Listen Closely

Strange how Nathaniel is the first Guardian that I'll be training with. I've only been given a couple of days to train with each Guardian for the simple reason that time is running out. Time is said to be of the essence but what happens if I'm unable to unlock each ability? The nervous wreck I've been lately seems to be continuing and I can't get my mind to stop running wild for even two seconds. The fact that it's me or nothing makes me nervous the most. I can only hope being under pressure works in my favor in learning each ability with a quickness. It looks as if the training grounds will be like a second home for the next three weeks.

"Today, we will run through each obstacle course," Nate states. This sounds pretty easy. I guess there wasn't much to worry about since I can complete each obstacle without a problem.

"Oh yes! Let's not forget the blindfold." He finishes while running over to his duffle bag that lies on the bench outside of the grounds.

"A blindfold?!" I exclaim, "What are you trying to do; break my bones?" I yell out in his direction with confusion.

"Oh c'mon! It'll be fun!" He smirks while running back with the blindfold in hand.

"You're really not joking about the blindfold..." I sigh under my breath. "So, the blindfold, what's it for exactly?" I question his motives. I mean, who wouldn't?

"That will be explained momentarily." He calmly says while spinning me around and wrapping the blindfold around my eyes. The knot he tied seems to be so tight as if it was tied to be human-proof.

Before Nathaniel begins his explanation of why I'm being blindfolded, he gives me a little back-story of his role as a Guardian, how it came to be, and the special ability he holds within his soul. He started telling me that every Guardian has a past life which determines how they are chosen. Nate didn't go into detail about his life before he was a Guardian but he did vaguely explain that being chosen was the best thing to ever happen to him and his brother, Gabriel.

I'm guessing that their life before their Guardianship was rather unwell and maybe even unsettling. He then went on telling me how he excelled during the test in the after-life. Apparently, the same "test" that I went through in the asylum is along the lines of the test that the Guardians take before actually being granted with the honorable title.

"I remember you stating that I was ignoring your existence in the woods," Nate begins to clear his throat, "well, I understood. I understood everything; every feeling that floated out of your heart and around your bruised bones." He finishes and even though I can't see his face I know sorrow forms each inch of it.

"What made you bring this up?" I can't help but question even if it continues the gloomy ordeal.

"The ability I withhold is one I sometimes regret I have. I heard your screams for help inside that building and that's not something that even the most cold-hearted could bare hearing." He says, "I wasn't trying to avoid you but simply forget the agony." Nate concludes. I understand how our bond came to form so fast, now. He's seen pieces of me that no one else has.

"I see… do me a favor and never regret what's special about you. Your super-hearing brought us closer together. I am sorry that you had to hear all of that, though." I reply in hopes that his smile reappears.

"When you put it that way I guess there's nothing to regret or feel sorry about. I just wanted you to know that me flirting with you wasn't a random act. I felt connected to you from the second I heard your voice." Nate added, "Now, let's get on with training, shall we? Don't have much time to waste!" he advised.

Nathaniel had educated my mind about the factors of Super Hearing abilities. The advanced hearing is able to be activated anywhere the heart desires. Within deep concentration of the brain holds an imaginative compass. He had led on that there are numerous amounts of compasses fulfilled with intellectual coordinates. The coordinates are easy to follow like a built-in global positioning system. The closer your arrival; the louder the request becomes. There is a slight catch to this ability… you never forget what you hear, no matter how badly you want to and try.

He positions my body in the direction he finds fit and begins walking away. I can hear each foot being dragged across the dirt land; scuffing desert dust into the air behind his all-black tennis shoes. I listen for a few more steps until the sound dissipates and I can only imagine he's not walking anymore.

"We're going to play a game of trust, kind of like 'follow the leader'," He startles my ears, "think of yourself as a train and I'm the tracks that guide your way." Nate calmly puts into perspective. I nod a few times letting my understanding to be known while trying to keep focus for whatever is to come.

He begins humming a melody that gets softer and softer as the seconds' tick by and I find myself to be in lucidity. Nate's no longer apparent but my ears seem to be coming to life. The slight breeze creates a gust of winds causing the lanky trees to dance with their branches. There are birds that chirp simultaneously as if many conversations are held and I can't help but listen harder trying to learn their unique language. Seeping my soul into the sounds of nature around me brings such peace. I feel fresh like purity dripped into my aged veins.

Moments pass with the softest smile imprinted on my face and my ears catch onto Nathaniel whispering. This tune is different than the one before and I'm trying to configure the words that are barely flowing out of his mouth.

The trees have stopped waltzing with the wind and began sizzling into embers. I can hear each crackle that the wood makes as if each pop of bark is their cry for help. Chirping has changed like the birds have lost their vocal organs and they frantically swarm the sky above me; croaking through the scourging smoke. The grass where dandelions lay and the bushes that hold sweet fragrances is what my ears notice next as they combust in flames. Then, the screaming came…

"Make it stop! Please, make it stop!" I groaned out through the tragedy that seems to be accruing. I, then, grab the back of my head where the knotted blindfold lays trying to yank it off but it won't untie nor become loose. "Why won't it come off?!" I yell out in hopes that Nate will help remove it.

One by one, I am tormented by the dreadful screams of each Guardian that I've come to meet. Their pleading becomes raspy like the smoke has already altered their lungs. One by one, I hear those that have gained impaired breathing and I try covering my ears as hard as possible; unable to bear hearing the last breath of lives as they collapse to the floor. The whole camp is screaming in despair and I can't help but spin my head around in hopes of finding my way through the darkness. I fall to my knees in tears while listening to people being burned alive. Soon enough, their flesh should be the smell that swarms the grim air.

In the moment of defeat where I stay laying on my knees, a voice arises in the distance. The voice is soft and subtle which is hard to make sense of during this terror.

"Listen to the sound of my voice, Avalon," I vaguely hear a man repeat over and over.

As I zero in on the voice I realize that it's Nathaniel. "Nate, what's going on?!" I holler into the void.

"Stay calm and make your way to me," He echoed through my ears, "stay honed in on my voice. Don't let it go." He finished advising.

I take a deep breath trying to drown out the agony that shrieks through the land. "Just follow his voice," I tell myself in reassurance.

I continue hearing Nate's soft voice trying to help guide me through all of this mess. I need to remember that I'm the train and he's the train tracks. In that instant, the metal that the entire training ground is made up of begins rattling like an outline of a ghost. I can hear the vibrations and where the obstacles are located. My body now knows how to overcome this bloody course.

I become zoned in on Nate's voice, starting to run in between and around each vibration. His voice is becoming clearer and after a minute or two, I find myself running right into his chest.

"Take this thing off!" I demand while backing up off him a couple of steps.

I feel him motion around me with a quickness and before I took another breath the blindfold was removed. As I open my eyes everything appears to be quite normal. No smoke, no more screaming, the birds and the bees going about their merrily way.

"You did this to me… how…. why…" I heavily breathed in his direction with nothing but sadness drawn on my face.

"I'm sorry, Avalon. For you to learn an ability in such a short amount of time I had to do something dramatic. You have to understand that fact…" He blurts out and I can't help but feel angrier.

"Understand?! Yeah, I understand just fine. I understand that your fucking power is nothing but a monster." I declared

"You… you don't mean that. Heartstrings have to be pulled when unlocking your powers. Please understand this!" He screams out

"You're right, I don't mean that. Instead, you're the monster and you can leave me alone, forever for all I care," I cry and begin running far away from the training grounds; far away from him…