Myths: The Folklore Trilogy

Chapter 16- In Which Everything Goes Horribly Wrong

I was horrified. Truly horrified and frozen in space.

Time was frozen too. It was as if the cold, harsh voice of this woman had spread ice over everyone and everything.

Then Sophie cried out--a single, heartbreaking, shriek--and dove down towards the dome next to me. She hit it with both of her fists, but it was like glass. Yet she pounded insistently, refusing to believe it. I had never seen her so distraught. A tear leaked out from the corner of her eye. Then Audrey placed a hand on her shoulder. Sophie froze. "There's no point. There's nothing we can do," Audrey said, her voice hard. Sophie became rigid as a board.

And then she flew to me and collapsed in my arms, sobbing. I held her, still in shock myself. We fluttered there, embracing.

Then she pulled away. "We have to see if we can help them," she insisted, and shot down towards the side of the dome. Audrey and I shared a look, a look of grim horror, of mild surprise at Sophie's behavior, a look of fear--and then we followed her.

We landed on the rocks at the edge of the island. The dome wasn't as red at the bottom, more see through. And through it, we could see Mrs. Simone lying on the ground.

"Mrs. Simone!" Audrey shouted. She sounded panicked. I had never heard her sound like that before. "Mrs. Simone? Natasha? Natasha Simone?"

For one terrifying moment, she didn't move. But then, she twitched. Softly, she moaned and lifted her head. I had to hold back a gasp. Her usually perfect short brown hair was tangled and matted with blood from a cut on her forehead. Her lip was swollen, her porcelain face coated with dirt. She parted her lips slightly, and spoke.

"Audrey..." she whispered, her voice hoarse. She sounded like she was speaking from underwater. Her eyes flicked to me. "Sierra. Sophie. Girls." She winced, and slowly propped herself up onto her side. "I flew out here a moment before the red light hit. I sensed something. It is Giselle," she said firmly. She sighed. "At long last, it appears the Elder Council has found us."

"Is Giselle part of the Elder Council?" I whispered. Mrs. Simone smiled wryly. "She happens to be the head of the entire thing."

"Why does she hate Myths so much?" Audrey said angrily. "What did we ever do to her?"

"I do not know," Mrs. Simone admitted. "Listen carefully girls: the Elder Council is the head of all magical communities. All. We are not the only ones. Giselle happens to be a sorceress, and a dangerous one at that. She is known for cunning mind and ability to combine her magic with modern man-made objects, which she is unique in her ability to do.

"I don't know why she banned Myths from existing, but she didn't ban sorcerers. The alliance we have with the guild up north is a secret. They are quite brave to do something of that magnitude."

"What's going to happen to you?" Audrey blurted out. "Will you guys be ok? Are they going to..."--she hesitated-- "...kill you?"

Mrs. Simone furrowed her brow. "My dear, they will certainly try."

Sophie let out a small sob. "What can we do?"

"Go north, to the sorcerer's guild," she said. "Find refuge there. Try to hide."

"Hide?" Audrey protested. "And let you die?"

"Audrey, listen to me," Mrs. Simone said firmly. "You must get out of her. This problem is too big for you to fight. It's not your battle anymore. Giselle is ruthless. She will kill you if she finds you. Your only hope is to hide."

"Ok," I whispered.

"No," Audrey said, "I won't leave you like this!" Her voice cracked a little. She pounded a fist against the dome.