Sowing Season

"It's called sowing season," Peter says as he pours the water around me. The water soaks into the dirt. I shift uncomfortably as Peter pours out the last of the water, completing the circle. He throws the jar into the bushes and faces me.

"It's a spell that's used on any agents of the organization I work for. I personally went through it by my father's hands. It's supposed to do many things... good things, bad things, but ultimately its main job is to help you."

He goes to his bag and pulls out four candle boxes. He places them around me.

"Help me do what?"

He takes out a matchbox and pulls out four matches.

"Fight off your demons."

I process what he means by that as he lights each candle one by one. He then gets back up and heads to his bag again.

"What are the... side effects? You said there would be side effects..."

He looks up at me frankly.

"Nightmares. Drowsiness. Insomnia. Nothing you're not already used to, except numbed emotions. In order to prevent another possession, we must limit your ability to express and feel emotions. Is that acceptable?"

I nod, as it's the only way, after all. Apparently.

He is frozen now. He seems to regret what he's doing. I almost tell him to hurry up. But he gets up, carrying the final piece of sowing season over to me.

"This is how Grey most likely accessed you-"

He holds the pocketwatch in his hand. He lets it fall between his fingers, the chain catching across his palm.

"-correct?"

"I think so."

"Think hard on this. Be sure. Because if this isn't what he used, then this ceremony has a chance of backfiring."

I think on it. I feel pressured by the possibility of fucking up. But I take one last look at that damn pocketwatch and I knew that thing did it.

"That's the fucking thing dude, just please please get this over with."

Peter sighs.

"Alright, hold on, hold on-"

He places the watch at my feet, within the circle. He opens it up so that the watch's face is upright, directed towards me. I stare down at it. I feel some strange sensation surge up my legs.

"It's happening, now hold on-"

I feel myself be pulled into oblivion. The forest disappears and I begin to fall towards the river. I smell rot. I almost plunge into the freezing water, but suddenly the river evaporates. Hot steam rolls up at me. I close my eyes. Before the steam burns me alive, I phase out of that world and into an empty, empty city. No one is there, only me. I see someone else. Another boy. He has black hair and he's quite tall. I walk towards him. He turns towards me. I open my mouth to say hello.

The floor gives way and I'm no longer in the city but in the forest again. My shirt is off, my skin is prickly and cold, and blood spills out of my mouth. My body shakes as if it's in great stress but I feel no pain. I look up at Peter. Peter is watching me with a horrified expression. I open my mouth to ask what's happening. Something else spills out.

Peter's replaced by Grey. His face is contorted by wrath and he walks towards me. He hits an invisible barrier. He realizes I'm protected. He screams. The world trembles.

He talks but I am not listening.

I black out.









I wake up and I'm in my bedroom again. I get up and look around. Everything feels so... bright. The blue walls feel so vibrant, so deep. I push the blanket off. I look down and there's no sign of blood on my shirt. I question if I'm dead or asleep or-

Mom screams downstairs and I know I'm back home.

I can't decide whether I should cry or smile.