Chapter Four
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Tianna rang the buzzer to Maggie's apartment. "Yes?' Maggie's voice rang over the intercom. "It's Tianna, Catty, Jimena, and Vanessa."
The buzzer rang in acknowledgement that Maggie had unlocked the door for the four goddesses. They walked up the stairs and entered the apartment room. Maggie wore her hair in an old fashioned bun and greeted the girls with her usual cheeriness. The four girls took a seat around Maggie's kitchen table as Maggie lighted some more candles. "We need to talk about Serena." Vanessa spat out as Maggie poured each of the girls a cup of tea. Maggie nodded and took a seat at the table among the others.
Vanessa explained to Maggie how Serena was missing, the events of the night before she fled, and what Stanton had told them. When she was done, Maggie sat there for a long while in silence with her eyes half closed. "Well what do we do?" Jimena asked irritated. Maggie opened her eyes whole again and looked at each of the girls with sadness in her eyes. "This is beyond your control. If Serena is doing this willingly, you cannot save her from this fate, especially because it will be the dark side of the moon, when you are the weakest. Only one person can save her from turning to the Artox. The only one who can save her on such a night is Stanton." The girls' jaws dropped.
When they left Maggie's apartment not one of them said a word to each other as they walked to Jimena's brother's car which he let her drive when he was in town even though she didn't have a license. She started up the car but instead of heading home she drove straight to the Dungeon. "Where are we going?" Vanessa yelled over the radio. Jimena looked at the passenger side seat and smiled at Vanessa. She then pointed up to the sky. "There's still moon out tonight, we can at least try to do something to end it tonight, and if we can't we'll find Stanton there."
They arrived at the Dungeon and Jimena threw the car into park and walked at a fast pace towards the club. Tianna, Catty, and Vanessa had to run to catch up. As they approached the club they could feel the beat pulsating in the ground beneath them. They burst into the doors and their moon amulets automatically began glowing, telling them there were Followers around. They got a few stares and a few glares from most of the Followers but the Followers looked happy. Not one of them tried to approach the girls to start something. They began to search frantically around for any sign of Serena. As Jimena walked around, she accidentally bumped into a girl who turned around. Not to her surprise it was Morgan. She grabbed Morgan by her shirt collar and began to shake her. "WHERE'S SERENA?" She growled into Morgan's face. Morgan looked at Jimena and smiled. "I do not know where Serena is, but I will see her soon enough. As soon as the dark of the moon rolls around, she will be around here a lot more." Jimena dropped Morgan and gathered up the other girls. "She's not here, have you guys found Stanton?" The other three shook their heads. "Let's go then." As they headed back towards the car a figure stepped out of the shadows. "Stanton!" Vanessa cried. Stanton walked towards them. "You were looking for me?" he asked, his eyes were blank and mysterious. His eyes did not glow yellow as they should but Catty, Vanessa, Tianna, and Jimena made no note of this. "Stanton, we need your help tomorrow night. We need you to persuade Serena not to turn, tell her you love her and explain the situation." Tianna pleaded. Stanton only shook his head. "I do not love her anymore. If she turns to the Artox then so be it. We will then be able to destroy all of you." He then slipped back into the shadows and into the night. Frustrated with it all Jimena ran down the street and into the car. When the other girls got into the car she sped off at breakneck speed. "Tomorrow night," she said, her words as cold as ice and as evil as ever, "We save Serena. No matter what. If you three don't want to come that's fine with me. But I will not let my best friend be taken over by the Artox without a fight."
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Tianna rang the buzzer to Maggie's apartment. "Yes?' Maggie's voice rang over the intercom. "It's Tianna, Catty, Jimena, and Vanessa."
The buzzer rang in acknowledgement that Maggie had unlocked the door for the four goddesses. They walked up the stairs and entered the apartment room. Maggie wore her hair in an old fashioned bun and greeted the girls with her usual cheeriness. The four girls took a seat around Maggie's kitchen table as Maggie lighted some more candles. "We need to talk about Serena." Vanessa spat out as Maggie poured each of the girls a cup of tea. Maggie nodded and took a seat at the table among the others.
Vanessa explained to Maggie how Serena was missing, the events of the night before she fled, and what Stanton had told them. When she was done, Maggie sat there for a long while in silence with her eyes half closed. "Well what do we do?" Jimena asked irritated. Maggie opened her eyes whole again and looked at each of the girls with sadness in her eyes. "This is beyond your control. If Serena is doing this willingly, you cannot save her from this fate, especially because it will be the dark side of the moon, when you are the weakest. Only one person can save her from turning to the Artox. The only one who can save her on such a night is Stanton." The girls' jaws dropped.
When they left Maggie's apartment not one of them said a word to each other as they walked to Jimena's brother's car which he let her drive when he was in town even though she didn't have a license. She started up the car but instead of heading home she drove straight to the Dungeon. "Where are we going?" Vanessa yelled over the radio. Jimena looked at the passenger side seat and smiled at Vanessa. She then pointed up to the sky. "There's still moon out tonight, we can at least try to do something to end it tonight, and if we can't we'll find Stanton there."
They arrived at the Dungeon and Jimena threw the car into park and walked at a fast pace towards the club. Tianna, Catty, and Vanessa had to run to catch up. As they approached the club they could feel the beat pulsating in the ground beneath them. They burst into the doors and their moon amulets automatically began glowing, telling them there were Followers around. They got a few stares and a few glares from most of the Followers but the Followers looked happy. Not one of them tried to approach the girls to start something. They began to search frantically around for any sign of Serena. As Jimena walked around, she accidentally bumped into a girl who turned around. Not to her surprise it was Morgan. She grabbed Morgan by her shirt collar and began to shake her. "WHERE'S SERENA?" She growled into Morgan's face. Morgan looked at Jimena and smiled. "I do not know where Serena is, but I will see her soon enough. As soon as the dark of the moon rolls around, she will be around here a lot more." Jimena dropped Morgan and gathered up the other girls. "She's not here, have you guys found Stanton?" The other three shook their heads. "Let's go then." As they headed back towards the car a figure stepped out of the shadows. "Stanton!" Vanessa cried. Stanton walked towards them. "You were looking for me?" he asked, his eyes were blank and mysterious. His eyes did not glow yellow as they should but Catty, Vanessa, Tianna, and Jimena made no note of this. "Stanton, we need your help tomorrow night. We need you to persuade Serena not to turn, tell her you love her and explain the situation." Tianna pleaded. Stanton only shook his head. "I do not love her anymore. If she turns to the Artox then so be it. We will then be able to destroy all of you." He then slipped back into the shadows and into the night. Frustrated with it all Jimena ran down the street and into the car. When the other girls got into the car she sped off at breakneck speed. "Tomorrow night," she said, her words as cold as ice and as evil as ever, "We save Serena. No matter what. If you three don't want to come that's fine with me. But I will not let my best friend be taken over by the Artox without a fight."