Greek Times for a Future Girl

Welcome to the Underworld

"You don't think she's dead, do you?" a voice asked.

My consciousness was starting to return after hitting the tree branch. But if movie and book logic had taught me anything, it's that once you get knocked unconscious, there's a fifty percent chance that somebody had found you and took you somewhere. Such was the case for me as soon as I realized I wasn't alone.

"She's not dead!" a second, much deeper and scratchy voice snapped. "She's still breathing, isn't she?"

I could've sworn that voice sounded familiar, but my slow consciousness was making it very difficult for me to figure out who exactly that voice belonged to.

"But she did hit her head pretty hard on that tree branch." the first voice spoke up in a softer, almost worried voice, equally sounding familiar.

"You're a big wuss sometimes, you know that?" the second one said, his voice sounding much clearer now.

Wait a second, I knew those voices anywhere!

I stirred, still feeling a little woozy from my head injury, but I was determined to prove my theory correct. I felt a hand on my shoulder, gently shaking me to help wake me up.

"Are you okay?" the first voice questioned.

I sat myself up and my eyes fluttered open. I expected this to be some crazy wonderful dream, but everything changed when I saw them. Proving my theory right.

You know how most people have that one favorite Disney character that they absolutely love? Like how most people love Stitch while others love Elsa? Well, my go-to characters have always been Pain and Panic. They always made me laugh when I was a kid, but as I got older, I saw them as my comfort characters -ironic, I know. So actually waking up and seeing them was something I never knew I needed, but yet they were really there. Sitting on the bed I was in and looking at me with such concern and confusion.

"I can't believe it..." I spoke softly, almost on the verge of tears I was that happy to see them.

Both imps exchanged confused looks before turning their attention back to me.

"Can't believe what?" Pain asked suspiciously.

My fascination was shut down quickly as I tried to think of a cover story. I didn't want to sound like a freaky stalker in front of them, so I had to make something up.

"Uh, that I'm in the Underworld and still living?" I finally lied.

The idea was to get them to think that I was supposed to be dead to come to this domain and have them explain how I got down there, and it was working flawlessly. They may be my favorites, but even I must admit they're not the sharpest crayons in the box.

"We couldn't just leave you up there." Panic explained. "You kinda cut your head when you ran into that tree branch."

I noticed a mirror on a dresser on the left side of the bed. I got up and made my way to it. I noticed my reflection and gasped. The Fates must've animated me when they sent me here, because I definitely looked like a Disney character. My olive skin looked so clear and vibrant, my mousy brown hair still looked much livelier and really fluffy, and my eyes almost had a glowing look to them. In my opinion, I looked better than I ever did back home, and I had a feeling I would get used to looking like this.

I shook off my new fascination with my looks and put my attention to my white scarf wrapped around my head with a small bloody spot above my left eyebrow which reminded me why I was looking in the mirror in the first place. I really must've hit that branch hard if it was enough to actually cut my head. No wonder Panic was so worried if I was still alive or not after I hit it. He must've thought I cracked my head open and it led me to my death.