Tide

The Eastern Side of the Island

Jolono

I ran with Phaedra, almost tripping several times.

"I see the beach up ahead." I said. After another minute of running, we reached the beach. "Ten trees back, ten trees back..." Phaedra turned and counted back. I followed her, stooping down to pick up twigs and small branches.

"What are you doing?" Phaedra asked.

"Gathering wood so we can make a shelter." I started striping the twigs into small strands and twinning them together. In less than fifteen minutes, I had made us a makeshift shelter.

"Should we go looking for berries, or should we stay here?" Phaedra said.

"I think we should stay here. Besides, I have some nuts if it really comes to that." I looked out through the small holes in the fabric. "Phaedra, we need to run." A huge fin was just emerging out of the water.

"Why? If Athena is here she can't get us."

"Well, she's going to try, and I'd rather be safe than dead." I pointed.

"I don't see anything, but then again, you've always had better eyesight than me." She sat up and crawled outside. I got up and crawled after her, running back another 20 feet or so, thought about it, and ran back 10 more. Phaedra was up ahead so I kept going until I was with her.

I turned around just in time to see Athena leap out of the water. It was a magnificent sight. The water close to shore erupted and sprayed all across our makeshift shelter. Her eyes were the first thing I saw. Huge, glistening sapphire eyes.

"Jolono! Come on! We have to run!" Phaedra was already running, but I was paralyized by those eyes. Athena was about twenty feet away. I took a hesitant step forward. One of her fins twitched.

"I don't want to hurt you, so please return the favor." I said, so hesitant in myself that I almost stepped back and ran with Phaedra. A deep, rumbling sound came from her and surprisingly, she bowed her massive head.

A hand grabbed my arm, and twisted me around. It was Steve, the man I had stood up to. Phaedra was held by another man I had never seen before. Six other men were with them.

"Well, hello again, boy. I take it you think you can tame her? Many have tried, and they all died doing it." A deep growl emerged from Athena and she raised her head again, staring at me, then Steve, then back at me. She growled again, showing her teeth, and a voice entered my head, and I could tell that Phaedra and Steve heard it, too, as well as everyone else.

Let the boy go, or I will personally see to your death.

Everyone froze. Steve let me go, but pushed me towards Athena. I landed right in front of her. She growled again, and looked at me.

Are you alright?

Three words. Those three words shook me to my core. "Y-yeah." I stammered. She nodded once, and looked back at Steve.

The girl, too.

The man holding her shoved her forward as well. They all had one look in their eyes.

Terror.