Clairvoyant: The Awakening Of Angel Sight

Chapter 8 - The Welcoming Ceremony

The last time Archer climbed a tree, he was in fourth grade. Jasper McCoy had unleashed his rottweiler to hound him down and Archer stayed clutching the branches for hours until the town preacher called off the little beast for supper—and his pet too. Unfortunately, the slobbering mutt had already claimed his left sneaker as its trophy and Archer vowed to never again submit himself to the humiliation of hiding up a tree and being at the mercy of those below. But now, after running around in the woods for almost two hours to get away from a hungry pack of wolves that may or may not have caught his scent, there he was. Limbs clasped around the rough bark of a tall cedar, bristly leaves poking all over his body, something with one-too-many legs crawling up his neck, and with what suspiciously sounds like a bear roaming in the bushes below.

Pulling himself up higher in the branches, Archer craned his neck and tried to see if he could spot the bastion from where he was. No luck. "Hello!" he shouted, "Anyone?!" Archer shook his head and leaned against the wrinkled trunk. He tried to clear his mind and gather his bearings. However, his thoughts kept wandering off—back to his encounter with the boy at the lake. "What'd I do?" he muttered under his breath. "I expected to last a little longer than a day before someone already hated my guts."

He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and carelessly shifted his weight as he glanced down below. Suddenly, the wood creaked beneath his feet and the branch he was standing on began to sway. SNAP! Before he could grab hold of something—anything, the ground rushed towards him at breakneck speed. Archer squeezed his eyes shut, shielding his face with his arms, and braced for impact.

A couple minutes had passed before he eventually regained consciousness—and even longer for the paralyzing pain in his entire body to subside. When he had mustered enough strength, he carefully sat up and touched his nose. "Shit," he winced, blood tainting his bruised fingers. Archer sighed and lied back down. What if I can't get back? What if no one finds me? Would they just discover my bones after a few years?

Just then, something moving between the bushes caught his attention. In a panic, he swiped a fallen branch from the ground and willed himself to stand. However, his rapidly thumping heart was allayed when he heard the familiar tinkling of a bell. And from the rustling leaves, a furry white and whiskered face ejected itself into existence.

"Huh," Archer scoffed. "Wait a minute. I remember you."

Indeed, it was the same cat that had been in his bed just that morning. As if to validate his recognition, the cat sauntered up to him and rubbed up against his legs before ambling a few feet away and glancing back.

"Y-you want me to follow you?" he asked. "Are you here to take me back?"

Though the cat only ever answered in a way that it could—by meowing and moving another few feet away and waiting for him to catch up. This went on for a few minutes until finally, Archer saw light slipping through the trees.

"Over here!" he called just as Alistair rushed out from between the willows with a lit candle in his hand.

"Archer, are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine—I just fell from a tree," he explained, rubbing the back of his head, and he realized that his furry guide had disappeared. "Wait—where's the..."

"Where's what?"

"Nevermind..." he dismissed. "Sorry—I couldn't find my way back. Am I late?"

Alistair chuckled in reply. "No, you're just in time. But we gotta go. Everyone's already waiting for you."

Grateful for the company, Archer followed Alistair in relieved silence—back to where the stone angels watched over the dark forest. Their faces, illuminated by moonlight, seemed to observe him as he passed. It didn't help that he was already embarrassed for needing to be fetched like a lost kid when he was supposed to be waiting in his room. Nevertheless, Alistair just held him by the shoulder, as if sensing his unease, and guided him closer to his light. Though after a while, Archer started to feel awkward in the silence so he took a shot at making conversation.