The Boy on Fire

Chapter 9

Julianna's POV
I can't believe I was so stupid! "Wings and Snakes" along with the creepy door closing all by itself should have been easy give aways. I let us walk right into a trap! And then we were attacked by revolting creatures - Gorgons to be exact. All of a sudden the hissing noise and the name made sense. "Wings and Snakes"...the Gorgons had wings and they most definitely had snakes. The two were wearing old, tattered, green Bargain Mart vests with name tags that read Stheno and Euryale. They had leathery skin and old papery wings that hung off of their shoulders and looked as if they were about to fall off. Their faces looked like they had been run over by a truck multiple times. Let's just say they were lucky to have the reptilian hair-dos to distract the viewers from their faces - which wasn't much of a compliment. Their bronze boar-like tusks and ugly rooster feet didn't help their appearance either. What really confused me was the platter of snacks that Stheno was holding while she smiled like a psycho.
On instinct, I pressed the button next to the hinge, triggering the transformation of the sunglasses into my beautiful bronze axe. I held it in front of the two creatures as a challenge while Connor ran to the corner of the room behind us and hid behind an old, flattened cardboard box. Thanks for the help. I sighed in exasperation and decided that it wouldn't be smart to wait too long before I killed them, as that might give them the chance first. I had to distract them as I thought of a plan.
"Hey, guys! How are ya doing? You two look lovely today, and SO different from the pictures in my mythology books! Have you done something with your snakes?" I ask the two as my mind races to think of a strategy.
"Really? Thank you, dear. Those old books never flattered us. They always made us look like old hags, but we're much more than that, aren't we, Euryale?" She looked at her sister. I thought of the old myths of Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa - the three snake-haired ladies.
"Yes, you are both so talented - much more so than that attention-hogging Medusa," I agreed. They both turned to me, startled as I had mentioned their sister's name.
"You don't like her either?" Euryale asked.
"Of course not, she's terrible! I think that you two deserve more of the spotlight than she has. Everyone thinks of her as this great monster, but you two are twice as good as her." The monsters looked at each other, obviously enjoying the favor of them to their sister.
"In fact, how would you two like for me to help you earn the fame that you deserve?" I asked them, putting as much persuasiveness into my voice as possible. They both seemed enthusiastic about the idea, so I continued.
"There's a gem that's hidden in this cave that just so happens to be located in that mountain," I went over to the window of the storage room, pointing to a visible mountain in the distance.
"Only the smart and the clever are able to find it, and you two are definitely both of those! Finding this gem will absolutely get you the credit you deserve!" Stheno looked excited to go on this new adventure, but Euryale looked a little skeptical.
"How will we know where it is?" Euryale asked.
"Well, it's not a very well known gem, so not many people know much about it. But from the information they've gathered, they can tell that on the mountain there's a hidden map somewhere on the mountain that will lead you right to the cave! There was also a myth that the gem won't just get you fame and fortune, but also absolute power, even more that Zeus's! You two definitely look like excellent new leaders of the cosmos, so this journey sounds perfect for you!" I countered, praying to Athena that this would work.
"Come on, Eur, this is just what we need! We never get out anymore and this gem is the perfect way to get revenge on Medusa and rule the cosmos! Please?" Stheno begged her sister.
"I couldn't agree more. And if you have your hopes set on this gem, you better act fast! Word on the street is Medusa's after it too - looking to rule the world." Euryale looked at her sister, at me, out the window, then back at me again.
"Alright, I'm in."
"Well, go on, ladies! Time's a' wastin'! Get out there and follow your dreams!" I shouted encouragingly. They both spread their wings, flew through the ancient door, busting it open, and flew through the workshop towards the front door as they majestically (well, as majestic as two old ladies in Bargain Mart vests and old grandma-like flowery dresses can be) flew off towards the mountain in the distance, seeking fame, fortune, and power. It was a shame they were never going to get it.
I pressed the button on he bottom of the axe and it shrunk down to its sunglass form again. I put them back inside my jacket pocket and ran to Connor's corner to rip away the cardboard box. He winced in fear, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his fists.
"Now are you gonna help me get this bronze to the cab or are you just going to sit and wait until the Gorgons come back?" I asked him. He silently helped me pick up the sheet of celestial bronze and carry it to the cab. The cabbie was a little frustrated with our long time spent inside, but had no questions about our unusual cargo. He dropped us off at the hotel as we thanked him, payed him, and entered the woods.
"Wait can we put it down for a second?" Connor asked. We lowered the sheet if bronze and leaned it against a tree. He walked over to me and hugged me.
"I'm sorry for getting scared in there. But you were amazing. The way you didn't even have to use your weapon to get the Gorgons to leave us alone. I'm so glad to have a friend like you." He pulled away and smiled at me.
"Thanks, Connor," I smiled back at him. "I'm glad we're friends too." We picked up the bronze again, walked through the woods a little more, and found Leo still working on his dragon. We told him the whole story of the monsters in the grocery store attire. He agreed that the name of the workshop made sense, and apologized for sending us on such a dangerous mission. Leo got back to work on the dragon and finished within fifteen to twenty minutes. I watched him as he worked, his cute little face full of concentration was just adorable. When he was done, he stored the leftover pieces of bronze in my used-to-be brace compartment and helped us up Festus's back. We took off into the sky, leaving the small Otterville, Illinois. As we did, I swore we could hear the faint sound of old women screaming with frustration off in the distance - coming from the direction of the mountains.
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Hey guys! Happy Fourth of July to all you patriots out there. Here's your new update of The Boy on Fire - hope you like it! I'm going to try to update every Saturday, so let's see how well I keep that up! I will really try, I promise.
Keep those comments and votes coming!
Until next time,
-Gussifer Lopez