The Pearl

Stage 15: Hey There Polyhymnia

It wasn't long before my eyes had been completely dried of tears, leaving a puffy, red ring around itself. My nose was stuffed. I felt sick, but I didn't say anything. The last thing I'd want to do is to expose yet another weakness of mine to these people/ person.

A pounding noise jolts me out of my thoughts and I immediately look to the speaker to see what had happened.

"Oh Calliope is here. Be a doll and open the door for me will you?"

The voice showed no trace of rudeness in it, so i politely answered, "There is no door." The other end was quiet. Then a creaky noise filled the room, the sound of an opening door that needed oiling. My head whirls around to catch a glimpse of where the door was, but I could still not see it. My long hair whacks my face as if to say 'you're so pathetic Kei'.

Oh so now I'm thinking about talking hair. Wonderful. You keep doing what you're doing up there brain, if you're doing anything at all.

I think I made a noise as I was in my daze, because i could hear harsh laughter echo against the walls.

"She talks to herself?" My body instinctively stiffens at the sound of Calliope's voice.

"Be easy on her," the mysterious voice says. She then switches to a whisper and I could only hear snippets of what she said. "The queen...alive...wants her."

"Um, I'm still here," I say in a tone so annoying that I wanted to bang my head on the ground right then and there out of embarrasment.

"We're aware," Calliope sneered loudly into the speaker. Just her voice made my shiver. I whisper an okay and duck my head down between my arms that were plopped on my knees, keeping me snug against the chilly air conditioning. I open my mouth to ask the lady (not Calliope however; I would never dare to even speak to hear again) if she could get the room warmer, but I held my voice just as the first syllable croaked out. It made me sound weak and broken.

Calliope snickers noticeably, to which the other girl shushes her. My leg starts to bounce up and down; it's a habit I do when I get nervous or anxious. I try to force myself to stop, but I just make it hop at an even faster pace. I roll my eyes at my disability to control myself and let out a sharp breath.

"Are we getting restless in there?" the girl whose name I still don't know inquires. Again, she doesn't seem like she's taunting me so I simply shake my tired head. My long hair hits my face and I growl. Both of the others laugh at me, probably thinking that I'm getting annoyed or something. I growl again, finally realizing that they couldn't see me, but they could hear me.

"Whatever," I mutter, mainly to myself, then louder, "can we play a game then?"

I hear heavy footsteps approaching the intercom and the two simultaneously answer, "Sure."

"What about twenty questions?"

"No."

"M'kay."

I hear the other end get silent.

"Ugh fine. I call going last though." I scoff at Calliope's "enthusiasm".

"I'll go first. What's your name-no not you Calliope," I smirk as Calliope grunts.

"Nia," she answers smoothly. Calliope chortles.

"Full name Nia."

I hear Nia mutter something too low to hear. "A little louder please," I say politely.

"Polyhymnia."

Calliope breaks out in full laughter, only stopping to gasp for air. "It gets me every time, I swear. I don't know if I should be sorry that's what you got." Her laughing increases in volume, then quiets down, but I could hear her grin in her speech. "I'm glad I got Calliope; it was the best one don't you think?"