Eden really hit it off.” Her eyes spied the book in his hands. “Did you have a nice time?”

  “Yeah.” He felt bad leaving her standing there, but the need for answers was overwhelming. “Good night, Mom,” he called, jogging up the stairs, feeling her eyes on him the whole way.

  Shutting the door to his room, he sank into his recliner, turning on the floor lamp next to him. His hands seemed to have mind of their own, his fingers rifling through the book. The pages stopped turning and he tilted it toward the light. It was the Old Testament, in the book of Samuel.

  And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart.

  Micah typed one word into his laptop’s search engine bar. The room brightened at the same time he felt her presence. He glanced up to see her standing over him, the hem of her red dress almost touching his feet.

  He was exuberant. She’s back.

  She leaned over and pointed at the page.

  “What? You like what I read?” he asked.

  She nodded, smiling.

  “So, what’s it mean?” he asked.

  Her eyes flicked to his computer screen, where the search results for Seer had popped up.

  Micah followed her gaze and read aloud, “A person who sees, an observer, a person who prophesies of future events, a prophet, a person who has special powers of divination, a crystal gazer, or palmist.” He stared at her, “Is that why I see you? I’m sort of a seer?”

  Her lips puckered and then her finger rested on the page in the Bible.

  He re-read the four words she was pointing at. “I am the seer.”

  She nodded once. With her so near, he had to fight the temptation to touch her. She looks so real, tangible…

  Then his bedroom was gone, replaced with a tunnel-like room with marble floors and walls lined with statues. This is new, no black monsters, he thought, relieved. He saw himself in vision staring at a statue: a Roman or Greek bust of a man. A guy with a stocky frame walked up and Micah immediately recognized it to be his cousin Trent; the brown hair spiked with hair gel in every direction was a dead giveaway. The room disappeared, replaced with St. Peter’s Cathedral looming before him, lit up, glowing orange against the black night. Though he had never been there, he recognized it from his parents’ vacation pictures. Then it was all gone, his bedroom returning.

  He inhaled sharply, trying to reorient himself. He gazed up at the woman. “So you want me to go to Italy still?”

  She nodded, her black hair bobbing with her movement.

  “Micah?” his mom’s voice called at the same time there was a knock at his door. “Can we come in?”

  The woman was gone before his mom had finished talking.

  “Yeah, sure,” he said, disappointed. It’d been the first time they’d actually conversed.

  His mom and dad walked in as Micah stood up. His mom announced, “Micah, we need to talk.”

  “Ok.” He dreaded the conversation they were about to have. His parents sat on the bench at the foot of his bed, so he opted for his recliner again. His mom’s eyes glanced at the Bible on the desk next to him.

  “We’ve been worried about you lately,” she paused, “We’re thrilled you want to learn about religion but…” She hesitated.

  His dad jumped in. “It’s not healthy the way you’re going about it. You’re not sleeping. You’re hardly eating. You aren’t acting like yourself. When was the last time you went outside and played ball?”

  Micah waited, not sure what to say. He sort of doubted saying, But Dad, I’m the Seer, would improve their opinion on the matter.

  “Micah, hon, we don’t think you should go anymore,” his mom said quietly.

  He stared at his parents. “What do you mean, to Rome?”

  His parents exchanged a glance. His dad responded, “It’s not a good idea, son. We’ve made an appointment with Dr. Childs—”

  “No way, I’m good. I don’t need a doctor. I need to go to Rome.” He didn’t mean to bark his words. His mom’s brow knitted together as his dad crossed his arms.

  Micah took a deep breath in. I need to calm down. “I’m not trying to worry you. I think what I’m going through is normal.” Total lie, seeing ghosts isn’t normal, he thought. “Dad, you can’t tell me you didn’t try to figure out the world when you were seventeen. At least I’m reading the Bible and not,” he stopped, opting for better words, “doing other things.”

  His dad must have understood his meaning and sighed. “You’re probably right.”

  “Jared,” his mom sputtered.

  His dad turned to his mom. “Lacey, he’s got a point. He’s a good kid. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to know about God and religion.” His gaze returned to Micah. “But you’ve got to promise us you’ll take care of yourself. Don’t read all the time. Get outside.”

  Micah nodded. “I promise. Thanks, Dad.”

  His parents didn’t stay long after that. Lying in his bed that night, Micah’s mind replayed the verse he’d read over and over.

  I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let thee go…

  For some reason, the last phrase made him think of Eden. Funny, we did eat dinner together and now I’m leaving.

  And tomorrow I will let thee go…