The Queen Of All Strange Things

23

I appeared in my room. A nymph was there cleaning it up. She went out the instant I came in.

Then I jumped onto my bed and cried. I cried for hours and fell asleep. When I woke up, Athena was sitting next to my bed.

'What happened?' she asked.

I cried again and told her what happened. She simply pursed her lips. It took me a while to settle until all the tears ran out and I ended up sobbing with my eyes ran red. It seems that Andrew and Zeus were outside listening to whatever I was saying. The two of them poked their heads in.

Andrew was rather taken aback after seeing me. I guess he had never seen me cry this much. Zeus rubbed his beard.

'I think you should explain this to your mom,' said Athena.

I sniffed. 'I'm not going back home.'

'But_' said Andrew.

'That's the spirit!' cried Zeus. Athena gave him a warning look.

'Amethyst,' said Athena. 'Tell you mom_'

'Tell what!' I yelled. 'That I'm a queen somewhere in Egypt where the inhabitants are fairy tale creatures?'

There was a silence.

'She's think I'm bonkers!'

'She won't believe you,' said Andrew. 'You hardly believed me at first. I doubt your mom will after hearing that and she had never seen invisibles before.'

You know, it would have been simply if I had told her.

Athena gave a sigh and turned to me, 'Clear your head and get back home before she starts to worry.'

But I didn't. More than anyone, I was mad at Isa. She was always the Gossip queen and simply couldn't keep her mouth shut. She knew more that anyone that I was the last person to do something like starting an affair or going onto drugs. Besides, I hate boys, not like her who fall for every simply boy that enter her life. But then again, I can't really blame he, I would have done the same if it were me. But she shouldn't have talked to my mom without sorting things out with me first.

Andrew and I didn't utter a word during dinner. Nymphea made spaghetti and although it was all gooey and cheesy, I didn't feel much of the taste. I had to admit, the Nile was pretty at night. It glittered under the moonlight and it seemed like a waste sea with silver dust sprinkled on top. I heard dragons groan from overhead as they soared above us. Andrew raised his head. Maybe the dragons were telling something. I don't know. He listened to them the whole time.

He must have noticed that I was watching because he said, 'They are singing.'

'Singing?'

'It's a song,' he said. 'In dragon-tongue... can't you hear it?'

I shook my head. 'I don't get what they're saying. I only hear grunts and moans.'

He shrugged. 'Well, I don't understand fairies much so that makes us even.'

I went back to my room to read and eventually fell asleep. I felt like my life was falling apart. Well, at least I had something to do since I was here.

When I got up the next morning, there was something warm and soft cuddles by my feet. I almost yelled. Okay, I did yelp. Whatever the thing was, it was purring.