Short Stories

Questions

Possible triggers: death

Where am I? I see blue and white wisps of smoke. Wait. That's not smoke, they're clouds. I look down and see more wisps. I crane my neck down farther to my chest and I see... I see... feathers?

I look to my sides and instead of arms I have... wings?

None of this makes sense. I don't remember anything. Where am I? Who am I? Or should I ask what am I?

I come to the conclusion that I am flying. How? I don't know. I wonder what direction I'm flying in? I see something. Something big. No, something huge. I... I... I'm going to crash. Into this... cloud civilization? Am I hallucinating? As I get close I realize I am NOT hallucinating. It all seems too real. I hear shouts.

"HOR-US! HOR-US!" The shouts keep getting louder and louder. Who are they screaming at? And who are they?

I am pulled onto the "cloud civilization" by an unknown force. Something is drawing me in. I cannot tell what. Yet...

When I land, I am human again. I have no wings, no feathers, no beak. I was celebrating this very small victory when a beautiful lady walks up to me. Her kindness radiates all around. Or maybe it's not her kindness... "You are my new son. Come meet your new father." She drags me along. I am shoved into a carriage.

"Why must I ride in a carriage when I can just fly? Doesn't it save gas?" I ask. The lady speaks again, "I am Isis," Isis? What? "and your mother," Hold it. SHE is MY mother? "I demand that you stop rambling on about unknown things, such as gas and carriages. Whatever that is. This is a foop. And the sooner you learn that the better." I roll my eyes and decide it's better to just stay silent.

By the end of the "foop" ride I realize that I do remember something. I see headlights. And then there's screeching and the world goes spinning. Did... Did I d... I can't even think the word. I am saved from my thoughts by the voice of Isis. "Come child. Follow me."

I am taken into a big hall. Did it get darker? It seems more ominous in here. On a black throne sits a green man. He looks kind of menacing. Why am I here, I wonder. Wait. I think I have a faint memory of learning about this guy in a book. If I am correct his name is Otis. I think... Isis raises her voice, "Osiris. This is the new son we have brought to you."

All of a sudden, this all starts to make sense. I do remember this. Osiris, the God of the underworld, and Isis gave birth to a son named Horus. Wait. Weren't "they" shouting "HORUS! HORUS!" when I arrived? Am I... No. That's not possible.

Once again I am risen from my thoughts. This time it's Osiris. "I hope you are more impressive than the last Horus. I don't want to have to banish you to the underworld along with the many, many, many, that came before you."

I am confused, "What do you mean others before me? I thought the gods were good and protected humans. Now you are practicing capital punishment."

"You are the last of your kind, Holden," says Isis. Wait who's Holden? Osiris concurs, "Your new name is Horus. You are not to be called by your mortal name anymore. The original Horus was a great son and warrior. He died saving Isis. We have been in search of a new son to take his place ever since."

Now it's my turn, "So, I am supposed to be the new Horus? Almost every last thing I've ever heard about 'your kind' was wrong." Osiris is angry. He tells me that I'm already a disappointment, but I have the chance to prove myself tomorrow. I am lead to a huge room, shaped like the inside of a pyramid. I am apparently sleeping here until my orientation. In order to "fulfill my destiny" I have to be tested.

To be honest, this is absolutely nuts. The "Olympians" are all crazy and suicidal. They want me to jump from a cliff. There is NO way, I am jumping off THAT nonsense!

I had a weird dream last night.

More like dreams, I guess. It seemed like a bunch of scenes strung together. I saw a party. Then there was a girl, even prettier than Isis. Lastly, I hear screeching, see blood, and there is the girl's face again.

I wake up to a huge stream of light. All coming at me at once. It was almost blinding, but I am glad to see the light again. What does it all mean? I want to know.

I am once again saved by the voice of Isis. I hope it's for the last time. I would like to go deeper; into my mind, into my memories, into my life.

I hear Isis, and she seems rushed, and more frustrated than usual. Or what I thought was to be usual based on yesterday. "Horus get up. You cannot be late for orientation. That is unheard of. You do not want to anger Osiris. Trust me I would know." She smirks, but I don't think she wants me to notice so I don't mention it. I don't think I want to make Isis mad either.

Isis has people come into my room. They forcefully take off my clothes, in movements almost as impatient as her voice. "I can dress myself, you know." I roll my eyes. She tells me that is very far from the truth considering she has seen what I usually wear. What's that supposed to mean?

I just let the ladies dress me. I wish they could be more sensitive though. I'm fragile, geez. They put me in a skirt. A skirt! I cannot jump off a cliff in this. Oh, right I have to jump off a cliff. Great. "Can I get a shirt?" I ask. The girls shriek and step back. "What did I say?" Isis is furious. She slaps me. Hard. My face stings and I go red, not just from the slap. "You may be excused ladies. Are you crazy? Only the king gets a 'shirt' and you don't seem king-like to me."

I am quite literally dragged to my orientation. There is a fairly large crowd surrounding me. I believe it was bigger yesterday when I first arrived. Have the Olympians given up on me already? Did they hear Isis? Or did those two girls tell of my outrageous request? They didn't look like the snitching type. I think... I wonder if my face is still red. It still stings. I hope it hadn't gotten worse.

I am told that I must jump off this cliff. If I fly, great. I must land on my feet. If I don't fly, then I am unworthy. I wonder what they mean by if I don't fly. I FLEW to Olympia. Do they think I can just forget something like that? Or are they trying to psych me out so that I can't fly.

As if she can read my thoughts Isis explains, "You must transform in order to fly. In order to transform on your own you need to be completely focused. This will prove that you are worthy."

Oh that will be easy. I won't jump until I transform and the- "AAH!!" I feel cold, calloused hands on my stiff, bare back. Someone pushed me. Okay I need to be focused not to hit the ground. I have a while until I hit the ground, I guess. At least twenty seconds. As if on cue, the ground is instantly closer.

I hear my name again. Not chants this time. They are almost shrieks. "HORUS!" "HORUS YOU CAN DO IT!!" "I knew he wouldn't make it." "He is the last one! We won't make it without him!!!" "JUST CONCENTRATE!" I know who the last voice belongs to. It is Isis. She is trying to help me. I must concentrate on that voice. That one, assertive, obnoxious voice.

I hear another voice as I come closer to the ground. It is a younger girls'. Instead of Horus she screams, "HOLDEN!" Now I only hear that name. Holden in short, desperate shouts. Who would be using that name here? It doesn't matter. I need to shut everything out.

The ground is coming closer and closer. The air is choking, as it painfully rushes past me. I cannot breathe for fear that the wind will not enter my lungs correctly and it will be more painful than it already is. The shouts are louder. As I near the ground I come to the conclusion that this is a ruse. It is supposed to throw me off, so I can't fly. I close my eyes and concentrate.

I finally get my wings. I transformed! But I was too late. I spent too much time thinking. The ground hits me. I can feel it yet, I can't. It is surprisingly painless. I am shaking though.

The "HOLDEN!!" shouts are blaring now. I open my eyes and I see a woman. I no longer have wings. I am in a white gown. There are tubes hooked up to me and I am in a weird looking bed. The woman looks into my now open eyes and cries.

"Who are you? Where am I?"