by Kristen Day
“I could not be happier that you are enjoying Lorelei, Hannah!” she took my hand, “Please take care of yourself and let us know if you need anything at all, dear.”
As I walked them to the door, she turned on me and lowered her voice, “No more tattoos. And I’m not sure I trust that Carmen.” She said her name like she was a dog who might have rabies, and then smiled and spoke louder to my roommates. “It was such a pleasure to meet you girls!” I had to fight hard not to roll my eyes.
They filed out of the door stiffly and closed it behind them, while I let out a breath and instantly felt lighter.
“They were….nice,” Phoebe tried with a smile. I chuckled at her.
“Yes, they were just maaaarvelous,” Carmen squealed in her southern accent and clapped her hands together. If a person needed distraction from her foster family and an impending, possibly perilous, journey to the Underworld, my suite would be the place they’d find it.
“I love you guys,” I snickered.
Chapter 16
“In the late 1800’s, the house and surrounding land was owned by a wealthy doctor; living there with his wife, three daughters, and two sons.” We were huddled on the balcony the next night enjoying the pink and orange colors as the sun majestically announced its departure. We had lain around the suite most of the day watching movies and taking naps. It had been exactly what I needed. We ordered a pizza for dinner and decided to eat outside since the weather was so nice. As talk turned to Halloween, Phoebe had insisted on telling me the story of the old Drake House near campus; rumored to be haunted.
“They were very active in the community and well known up and down the coast. One summer, one of the daughters dropped dead for no apparent reason. Another daughter was soon to follow and his wife had begun to show the same signs of sickness. Apparently in an effort to save his family, the doctor began to dabble in alchemy. Soon he was consumed with an obsession to not only save his wife, but to bring his daughters back. One weekend, the family didn’t show up for church on Sunday. No one thought much of it until the doctor failed to make his house calls the next day. A friend of the family decided to drive out to the house to see if everything was alright.” She leaned towards me and raised her eyebrows for effect. “What she found, would shock the whole island. Their blood had been smeared across the walls, leading up the stairs to the family’s bedrooms. All of the children were still in their beds, face down and now soaked in their own blood. They had all been beaten to death and were missing one vital thing…” She paused, her eyes sparkling with excitement. I held my breath; anticipating the punch line that didn’t disappoint, “…their hearts.”
Chills ran down my spine and I wrapped my arms around myself. Contemplating the tragedy of young, promising lives ripped away from innocent children prematurely sent my thoughts to Bianca. Not only had she been killed, but she was now destined to aimlessly wander the earth realm as a ghost. Phoebe, reveling in the chilling response she was eliciting, continued her story.
“His wife was found in her bed, also dead. Her heart had been removed as well. Not until they searched the underground cellar did they find the doctor. His body was found on the floor, a surgical knife in one hand. He had sliced through his own chest and his heart had been ripped from his body.”
I peeked at Willow, whose face had taken on a sickly green tint, and at Carmen, who was nervously biting her fingernails.
“According to the story, the doc had found a way to raise the dead, but something went very wrong and he raised a demon instead. They say the demon possessed him and made him take his family’s hearts out and then his own.”
“Did they find the hearts?” Willow’s soft voice wavered. Phoebe shook her head solemnly.
“They were never found. Only one piece of evidence had been found. Written on the cellar door in blood was the word: Penance.”
I clasped a shaking hand over my mouth as my veins rapidly hardened to ice. The world began to spin and I grasped my chair to steady myself. Penance. That was the same word Nadia had burned into her desk. But this was just a story - it wasn’t real. Right? Bianca had called her ‘The Reaper’. Was there something Finn wasn’t telling me about Nadia? He said that she escorted the rejected souls back to the Earth realm, but was it possible that she took souls as well? As a sick type of punishment to the living? As it would happen, the word ‘reaper’ meant to harvest, and the word ‘penance’ meant atonement; the righting of wrongs. As this new, startling possibility hit me, I leaned back in my chair, utterly petrified.
“You okay Stasia? You don’t look so good.” Willow placed her hand on my arm and a healing tingle spread through my body; settling my stomach. I couldn’t tell them what I had seen. They didn’t know Nadia was the one who had paid us a visit during our séance. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of nothing. It was probably just a coincidence. But what if it wasn’t? Would Bianca know? Is that why she’s so scared of Nadia? I wish I could talk to her again. I squeezed the bridge of my nose. A couple days ago I hadn’t even believed in ghosts, and now I was wishing I could speak to one? I had to get myself together. This was ridiculous. It was just a haunted house story. Every town in America had one. It wasn’t real. I looked up at my roommates who were watching me with concern. You’d think they’d tire of my unstable mental health and sudden emotional breakdowns, but they never complained.
“Yea…I’m okay. I just got dizzy all of a sudden.” I summoned a convincing smile onto my face and Phoebe continued.
“Anyway, over the years several families moved into the house, but they would always leave within a few months. They say the family still haunts the house…searching for their stolen hearts.”
“Dinner just isn’t the same with a family of ghosts digging in the food searching for their hearts,” Carmen snickered.
“We should go!” Phoebe squealed with delight and clasped her hands together, nearly knocking over Carmen’s Gatorade bottle.
“To the Drake house?” Willow gulped and turned a light shade of green again.
“We don’t even know how to get there,” Carmen contemplated Phoebe’s idea with skepticism.
“I know exactly where it is! It’s easy to get to, promise!” She batted her big green eyes at Carmen.
“What about the Halloween party?” Carmen argued stubbornly.
“Halloween party?” I had finally discovered the ability to speak again.
“Every year there’s a Halloween party in the Hole. They move all of the tables and make it real spooky. It’s actually really fun!” Phoebe’s features lit up with enthusiasm. “We could do both! Go to the party, and then find the Drake house! Come on, it’ll be fun! Plus, I’ve been wanting to go since I got here and this is our last year,” she begged.
“Do you think dead doctors like sexy nurses?” Carmen narrowed her eyes and wiggled her dark brown eyebrows.
“Please tell me you aren’t going to dress up as a sexy nurse again,” Phoebe snarled at Carmen with frustration. “That’s what you wore last year!”
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Carmen shrugged her shoulders and twirled a dark brown lock of hair around her finger.
“It is kinda overdone,” Phoebe contended; scrunching her nose.
“And your sexy cop outfit isn’t?” Carmen challenged her. “Six other girls wore the same costume last year.”
“Yea, but I was the only one with a pink cop uniform and fishnets,” Phoebe rested her hands on her hips with indignation, “and I’m going to be something different this year anyway.”
“Fishnets? Seriously?” I gawked at Phoebe. I would never be able to pull fishnets off. Somehow I knew they looked absolutely amazing on her.
“When did Halloween turn into an excuse for girls to dress up like cheap sluts?” Willow chastised no one in particular, shaking her head.
“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” Carmen grinned shrewdly.
“So what do you guys think?” Phoebe prodded us again. I had to admit, I was
a little curious about the Drake house and what, if any, connection it may have to Nadia.
“Are you sure you know where it is?” Willow asked. Phoebe shook her head vehemently, and then looked to me for my consent next.
“It would be kinda fun…” I started and Phoebe jumped up and down in her seat. Two yes’s and one to go. We all turned our attention to Carmen.
“Alright, but if a demon takes over my body and forces me to cut your heart out, don’t blame me,” Carmen cautioned her.
“I’ll just come back and haunt you every chance I get,” Phoebe challenged her with a steely expression.
“In your pink cop uniform? Ohhh, I’m shaking with fear already,” Carmen countered sarcastically.
“You guys really shouldn’t joke about that,” Willow chided. “If the legends about the Drake house are true, you’ll be eating your words.”
“I personally think the doc just went crazy and decided to slaughter his whole family. Probably cooked up the hearts and ate them himself,” Carmen theorized.
“Eww! Don’t say that!” Phoebe shrunk back in revulsion while Carmen smiled in triumph.
“Make no mistake,” warned a deep, foreboding voice behind us. “Demons are very real.”
“Ever heard of a doorbell?” Carmen scowled, “You can’t just go jumping out of the shadows anytime you feel like it.”
“But it’s so much more fun,” Finn smirked at her and then easily met my gaze. He leaned against the doorframe with inherent confidence. He was dressed in jeans and a gray t-shirt, while his handsome face was eerily shaded with the living room light at his back, “Plus I brought something I think you guys will be very interested in…” he teased cryptically. My tortured heart proceeded to hurdle up in my throat.
“The map?” I choked; my voice coming out an octave higher than I intended.
“The map,” he confirmed smugly. Willow gasped and a silence fell over our small balcony. All at once everyone bounded into the living room with renewed exhilaration.
“I’ll get markers!”
“I’ll get a notebook!”
“I’ll get the pixie sticks!” The stampede halted long enough for us to give Willow a curious glance.
“I always eat candy when I study,” she explained and shrugged her shoulders.
We posted up at the coffee table like a pack of kids waiting for ice cream, eager to catch a glimpse of an actual map of the Underworld. Finn produced a large unassuming piece of paper rolled up and secured with a rubber band. Either The Sons have incredible preservation techniques or this was a printed version.
“Shouldn’t it be…older?” I scratched my head.
“I was only able to bring a copy of it…,” he justified with a slight grin. “The actual map is thousands of years old, not to mention it’s housed in a remote, undisclosed location; unknown to most descendents.” The gleam in his eye told me he wasn’t including himself in the ‘most’ category. I could only imagine the kind of information he was privy to. I wondered what it must be like to be Finn Morrison, Future Prime and hottest guy on earth. Being that sexy must come with immense responsibility and pressure. Oh, and the whole future-Prime-thing must be hard too. I giggled at my own thoughts; consequently attracting odd looks from my roommates.
Finn, apparently used to my random outbursts, carefully unrolled the map; spreading it out on the table and securing its unruly corners with Phoebe’s teal and white tile coasters. A blanket of stillness cloaked the room as we gazed upon the most impressive map we had ever seen.
Although it was simply a photocopy, it was clear just how ancient the original map had been. The hand drawn creatures and places had been created with the artistry and perfection of DaVinci. The normal lines that sectioned off specific parts of the Underworld were layered with exquisite sketches of each important landmark. Scribbled notes and headings covered the extent of the paper, but they were written in a language I didn’t recognize.
Carmen looked up at Finn with uncertainty, “Please tell me you know whatever language that is?”
“Of course,” he confirmed, flashing an exceptionally charming smile in my direction that stopped my world for a millisecond. Didn’t he know how dangerous that smile was? There are only so many things that could stop time. His smile ranked up there with the time warp continuum.
“Uh, he’s been to the Underworld, remember?” Phoebe retorted, stunned by Carmen’s failure to see the obvious.
“Well that doesn’t mean he knows what all these crazy symbols are supposed to be,” Carmen incited defensively.
“He doesn’t need symbols when he’s been there and seen the real thing.”
“Well he’s not going, so what’s in his head isn’t going to help us!” Carmen threw back at her.
“I believe that’s what your notebook is for,” Finn inserted; chuckling at their heated debate over his legitimacy. Carmen crossed her arms at him and a smug grin spread across Phoebe’s face as Finn continued. “What Stasia needs to concentrate on are the major landmarks, the path leading to the river, and most importantly, the passageway leading back to this realm.”
I inspected the map once more and began to feel a numbness crawl up my fingers and into my arm. I couldn’t do this. The farthest place I’d ever been to was the High Society of Atlanta with its embellished etiquette and society rules. I’d never even been to a foreign country. Now I would be travelling to a different realm? By myself, no less. At that little jewel of self reassurance, my entire body succumbed to the numbness and a determined panic scratched its way into my heart. It wrapped its prickly fingers around me and stifled my ability to breathe. I stood deliberately and walked back out onto the balcony in a debilitated stupor. The light wind coming off of the ocean swirled around my face and I tried to take several deep breaths. The roar of the dark waves gradually filled me with a peace like nothing else could…well, almost nothing else.
“You can do this, Pasha.” Finn’s sure voice caressed my ears as he stepped behind me and wrapped his warm, steady arms around my shaking body. He leaned down and planted a kiss on my cheek, and then stared out at the ocean with unwavering certainty.
“What if I can’t?” His unwavering confidence in me continued to leave me flabbergasted.
“What if you can?” he disputed my doubt with amusement.
“What if I let everyone down?”
“What if the ocean dries up and sharks become the new higher intelligence?” he speculated; his tone serious and reflective. The panic in my throat turned to slight hysteria as a bubble of laughter fought its way out. Finding a chink in my armor, he kept going.
“What if my hair falls out and I grow a head of spaghetti instead?” he questioned me; still deeply thoughtful.
“I’d grab some Ragu, parmesan cheese, and a fork,” I giggled. He laughed and turned me around to face him. His dark features softened as his earnest gaze captured my undivided attention.
“What if you are the strongest person I know and I’m certain you don’t have it in you to fail?” he grinned at me. His comforting words soothed me and I felt the panic dissipate into only a slight ripple of anxiety.
“I wish I could be as confident in me as you are.”
“Which is exactly why you will succeed. Modesty is an important virtue that always leads to courage. This won’t be the first time you’ll rise above adversity and come out stronger. You have no idea how amazing you are, Anastasia.” He gave me another hug as I breathed him in. “Let’s go inside and give you the weapon you’ll be concealing on your journey.”
“Weapon?” I questioned; perplexed. A kickass cat woman suit with hidden ninja stars and exploding diamond earrings popped in to my mind. He smiled wickedly at my question.
“Knowledge.”
Chapter 17
“It’s like the map in the Legend of Zelda game!” Phoebe squealed. She was met by our vacant stares as she glanced around. “You know the Wii game? Twilight Princess? Except Stasia isn’t Link, I guess she’d be consid
ered the princess, who’s actually Zelda…” She trailed off in deep thought.
“Your talking privileges have been revoked for the rest of the night,” Carmen declared solemnly, right before Phoebe threw a pixie stick at her. “Mmm…red. My favorite.”
“There’s only one way in and one way out,” Finn divulged to me in all seriousness. “Both of which will test your character and fortitude. Once you reach the entrance, Persephone will be your first challenge.”
“This could so be in the Legend of Zelda game,” Phoebe muttered. Carmen shot her a look as I prayed Finn wouldn’t mention the whole part about dying in order to reach the Underworld. I didn’t want my roommates to completely freak out and insist I back out. This was too important to just give up on. I was hoping we could discuss the details of my imminent demise at a later time. I shuddered as I contemplated my own death and urged myself to pay attention as Finn kept talking, pointing down at the map with insistence.
“Persephone will have to approve your entrance; allowing you to pass through the groves and continue on towards the river.” His piercing gaze was somewhat daunting. Or maybe it was the fact that I was not looking forward to coming face-to-face with the infamous Queen of the Underworld. Something told me we would never be ‘besties’.
“Will Persephone know she’s there, or does she need a big banner to announce her entrance?” Carmen asked as she vigorously jotted down notes. Willow had a pink highlighter poised above the map, ready to highlight at a moment’s notice. I couldn’t help but smile at their devotion.
“Persephone will know. She always knows when a soul enters her groves,” Finn affirmed despairingly.
“So, what exactly are the Groves of Persephone?” Phoebe asked, scanning the map intently. This would be the perfect time to develop a photographic memory. Unlikely at best.
“It’s where the pomegranate trees grow right?” Willow presumed. Finn nodded.