Iridescence

Chapter Sixteen (Krissy)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

KRISSY

I fell asleep at about four in the morning. I immediately found myself in a dream.

I stood near a river, watching the rapids flow. The scenery was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. It was bright, with various hues of blues, pinks, and purples filling the sky. There were trees on each side of the river. I admired the beauty for a minute before sticking my hand in the water.

To my complete shock, something grabbed my hand and yanked me into the water. I let out a scream, which was probably pointless while I was under the water, but I wasn't exactly thinking straight.

I couldn't see what had grabbed me, but it dragged me deeper and deeper until we reached a cave. I struggled to calm myself down as I realized the water surrounded the cave but somehow wasn't inside of it.

"What is this place?" I asked aloud. I started to explore, my curiosity getting the best of me. That was when I saw a boy smiling at me.

"You made it!" He said in excitement. "Come, Rydia. I have found something fascinating!"

I felt myself following him deeper into the cave. I couldn't seem to stop myself. I spoke without being able to control my words.

"What's so interesting, Theos?" I asked.

"It's right over here," he replied. He showed it to me then. A beautiful mural was painted on the cave wall. It depicted a stunning woman singing to several men. They all looked enchanted.

"Theos, this is a siren's lair!" I cried in horror. "We need to go."

"The siren isn't here anymore, Rydia," he replied. "It's safe, and what she was meant to protect is unguarded."

"What happened to her?" I asked, although what I wanted to ask was who the heck Rydia was. The name stirred something in me I couldn't really put my finger on.

"She must have lured the wrong man here... I discovered her body and gave her a proper burial after alerting Poseidon. That was when I discovered this." He showed me a collection of treasures, each more unusual than the next. "I know you can't resist a good adventure. I thought you would enjoy exploring this with me."

I smiled. I seemed to trust him completely, yet something in me sensed something wasn't right. "Does Zeus know you're going through her belongings?" I asked.

"He doesn't especially care. He called it junk, but I sense some powerful magical artifacts here. It seems such a shame to throw it all away or leave it abandoned."

He handed me a hand mirror framed in gold. I studied it as it began to vibrate in my hands. Suddenly, an image appeared in the glass. It showed me another place and time. I watched as children danced in a circle holding hands. They giggled and began singing an eerie song in a language I didn't speak. In horrifying unison, they turned their heads so their eyes were all locked directly on me. That's when they began screaming.

I dropped the mirror. I love creepy things, but that was a bit much. "What is that?" I demanded.

"I'm not certain," he replied. He picked it up and tried to see what I had, but nothing happened. "How odd," he mumbled. "Don't worry, Rydia. I'll keep this one away from you. Take this instead." He handed me a large pearl. It filled me with a sense of complete euphoria.

"It's a calming pearl," I realized. "These are extremely rare." I smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Keep it, Rydia. You deserve such a lovely gift."