by Dee King
I rush to Alex, pulling him into the water as quickly as I could, letting him be relieved of the pain he was searing from. Zeus tries to stab Hades, but he is too quick. He misses hitting Hera right in the heart. She falls to her knees. My feet won’t let me move to save her as she spits out golden blood from her mouth. I felt like I was in quick sand, not being able to move as hard as I tried. The sand was holding me hostage and the water kept rising over me. My mother was going to die, and the water wouldn’t let me save her. Or my unborn children were holding me back, either way, I was about to watch my mother bleed to death in front of my eyes. Only, I didn’t know if I really wanted to save her or if I couldn’t have another gods death weigh on my mind.
Chapter Sixteen
Win or lose the war the water will save us…
Hera was lying on the ground, blood spilling out of her as everyone just stood there. I kept trying to move, pushing through whatever this force was when suddenly, my father had her in his arms, taking her into the water. He walked her straight into the ocean without a word being said, and the quietness was haunting. Zeus moved out of his way, watching her lifeless body in my father’s arms. Laying her down in the water very slowly. Holding one hand under her head, he leaned down whispering something in her ear, as one single tear rolled down his cheek. Placing the other hand over heart, watching the water flow over her as he kept flushing water over her chest, I saw her breath. She was still alive, and my father had saved her. Then the most amazing thing happened in front of our eyes, she sat up, with gold flakes of glitter falling all around her. My father’s arms were now filled with this golden glitter. They were the ones who had loved each other. They had given their hearts to one another a long time ago and the water had healed and mended them. It would have been beautiful to see, just as it was when my heart chose Sebastian, but Zeus was not impressed. In fact, his anger was rising as his face was turning different shades of red. He was not her love and she was not his. I guess he did have a heart after all.
“This is the highest betrayal of all...” Zeus shouts at all of us making the storm above us grow darker and quite frightening.
Before he could make a move, I was released from this hold of the water, and threw my body in front of my father, but at that moment so did Alex. We had protected them together. The lightning rod went straight through Alex piercing into my chest. We fall backwards slowly into the water, my father turning to watch us crumble to the ocean floor as I held one hand out to try to grab for help. A large current pulled the both of us under as Alex and I drifted far below the seas. This was it. This was how I was going to die. The water wasn’t saving us. The water was killing us. The current grew stronger as I try to keep a hold of Alex in my arms. Grasping for air as the waves kept pulling us up and then back down, I had his hand in mine. Trying to swim back up to the surface while holding Alex’s hand was becoming harder to do. I could feel his grip becoming loose. He was dying as we held hands. Going back under I see something gold flickering out of the corner of my eye. It was my trident. I try to swim to it, but I couldn’t reach for it. This was the end. I was going to die for saving the two people in the worlds that had never really loved me. This was how it ended? Sebastian. All I could think of was him and my unborn children. The pain of not seeing them or him again was killing me softly. I couldn’t give up. Not this way. My heart began to hurt. It ached to see his beautiful face one last time… No. No this wasn’t the end. I use all the power and strength I have, reaching for the trident one last time. It touches my finger tips and I take hold as fast as I can. We shoot straight out of the water as the trident throws our bodies onto the shore. Then another huge wave comes, and we are dragged out again. Pulling us under again, my hand slips, losing Alex in the wave. I dive back down, searching for him. Swimming harder than I had before, I see his arm still up. Taking a hold of his hand I swim hard trying to find a break in the waves. When suddenly I can feel my body being yanked out the water. Colin. There Colin stood on top of the water with trident in hand, with Sebastian by his side. We were on top of the water as my trident appeared in my hand. I toss Alex as hard as I can to Sebastian, he catches him with one arm. Pulling myself up, there we stood on top of the water. It flowed all around us, but it was like we were standing on top of a glass shield. Colin and Sebastian had saved me. They had saved us. Gathering the rest of the strength I had, I stand tall on top of the water holding my brother’s hand. Watching Alex take his first real breath as he tries to pull himself up with Sebastian’s help was like a movie in slow motion. Alex comes up from his knees, turning his body to face the others as we were. He was alive, he was breathing and we had saved him. I should be happy to stand before these wondering eyes, but in my mind, all I could think was how Colin had just saved my life. Maybe he did love me after all…
Chapter Seventeen
The current couldn’t give way to the future…
We stood there for what seemed to be hours, watching the others back down from fighting anymore. I walked along the water, each step forming a glass shield underneath me. I was changing in front of the world. My black dress now turning into pure gold with specks of white and red shimmering down my body. The dress hung into the water weighing down on my body. Walking straight to the god whose colors were changing in front of us… My trident was pointed straight for him. There was no more holding back, running as fast and hard as I could on the water. The trident guiding me every bit of the way. I charge Zeus, trident puncturing him straight in the heart. Everyone gasps as I pick his body up with the trident holding it up over my head so he could see who was going to take his life. Slamming Zeus’s body down into the water, ripping the trident from his chest, standing back to watch him stare up at me. The water takes him under as he tries to grab for anything or anyone to help him as he screams words of pain into the air. I wanted him to die. I wanted to watch his life leave this world, and I wanted him to know the pain he had caused me. Colin and Sebastian move fast behind me, dragging Alex to the shore. Watching as Sebastian stands on the shore staring at me. I could see it in his eyes. We were better than this and I was going to let Zeus die. But his body doesn’t move, he stands as stiff as a statue watching me. If I let him die right here, right now, then was I now the tyrant?
“Dammit!” I scream out.
Rushing to his body, the glass floor gives way, and I begin swimming. Swimming as fast and hard as I can, finding his body drifting further and further away from me. The water rushing over me, pulling Zeus above the water, swimming back fast to the sand. Tossing his body like a rag doll onto the beach standing silent to see his life slipping away slowly.
“Help him!” I yell to Iris, as she had watched all this happen with her mother by her side.
“I can’t!” She screams at me, holding her hands up, as golden blood dripped from her hands.
“Someone help him!” I scream out into the crowd.
Except nobody was rushing to heal him or help. They stand further back. Watching him trying to catch his breath, I bend down, laying one hand on his chest. Turning my head towards the water that seemed to be pulling further away from me, I gather myself, calling upon the seas to help me one more time. The water rushes to my fingers, switching hands I splash the water onto him as fast and steady as I can. My body is being pulled back. I start kicking and screaming at Sebastian, because he would be the only one to be able to touch me right now. I was trying to save him. Save the god that had obviously caused many pain and heartache. But he was still a god, and weren’t we supposed to be the ones that saved the world?
“Let it be…” The words of Apollo hush me.
Sebastian holds me tighter as he pulls me back further and further from Zeus.
“He isn’t dead, Selene, but he is no longer the almighty.” Apollo walks towards us, the others spreading apart as his arms stretch out in front of him.
“What do you mean?” Begging someone to help me understand as Sebastian lets go of me.
“We all know who th
e real almighty god and goddess is.” He waves his arms around at the crowd in front and behind us.
Before I know what’s happening, Apollo bends down to one knee, lowering his head. He was bowing at my feet. Apollo was bowing at Sebastian and me. The others fall to their knees with him. Taking me by surprise, searching for Sebastian’s hand, finding it warm to the touch, we search around us. Everyone was down on one knee, even the ones who had followed Zeus into this battle.
I didn’t want this; I just didn’t want the pain anymore. I wasn’t meant to be a ruler, was I?
My father, Hades, and Hera were the last ones to bow down. It must have been such a wonder to them to watch their children now be the ones who had saved them and that would be the rulers of all. There’s no part of me that thinks that they wanted this, but they had wanted Zeus to not be the tyrant he had become for so long, I just believe that one of them thought it would be them. I tell everyone to please stand, motioning with my hands. Zeus moves slowly, turning over in the sand coming to his feet. Sebastian moves in front of me, protecting me from whatever Zeus was about to do. It took mere seconds for Zeus to gain most of his strength back as he ran towards us, lightning bolt in his hand. Sebastian’s hands grow with fire striking at him first. Zeus is stunned, but that doesn’t stop him. He is throwing lightning at us, as we dodge to the left, then the right. We don’t run though, we stand there, fighting for our lives. From the corner of my eye I see three people standing to our side drawing their bows back. At the same time the arrows strike Zeus. One in the chest again, one in the shoulder, and one strikes the bolt. It falls to the ground. He is furious, but Sebastian doesn’t stop. He moves closer and closer to him, as his clothes begin to change in front of everyone. Gold, black, and a little white stripe down his back with flames of blue traveling up the white stripe. He hits Zeus in the face, knocking him back, he hits him again, knocking him further and further till he hits the ground.
“She is too good to take a life; she is the one you bow down to. But, I’m not. I will take your life and I will have no regrets.” Sebastian says to Zeus as he hits him again, this time fire taking over Zeus’s body.
Sebastian kicks him so hard in the face that Zeus flies back further away and further from the water. He would burn to death if no one helped. Hades comes to Sebastian’s side, helping him with the fire balls. One after another, hitting Zeus, as he burned alive. We all stand there watching this play out in front of our very eyes. Zeus screams for Alex, for anyone. But no one comes to his aide. I was frozen in fear or in utter shock as Sebastian kicks him one more time, making Zeus’s body fly, turning his body into ash. Ashes flew everywhere. There was no more Zeus, there was only pieces of ash falling all around us. Sebastian had obliterated him into nothing more than ash that now lay on the ground around our feet. The crowd burst into cheers, some were even high fiving one another, but not me. The man, I had adored more than anything just took a life. For some reason, I had thought this could end with peace, but it didn’t. One more death from all the lies and deceit. One more life that had been taken. Sebastian stood among the ashes of a god, with a smile that broke my heart. I know somewhere deep down that this was the only way we were all to be saved, but it felt as if the air had been pulled right out of my chest. A single tear rolls down my cheek, all while the others celebrate. Although, I had wanted to cause so many of them pain, I didn’t want anyone to die. But there was no turning back now, the almighty had fallen, and we were the ones who would rule the worlds? Why wasn’t I happier, though?
Chapter Eighteen
When the empire falls…
As everyone was celebrating, my eyes gaze towards Alex. He had just lost his father, and although his father tried to kill him, it had to be hard to see your father turn into ash. His face was white like a ghost, while Cali was trying to console him. His eyes find mine. We stare at one another, as tears fill my eyes. He had saved my life, I had saved him, all just to watch his father die moments later. The feelings were too much for me to handle. Walking away from the growing crowd and the cheers, making my way through a path of sand that lead to the golden streets of Mount Olympus; people were bowing to me. It was an odd feeling. I didn’t even know where to go? I didn’t have a home here, and this place had never been my home. Walking around aimlessly, searching for somewhere to hide, I see my Pegasus. He stood in all his glory, as I approached him, he bowed down on one knee, letting my climb upon his back. I didn’t care where we went, just somewhere for me to think. He soars high above the mount, swooping down and up, just flying, while I lay my head down on his back. We fly over what was Zeus’s home, and he begins to descend to the ground in front of his mansion. I didn’t want to be here. I wouldn’t even know where to begin on how to run the world, but this place just seemed like a bad idea. The Pegasus stops in front of the door, bowing down again, to let me off. Standing beside him, rubbing his mane, it was hard to picture myself living in this place. He nudges me with his nose, pushing me in the direction of the front door. Turning around to see what he was trying to tell me, he flies away, soaring high above the clouds. It was just me, standing in front of a house, what could go wrong?
Those are always the last words before something goes wrong.
Casually searching around, making my way to the oversized mahogany door, it opens slowly. Cautiously, I approach the door to the mansion, taking a hold of the door, and quickly looking behind it. No one was there. This was starting to feel like I was walking into a haunted house. Creeping through the front door, stepping on floors of dark marble, there was no one in sight. The main room was glorious. It was filled with gold vases, on glass and marble tables, an oversized white couch that had blankets of many colors draped over the back. Touching one of the blankets, it was pure velvet. Sliding my hand over the material, it changes colors, turning into a gold sequence. It was beautiful. Keeping to my cautious side, peering up at the mantel there stood a very large portrait of Zeus, Hera, and Alex. Making my way to the portrait, Alex looks to be about thirteen in this portrait. It must have been taken shortly before he left for Earth. Alex’s smile is contagious in the portrait as I smile up at the young version of him. This must have been a good day for him, unknown to what his future held. Moving past the mantle, letting my hand drag along the wooden mantel over the fire place, it ignites. The fireplace starts burning the large wooden logs. Bending down, I try to put it out by blowing on it, but all that does it make it go higher into the chimney. If I was trespassing, there would be no mistake that I was here. Watching the fire, I can make out images in the flames. It looks like a family. Sitting down in front of the fire, watching a story play out in the flames. There’s a family with a child, then the child disappears, and two people are fighting one another. Then the other storms off. The one person left begins pacing, throwing their hands in the air, and the person explodes. The flames settle down, and no more story was to be watched. I didn’t know what this was that I had just watched, but it gave me the chills. Hurrying to my feet, I let the fire blaze on the fireplace, searching more through the house. The mansion was quite possibly one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. Each room more amazing then the last one. Gold was scattered all over the place in forms of vases, chairs, desks, you name it, and it had gold somewhere on it. It was a little overkill on that, but it was beautiful. Then I came to the staircase. It was like a ballroom chandelier hanging very low, with what looked like diamonds hanging from it, that lead the way to the winding staircase. It was something you would have only seen in the lifestyles of the rich and famous. The stair case winds all the way up to what looks to be three floors high. The railing was lined in mahogany wood, the same as the front door, with a gold banister. Placing my hand over the banister, I make my way up the stairs. Turning around one more time to see if anyone was behind me, when I hear the front door slam shut. Searching around me, there was no one in the house. This place was really starting to give me the creeps. Deciding not to take the climb up the stairs, I run to the front
door. Placing my hand on the golden door knob, trying to pull it open, it wouldn’t budge. I keep pulling with both hands, falling backwards as I used too much strength. This place had trapped me inside. Running to where I thought I had seen another door that lead outside, fear takes over. Finding the door, I hurry trying to get this door now open. It wouldn’t budge either. Why couldn’t I get out of here?
Sebastian! Help me!
Selene! Where the hell are you?
Trapped in Zeus’s house.
What the … what are you doing in there? I have been searching for you for hours.
Hours? I’ve only been gone for a few minutes, but this place won’t let me out.
I’m on my way, but I have been trying to find you for seriously hours. You scared me!
Sorry. Just please come get me out of here…
Already on my way.
Hours? I had been gone for hours? How is that even possible? I had only left just a few minutes ago. Had it really been hours? I try one more time with the door, still wouldn’t budge. Maybe I could use water on the door? At this point, trying anything to get out of here was worth a shot. Running back to the kitchen, taking a glass lined with a gold rim, filling it with water, it overflows in seconds. Sprinting back to the door, I throw it on the door knob; hoping it had enough pressure to push the door open from the handle. It hits the door turning it into ice immediately. Now the door knob was encased with ice? How did it not have enough pressure to push it open, but enough to turn it into ice? One other idea that was rushing through my mind, it wasn’t a good one; but I wanted out of here. I begin to blow on the door, hoping to ignite a flame. Nothing. No fire. The water wasn’t even a large amount, but it was growing up the door, turning each panel into ice. I was trapping myself inside of here. The house was fighting back. This wasn’t weird at all. Nope. Not at all. Stepping back from the door, feeling that this may have been a trap set by Zeus if he lost, one more bad idea was racing through my mind. If I had the strength I thought I had, maybe this would work? Walking away from the door, stepping all the way back into the kitchen, I make a run for it. Speeding up faster and faster, using all the strength I had hitting the door on impact. The ice begins to melt, splintering the door. Yes. I had done it. I do it again, running harder this time, sliding down to the ground as if I were making a run for home plate; hoping to break the bottom of the door where it had split. It cracks. Punching the door where it’s split, trying to break the door down, I can hear Sebastian yelling outside. I keep beating the door with my fists, making them bleed. Screams come from me, as I keep hitting. It wasn’t working. The split in the door wasn’t growing, it just stayed there. I hadn’t even made another dent.
