[This chapter has been re-written and submitted on 01/04/09]
Hi guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter, sorry for the delays – stupid school had to give us tonnes of coursework to write and exams to revise for.
I would like to say a special thanks to sonofdemeter, ste11una and especially Forestwater for all their help & support in my writing.:)
Oh and please, don't be afraid to say if you don't like it! Just make sure you say why and how I could improve. Reviews are the best gift a writer can receive – even though positive ones are nicer! Thanks again.
Zoe x
P.S. Sorry it hasn't got that much to do with the Percy Jackson series at the moment but it will do in later chapters!
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Concealed by darkness, I opened my eyes to find myself cradled inside a strange yet comforting rock; it seemed to emit some sort of peculiar energy, just being inside it filled my body with life. As I scrambled out of the rock, careful not to stumble and harm myself, I felt as if I had been awakened from a deep sleep. After I looked back once more at my cosmic chamber, I stepped onto the earth beneath me. Instantly the rock vanished. I blinked twice. Nothing. I couldn't believe my eyes. So much for a back-up shelter, I thought.
But where was I? I looked around and saw mountains upon oceans of sand, all baked until white-hot; I was suddenly relieved to be wearing my white dress and sandals. In the distance great towers loomed around, standing their ground as golden giants. To the left of me a great wide river pumped by, looking fast enough to sweep me away if I dipped my foot in. Next to the river -- well, more like in the river -- was an oasis. It was split into two pools, with an earth pathway connecting the two and to my relief, the larger one had a few palm trees. Well, thank God there was something to call shelter; I was already beginning to feel parboiled.
I considered my options. There weren't many. It was either walk around in circles amongst the endless hot red sands in a vain attempt to reach civilization or sit by an oasis with shelter and fresh water.
I decided to go with the latter. Sue me.
I hurried towards the pools to find an unusual realization dawn on me: I didn't know who I was. The instant that paralyzing thought surfaced, I felt something cool and metal hit my neck, and a weight pull down on it. I glanced down and was almost blinded by the amulet dangling just above my breastbone. That was bizarre; I could have sworn it hadn't been there a few moments ago…
I untied the silver-like string to find it had a circular white pearl with intricate cerulean swirls entwined together. A stone, like white gold, but somewhat more valuable, framed it. And I knew one thing: I did not want something this beautiful in my care. It was only a matter of time before I dropped it in the water or lost it in the sand. Besides, it wasn't mine. Lazy and clumsy I may have been, but I was no thief.
Maybe someone dropped it? And it . . . landed around my neck? Nobody was around; who could have dropped it? And why couldn't I remember anything?
I knew some things about me. I knew I was hot, tired, and not very good at holding onto things. I also knew that keeping something someone else owned was wrong, and I didn't like that.
Where had these little almost-entirely-useless snippets of information come from? There had to be something hidden in my head. All I had to do was unlock it.
Fine, I told myself. For the sake of argument, let's say that this necklace is yours. There's no proof that it isn't, in any case, and there's no one else for it to belong to. What does it say about you? I turned the necklace over and saw the word "Cynthia" engraved in the back.
So your name's Cynthia. Great. You need a name, anyway, and this one's rather pretty. So go with it.
I tugged on the chain, relieved when it didn't break. The amulet seemed to glow -- not a visible glow, but something less tangible. It was a glow I could feel -- and that immediately made me think of celestial bronze. It certainly seemed strong enough, but it wasn't bronze. Maybe it was celestial silver? Did something like that even exist?
After a few minutes I turned my thoughts back to my surroundings. The shallow pools of the oasis seemed to draw me in, glittering in the sun in the most inviting way.
Small droplets from the pools splashed against my skin; I'd never felt anything so refreshing in my life. I marched closer to the pools, feeling tugged . . . called. Because of the new power and contentment of the waters I gazed upon it, searching for anything amazing, anything at all.
The first time I saw my reflection, I saw sleek blonde hair, pale skin, large blue eyes. My eyes told the story of age and, staring into them, I could finally see that they were too old for my face.
I saw the face of a porcelain doll, pretty but helpless. Naive and uncertain, looking for a deus ex machina or a set of rippling muscles to sweep me away from all that I had known. That couldn't be me. I blinked and watched the doe-eyed girl in the pool do the same. I wasn't sure if I loved my reflection or was simply terrified by it.
I didn't want to be the damsel in distress! I wanted to be the knight. I didn't wish to be fighting for acceptance – acceptance of my personality, that is, not my looks. But to be beautiful, that alone was a gift. Unless, of course, it meant that I would never be taken seriously, forced to spend my entire life listening to dumb blonde jokes.
Of course, there was the ever-probable idea that I was reading too much into my reflection. It was nothing more than a face on the water. It wasn't me. I scowled, watching the reflection's twist into an ugly snarl. There. As long as I made this face my entire life, I'd be set. I'd be an idiot that couldn't appreciate a good thing when I had it, but I'd never have to listen to a lame come-on or a snide comment about beauty instead of brains.
As the sun sank behind the dunes, I felt the heat-induced fatigue fade, and the urge to explore tingling through my body. But now was not the time for exploring. Who knew what was out there?
For a while I lay under the stars, stunned by their beauty. How each star has its own story to tell. . . . It was fascinating. One day I wish to learn them all. And when my time comes, I wish to spend eternity watching over in the cosmic. That's who I want to be -- not some pretty face or a girl with an amulet, but a warrior defending the fragile souls of the stars. A beautiful warrior, mind. With longer legs.
Satisfied, I shut my eyes and drifted into the realm of dreams.
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I was in a dark room where the only thing I could see was shadows. A foul stench consumed the room, accompanied by the odd scratching on the walls. In the corner, a light shone so dimly that it looked about to fade away. Huddled beneath the light was a figure bent over itself, its arms hugging its knees. I could only see the outline of a scarred cheek and one wide-open eye. But, man or woman, it looked terrified, as if whatever was making that smell and those sounds was seconds away from bursting in and ripping our flesh from our bones.
And I had no doubt that it could.
The figure mumbled something over and over, but I had no idea what it was saying. I tried to ask, to take its shoulders and beg it to speak in English, but I couldn't move. As if the person knew this -- or knew something even worse -- it began rocking back and forth, faster and faster.
I tried with all my might to move closer, but my body was rigid. It would not cooperate with me and for that reason, I understood. I was not supposed to help. I was supposed to see.
This helplessness fazed me. It was tougher than any task I'd ever attempted before. I willed with all my might for my body to move, but nothing happened.
A sudden movement from the corner would have made me jump if I hadn't been turned into living stone. The person on the floor looked right at me and screamed. The face was too covered in ugly red scars for me to tell what sex it was, but that didn't matter. All I knew was that it was petrified, and probably had reason to be. One of its eyes was clawed shut, and the other was bloodshot was teary. More than that, though, it was tortured. It covered its white face once more and began to sob. I tried to step forward and touch its shoulder, give some sort of comfort that I wouldn't do anything to it, but I still couldn't move.
That's when I saw the shadow fall over me, making a grotesque shape on the floor. I realized what the poor shell of a human on the floor had been screaming about. It wasn't me.
It was what had been behind me.
I wanted to be free. I puffed and panted and fought harder than I realised possible. And the last thing I can remember was that blood-curdling scream; the scream that will forever echo from my nightmares. Taunting me until I gave in, until all hope was lost.
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Okay, that was it. Hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to review! :)
Zoe x