'Shit! Did I just come out of this woman?!'
The women smiled upon meetings my eyes. She radiated such unfamiliar warmth, that it left me baffled.
''Now, now don't cry mama is here with you... even if it's for a little bit longer.'' She said sadness obvious in her tone. My eyes stayed on her observing her attentively, processing what she had just said. A single tear rolled down her cheek, and she opened her mouth to say something but stopped. After a long pause, she finally said ''I'm so...so sorry.'' My heart ached at her words...my mother's words.
'I wish you had died.'
'Why were you even born?'
How long has it been since I have been spoken to with such warmth? I honestly can't remember. Internally I laugh at how crazy this was, at the gods, at myself.
'I've had enough of this shit, whoever you are I swear I will kill you for this! Who are you to play jokes on me!? Why reincarnate me if it was at the cost of another person's life!'
Another cough brought my attention back to the woman. She was most probably not going to survive. From what I can tell she seemed to have been walking barefooted for quite some time. visible cuts and bruises could be seen from her thigh to her feet, she was also extremely dehydrated. And to make things worse, we were in some god-forsaken forest, so calling for help is useless. 'Ahh! I don't care anymore!'
Her cold hand clasped around mine, as her eyes closed shut. She was still breathing, but not for long I'm sure. I sighed deeply and closed my eyes as well. My mind clear for some unknown reason.
''So you were the one to disturb my rest.''
'Hah? Fuck off, at least let me die in peace.'
The women's hand slipped out of my own. My eyes snapped open and what I saw took my breath away, my baby body becoming paralyzed, losing all its warmth.
What looked to be a giant eagle, loomed above me blocking out the night sky entirely, its black feathers made the darkness around look grey in comparison. Bright crystalline blue eyes looked down at me with such intensity, that I just want to look away. It just kept staring down at me for a while and I stared back fearfully. I breathed and it finally moved again. Its beak opened, and my eyes force itself shut. This is it, this is how I die, as eagle food. Or at least that was what I thought, but I heard a familiar voice instead. ''What a weak spirit you have child.'' A deep voice said filled with unspoken authority.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
I opened my eyes. Did it just speak? As if to answer my question its beak opened up to speak again. ''Maybe it is by fate that we meet.'' In the next moment, its talon took hold of me and everything became dark.
***
Darkness. Everything was complete utter darkness. Currently, I was the only light in this dark place, I was simply a speck of light drifting alone in the dark. The same as it has always been.
How long have I been in this place? Why am I here? I did not know. I did not care to know. Right now everything feels right, like this was what was supposed to happen. I can finally feel peace, I can rest.
''You have been given a second chance, are you truly willing to give it up so easily?" A voice said from all around me. The voice sounded familiar, but I did not care to try and guess who it was from. Without thinking much, I said ''I have had enough, no matter how many chances you give me It will always be the same. Pathetic right?'' I waited for the voice to speak again, but there was nothing but silence, I thought it wasn't going to speak again until it did. ''Then live for someone else's sake. What if your being alive can make someone happy?''
Something inside me snapped, and the darkness started to fade away. ''But who?''
''That depends on you of course. But for now, live for your mother.''
My eyes shot open to see a blurry vision of... a woman? My eyes closed and opened again. The woman who had given birth to me was crying, upon seeing me open my eyes, her golden eyes went wide and she cried even harder, her tears falling down on my face like raindrops. ''Thank you—Mr.'' She said between sobs.
Memories of the moments before I went unconscious and the dream I had, started coming back in a rush, making my face scrunch up in pain. ''Hmph, It was nothing.''
This voice...
My eyes went wide in realization. I moved my head as best I could to see the eagle. My eyes landed on him, and I stared. He stared back.
'He was the one in my dream!'
''For now, you can stay here and recuperate, tell me your story then.'' The eagle said and walked out of my sight.
There was a lot of question I wanted answers to, and it seemed like this eagle has the answers to my questions. My questioning can wait, right now I need to figure out how to survive as an infant, my eyes glued to the woman's chest.
Well, babies need it to survive, no?
I looked away suddenly embarrassed. Looks like my battle has already begun.
The woman—My mother, looked happily at me her smile never leaving her face, and I met her affectionate gaze in turn, appreciating her beautiful features. Pale white skin, bright golden eyes, that reminded me of the sun, long nut brown hair that complimented her golden eyes perfectly in my opinion. Words can not describe how beautiful she was, no woman in my previous life could even compare. As I was admiring her beauty, her eyes suddenly lit up. She was practically beaming. And what she said next will be with me for the rest of my life.
''Eugene. Eugene Evenvale''