CHAPTER 6
A dreadful turn
I felt my stomach lurch. My jaw twitched.
The decision…Would I live throughout the night?
The decision…I was close to bursting into tears; I was terrified.
I looked up as if I was a little girl again, getting in trouble with mom for breaking our china; my eyes were wide with fear and I was twisting my fingers painfully with my other hand. But I did not acknowledge the pain; I was too enthralled with the terrifying fear of maybe about to be crushed to pieces.
The decision…I felt like screaming and jumping off the side of Olympus and falling to my doom, anything to avoid being killed by my own father-if the other gods killed me, he would have to help- but I figured that it would be disrespectful.
I squeezed my eyes shut as Reamer opened his mouth to determine my fate forever.
"She shall go free." He said grudgingly.
My eyes flew open. I wasn't going to be killed?
0.0
I felt like jumping up and down and group hugging everyone at the same time, but I contained myself.
I grinned. Even Lucas looked relieved.
I suddenly remembered a chant about butterflies, uttered by Ron Weasley from Harry Potter Puppet Pals, a spoof show made about Hogwarts and the students and teachers.
Follow the butterflies, follow the butterflies, weeeee! Lalalalalala…
I stifled a laugh, and made up for it by jerking my head slightly and biting my lip, my grin still noticeably there. Everything suddenly felt ten-times funnier.
Zeus was glaring at me, still obviously annoyed that I was free.
"Well…if it must be so…" He said, and then snapped his fingers and Olympus shrunk away and I was in a whirlwind of color, then-
I was standing in my room, as if nothing had ever happened.
Why did everyone do that to me? Just pop away before I get a say, or send me away without a say.
I sat down on the floor and stared at the feet of my desk.
What was going to happen now? Where to start? I had to find a way to get to the Titan Lord; find a way to stop him.
I became of aware of a distant meowing. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and the cries became a dreadful, fearful yowl.
I stood up and realized the sound was coming from my snow-ridden window box. I walked slowly over to it and looked into the doves' nest, the window ledge and the currently empty flower box. I noticed a small fluff of white fur, shivering with cold and drenched in rain, that was now splattering across the snowy ground.
A small pink mouth was open and yowling, crying for its mother.
I opened the window and scooped up the white fur ball that was barely indistinguishable from the freezing cold snow that topped its pretty head. The yowling stopped and the little pink mouth shut tight.
I slammed the window shut and sat the white ball on my pillow.
The ball of white immediately unfurled itself and opened its big green eyes. It blinked at me.
It was a tiny kitten, pure white with three spots of blackish gray on its head.
It's long tail, disproportionate to its small body, was swinging around like a monkeys.
The kitten seemed to be quarter Siamese, for no other cat eyes would be that big and narrow at the same time, and no other cat would walk that stately.
It stood there staring at me, mrrting and licking my fingers.
It shivered again. I grabbed my baby blanket and wrapped it around the kitten.
I pat its head as I tried to think of a good name. I could tell it was a girl immediately. Don't ask me how or why, I just did.
I thought that Penelope would suit her well.
And so, she was christened henceforth, Penelope.
Penelope jumped off my bed and settled behind a cushion on the couch. I walked to the kitchen to grab something to eat and for Penelope to eat too. I wondered whether we had some old cat food left? I hoped it was edible.
I decided against the cat food when I found it molding at the back of the oven.
I took a saucer of milk and grabbed a strawberry yogurt can and headed back to my room.
As soon as I sat the saucer on the floor Penelope bounced up out of her hidey-hole and ran to the milk and began lapping it up feverishly.
I sat down and watched her. Then, my cell phone rang. It was Angora. I looked outside my window; it was almost dark. I answered it.
"What's up my homo-phobic bud?"
"TONS! Oh my god you HAVE to get over here! Giant party at my house! All 10th graders to 12th graders are here!" she screamed over the yelling, laughing, splashes and blaring music.
"So that's why you weren't at school today! You were getting ready for a party!" I said reproachfully.
"Ehhh, it was the last day of school. So are you coming or what?"
"Sounds fun!" I said loudly into the phone. "I'll be there! Are the rest of the Gremlins there?"
"Yeah!"
"Cool!"
"Yeah! Bye!" She said loudly over the sound of triumphant 'whoops' and breaking china. Without waiting for a complete goodbye, she hung up.
I texted Lucas; Angora had a crush on him. She'd love him to come.
"Want to come to a major blowout part-a?"
"Definitely!"
"Anges house! See you soon!"
"Ok" he answered back.
I threw my phone onto my bed and opened my closet. What to wear?
I decided on my faded blue jeans, my pale pink chucks, a blue and gray striped singlet, a big blue sapphire and silver necklace, and a dark blue slim hoodie jacket.
I walked out my door and into the living room/kitchen and screamed as I was bowled over by a large flying ball of human flesh and hair.
"RHIAAAAAA!"
"Michael?" I asked, absolutely astonished. Michael was one year younger than me, and a child of Athena. And Athena hated me. And her son was giving me a bear hug.
Greeeeaaat.
As if I need another reason to be blown up. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Not.
"Michael, what the hell are you doing here?" I asked trying to wriggle out of his giant bear hug, his arms practically crushing me.
"Um, hello, you happen to be crushing very important organs Michael, so I'd prefer if you'd let go." I managed to say with difficulty. He did.
Michael's big white smile was plastered on his chubby face. He was skinner and taller than I last saw him, his crazy brown hair was ruffled, he had tanned skin, and his big storm gray eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
"So-are we going to the party or what?" asked Lucas, poking out from behind the refrigerator door.
"Yeah Rhia, where's the party?" asked another voice. How many people were here?
Connor came trotting out from behind Michaels' big bulk.
He was lanky and taller than I had last seen him too. Connors straight blonde hair hung over one of his light blue eyes.
I rolled my eyes. Connor had well…a bit of a…thing for me.
"Well, we need a driver for one thing…" I said trailing off. Connor had just winked at me, and I was too busy glaring at him to continue. Michael understood immediately and pushed Connor behind him, hiding him from all our view.
Ahhh, good old Michael; He was like a brother to me.
"I'll drive." Said Lucas. I turned around to look at him. He looked thoroughly disgruntled for some reason, and had abandoned food for once, even while the refrigerator was right next to him-which was like a world record. I mean he never turned down food. I wondered for the next few minutes how he was able to get his fat head off the ground to get to Olympus without falling over numerous times as Michael grabbed me and Connor around the waist and dragged us out the door.
Michael actually got in the front after pushing me into the passenger seat and basically picking Connor up and tossing him in the back where he landed in a heap.
Lucas didn't seem to mind that Michael had taken over driving; he was too busy glaring at Connor.
As soon as we got going, and Michael was chatting away, just like his normal sunny self, I'd all but forgotten that Lucas and Connor were sitting sulkily in the back.
Then Connor changed his strategy. He leaned forward, resting his chin on the shoulder of my seat, his cheek almost touching mine. I scooted away and angled myself so that I was facing everyone, away from the window. I could see Lucas slouching in his seat, looking very much like he wanted to disintegrate Connor, his eyes burning holes in the back of Connors' head.
Why was he acting like this?
I heard the sky rumble above us as Lucas's black jeep sped across the jumbled streets of New York.
I stuck a MCR CD that Lucas had in his unorganized glove compartment. I mouthed along to the words, watching the cars go by while looking out the window.
Suddenly, Connor tried to jump into my seat and snuggle up to me, at which point Lucas looked absolutely livid. I pushed him away knocking him into Michael, where the car temporarily swerved before Michael regained control.
"Go use your own seat Connor, I'd prefer to keep my dignity." I snarled, pressing myself against the window.
"And what has that got to do with dignity?" He asked politely, inching toward me again.
"Well, I'd rather not share a seat with someone who only likes my figure." I said acidly, glaring daggers at him.
His mouth drew into a thin line, and tried to jump into my seat again (for he was basically sitting on Michaels lap) but apparently both Michael and Lucas had had enough and grabbed the back of his blue T-shirt at the exact same time and threw him in the backseat.
Fuming, he folded his arms and squished himself into the seat, his eyes darting between my stony expressionless face and Lucas.
Finally, we reached Angora's house. The sky was pitch black and we had been able to hear the music blaring halfway across the intersection two streets away from her house.
Michael pulled up to the sidewalk in front of Angora's mansion. Everyone else got out while I peered out the car window.
The place was an absolute mess. I wondered where her parents were. Toilet paper hung across the windows like garlands, the front door was open like a welcome to everyone in NY and disco lights flashed across the giant, green mushy lawn-which was strewn with picnic towels and multi colored lanterns. Teenagers ate the food that they had carried from the banquet tables next to the 11-foot swimming pool, in which people were jumping in at random fully clothed. Tiki torches were lit and were clustered around the swimming pool as if they too wanted a turn at jumping into the too crowded swimming pool.
Some guys were running around having a food fight in the middle of the lawn, which people were watching elatedly like it was a show.
Next the house was a giant forest, large and daunting compared to the bright lights of the house. A guy and a girl, 11th grade by the look of them, were making out hardcore on top of the roof, and a group of guys were jumping from the roof onto a small balcony beneath a large tower, and then running up again for seconds.
I followed suit with the guys and followed them up the pavement to the front door.
The music blaring from the house was making the ground tremble beneath our feet. Balloons and Christmas lights were fixed to trees, and the house was covered in glowing Halloween ornaments. We walked into the modern front hallway whose walls were made entirely out of a giant sparkling fish aquarium. As soon as the fish saw me they immediately began crying in my head:
Lordess! Lordess! Please make the noise stop! It hurts and we are scared! The noise makes our water sway and it is hard to balance! Help us mistress, daughter of our king! Please!
I assured them that I would help, speaking to them in their heads, where they spread the word to the other fishies that didn't know.
A small guppy joyously followed me as I walked on with my friends, but when I waved it away, it went just as happily. It seemed that many water creatures are just as happy obey rules just as they are to make them.
Fish are weird like that.
We walked down the hallway, inched past a couple making out pressed against the wall, and entered the giant entry hall that was packed with people.
"I'll see you guys later! I have to go find Angora!" I called behind me as I made my way towards the stairs. But I might as well have spoken to a brick wall. They had disappeared from view, probably gone to flirt with girls, or, in Michael's case, to get some wine. For some bizarre reason he loved wine.
I made my way up the second of the two spiral staircases. I narrowly avoided being barfed on and had my feet trodden on a couple of times. At the top, I passed some drunken guys trying to bungee jump off the stair railing and into the crowd below. I walked through a walkway into a dark, vaguely lit, red marble tiled floor, with many mahogany doors that seemed to go on forever. The hallway was empty; which was strange.
The walls were lined with glass fish-tanks too, but instead of holding tropical fish they held gray piranhas. They too were wailing at me to shut off the noise-as if I could actually do something about it.
For a moment I wondered where everyone was; then realized with a dark red blush that crept to my cheeks that they must all be in the bedrooms.
I could hear Angora and a boys voice shouting at each other behind a door near me.
"Angora?" I whispered, creeping towards the sound.
Suddenly, I was grabbed from behind by dirty thick hands and pushed against the fish tanks. The piranhas squealed with fear.
Rough, gross lips met mine forcefully, and I tried to struggle away. I heard the sky rumble in a snarling sort of way. I knew that dad would be angry and, even if the other gods hated me they would be mad too. No mortal was allowed to manhandle a child of the Lords. If they did, the sentence was instant death.
Mistress! Mistress! What do we do? Lord Poseidon is angered! We must help! Cried the piranhas frantically.
Well then HELP ME! I thought angrily back, trying to push the guy off me. The smell of Whisky and Cocaine was overwhelming. I didn't feel so good.
Suddenly the guy yelled in shock and let go of me. I was so surprised at the sight before me that I didn't even register it.
Some of the Piranhas had leapt from the water and were biting every inch of the guy they could reach. The drunken guy staggered away and landed in a bloody heap on the floor just as the fish splashed back into their watery homes. He got up and I stared, terrified at him, too surprised and afraid to move. My muscles felt like jelly. I was frozen.
"Dirty, little-" He snarled as he came at me, but the sight of the figure standing in the doorway cut him off almost immediately. Lucas was standing there, his eyes a deep, murderous red; his face was white and his fists clenched.
I squished myself as far as I could into the tanks. I shuddered. I had forgotten gods could look like that.
Lucas flew at the guy and landed with a crash on top of him. I stared at their fighting for a moment, and then realized that my muscles were unlocked. I hadn't realized I had been holding my breath.
I definitely didn't feel so good.
Clutching my stomach, I ran though the door and down the stairs, jumping over sick people, and even a girl who was crying. I had to get out of there.
I pushed through the mulling crowd; everything was a blur. I could hear the laughter and music, but it was faint and wobbly. It had no meaning. I staggered out the door and ran as fast as could. People stared at me as I ran past. Tears poured down my face and I didn't even have the strength to wipe them away. That's when I ran into Zac Bolten.
"Whoa, Rhia, are you all right?" he asked, grabbing my shoulders and steadying me.
"No. Now get out of my way Zac." I snarled. "I don't have time for this!"
"No. Tell me what happened." He said in a stern voice.
I was really getting mad now. I could feel the bile rising in my throat. I was about to chuck it.
And so, without another word, I punched him. He doubled over, clutching his nose and yelled:
"Bloody hell Rhia what the hell is wrong with you?"
But I didn't stay and chat, I was already halfway to the forest by then. I ran as fast as I could manage. I wasn't going to make it…
But that's when I realized I was running through the beginning of the forest.
How did that happen?
Then again, I didn't really care.
I fell over in a tiny clearing next to a small log. And with that, I threw up.
Hours later it seemed, Lucas found me lying there, almost unconscious, dazing, my cheek stuck to the side of the log.
I felt him pick me up and I didn't know who he was at first. Everything slid in and out of focus as he carried me out of the forest. I suspected Michael and Connor were still inside enjoying the party.
He wiped a bit of sick off my cheek with a handkerchief, almost so gently that I didn't feel it.
I closed my eyes. I felt so weak even though my stomach was churning as if it was alive. I felt Lucas slide me into the front seat of the car and close the door.
I laid my head on the cool glass on the car window, my eyes still closed.
I heard the other door open and Lucas got in, muttering angrily about 'who Angora lets come to her parties.' I could still hear the music in the distance as Lucas revved up the engine of the car. It was a wonder that the party hadn't been broken up by the police yet.
Lucas continued muttering as the car began to move. I opened my eyes and stared ahead of me.
"I'm sorry." I croaked quietly. Lucas said nothing, but I could tell he was still mad.
"What is there to be sorry for?" He said quietly as if he was trying not to smash something.
We drove through the highway, the car speeding up as fast as Lucas's grip on the steering wheel became tighter. We were almost at an intersection. My eyes were wide open now. I knew he was going too fast.
"Lucas…" I croaked, my voice cracking.
He didn't even wait for the light. He kept going. We were almost there…
He turned left to go down that road. The light was red, but he didn't seem to see it. His dark blue eyes were staring unseeing in front of him.
"LUCAS!" I screamed as a bright light blinded my eyes.
Nothing was going in slow motion like in the movies. The adrenalin pulsed through my veins as I stared in horror at the lights in front of me. I was like a deer, trapped on the road, hypnotized by the blinding headlights.
I couldn't do anything.
There was nowhere to go.
I was trapped.
And I didn't even have time to scream.
The next thing I knew, there was a terrible screeching noise like nails on a chalkboard, and everything went dark as the burning metal of the two cars twisted around me, binding me like prey in a bears claws.
Everything burned, and everything smoked. It hurt, but not as much as it should have.
The water is inside me…
And then I knew no more.
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Shat, I'm mean…xD I KILLED HER!!! MWHAHAHAHA! Fatty…you're also stupid…OF COURSE I DIDN'T!! ARE YOU INSANE??? THE STORY'S BARELY STARTED!!!