The white toga went great with my skin tone.
I lovingly gazed at my hand and arm, watching the golden ring on my middle finger trail down to my wrist and glint in the sunlight. I smelt like berries and my hair felt curlier than usual with much more volume. Everyone around me on this elegant boat couldn't compare to me. While the girls makeup was smudged in the heat that forced their skin to sweat and plaster their hair to their neck. I was cool and fresh. Not a single flaw within me.
Even the guys were hot. Every single one was perfect, sharp jaw lines, straight noses, soft hair, and tall in height. "Wine? Ma'am" a waiter asks, holding a tray out. I look at him innocently as if the drink never touched my lips before. But both you and I know that that's a lie.
I chuckle, "Oh yes, that would be pleasant." He holds the glass out for me. For a moment everything that had happened in the beach house had vanished from my mind. I had no worries and I was instead spoiled by strangers, if anything this was perfect. But anxiety joined me and played with my mind as I heard, "Hi sweetie!"
Fear chilled me and goosebumps ran up my arm. The memory of the voice, the voice that sounded so staticky in my mind as it did on the computer. The wine glass grew heavy and I slowly turned around, knowing exactly what I was going to face.
"Ava! Ava! Can. You. Hear. Me?" My father says once more. My eyes grow wide in worry and fright as I see them in front of me, in the same clothes that are now wet and bloody. My mothers wet face turns concerned, "Ava, have you been drinking wine again?" She says.
My fingers instinctively curl and the glass I hold flys to the floor, blood colored wine spreads along the floor mixing with watery blood. I wince at the sight of the wet toga but I ignore what I have on, I shake my head and look down, "I'm sorry..." I whisper, tears pouring out, "I'm so sorry that I didn't warn you."
My fathers wet curls cover his forehead and he looks at my mother, "I'm telling you, it's your fault she's like this." I sob and look into my fathers eyes, but rather than warmth, rather than the acknowledgment that I'm there, I stare into eyes of the dead. He looks at me like I'm a wall.
"I should have told you!" I drop to my knees, because I know that if I didn't then I'd fall straight down anyway. People around me talk as if nothing strange happened, like getting dead visitors on the ship was usual routine. "Young lady!" My mother scolds looking around at the boat, "How-how many times have I told you to stop with that habit?!"
I stare at my hands soaking in the bloody wine as the memory comes back to me.
"Don't be such a prude!" Bailey berates, pushing Ava slightly on her queen sized bed. "Ava, we both know that you have been wanting to try wine for years now, now here is your chance" Bailey holds out the bottle pushing her hay colored hair back. Ava bites her lip as temptation threatens to overpower her.
Ava puts her hand on her arm bashfully, "I-I don't know. Wine is a form of alcohol and according to scientific research wine can cause Alzheimer's disease, alcoholism, cirrhosis of the liver, and oral bacteria..." Ava would have continued but Bailey gave her a dumb look. Bailey rolls her eyes and scoffs, "Drink Ava, or I'll tell Dawson Feller that you stalk him on Instagram."
Ava bit her lip, she knew that Bailey would tell, she was just that kind of person. And it wasn't even stalking, she just liked his pictures. "Okay fine" Ava holds out her hand reluctantly. They placed the bottle firmly on the bed as Bailey pulled the cork out with a corkscrew. With a pop, the smell of sour grapes was in the air and Ava smiles at it hungrily. Bailey knits her eyebrows, confused, "Woah Ava...calm down, your eyes look weird."
But Ava didn't seem to hear as she instantly pulled the heavy bottle up. The unfamiliar taste was new, Ava tried not to cough out the contents in her mouth as she drunk heavily. The only reason she stopped was because Bailey pulled the bottle away. "You never share!" Bailey rolls her eyes.
Ava licks her lips, and sways. She felt funny, was this what being drunk felt like? The rain outside begins to quicken and Ava turns her head toward the window, distracted Bailey doesn't even notice as the rain in Manhattan beats down.
Ava jumps back as the hoof of a horse slams against the window. Ava gasps and the excitement takes over as Ava falls on her back. Bailey stands up and shakes her comatose friend, "Oh my, Ava? Ava are you okay?" But mortal Bailey, stands clueless, as Ava Longing dreams and blearily watches her parents boat crash and drown. And a much older Ava watches with her, on a computer screen.
Ava's parents come in, to evacuate the kids from their rooms so they can go somewhere else to escape the storm. But they stay silent as sleeping Ava wakes up drowsily. "Ava!" Her mother grunts both scared and angry. "What happened?!" Her mother asks angrily. Bailey stutters, trying to find a response for this, but Ava watches her parents in fear. What was coming?
Then the juicy wine settled in her system and Ava was powered with confidence. As Bailey tries to explain Ava pulls out the wine bottle out from under the bed and she smiles wildly. "Wine happened." The wild side of Ava had woken up.
Mother stares blankly at the space in front of her and stays slack, "You're just like-"
"Who?!" I slap my hand in the liquid. "Who is it?! Who do I remind you of?! Tell me!" I cry. I won't let fear take over me again...I can't be helpless, I have to face my fears.
But that's hard. Though I'm aware of my courage, no matter how powerful I felt, or anyone felt for that matter. Staring at your parents, bloody and soaked with water in the same clothes that they died in...that will kill you inside. It will scare you more than you could imagine.
"Your father, Ava Longing," my mother states. I look up and gulp, "Ex-excuse me?"
"Me" bellows a voice. I stand quickly on my knees and turn around, if I'm lucky it won't be another dead bloody person. Behind the figure, everything fades and the people don't exist anymore, only the man. He's short and plump, with chubby red cheeks and a beard, a mass of raven black curly hair on his head, a leopard print shirt, beige shorts and sandals. I shutter and turn around to face the comfort of my parents but they're gone.
I swallow and stand up to walk away backwards. "W-who are y-you? Where am I?" My hands tremble, I try to curl my fingers around the white toga, but I'm back in my glittery black jacket and white pink tank top. My pants aren't wet even though I spent the last five minutes sitting in blood.
The man looks around awkwardly, as if he just said something embarrassing and he tries to speak. "I'm Dionysus, god of- you know what I can't do this," he scowls and a wineglass filled with Dr. Pepper appears in his hand. He sits back onto a chair that just appeared from the shadows.
"I'm your father" he emits from the inside of his cup, gulping in the contents. I try to slyly move away, but I instead slip on the liquids and fall onto another chair. My breath escapes my throat and I sit dumbfounded. He chuckles and puts the empty cup on a table that shines from the darkness. I notice I'm in a dark room, nothing is lit except for a small spotlight on me and...Dionysus, and the table and chairs. But small machines, like arcade ones, play around us.
"Yeah yeah, take a good look. I'm your father, Dionysus, god of wine, parties, harvest of grapes, theatre, madness, and ecstasy." Another drink appears in his hand. My heart beats a thousand times a minute, my fear doesn't seem to go away, what's happening?
"W-what...why- why...wha-" my words don't come out as my tongue curls behind my teeth. Who was this guy? A burning feeling that seems to push me, emits from my chest. What is it? What's that feeling?! Dionysus shows a look of worry but that quickly vanishes. But was it worry? I stared deep into his eyes, and I found madness in there, evil, power. Who was this man?
I lick my teeth behind my closed mouth. A deep searing pain hits my chest and I acknowledge it, I want it there. Honestly I want to laugh, this is a god? This is the god that is supposed to be my father? No. No I'm elegant, graceful, I am the ruler here, I decide how this goes.
Words echo all around my and I flinch. "Ava what's wrong with you?!" I think. The human side of me breaks, and my forming smile turns back into a frown. Dionysus places his cup on the table and stares at me directly, as if he were questioning my existence. I run my fingers through my hair roughly and I jump slightly every time my heart beats.
"Ava Longing...you've gone mad," he says astonished. My heart beats faster as he stands and words are whispered all around me.....he- he's gonna eat me! He's a god he has to! He's gonna eat me!
I push the chair back, what if he gets me?!
But his hands grab the sides of my head, he looks directly into my eyes. His blue eyes narrow, is he angry? He's going to turn me into a plant! Why is he-
"Frightened?" He asks.
I was about to scream and push him away, but a wave of calmness washes over me. I feel dopey and lethargic, sleep seems like a wonderful thing right now. I nod my head and slump into the chair, only one voice emits from my mind and it's my own, my mortal side. "You should be, Aria."
I squint and try to sit up, Aria? "That's not my name-"
"Whatever Aria. Now listen you must be confused, and judging by your annoying foot tapping you must really want to run away-"
"Why can't I move quickly?"
He pauses..."Did I say you could interrupt me?-"
"Tell me old man, why do I feel weird?"
"You are an annoying, spoiled brat..." He insults.
I open my mouth appalled, "Same goes for you, drunkard"
He glares, "I could leave you on that beach, crying."
And that was how I realized that this wasn't real. Memories of falling asleep on the beach hit me, no wonder my face feels so scratchy on one side. Ringing hits my ears, faint ringing, but ringing. "Wait a minute...this isn't even real" I touch my head. Dionysus claps his hands and a sarcastic look shows up on his face, "Well, bravo Abby, you finally get it. Well well well, will everyone clap their hands, because Allison Lorenzo here finally gets it!"
The spotlight on us turns away from us and shows on a crowd. That's when I realize that we're on a stage and people with smudgy faces and featureless skin clap, they all stand and more stand as they erupt from all around us. I gulp and the spotlight shines back to us, the red curtain slowly closing. My eyes move back to Dionysus.
I cross my arms and sway slightly, so I push myself against the chair, "That was weird, and that wasn't even close to my name. And since this is a dream I shouldn't even be insulted by an alcoholic! Yeah, yeah that's right Dionysus I know Greek mythology!" I reply. Dionysus shakes his head, "The golden apple doesn't fall far from Heras orchard! Miss wine drinker."
I humph and close my eyes. I had to get serious, this was weird. "Why am I lucid in a dream? We shouldn't even be speaking right now," I mumble. Dionysus sighs and stares at me like I'm a job he doesn't want to get to right now. "I know that throughout your life, everything has seemed normal for you. You had a rich life and everyone loves you, and wants to be your friend,"
See now he's getting on my good side.
"You have a loving family...or had one anyway." I grunt and look away, now I just want to run over him with my Ferrari. "But listen Longing. You can't have that anymore...you have to start facing reality." I look back at him and sit up straight, "Reality? Reality!" Anger fuses inside my head, pushing aside the grief.
"No, kids who live in reality...don't watch their parents die on camera! They don't watch their parents die at all! They don't! I want my old life back, I want parties every weekend, friends who are there for me, and decent air conditioning. If anything this should be reality. Me on a boat surrounded by people! And...and the other life should be a dream...a nightmare."
My eyes start to sting and I feel tears come out. But Dionysus doesn't comfort or reassure me, he seems unfazed by me. "But that wasn't your real life Ava. You aren't some mortal rich girl...you're a half-blood."
I shake my head and wipe away the tears forming, "If that's another insult I swear that-"
"It's not an insult. Though it should be considering that half-bloods are pretentious, stuck up....nevermind." I look up, "Wait...what am I?" I ask, grabbing onto the sides of the chair.
"You're a half-blood, or demigod. It means that you have a mortal parent and another parent that's a god."
I shake my head and think of both of my parents..."No, that's stupid! Neither of my parents are gods. My dad doesn't even dress like a decent human being" I scowl. Dionysus gets another glass of soda, "But Phil wasn't your father...that's the problem," he looks away bored, "I am."
I feel as if I'm losing here, but then my old friend knowledge comes into view, "No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no that's scientifically impossible. Gods are not real! If they were then they'd still be around and as popular as whatever religion is most popular right now!"
Sharp ringing flows into my ears and I grip my head. "Aargh" a disgruntled moan escapes my lips and my head swishes around. "It's not time to wake up yet Longing," he looks around and shuts the light off so I'm alone. I sigh as the ringing dims and I wearily look up, "I DONT WANT TO BELIEVE THIS!" I scream, my voice echoing off. "But I'll play along! What do you want from me?! Tell me now, OR I WONT HELP YOU!" I fall to the floor, heaving.
But when I look up I'm not alone anymore. Two kids stand there motionless but buzzing. Like holograms. On the left was a boy wearing a green jacket and a small pendant on his chest. He had short messy black hair, and bottle green eyes that looked scared. Light Caucasian skin but he would've been more handsome if he were tan. His smile was mischievous, like you could never trust the guy, he had a scary aura that made you feel like you were always being chased, always being watched, or always on your toes.
Next to him was a girl wearing a yellow T-Shirt that said Kicking Cans, she had nice music taste if she liked that band. She had dirty blonde hair that was tied up, and tan skin. She would've been even more beautiful if it weren't for her blue grey eyes that had a never ending sadness in them. And her smile was sad too, what a downer. But her presence made you feel so sunny and happy. It made you wonder how she could be so sad.
"Find them." Boomed a voice that definitely was not Dionysus, "For they have a destiny so great, it could just save us all. And you as well Ava, for you three can change everything."
I sit up and the sharp pain hits my chest, I still don't know what it was? What the emotion was. But I knew it would've killed me, if it weren't for the ringing. The shrill sound filled my ears and I cry as my forehead touches the ground. "You remind me of someone.....See you in time Anna Loving."
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
My fingers curl around wet sand as I awaken. Rough rocks pinch my face and my clothes are wet. I moan and try to stand, "Ugh, this is so going to give me acne." My fingers rub away the sand and I look up the sun was barely touching the sky, I shudder as I stare at the sea.
They would never come back to me.
I try not to cry and I turn around to face New York City. Every single car raced by quickly, some stuck in traffic, their only worry was getting to work late. Lucky bastards.
I stumble all the way to the beach house. How could this happen? My clothes smell disgusting all I had to do last night was change into something less important to me, and this $300 set would be just fine. Life just isn't fair. I open the wet door and stare along my living room. Cups littered the floor, clothes that were not my own hung everywhere, the crystal glass was on the floor, food was shoved into the vent.
I shook my head, already planning how I was going to clean the mess up, when my eyes landed on... The wine bottle. The bottle was lying directly in the middle of the floor. Mocking me. I screamed and picked it up, my anger showing. I threw the bottle against the wall and closed my eyes as the shares fell to the ground, the cracking sound disappearing quickly.
"WHY DID YOU EVEN MAKE ME?!" I scream to the ceiling. Dionysus. I even hated his name, killed my parents! And for some stupid adventure that I was destined to go on. Well I want no part of it! I run up the stairs to go to my room and clean up.
The smell of strawberries surrounded me and I grinned. Something familiar for once, it wasn't home but it was close. I hugged my blankets and laid there for a while. But I scrunched my nose in disgust as I saw my hair make a wet stain along the bed. Gross.
Water calmly runs along my face and I'm lost with my thoughts. My annoying thoughts that I can't seem to push away. Although scientific studies show that thinking was a stress reliever and helped your mind grow daily and excess in academic problems and real life situations.....nevermind.
I step out of the shower and look outside the window. The sun shines and erupts my room in light, New York making as much noise as possible outside. After all that's happened to me I deserve a break! I should just go and make myself a smoothie, take a nap, and deal with this later.
I put on another black jacket to warm me in the cold room. I turn my doorknob slowly at least until a sharp rapping at the front door sounds. "This is the police! Answer the door immediately or we will be forced to come in by force!" A man yells.
I step back and gasp, staring at my door. The police? I quickly turn around and face my room, they must be here because....my parents. I run to my closet and pull out my backpack, stuffing it with any clothes I could find. The knocking comes more urgent, "One last chance!" He demands.
I zip up the pack and look around me, how was I going to leave?! If they find me, they'll mark me as an orphan and take me to an orphanage, my grandparents are dead and I don't know any aunts or uncles. A large boom hits the door three times, and I hear a loud sound of wood hitting the ground. Panic hits my head and I look around frantically.
I can't be sent to a prison! Then my eyes land on the window and I snap it open. It's a long way down, and I could break my legs or worse...die. I breath in big gulps of air, eh what have I got to lose? I grab my pack and jump out. Wind whips at my damp hair and I hear only wind. I fall onto a mess of sand and vines. But I take on running as my back falls on my stomach.
I run as quick as I can, ignoring the sand hit my face. I run to the city and I don't look back. But minutes later as my shoes find gravel and sidewalks, I realize
We didn't have a vineyard.