27 Days: The First Five Chapters

Prologue

July 6th, 2008

I take a deep breath as I try to see the events of yesterday before me. His eyes as black as the night, piercing through me with that look as if I did something horrible. His weak legs, still shaken from what he had witnessed. Not even a moment did he consider to step forward. “I apologise for my behaviour, mother. I don’t know how it happened.” It’s not my fault. It truly isn’t. I never fail. I hadn’t done this.

 “Do not dare to lie to me!”, she cries, “Failing is not what I expect of thou! The daughter of a legend, for Hell’s sake!” The water around her starts to move, and within seconds it has grown feet tall. Before I notice it the water heads in my direction. The dark waves loom toward me, and I’m frozen. I can feel my pulse beating in my ears, blocking out all other sound except the breath I’m holding.  I want to turn around and run. I forget to avoid the water and before I know it I get hit by a wave and smash against the wall.

I fall to my knees, coughing the water out of my throat. Mother always told me to ignore the pain, but it hasn’t been simple. It never is. Ignore it, she would say. It shall be over soon. However when I try to stand back up, pain shoots through my spine and I fall to my knees again. I press both my hands on the ground and stand back up. I can’t look at her, not after what a disappointment I’ve been. The sound of her laughing fills the cave with echoes. “Well done, my daughter!”, she exclaims.

I can only mutter a Thank you, mother before she starts shouting again. “And even if thou do not know how it happened, I would be glad to receive the answer to that question as soon as possible. After all, thou do know thou can’t fail me?”

Honestly, I don’t know what to say. Her mood changes every five seconds. I should have learned it by now, but she still manages to surprise me every single time. There remains nothing of the sacred Naiad she used to be. Everything she did was out of loyalty, out of respect. She never got what she deserved. 

“Well?”, she demands. “Are thou going to answer or rather leave me be?”

The pain is almost gone now. I wipe the little wet stones off my dress, but my legs are still trembling. As I’m supposed to, I straighten my back and look straight towards her. I don’t have a proper answer ready, which seems to surprise her. “I told you, I don’t know.”, I manage to say. “After more than a thousand years, I know what I’m supposed to do. How it works. If I had known, I would have done something about it.”

All of a sudden the serious tone in her voice is replaced again by a wave of laughter. “My dear Maera, if thou had known everything, then that particularly painful event wouldn’t have taken place. Henceforth, thou are going to seek this son of Gaea, if it is the last thing thou do.”

I’m fighting to hold back the tears. I’m not worth it to stand here, and she knows it. “Good night, mother”, I say and walk out, not even bothering to cast a glance at the one person who has given me the opportunity to prove myself. Whatever it is that has gone wrong, I will find out what happened. Whoever this boy is, I am going to find him.

I am the daughter of Charybdis, and it is my task to kill.