The Hunters of Artemis: The Return of the Hunters

Chapter 27: Miniskirts and Memories

Lyra's POV

I lay down on the bed and stared up at the pale ceiling, my nerves fraying like crazy. I trusted Atlanta with my life, but this was something completely different.

For twenty years, I had tried not to think about the quest that had ruined my friends. I had tried not to think about the way Rhea--the old one--had looked as she lay on the ground in a pool of her own blood or the way that Kat had left us for a... A boy.

I tried not to think about how it was only Atlanta, Hannah, Robyn, and myself. I honestly had.

And yet, there I was lying down on a bed preparing myself to go back. To go back to the times that had plagued my nightmares for twenty years.

The others surrounded the bed, shooting nervous glances at each other, which really didn't help my confidence level. 

Beside me, Atlanta was closing her eyes and mumbling some random sounds and words that I didn't understand. Spells, I assumed. Her auburn hair was hanging loosely around her face in waves, and I watched as she brushed a lock of it out of her face. It was one of the only things that let me know it was still Atlanta.

Finally, she opened her eyes, and instead of their usual gold and silver hue, they were a bright purple. "Through the future and the past," she said in a loud, powerful voice, "Time will not have cost. Through the future and the past, you will find what was lost." 

My heart started beating faster as I saw a light purple mist make its way around her body and crawl towards me. 

Everyone was still as Atlanta touched the tip of her middle finger to my forehead, and everything went black.

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I heard it before I saw it: footsteps. There were a few. Like there were two or three people walking around near me. 

When I opened my eyes I was shocked to see myself surrounded with dresses, skirts, leggings, jeans, and blouses. 

Clothing of all shapes, sizes, colours, fabrics. There were so many of them. I had to blink a few times to get used to the bright lights they used in the store.

Next to me, Robyn and Hannah were talking to a young woman at the cash register. Robyn had her blonde hair pulled into a braid, and I could see her profile clearly. She looked different somehow. Like she had this light inside of her that, in the present--or future in this instance--was gone.

Hannah looked pretty much the same. Her shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair was still shoulder length and still strawberry blonde. But she too looked... It was weird to say it since we were immortal, but she looked younger.

My eyes widened as the truth came crashing down on me. She did it. She really did it. Atlanta sent me back into my memory twenty years.

I was back in the Gray Birch Boutique. We were...

I tried to think back, but Robyn said the answer for me. "Do you know anything about a Jade Fenice?" she asked the lady.

Jade Fenice? I frowned. The name sounded familiar, but I wasn't sure what the significance was. It must have been from this quest if we were looking for her.

The woman frowned. She had light brown hair with some darker lowlights and high cheekbones that gave her a regal look. I had expected her to have caked-on makeup, but she really didn't have any on. She had a light pink lip gloss, some eyeliner and mascara, but that was about it. "The, uh, brat?" Her mouth quirked to the side in dismay.

"Yeah."

She shrugged. "Sure. What do you wanna know?"

"Where can we find her?" Hannah asked, putting her elbows on the surface of the counter. "We really need to talk to her."

The woman looked at them--us--suspiciously. "Why?"

I suddenly felt myself speak. "Because we're her friends, and she's been avoiding us these last few days," I said confidently. "We were hoping that, since we know she likes to come here, you might have seen her?" It felt strange to say something, but not say something at the same time. Like my mouth was moving on its own, and my vocal cords were vibrating on their own.

She suddenly looked very taken aback. "Um. Well, that's true. But I haven't seen her in a week. The only thing I know is that she goes to the Gray Birch School. She was talking with her friend... Um, Terry? Tallia?"

"Teresa?" I demanded. 

"Yeah!" The woman nodded. "That was her name. They were talking about... Well, I don't remember. You can't expect me to remember all of my customers' conversations, right?" she laughed.

Hannah nodded. "Of course."

There was a small ding-a-ling as a young woman walked into the store with a purse in hand. 

"Excuse me, ladies, but I must get back to my work," the worker said as she made her way over to the customer.

Robyn nodded and the three of us started to walk out of the door. 

"So," I said in a low tone. "We've got to go to the school to find the girl?" In my mind, I was trying to remember what came next. Since I was just along for the ride, I decided to put it off and just let it come. After all, I was re-living it.

It reminded me of the old Rhea and her eternal punishment: to relive her life over and over again, regretting the choices she'd made, or regretting the choices she didn't make. 

As I walked down the street, I felt something like extreme pity for her. It couldn't have been easy.

The edges of my vision started to fade, and the colours blurred together. I couldn't figure out what was happening, but then I started to fall. Neither Robyn nor Hannah did anything and I let out a cry as I hit the ground, and everything went black.

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Dear readers

WHAT? I... UPDATED? What is this strange thing and why am I filled with such guilt?

Sorry for the reeeeeally late update. Thanks to @Abi_Mei for the wake-up call!

-flygirl1