Remnant Of The Gods

Chapter 1

"How about we spend the day together," my mom swung her hair over her shoulder and smiled conspiratorially.

I nodded slowly, still eating my breakfast at the table and watched as she threw her head back and laughed, the dimples in her mouth showing. The sound of her laughter always used to make me smile, it was like hearing wind chimes in the breeze on a sunny day. Lately though, it sounded hollow.

"Sure mom, just let me finish this and get ready," I said slowly. This was going to be the fourth month in a row she hadn't let me go to school.

I knew this was coming. This was the day that mattered above all days. Today marked five years since her divorce, five years we had spent today only in each others company and ten since I had been adopted.

"I'll get the car started," she said breezily, whipping past me in a flurry of movement, the car keys jingling in her wake, "meet me down here in five young lady!" She laughed again.

Ducking upstairs I looked longingly at my school bag which sat neglected, now collecting dust in a corner and instead grabbed my handbag. I missed my friends, the life I had but I knew my mom needed me. Racing back downstairs mum stood in the walkway staring off into the distance, her face was void of all emotion. Her rounded cheeks and soft features were made to smile and it hurt to see her like this.

I can fix her, I just need a little longer. I thought.

"So where are we off to today mom?" I asked, feigning enthusiasm to help her, she needed to snap out of it before things got bad. Well... got worse. "Mom?"

Turning, her face lit up in a show stopping smile as she grabbed my hands, her eyes wild with excitement.

"Let's go to Vegas!"

******

"Don't worry mom it's okay, you're okay, we're going to be okay," I said through tears.

We were both crying as she drove onwards, not stopping, never slowing.

Too fast. I thought. We're going too fast.

"Mom you just need to pull over, just for a little while," I said, hoping to reach towards the wheel.

"I love you Ally, you know that right?" She said, the wild look in her eyes was now aflame.

I tried looking at her, I did. But I just couldn't see through all of the tears. "I know that mom," I choked.

Her hand jerked and I felt a moment of relief before I realised that she pulled the wheel the wrong way. Not towards the dirt of the road, but to the gulley over the other side.

*****

"We've found them!" I heard someone shout.

"Quickly, get the medics down here - I think she's moving!"

I tried to open my eyes but found only one of them working. My body radiated nothing but pain.

All I could see was light and darkness. The lights whizzed from one side of my vision to the other and blots of colour started to come through. I saw paramedics and medical officers around me, as waves of pain shot through me, tempting me to return to the darkness.

A flash of black and red streaked past my one open eye. The pain in my body left me when I saw the shadow and it was all I could focus on. Two red orbs held me in their gaze for what could have been a moment or an eternity.

Just as my vision shifted from being lifted out of the car, it vanished. I moved onto the gurney and waves of pain flowed through me. A medic leaned down to flash a light into my eye. When the light was taken away I watched as he looked down at me kindly. He looked young for his age when he grinned at me.

"Better thank whatever gods are rooting for you up there - you're lucky to have survived that."

The light above his head almost made it seem like he his blonde hair was glowing.

Lucky? I thought. I am cursed.