Escape (Book 1 of the Gods' series)

Chapter 2

When I woke, I was resting against something hard and cold. I rubbed my eyes and slowly got up to my feet. All around me was orange-red rock; I looked skywards and saw the hole of blue sky. It seemed tiny. I must have fallen at least 100 feet, but if that happened, how could I have been still alive?

Something at the side of me caught my eye, it was beautiful, it was a woman, she had long hair that was tied in a high ponytail, even with it up, it reached her waist, it was deep red in the dark but when the light caught it, it shone copper and blond, with strands of bright red, her face was flawless, she had long black eyelashes and deep blue eyes, her lips were plump and pink, she had a crop vest on, made of tan leather with gold studs on the bottom, she had a short tan leather skirt on with matching strips of studded leather that went to her knees flowing from it, the outfit perfectly complimented her hourglass figure, also to finish her outfit, she had flat tan boots on. I moved towards the woman but then I realised she walked towards me too, I lifted my hand, she lifted hers I walked closer, what I thought was a painting or something, was not, that beautiful woman was me.

I looked on the floor around me, Jessica was there, her hair now blond instead of dark blond and in curls, her dress was beautiful, it was white cloth secured with a gold necklace, I then looked at Aaron, he hadn’t changed much at all except from the change in clothes, also the rippling muscles that covered his body were new, then I looked at Dylan, he was nearly the same except he looked wise, and he had a few strands of silver in his hair, but he had muscles, lots of them.

 Dylan’s eyes started to open and I looked away from him and the mirror, I just looked up and around “Charlotte?” I turned to him and nodded, his eyes were now green and his jawbone looked firmer, “You look really different.” I knew this but I pretended I didn’t, “Well, you look different too, not much, but a little.” I then nodded to the mirror “Take a look.” He stood up and walked to the mirror, he wasn’t looking at himself though, he was looking at me, then at Jessica “She’s pretty, I admit, and if you like her, I think you would suit together.” I don’t know where it came from, but it just came out of me, Dylan looked at me as if in shock “You think, that Jess is pretty? I’m not sure.” He was walking towards me, my heart was racing, he reached towards me and held my hand, “At this moment I wouldn’t count on her being the prettiest.” He stared into my eyes, I couldn’t breathe, “No, Dylan, don’t lie to yourself.” I pulled my hand away and started examining the cave we were all trapped in.

 I looked to the right of me and saw an opening in the wall, what lay through there I didn’t know. By that time, Jessica’s eyes were flickering open and Aaron was slowly getting to his feet. Dylan was staring at me, he looked completely and utterly hurt, like I shot a bullet straight through him, I felt so guilty, but I couldn’t show it, not now. I eventually noticed Jessica’s feet were tangled up in her robe, dress, thing so I decided to go help her, when she looked up at me she gawped, her chin practically hitting the floor, when she regained control over her speaking ability she said; “Oh my gosh, Charlotte, you look beautiful! Like a warrior or something, your long legs, the outfit, your hair! No wonder the boys are gawping at you like that. I mean, wow.” I couldn’t believe what I had just heard! The prettiest, savviest girl at my school, telling me that I looked beautiful!

 My thoughts were disturbed by a woman’s voice talking to us; “Ah! I see you reached here alright, no bruises, cuts, anything like that?” Who was this woman? She was slim with flowing black hair and pale blue eyes, she wore a navy blue dress that billowed with every movement she made, I automatically didn’t like her, I couldn’t figure her out, her eyes held no story, they were cold and hard, I could tell she was no good. “W-where are we?” Jessica asked, fear practically written on her face, “Who are you?” Dylan queried, his voice was strong, firm, “Why are we here?” Aaron spoke, for like, the first time since I met him, but he showed no fear, at all. “Oh come on, stop lying to me, you know why you’re here, Philyra-” She pointed at me “-how are those shape-shifting skills going?” What? “Alcyone-” She pointed at Jessica, “Well, what can I say, goddess of the sea, amazing.” I was so confused “Cronos-” Dylan was next, “time control, from what I remember you had trouble controlling it.” Finally she pointed at Aaron, “Atlas, so strong, tough, well you are going to be a hard lot to kill.” The look of confusion must have given her the idea that we didn’t know what she was going on about, “Oh, well, you must be the apprentices- even more fun to kill unskilled God’s! So please, I suggest you run; not that you would get very far. Oh, and by the way, my name is Nyx, Goddess of darkness.”

I decided it was safer to run to the nearest exit than to stay where I was.