HoloMythos (Oneshots & Short Stories)

What are you girls in here for?

Summary:

You'd be surprised how much weight a simple question can hold when asked to the right person. Five inmates are asked to retell their past, the memories just before their condemnation by the hand of the gods. What secrets could the inhabitants of this decrepit prison possibly hold?

I mean... What's wrong with getting familiar with your neighbors?

Originally posted on Archive of Our Own on: November 14, 2023

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"So, what are you girls in here for?"

My voice echoes throughout the chamber, passing through the adamantium bars before spreading out into the dark crimson halls. What follows is a deafening silence. This place has been quite empty for a few years now... maybe decades... it might even be a few centuries, who cares? When you're locked in prison, keeping track of time is the least of your priorities anyways. Gods knows what's happening on the surface, did armageddon strike yet? Did the heavens finally intervene? Or are we all living in some illusion?

"Are you really asking us that question just now?" A female voice responded, its tone unmistakable. The Demon of Sound.

"Hehehe, better late than never." I reply, "Besides, what's wrong with being more familiar?"

Constant pauses make communication a little inconvenient as our voices bounce their way to each of our own cells. Who knows how far it traveled. I've been stuck in this room for possibly even a millennia; same old velvet walls, same old chains, and same old throne. Our sound might be traveling miles to reach us considering the delay in the response, kinda like sending a written letter and waiting for a reply.

The Cell, an archaic prison that has existed since the ancient times. An underground complex created by the Gods to store and contain anything that may cause danger to the world at large... at least, that's what I've been told. According to my jailmates here, this structure was already considered ancient when they were first condemned to this abysmal place. At first, I thought it was going to be here till the day I die—no biggie, a mortal like me can just wait it out until my day comes—but I would quickly figure out the exact opposite. I'm still as young as I was when I was thrown in jail, it's as if time herself didn't even bother giving this dang heck of a place the privilege of age. I sat on my crystal throne with these chains putting me in place for gods knows how many years.

"Nerissa you first." A high pitched voice replies. It's none other than the living rock herself, but before any objections were to be made another bunch decides to insert themselves in the conversation.

"I wanna hear Biboo's story first though." A fluffy, sisterly voice eavesdrops in the conversation.

"Uhn!" Another, more fuzzy voice, chimes in, "I agree."

Ah~ the twins, certainly a doozy when identifying who's who in a strictly voice-only conversation. I remember the first time speaking to them and thought I was hearing double, like an echo bouncing off twice. Those little fricks kept it up for over a day and almost gaslit me into thinking I was going insane. Oh such... joyful memories. Eventually, if you listen to them long enough, you'll spot some unique differences in the way they talk. One of them has a certain verbal tic that, once you spot it, you'll never miss it ever again.