The Dreamers Exchange

Chapter 13: Biting Dust

Chapter 13: Biting Dust

Jake turned on the tv as his birthday celebration- May 24th resumed, and the Chinese food at the table was set as the scenes on tv played out. It was a children's show about colorful people. How broad and specific? The episode focussed on body snatching.

Two characters were switching bodies. This was something that via the signs of that day, which of them there were plenty, only seemed to be of the sort to echo. Jake had previously gone to an arts festival with Emma and his mother Sasha and he was purley and utterly miserable, not to mention below his paygrade with everything there "being expensive as hell".

Jake Caloway used to steal. But he had one rule, never take from the indie people, or those who could get hurt with the theft. Always steal from big corporations, never people or the little guy. Still while at the festival he was bombarded with the urge to steal as well as, sunflowers signifying Apollo, ants and robins signifying Noco and Lise, owls signalling Athena, and lots of Christian Godly imagery. "It really is just the south" Jake said not denying the signs around him being of gods and God, but realizing it's prevalent to his state's culture. Despite this story having it's origins in France, the story takes place in the States. To be more specific the bible belt.

Jake was of one mindset in the modern time of now, stealing was wrong or at least risky leaning. While sometimes he dug to spend money on his card that truly and utterly belonged to Sasha Caloway, unless directed by Hermes he never stole or took. Not at this point, but the urges always growing were there. Jake's mind flashed to Kalay. An old friend of his whom do to his exploits got hit by a car. This memory is before then however. He commented on her collar looking nice. Kalay smiled. "Yes I got it at Dragoncon the guy running the steam punk booth was giving me dart eyes but I was able to weasel it"

"Your not supposed to steal from indie sellers or those who can't take the hit"

"He could take the hit"

"He's a small business. Kalay that's wrong"

"And stealing in general isn't? Face it Jake. We're the bad guys here" she smirked.

"This is not what I signed up for" the memory fades and accelerates to Jake visiting her hospital bed, her head busted and bleeding and tightly wrapped in bandages covered in bruises, it was before the gods removed her from his life. Marcarba told him if it wasn't for Jake's magical interference the angels would have killed her, that he did her a favor putting her in that hospital bed. Marcarba by Jake's definition was never wrong. Yet imagine hearing that? You're responsible for your friends near death and worse it's a gift. Jake felt purley and utterly terrible.

Jake these days, still couldn't face the ghost that was Kalay Andreas. So he squinted and ignored the memory or the guilt from stealing for now. Whichever was causing this grief though he couldn't tell. He stared at his backpack. He had packed two. A Pilot's Trench camo and yellow bag with his journals and a symbol from one of his favorite bands on the front pocket, it would hold all he needed by accessories and more. The next bag pushed to the brim with clean clothes for him to take on his trip to The City. It was black and had cat ears.

Jake started to fall in and out of sleep. He was getting ready for the city. A god had claimed him as his blood, and this god was Zues himself. As he drifted to sleep he saw a vision. A girl, Greek in ethnicity wearing black flowing clothing. She said the following:

"Tomorrow winds will storm and a claim will be given

Guilt chosen and blame will be forgiven

A choice of hope will reveal identity