“Morning Nana.” I walked through the doorway, and into the shop.

She looked up from the book she was reading and smiled. “Oh mornin’ child. What’s gotcha up this so early na?”

I shrugged my shoulders, collapsing down on the plush leather couch. “I don’t know.” I let out a sigh “Just couldn’t sleep I guess.”

She hummed at that before fire back with a “What ya dream bout?”

I furrowed my eyebrows as I thought back to my dream. If you could even call it that really. It was more of a scatter of scenes in my head.

“Well, I remember seeing a ugly duckling. And it was swimming in a stream all alone. It was quacking and well….it almost sounded like it was crying...but I mean...it couldn’t have been crying because….well….ducks don’t cry like human’s do.”

“Anything’s possible child.” My Nana spoke with a voice that dripped of wisdom and hidden knowledge. She nodded at me “Continue your story.”

“Okay,it kept swimming down the stream…..still alone. And I saw clips of it in my mind as it morphed into a beautiful swan.” My gaze flickered over to my grandmother who was looking at me with eyes of wonder. I let out a sigh. “I know it’s weird. But that’s what I dreamt. And it kept playing over and over and over in my mind until I woke up.”

She hummed again. “Something special going happen to ya today child. Be ready for it.” She snapped her fingers and the book she was reading slammed shut. I frowned slightly, I can’t wait to be able to use my magic like that. She grinned at me. “It’s coming soon, don’t rush it.”

I furrowed my eyebrows “H-how did y-you…” I paused and then glared at her “Stop doing that Nana.”

“Can’t help it!” She chuckled one of those chuckles that rattle your lungs. “Now come on and help me with the shop. It must be bustling with peoples nai.”

With a long dramatic sigh I stood up and made my way up the stairs. We lived below the coffee shop because it was much cheaper that way. Soon I was in the kitchen and the enchanting aroma of the coffee beans hit my nostrils.

I loved my Nana’s coffee and quite frankly so did everybody else in our little seaside town of Wilmington, North Carolina. Everyone said that my Nana’s coffee tasted magical. I looked over at the bowl which was whipping up the coffee, with no human hands or with no electricity.

If only people knew that the coffee was in fact magical.

I grabbed a spray bottle, rag and went to the tables to start wiping them down. I was not good for much at the shop. Because my gifts had not came in yet I was not of much help in the back. On the plus side, I could work in the front which meant that I could talk to all the nice people that came in to enjoy a nice cup a Joe.

A negative is that I also got just as many mean people as nice.

But I was okay with that because it made it fun. And it was hilarious when Hilary, my cousin, would use some spell and make the person coffee fall over or their papers fly out their brief case. Seeing her do those thing always made me yearn to get my powers. I wanted them so badly so that I could do all the things that everyone else could.

The shop was definitely starting to get busier. People were streaming in by the dozens now, some getting just pastry items, some just drinks and others both. I decided to go behind the counter and give my cousin a helping hand, he definitely looked like he needed it.

“Thanks cuz!” He thanked me once everyone died down “I needed that.”

I laughed loudly “Yeah, I could tell.”

I heard the door jingle signaling that someone had entered. I turned around to see a rather scary looking guy. He was tall, at least six feet. His honey tan skin was literally covered in tattoos although I did not have a problem with that at all. He gave me a small smile. Customer service being my main concern, I smiled back.

“Hey, Welcome to Nana’s Cafe! I’m Jenny, how can I help you today?”

“Umm….I’m Austin.”

I watched as his eyes raked over the menu overhead. He looked dumbfounded, and so I spoke up. “You aren’t from around here are you?”

He looked back at me. “No, I’m from California actually. My band just played at a nearby venue.”

I nodded “Cool….what band?”

“Of Mice and Men…..” He shook his head lightly “You probably haven’t heard of them before.”

I cocked an eyebrow “Metalcore band from Costa Mesa California. Signed to Rise Records. I’ve heard of you…..don’t listen to you much…..like a couple songs from your self titled.”

He nodded as he looked me up and down obviously shocked “Uhh thanks…. and I’ll take a Mocha frappe.”

“Good choice…...MOCHA FRAPPE!” I yelled to the back earning a coming right up from my Nana. Austin turned to sit down just as his drink was passed to me. “Hey! Here’s your drink.”

His eyebrows wrinkled “Well…...that was quick!” He reached out to grab it “Thanks!”

Our fingertips touched and I let out a gasp.

Right before my eyes I saw everything. I saw a little baby being swattle by a beautiful women with brown curly hair. I saw that same baby take it’s first steps and the people around him cheering him on. I saw this baby now a child on his first day of school, middle, school and high school. I saw him when his mother died. The sadness that he felt, the pain that he put himself through. I saw when he finally pulled himself out of his depression with the help of those around him. I saw he formed Of Mice and Men. And I saw everything else up to now and beyond.

Then I saw red. A deep crimson red that I knew to be blood. And a figure starting walking towards me. It was wearing a black hooded cloak and carrying a long stick with a sharp knife thing at the tip. As he got closer, large black wings spread out spanning at least ten feet across. When it reached my face it looked up and I saw a skeleton head.

“Hey! Are you okay!”

I looked up at Austin with new eyes “I’m f-fine….m-more than fine.” It was obvious that I was not fine. “Enjoy your coffee.”

And with that I rushed away from him. I ran past my Nana who was asking me what was wrong, down the stairs, through the Magic Room and into my own bedroom. I collapsed onto my bed and buried my head into my pillow.

“What in the fuck did I just see?”

“I don’t know….why don’t you tell me child?”

I snapped my head up to see my Nana standing in the middle of my room. She was looking at me with eyes full of concern. I let my head fall back into the pillow.

“Just read my mind…..that’s what you normally do.”

I felt my bed sink down signalling she had sat down “I’ve tried…..but I can’t.”

Now that caught my attention. My grandmother is the most powerful women that I know. Knowone can block out her powers except for someone more powerful. There’s no way that I’m doing such a thing, I haven’t even gotten my powers yet.

“What do you mean?” I sat up to get a better look at her. “How can you not?”

She shook her head unknowingly “I don’t know so I’m trying to figure it out.” She rubbed my back, sending surges of encouragement through my body “Now tell me what’s going on.”

I took a breath “I was serving a customer. His name was Austin. When I was handing him his coffee our skin touched and….and…” I gulped and looked into her eyes. “I saw like his whole entire life. I don’t know if I was imagining it or not but I saw it all.”

“That’s….interesting” She mumbled more to herself than to me. “You don’t normally get permissions as a first power but….I always knew you were special.”

“But that’s not it Nana” I sniffled “There’s more.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Then tell me.”

“After I saw everything, my whole mind went red. Like blood red. And then I saw this thing.”

Her voice grew worrisome “What thing?”

“I don’t know.”

“Describe him to me.”

I ran my hand through my wild curls “It was wearing a black cloak…..with a hood! And he had a stick with a knife at the end of it….”

“A scythe….it’s called a scythe.”

I nodded “Okay, and then he had big black wings and when he got close…..I saw that he was a skeleton.” My gaze landed on hers “What does that mean Nana?”

Her eyes got large “Oh my Jesus.”

“What?!”

“You’ve gaurdianized.” She reached out and touched my skin. “But you haven’t even started to get your powers in yet.”

I gazed at her in confusion “What are you talking about?”

“You had a vision….and then a perminission. In your perminision you saw The Angel of Death…..which means that the person whose vision you saw is going to die. You are now that person, Austin you said his name was right?” I nodded and she kept talking “Well you are now Austin’s guardian. It is your job to protect him from everything, even supernatural.”

She stood up and with a snap of her fingers there were bags at her feet. “You have to go now. Catch him before he leaves the shop.”

She pushed the bags into my hands and shooed me out of my room. I didn’t know how to feel. I felt completely clueless. There was a whole world to this magic that I had know idea about. I was also scared because I had know idea how to use my magic, I hadn’t even had a taste of my magical ability until I meet Austin this morning. How was I suppose to protect him?

“Nana, how am I suppose to protect him. It’s not like he’s sitting in one place, he’s a traveling musician.”

She turned me to face her “Here’s the key to the car.” I opened my mouth to speak but she shushed me. “It drives itself so don’t worry about it…..and take this book.”

I opened the old mangled book, flipping the crumbled pages. “But it’s blank.”

“I know that. It’ll fill up.”

“Do I write in it.” I questioned

She shook her head pushing me forward “No! No! It writes itself.” I crinkled my eyebrows. I’ve been doing that a lot today but everythings been so mindboggling. She chuckled “I know it’s confusing but the book will fill itself as your journey goes on.” I felt my eyes well at the thought of leaving. I could soon feel the tears fall down my face and then being wiped away. “Ohhh hush child. I know this is scary. And I hate sending you out like this without teaching you a hair. I expected it be a while for you go gaurdian up on me.” She looked down at me and I noticed that her eyes held unshed tears also. “But you’re a strong one. You’ll do just fine. And remember child, I’m just a chant away if you need me.”

“Or any of us.” I heard someone say from behind me. I turned to my cousin who smiled adoringly at me. He hugged me. “Make me proud lil cuz. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I looked over at my Nana and she pulled me into a hug

“I love you baby, now go on before my freezing spell wears off”

I looked out the window to see that Austin was standing with his car door open, frozen in his stance. I hurried over to the 2015 car sitting my bags in the back seat before jumping in the drivers side. I looked up at my family who was standing outside my car with sad smiles.

“We love you child.” My Nana spoke before closing the door.

I stuck the key into the car and the whole vehicle lit up.

“Where to Jenny?” The car asked

My grandma waved her hand at Austin, liquefying him so that he was free to move again. I watched as he slipped into his own car and fired it up.

I sigh sadly “Just follow Austin.”

The car switched itself to drive. I rode away from my family and the coffee shop that I called home for so many years. Tears fell from my eyes as I waved goodbye until nobody could be seen anymore.

I had no idea where I was going to live. I had no idea what I was going to eat. I had no idea when the drive was going to end.

All I knew is that it was my job to protect Austin.

And I have no idea how to do that either.

Notes

New story that I've had cooking in my brain for quite some time. I saw that it's somewhat similar to another story on the PTV site but just to let you guys know I am NOT stealing the story. Although the characters have similar abilities they won't for long and the plots are super super different.

By the way the stories called I Did What I Could by @Tony Perrydise and it is fucking awesome like really!!!!!!

But I hope you like the start of this story. =)