Normal- A short story

Instructions

If you asked her, Chaira would tell you that she was normal. She went to school five days a week, had a family, had friends. She was even starting to apply for colleges, she had something or another due next week. However, I assume you did not decide to read a story about a normal girl doing normal things. Alas, our protagonist here is as plain as unbuttered toast, unremarkable. Dear reader, I wish I could tell you the story of how she was just doing her homework one day, a normal day, when she suddenly wasn’t at her table, instead sitting in the middle of a circle of candles and salt. Of course, it would be silly to tell such a wild story about such a normal person, a story in which Chiara was chosen by the universe to save the world from some great evil, destined to prevail. If it wasn’t though, if I could tell you this story, you would see our mousy-haired friend look up at unfamiliar stars in an unfamiliar land and scream. You would see her cry and sob and yell that it wasn’t /fair/, why couldn’t she just be normal? You would probably cry as well, my friend, because she was the definition of special and she hated it, you would see the universe fail to comfort its favorite child as she mourned for a life she believed she wanted. If the story ever came to be, which it didn’t, don’t be stupid, you would see her slowly realize that she wasn’t alone. You would see a tight-knit bond, Strangers turning to Friends. Friends turning to family. Family turning into something more, closer still, until a quartet could stare into each other’s eyes and trust them to the ends of the earth. But our protagonist is completely normal, my new friend. She learned a couple of self-defense moves last year in P.E., but she couldn’t even think of fighting in a war, or dueling a corrupt prince for his kingdom, no way. She couldn’t even pull off a card trick, let alone summon a flame with just a wave of her hand. And if her hands shake while preparing a speech, it’s because this is a big grade for English, not because she remembers staring at a hopeful crowd below, her three other parts of her soul at her back, what are you talking about? Chiara is a normal girl. She doesn’t even know what you mean when you mention the land of Olleana, or the four heroes who saved it. If you pressed the issue, she wouldn’t break down and cry, she wouldn’t be relieved and scared that someone knows about her endeavors, because they never happened. She was never dragged back to the world of her origin kicking and screaming, the years spent abroad melting away and returning her to the exact moment she left because she never left in the first place. She doesn’t realize over the 3 years back “home” that no one would believe her story, of course not. She doesn’t flinch every once in a while when she hears metal against metal, why would she? She doesn’t mourn a life she can never return to at night, never longs for the antics and laugher and warm hugs of her friends. Because Chiara? My dear reader, She is normal, and she hates it.