Losing All Hope

Chapter 3 - Names and Stories

I walk up to the youngest girl, deciding to go in age order, who looks like she will be happy to talk to me. "Hello," I say quietly, as my voice hasn't been used in a while, "What's your name?" the only ice breakers princesses ever really need are 'what's your name?' and 'what do you do?' because everyone else do all the talking for you.

"Elliza, also known as Ellie, goddess of plants and nature." I recognise her name, these must be the ancient goddesses of Solemn. Back when the kingdom had no rulers, only tribes and temples.

"Where does your door lead?"  I ask cautiously, wondering whether or not it is too soon to ask that.

"My door of green leads to Human lands , to trees and branches, marshes and sand. Decide if this is the door you want, to find your way, your path or not?" Her voice is smooth, the rhymes and rhythm rolling of her tongue like they would a sophisticated you woman. She then turns, and begins walking over to her door standing gracefully by its handle. I begin walking over towards the second girl,

"Hello..." I repeat, but this time to the young, honey blonde girl, with deep blue eyes that look like the ocean.

"Hello." This girls voice is sharp, more decisive, which is strange as she looks to be only six.

"What's your name?" I reply, trying to match her tone of authority.

"Gabriel, Also known as Gabby, goddess of al animals and creatures." I am now certain that I was right, these are the legends on which most of my fathers bedtime stories were based on.

"Where does your door lead to?" I ask with more confidence.

"My doorway leads to Human ground, to birds and insects, to wolves and hounds. Choose your future, decide your path,  to go through my door or not you must ask." The words again were almost sung as if rehearsed and sung many times. Then Gabriel walks towards her door and stands by the handle also, I make my way to the third girl, with beautiful strawberry blonde waves.

"You must be Annabella, Goddess of Love and Beauty?" I say in a mixture of telling and asking. She replies with a simple and graceful nod, however her face looks surprised that I know who she is, "Where does your door lead?"

" My door leads to the Human countries, beatuful sites, smells and feelings. My doorway may give you what you need, think hard and listen to your heart to succeed." Annabella's voice is much softer, floating around my ears and gently entering my mind. "Thank you." After another gracious nod, Annabella truns on her heels, practically skipping towards her door.

I decide to mix things up, I go for the fifth, with jet black hair, and cloudy brown eyes. I don't know this one's name, My father only ever told me of the first four goddesses. "Who are you?" I ask, trying to sound more confident as this girl seems much older than the last.

"I am Ruefilla, Rue, the goddess of the weather, clouds and rain." Rue's voice is much more mature, with an odd roll of her tongue when she speaks her name. 

"Where would your door take me?" I am starting to get bored of asking the same questions...

"My door will take you to Human skies, where the clouds hang low and the sun shines high. My door may show you where to go, make your choice, yes, or no?" Rue continues rolling her 'r's', quite annoyingly, 

"Thank you." She doesn't give any sign of replying, and turns to walk towards her door.

I go back to the fourth, whom i know the name of, "You are Cassandra?" I ask, going back to my gentle voice as she looks to be around ten,

" Yes, Cassy," Her voice sounds extremelly shy, it is quieter than Ellie's, "goddess of the night sky, the moon and stars. My door will lead you to The Human nights, the darkest of skies, the brightest of lights. My door will show you the stars and moon, is this your choice,  the path you'll follow soon?" Speading up at the end, Cassy can obviously tell that I am  getting bored with asking the same questions. She burries her chin in her neck and slowly shuffles towards her door. All that is left is the eldest. She look about my age but her presence feels more like she is at least 20, She gives me an encouraging look and I slowly walk over towards her,  

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"Hello,"  Now that I am standing in front of her she is much taller than I thought she would be, "Who are you?"  Talking to her feels much different from talking to all the other girls.

" My name, is Esmerelda. I am also know as Zelda, The goddess of the other world." I knew Zelda, she had come up in my fathers stories many times but not as a goddess, as the villan. 

" My father told me about you, but I didn't know that you were a goddess Zelda." I suddenly felt a shiver fall down my spine, something about her presence was different from the other goddesses'. I could almost feel a strength radiating from her that the other goddesses didn't have, a warmth and bitterness at the same. After waiting for a while with no reply I ask "Where will your door take me?" Zelda smiles, an evil looking smile?

"My door will take you far away, to Human lands and Human days, beware the Humans, beware your dreams, nothing here is as it seems." That made no sense, how am I meant to choose between six doors that all lead to where I need to go? Zelda can obviously see by my face that i didn't understand what she said at all, "Make sure you choose with your heart princess, not with just what you have been told, as I said, every thing is not as it seems..." her words fade off, until all that is left is a whisper, all the gilrs are each stood by their doors and, opening their mouths once more, begin to sing again.

The daughetrs of Herpine all we be,

Goddesses of weather, love, animals and trees,

The sun and moon bow down to us,

Solemn's goddesses of life and love.

To find the way you need to go,

Talk to each of us and get to know,

Which one of us is whom you need,

To find the door so you will succeed.

What door do I take? I have a choice of six. Each lead to the Humans, which is exactly where i need to be, but which one will take me to my mother? Zelda said I need to follow my heart. I guess I should take Eliza's door, becuase she is the goddess of nature, like my mother and I.

I walk over towards Eliza's door, but something stops me from walking, my heart slows down by a milisecond, but I can feel it. It is trying to talk to me, to tell me something. A huge gust of wind blows through the skylight which has re-appeared again. It blows through my hair and goose-bumps emerge on my snow-white skin. I can hear it trying to whispher somthing to me. My heart begins to beat faster and faster,

"Zelda..." And then it is gone, it feels as if nothing has happened. I look around at the goddesses but they don't seem to have heard or seen anything.

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I walk over towards Zelda, my heart beating faster and faster the nearer I get to the sparkling door. Something tells me that this is the door I should go through, I can feel it. I walk over to Zelda, " This is the door..." I speak with an odd certainty which I don't completely  feel.

Zelda stretches her hand towards the handle, "Are you sure?" She says with a humerous tone,

"Yes." I state, confidently. Zelda's hand twists the polished door knob, holding the door ajar, waiting. Her smile reminds me of my uncle and I wonder if I have made the wrong dicision. She pushes on the dazzaling wood opening the door wide. I look inside, half expecting darkness to flood out again, but I am greeted by a familiar smell of wet grass and stone.

I take a few small steps inside the doorway, my bare feet suddenly wet due to the dew and small amount of rain falling from the grey clouds above me.  I look back at the goddesses, they are all smiling at me. I can see the door slowly closing, until it shuts and I hear a lock click. 

The world blurrs around me and a yellow light blazes around my body, surging through my chest until I double-over in pain. I look at my hands, which are also glowing, and I can feel a burning in my head. All  I can see is this yellow, then, nothing.