Changer La Vie (Changing Life)
A/N: A bit that came to mind. In which during his college years, Emil gets a glimpse of the life he is to live.
Changer La Vie
Had I always known what was to happen? Not really. Logically, there was no reason I could have ever envisioned what happened to me in my college years. By all rights, I shouldn't have met the people I became friends with, walked the circles I frequented, or brought to fruition the dreams I dreamed. I had everything coming for me, I knew: the corner office in my father's building, plans for a penthouse apartment, enough resources to travel, take my postgraduate studies anywhere in the world, and live as fast as I wanted.
It was certain, or should have been, till that one night in the co-op. I was just passing by during that late hour, only to get a soda for the road. However I stopped on hearing the laughter from one table in the corner.
"Hey Emil, ever try scrying?" my classmate Luis called to me.
"Scrying? What would I do that for?" I asked. The very idea made my hair stand on end; I could almost hear my grandmother's voice warning me against it.
One of the girls there, I think her name was Deana, laughed out loud. "To see the future---the job you will have, the girl you will end up with..."
"What would I do that for?" I asked. Maybe I had stepped forward at that moment, or stretched out my hand, but whatever it was, I soon found myself being dragged to the table. A bowl stood there, filled with water nearly to the brim.
"Ooh, this will be interesting," said another one of my classmates, Carl. "Don't forget us if you see moneybags or a fat bank account, Emil!"
"Now why would I see that?" I pointed out. I didn't know very much about scrying, only that it was supposed to give a hint as to one's future. I had also heard that some people had the misfortune to see a skull or the Grim Reaper in the water or the mirror they used to scry. Now that was something I definitely wished to avoid, but nevertheless I peered into the water.
"Now just focus on the ripples," I heard Deana say. Someone murmured what sounded like an incantation, but I could not distinctly make out the words. The bottom of the bowl was dark and the water was still. The only thing I saw was the white orb of the florescent light hanging over the table. Eventually, if I squinted a little, I could catch sight of my own reflection.
"Nothing," I said as I straightened up. "This is just a stupid experiment; I gotta go home now."
Luis grabbed my shoulder. "Aw come on Emil, you didn't try hard enough!" Before he could set me down onto a chair, I caught sight of a fluttering at the edge of my vision. I quickly looked up, only to realize that someone had brought a large red flag into the co-op. The white glow from the florescent lamp seemed to brighten, and it was almost as if I was under broad daylight again.
Somehow I was now standing in a crowded street. People were pushing and shoving everywhere, and I could feel the reek and heat seeping into my skin. I was no longer wearing the t-shirt, pants, and zoot suit jacket I'd put on that morning; somehow my attire had gotten smarter, and my hair had gotten shorter. I called for someone, but I could not distinguish what name left my lips.
"Emil, over here!" a voice called. I found myself walking towards a woman, dressed in a red blouse and black slacks. The light was so bright now, and I could hardly distinguish her face. But I knew she was wearing a sort of sling over her front, and there was a small baby in the sling. She was also holding the hand of a small boy, while her free hand clutched an attache case.
"We're going to be late for work, dear. And you said you'd take the kids with you today," she said. Her voice was clear and ringing, like an odd sort of bell.
"The kids?" I sputtered. It was then that I got a good look at the little boy with her. His hair was like a sort of flame, as mine had been when I was a small child. The child giggled and held out his arms to be carried. Somehow, I picked him up, not really caring what it would do to my clothes.
I tried to look at her face, at the things we had, and the place around us. Somehow it seemed right but unfamiliar. "Where are we?" I asked, till I realized I didn't know her name.
"We have an appointment today you big silly," she said as she took my arm. Before I could ask her more, or lean in to get a better look, something grabbed my shoulder.
"Emil, where are you?!" Luis yelled. Instantly the light faded and I found myself back in the gloom of the co-op.
"Someplace," I replied. I didn't think back on what I'd seen, not for a long time after.
Changer La Vie
Had I always known what was to happen? Not really. Logically, there was no reason I could have ever envisioned what happened to me in my college years. By all rights, I shouldn't have met the people I became friends with, walked the circles I frequented, or brought to fruition the dreams I dreamed. I had everything coming for me, I knew: the corner office in my father's building, plans for a penthouse apartment, enough resources to travel, take my postgraduate studies anywhere in the world, and live as fast as I wanted.
It was certain, or should have been, till that one night in the co-op. I was just passing by during that late hour, only to get a soda for the road. However I stopped on hearing the laughter from one table in the corner.
"Hey Emil, ever try scrying?" my classmate Luis called to me.
"Scrying? What would I do that for?" I asked. The very idea made my hair stand on end; I could almost hear my grandmother's voice warning me against it.
One of the girls there, I think her name was Deana, laughed out loud. "To see the future---the job you will have, the girl you will end up with..."
"What would I do that for?" I asked. Maybe I had stepped forward at that moment, or stretched out my hand, but whatever it was, I soon found myself being dragged to the table. A bowl stood there, filled with water nearly to the brim.
"Ooh, this will be interesting," said another one of my classmates, Carl. "Don't forget us if you see moneybags or a fat bank account, Emil!"
"Now why would I see that?" I pointed out. I didn't know very much about scrying, only that it was supposed to give a hint as to one's future. I had also heard that some people had the misfortune to see a skull or the Grim Reaper in the water or the mirror they used to scry. Now that was something I definitely wished to avoid, but nevertheless I peered into the water.
"Now just focus on the ripples," I heard Deana say. Someone murmured what sounded like an incantation, but I could not distinctly make out the words. The bottom of the bowl was dark and the water was still. The only thing I saw was the white orb of the florescent light hanging over the table. Eventually, if I squinted a little, I could catch sight of my own reflection.
"Nothing," I said as I straightened up. "This is just a stupid experiment; I gotta go home now."
Luis grabbed my shoulder. "Aw come on Emil, you didn't try hard enough!" Before he could set me down onto a chair, I caught sight of a fluttering at the edge of my vision. I quickly looked up, only to realize that someone had brought a large red flag into the co-op. The white glow from the florescent lamp seemed to brighten, and it was almost as if I was under broad daylight again.
Somehow I was now standing in a crowded street. People were pushing and shoving everywhere, and I could feel the reek and heat seeping into my skin. I was no longer wearing the t-shirt, pants, and zoot suit jacket I'd put on that morning; somehow my attire had gotten smarter, and my hair had gotten shorter. I called for someone, but I could not distinguish what name left my lips.
"Emil, over here!" a voice called. I found myself walking towards a woman, dressed in a red blouse and black slacks. The light was so bright now, and I could hardly distinguish her face. But I knew she was wearing a sort of sling over her front, and there was a small baby in the sling. She was also holding the hand of a small boy, while her free hand clutched an attache case.
"We're going to be late for work, dear. And you said you'd take the kids with you today," she said. Her voice was clear and ringing, like an odd sort of bell.
"The kids?" I sputtered. It was then that I got a good look at the little boy with her. His hair was like a sort of flame, as mine had been when I was a small child. The child giggled and held out his arms to be carried. Somehow, I picked him up, not really caring what it would do to my clothes.
I tried to look at her face, at the things we had, and the place around us. Somehow it seemed right but unfamiliar. "Where are we?" I asked, till I realized I didn't know her name.
"We have an appointment today you big silly," she said as she took my arm. Before I could ask her more, or lean in to get a better look, something grabbed my shoulder.
"Emil, where are you?!" Luis yelled. Instantly the light faded and I found myself back in the gloom of the co-op.
"Someplace," I replied. I didn't think back on what I'd seen, not for a long time after.