Chapter 6
Yuuki appeared at the door moments later, in half the time it should have taken her driving that car across town.
“Ok, before we go out,” Sophia stated. I thought for a second, I’m about to get a lecture. “Yuuki, take the rollers out of your hair.”
“Fine, for the record though, I was going to take them out as we got there.”
“That would mean you’re taking them out while driving.” I answered finding myself outside after standing in the door way for a few minutes.
“What can I say? I’m defining what they actually mean by multitasking.” Yuuki said flinching as Sophia took it upon herself to sort Yuuki’s hair out.
“Yeah and highlighting another high car crash scenario.” I mumbled climbing into the back of the car. I had to avoid empty sweet packet mountain and the statue of the Chinese waving cat, which is actually seat belted, in the driver’s side passenger seat.
“Yuuki, next time, take the chicken feathers out before you put the rollers in!” Sophia scolded.
Sophia carefully took the rollers out; Yuuki started yanking out the rollers on the side Sophia couldn’t get to. Sophia was still sorting the rollers in Yuuki’s hair when Yuuki started driving; honestly I found the whole journey amusing.
In the town centre sat one of the reasons I think my mother chose this town. It isn’t the huge department store that sold basically everything or all the other little boutiques or restaurants. There’s a square of evenly placed Greek columns in the middle of the street.
“Come on, I need nail polish!” Yuuki cheered skipping off to the town lights. Another thing about this town if your car is under a certain value, a bright orange decades old beetle, being a prime example. You can leave your car unlocked and be certain it will still be there when you get back.
Electricity cost doesn’t seem to be a problem for the town, either. The sun hadn’t really gone down, the sky being orangey pink, and the streetlights were on.
Yuuki’s favourite store, everything in it seemed to have a glittery effect. I can’t exactly argue. I’ve had to be dragged out of there plenty of times with her, getting attracted in by the expensive sparkly jewellery.
“I can predict your futures.” Sophia announced dryly after dragging us out. Yuuki for once was easy to get out. Sophia only had to grab the bag with Yuuki’s nail polish in to tempt her out. Me, I had found out they had a new range of shiny bracelets meaning I took a bit more force.
I looked at Sophia with a questioning look; Yuuki is still staring at the glitter but shortly figured out what had been said.
“Oh what?” Yuuki said like Sophia had announced a new power.
“You.” She pointed at me, “Are probably going to rob a bank, or at least that store, something that will get you sent to jail.” I opened my mouth to protest but I’m curious what she thought of Yuuki.
“You,” Pointing at Yuuki, “Are going to become bankrupt, after buying millions of bottles of the same nail polish then end up in rehab from withdrawal, due to not smelling the varnish five times a day.”
“Why am I becoming a criminal?” I asked slightly offended. Yuuki only gets a life of debt and hospital care. I get a life of prison due to my temptation; I don’t think I’d do well in prison. I’d probably end up telling the other criminals where the scheme went wrong.
“Just by the way you think covers it. I wouldn’t be surprised if you gave yourself up just because someone dangled a diamond in front of you.”
“Debt and rehab?” Yuuki thought out loud, “At least I get to rehab before I die!”
“Plus you get a numerous step programme and get to write to people on how you really feel about them and they can’t really judge.” I informed still bugged, “Prison really?” I screamed falling slightly behind.
“Can we get food? I didn’t get too eat. The fire breathing chicken seems to have an authority problem… He’s currently ruler of the kitchen.” Again that’s another bit of information I’m choosing to look over, due to it does not make any sense.
“I’ve already eaten.” I interrupted before I got dragged to any restaurant.
“Take out sushi it is then!” Yuuki exclaimed, Sophia groaned in response.
“I’m getting chips.”
This situation happened often, my mum didn’t exactly like eating out. In the end, Yuuki, Sophia and me came up with this system. The only difference is it normally happened in the daytime.
“I’ll see you at our regular spot then,” I smiled heading over to one of the benches in the columns.
With music blaring in my ears I occupied myself by twirling around the empty columns. Dancing like no one is watching but I had the weird feeling someone is.
“Excuse me?” I hopped back.
It looks as if I’m not that paranoid after all, the tanned boy kept his distance as he dug through a leather messenger bag. “Are you Persephone?” He continued briefly looking up as I pulled my headphones out. I gazed at him wondering if he is serious. He looked my age, possibly younger, his short wavy hair and child-like face made me guilty for feeling angry with him.
“No, thankfully that isn’t my first name.” I answered folding my arms.
“Oh Alexa Persephone.” He said reading the red envelope. What’s wrong with e-mail? He tried to hand me the note, I may not be obeying my mum about curfew but I will take notice on accepting things from strangers. Rethinking that, I’m putting accepting letters that are purposely put into my bag, in the exception box.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Hermes.” My eyes widened, I bit back a laugh. A guy called Hermes is delivering me a letter. This is a Twitter moment.
“Wow.” I said, unsure what to say. I took the letter more out of sympathy; I thought I had it hard. On second thoughts, he could be another member of the Greek role-playing cult.
Whatever is in it, it isn’t just a note unless the note has a Paper Mache lump attached to it. When I went to ask who had sent it Hermes had disappeared, looks like his name gave him the trait to be light on his feet. I tried to open the envelope carefully; with the thickness of it I doubt the person got it in a bundle of 50 for the price of a pound.
Again, I’m hit by more expensive paper and more calligraphy. Before I read the note I recognised a point that got me annoyed. When writing in calligraphy on expensive paper does everyone forget to sign his or her names? On this one there isn’t even an initial. Just the message, “Believe the myths are true.”
“Well maybe if you signed you name, I would know who you are and I would consider it!” I huffed grabbing the other thing in the envelope.
I’d never consider a new belief system, unless plunged into one and someone gave me the real facts… And even then, I’d need a decade to think it over. I couldn’t help but have a sneaking suspicion on who sent this. I could be kidding myself on thinking a total stranger, who I’d never met or seen before, sent this.
My mouth dropped. The lump in the envelope is a short silver chained necklace with a large clear teardrop diamond on the end. Looking closer the diamond had an opal quality to it, glittering in different colours in the light. My childish side would have awoken screaming with joy right now if this weren’t in suspicious circumstances.
Hearing Yuuki and Sophia coming, I quickly shoved both the letter and necklace back in the envelope and in my bag. I had to keep this quiet on the chance Sophia thinks her prediction is coming true.
“Sorry, we’re late. Someone wouldn’t leave without Dorayaki.” Sophia nagged. Yuuki shrugged already eating.
“Anything happen here?”
“Nothing I’d tell the rest of the world about.” I shrugged, that was the only way I could think of putting it without lying.
“Ok, we are going back home, after this.”
“Am I invited?” Yuuki asked, with chopsticks in her mouth.
“No, I’m pretty sure we weren’t supposed to go out anyway.” Sophia guessed right giving me an evil glare.
“There’s nothing to worry about. My mother won’t tell you off. The worst she can do to me, is give me a scolding; mentioning what part of the Underworld, I’ll end up in. That’s if her beliefs are true and the Underworld lets me in. “ I said.
“You shouldn’t joke about things like that.” Sophia sounded serious. One of my best friends believes in Japanese mythology, the other may believe in Greek. Why do I get the feeling non-believers are a minority here? If this place has a UFO group, I never knew about, I am packing up and leaving, ignoring any protests.
“Nothing will happen,” I stated watching the shops close “I accept you have your beliefs, there could be something waiting for us after death and all these Gods might exist. Really, with a middle name like Persephone, if I said, “I believe in Hades,” I’d probably be taken as a joke.”
Blood rushed to my head almost making me fall off the stone bench. A loud rumbling, which I can’t place what direction it’s coming from, made me look up and around in confusion.
“What the-?” I muttered looking around, something that loud I expected an earthquake or something on a massive scale.
“You should not have said that.” Sophia gasped looking at me petrified.
“Your sense of timing is unbelievable.” Yuuki huffed, quickly standing up with Sophia.
The feeling someone is watching me returned, this time I wanted to find who it is, there felt like a pull telling me to go walking towards the trees.
“Hope you are in the mood for running.” Yuuki smiled after looking out into the night.
Yuuki and Sophia grabbed one of my hands each and began running dragging me.
“I don’t like running.” I complained having trouble keeping up with their pace.
“That’s why I said prison. You can climb fences and make the master plan but in the get a way, you are useless!” Sophia screamed.
“Duh, with her flexibility she’s more designed for undercover work.” Yuuki defended. Just because I’m the only person in my class who could do the splits, I got dubbed as flexible. I’m sure I saw one of the popular girls twist her forearm 360 degrees.
A weird grey mist fell, somehow it became even harder for me to run.
“I know I said I’d never do this again.” Sophia groaned stopping then signalling for me to climb on her back.
“I want a go next!” Yuuki cheered running again.
“Not in those shoes!” Sophia screamed.
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