Hidden Memories

XXI. Puppet

Michael's POV

I opened the door, music played by a band immediately filled my ears. It was a voice of a boy, muttering lyrics that I was not able to understand. The room was bright with the help of tall windows and white walls.

Artemis sat on a stool, like the usual, oil paint on her dress, her cheek, and hands. She was applying some color on her clouded red skies, her sun setting on her oceans, white waves crashing on her beach with her fingers, the method she always liked. It was a picture from her memory, I assumed by her way of blurring some spots of the canvass.

I walked to the radio, turning it off. She didn't seemed to mind, so I sat on the bench of the piano, running my hands on the keys. "Corpse Bride" came to mind, a song she loved. So, I played it, slowly, just how she wanted. When I was done with the intro of the song, she turned around on her stool, scowling. She was still mad from our previous argument.

"You're disturbing my peace," she said. For a thirteen-year-old, she looked older than her sister, even her mature sounding voice didn't sound like her age.

"But it's your favorite song," I said, my hands sliding on the keys.

"When can I go out?" This was the millionth time she asked. "I'm not complaining, it's just that we're in Greece, and I haven't seen what outside looks like. And their culture seems interesting."

"Soon," I said. "When your sister comes back, we can explore the country together."

Her face hardened at the mention of her sister. "She's not coming back."

I smiled. "Well, not willingly."

"That only makes it worse."

"She's starting to remember."

She stared doubtfully at me. "That's not possible. It's too early for that. Isn't she sixteen by now?"

"Yes, last September. It appears that her power's still growing, like yours."

She muttered something I didn't hear. I asked her to repeat a little louder, but she said, "Nothing."

She then turned on the radio again on full blast, muting out her surroundings, including me.

~~~'~~~

Freia's POV

"What the hell should we do?!" The student asked from beside me. No, he wasn't calm. He was utterly panicking and was spouting out whatever was on his mind. "What the fuck is he standing there for?! Like the monster is not on the same floor as he is?!"

"Shut up," I said. "I'm thinking."

Every student was now on platforms, avoiding the monster. The last time I saw something like this was last three years ago, on the night of Alex's death. But the creature that I saw through the window had antlers on them, the size of a moose and the shape of it. They had the same features on them, though, black skin and red marks that resembled like a blade's handy work.

"Your father is crazy. Has he always been this way? I mean, he never went out his office and meet us or anything. He only talks through the newspaper and his secretary that has the most annoying voice-"

"I said, shut up."

"So? Is he always like this?"

My usual negative emotions rose up and I turned to him, my face blank. "Why don't you go down to your friends?" I suggested in hopes that he would listen.