The story of Cressida Smith
Chapter 1:
It all started one dark morning, the clouds were dark and sinister, and heavy raindrops pounded on the ground.
Cressida Smith was walking on her way to Lancelot Academy of Arts and Studies. Her eyes were focused on the ground, head low, as she quietly hurried along.
Just as she was reaching the door, a boom of thunder so loud it sent ringing through Cressida's ears. Blinding heat sent the hairs on her arm shoot straight up, and a strange feeling swept through her skinny body.
It was like.. like.. it was certainly very strange. It felt as though her outer side exposed to the air was burning like lava. But inside it was a cool frost on a winter night. Her heart had abnormal pacing, and her eyes flickered around in panic.
Before any more could happen, she slipped inside the school and ran toward class. Immediately, the feeling vanished, and she comforted herself saying that she imagined the whole thing.
Just as the final bell rang, she slipped into her chair, pulling down her hood.
When her best friend, Alissa, looked at her, she saw an 11 year old girl who wanted to shut off the world. With her skinny body frame, and darting eyes, you'd expect her to be a real weakling. But somehow Alissa knew that that wasn't the case, she knew that her friend had went through something, although Cressida never said what. With her bronze ringlets hanging to her waist, and baby blue eyes, she could be a model. Except Cressida hated attention and always wants to be alone.
Alissa slipped Cressida a note. What's wrong?
Cressida quickly read the note, then crumbled it up and dropped it in the trash. She shook her head, saying she didn't want to talk about it.
"Teacher, may I please be excused?" Cressida's soft voice interrupted as he droned on and on about fractions.
gave her a disapproving look, he expected all his students to be attentive and listen. "Very well, just this once, Cressida."
Cressida secretly sneaked her camouflage sack with all her special belongings out the door with her. She suspected something was going to happen. It wasn't the thunder this morning, or the feeling that ran through her body. For days now, she's been having this terrible sensation that one wrong move and something would change her life. Little did she know.
Her feet moved soundlessly as she went out the recess doors. She drew her hood over her head, and yanked on the strings to tighten it. She sat down and leaned against the school building, away from sight if anyone happened to walk past in the school hallways.
Footsteps approached her, and she whipped around in fright. What was it?
Soon, she found her answer. It was Klark, the school freak. He had a bad acne problem and a rash on his arm. Small little hairs started to form on his chin, and he never went anywhere without that pathetic New York Giants hat that was so worn and battered, you could see the fabric falling off.
"Quick! You have to leave! Now!" His voice was terrified and his nose twitched with fright.
I'll admit, I was really thinking of doing it already. But this crazy kid comes up and tells me to do exactly what I was thinking? That was just strange. "Why should I?"
Klark gasped, breathing heavily. "No chance! Tell you later! Get in that car!" He motioned toward a gray small car. "Hurry!" Grabbing my arm, he hauled her toward the car.
Cressida jerked her arm out of his grasp, and wiped it off. "Uh! Fine! I'm coming! Just keep your germ infested hands to yourself."
They both tumbled into the car, and it started right away.
Cressida took a quick survey of the car. There was a man in a dark suit driving the car, and his face was covered with sunglasses. Klark was rubbing his hands together and jerking constantly. Her own self was crouched in a huddle as she looked around.
Klark suddenly yelled a short, ear-piercing sound. "Stop stop stop! This is the wrong car!" His head was turned to face behind the car. There was a silver car with a man waving frantically, holding up a symbol Cressida couldn't tell.
The man in the front laughed, wickedly. "Ha! Trapped, are you now?" Klark worked frantically at the door lock, but it wouldn't budge. "You're trapped in here, until I say you can leave. Which will be your dead bodies going to the flames!"
Cressida was breathing hard and her heartbeat sped up once again. "What do you want? Who are you?"
That sinister man cackled, then in a swift motion, broke all of the clothes he was wearing. In his place, was a monster. Eh! It was a dark brown dog, with two heads! For a moment she wondered if it was that myth Cerberus, then realized it wasn't. Cerberus had three heads, and this creature had a serpent tail!
Klark kicked off his shoes and revealed a pair of goat feet. "You'll have to deal with me, Orthrus!"
Realization dawned in Cressida's eyes. The name sparked a light in her mind. There was a guest speaker with a beard in a wheelchair that came to speak to them. She didn't exactly pay close attention to it, but a few names stuck in her head. Plus, the man's fuzzy woolen sweatshirt had mythological creatures stitched onto it. She was just about to say something, but Orthrus beat her to it.
"Now, dear satyr and demigod. It is your time.. to die!"