“You did it to me,” I said, a single tear falling down my face.
“I didn’t mean to, I swear. I’m on my knees, Audrey. Please.”
“Get out!” I yelled. “Go back to where you come from! I never want to see you again, you’re a murderer!”
Sy yelled out and slammed his fists into the ground, shaking everything around us and spooking the fish. One side of the catwalk cracked and I slipped grabbing onto the railing.
“Audrey,” he pleaded through gritted teeth. “Don’t make me leave the one I love. Not when I’ve spent so long trying to find you.”
“I never want to see you again,” I said, standing back up and inching for the stairs I’d come up.
“Audrey, don’t,” he continued to beg, reaching out for me.
“Goodbye,” I said and turned and ran.
“Audrey!”
I heard him calling after me, but I didn’t stop. As I ran to my car, the ground shook again, cracking the sidewalk and scaring the mall patrons who were leaving. Even as I got in and started driving away, the ground shook again, the road starting to crack around me. I floored the pedal and squealed out of my spot, heading for the one place I knew I would feel safe.
I could hear the wind picking up around me as I sped to my mother’s, the ground continuing to shake in an earthquake the size that Arizona had never seen. Windows shattered in the buildings I drove by, people were running for cover everywhere I looked, and stoplights flashed as they wobbled and broke apart, falling to the ground. As I came up to the freeway exit, I witnessed the overpass cracking from underneath and jerked my car off of the road, crashing into crumbling brick wall next to it. I quickly got out, only slightly phased, and watched in horror as the road cracked in two, cars falling with the debris. Several people exited the cars still on the road behind me, screams of terror ripping from their throats as the ground continued to shake.
Turning, I ran from the devastation, jumping over fallen and broken items in my path as the ground continued to tremble. It felt like I was in a Hollywood movie depicting the end of the world as dark clouds rolled across the sky, lightning flashing within them. With one mighty crack, I heard one bolt strike the mall and the earthquake ceased instantly.
I stopped, watching as smoke curled from the roof and the people around me emerged from their vehicles and other hiding places. Several of them were crying, a few children in the mix, while others appeared completely shell shocked.
“What happened?” I heard several of them saying.
Not wanting to take any chances, I started walking quickly away from everything again. I didn’t want to be around for whatever—or whoever—had just shown up to stop Sy.
Chapter Fifteen
“Mom?”
I crashed through the front door, locking it behind me as if that would keep Sy out.
“I’m in here,” she called from the family room downstairs. “Have you seen this yet?”
“What?”
I jumped down the three short steps and walked into the welcoming room, glancing at the television. It was depicting the monstrosity I had just escaped.
“There was a big earthquake in Tempe,” she said without looking at me. “It looks terrible. They’re worried people have died because of it.”
“Well, it was pretty nasty,” I remarked, finally walking into her line of sight.
“Audrey!”
I was covered in dust and had a small cut on my arm from when I’d crashed my car.
“What happened?”
“I crashed my car trying to get away from the fall of the freeway,” I sighed.
“You were there?”
“Yeah. I think we should pack up and go away for the night. What do you think?” I asked as I went back to the ground floor.
“Why?”
“Because there could be another quake,” I lied, already on my way upstairs to her room.
“Who said that?” she asked, following me. “Audrey, what’s wrong?”
“Just trust me,” I said, aggravated. “We’ll go to the mountains for a little and make sure there’s no aftershock.”
“The biggest fault line in the state is up there,” she argued. “We’d be better staying here.”
“Mom!” I turned to look at her, desperation creeping into my voice ever so slightly. “We need to get out of the valley.”
“Okay,” trying to pacify me, holding her hands up. “If you think we need to then we will. Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” I assure gruffly.
I packed her stuff quickly, only grabbing what I thought was absolutely necessary, before loading it into her car.
“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?” she asked me as I ushered her into the passenger’s seat.
“I’m fine, Mom. It’s just a little blood.”
“You have a bruise that’s growing on your forehead,” she pointed out, still pestering. “We should probably get it checked out since you’ve had a concussion once before.”
“Fine,” I sighed. “I’ll have it checked on the mountain.”
“Do you want to stop and pick up Talley?”
Frustration and fear swept through me as I realized I’d forgotten about my sweet puppy. It didn’t seem likely that Sy would harm her; they’d always gotten along well.
“No,” I said firmly.
News radio played as we left the heat of the valley, flickering in and out of service as we passed through the first couple of mountains.
“It is strange,” Mom observed. “There were no signs of anything like this coming. Usually we get so little activity. I don’t understand how this could happen in a place with virtually no fault line.”
“The Earth does what she wants, I guess,” I said nervously. “I’m happy to hear that there weren’t any deaths though.”
“We’ll have to wait and see,” she added. “Several people were taken to the hospital in serious condition.”
“I know.”
My heart hurt even worse. It was my fault those people had gotten hurt. I’d angered the Earth Shaker and now everyone else was paying for it.
My hands shook on the steering wheel as I thought back to what had happened. Who was going to believe me? Everyone would think I was having another break down. There was no way I could say Sy was a God.
“I wonder if it was something like when those sink holes suddenly appear,” Mom pondered, still stuck on the subject of what happened.
“Maybe,” I said, trying to shake my nerves.
What if he found me again? Was there really anywhere I could run from him?
These questions plagued me for the rest of our drive. When we finally stopped in Payson, Mom declared that I needed to rest and she would go get food for us. After all of that driving, she had decided I was fine except for the bruising.
With nothing else to do, I went into the tiny bathroom and turned the shower on, ready to be clean from everything. As I stood in the water, unable to hold it in any more, I cried gut-wrenching tears.
My husband had been taken from me before his time. I lost my child because of the grief I suffered. The man I thought I was falling in love with turned out to be the reason I’d suffered so much in my short life. How was I supposed to go on knowing this? I didn’t feel that I’d ever be able to trust or love someone ever again. Sy had ruined the rest of my future for me by destroying my past.
“Audrey?” Mom knocked on the door, having returned from where ever she had gone. “Are you okay, sweetie?”
“I’m fine,” I called, taking control of myself once more.
“Are you sure?” she asked, opening the door.
“Yeah. I’m relieved, that’s all,” I lied.
“Did you call Sy and tell him you were okay? He works over there, doesn’t he?”
“I didn’t.” It was all I could say, a frog stuck in my throat.
“I see.”
There was a silence that felt as heavy as the steam clouding the room as Mom stood there. I felt
terrible, not telling her what had happened. The last thing I needed was for her to try and ship me off to a mental institution though.
“There’s a fast food place right down the road if you’d like to come with me to eat. I was only looking for places before. Most everything is closed.”
“Sure,” I said.
“All right. Hurry up then.”
A few minutes later we were at the restaurant, eating our food at a small table.
“How long are you wanting to stay away?” Mom asked, wasting no time in getting straight to the point.
“I figured a few days would do the trick,” I said calmly. “We shouldn’t have to worry too much about aftershocks then.”
“Don’t you have work?”
“I’ll call and let them know,” I said, taking another bite of my food.
“What about Talley?”
“I’ll leave a message for one of our neighbors.”
“Sy will wait more than a few days, I’m sure.” She looked at me pointedly.
“Mom, don’t worry about it, okay?”
“You can’t run from your problems, Audrey. Stop saying you’re afraid of another earthquake and just tell me the truth.”
“I did,” I lied. “I’m fine, Mom. Really.”
“If you say so,” she sighed. “I have to go to the restroom. I’ll be right back.”
She stood and left the table, walking across the restaurant to the appropriately marked door. Once she was inside, I breathed a sigh of relief. Mom wasn’t stupid and would keep bugging me until she got an answer she was happy with. That definitely wasn’t the truth though.
A few seconds later she came back out, walking quickly to our table.
“Come with me, Audrey,” she said, her voice oddly clipped.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I have much to tell you. Forgive me for taking your mother’s form. It was the only one I thought you would not run from.”
My blood ran cold as I bolted upright, my chair toppling over behind me. The boy behind the counter looked over at us, only to have his eyes glaze over as he slipped into a type of trance.
“We must hurry,” she repeated.
“Who are you?” I asked, my voice shaking as I took a step back.
“I am Athena, Goddess of Wisdom.”
“I’m sorry,” I laughed in disbelief. “What?”
“Audrey,” she scolded, reaching out and grabbing my hand in one swift motion. “We must go now if I am to show you what you need to see.”
“No,” I jerked my hand back and tripped over my seat, falling to the floor.
There was a bright flash as I hit the floor and I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for whatever horrible thing she had done to me to take place. After what felt like a lifetime of nothing happening, I slowly opened them, one at a time.
“I wish you would have listened to me,” the woman in front of me grumbled, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder. Her hair wasn’t all that had changed though; she wore a long white robe and golden helmet, a spear clutched in her left hand.
“What’s going on?” I asked with a trembling voice. “Where are we?”
I surveyed the area around me and found nothing but grey rocks. We were in a cave of some sort, the entrance nowhere in sight.
“Welcome to the gates of Hades,” she said.
The hooting of an owl sounded and I looked up in time to see it land on her shoulder with ease. She greeted it warmly before turning back to me.
“Well? Are you ready to enter?”
“What is going on?” I screeched, all sense of self-preservation finally fleeing. “Are you some type of Grim Reaper? I mean this is basically Hell! What am I doing here?”
“Calm down, Audrey,” she said, reaching out a hand to help me up.
“I will not!” I cried, ignoring her offer to help. “I was almost killed by a crazy—well, murderer—and put under some weird mind control by a woman who I thought was my doctor. I think I’m allowed to be more than a little upset!”
I stood on my own, beating the dirt off myself as I walked as far away from her as I could get.
“You will not find the exit,” she called behind me.
“I sure can try!” I yelled back.
I kept moving forward, determined to get out of the literal Hell I’d been brought to.
“I’m tired of Gods,” I muttered under my breath.
Right then, something popped right up in front of me and I screamed as I ran into it.
“What the . . .?”
I looked up into the eyes of the man I’d run into and shrank back. Fire glowed within them, as bright as any I’d seen.
“Audrey,” Athena said from behind me.
“Aw, man,” the man said, the flames dimming to almost nothing. “Athena, you have got to stop bringing every person you’ve wronged down here. It’s not freaking Disneyworld!”
“Hades,” Athena said, tipping her head in acknowledgment.
“What?” I screeched, jumping back even further.
“Take her back, now,” Hades ordered.
“I cannot,” Athena stated simply.
“Why not?” He growled, the flames brightening.
“Stop your parlor tricks,” Athena ordered. “This is Audrey,” she said, adding emphasis on my name.
“Really?” He looked at me with new appreciation, circling around me once before speaking again, his black cloak whispering against the ground.
“So you’re the girl that has my little brother in a fit,” he laughed. “Figures. He never could control his emotions.”
“You know they are dictated by the movement of the ocean,” Athena scolded. “Now let us in so I can do my duty.”
“They wouldn’t be if we had divided the kingdoms fairly,” he argued. “He might have ended up here for all we know.”
“Now is not the time for your petty arguments!” Athena was upon him in a moment, her hand around his neck.
“Whatever,” he said, shrugging. “Persephone has been on a roll lately though, if you know what I mean. I’d try not to run into her.”
“Thank you,” Athena said, nodding her head again and releasing him. “Come along, Audrey.”
I stared at the both of them, my mouth hanging open. What was going on?
“No,” I said shakily. “Not before you explain to me why I have to do it.”
“Go ahead, niece,” Hades sneered, walking past us. “You may come in whenever you want. Don’t bother me with it again.”
“Audrey,” Athena breathed out on a sigh. “I have done great harm against you. If you insist I explain first, then I will.” She settled onto a rock next to her and the owl on her shoulder slid down to her lap.
“Sometimes, wisdom gets in the way of things it should not.”
“Meaning?” I interrupted.
“Give me a moment,” she said harshly. “It means that sometimes what seems like the best option is not. This was how I came to murder your husband.”
“Excuse me?” I asked, shocked. “Sy already told me it was him. Did you all just decide to gang up on him, or what?”
“Poseidon believes he is the one who killed Odysseus, yes. He is mistaken though.”
“I am so confused,” I said, tears forming in my eyes. “Who?”
“Your husband, John, is the reincarnation of the great hero Odysseus. When Poseidon attacked him it was for events during his first life, not in the one he knew you.”
“Oh,” I said, giving up on trying to understand any of what she was saying.
“Poseidon and I fought over a few things, one of which was your husband. I thought he deserved my blessings and help on his journey home from the war at Troy. Along the way though, he killed Poseidon’s son. Much to Poseidon’s anger, he still made it home safe to his wife, Penelope.
“I thought it was over then, but somehow Odysseus was brought back as another man after his death. Unfortunately, he could not escape the great Earth Shaker’s wrath that
time. It has been that way with every reincarnation since then as well.
“Of course, I was furious with my uncle. I did my best to protect Odysseus through the years, but it hasn’t been much help. Finally, I decided that I needed to break the cycle. Before he could find Odysseus, I snuck on board the fishing ship and killed him myself. It was much more merciful that Poseidon would have done—quick and virtually painless. I then took the shape of Odysseus and waited for Poseidon.
“I cannot be killed with a regular blade like mortals, so I went along with it, pretending to be your husband, and let him slit my throat. It was all over very quickly after that.”
My heart hammered in my chest as I looked at her with tears running down my face.
“Why didn’t you take him away or hide him somewhere? Why kill him?” I asked with a shaky voice, my brain not accepting what she was telling me.
“If I’d taken him away I wouldn’t have been able to return in time to take his form. Poseidon would have known what I’d done and it would have been worse for everyone. As for hiding, there is nowhere in the sea that one can hide and be invisible to its King. Death was the best option I could find.”
“It was you?” I asked softly, clutching my heart.
“It was,” she said mournfully. “I thought this way to be the more logical. However, it didn’t even occur to me the ramifications it would have in the mortal world. I extend my deepest apologies.”
“No,” I said. “You don’t get to just say sorry for that.” I shuddered, my body being rocked with new sorrow for my late husband. “I lost everything because of you.”
“I understand,” she said softly, looking down into her lap. “That is why I have brought you here.”
“I don’t understand,” I hiccupped.
“I wanted to offer you something as a type of peace offering,” she explained, standing. “Come with me and I will show you.”
“What could possibly be here that I would want or accept as your apology?”
“Your husband.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Will I die if I go in there?” I asked fearfully, standing before the wall that would open up to the underworld.
“Only if you eat or drink anything,” Athena said simply.
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