Elysium's Love Triangle

by Aoife Metcalfe

The three boys look at Riley now.

  My uncle gives Andrew a clap. Then he tells him that the likelihood is that they will all die.

  They should not have gone looking for that weapon, Riley says.

  Daniel looks at the table of judges now, having been occupied by the audience before. His gaze falls on me.

  “Katy?” He says, extremely surprised.

  He thinks I’ve changed sides. It’s the obvious conclusion for him to come to.

  He looks devastated now. He thinks I’ve betrayed him.

  I can’t stand it. I want to jump into his arms and tell him the truth. I want to tell him absolutely everything.

  I can’t.

  His eyes stay on me.

  Judge One speaks again as he sits down, “Okay, so you three are accused of the heinous crime of plotting to kill our great and glorious master. What do you have to say for yourselves? Do you plead insanity?”

  The boys do something brilliant at this moment. They don’t show even a slight bit of fear.

  Instead the three of them glance at each other.

  Then they all speak together, “We Are The Ones Who Will, listen up, Bring Down The Cezer Empire!”

  This is obviously a new mantra for Nate’s group. They have practiced it.

  It completely shocks the people.

  I try to hide my glee. Hope hasn’t completely left them yet.

  Daniel looks at me again. I’d almost forgotten how perfect his features are.

  I have to get my boyfriend out of this alive. I don’t care what it takes.

  I am going to have to be clever.

  Unfortunately Judge Two still has his place on the panel. He begins spouting his own personal style of justice. These people shouldn’t even have a trial, he claims. They plotted against Rejon! They should be killed! Their insides should be mixed with goat’s milk!”

  This gets quite a reaction. A lot of people seem to agree.

  A few seem uncertain. Having your insides mixed with goat’s milk is a pretty steep dishonour, even for people who plotted against the great master.

  Judge Three thinks a less severe punishment is in order. These people merely plotted. Plots are mere words. They did not actually harm our master in any way. Perhaps we should make them stay here and clean the lavatories until they die.

  He gets into a fight with Judge Two at this point. They are both certain that their own proposed punishment is the one suitable in this case.

  The three boys are beginning to look extremely nervous now. The crowd are yelling. They are saying that they want to see these boys severely punished, soon.

  Greg is one of the people yelling for the boys to be punished.

  I take note of this. He wants to get rid of Daniel.

  This could mean that Greg is the evil one the prophecy speaks of.

  It could also mean that Daniel is the evil one. Greg would know that it isn’t himself. He could simply be trying to get rid of the true evil.

  Greg’s behaviour doesn’t tell me anything, I realise. Either of these explanations could be behind it.

  Judge One calls for some order.

  Then, unfortunately, he turns to me, “Ethereal, dearest goddess, if I would be so bold as to ask . . . What punishment would you propose?”

  Daniel and Nate are completely shocked to hear me called ‘Ethereal’. You can see it in their faces. Nate’s jaw drops.

  Andrew isn’t surprised. He probably figured it out the second he walked in.

  My people are all expecting me to speak now.

  I need to think of a plan. I almost smile when it comes to me.

  It is so simple.

  These people are superstitious, almost to a fault. I will use this.

  I speak up, “I think the most suitable punishment would be . . . We should send them to live in the House of Ten Agonies.”

  Most people look confused.

  They have never heard of the House of Ten Agonies. This is probably because I have just made it up.

  “What’s that?” Asks Judge Two.

  Everyone looks eager to know now.

  “It is a cell, a prison if you will, of many tortures,” I explain. “It is run by Hades himself. It is a place of punishment that defies human imagination. It is only used on the most vile, warped, creatures.”

  Nate and Daniel look scared.

  Andrew doesn’t. He knows I’m bluffing, no doubt.

  Everyone else looks really impressed.

  “That sounds like a place suitable for traitors of Rejon,” Judge Two remarks happily.

  The people seem to be in agreement. A lot of them nod.

  Great, it’s working.

  “Where is this House of Ten Agonies?” Judge One asks.

  I answer quickly, “It’s in the Underworld. Don’t worry though. I can replicate it here on Earth.”

  My people look impressed at this ‘power’. Too bad I am making it up.

  Daniel and Nate look like they could faint. They still have no idea that I’m lying to save them.

  Andrew is calm.

  Riley interrupts, “I believe our Great Goddess here may have assigned too hard a punishment to these boys. I think we should just kill them.”

  I look at my uncle.

  He knows that I’m lying about this punishment.

  He wants to kill my boyfriend, to get back at me for helping Greg.

  I will not let this happen.

  I put on my sweetest smile, “They will die a million times in the House of Ten Agonies, Rejon. Surely that is better than once. Now, who here agrees with the punishment I’ve assigned?”

  All of my people agree, mostly out of loyalty to me. Others agree because they are rather afraid of me. I really have been acting well here today.

  “So it is decreed,” Judge One says. “Ethereal will bring these boys to this prison of punishment.”

  There are cheers. The Cezers obviously enjoyed this trial.

  Uncle Riley doesn’t look too impressed. He knows that I have no intention of letting the boys die at all.

  I look at Daniel again. I don’t like seeing him so scared.

  I can’t wait to tell him that he will be fine.

  “Follow me,” I address the three ‘accused’ boys.

  They don’t come willingly. They are dragged.

  We make our way outside. Then we walk across the plantation.

  Some of my people come to watch, they want to see this legendary House of Agonies.

  Nate is cursing at me. I am a ‘betrayer’ of the highest order. He is sorry that he ever trusted me. He can’t believe that he didn’t see who I truly was.

  Daniel just looks rather devastated. He can’t even speak. It hurts me to see him like this.

  Andrew is just going along with everything, waiting to see what will happen next.

  They are all surprised when I stop outside an ordinary looking house. It is wooden and some of the windows are smashed in. I know that no on lives here. It happens to be next door to the house Greg and I live in.

  “This is the new House of Ten Agonies,” I announce. “It does not look it from the outside, but I have put a curse upon it. Mortal’s who enter this building will endure an eternity of torments.”

  Some of the Cezers look scared again. This building will probably never be used again, ever, by anyone.

  They believe me. This is good.

  I open the door and demand that our three culprits enter.

  They don’t. Instead they are pushed in by Cezers.

  “I shall go in,” I say to my people. “This is just to make sure that they are getting the appropriate torments. I am immortal. I can leave when I wish. The torments will not hurt me. I shall be back to you all soon.”

  I enter the house, quickly closing the door behind me.

  Daniel looks at me, confused.

  Nate is looking around him, as if trying to find these ‘torments’.

  Andrew is smiling at me, “Cool. Thanks for that.”

  Nate looks
at him, indignant, “Thanks?!? Is that what you just said? She just sentenced us to an eternity of torments in a supernatural prison!”

  Andrews turns to him, “Nate, calm down a moment. Now, think. Does this look like an underworld prison to you?”

  Nate inhales, as if about to say something. He looks around a bit more.

  The truth dawns on him in a few moments.

  There is delight in his tone, “You just totally tricked those people!”

  I nod, “Yes.”

  Nate’s relief is obvious, “Andrew, dude, you weren’t even scared. How did you know that we weren’t going to be punished?”

  Andrew shrugs his shoulders, modestly, “Just a few obvious things . . . Mostly I knew because of the way Katy looked at Daniel when we walk in. She’d never hurt him, not in a million years. Then, while she was talking, she kept glancing at him, as if to make sure he was still alright. I was pretty sure that we were all going to be fine.”

  I look at my boyfriend. He still hasn’t spoken.

  He is still trying to process it all.

  His eyes fall on me now.

  He smiles at me. The warmth in his smile says it all.

  I hug him.

  He begins blurting everything out.

  They all thought that Rejon had killed me. He thought he’d lost me for sure.

  Yesterday was the worst day of his whole life.

  It was like his own life had ended.

  They came here to get a bit of revenge. Then they found me, alive.

  That was a major surprise.

  He will never lose me again, not ever.

  “I realised how much you meant to me . . . I thought it was too late. I never want to feel that pain again,” he finishes.

  “You won’t,” I promise him.

  I look into his eyes so that he knows I mean it.

  Andrew addresses me now, “Em, Katy, there is another thing we need to discuss.”

  “What’s that?” I ask, reluctant to look away from Daniel.

  “The fact that you are, in fact, Ethereal,” Andrew says it straight forwardly. “It’s a bit of a problem, wouldn’t you think?”

  So, he knows I wasn’t lying about my identity.

  Well, that’s why he’s the expert in bad-guys.

  I wish Daniel didn’t have to know the truth. I want him to always see me as Katy, the way I was when we first met.

  I worry that he mightn’t see me the same way, now.

  I take a deep breath. Then I tell them everything. How I lied to protect myself when I first got here. How I discovered the ‘dark side’ of my soul. I even tell them about the prophecy.

  There is a completely stunned silence.

  Daniel is the first to speak, there is an urgency is his voice, “You know that Greg is the evil liar right . . . I mean, you know that I’m the one who wants to keep you here, as yourself? Katy, I would never lie to you.”

  Andrew undermines him, “If I was the bad guy I’d say that . . .just saying . . .”

  Daniel rebukes him, “I am not the bad guy. Katy, you believe me, right?”

  I can’t answer. I know nothing for sure.

  He is hurt by this. I can tell.

  He takes my hands, “I swear to you . . .”

  “Daniel, I can’t . . . risk her winning,” I say.

  This is the truth. I can’t afford to choose him now, as he would like.

  I do not know for sure. The consequences of choosing wrong are too harsh.

  “You don’t trust me,” he sounds extremely hurt. “How can you think that I’d betray you like that?”

  “It’s not like that,” I protest.

  He looks down at the ground, “I love you, Katy . . . I thought you loved me too. . . Now I realise the truth. You don’t even know me, at all.”

  He turns to go up the stairs, obviously wanting to get away from us for a while.

  “Danny, I do know you,” I say, desperate to get him back. I hope that the truth might just do it. “I do love you.”

  He stops, before turning back to me. His eyes are wet, “No, you don’t. If you did there wouldn’t be a choice here.”

  I have absolutely no answer for that. There is a truth in it that can’t be denied.

  Still, I know that I love him.

  It breaks my heart to look at him now. I just wish that there was a way to show him how I feel. A way to prove it.

  Choosing him is still far too risky.

  I feel so frustrated.

  He stalks up the stairs, obviously dealing with frustrated emotions of his own.

  I sigh, “Life sucks.”

  Andrew agrees with me.

  Nate comments that, on the contrary, life can be very good sometimes. His own parents are billionaires after all. This allowed them to take in loads of lost Arachnes, and even to put them through education and all. The universe can really be very kind sometimes, you have to agree.

  Andrew just smiles and shakes his head. This is when I realise that his expertise could be a vital tool for me now.

  “Andrew, I need your help . . . Which one of these boys is the bad guy?”

  He should know. He is Andrew after all.

  “I don’t know,” he confesses. “Daniel seemed very genuine just now, he wasn’t faking those emotions . . . On the other hand I just don’t see it being Greg. He always seemed pretty transparent to me. . . This is so weird. I should be able to figure this out!”

  The poor boy looks quite anxious now. He could always read people before. The fact that he can’t read these boys is unsettling him.

  He comes up with an idea, “Katy, why don’t you see what Ethereal thinks? Maybe she knows. Check her thoughts for a second; it could give us a major clue.”

  I am reluctant at first. The dark side of my soul is not a place I wish to revisit.

  Still, it is the only hope we’ve got.

  I close my eyes.

  Slowly and timidly I check what she thinks.

  She can’t stand either of the boys. She abhors Greg because he brought me back. She absolutely detests Daniel, pretty much because he makes me happy.

  I am rather confused by this.

  Andrew is not. As per usual he can analyse it.

  He had suspected that Ethereal wouldn’t love either of the boys, yet. She will love her king for the very fact that he brought her back permanently. She will have no allegiance to either of them before.

  “Why would either of them love her?” I ask, puzzled by it.

  Andrew thinks for a few moments, “The evil guy doesn’t love anything. He just wants to rule the world. He’s like a boy version of her. She is simply his way of getting the whole world under his feet. Katy, we are dealing with an evil being here, one that is worthy of Ethereal . . . One that can even fool me.”

  I sigh. The news is getting better by the moment.

  The evil boy is obviously only gaining my trust so that I pick him. He obviously knew, all along, that I would be the one to make the decision.

  That is his simple, and only, reason for being around me.

  “I don’t like the bad guy very much,” I say.

  “Can I give you some advice?” Asks Nate.

  “Sure,” I answer.

  “Choose right,” he finishes

  “I’ll try,” I sigh.

  *

  I don’t want to go home without making up with Daniel first. The fact that we are fighting really bugs me.

  It takes me a long time to build up the courage to go and talk to him. I am nervous. Deep down, I’m afraid that he will break up with me.

  I wouldn’t blame him. Being with me has been a bit of a nightmare so far, to be fair. What with all the kidnappings and just general badness happening. Now we have this prophecy thing, just to top it all off.

  Eventually I bring myself to knock on the door of the room he’s in.

  I open it to find him lying on the floor, staring at the roof. There is a bed right beside him, why he chose to lie on the floor is quite the m
ystery.

  He smiles when he notices my presence, “Hi.”

  I am put instantly at ease.

  “Hi,” I say back.

  Then I lie down beside him. Now I see what he sees. There is a circle of spiders on the roof, the normal bug ones, not Arachnes in disguise.

  After my change I began naming every spider I see. I even attribute personalities to them and worry about them when they disappear. I called a spider back at school ‘Henry’. He went missing from his web. It caught loads of flies while he was gone. I still find myself hoping that he managed to get back. I feel genuinely sad that he mightn’t have.

  It is so weird to suddenly really see these creatures as being like myself.

  It is completely different than when I was human, I didn’t even notice spiders then.

  Now I pay attention. I notice just how many of them there are.

  I have a connection with them now. Weirdly, I don’t think I’d change that for the world.

  I check to see if my Henry is here, on the roof. I reckon I’d know him anywhere.

  No, none of them are him. The search goes on.

  He can’t be dead. He’s my spider.

  I turn to face Daniel.

  “I’m sorry,” I say sincerely, “for everything.”

  I mean it. I am very sorry for all I’ve put him through.

  “I’m the one who should be sorry,” he replies. “The whole world is relying on me to show you the truth and what do I do? I go and throw a hissy fit. That’s hardly going to convince you. . .”

  He has nothing to be sorry for. I can’t believe how harsh he is on himself.

  “I tell you what, let’s just forget about all the bad things in the past,” I say, giving him a hopeful smile. “Let’s just start over again, here, now.”

  A bit of happiness returns to his eyes, “I think I like the sound of that. . . Hi, my name’s Daniel Knight, what’s yours?”

  “Katy Darkwood, nice to meet your acquaintance,” I finish and find myself giggling.

  He laughs softly too, “I like when things are simple. Can we stay here for a while, together, and just pretend that they are. Let’s deal with the world tomorrow.”

  I agree. I’d like nothing more than to stay with him now, happy, away from all that would try to hurt and separate us.

  This is when he produces the camera from his pocket, “Today’s photo, anyone?”

  “Totally,” I answer.

  We both look surprisingly contented in this photo. I think it’s because we’re together.