Chapter 2 Clairvoyance

Amber I screamed as my eyes snapped open, my body was covered in cold sweat, my heart hammered in my chest as my hands shook. I looked around the room suspicious and paranoid that the strange dream I had would come alive. "Amber, are you okay in there? What's that noise?" Leo said, gently knocking on my door. "Can I come in?" "Su..sure" I tried to regain composure as Leo entered cautiously, concerned etched on his face. "I had you scream, the visions again?" I sighed and nodded, my frustration palpable. "I have no idea what to do, Leo. They just keep coming, random flashes and feelings.

It's overwhelming. A lone tear slipped down my face." "We'll find a way to help you, I promise," Leo reassured me, taking a seat at the edge of my bed. "Have you tried talking to dad about this?" I shook my head. "I don't want to worry him more than he already is. He's been trying so hard to find a solution." Leo placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You should tell him, Amber, he just wants to help. We both do. You're not alone in this." I nodded as I hugged him tightly. He pulled out and looked at me. "Why don't you come downstairs? Dad made your favourite dinner." He suggested gently. My distant gaze shifted toward Leo. "I'm not hungry, Leo." "No, Ambs, please you have to eat. You have to eat to be strong enough to get through this." I managed a faint smile, touched at my brother's support. **** "Amber, I think I found someone who might be able to help," Leo announced, bursting into my room with excitement brimming in his eyes. I looked up from my journal, curiosity flashing in my eyes. "Really? Who?" "I found a sorceress, someone Dad used to consult years ago," Leo explained sitting beside me. "She might know about these things." My gaze flickered with a mixture of hope and apprehension. "Where is she?" "Come on, let's go," Leo urged. "I'll be right there, please give me a moment. I changed into a black Jean and a maroon blouse, I wore my dad's amulet and let my hand linger there as I said a silent prayer. I went downstairs to meet Leo standing by the door waiting. I hated my brother worrying about me." "I'm ready." He led me out of the house and into the heart of the woods. We went through the woods until we reached a secluded cottage nestled among the trees. "Leo, are you sure about this?" I looked around and asked, sceptical. "Yes, I am. Dad's mom experienced the same abilities you have now, and she helped." "What? Why am I just finding out about this?" "Dad recently told me about it too." So my grandmother had strange dreams too? "I am Roberta," the sorceress introduced herself, interrupting my chain of thoughts. She looked to be in her mid sixties but she was still as beautiful as ever. Her blue eyes held more information than her mouth gave. She carried herself with grace and calculation. "Your dad informed me of your coming." "Yes, we seek your guidance Roberta." Leo began as he stepped forward. "My sister, Amber, has been experiencing... unusual things. Visions, feelings; things she cannot explain." Roberta studied me with keen knowing eyes. "Sit, child. Let me see." I hesitated for a moment before taking a seat, feeling a mixture of anticipation and unease. Roberta's fingers hovered above my palm, her expression shifting as if peering into an unseen realm. "A rare gift lies within you, child. Clairvoyance; a connection to the sense of time and energies unseen." My eyes widened in surprise, a mixture of relief and confusion washing over me. "Can...can you help me, Roberta?" I said with urgency, "can you make it stop?" Roberta's gaze softened, revealing a tinge of regret. "I am afraid this cannot be reversed or suppressed. It is already knitted into the very fabric of your being." My heart sank, realizing that our hope for a quick solution has been shattered. I broke into soft sobs. "Why me, I don't want any of it, please...take it away." Leo, who was standing beside me asked, "But isn't there anything you can do?" Roberta shook her head solemnly. "Some gifts cannot be altered. They must be embraced and understood." We left Roberta's cottage disappointed, the weight of her words lingering in the air between us. "Amber, I'm sorry. I thought she could help," Leo said, his voice tinged with disappointment. "It's okay, Leo. At least now we know what happened." I replied, trying to mask my disappointment. The walk back home was quiet, my mind raced. It went back to how it all started at the sea with Jackson. Jackson! I forgot about him, had he gone back to look for me