I curled into a tighter ball, pulling my knees to my chest until it almost hurt to breath. Heavy footsteps paced around the outside of the carriage. I held my breath and hoped my pounding heartbeat wouldn't give me away.
The footsteps paused right beside the trunk and my blood seemed to freeze in my veins in an effort to remain silent. The sound of fingers fumbling with the latch made my heart hit the roof of my mouth. Every muscle and organ in my body screamed in fear of being discovered. This was my one chance, I couldn't let it be swept away now.
"Sir!" Called a female voice outside the cab. The voice was slightly muffled, but I would have recognized it anywhere. Persephone! My heart gave a hopeful tap in my chest.
"Sorry sir, that's just my luggage and things." She wasn't entirely lying. Three earthy green suitcases flanked me on all sides, making the trunk smell of flowers in full bloom, the trade mark of Persephone.
"I'm really in a bit of a hurry…could we speed things along?" Persephone pressed when the guard continued to unclasp the latch. I could hear that special tone of voice in her and imagined her eternally youthful eyelashes batting coyly.
My heart gave another tap, but I still had my doubts if even Persephone could flirt an undead guard into overlooking his duties. Underworlders tended to be a little on the stiff side.
The guard gave a grunt and I let out a huge breath. I had to remember to tell Persephone of my new found respect for her…gift. She was probably the only person I knew who could rob a bank armed only with her womanly charms. Then again, being a Goddess tended to provide a certain alluring aura.
The carriage shivered as I assumed Persephone climbed into the driver's seat. A whip cracked and suddenly the carriage jerked to life. The wooden wheels cracked and squealed as they trundled along the rough floor, jostling the trunk and making the suitcases bump back and forth, more than once leaning their significant volume on my person. A thundering sound I soon realized were the hoofbeats of the pegasus pulling team shook the carriage. They started to grow in pace and the carriage gained speed. Then, all at once the carriage leapt off the ground and gravity loosed it's hold. The sudden falling stillness made my stomach turn somersaults. I could hear the beating of wings as the pegasus pulled on the reins, bounding skyward, with the wooden carriage tagging behind.
My whole body seemed to melt as the tension left my limbs and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had still been holding. Letting my heart rate settle back down, I tried to shift into a more comfortable position.
The air that was coming in through the latch still felt cold and damp, evident that we weren't out of the underworld yet. But at least we were moving. I could almost feel the distance between me and the exit closing quickly. I leaned my head against the trunk backboard and closed my eyes. Then, like an invisible curtain had been crossed, the atmosphere changed. The black behind my eyes lids was tinted a slight pink, as a bright light entered the trunk. My eyes flew open in a heartbeat and I looked over to the latch. A tiny sliver of bright golden light shimmered through the crack of the trunk door, casting a yellow-white line on the floor. I reached my hand, and the light wrapped around my fingers. Warmth, real sunlit warmth graced my hand and a slight lump formed in my throat. For the first time in nine years, the sun had finally risen. Even the tiny sliver of light was enough for my sunrise, for I knew, that a new day had arrived. Today, I was finally free.