Song Of The Hummingbird

Chapter three

Henry is trying to put the mysterious book out of his mind, but he can't stop thinking about it. Every time he closes his eyes, he sees the strange symbols, and he feels a strange pull, as if the book is calling to him. Even his dreams are filled with images from the book. One night, he dreams that he's back in the forest clearing...

Henry finds himself standing in front of the lightning-struck tree, and this time, the book is glowing. The cover is open, and the symbols on the pages are swirling and moving. "Hello, Henry," a voice says. He turns around, and to his surprise, there's a figure standing behind him. "Who are you?" he asks. "I am the keeper of the book," the figure says. "And I have something to show you." Henry is frozen, afraid to move. "What do you want?" he manages to ask. "I want to show you your destiny," the figure says.

Henry's heart is racing, and he feels like he might pass out. "My... my destiny?" he stammers. "Yes," the figure says. "I can show you the path your life will take, and the choices you will have to make. Are you ready?" Henry feels dizzy, like he's been transported to another world. "I... I don't know," he says. "What if I don't like what I see?" The figure smiles. "That is the beauty of it, Henry. You can choose your own path."

Henry stands there, frozen in place, trying to decide what to do. Part of him is terrified, but part of him is curious. If he could see the future, what would he do differently? Finally, he takes a deep breath and looks up at the figure. "Okay," he says. "Show me." The figure's smile widens, and the symbols on the book start to swirl faster and faster, until they begin to spin in a vortex, like a whirlpool of light. Henry finds himself being pulled towards the book...

Henry feels himself being pulled into the vortex, and then everything goes black. When he opens his eyes, he's no longer in the forest clearing. He's standing in a brightly lit room, and in front of him is a long table. Behind the table are three figures, all dressed in robes, their faces in shadow. "Welcome, Henry," one of them says. "Please, have a seat." Henry is trembling, but he manages to walk over to the table and sit down. He tries to speak, but his voice is shaking too much to get any words out. "There is no need to be afraid,"

the figure says. "We have called you here because you have a great destiny ahead of you. We want to help you achieve that destiny." Henry takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "What... what is my destiny?" he manages to ask. The figure smiles. "Your destiny is to save the world." Henry feels a chill run down his spine. "I... I can't save the world," he says. "I'm just a kid. I'm nobody." The figure shakes its head. "You are more than you think, Henry.

"You have great power within you, and you can use that power to help others. We will teach you how to unlock that power, and how to use it for good. You have a long journey ahead of you, but we will be with you every step of the way. Will you trust us?" Henry looks down at his hands, which are still shaking. He's not sure if he can trust these strange figures, but something tells him that he has no choice. Finally, he looks up and nods. "I trust you," he says. "Good," the figure says. "Then let us begin."

As Henry stares at the figures, he sees their features begin to change. Their robes disappear, and they become beings of pure light. They're not human, but they're not inhuman either. They're something beyond his understanding, something that he can't fully comprehend. The light from the beings fills the room, until Henry feels like he's floating in a sea of light. He closes his eyes, and he hears a voice that seems to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Henry," the voice says. "Open your mind and your heart."

Henry takes a deep breath and does as the voice asks. As he does, he feels a strange sensation, like a tingling in his head. Images and sounds start to flood into his mind, one after another. He sees places he's never been, people he's never met. He hears music, and laughter, and the sound of children playing. He feels his heart swell with love and joy. Then the images and sounds begin to shift, and he sees and hears things that make him feel sad and angry.