Young Writers Society

"So Ayana, looks like you might be the best seer in our class." Leonora said as the two students paced against the wind to their shift at the Red Griffin Tavern.

"What do you mean?" Ayana said.

"Haven't you heard? Your old boyfriend's going to stick around for a while. Just like you saw in your visions."

"Calvin?" Ayana's eyes grew wide and she blushed. "He...he was never my boyfriend. We were just friends. Then he had to leave for vet school." She started walking faster.

"Just friends. Uh-huh, sure. Anyway, his grandma left the hatchery in quite a state, apparently, so he's sticking around to help his family sort it out." Leonora walked faster to match her friend's pace. "So all those visions you had of him? Looks like they might come true."

Ayana pulled he coat closer around her, partially from being cold and partially from nervousness. "That can't happen. I can't be right about that."

"What do you mean? Isn't this a good thing?" Leonora looked at her quizically while flipping her brown hair over her shoulder.

"Come on, Lee. You know how we can see a million different variations of the same day?"

"Well, you can. I can only see two or three at best. But then, I'm not half as talented as you."

"Yeah, well anyway...I can't see Calvin. I can't take that chance. Couldn't even go to his grandmother's funeral. Not after what I've seen..." She shook her head, not wanting to continue. They had just reached the tavern, giving her an excuse to cut off the conversation.

The tavern's wooden door slammed behind them. It was a lot lighter then it looked so that happened a lot.

The first two hours of Ayana's shift were busy, providing a welcome distraction from the visions she'd had lately. She'd had a talent for divination since her early days of school, being able to see not just the myriad possibilities but the little details that one could use to steer their futures toward the desired path. After a couple more years honing her craft, she'd have her official Seer license and make a living guiding other people's futures.

She was bringing a platter of food to a large table when the familiar headaches started. Her hands were shaking as she handed out the dishes as quickly as possible before retreating to the bathroom. She had just made it when the world went black.

First, his screams. Then the cry of the Rogue Griffin. Generations of his family had worked to tame the beasts, but sometimes one would channel their wild roots and attack a human. She opened her eyes knowing exactly what she would see. His navy blue shirt, stained with blood. She ran to him, squeezing his hand as she struggled to recall even a simple healing spell. She'd barely passed those classes years ago. She looked around, hoping that someone would be around to help them, anyone. She could call the Healing Mage Service, but it would probably be too late.

"Oh Calvin, I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry..." she whispered...

A bag of ice on her head brought her back to the bathroom stall. Easiest way to snap a Seer out of a bad vision. Leonora's dark eyes stared back at her.

"You okay, Ayana? Seems like you had quite a vision there."

Ayana took a few deep breaths before answering. "Lee, this is what I was talking about. I just saw Calvin die. Again."

"What? You haven't told me about those visions."

"Well, there have been some good ones..." She smiled as she thought of the one where she was walking through a garden with him, hand in hand. "But I've been having too many of the bad ones lately. Sometimes it's a Rogue Griffin, sometimes lightning, sometimes I'm with him and his heart just...stops. And I can't save him. Other times it's you, or his mother, and sometimes it's not a death it's just someone loses their job or gets kicked out of school. I just..." Ayana looked at the floor.

"So that's why you're avoiding him?" Lee asked. Ayana nodded. "That's ridiculous, Ayana. You know that none of those visions are set in stone--that's Divination 101. And what if the risk is worth seeing him again? At least to find out if you guys have a future for real." She gave Ayana a playful nudge and smiled at her. Ayana just looked the other way.

"Come on, cheer up." Leonora said.

Ayana forced a smiled before escaping to work.

---

It was only a few days after her conversation with Leonora when he walked in. She was cleaning tables after the lunch rush when she heard him talking to her boss. She tried not to listen to what they where saying.

"You know that guy?" The hostess asked her after seating him. "He requested one of your tables."

Ayana dropped her washcloth. "No, you can't...you have to move him."

"Okay, okay, don't freak out on me, Ayana. I'll move him." Ayana thanked her and picked up her cloth from the floor. She got a fresh one and continued cleaning. However, only a few minutes went by before a hand tapped her on the shoulder.

"Thought you could avoid me forever, huh?" His voice sounded so familiar, and yet so much steadier somehow. The voice brought back another vision, this time from the past. He had been helping her with Alchemy homework, as he had for years, when she looked at him and noticed his jawline, his blue eyes, even his scent, and she knew he wasn't a boy anymore. Back then, she wanted nothing more than to get closer, but now she couldn't. 

Ayana turned around, struggling to find the right words to say. "Calvin! I'm so sorry about your grandmother." Even as she said it, she cursed herself for sounding so generic.

"You know, I kind of figured you would come to the funeral. What's going on, Ayana? Are you avoiding me?" He looked really good in that navy blue shirt. Just like right before he gets attacked by the Rogue Griffin. Her heart began to beat faster.

"Calvin, I'm sorry but I can't be around you. I just can't." Ayana started to walk away, but Calvin stopped her again.

"Come on, Ayana. You really think after years of being friends, I'd accept that? I know I could have ended things differently, but you have to let me talk to you." His eyes seemed to stare straight down into the shadowy places of her soul, just like they had when she asked him to dance at the Winter Formal in their last year of basic schooling. But just as friends, not getting too close, staying a safe distance apart. Now she needed to stay even further away. 

"It's not that, Calvin. It's just...it's hard to explain. Now I have to get back to work, okay?" This time he let her get back to her tables.

Calvin was waiting just outside the tavern at the end of her shift, his scruffy mahogany hair being battered about by the wind.

She tried to just walk past him, pretending not to notice him, but he caught her by the elbow.

"Ayana, please. Just let me take you out to lunch, okay? I'd love to hear how divination school is going."

How much harm could one meal do? A lot, if she remembered their last lunch together before he went off to vet school correctly. She'd finally decided to tell him how she felt, even though she'd never seen anything about it--not something she usually did. He'd said she was so beautiful, but he couldn't risk hurting her in a long distance relationship. He'd called after that, apologized, and they tried to stay in touch. However, as time went on, they slipped into their new adult worlds and talked less and less. But he was here now, for who knows how long. And no one said lunch had to mean a relationship. 

"Fine. I'm free Friday. Meet me here at 12. Oh, and don't wear navy."

---

Ayana was waiting outside the tavern fifteen minutes early. There was a slight breeze, the cool air biting at the back of her neck. Spring had always been her favorite season, but it was hard to enjoy with this burden resting on her shoulder.

"Hey Aya!" Leonora called from down the street. Her heels clicked on the sidewalk as she jogged up.

"Hey, thanks for coming." Ayana said, forcing a smile.

"Sure thing, but don't you think it's a little weird? Me just dropping in on a date like this?" Leonora said, standing next to her.

"No, this isn't a date, just a meeting between friends. I"m sure he'd love to see you again."

"I barely knew him. The only time I ever saw him was when you invited us to the same events."

"But still..." Ayana blushed "I don't know if I can do this without some support."

Leonora gave her a playful punch. "You'll do fine."

"That's not what I'm worried about! What if another sign shows up?"

"You just worry to much." Leonora said "Look here he comes! What's he wearing?"

Sure enough Calvin was coming down the street from the opposite direction. He was wearing a loud pink shirt paired with jeans. Ayana couldn't help but laugh.

They'd first become friends right after Calvin had moved to Arema. Originally he was from a smaller nation with a name she couldn't even remember, much less pronounce. Once he'd moved her she'd gotten a kick out of making up stupid traditions and watching him embarrass himself. One of which was that it was custom to always wear a color that starts with the same letter as the day of the week. The only "F" color he could think of was fuschia. So for the first three months in his new school he wore pink every single Friday until one of his friends had the guts to ask him why. It was by far one of the funniest conversations she'd ever witnessed.

"Hey Ayana!" He beamed, the turned to Leonora "It's Leeanne, right?"

"Nope!" She teased

"Lyn?"

"Still, no, first guess was closer"

"Leah?"

"Guh, it's Leonora. Just Lee's fine though."

"Oh, okay, sorry about that" His blush was made considerably worse by his shirt and the touch of red in his hair. "Let's go get something to eat. There's this cool Mylonan restaurant around the corner. Wanna go there?"

"Sure" Leonora said. Ayana just nodded and started walking. She'd just eaten there a week before, but it didn't really matter.

The walk there was quiet. Leonora would occasionally prod Ayana, but she just couldn't think of anything to say. Calvin seemed deep in thought. She'd never known his grandmother very well, but she knew how much she'd meant to Calvin. She had so many stories of their homeland, where the griffins she'd devoted her life to came from. Her devotion to the beasts inspired Calvin to become a veterinarian for magical creatures. It must have been hard for her to leave her life behind and come here with Calvin and his parents.

On the outside the restaurant didn't really stand out. It was a dull gray building with two medium sized windows on either side of a brown door. "Dido's Mylonan Cuisine" was written in scrawling script above the door. Not the most creative name, but it relayed the important information.

They ate lunch and chatted for a while, mostly small talk about school. Ayana looked around the tiny restaurant for a while. She'd seen this place, even before she'd eaten there last week. The brown paneling, the old-fashioned green tiles, the wilting daisies in the blue pot on the counter top, the overwhelming spiciness of Mylonan food. She tried desperately to remember where these flickers of visions came from, whether there was happiness or tragedy at the end of this scene, but all the fragments stayed mixed in her head. Focusing visions was the most difficult part of being a Seer, even for someone with a natural talent for it like herself.

"Well, I'm going to go study for that palm reading test on Friday. See you guys later." Leonora winked at Ayana and headed toward the door. Ayana scowled and stopped her.

"Are you insane, Lee? You promised you'd stay with me. All the signs are here, but I can't tell how this is going to end."

"Not even the greatest Seers who have ever lived could tell you the whole future. Too many possibilities. You know that, Aya. I don't think it's just your visions you're afraid of."

"Wow, Lee, you almost sounded wise there." Ayana laughed.

"I'm serious. Don't lose him this time." Leonora whispered before walking away.

Ayana slowly returned to the table. She forced a smile.

"You haven't said much." Calvin said between bites "Well, that is other than stuff about the weather, school, and food. How have you been?"

"I've been fine." Ayana said, suddenly very interested in a painting. It was a landscape next to the see. The beach was a stark yellow, with tall trees that had huge leaves at the top. The ocean reflected the purples and oranges of the sunset. She didn't know where it was a painting of, but obviously not anywhere around here. Had she seen it in her visions? 

"What's that supposed to mean?" He reached across the table and poked her.

"I just have a lot of things on my mind." Ayana said. "Outside of that it's all good."

"It's a vision, isn't it?" He looked her directly in the eyes, missed his bowl and planted his spoon on the blue table cloth. He quickly slipped into his bowl, hoping Ayana hand't noticed. She always noticed.

She glanced away from him. She knew he could read her face anyway, but she couldn't bring herself to actually say yes.

"What happened?" He reached his hand across the table and placed it on top of hers.

"There are a lot" She said. "If anything happens between us something terrible happens."

He giggled at her, but his eyes said he was serious. Those light blue eyes that reflected the light, in which all his past experiences played. Those eyes were never just a window to his soul, they'd always been a reflection of her own too. If she'd been gifted in art instead of seeing that would've been her life's work, capturing those eyes in a painting.

"You know that you can't control the future." He squeezed her hand. "Even if I never see you again, you don't know that those things won't happen."

"Then what do you expect me to do!" Her voice grew louder with each word, her hands began to shake. She was scared, so, so scared.

Calvin waited a second for her relax. "I don't think these visions are so that you can change the future. I think they're there to give us a chance to prove how much we love something. That the possible consequences are really worth what we have right now."

She stood up, looking directly into his eyes. Was he ready to accept his own death, simply to be with her? He didn't know that. He couldn't know that. What if it was Leonora? What if it was her?

"I need to go." Ayana wispered, pulling her hand from his. She walked calmly out of the restaurant. Calvin stood to watch her go. Once she was outside she ran.

---

The gray clouds should've dampened the day, but through the holes the sun's rays could be seen. It really was amazing, how much more beautiful they where when surrounded by gray.

Ayana walked solemnly toward Calvin's childhood home. She didn't know where he was staying. She hadn't bothered to ask. Even if he wasn't there his parents would tell her where he was.

On Friday it had been cold enough for her to wear her favorite blouse, a blue one with short sleeves. Today, only two days later, she was wearing her coat again. Chances were in a few more days she'd be wearing shorts. That's how it was here though, the heat refused to stick until summer when it turned to a heat that would send her sensitive little brother inside for fear of overexertion. She needed to visit him, it'd been a while.

His house was rather small, but it was well built, and that's what really matters. Ayana knew from experience what it was like to live in a drafty house in the middle of winter.

She knocked. He was wearing that blue shirt. Why does he like that stupid blue shirt so much? He leaned against the doorframe. She let out her breath with a slight quaver.

"What's up?" He asked.

His smile was lopsided. In some ways Ayana had always known, but she'd never really noticed before. He smiled with his eyes too, though.

"Do you want to, um..." She hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Go for a walk?" He finished for her.

She gave a weak laugh. "Yeah, that"

He closed the door and hopped down the front steps. When he looked over his shoulder at her his hair swished across his forehead. It was so bouncy.

She followed him. She had thought he meant to walk down the road toward town, but he turned and went around the house. Behind the house was the edge of a small forest.

Ayana brushed her hair behind her ear. She jogged a few paces to catch up with him, dislodging her hair. She retucked it.

The sun peaked out from the clouds just long enough to shine through the first spring leaves. She stopped dead in her tracks. Which vision was that? Was it the one where Calvin died or the griffin? Or maybe it was the one where her dad lost his job...

"Are you okay?" Calvin asked.

Ayana nodded. She couldn't make herself walk. She couldn't wish that fate on someone else just because she loved him.

He walked over and put his arms around her. "It's okay"

She sank into his embrace, shaking. "No, no it's not."

"Ayana, this isn't your job." He pulled back far enough to look her in the eyes.

She tried to tell him that yes, it was, but she couldn't make the words come out. She just stood there, looking into those blue eyes.

"I remember, right before I left for school, you told me about when you first started seeing." He pulled her in tightly again. "Your favorite teacher, what was her name, Miss Shaburn, she told you that a seer's job is to make sure that every moment is treasured." He ran his hand up and down her back. She could feel her fear beginning to ebb away.

"Things will happen as they happen. I like to believe that everything has a reason." He stroked her hair. "Seeing something terrible doesn't mean you need to prevent it, it means you need to make sure every moment leading up to it is lived out fully."

They stood there for a moment. Or maybe it was eternity.

"Thank you." she whispered. They pulled apart, their hands still linked.

They walked through the woods together, holding hands. Afterwards Ayana would never be able to remember much about that walk, not in any detail. The scent of pine needles would bring her back to the comfortable silence they shared. The wind wrapping around their hands, but never slipping between, would always remind her of that embrace. Even once they were old, with grandchildren running to and fro, she would find joy in those beautiful blue eyes.