Luke Jackson: My Story

Stone Heart

I heard rushing footsteps crunching in the gravel path below my feet. I ran down the hallway surrounded with luscious, now eerie green plants and forever frozen stone statues of people with terrified expressions. I ran faster, calling Marcus' name I veered left and crashed into something hard.

"Holy Hades Luke, you almost impaled me! What the hell?" Marcus coughed.

"Sorry man. She's here, I know it." I panted as I stood up and brushed the dirt off my shirt and shorts. I retrieved my sword, Marcus did the same. Marcus and I were quiet for a minute, tension and nervousness filled the air. Something was about to happen, I could feel it, like the calm before the storm.

Then I heard a cry, like a girl yelping. "Lauren!" I shouted.

"Lauren! Keep running!" Marcus and I took off running, weaving through the maze of plants shouting her name.

"Marcus? Luke? Where are you guys!? She's right behind me!" I heard Lauren finally answer. She seemed far away, too far away.

"Don't look back Laur. Keep running, and keep yelling! We're coming!" Marcus shouted.

We made several left turns before Lauren's voice stopped answering our calls. Then suddenly, I heard a panicked shriek, "Luke! Where are you?!"

My heart and legs went into overdrive and it seemed as if I knew exactly where she was. Marcus and I turned a corner and our eyes caught the back of an older women clothed in old rags and fabrics with snakes in place of hair. She had cornered Lauren against a wall and a glass window. "Keep your eyes closed Lauren. We're right here!" I shouted.

Medusa whipped her head around but Marcus and I were too quick for her. "Duck!" I ordered, shoving Marcus aside behind a pillar.

"Luke Jackson, come out and face me" Medusa hissed her s's.

"You'll have to catch me first old lady." I toyed with her, again, sounding way more confident than I'd thought I would.

Medusa roared and Marcus and I split up. I ran back and kicked Medusa in the chin as I sprinted towards Lauren, standing in the corner still squinting her eyes shut. I grabbed her shoulders and said one word before I shoved her to the right, "run!"

Lauren didn't challenge me this time, and she took off just before I felt a cold, unforgiving hand dig into my shoulder. I shut my eyes and I felt my body being forcefully turned around. I felt the small tongues of the snakes in her hair jab into my face, "Luke Jackson, you look just like your daddy. But I want to see your eyes, are they sea green like his or stone grey like your mother's?" Medusa hissed.

"It doesn't matter. Let the other two go," I snarled, still keeping my eyes closed.

"Hmm, hm, I don't think so. I think the girl would make a great new addition to my collection, what do you think Luke?" Medusa asked, in a cruel, scratchy voice. My blood boiled in my veins and my heart rate sped up.

I raised my hand but my sword was gone, "foolish child, you're ignorant like your father." Medusa tightened her grip on my shoulders, pulling me closer to her. Her breath smelled of smoke and fertilizer, a rather strange combination.

The hissing from her snakes intensified as I felt the cold air from Medusa linger over me. I heard footsteps, Medusa must've heard them too because her cold air left my face and I heard a wail. It was a risk, but I knew that sound from anywhere I opened my eyes and watched my best friend turn grey and her sword clatter to the ground.

Grey creeped up from Lauren's feet and rapidly rose upwards. Her helpless gaze locked on Medusa's knitted eyes. I sprinted over to her and put my hands on her face as her terrified expression was forever frozen in stone.