Stories of The World: THE GODS ( A short story collection)

Caught between two tides

"It wasn't me! I don't know what you're talking about!"

Charles was tied to a chair. He didn't know how he got there, nor did he know where he was. It seemed to be somewhere at the sea, on the shore, but when he tried to look around, everything became black, and the infinite sea looked like a moving picture on a dark wall in front of him.

But this picture always disappeared, when he looked back at the sea, the picture sucked him in, and he was back at the shore, with sand under his feet.

The two other men, who were around him seconds ago, seemed to only exist in that blackness, outside of the world. Waiting for him to confess something, Charles himself didn't know.

Every time Charles tried to move the chair, he was back in their hands, unable to move or say anything. The bigger figure, was silent, but every time he pushed Charles back to the sea, a bigger wave reached the man, and made his clothes soaking wet.

"Don't make us ASK this AgAin. Who made you A god? What were you DOING inside our Sacred TEMPLE?" The other man's voice was deep, and it sounded like it came from multiple directions at the same time. It was something that came from the darkness they were in.

They pushed the chair closer to the sea, and it was back in the living picture in front of them. The sky became darker, and the wind blew the sand into Charles' face. He spit on the ground, and cried for his life.

"I really don't know what you're talking about! When I woke up I was already tied to this chair, please let me go! Please!" He tried to break away form the ice cold chains, but that was impossible.

On the horizon something much more threatening appeared. The water receded back, and a giant tsunami was headed to Charles.

"No! No! Somebody Help ME!" But no one came to rescue him.

"No one CAN hear you. Just answer US." Charles could hear his voice, but he couldn't go back to the dark place. The giant wave was coming for him. And he was just sitting there, tied to a chair.

His memories were hazy. Foggy. And every time he thought he got something, it just vanished. But the things the two strangers were asking from him were different. They asked about gods and this place. Charles didn't know how, or why, but he had a picture in his mind. A giant, beautiful temple, with streams of light coming trough the windows, and painting the floor with beautiful turquoises and wild indigos.
On the floor there was this strangely familiar pattern of elegant strokes and runes carved into it.

And there was something else there too. A person, waiting for him. His clothes old, and worn down. And he promised him something. But Charles didn't know what.

Then he remembered a light flash, almost burning his eyes out. Or was he actually burning? He remembered pain from that place. But none of that made sense!

" At least Eliza is fine." Charles whispered it to the wind, and waited for the tall wave to hit him.

"You mean Elena?" The words of the man hit Charles right in his hearth.

The woman he was talking about. Eliza. Or Elena? He wasn't sure. He thought he remembered her perfectly, but was her hair black or blonde? What was heppening to him?

His next thoughts were washed away by the wave. The last thing Charles saw was a blinding flash of light, and then he lost everything.

Everything stopped. The wind, the noises, the giant wave that touched Charles's shoes, the bird that was standing next to him trying to fly away with his broken wing, everything.