Chapter 15

I wasn't going to allow anyone to sink with me

            If someone had previously warned me of this agonizing moment, I would have never believed them. I would have probably laughed out of my own stupidity for even believing them for a second. But now, as I sprawled out on the ground, from a slap so harsh… so cold…I could feel myself tremble in fear. I never saw it coming; that moment when my almost victory would be shattered by the hand of Gella. My body felt heavy against the asphalt; tiny pieces of road digging into my skin. I didn’t have time to move, as the heel of a shoe came slamming down on my back.

            “You humans are all the same. One foot in the door and you think you’re already on the other side. Well, I hate to inform you, dear, but it doesn’t work that way.”  As I swallowed, a slight metallic taste slithered down my throat. I was bleeding.

            “You’ve got a cold heart, you know that?” I rhetorically asked, coughing. With so much force on my back, I felt as if my ribs were going to be crushed.

            “If Angelo is waiting for me, then let him. I want him to,” she growled, choosing to ignore my comment. I couldn’t say anything to that, and she knew it, because there was nothing to say. For that brief moment, I had overlooked her intelligence, believing that Angelo would, as always, outwit her. But this wasn’t a fairy tale like I had thought. The good guy didn’t always win.

            “You’re using me as bait…” I stated, trying to flex my fingers. They tingled.

            “Very good!” She sarcastically complimented me, “You catch on…Of course, I never doubted you. It was just a matter of time. Sadly, you’ve been caught in the middle of a serious and dangerous war.”

            A war in which there is no way out, I thought.

            “Oh, there’s a way out. But I highly doubt you’d want to take it.”  Finally, her foot eased off my back, allowing me to turn over and face her. From where I lay, she looked like a giant; someone who, by any default, would be able to squish me in one step.  But why was I afraid? It seemed with every encounter I had with her, my feelings kept on changing.  It were as if she were taunting me and I would try to find my way past her, but when I became lost, or all hope forgotten; that was when I shrank as a coward under her.

            “I’ll play along.” She smiled in glory. Sitting up, I felt my lip. Encrusted in blood, I winced as I realized I was cut.

            “It’s a good thing, too. Otherwise, these little delays might get worse and worse.”

            “Your voice pisses me off,” I grumbled, getting up. Facing her eye to eye now, I felt less threatened.

            “I wouldn’t let this get to your head,” she advised, shoving me. I stumbled backwards but soon regained my composure. Sighing deeply, I eyed the neighborhood. Not one car had come down this road while we had been standing here. I found that odd since most of the time there was regular traffic.

            “Time stands still for these people,” she said, answering my thoughts.

            I grabbed hold of my arm, suddenly uncomfortable with the idea of time freezing. “You can do that, can’t you?” I softly asked,

            “Yes,” she replied frank, “But when they come to, life will have been the same.” 

            “I don’t want us to stay here,” I coldly said. I was in way over my head and I didn’t want anyone else sinking with me.

            “Ah, I thought you’d never say that,” she laughed. “Of course, if we do leave, it’s going to be where I choose.”

            I nodded in compliance.

            “Good…I must warn you though. No human has ever seen my world and come back to tell of it,” she smiled.

            “I’ll take my chances…” With that said, a nauseating feeling swept over me. From hazel…to gold…to grey…Gella’s eyes kept on shifting. I reached forward, trying to keep from falling into her.

            “Just taking measured precautions,” I heard her say. Soon though, all the colors began to mesh together as my eye sight became blurry. The outline of her body was all I could really see as I began stagger sideways. All around me, colors began to swirl. The houses became blobs that soon intertwined with the greenness of the trees. Even my own hands turned into waves of color. I was about to collapse when all of sudden, I felt light. It was as if I were lying on my back, looking up at a sea of blue.

            “Stop this,” I tried to say. Even moving my lips had become hard. Then in an instant, everything changed. All the colors became darker until finally, I was in complete darkness.

            “We’re almost there,” Gella called out. I couldn’t see her but she sounded far away. And in that moment, I realized what I had just done. From here on out, I would be trapped, never again to see my family. There was no way to win and survive.

______________________________________________________________________________

 

            I was in a sea of black. Nothing was visible in this fog that enveloped us. I would have surly been lost forever had it not been for the hand that tapped me.

            “Where are we?” I asked Gella. I scanned the following scenery, my eyes straining for anything near.

            “Home,” She chuckled.

            “You live her?” I asked dumbfounded. In my head I had imagined it a much merrier place; a place with all kinds of creatures and beautiful plants.

            “It’s not what it’s cracked up to be.”

            “I can tell.” She strolled past me. I followed.

            “Now that we’re here, where are we going?”

            “To the arena,” she answered bluntly. I was amazed how she could see, nonetheless, find her way around. It was a complete nothingness.

            “What’s the arena?”

            “You ask too many questions,” she snarled. I almost bumped into her as she stopped abruptly and turned and faced me.

            “What?” I smirked. Crossing my arms, I slouched like I had no care of what she thought. 

            “Do you smell that?” She asked, sniffing the air.

            “No…”

            “Shhh!” She said, pushing me down next to her.

            “What—

            “Something isn’t right.” Before I could reply, she sprang up and darted ahead of me.

            “Wait!” I called after her, running. What the hell was going on! And even though I was running in the path she had chosen, I wasn’t quite sure I was even going the right way. This place was so menacing.

            “Why’d you move?!” Gella startled me.

            “Wah!” I screamed, falling backwards.

            “I didn’t say you could follow me.”

            “Why’d you leave me?!” I argued.

            “It’s none of your business…”

            It is every part my business!” I stood up.

            “When did you become the leader?!”

            “When did you get that stick up your butt?”

            “You did not just say that...” Gella hissed getting in my face.

            “Oh yes I did...” I growled, leaning in.

            All of a sudden, she began to laugh. Hysterically.

            “Wow...” I said annoyed.

            “You are a kick, you know that?” she giggled.

            “Oh my. I’m in the company with a psycho path...” I said rolling my eyes.

            “Come on...” Gella said, pulling me along side her as we began to walk again.

            “So where is this arena?” I casually asked.

            “It should be close,” she replied, uncertainty in her voice. “It isn’t usually this foggy…or dark.”

            “You mean it usually isn’t this depressing?!” I asked sarcastically, gasping.

            “Ha-ha; very funny.”  Finally, I could barely see the outline of a structure. “This is it,” she chirped.  Vines grew up the side of the rocky wall; its dominion.  It seemed centuries old, rocks tumbling down at the slightest sound. In the background stormed a waterfall.

            “Are you sure it’s safe?” I asked hesitantly.

            “No, but it’s a chance you’re going to have to take.”

            “Oh great…” She grabbed my arm and began to lead me down a path leading to the other side. Just like the Greeks had done theirs, this arena seemed exactly identical.

            “They stole our design,” she stated.

            “Huh?”

            “One of the mortals thought they could make it up here, thinking it was Olympus, and before we could stop him, he snuck away and went back to Earth.”

            “But you said no human has ever been here and survived...” I pushed.

            “Ya well, I lied,” she replied, not stopping.  “But don’t get your hopes up!” She interjected before I could speak.

            “I’m here for one thing: to get Angelo back.”  I could almost imagine her sneering but she didn’t and she continued to take me up the winding path, until at last, I found us on top of a cliff that overlooked the arena.

            “Whoa,” I mumbled.

            “It’s alright; could be better...” Gella complained.

            “Could be better?! Are you kidding me? They only tell us how amazing this is in class!” I exclaimed.

            “You humans are so simple-minded.” She rolled her eyes. The talking died down and soon silence took its place. The feeling I got was of awe yet fear. This place wasn’t meant for me. And so we sat there, right on top of the rock, until I began to drift off. I wasn’t sure what we were waiting for but Gella remained intent on staring out into the abyss. So, I slowly closed my eyes, resting my head on knees.

 

 

            Suddenly, my whole world was taken by surprise, as I found myself being shaken violently.

            “Wake up!” I heard Gella bark at me. I rubbed my eyes open.

            “What?” I grumbled.

            “I’ve found you,” she whispered to her self, standing up. Not knowing what she was looking at, I stood up and walked over to edge. It was Angelo!

            “An—

            “No!” She said, putting her hand on my mouth. “Keep quiet, fool!”

            “Why? You’re the enemy! I should be jumping down from here into his arms!”

            “If you want to die...”

            “Huh?!”

            “Look at him; standing so overtly. It’s unlike him, yes?  Angelo doesn’t seem himself.”

            “And that’s a problem?! I thought you wanted to kill him?”

            “I want a fight. It wouldn’t be fair taking him down like this…”

            “How do you know he’s not normal?”

            “I can sense it. His thoughts are cloudy, almost as if he weren’t there...” she trailed off. I stared down, trying to see what she was talking about. Only the top of his head was visible.  Looking behind, I peered for the path but it was gone!

            “What did you do?”

            “You’re just bait. This fight is between Angelo and I... I don’t need you meddling in our affairs.”

            “Why bring me then?” I bit down on my lip.

            “Shut up...”

            “You’re afraid of Angelo.”

            She eyed me.

            “That’s it! You’re afraid Angelo will win so that’s why you’re delaying going down there! He’ll kick your a*s and you know it!” I laughed.  Her hand shot out and caught me by the hair.

            “You have no clue how dangerous I am. I haven’t even begun to show you my true intentions. I am not afraid of him. He’s merely an obstacle in my way.”

            “Then go down there and fight him…” I snarled. I stumbled as I found myself alone on top of this platform. Gella appeared behind Angelo.

            Few words were exchanged as Angelo suddenly turned around, his hand reaching for her. With speed and agility, Gella moved like the wind, dodging his moves; it almost too quick to even see. A quick jump here; a speedy get away there. Angelo was fighting like I had never seen before. Then things got serious, as Gella made a swipe for him behind him. I yelled out but the sound of the waterfall covered it up. Angelo hunched forward but then quickly stood up, disappearing.

            “What!” I exclaimed. And then all of a sudden, he appeared yanking Gella to the ground. But something was wrong. I could feel it. Why was I praying that Gella wouldn’t be hurt? Wasn’t I supposed to be happy about this? That she was losing? In the pit of my stomach I knew something was terribly wrong. This wasn’t like Angelo; to fight so violently. In the pit of my stomach I knew things were about to get ugly.  

 

 

Author's Note

Rough draft.
Sorry for the time spread. Been really busy
Enjoy!