"Oblivion" (standard:science fiction, 2505 words)
Author: kickboxrko	Added: Jul 17 2002	Views/Reads: 3467/2383	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Its the first issue in a series of short stories. Its about magic, among other things. Basically, the story of the last Merlin descendant, in present time, who needs to save the world.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

birthday. By now in his life, this routine was quite common. He 
promised himself years ago that he would never get too attached to his 
new family; it was only a matter of time before they grew tired of him 
and sent him back. But, promise as he might, he started falling for 
this family. He sincerely thought that this time it would work out. 
“Good morning, sleepy head! Jane cheerfully greeted him. How did you 
sleep?” “Sleep?” George groggly replied. “I could barely close my eyes 
all night, there was just too much on my mind...”   “Really? Like 
what?” “Well, you know....stuff. I....well... Its...there's just too 
much to talk to about Jane.” He thought to himself, “when would be the 
day that I can finally call her mom?”  “Okay, okay, I get it...Got 
anything planned today?” “No, not really” George meekely replied. He 
desperately needed some friends he realized. It was obvious in Jane's 
face that she had something special planned, she could barely contain 
her fervorous excitement. “Well, when I come home from work, me and you 
are gonna go out and have some fun, okay?” “Great Jane, I cant wait.” A 
little while later Jane left for work. He could'nt help thinking about 
how much she trusted him. He could not afford to let this one go. Well, 
I've got the whole house to myself, and I have nothing to do. He 
searched around the house a bit, but could'nt find anything that 
intrested him. After a bit of some searching in some old chest he found 
in a closet beneath the stairs, he happened to discover a old, ancient 
book. It was covered in layers of dust and was apparently hadnt been 
touched in ages. He wiped the dust off the cover and found the title of 
the book to be “Countdown until Evil Suppresses the Good in the World; 
who will Save Mankind?”  Wow, thought George. What a long title for a 
book!  He searched for an author but found none, to his confusion. How 
could there be no author? That sure is odd... First, the book has the 
strangest title he ever heard of in his life and second Of all, the was 
no apparent author to this ancient literature! He had a eerie feeling 
in his stomach. Opening up the book, he amusingly discovered that there 
was only one page written on in the entire book! On the first page he 
found this poem: There is only one, the one true, The One pure, the one 
brave in this world, Who can save us. He must be strong, and willing. 
He must have the gift. If he is the one, then he will Be able to sing; 
Let the secrets of knowledge, open their minds and spill their wisdom 
unto these pages!! 

As he read the poem and song, something miraclous was happening before
his very eyes. Lines upon lines were filling the blank pages in the 
book, filling entire pages in mere seconds! He could not believe his 
eyes! While he looked on, and without his knowledge, his name was being 
written in the front cover of the book. In less then a minute the 
entire book was completed! He opened it up, amazed, and found not only 
pages and pages of writing, but also complex diagrams and pictures of 
all sorts of things. This is amazing he cried out! I have to check this 
book out! As he said this, he heard a car door slam outside. That must 
be Jane! I better put this away. He threw the now slightly heavier book 
back into the chest, and pushed the chest back into the closet. He ran 
to meet Jane and explain what happened. He rushed to the door and threw 
it open. “Jane, Jane, come here come quick!” “What is it? Whats wrong 
George?” shouted Jane. “ He tried to explain all that happened in one 
breath but all that came out was babble, at least for Jane it was 
babble. “Slow down George! Take your time!” “The book Jane! The book! I 
found it, and it started writing and I read the poem and it filled 
with-“Grab your shoes George, I have to talk to you. Were going out to 
eat” Jane interrupted. George willingly obeyed. Neither of them said a 
word in the ride towards Boulder Creek, George's only favorite 
restaurant. As a matter of fact, George's only restaurant. After an 
awkward wait on line, they finally sat down and ordered their food. 
Finally, after whats seemed like hours, Jane restarted their 
conversation. “George?” “Yessss? He impatiently answered. “George, 
you're  quite a special person. I've been watching you for years now. 
I've been waiting my entire life to tell you this, and It still seems 
hard to speak it. I know you've had a rough childhood, and I sympathize 
with you. But you're way more important then any of that. That's all in 
the past now George. You're a special kind of boy, or I mean, man. 
George turned a beet red with that remark. You're the last of a special 
race. You have a fine class of blood in you. Your great, great ancestor 
was a famous, legendary man. Only he was entirely real. And I hate to 
say this George, but he's still alive. Barely but he's alive. I don't 
know where he is, probably in some distant universe, trapped for all 
eternity. His name... his name is Merlin. Merlin the Wizard.” And with 
that last remark, George's jaw dropped. Then it changed into a grin, 
and finally into a great smile. Then he was laughing so hard, faces 
turned to stare. “Are you saying I'm a wizard, that my great great 
ancestor was Merlin?  Merlin the magical wizard? That's proposterous! 
Unbelivable!” Jane did'nt seem to think of it as that amusing. “George, 
its all true. You're one of the last good wizards. You're our only 
protection from the evil that is rising from the past. A great evil is 
crossing the barriers of space and time, and is preparing to conquer 
the modern world and create a new, evil empire once again!” “I have 
been sent from the keepers of knowledge, to try to rekindle your true 
nature. The way of the Wizard! It is in you George, I need to teach you 
all that you have forgotten. When you were introduced into this world, 
your memory collapsed, and all the secrets your ancestors discovered 
were forgotten. They were given to you in birth, as is has been for all 
generations of Merlin. Do you not understand this? Have'nt you noticed 
strange things ever in your life? Do you want me to prove it?” She 
reached into her pocket and produced the locket stolen so long ago. 
“Does this look familiar to you at all George? He cried out in 
surprise, “That's mine, give it back now!!” “Geogie, listen to me 
carefully! Concentrate, concentrate very hard on this necklace. Focus 
on it. On its existence. Focus unto it all the hate and misery you had 
to endure these long years!! Without relizing it, George was doing what 
she told him to do. In the back of his mind, he half believed what she 
was saying. And then, to his utter amazement, the lock began to glow 
bright red. Red as the hate he felt when he thought of his entire 
childhood. Once again, he was awed to silence when the locket began to 
rise! Jane was no longer holding onto it! It was miraclosly spinning in 
mid-air, as if dangling from a string. “There is your proof. A common 
trait of the Merlin ancestary. The power of telekenisis. You have it. 
Among many others. You might even have one of the most sought after 
powers of them all. The power of foresight. There has been no other 
relative of Merlin that has inherited that unique gift. It is entirely 
possible that you might. That answer will reveal itself with time. Do 
you need more proof? Did anything unusual happen to you while I was 
away? “Yes, actually something peculiar happened...I found this really 
old book. I took it out. On the first page there was a rhyme. An 
enchantement. I sung the rhyme, and then all of a sudden, the entire 
book was filled with pages and pages of data!! Diagrams and pictures, 
spells, and drawings. It was amazing to watch!” “ Yes, that was your 
fathers book, and his fathers, and his fathers, and so on and so forth 
until it came back to Merlin. It was Merlin's old spell book, and he 
passed it down to his first son. Until it got passed down to you. It is 
now yours. Do you want to see it? Just think of it, concentrate, and it 
will come. George tried to concentrate on the book, but nothing 
happened. “You need something to focus your power. This locket was your 
mothers, and it too will help you. It is yours. She threaded the locket 
into a fine gold necklace, which she handed to him. “Put it on, and 
hold the locket in your hand. Try it again. And with locket in his 
hand, he willed the book to appear. Before he knew it, he opened is 
eyes to find the big, dusty book in front of him. On the front, he 
discovered that his name was engraved on it. George knew his life was 
changed forever. And there was so much more to come... 

Check  out next months edition of “Oblivion” 


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