Return of the Goddess

Chapter 6

    “Welcome to Bridgeport,” Lucy tapped her fingers against the window in the back of the van. “The shittiest place on Earth.”

    As they drove through the suburbs that surrounded the city Lucy thought of the many things she could be doing instead of sitting in the car. She could be hitting a stick against the chipped white fences of the two story condos they passed or playing randomized tunes on her flute as Charlie whistled along. She could be away from Sage and Calvin. She should be anywhere but in this car with Imogen driving.

    Imogen drove into the city and around a few blocks of the neighborhood.

    “I’ll drop you guys off at the pier. While you were sleeping I called a friend of mine. He’s going to take you to Boston on his boat,” Imogen pulled down another street of chipped paint houses.

    Lucy took the flute from her backpack and admired it in her hands. It wasn’t anything special, a small flute made of skeleton bones with a red sash tied to the end. She thought of when she received the flute. The day she met her father.

    “Don’t kill me!” Elle screamed in her sleep from the back seat startling everyone. They all turned around and stared at her.

    Lucy turned to the girl sitting in between Charlie and herself. Elle was writhing in her sleep. Lucy tapped her gently on the shoulder and she sat upright in a petrified state.

    “Elle, are you okay?” Chelsea turned so she was facing Elle.

    “I just had a bad dream. That’s all,” Elle pulled her auburn hair back and put it in a ponytail.

    “Tell me about it.” Chelsea said sincerely, her big gray blue eyes gleaming with curiosity.

    “Well,” Elle hesitated. “I was running from this woman. She was ten feet tall and I could hear her thoughts. She was looking for her and when she found me she was going to kill me.” Elle rubbed her temples trying to get rid of the headache she conjured during her sleep.

    “It could be a warning from the gods. Every once in awhile they’ll send glimpses of things to help you,” Sage knowledgeably said with emotion.

    “What?” Genna shrieked terrifyingly.

    “It might just be a dream though,” Sage shrugged.

    “How’s that information suppose to help me?” Elle struggled to keep her frustration boiled down inside her.

    Sage shrugged and went back to reading the small paperback book of U.S. presidents. Elle wiped her hand through her purple backpack and took out her charm necklace. She put it around her neck so the sun sat directly in the middle of the hollow of her neck. Charlie glanced over at the charm and smiled slightly to himself. Lucy groaned. She knew that Charlie wouldn’t be able to resist the innocent beauty Elle possessed. He always fell for that type of girl. The helpless. The weak.

    Imogen pulled up to the piers drop off curb. The doors of the minivan opened with the push of a button and the six piled out of the van.

    “Good-bye Imogen. I’ll call yer soon,” Cal waved good-bye and shut the door.

    The window rolled down and Imogen called out, “It’s the last boat. Ask for Dylan! Bye guys! Safe travels.”

    Sage led the way down the pier to the last boat on the dock. It was the biggest and distinguishable a yacht with the cleanest white interior leather and marble counters.

    “Are you sure this is the boat she was talking about?” Charlie asked.

    “This isn’t a boat. This’s a ship.” Lucy muttered to herself.