It has been some time since I've written, so hopefully it goes smoothly. League of Legends has been distracting me. Anyway, hope you enjoy. God Bless.
Jack put his hand against the stone that blocked their path. Nearly fifty people waited to hear what he had to say. He took a deep breath.
"This is it. Through this boulder lies our fortunes. Let's get rich!" They all cheered. He stood there for a moment, basking in it. He smiled and moved away so the digger could get to it. Mole was almost salivating at the chance to dig their way out. He was very passionate about his work. Jack shook hands and gave high fives to people as he made his way back to the others. They too were smiling and joyous. Audrey jumped up and gave him a hug. Surprised, Jack nearly fell over.
"Thanks for getting us here. We couldn't've done it without you." She kissed him on the cheek before letting go. It was good to finally get the appreciation he deserved. Among all the happy faces, one stood out above the others. Helga's bright red lips were curved into a slight smile. Her eyes glowed with a newfound hope. Jack grinned and walked over to her, but not before checking to see if Rourke was around. He still didn't want to get her in trouble, well, more trouble.
"Hey." He said with a smirk. All of the other sounds dulled out as she spoke.
"Hey. You saved us, you know." Jack tilted his head slightly. "We were all ready to give up until you brought us here." He laughed and lifted her off the ground in a hug. He felt her heartbeat against his chest. All of his senses focused on her. She smelled like rose soap, her eyes were an ocean, he skin was silk against his arms. He could hear her breaths shuttering as they embraced. She was the only person around. Suddenly, he felt a power surge through him, much like before. This time, however, it all went to his head. It felt like all of the blood in his body was rushing toward his brain; and then there was blue flash.
Jack looked around in surprise. He fell down with a yelp. In front of him was him, holding Helga in his arms. The other him was completely still, not even breathing. What the fuck is going on? Jack thought. He started to panic. His hand passed right through himself when he tried to touch his shoulder. Jack's mind was having difficulty registering what was happening. So I'm dead? Again? He wondered confused. He sat down, eyes going slightly crossed as he struggled to comprehend. Just as he thought he'd figured out what was happening to him, something new jumps out and punches him in the balls.
After a few more moments or dumbfounded shock, he got on his feet and started to walk around. He waved his hands in front of the other still figures. None of them responded either. Everything looked like it was in a shadow world. The trucks seemed to be half solid half vapor. That was the only way he could explain it. It seemed like if he touched them, they would disappear in a puff of smoke. His breaths came out raggedly, but then he noticed something else odd. He couldn't hear his breathing, or feel it. In fact, he wasn't really breathing at all. It was another thing he couldn't explain. It seemed like a dream, because in a dream you don't think of breathing or swallowing spit. He was so confused.
Jack was in absolute silence. It was eerie, and scary. Maybe it's just a bad dream. He tried to convince himself. He closed his eyes and wished to be back in his body. When he opened his eyes, nothing had changed. His still wasn't in his body, and nobody was moving. Jack lay down and struggled not to cry. WHAT AM I? A sound pierced the quiet.
"How are you here?" A man's voice asked curiously. It seemed to be coming from inside his own head. Jack put his hands on his head. The voice asked again. "How are you here?!" This time it was angry.
"I don't know! I don't know where 'here' even is!" Jack shouted into the air. There was a brief pause.
"Who are you?" It asked. It no longer seemed mad, but how could a person judge the emotions of a disembodied voice in their head.
"Jack." He scoffed and then laughed hysterically. "I'm talking to myself aren't I? I have finally gone bat shit crazy."
"No. You are not crazy. You and I are bonded it seems. I was wondering why my power was being drained." It said that last part to itself. Jack was even more confused than he'd been before, which he hadn't thought was possible.
"Who are you?" Jack asked aloud.
"We will talk more later." Another energy pulse shot through him.
Helga laughed once more before he set her back down. She smiled up at him. Jack smiled back. Wait, What!? He jerked back from her. The cave no longer seemed surreal. Reaching toward her face, he grabbed it in his hands. Helga had a strange look on her face, causing Jack to pull back embarrassed. I'm me again. The thought brought him some relief. But the question still lingered. Who had he been talking to, and how had he gotten out of his body? He shook his head.
"You okay?" Helga asked concerned. Jack got his shit together and nodded.
"Yeah, just got a headache." He walked away from the others and sat down in the cab of a nearby truck. He started shaking uncontrollably. He tightened them into fists to stop it. The others were looking at him concerned. He waved at them with a smile. It wasn't very convincing. Sweet took out his medicine bag and approached him.
"Here. Let me give you a quick check up." He said in his deep voice. Jack reluctantly submitted. Please don't notice my leg. Please don't notice my leg. In an effort to hide it, he pulled his leg into the truck so he couldn't see it.
"I'm telling you, I'm fine. It's just a headache." The doctor did a few more checkups before leaving him be. Thank god. He never did like doctors. Sweet was a swell fella, but he was still a doctor.
"Just rest a bit." With that he left, taking his big black bag with him. Jack set his head on the steering wheel and took a deep breath. How nobody had noticed he no longer had a peg leg, he couldn't say. Maybe I'm just that good an actor. It was a futile attempt to calm himself through bad humor. It didn't work at all. He still felt sick to his stomach. He had to know what was happening to him.
With a loud crash, Mole and the digger burst out of the cave. Light shone in through the gaping hole. Everyone held up hands over their eyes. Then the air blew in. Jack's head stopped aching as the smell of salt water, fresh plants, and goodness knows what else, penetrated his nose like a bullet. His eyes started to water from the rush. He gasped at the strength of it. Jack could hear everyone else doing the same. It seemed like forever since he'd last had a breath of fresh air.
"Come on, Jack!" Audrey yelled as she ran toward the light. The rest followed suit. Jack hustled right after. Maybe the fresh air will help me think! Shading his eyes, he pushed through the bright halo. What he saw next truly took his breath away.
The first thing he noticed was the waterfalls. It was actually more like one waterfall that surrounded the entire plaza. Toward the middle of the plateau rested tall stone spires spanning hundreds of feet into the air. Surrounding the island were giant stone statues, even larger than the buildings. They seemed to be protecting the city on all sides, silent guardians. There was a large chasm in between them that the waterfalls poured into, linked together by a small wooden bridge. There were an assortment of birds and insects flying and buzzing all around them. Trees, shrubs, and vines stuck out of the crumbling buildings closest to the drop off. There wasn't supposed to be anything alive down here. He gaped in amazement.
The awe was short lived, however. After a few moments, a dozen or so men and women surrounded them from above. They wore war masks that resembled tikis, complete with glowing blue eyes and white fur. Everyone in the group backed together as they were surrounded. Rourke cursed and started to pull out his pistol. Jack quickly grabbed his arm to stop him. The last thing they needed was a bloodbath.
"Which one of you is the leader?" A female voice asked from behind her mask. After a few agonizing moments of silence, Jack took the lead and spoke.
"This man is the leader." Jack said gesturing to Rourke. The crew gasped as he spoke. What the fuck guys?! He turned back to them and gave them a questioning look. Shaking his head slightly, he turned his attention back to the talking woman. "It seems that I will be speaking on his behalf." The woman removed her mask and handed her spear to the person next to her. She was a girl, as in young. She couldn't be more than eighteen at the most. She had clear blue eyes and white hair. The tattoo below her left eye looked familiar. A blue dot next to her nose and two crescents below the eye.
"I'm Jack by the way." She looked at him, then at the others, and then back at him again. She seemed confused.
"Why do your friends not speak?" She questioned. Jack was beginning to wonder that himself.
"Why aren't any of you pitching in?" He demanded, turning around. They all still looked slightly dumbfounded. "What is it?" Rourke got ahold of himself first.
"We don't speak Atlantean, dumbass." He muttered gruffly. Now Jack was the confused one.
"We are speaking English. Can't you understand it?" They all shook their heads. Was I speaking Atlantean by accident? He turned back slowly to face the fierce woman.
"Do you want us to speak like you?" She asked. Everyone gasped again. Apparently they could understand her now. Jack nodded graciously. Rourke then stepped forward, pushing Jack to the side. How was I speaking Atlantean?! Fuckity fuck fuck! He was getting sick and tired of being confused all the damn time.
"We are explorers from the surface world. We come in peace." Rourke said, smiling with his joyless eyes. The woman responded by smiling herself. She was quite pretty, in an exotic stripper sort of way. Her white teeth brightly contrasted her dark skin.
"Welcome, to the city of Atlantis!" She held her arms wide. The other Atlanteans took off their masks and set down their weapons. The two groups intermingled and started chattering. Jack did his best to avoid the swarming group, but to no avail. In a matter of seconds, he was surrounded by poking and prodding Atlanteans. They were pulling on his clothes and looking at his pack. He struggled to escape the mass, shoving his way out. The gaps filled in instantly with new curious men and women. Jack sighed with relief as he escaped.
"You." The woman who had spoken before said, pointing at him. "You must speak to my father now." She grabbed his arm and started pulling him across the rope bridge toward the city. Jack struggled not to look down as they walked over it. Despite his efforts, he did just that. The bottom of the cavern had to be at least two hundred feet. He gulped and continued onward, following the exotic woman. Even though they had been welcomed, she still held on to her spear.
"I didn't catch your name." Jack said, quickening his pace to catch up with her.
"That's because I didn't tell you." She stated matter of factly without looking back at him. Jack frowned. Women didn't just ignore him. He couldn't ignore her though. Her curves were clearly visible through her thin blue skirt. Her walk was a mixture of a model and a lion, with both beauty and prowess. It was an effort, but he managed to pull his eyes away from her ass and look at the city.
Calling it a city was a bit of an exaggeration. It was more of a ruin if anything. The buildings were all crumbling, kept together with clay and wooden braces. People stared at them through their makeshift huts and from behind store stalls. They all looked at the group with a similar expression of wonder and excitement. Small children had to be held back from running up to them by their parents. Groups of dark skinned natives gathered around to get a look at the strange visitors.
The further he went into Atlantis, the more strange Jack felt. It was like deja vu, but longer. It almost seemed like he'd been there before. The tall arches that acted like gates between the different streets sparked a strange feeling of pride in him for some reason, like a parent looking at their successful child. He shook his head violently to rid his brain of the sensation. I've never been here before. How the fuck could I?
The others seemed to be in shock from trying to take in everything. Audrey was off looking at a shopkeeper's goods with Sweet. Mole and Vinny were drinking something that smelled like alcohol. Helga walked next to the truck Rourke was in. She had a slight limp, her face contorting slightly in pain with each step. Rourke did that! Mother fucker! Jack slowed down to end up next to her. She looked up at the truck and nodded toward the back. They slowed down until they were safely out of his view.
"What do you think of this place?" He asked with a smile. Her face brightened and she smiled back.
"It's amazing that there are people here." As she said that, her mood swung to solemn. That statement seemed to bring her down. Why might that be? He decided it was better not to ask until they were alone. He grabbed her hand reassuringly. She squeezed tightly, her fingers interlocking with his for a moment before pulling away. Jack looked forward and saw Rourke's eyes burning into him from the rearview mirror. He'd seen the entire thing apparently. Good. Just try something! I dare you. Jack smiled broadly and winked. Rourke's chiseled face could've fried an egg it was so hot.
Leaving Helga, Jack wandered over to Audrey, who was trading a compass for a bracelet. She was beaming with excitement. She smiled at him and held her wrist up to him.
"What do you think?" She asked flirtatiously. Jack pretended to inspect it.
"I think you got ripped off bad. It's obviously fake. I'd try and get my money back!" She punched him in the arm with a giggle. He rubbed his arm with a chuckle. He'd barely even felt the blow, but he needed to keep that to himself. She began chatting with him, making comments about all the different things they came across. Jack did his best to listen and respond, but his heart wasn't really in it. She stopped and punched his shoulder again.
"Oww! What was that for?" He yelped. She pulled his head down closer to hers and whispered.
"I've seen how you look at Helga Sinclair. If I were you, I'd quit that real fast. Everyone who has been with the group before has said they have a thing. And Rourke isn't someone you want to piss off." Jack nodded, pretending to be concerned and grateful for her advice, but he really didn't give a shit about getting on Rourke's bad side. In fact, he really wanted to see it, up close, with his fist. He clenched his hands tightly in anger. He heard his knuckles pop and it sounded like light gunshots to his sensitive ears.
"Thanks for the advice Ramirez." He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. She ducked away quickly and laughed at him. She pretended like she didn't like it, but he knew she did. He smiled slightly as she bounded off to another stall. She was just a kid. Speaking of kids, several of them ran around him as he tried to make his way through. They poked and prodded him, spitting out questions faster than he could possibly hope to answer. They were little more than toddlers, but they were old enough to be a pain in the ass. Biting his cheek, he forced himself to ignore them. If he didn't, he would end up kicking one of them.
As the parade of visitors made their way down the broken cobblestone road, Jack couldn't shake the feeling that he knew the place. Everything seemed familiar, like he'd been there before. He told himself that there was no way it could be possible, but it didn't stop it. The further in they got, the stronger it felt. He started to recognize statues and buildings. One of these statues was of a king, holding a baby in the air. The craftsmanship was superb. There was an inscription on the bottom written in Atlantean.
In honor of the princess.
Karakian
The name resounded in his skull, bouncing around wildly, flooding his mind with memories. In one, he held hands with the young princess as she laughed. In another, he held a broken crystal in his hand. There were many others, but the last one almost brought him to his knees. A giant wall of water, several miles in height, sped toward him as he sat on a bench. He felt fear, despair, and most oddly, guilt. He knew that thousands of people were about to die because of him. Jack screamed in his head as he pulled himself out of the flood of memories and emotions. He was back in the present now, and many people were looking at him strangely, both Atlanteans and the crew. He realized he'd been standing with his hand on the statue for over a minute. He quickly pocketed his hand and sped off into the flow of people.
What the hell was that about? Am I losing my mind? Or have I already?
