Elysium's Love Triangle

by Aoife Metcalfe

  In a moment like this you can almost believe that we always will be.

  “I don’t have a pen with me,” Daniel searches his pockets, just in case.

  He is obviously disappointed that he can’t write his message. He must have thought of a good one.

  Now I really wish I had a pen.

  One appears beside me.

  I laugh. I have got to learn how to use my soul’s powers.

  I give the pen to Daniel. He writes the message quickly this time. Then he gives the photo to me.

  The message he wrote makes me feel like everything, in the world, could just work out okay.

  I meant it when I said I loved you earlier.

  I always will.

  Have you ever seen something so beautiful that it makes you want to cry? Well, that’s how I feel now.

  I find myself quite unable to say anything, once again.

  Writing a message back just isn’t good enough. I really just want to prove my love to him.

  I wish I had a way to prove it.

  Something new appears beside me.

  The Black Widow Mist that Tanya gave me. It’s here now, right beside me.

  At first its presence confuses me. Then I realise that it’s the answer to my wishes.

  A way to show Daniel that I love him.

  The universe has just given me a major hint.

  I take a deep breath and glance at him. I love him so much.

  Tonight I will give him everything.

  I take the pen to write my note on the back of the photo.

  It simply says

  I’ve found a cure for the Black Widow Curse

  Okay, so it’s kind of a lie. The Black Widow Mist only works to save him. I’ll be in danger instead, I know.

  Still, he doesn’t need to know that. He won’t be hurt and that’s what matters.

  He reads my message a few times, as if to make sure he’s read it right.

  “Really?” His attention comes back to me. Suddenly he’s a bit shyer, trying not to catch my eye, “I thought there was no cure for that.”

  I pick up the bottle of Mist, “Oh, there is a cure. I have it here, look.”

  I spray the mist on myself, as if it’s perfume, all the way down my body. Daniel looks on, completely captivated already.

  I leave the bottle down beside me. I begin to feel a little bit nervous now.

  Still, he is as gorgeous now as the day I met him. He has his eyes locked on me. I find myself wondering how I resisted him for so long.

  I give him a passionate kiss that he eagerly reciprocates.

  He whispers it, lowly, “I really want you, right now.”

  As luck would have it that’s exactly how I feel about him.

  Sometimes, on a night like tonight, you get exactly what you want.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nothing seems bad this morning.

  I feel happy, content and satisfied.

  I think I was humming a few minutes ago. I don’t ever ‘hum’.

  Everything’s just seems . . . great.

  Best of all I found Henry. He was in the kitchen of our Ten Agonies house. How he got here I don’t know. There must be something kinda special about him.

  I can’t tell you how happy it made me to find him. It was like finding a long lost family member, albeit one that doesn’t understand that you missed him.

  I’m up early enough, making breakfast. Daniel is still asleep. I plan on surprising him with breakfast in bed.

  I had to go out and get the food this morning. There hadn’t been any in the house.

  “Henry, do you think Daniel would prefer rashers or sausages,” I ask my spider-friend.

  He doesn’t answer.

  I decide to go with both. My boyfriend used up a lot of energy last night.

  I find myself giggling again.

  “Hi, Katy,” A small, non-threatening, voice comes from behind me.

  I turn.

  It is a little girl, probably about six. Her appearance is startling. She has shining orange eyes, glowing silver hair and black feathered wings.

  I come to the conclusion that she must be an Arachne. It is strange though, I’ve never met one with wings before. She seems more like an Angel.

  “Hi sweetie,” I say, bending down. “What’s your name?”

  “Death,” she replies. “I’ve come for you.”

  It takes a few moments for this to sink in. I stagger back in astonishment.

  I know she is telling the truth, you can just sense it in the air.

  “I don’t. . . I don’t want to die,” I blurt.

  I’m only sixteen. I can’t just leave everyone.

  “You used the Black Widow Mist, Katy,” she explains. “You knew of the possible consequences.”

  I feel like screaming.

  Instead my voice comes out soft, “It’s not fair.”

  She sighs, “I’ll give you five minutes, run as fast as possible. I’ll give you thirty seconds to get to the edge of the encampment. If you make it there, in that time, you live. If you don’t, you come with me. This is your fifty-fifty chance. It starts now.”

  I run extremely fast. I think of Daniel and Mom.

  I need to get to the edge of this encampment.

  It seems so far away. I’ll never make it.

  I pick up the pace even more. I’m running faster than I’ve ever run in my whole life.

  That’s when I bang into someone coming the opposite way.

  We both end up on the ground.

  I need to get back up, quickly. I find that this is easier said than done.

  Everything seems a little bit blurry and out of focus. It’s quite hard to stand up.

  I’ve hurt my leg. It’s impossible to stand on it.

  I realise I’ve blown my chance.

  I won’t make it now.

  Death appears beside me, “Your time is up.”

  A panic I’ve never known before fills me.

  The girl who bumped into me sits up now, holding her head. It’s Angelica.

  “Katy?” She says, “Is that you?”

  I nod, trying to hold back tears.

  I am glad that it is her.

  I try to hide my inner turmoil, “What are you doing here?”

  “I killed Rejon,” she answers, completely unaware of my impending death. “I finally did it.”

  Her voice cracks with emotion. The kind of emotion you get at the end of a quest such as hers.

  I can barely believe it, “You got him?”

  She nods.

  I take in this knowledge quietly. My father has been avenged.

  Death moves closer to me suddenly. I crawl backwards.

  “Katy, what’s wrong?” Angelica asks.

  I tell her that I am going to die.

  This alarms her, “Katy, there’s no one there. Relax.”

  She can’t see Death. Death isn’t here for her.

  Death moves closer to me, again.

  I cough, blood comes from my mouth. I look at it, spattered across my hand, all red and shiny.

  That’s my blood. I am going to die.

  Death moves closer, she is within inches now.

  The pain in my lower abdomen begins. I grab at it and moan.

  “Katy, what’s wrong?” Angelica is panicking now. “What’s happening to you?”

  Death comes half an inch closer.

  I find that I am lying on the ground now. Leaves of brown and yellow are all around me, along with the trees of the forest.

  Angelica is holding me. She is screaming for help I think.

  It is too late. I can’t hear her that well now.

  Some words filter through, “Katy, stay with me, okay. Someone’s coming. Things are going to be fine.”

  She is crying. Some of her tears land on me.

  I am so grateful that she is here. I tell her that.

  She cries more, with deeper anguish now, and tells me not to talk ‘like I’m dying’. Help is coming.

&
nbsp; I look at the sky. It is beautiful.

  I think of where I am. This is the place where my uncle built his empire.

  I think of my uncle now. His very heart is made up of a hundred percent evil and he repulses me. I don’t want to be like that, my screams die down as the tears come tumbling from my eyes.

  I didn’t even realise that I was screaming.

  I close my eyes tightly and clench my fist. It takes everything not to scream but I don’t want to make this worse on Angelica. Her voice is already breaking with every word. I am silent except for the occasional groan that I can’t help.

  My life is going now. Ethereal is screaming at me to fight Death and has given me her powers. They are strong and I could easily use them to ward Death off now.

  I don’t make use of them.

  Ethereal is not coming out now, I won’t let her. I’m staying here and taking this pain. I don’t care if it means that we both die in the process. She would be gone too. The people of the world don’t deserve her. I have to do this for them.

  I concentrate on Angelica’s voice. It is comforting.

  I think of Daniel’s voice. I love it.

  People like him are why I need to die now. She will not get near the people of this beautiful world, she will not get them.

  I hope he will understand.

  The world is getting further and further away and the pain begins dulling.

  My life is slipping away from me. With one last breath I let it go.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I wake up knowing that I am quite dead.

  I open my eyes to a brilliant light.

  I’m in a wonderful tunnel made up of blue, purple, gold and red lights. There is nothing else. It is unbelievably peaceful. I find myself giggling and not knowing why. I am wearing a flowing blue dress made of delicate material. I don’t know who designed this one.

  I stand up, wondering which way to go. There is no way to know. I could go backwards, forwards, down or up. The tunnel extends whichever way you wish to go. Somehow I just know this; perhaps I’ve been here before. If I have I don’t remember clearly.

  I end up going forward as it seems the most natural route. I don’t see any light at the end of this tunnel yet, the bright colours just seem to go on and on. They seem to promise only good things. I find much peace and enjoyment in the lights without understanding why.

  I suddenly sense that the lights are helping me. They are taking away the pain and anguish that I should be feeling. They wish to make me happy.

  An orange butterfly lands on my shoulder. Everything here seems so natural.

  A gold path appears beneath my feet. It seems to be guiding me. I follow it until a white door appears in front of me.

  I open the door. Somehow I know that this is the right thing to do. I step through the door, into a blinding white light.

  I am on a beach. The water is calm, only making small waves. The sun is shining brightly. I hear a few seagulls in the distance.

  I recognise this beach. It’s a replica of the one I used to go to when I was young. An incredible sense of calm runs through me.

  I feel someone’s hand on my shoulder now.

  I turn to see a face I haven’t seen in twelve years.

  My Dad.

  He still looks nineteen, with short blonde hair and deep brown eyes. His skin is more immaculate than I remember.

  He embraces me quickly, “I am so proud of you, Katy.”

  Now I begin to cry, emotion overtaking me, “I had to die . . . I had to keep her away from them.”

  “I know,” he says softly. “Zeus is impressed with your decision. It was completely selfless.”

  There are so many things I want to ask him now.

  I don’t ask any of them.

  Instead I say, “Mom cries almost every night. It’s because she misses you.”

  There is a pause before he answers, “I know. I’ve been by her side a lot. I’ve also watched over you. I was never really gone, not even for a moment.”

  Tears are running steadily down my face now, “I love you, Dad.”

  “I love you too,” he smiles as he breaks our embrace. “I think you should sit down. I’ve a lot to tell you.”

  I sit down, as does he.

  He suddenly gasps, as if getting a newsflash, “My brother . . . he’s dead.”

  I remember Angelica telling me that she’d killed him, “Who told you?”

  He seems to still be getting over the shock, “Oh, the knowledge just comes to me sometimes. Zeus gifted me with ‘knowledge’ to make up for my horrible death. I know pretty much everything. . . I could tell you the meaning of life if you want!”

  I laugh. He seems so like his old self, so youthful and full of enthusiasm.

  “Nah,” I say. “That sounds a bit too philosophical for me.”

  I’d rather stick to light topics for now.

  My Dad looks momentarily disappointed. Then he smiles again.

  I ask him where we are.

  He replies that this is a place between earth and paradise.

  I don’t get much time to take this in.

  Dad has decided to tell me the meaning of my life.

  A long, long time ago I lived in Elysium, our paradise, as a goddess. I was happy for a while.

  Then one day I decided that living in Elysium wasn’t enough.

  I wanted to rule earth too.

  Zeus saw this desire for power in my heart and the treachery it bore in me. My evil was spreading across the demigods of Elysium like a plague and he needed to stop it somehow.

  The gods decided that it would be best to deal with this in a quick manner. They just threw me into the flames with Hades. It was a bit rash but it solved the problem. Zeus decided that he wouldn’t leave me with Hades for eternity, like some of the other gods suggested.

  Zeus would only leave me in the flames for a thousand years. He reckoned that this was long enough for even me to learn a lesson.

  I don’t like the word flames and I shift uncomfortably. Neither do I like references to my thousand year damnation.

  Dad’s presence here works to calm me.

  Then after the thousand years, my dad continues, I was allowed out. Zeus had a chat with me and discovered that my torment had divided my soul. One side was as wicked and evil as ever, just with added anger towards him, and the other was virtuous to the point of being a perfect goddess.

  He decided to do a test with me. It would involve going to live on Earth, as an ordinary mortal.

  This would prove that I did not consider myself above humans.

  I would have to live on earth without ever trying to rule, or otherwise subjugate, the humans there.

  This would prove that I had changed my ways.

  That was not all. There would be a further test. He would send two boys. One boy would try to bring out the evil in me and another would love me truly. If I could finally pick love over evil then, and only then, would he allow me back into Elysium.

  Dad finishes here.

  “I never picked anyone,” I say.

  Dad looks as me lovingly, “You sacrificed yourself for humanity, Katy. This proved to Zeus that you have changed . . . You do still have to choose a boy though. Zeus needs to see that you can pick love over dominance and evil.”

  This confuses me, “I’m dead. It’s too late. I can’t pick either of them now.”

  A bit of a twinkle returns to my Dad’s eye, “Yes, you can.”

  He knows something I don’t.

  “How?” I ask.

  He doesn’t answer.

  I notice now that he is staring down the beach at something. I follow his gaze.

  It’s Riley.

  “I have to go talk to my brother for a while, now,” he says to me, sounding like someone with a lot of unfinished business. “Katy, you’ll figure everything out, don’t worry.”

  I begin to panic, “Daddy, don’t leave me again.”

  He looks into my eyes, “I never really left you,
Katy. I never will. Remember that.”

  I get the sense that I am going somewhere new now.

  I feel just a little bit afraid.

  The tunnel of lights. I am back in it.

  Ethereal stands before me. It is so weird to look directly at myself, especially in my evil form. The blood red eyes and hair really are a sight to behold.

  She has her arms crossed. She is not pleased with me.

  Her first words make this clear, “Congratulations, Katy. You just messed everything up. I was going to be the best ruler ever and then you just went and sacrificed yourself . . . for humans of all things.”

  “We’ve been separated.” I sound as surprised as I am.

  “Yeah,” she sounds displeased. “Our soul was ripped in half when you did that whole ‘act of kindness and love for humanity’ thing.”

  I find myself smiling.

  This angers her further, “I don’t know what you’re so pleased about. I was the awesome part of our soul. You’re practically human without me.”

  She says the word ‘human’ like it’s a dirty word.

  “I think I’m happy enough,” I say.

  She groans in frustration before looking at me again, “You make absolutely no sense. I can’t believe that you are part of me. . . I actually don’t want to talk to you anymore. In fact, after I give you this message, I will never talk to you again.”

  A green light zips past us. A rainbow seems to be forming around me.

  “What message?” I ask, curious as always.

  “Oh just a message Zeus gave me for you,” she explains, flipping back her hair like a diva. “Now that our soul has been split he thinks it’s safe to send you back to earth. You really impressed him you know . . . Anyways, he says that if you can pick the right boy you can have your life back, he will send you back to earth.”

  I could go back. I could see everyone again.

  I practically jump with joy, “He’s giving me a second chance!”

  Ethereal looks unimpressed.

  Her tone is one of pure anger now, “Yeah, he’s not giving me one. It’s totally unfair. I will make you pay for all this Katy. I swear that. You will be so sorry that you ever messed with me. Now, I am done talking to you. Goodbye.”

  Just like that, she is gone.

  Wow, talking to the dark side of my soul wasn’t nice.