Chapter 2: The Discovery
"Daddy!" I screamed, my eyes widening in horror. I tried to run to my father, but two burly men blocked my way. I froze, my mind trying to work out what was happening here.
"Move it kid," a gruff voice paired with a rough shove snapped me back to reality.
"Yeah, move it. Heh, heh." Copied the other goon. Obviously these weren't the Einstein's of ancient Greece.
"Ow!" I protested, as they bound my hands and feet with rope.
"No!" yelled my father, as the goons gagged me and shoved me to the ground. "Don't touch her!"
"Shut up old man." Said Goon Number One, kicking him hard in the ribs.
"Mmm, mmmm, mmmmmm!" I tried to scream, but choked instead. All I really think it did was entertain them. They seemed to get some sort of sick enjoyment out of other people's pain.
"Ha! Listen to her! She thinks she's sooo brave!" taunted Goon Number One.
Okay, that was just too much. I used my tongue to push out the kerchief that had been used to gag me, and then I really let loose. I can't tell you exactly what I said; since I used words most kids shouldn't know. But it went something like this:
"You son of a jackal!" I shrieked. I'd learned this among many other curses in a book called 'All About Egyptians' that my dad had to write. He didn't know that I had read it. I think to this day he still doesn't know where I got the curses.
"Whoa kid, chill out." Said Goon Number Two.
There were a lot of other curses, some involving people's mothers and most involving words that I shouldn't even know. I screamed all the curses I could think of. I knew it wouldn't do any good, but it just made me feel better to insult my captors.
"Wow, Ares was right, she is feisty!" There was a long pause during which Goon Number Two glared at Goon Number One. "Uh, oops." Said Goon Number One.
"Nice going, doofus!" muttered Goon Number One.
"Maybe she won't notice!" replied Goon Number One.
But that was a pretty high hope, and one that fell short. I had heard it all right, even if it took a while to register.
"You pig-headed... wait a second, Ares?"
"Uh, no! He said, um, uh, ferries! Yeah, that's right, the, um, ferry captain said you were feisty!" said Goon Number Two.
"Yeah, I don't think so. Nice try." I teased, "You almost had me! You must have thought you were sooo smart to come up with that. Well, that would have been if you'd thought at all."
"I'M GONNA KILL HER!" screamed Goon Number Two, and he probably would have killed me then and there if it hadn't been for the other moron standing there. I guess maybe my cussing had had its effects.
"No, Ares wants her alive, remember?" he whispered.
"I can't take it! Let me at her, let me at her!" shouted Goon Number One, with veins popping out on his forehead and neck.
I decided to take advantage of this little distraction, and lashed out with my bound feet, striking one of the goons' shins.
"Yow!" I cried watching my ankle swell. "How long did it take to get muscles like that?"
"How long? Ha! You haven't figured it out yet? We're not human! Ares created us yesterday with the sole purpose of capturing you and daddy over there." Goon Number Two jerked a thumb toward my father, who had been lying absolutely still, trying to take in all that was happening, I guess.
"Why would Ares want to capture me?" I asked. "I'm a perfectly normal kid!"
"She doesn't know yet?" asked Goon Number Two, addressing my father.
"W-well, um…" stuttered my father, obviously uncomfortable.
"What hasn't he told me?" I asked curiously, but under the surface I was boiling with rage. My dad and I were very close, which was probably a result of only having him as a parent. We told each other every little secret we had. Or so I thought.
"Umm…" My father's uncomfortable noises brought me to the present.
"Go on, tell her!" The goons were obviously enjoying this.
"Well… you're… let's just say… a bit more than normal."