The chapter's here! Enjoy reading guys.
'Elsa baby, come downstairs! Dinners ready.' My mom called me from downstairs. I smiled and placed my colour pencils down as I rushed downstairs. Just as I landed, I saw mom in the kitchen cutting some vegetables. I tip toed from behind her and wrapped my arms around her stomach.
'I got ya.' I said and giggled as mom turned around and tickled me.
'No, I got ya.' She said in her fruity voice. I ran in the lounge but mom caught me an flirted me off with her hands around my stomach.
'Put me down.' I said and kicked my legs in the air as random giggles escaped my lips. My attention snapped to the tv that suddenly sounded too loud for its own good.
Animated characters sprawled in the screen. Their gaits were different almost too much weird. A cow boy, with a gun stood in front of the pack of zombie-people that said nothing but made grunting sounds. The cow boy loaded his gun and aimed at a boy from the pack of people. He was about to press the trigger when television turned blank.
'Mom, why you turned it off?' I grunted.
'Because it is not good.' Mom said calmly and picked up a leather-cover book and placed it on the night stand.
'But why. They were bad people and he was about to kill them. It would be fun.' I reasoned with her.
She smiled an ruffled my hair and kneeled down. 'They are not bad Elsa. They're influenced. It makes them do bad things and killing them is never—
'Elsa!' Someone shreiked in my ear alarming my insides. I tried to find the source but everything was blurred until someone snapped its fingers in front of my face. 'Yo Els, I never thought you the girl to day dream and wait for her Prince Charming on a white horse to pick your ass up and take you to his bloody castle built by his father's black money and forced you to be his wife.' Austin remarked.
'Damn you! You just ruined my whole childhood!' Chloe exclaimed but I didn't answer rather sliced my breakfast and ate it.
'Elsa, seriously girl what's wrong?' Someone asked but I concentrated on my chewing.
'I'm fine. Just a bit tired I guess.'
'Girl you're slicing your bread , dipping it in water and eating it like it's a lollipop.' Chloe commented.
I dropped down the loaf of bread and stood up. 'I'm done.' I picked up my plate and dropped it in the sink.
'Hey did you saw something like...' Stephen trailed off expecting me to finish the sentence.
My eyes lingered on the happy and eager faces waiting for me to speak. What would I tell them? That I saw , or hear nothing? That I had a dreamless night and I just had dreamt one of my childhood memory that even I don't remember where it came from?
I pushed aside my questions and my confusions and stared at them. 'I did saw something.' Just as words escaped from my mouth, they all gathered in front of me. At that moment, I wished I wouldn't have ever spoken that sentence.
'What did you see?' Justin asked eagerly.
'I...Er... I had a...sorta dream.' I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt. I didn't know why I was doing it? Why could I simply tell them the truth? But their merriness took away the only strength I once mustered. 'I was siting in a room and ... Er.. you guys were there and...'
'And what?' The twins asked in unison eagerly.
'And we were talking ... I mean discussing something.' I somehow completed my sentence.
'Discussing what?'
'I don't know.' With my words, Austin's face fell off and he furrowed.
'What do you mean?' Austin asked.
I , instead of looking at everyone, looked down regretting the second I chose to lie. 'It's a bit confusing. I need to focus to make sense of it that's why I don't know it exactly.' I said and chewed on my bottom lips.
Why did I do it?
'Oookk.' Austin said awkwardly. 'It's ok. No pressure. Just chill and when you figure it out , then inform us.' I glanced at him but didn't meet his eyes. His lips tucked up in a assuring smile. I didn't smile back.
One by one, everyone did their dishes and scattered away as they walked out of the kitchen. 'I don't think it's reliable.' I said loud enough for everyone to hear me. They all turned their heads at me.
'What do you mean?' Chloe asked.
'I mean relying on prophecy is not right. I know it's the only weapon we have against Hades but it doesn't mean that we should sit idly and wait for the prophecy.'
Now everyone we're looking at me expecting as if I've gone insane but I had to do something. 'Listen, Hades know we're here.' I stated. 'Don't you feel like it's weird? Like we had some of his forces chasing when we were in La but no one chased us here in Las Vegas?' In the marathon of diverting their attention away from the prophecy, I did make a point.
No one answered but heard me interestingly. 'And I don't think it's difficult for him to find us. We're like in the most obvious place.'
'What's your point?' Chloe asked annoyingly.
I rolled my eyes and was about to say further more when Leo appeared from behind and said. 'Her point is, Hades is giving us time. She's right. He knows we're here. It doesn't take a rocket science or something to find about it.'
'So do you mean he's waiting for something?' Stephen asked.
'Maybe for us.' Greg concluded.
'Could be . But why would he wait for us?' Chloe injected. The different direction of conversation was all I wanted and everyone soon became part of it.
'Maybe he wants something from us.' Austin piped in and soon everyone's eyes landed on the ring.
'So you mean he's waiting for us to come out so he can take the ring?' I asked them.
'I don't know , maybe.' Justin said and shrugged.
I looked at Leo who was thinking something. 'We need to prepare guys.' Leo said. His face looked alarmed and recognition spread across his face. He looked at everyone, then me and back to everyone. 'She's right. So damn right. Hades waiting for us. He doesn't want something. He wants someone.'
My eyes widened just as his landed on me. 'You mean? He wants me?'
He nodded. 'He's building a weapon or something. He wants the other half of stone. Remember what I told you?' Leo asked me.
'Nope.' I said.
'The stone's most powerful when the two pieces are joined.' Leo stated. 'Maybe he's waiting for the prophecy to come out, so that he'll have it then and build his weapon.'
'And how on Earth you know about the weapon?' Austin asked.
'Remember yesterday I went to work?' He asked.
'Yeah I do. And you didn't even bother to tell us.' Greg said boringly.
'Well Marie asked me to visit a prisoner here in Las Vegas so I went there. The prisoner told me something about weapon I didn't get that at that moment. He was a sectator —one of them which Elsa caught— he told me that Hades' waiting and maybe he's waiting for this.'
All of our mouths formed 'O'. 'So we'll just have the prophecy and then , our game will be over?' Chloe asked.
'No.' I said. 'We won't let it. Look I don't know how long would it take for that damn prophecy but we can beat him.'
'How?'
'He's waiting for the prophecy right? Let him wait while we prepare ourselves against him. Right now, we're out of everything. We'll use this time for us. If he wants a game, then he'll have one. But this time, we'll run it.' I said.
*****
'Chloe can you pass me the file?' I outstretched my hand and waited for her. She passed me the file and opened it.
Name: Sana Bashir
Religion: Muslim
Age: 13 years old
Date of birth: April 15, 2005
DONE.
I looked at the information. Why someone would have this? I gazed at the picture of a young girl. Her clothes were torn apart from many places but she smiled at the photographer.
Her bright smile brought a smile on my face too. I pitied myself at the situation I was pushed into. Sometimes I wanted my childhood back. But I never had one I guess. Neither any of us. All of us suffered. Suffered from the most devastating events. Just because of the prophecy, all of our lives were taken.
It occurs to me that if we were not predicted, would it stop the obstacles in between our happiness. But their life would change but mine would be same approximately considering the memories that had decided to haunt me day and night, I never would've had a happy family. Just if, I would born a little different. Maybe, maybe , I would be slightly happy.
I sighed and pushed aside the negative thoughts. I needed to work on my mission which had now become everyone's. I needed to make Hades pay for his deeds. The deeds he did out of greediness. I wanted to pay him hard of it.
I picked up the magnifying glass and focused on the photograph. There must be something, something that will give me a clue why on Earth this photograph matters. But I found nothing.
'Austin, what about the USB?' I asked him referring to the USB I managed to steal from Matthew while I interrogated him.
He peeked from the side of the computer. 'Still trying. The USB has virus .I don't think it will work.'
'Chloe did Ms Zoe picked up the call?' I asked her in a hope .
She shook her head disappointingly. 'No. Not picking up.'
'Contact someone else then.' I told her. 'What about Dr. Madison?'
'She ain't picking up either.'
'Stephen did Justin return?' I directed towards Stephen who was working with Austin. 'And how long will the arm take?'
'Nope he haven't returned yet. And I guess it will take two months or so.' Stephen informed.
'Two months? Are you kidding me? It's too much time.' I said.
'Els it's complicated besides we're short of equipments.'
'Leo did you contact with Mr. Paul Arthur?' I queried Leo who was typing on his laptop intensely.
'I did but he didn't pick up. I emailed him though.' He replied.
'Greg did you contacted Mr. Jonas? What did he say about weapons?'
Greg who sat on the chair slouched and apparently playing a game on his phone. His absent mindedness annoyed me. 'Greg I asked you something.' I asked him in a rather louder voice attaining everyone's attention.
'What? Uh? Yeah, um... no I didn't contact him yet. I should now.' He rotated his screen.
'What were you waiting before?' I passed my question to him sternly.
'I ...Er... it slipped out of my mind.' He said hesitantly and I stood up too annoyed, too angry at being turned down from every where.
'Please continue with your game sir. It's really ok you know. Let's just skip this all shit we're doing and join Greg with his game. How's it?' I greeted my teeth as threw my gaze down and stormed out of the training room closing the door loudly behind me.
I walked in the backyard and held my head. I paced around the yard whilst trying to over come my anger as well as my thoughts and memories that mixed and messed up my mind.
Elsa you need to be patient...
I'm sorry but I have to leave you...
I'll come back...
Come here daddy's girl...
Dad's here...
Elsa your parents are back...
Sometimes leaving is important...
Mom! Don't go!
'Ah!' I screamed my lungs off. The memories flashed before me too fast that it hurt me to think of the previous one.
I tried to open my eyes but they seemed jammed or maybe they were open but why it felt as I was in the particular memory. I blinked. Harder more and more until things started to clear and what I saw before me was more horrific.
A man stood in front of me. Totally ragged and worn out. His eyes blood shot and lips sealed in a straight line. His body covered in nothing but a white cloth which dipped in blood. He had only one arm and the second one held a knife and blood dipped down from it creating a puddle on the floor.
His bloodshot eyes locked in my widened ones. I didn't know what to do or what to feel. The fear paralysed my body and my feet rooted at the spot. My hands began to shake and I gulped down my saliva.
The man took a step forward but I did nothing. He grunted. I closed my eyes thinking it to be my dream but it didn't seem like one.
'Elsa!' Someone called from behind but I didn't budge. My eyes rooted to the bloodshot eyes in front of me. The man took another step forward and I could feel tears in my eyes of the fear.
'Elsa! Listen to me!' Someone shook my arm. 'Hey!' Leo blocked the way of the horrible man as he stood in front of me. He grabbed my shoulders and shook me. 'What's wrong?'
I opened my mouth but no words came out. Fear fleeted in the air and the aroma sheeted in me. The world suffocated. 'Elsa, hey , look at me!' Leo said and shook me again. I looked at him. His green eyes mirrored the same fear as mine.
'Leo I can't do this.' I told him and tears flowed down my cheeks. 'I...I can't.'
Elsa...you can't get away.
I held my head again as the voice sounded in my head. I groaned and put my head in Leo's chest. 'I-I can't do this anymore.'
Leo wrapped his arms around me. 'It's alright. I'm okay. You're okay. Were okay.' He whispered but I continued with my yells and crying as if someone had stabbed me.
I cried , I cried like a baby. I've never felt more scared before. And why was I? I didn't know. The only thing my mind could register apart from my cries was the presence of everyone around me, a horrible man in front of me and the voices in my head. My cries didn't stop. It felt as if I lost all my control over it.
But it all stopped for a split second when an icy chilled voice whispered in my head.
The only way Is to end this...
oOo
And here you go! A filler chapter but anyways.
Did you like it?
What do you think of Elsa's struggles?
Who is your favourite character?
Like and comment if you liked it.
Thank you for reading.
I'll be off now!
See on... SATURDAY! CHAPTER DAY!
Love, huzaila