CHAPTER 4: THE STONE OF LOST LOVE
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE DEGRASSI CHARACTERS!
Manny walked lonesomely down Degrassi Ave, the sounds of boots, high-heels, and clunkers tapping repetitively on the tarmac path. The sun hung low in the smoggy sky, the day slowly coming to an end.
Carbon monoxide and car honks filled the air, the city a metropolitan jungle. The streets smelled of roasting hot dogs, making Manny's stomach cramp with hunger. She walked with her head down, her immense sorrow seeming to slow her every step. She wanted to cry, but for some reason she couldn't. It was as if she was so depressed that her will to cry was overpowered by her sorrow. She was about to catch the first bus home when she noticed a painting hanging in a store window.
The painting was of a young woman, her beauty immediately entrancing. The woman looked so familiar, as if Manny had seen her somewhere before but couldn't recall the memory. Then she had remembered her stone and the woman carved into it. She held the stone up high next to the painting, comparing the two women. The resemblance between them was uncanny. Perhaps this place could answer her questions about her weird rock.
The stone shook with disdain, as if hearing Manny's comment. It was if it had a fucking mind of its own.
"The Three Mystics," Manny said aloud, reading the paint-faded sign hanging on the entrance. It sounded like some cheap Vegas show. The pendant pulsed and thrummed as she reached for the door, as if it were urging her not to go in.
Manny ignored it and pushed the door open, the silver paint-chipped bell ringing behind her. The smells of incense and chamomile tea filled the room. The room was cluttered with chests, books, candles, and sculptures of Greek gods and goddesses. The room could have looked attractive, but everything was in a mess.
"Hello?" Manny called out, almost sure that the place was deserted. Black star-speckled curtains covered the windows, allowing no sunlight in the store, except for where the painting hung. She approached the counter, peering into the back. Purple and silver sequin chains hung in the doorway, a crafty replacement for a door. She could hear hushed voices coming from within the room, when all of a sudden she heard heavy footsteps approaching the counter.
A plump woman emerged from the back room, the sequin chains jingling merrily behind her. A smile erupted from her face as she yelled back, "Anais, Ivana, we have a customer!!"
The woman was dressed in a simple lavender dress, moon and star shapes adorning it. Her hair was pulled back into a neat bun, and large, half-moon shaped glasses threatened to slip off the edge of her nose.
Two more women emerged from the room, both practically identical to the first woman. They exchanged excited and surprised glances, creeping Manny out. Not even Disney Land was this enthusiastic when greeting their guests. Perhaps she was there first customer they had had in awhile. From the looks of the place, she wouldn't have doubted it.
"Hello my dear," One of them said warmly. She had a thick Russian accent, her r's rolling like crazy. "I am Bianca."
Manny made a face. Did all employees greet there customers with such glee?
"And I'm exausted, so if----"
"Grrrrrrreat St. Petersburg!" Bianca interrupted, her eyes glowing with both excitement and fear. Her eyes were locked on Manny's pendant, and at the same moment, the gem glowed luminescent, lighting the dark and gloomy room. Bianaca jumped back, the glow startling her. Manny and the others watched in awe as brilliant colors cast from the gem danced along the store walls, transforming it into some sort of fantasy land. In a second, the light began to fade, as if the stone now knew its presence was known.
"It's completely psycho," Manny said, completely dismissing the strange incident as if she were used to glowing objects by now.
"Defluo de amor," Bianaca whispered in awe.
"Excuse me?" Manny asked, confused.
"The stone of lost love," She replied.
Manny was tired, smelly, and in dire need of a nap. She didn't need weirdos who did magic tricks to give her any grief.
"How much will you give me for it?" Manny asked casually, as if the stone was worth dirt.
"Oh my," Bianca whispered.
"Where did you get this?"
"I found it," Manny said, anxious to leave. She wanted to get the dough and 86 this weird place. The stone pulsed softly, agreeing with her.
"My dear," Anais; the slimmer one started. "This is not your everyday piece of jewelry. An ancient curse has been cast upon it, and all who own it shall receive things the mind itself couldn't conceive. It is both a blessing and a curse. Why it chose you, I am unsure."
Not only was Manny confused, but she was also ready to laugh these ladies in the face. Did they really think she would be fed this sort of foolery?
"Whatever. Your wage for it, if you please----"
"Young lady," Anais said in a motherly sort of way. "The Three Mystics do not lie. It is best if you listen to what we have to say, instead of defying what appears mysterious to you."
Manny considered this. Perhaps they were trying to help her, because money wasn't really an issue to them. She nodded her head in surrender, and followed the three women to the back room.
The aromas of tea and cookies filled the room, Manny's stomach growling for food. At the center of the room a large crystal ball sat atop a smooth mahogany table, sparkling mystically in the candlelit room. What was with these people and candles?
"We prefer the candle light," Ivana replied, as if reading Manny's thoughts. Can you say creepy?
"Eons ago," Bianca began mystically.
"There lived a beautiful goddess named Aphrodite, queen of love and beauty. She was so beautiful that every man alive wanted her hand in marriage. Cronus, her creator, decided to take her hand."
Bianca's face glowed magically in the candle light, giving her a mystic look. Manny twirled a piece of her hair, not understanding where this was going.
"But," Bianca said warningly.
"Circe, the goddess of dread, was jealous of Aphrodite's flawless beauty. She lured Aphrodite to her castle, imprisoning her in a magical stone. The stone was guarded by both a spell and curse in one, one that no god or goddess could break. The spell and curse could only be broken by a mortal soul, such as yourself." Bianca eyed Manny strangely, as if she knew something Manny did not.
"Circe transformed Aphrodite's love and goodness into hate, giving birth to a fallen goddess. Aphrodite became bitter as she was held captive in the stone, and oddly enough she still retained her goddess-like powers. Knowing the spell could only be broken by a mortal, she sent Cupid, her servant, down to earth in search for human to break the spell."
"What kind of powers did she have?" Manny asked, curiosity stirring within her.
"Well," Bianca continued.
"Legend has it that the one who receives the stone shall receive the goddess's gifts as well. Aphrodite was able to read other's thoughts, seduce the most cunning, and her irresistible aura made her the most dangerous temptress of all."
Manny shuddered. At the café, she had the strangest sensation that she was reading Craig's thoughts. Could this have been the explanation? As Bianca continued, Manny was becoming more and more convinced that the stone around her neck was no ordinary rock.
"Of course," Bianca continued; her Russian accent thick.
"All gifts come with a price. As days pass, you will notice yourself changing. It is said that the goddess will overtake the mortal's body, seeking revenge in Circe, her nemesis. My dear child, you are in grave danger."
Jagged breaths escaped Manny's throat. This wasn't happening. She was dreaming. In a few seconds she would awake from this nightmare, realizing she was having a bad dream. She closed her eyes for ten seconds, and opened them. She certainly wasn't in her bedroom.
"You're all a bunch of liars!" Manny screamed; her voice ringing hoarsely within the small room.
"My child," Ivana said gently.
"Let me show you something."
She took the stone, the ancient writings on it glowing mystically in the candle light. They encircled the woman like a snake, curving around every edge of her beautiful body.
"Amor oportet haud debello," She read the inscription, the words seeming to fill the room with an unknown power.
"Love shall not conquer."
"The curse is real," Bianca said warningly.
"It is wise to not defy it." Anais added.
"You're all crazy!" Manny said, her outburst startling them. She darted for the door, the stone pulsing with anticipation.
"My child, please wait!" Bianca called after her.
She burst back into the streets of downtown, gasping for air. She hopped on a city bus, adults giving her disapproving looks. She leaned her head against an ice-cold pole, her head pounding. A brilliant idea shot across Manny's mind. The curse couldn't harm her if the pendant didn't adorn her neck. She tried hard to yank the chain off, but it clung to her like a hungry leach. She clasped the chain in her sweaty palms, searching for the two ends of the chain. Manny shuddered. There were no ends.
Ok I know theres hardly any degrassi in this chapter, but I promise it goes really well with the story! More soon!