Hidden Worlds

by Kristie Cook

  It happened so fast she didn’t see it coming. A vine, like seaweed, slithered through the broken pipe, grabbed her ankles, and dragged her into the water. She recognized it as the same slimy something that had attacked her at the beach. She once again tugged, yanked, and pulled for her life, but to no avail.

  Running out of breath, she managed to hang onto the sink and push herself up for air. With a loud, sharp gasp, she took a breath and sunk back under from the force. She went through the same cycle several times, catching a few breaths, but then it became impossible when the water level rose higher.

  Just when she thought all hope was lost, the seaweed released its grip. The water flowed back to where it had come from, as if someone had pushed the rewind button on a DVD remote.

  “Thank God,” she mumbled, collapsing on the ground from sheer exhaustion.

  Unexpectedly, she felt arms cuddling her, carrying her out the door. Immediately, she knew it was him. Being in Mason’s arms left her breathless, and she didn’t want to move a muscle. He laid her down on a wooden bench and bent down on his knee.

  Skylar held her eyes closed, but opened them slowly when he brushed the strands of her hair away from her face. Surprisingly, when his hand slid down tenderly to her cheek, she felt a slight tingling sensation around the area that he touched. Whatever it was that she felt, definitely came from him. It was something between heat and a mild shock, but it wasn’t painful. In fact, it felt warm, pleasurable, and soothing, but she didn’t understand how he was doing it.

  Peering up, she caught his eyes as they held hers, through space, through time, through her soul. Sparks flew, and some kind of connection Skylar didn’t understand erupted through her. Though she didn’t want to feel this way, she had no other choice. Her heart longed to know him even more.

  Mason blinked his eyes, looking frazzled and concerned. “Are you okay?” His tone was softer than usual.

  Anchoring her trembling hands on the bench, she raised herself up and rested her back against the wall. “I think so. I’m drenched.” My mascara. Great! I wonder how I look. “You opened the door and saved me. How did you know I was in there?”

  “I just got here. Nick told me you were in the restroom. He asked me to check on you.”

  “Good thing you came, but … but … ?” Tears pooled in her eyes. She buried her face in the palms of her hands. Looking up, her glassy eyes shone as pearl drop tears trickled down her face. She was mad at herself for being weak in front of him, but she was more afraid of how he would react.

  Though he showed a tender side of himself tonight, she couldn’t help recall the times he was rude to her. What puzzled her most was that these supernatural encounters, things that happened only in books, television, and movies, were happening only to her. Somehow, he was always there to save her, but why wasn’t he flipping out like her?

  How was it that he didn’t find what had just happened to be anomalous? Either he had had extraordinary encounters of this kind before, or he was good at hiding his true emotions in front of her. Regardless, she needed answers. “Am I going crazy? I don’t know what’s happening to me. If you know something, please tell me.”

  To her surprise, he was calm—too calm. He didn’t answer her. Instead, his eyes revealed sadness, and she couldn’t comprehend the reason for it. Her stare was broken when he stood tall. “You’re wet. You should take off your clothes.”

  What a way to avoid a question! Skylar blinked her eyes in disbelief. Did she hear him correctly? “Excuse me?” Not wanting to assume he was really asking her to strip off her clothes, she didn’t move a muscle, but the way his piercing eyes laid on her, she might as well have already been naked. She gasped when he started to unbutton his shirt. Her eyes shot to the floor, then back to him, and then to the floor, wondering what she was supposed to do in this awkward moment.

  “Here. Go change in the restroom. You don’t want to catch a cold.” He placed his shirt in front of her.

  She looked up to see him shirtless for the very first time. With all the right curves and tightness, he looked like a chiseled statue of a god. He was beautiful and perfectly toned, with satin-like skin, which looked like it would be smooth to the touch. Then, there was the small tattoo shaped like a lightning bolt on his upper right arm, toward his shoulder. Way too sexy!

  As warmth flushed her face, she tried not to stare, but there was no way around it. “You won’t have a shirt,” Skylar said, thinking that was the most idiotic thing she had said so far, but she couldn’t think when he was half-naked in front of her.

  “I’m not cold, but you will be.”

  Mason was right. Skylar didn’t realize she was shivering until she placed her hand out to take his shirt. The adrenaline from the initial shock had kept her warm, and now it was wearing away. The blasting air conditioner didn’t help, either. “Thanks.”

  Just as she pivoted right toward the restroom, even though she was deathly scared to go back, Mason gripped her arm. “Wait. Don’t go in there without me.”

  His sudden protectiveness surprised Skylar, but then again, he had saved her. With a nod, he gestured for her to lead. Walking back into her nightmare, her blood pressure soared faster than she expected, but when she entered, surprisingly, she was calm, for two reasons. First, Mason was with her, and second, the restroom was in one piece, as if it had never happened. After she’d had enough of looking at the sinks and the stalls, she turned to Mason.

  “Oh, I’ll turn my back.” He turned away from her. “I have a really nice view—white ceiling … mesmerizing. And a clear view of myself from the mirrors. So many mirrors. Mirrors everywhere I look.”

  Skylar giggled and her face lit with a small smile. Underneath that stiff heart of his, he had proven he had a sense of humor.

  After slipping her arms into the sleeves of his shirt, her eyes followed her hands as she buttoned it quickly from bottom to top.

  “Okay, I’m done.” She looked up expecting to see Mason’s back, but he had already turned and faced her.

  Skylar turned red. “You … you just turned, right?”

  He pointed to the left, to the right, and to all the mirrors in the bathroom. “Do you girls need all these mirrors? Can’t get enough of yourselves? I thought you were done.”

  “You could’ve closed your eyes,” Skylar scoffed, feeling embarrassed.

  “What would be the fun in that?” he smirked.

  He was right. Every direction he turned, he had a clear view of … her. Whatever. She justified that seeing her in a bra was like seeing her in a bikini top. “Well, next time, make sure you do.”

  Unsure whether he was uncomfortable by her remark or he was simply ignoring her, he didn’t say a word. “Let’s get out of here,” he suggested, opening the door, looking as if his mind was deep in thought.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” she asked, folding her shirt to hold as she stood by the doorway.

  “Later.”

  “No, I need to know now,” she demanded.

  “Let’s go. It’s not safe here.”

  Cold chills pricked along her spine from his words. First, Skylar gazed around cautiously. Then she glared at him, walked out, and headed to theater number ten.

  Suddenly, Skylar jerked back when Mason grabbed her hand. She couldn’t believe he was holding her hand. Not only that, he pulled her close to his chest—so close, almost into a hug.

  Her eyes drifted to his, unable to look away, as if he held a spell over her. She could see so much love, tenderness, and the possibilities behind his rude, egotistical, arrogant attitude. She blinked and retreated a few steps when he released her abruptly, as if he finally realized he was holding her longer than he wanted to.

  “We’re not going there,” he stated, as if his words were final.

  “We’re not going there?” When did I become a part of “we”?

  “No. We need to talk.”

  You got that right. I’ve been asking you like constantly. It’s about time
. “Yes. We need to talk. Where should we talk then?”

  “At my house.”

  Skylar gulped nervously. “At your house?”

  “Are you going to repeat everything I say? I should just call you Echo.”

  There he goes again, back to Mr. Rude. “I’m not repeating. I’m just asking.”

  “If you don’t want answers to your questions, then fine with me.”

  “What? I’ve asked you so many times, but you won’t answer them. I’m not going to beg.”

  “Umm, that might be interesting.” He arched his brows giving that tantalizing smirk he did so well. The kind that made butterflies dance in her stomach, the kind that made her want to just pull him in and plant her lips on his.

  “Are you kidding? Just take me to your house.” She couldn’t believe she’d just said that, but enough was enough. “I need to tell my cousin and get my purse.”

  “You don’t need your purse. I’ve already told Nick.” Without her permission, he snatched her wrist and tugged her out the exit door.

  After a few strides, she yanked her arm back to her chest and stood her ground. Gritting her teeth, she peered up to him angrily. “I can walk by myself. And next time, ask me first before you make a decision for me.”

  With a nod from him, not knowing if that was an answer to her request, he led the way to his car.

  TWELVE

  Mason opened Skylar’s side of the car. When she stepped out, she was still holding onto her T-shirt. Mason placed his hand out, asking for it. After she reluctantly gave it to him, he placed it on the passenger seat. “You don’t need to carry that around. I’ll leave it right here in the car.”

  Skylar nodded and looked past him. She didn’t want to freak out from the grand size of his house, but her eyes gave her away. Passing the long, enormous steel gate upon entering the circular driveway, she should have known she would be setting her eyes on a mansion. She had seen big houses in magazines, but never had she been this close to one.

  As she followed Mason’s footsteps to the front entrance, her eyes were still glued to the house, admiring the elegance of it. Though it was dark, the surrounding lights were enough to reveal the beauty. Red rose bushes edged the cobblestone path leading to the front door. To the right was a huge water fountain with an ivory statue she thought looked like Zeus, lounging in the middle, but she wasn’t sure if it was him. He looked majestic and proud.

  Upon entering, her eyes got even bigger when Mason hit the lights. Standing on the caramel marble floor, her eyes went straight up to the crystal chandelier, shaped like an upside down umbrella. It sparkled like diamonds reflecting from the lights above. Underneath it, a grand vase was centered on a tall, round mahogany table. Filled with stargazer lilies, the fragrance permeated the house with a heavenly scent.

  “This way,” he directed, reaching for his cell phone from his back pocket. “Excuse me,” he said, making eye contact. He turned his back and spoke into the receiver. “What?” He sounded upset, pausing for what seemed like a minute. “Tell them I’ll be there in half an hour or so.” He paused again. “Don’t say anything. Just wait for me, got it?” Then he hung up.

  Seeing two staircases, Skylar wondered which way he would go. She followed when Mason pivoted to his right, heading up the stairs, stepping onto the lush, beige carpet. Lagging behind, she marveled at the elegant furniture and the paintings on the wall. Then her eyes shifted to the white walls as she walked down the long hallway.

  “This is my room.” Mason opened the door.

  Skylar tried her best not to be overly excited, but she couldn’t help it. His bedroom was three times the size of hers. The first thing she observed was the illuminating moon peeking through the slightly opened velvet curtains, and a feeling of warmth immediately encased her. Then she saw the neatly made, king-sized bed with several plush pillows by the headboard. With a huge flat screen television mounted to the wall and the elegant furniture, Skylar thought his room was designed for a prince.

  “It’s not much, but I hope you’ll find it comfortable. I’ll get you a change of clothes.” Mason opened another door and entered.

  Not much? Was he serious? Surely he was being humble. Skylar didn’t know where to sit. Her shorts were still damp. Not wanting to leave a wet spot on the expensive comforter, she stood instead. As she waited for Mason to return, she noticed there were no picture frames adorning the walls or on the dresser.

  “It’ll be a bit big on you, but at least you’ll feel comfortable,” Mason said, walking out from the closet with a T-shirt on. T-shirt on or off, he still looked the same—hot. Walking past her, he placed a T-shirt, a pair of thin sweat pants, and flip-flops on his bed. “You’re welcome to take a shower if you like.”

  Her thoughts returned to what happened in the theater, and she blankly stared into space.

  “Skylar, what are you thinking?” Mason asked with a tender tone, closing the gap between them.

  “Before I do anything, can you please tell me what’s going on? I feel like this is all a dream, or a nightmare. I don’t understand how those things appeared in the ocean, and it tried to kill me, and … and those things … vultures you called them … they look like monsters. Monsters are not real. And … how does water just overflow from the sink and the toilet and fill a room? You act like this isn’t weird, like it’s normal to you.” Skylar mumbled frantically, trying to make sense of it all, trying to tell herself that she was not crazy.

  Mason placed his hand on her back, guiding her closer to the bed. “Sit down.”

  “My shorts are still damp, I think.” She patted her butt.

  “It’s alright. Please sit.”

  Skylar did as told. Mason sat beside her, looking at her with a weary expression, and placed his hand on his lap. “You have to promise me you won’t speak a word until I’m finished. What I’m about to tell you will be unbelievable. You may even think I’m crazy. Will you listen and not freak out?”

  Skylar nodded, having no choice. She needed to know.

  “What we call gods, like Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, ruled the world once upon a time. As religion progressed, people stopped believing and praying to them. When prayers are no longer received, the gods are forgotten, and unfortunately they vanish.”

  “What?” she muffled, arching her brows, wondering if he was joking, but when she saw the look on his face, she knew he wasn’t.

  “That’s actually putting it mildly,” he continued. “They just … die. Knowing their deaths were inevitable, Zeus, Poseidon, and other gods thought it was best to continue their bloodline, so they massively reproduced with mortal women and men. At least then, a part of them would live through their children and in the generations to come. Being born from mortal mothers or fathered by mortal men, the half-blood children were able to live on Earth.

  “Unfortunately, Hades found out, and was mad as hell. He believed it was unfair that his brothers were about to continue their family lines, whereas he was forbidden to. Hades swore he would get rid of all the half-blood children. The sea creatures and the vultures you saw were Hades’ creations. Are you following me?” Mason asked sternly, looking at Skylar’s impassive expression.

  “Then, you are … whose bloodline are you from?” Skylar asked slowly, feeling flabbergasted by what she was hearing, trying to soak in his words.

  “Our ancestor line comes from Zeus. We didn’t have the honor of meeting him, of course. This was ages ago.”

  “Was?”

  “Yes, was.”

  “How about Poseidon and Hades?”

  “They are gone too. As I said before, people stopped believing. From what I’ve been told from Nick’s mom, all the gods are dead, even the minor gods. Unfortunately, Hades’ monsters are still out there, carrying out his revenge. They have been for decades. My brothers and I are born from different mothers, but the same father. So we are technically half-brothers.

  “From what I’ve been told, our father was attacked by the vultures, but he manag
ed to find Nick’s mother first and confessed his infidelity to her the night he was attacked. He confessed everything. His purpose was to procreate, to father more children like himself. You see, our kind was dying. The vultures, sea creatures, and others yet to be seen, have taken their vengeance, just as Hades had planned.

  “Fortunately, Nick’s mother knew what was going on and found out just in time. She was the one who told the other moms about the gods and the monsters, but she was a little late telling my mom. Remus’s and Everett’s mothers suffered the same fate as our father. Hades’ monsters killed them.

  “My mom found out last, and I learned I was one of the god’s children the night she died. Nick’s mother took care of me, along with Remus and Everett. Before Nick’s mom passed away at the monster’s hand, she made sure we were taken care of financially, and that is how our little family of four grown boys came to be.” He paused and took a deep sigh. “But we’d rather have our moms back instead of all this wealth.”

  Though he tried not to show it, his eyes were filled with pain. Skylar knew that expression all too well. She had shown that look many times before when people would ask her about her dad.

  “There are more of us out there,” he continued. “This I know for sure. We like to keep to ourselves so we’ve never tried to contact the others. That way, we don’t attract too much attention and the vultures stay away. If there are any suspicious activities, we move on to another small town or go away for a while, but we try to come back because this is where we all grew up. It’s been a while, but we haven’t had any activities until you came along, and that is the reason why I believe … you’re one of us.”

  Skylar busted out laughing, not that it was something to laugh about. She just couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Standing up, she paced back and forth “So, you’re telling me my mom had sex with one of the god’s descendants? Does my mom know?” Then she stopped pacing when she recalled Nick telling Kayla that his parents were dead. He didn’t give reasons on this morbid topic, and they had never asked the question “how?” “No, it can’t be true. My dad—”