Chapter 3
A noise made my eyelids flip open, and I sat up immediately. I was on a large bed. My attire and staff were missing, but I wore strange clothes; blue pants and a checked shirt. The room around me was large and appeared comfortable, but I wondered what was going on.
I got up and carefully crept to the doorway to discover what the noise had been. Voices came from the chamber that lay down a short hallway. Keeping my back to the wall, I moved toward it. The aroma of food reached my nostrils, so I assumed this was where they prepared the food. I slipped closer toward the sound of dishes. I was close enough to see the woman. Just when I was about to touch her shoulder, a hand gripped my arm and spun me around. I looked into almost sinister-looking green eyes that mirrored my own.
Loki.
He silently led me back to the chamber I had awoken in. "Miett," he said quietly. His voice reminded me of what I always thought a snake would sound like. Low; slick; definitely disturbing.
"Let me go!" I whispered harshly, yanking my arm away. Suddenly I was wishing I had my staff.
"Miett, I'm sorry I never told you."
"No! You're never sorry for anything, are you?"
"What do you mean?" He actually sounded surprised, but that only made me more angry.
"You know what I mean, you serpent!" The threatening sensations I felt running through me nearly made me yell, but I knew enough not to make the woman freak out.
Loki's face suddenly melted into an evil-looking snarl. "You would do well not to call your father a serpent," he said angrily.
"Well, I'll never call you 'father'," I replied heatedly. He looked as if he was going to answer, but then his head jerked up and he disappeared.
The woman came around the corner just then. "Oh, you're awake!" she said, her hand rising to her chest. "Goodness. Are you all right? You look pale."
"Yes," I said, though I felt anything but all right. "I am fine."
"Well, you must come have dinner with me and my son." Son? I thought, but dutifully followed her back down the hall to the food preparation chamber. When we entered, a tall teenage boy stood and put a paper book face-down on the table.
"Take your magazine off the table, Damien," the woman said. "Oh," she turned to me, "you can call me 'Mom' or 'Mrs. Gerard.' I'd prefer the first name, though." She giggled. Strange.
"All right…Mom." I tested the name out. I had only called my parents 'Mother' and 'Father'. Oh. That's right, they weren't my parents. Why must I be reminded of that everywhere I went?
The boy, Damien, appeared to be my age, and I noticed bashfully that he had shaggy brown hair and gorgeous, piercing blue eyes. He was a gentleman, too. He pulled my seat out for me and waited until his mother sat before he did. The food that Mom served was delicious. I asked her what it was, and she replied "Beef steak, mashed potatoes with cheese and a bit of garlic, and a mixture of green beans and peas."
Damien abruptly asked, "Excuse me, but who are you?"
"Um…" I didn't know what to say. They had strange names on here, and I was sure that I should try to fit in. Then I remembered something I had seen in my chamber here. A book, face-down, with the name 'Dawn Sanders' on it. "Dawn Sanders," I said.
"What was with the outfit?" he asked. "It's too early for Halloween."
"Damien!" Mom hissed. "Treat our guest nicely." Thank goodness. I had no idea what this Halloween was; and frankly, I didn't want to know.
"Sorry," Damien muttered.
Suddenly I felt self-conscious and only picked at the food spread before me. "Uh, I was wondering…" I began awkwardly. The two looked at me expectantly. "Where is my attire?"
"Oh, I put it in the trunk at the base of your bed. The pole is in the garage."
Staff. Not a pole; a staff, I thought to myself, but didn't say aloud. After all, even if I was the descendent of Loki, I did have manners.
The rest of the meal was eaten in silence, which I found to be golden. I didn't want any more questions about myself, because that might lead to complications. After I had finished, I asked Damien to show me to the 'garage.' He did, cheerfully, to my surprise. He led me through a doorway and then flipped a switch. Lights flickered on, shocking me, but I quickly overcame it. My staff was leaning against the far wall. I moved around a large hunk of metal with round, rubber things on the bottom and grasped my staff.
It felt very good to have it back again. Without it, I would be defenseless if Loki showed up again. My palm rubbed against the smooth, shiny surface, and I flipped it leisurely; testing the weight. Damien called out, "Hey, don't hit anything!" but I had been trained all my life in staff-fighting, so I knew where I was placing it.
Eventually, I stopped and just held it close. "Thank you for keeping it safe," I told him.
Damien looked down, almost shyly, and then said, "You seem to be pretty attached to that. What's so special about it?"
Murmuring so that only my ears could hear, I answered, "Right now, it's my only friend and ally."
Thanks to all of you for your continued support! I hope that everyone likes this third chapter, and I'll be having another one out shortly. Enjoy!