The Calling

The figure stood in front of them, his presence commanding yet strangely gentle. He was older than anyone Annabeth had seen in Eldridge, his face lined with the wisdom of many years, though his eyes—clear and bright—betrayed none of the weariness that usually came with age. He looked at them, his gaze lingering on Annabeth with an intensity that made her heart race.

Emmalyn, ever the skeptic, was the first to break the silence. “Okay, so… you’re not a ghost, right? Or some random hermit from the woods who’s decided it’s time to haunt us?”

Annabeth shot her sister a warning glance, but the man’s lips twitched in what might have been the faintest of smiles.

“Not a ghost,” he replied, his voice calm and steady, “though I’ve been called many things over the years. I’m simply here to deliver a message.”

Annabeth’s breath caught in her throat. A message? Could it be related to the stirring she had been feeling, the sense that something was calling her beyond the borders of Eldridge?

The man looked at Emmalyn now, his eyes warm but firm. “You, too, will play a part. Both of you.” His gaze turned back to Annabeth, and the weight of his words sank into her soul like a stone dropped into water.

“Are you… are you a prophet?” Annabeth asked, her voice almost a whisper, unsure of what else to say.

The man shook his head, but his expression softened. “No. But I’ve seen the signs. And I’ve come to help you understand them.”

Annabeth glanced at Emmalyn, who rolled her eyes but didn’t move away. Emmalyn had always been quick to question the unexplainable, to dismiss anything that didn’t fit into her pragmatic worldview. But there was a shift in her demeanor now, a sense of reluctant curiosity.

“So, what kind of message are we talking about?” Emmalyn asked, crossing her arms. “You’ve got our attention, old man. Spill it.”

The man’s eyes twinkled at Emmalyn’s sharpness, but he didn’t seem offended. “I’m not here to tell you everything. Not yet. But I can tell you this: the time for waiting is over. The calling you feel, Annabeth… it is real. And it’s not just for you.”

Annabeth’s pulse quickened. “What do you mean? What do you know about it?”

The man took a slow step forward, and the air seemed to shift with him, growing thicker as if the earth itself was listening. He spoke with an air of quiet authority. “There is a purpose for you both. Not just for the people of Eldridge, but for the world beyond. You may not understand it all right now, but the path ahead is one that will shape everything.”

Emmalyn snorted, though there was less of her usual bravado now. “And you expect us to just take your word for it? I mean, no offense, but you look like you’ve been out in the snow too long.”

The man smiled again, his eyes reflecting an ancient knowledge. “I don’t need you to take my word for it. What I ask is that you trust the journey. Trust the calling. You’ll understand when the time is right.”

Annabeth felt something stir deep inside her—something beyond words. She had prayed for guidance, for understanding, and here it was. She wasn’t sure if the man was a messenger or a guide, but something in her heart told her he was speaking truth.

“What do we need to do?” Annabeth asked, her voice firm despite the uncertainty swirling in her stomach. “Where do we start?”

The man’s gaze softened as he looked at her, almost as if he were seeing something that Annabeth herself couldn’t yet understand. “You already know. You’ve been listening, even when you thought you weren’t. You’ve been preparing without knowing it. The next step is simple: you must go to the old church at the edge of the valley.”

Emmalyn raised an eyebrow. “The old church? The one no one uses anymore?”

“Yes,” the man nodded. “It is there that the next part of your journey will unfold. But be warned, the path ahead will not be easy. You will face challenges that will test you, both of you. And you will not always know who to trust.”

Annabeth’s heart beat faster, her mind racing. “What do you mean by that? Who can’t we trust?”

The man’s face darkened, the shadows of something unknown crossing his features. “There are forces at work that you cannot yet see. And there are those who will try to stop you. But you will have help—though it may not come in the form you expect.”

Emmalyn, ever the skeptic, was silent now. Her arms were still crossed, but there was a shift in her expression, a flicker of something deeper than sarcasm or defiance. She looked at Annabeth and then back to the man.

“Why us?” Emmalyn asked, the question sincere despite her usual sharpness. “What makes us so special?”

The man regarded her quietly, his expression unreadable. “It is not about being special. It is about being willing. Willing to answer the call, even when you don’t fully understand it. You, Annabeth, have heard it louder than most. And now, Emmalyn, you will hear it, too.”

Annabeth felt a sense of purpose filling her chest, like a warm light spreading through her body. She had been waiting for something—something more than this life in Eldridge, more than the quiet rhythm of days passing. Now, it was clear. The adventure, the calling, had found her, and it was no longer a matter of waiting. It was a matter of stepping forward.

Emmalyn’s voice broke through her thoughts. “So, we go to this old church. What’s supposed to happen there?”

The man smiled, his eyes gleaming with the promise of something momentous. “That, I cannot tell you. But I can promise you this: you will not be alone.”

With that, the man turned, his dark coat billowing behind him like a shadow. Annabeth glanced at Emmalyn, who seemed lost in thought. The air felt heavy with the promise of something more. It wasn’t just a journey—it was their journey.

“Come on,” Annabeth said, her voice steady. “Let’s go to the church.”

Emmalyn gave her a skeptical look but didn’t argue. “This is insane, you know that, right? First the weird guy in the snow, and now we’re supposed to go traipsing off to some ancient church. But… whatever. Let’s see where this leads.”

And so, side by side, they set off into the unknown, their footsteps crunching in the snow, the weight of their calling settling deeper with every step. The path ahead was shrouded in mystery, but for the first time in a long while, Annabeth felt certain that whatever lay ahead, they would face it together.