Hey! everyone thanks for the reviews and for following this story! here is chapter 10!
I took a deep breath, and turned the door knob. The door opened at my touch, it's latch long broken by years of campers. The cabin was dim, but a few small lights flickered out of view as I entered. Probably Hermes kids still at their late night conversations. The talking stopped, replaced by a gentle murmur. I stood at the door for a second, listening to the quiet whispers. The whole room was full of bunks, their skeletal frames highlighted by the torchlight coming through the door. I could feel lots of people, watching me from the shadows, tucked into their beds, but not asleep.
"Well, don't stand there like a caught fish! Close the door!" Someone shouted.
"What do you want anyway?" Asked another voice.
"Can't you tell it's night! Let us sleep!" Called a third speaker. His voice was high and whining, like a very annoyed rat.
Someone else snickered. "You weren't sleeping anyway Chris!" Someone yelped as a heavy object that sounded like a boot thudded against the wall.
"I just need a bunk." I called into the dark. Several people groaned and a couple grumbling comments came from the dark.
"Not another one."
"I knew that promise wouldn't last."
"Too crowded already."
The darkness was suddenly broken as an open flame lit up the corner of the room. A blue eyes brown haired boy, about 17 or so, held a lighter aloft. He looked disgruntled, but not totally unwelcoming. His face was angular, set upon a thin neck and wiry shoulders.
"Alright, quiet down all of you." He said, glaring out across the rows of bunks.
"You're not going to let her in, are you Travis?"
"We're crowded as it is!"
"Oy! Pipe down!" Travis shouted. He looked at me, his eyes still half shut from sleep. He didn't look exactly overjoyed, but not totally spiteful either.
"As Hermes cabin, it's our job to welcome any new, unclaimed campers. What would Hermes think of us? We're all sons and daughters of the God of Travelers. We will not turn our back on any one seeking a board for the night. So, move over, tuck in some corners and make room. You all know well how. "
"We sure know better than any of those other cabins." Sneered the rat-like voice.
Travis glared in that direction. "I heard that Chris. You'd better be proud of that fact, or I have half a mind to show you what a night is to a traveler that wasn't given room and board. Even you wouldn't fancy sleeping in these woods."
I heard a snort, but no further comment. Another light popped on just below Travis's bunk, and a nearly identical face smiled at me. They could have been brothers, though, in the dark I wasn't sure.
"There's a bunk over here." The boy said. I came over, and the boy pointed at a bare mattress a row over. I bobbed my head in thanks and slipped gratefully onto the bunk. A blanket was tossed over, and landed on the end of my bed. I couldn't identify where it had come from, but I suspected it was from the boy below Travis.
The mattress was thin, but good enough for me. Every limb felt as heavy as led, through my head was as light as cotton. The night was warm, so I rolled the blanket into a makeshift pillow and place it under my head. I wanted to thank the two boys that had helped me, but before I knew it, sleep had overcome me.
The dream picked up where it left glass, blood, and then silence.
I woke to my mom holding my hand. I smiled at her. She looked down at me, and smiled back, but it never reached her eyes. They were filled to the brim with fear. Her hands had a panicky tremor to them. I'd never seen my mom like this.
I looked around, we were standing in a big line, a line of people. We were all waiting for something, though I just couldn't remember what. It was like being in a dream, where you know what you're there for, but not where, how, or why.
Then I heard the wailing. The sound traveled down the line like a wave, slowly growing louder. I looked towards it, but all I could see was people. As the sound grew, I realized it was the souls. All of them were growing more and more agitated, jostling and shoving to try and see to the front of the line. A cold gust of wind swept past us, but strangely, nothing was moved by it, everything sat in a cold gray stillness. The wind stilled, and a thick black cloud of mist rose up in front of us. The souls around us went crazy wailing and reaching towards the smoke, which passed through their fingers. Several fell to their knees and cried like banshees. Only my mom was calm.
"Hello Hades." She said to the cloud. It shimmered and took the form of a man. But a man unlike any other. A terrible, horrible, cruel, malicious, yet undeniably familiar man.
His dark black hair ran about to his shoulders. It looked clean despite it's length and had a youthful sheen that I would have wanted to reach out and touch. A black cloak concealed everything despite that above it's wide collared neck and the tips of two pairs of ivory white fingers with long jet black nails.
He leaned down to me, scanning me with his cold, black gray eyes. They were the color of death, the same color of mine, but with the feelings of ice, terror and pain woven into them. I shivered under his gaze.
"Ava" He breathed. Mom pulled me behind her, her fingers interlocking with mine. My body felt totally numb and though I could feel my mother push me, I felt no contact, nor her hand gripping mine.
Mom's eyes blazed as the only warmth in the cold dark room. She glazed at the man with such a hatred it made me want to pull away. I'd never seen my mom like this, and it scared me almost more than the man.
"We had a deal. She's still mine to care for." My mother said firmly.
The man chuckled darkly. "But you both are in my town now, Waverly." He responded in a cruel whisper. His words made a cold worm of fear wiggled in my gut. I didn't know what they were talking about, but I felt like I should.
"No, you can't take her, you promised!" My mother said. She tried to step farther away from the man but seemed unable to.
"Come now Waverly, I'm the Devil. You should be used to having promises broken by my hand."
My mom flinched, but her gaze still burned with iron hard intensity" That I know more than anyone." She hissed. Hatred sizzled in her tone. "But this promise is mine to keep, and my part of the bargain still stands. For Ava's sake." She squeezed my hands tightly, but I felt no pressure from her fingers.
Hades tutted sympathetically."But haven't you heard? The girl's mother was lost in a tragic car accident. Such a shame really, it's surprising that you're the last to know." His laugh came again, cold and deep, like thunder, only with a menacing side.
"You cruel sick man," My mom's voice cracked under the pressure of her shout. "I can't believe I ever loved you. The only parent Ava will ever be missing is a true Father!" My mother screamed the last few words and they echoed around the cavern, sending all of the souls onto another round of wailing.
Hades's cold smile vanished and something hardened behind his icy grey eyes. His hand suddenly shot up and grasped below her chin. He forced her eyes to stare into his. Mom's gaze still burned with anger, but a slight tremor of doubtful fear lay like a watercolor varnish over her expression. From my position behind my mother I could see Hades's cold grey eyes anchored unmoving on my mother's. As he stared at her, something moved like a cloud across his face. Something warm, like a memory long cast off. When he spoke, his tone was surprisingly soft after the anger in his stance.
"There is a reason for everything in this world Waverly. Every action has a cause, and an effect." He spoke softly, familiarly, but firmly. "Both can often be less than satisfactory, but necessary. Perhaps someday you will understand." His voice lowered to barely more than a whisper. Something like guilt feathered his words. "Perhaps someday you will forgive me."
The iron hatred melted from my mother's face, as did all of the color.
"No, Hades, Please!" she begged, her hands frantically grasping at my wrist from behind.
Hades leaned back, the soft edge dissipating like early fog, leaving his face as cold and solid as marble. His expression was unreadable as he lifted a single cloaked hand and waved it in front of my mother. White mist fell from his fingers and snaked to her ankles.
Her eyes grew impossibly wide as she turned to stare as me. Her lips mouthed my name, but her voice was disembodied and seemed to echo from far away. The white mist grew and twirled up her body, so cold I put my hands to my face. When I lowered them, she was gone. Only her echoing voice remained to whisper my name one last time.
Now nothing stood between me and the cold grey man. He leaned low, and icy fingers wiped a curling lock of hair from my cheek. I realized that I could feel the rasp of his abnormally long fingernails against my face. His hand found mine and I could feel the tough skin on his palms. A soft heartbeat suddenly started tapping in my chest. I took a breath, and noticed I hadn't been breathing since I woke up next to my mom.
"That's better, isn't it?" He asked in a soft voice that made my skin crawl despite his calmness. I nodded anyway. My heart lurched painfully, and I almost wished it would stop beating again. Ice cold fear held my tongue and my mind, as Hade's took my hand and led me out of the line. All I could do was follow.