How Peculiar

Chapter Four

   The second they passed through the door, a jolt passed through Tom. The girl yelped and let go of his hand.

   “Oh jeez! I'm so sorry!” Tom apologized, “That usually only happens when I'm about to have a panic attack.” She shook her hand lightly before looking at it. The skin was red and raw, some of it torn and bleeding.  “I am so so sorry!” He exclaimed. She chuckled softly.

   “It's alright. I did something similar the first time I came here.” She smiled at the remembrance. “My name's Aranea by the way.” She stook out her other hand and he shook it. “I'm going to go get Theo. Stay here and don't do anything stupid.” With that, she left through a door to the far left. Now that Tom got a better look, there were many doors. Maybe around twelve. He began to walk towards one when the door swung open.

   “Look out!!” A feminine voice screamed. A blur of brown and tan shot out of the room and tackled him to the ground. A black glowing orb flew over his head and collided with the wall. He blinked a couple times before looking to see a young woman sitting on his chest. She most definitely was not ordinary. Large, brown, majestic wings grew out of her back. Her eyes were a mix of green and hazel. Long dark brown locks had been put up into a high ponytail. She wore short shorts that were a very light, almost white, gray, the same colored sports top and slip on flats.

    Tom noticed that her breathing came in short, raspy breaths. Her eyes clouded over with a glassy film and she slipped off him onto the ground, almost passing out. He knelt down beside her and was about to ask if she was alright when a second figure appeared in the doorway.

   “You're getting better, Thea.” it commented. It was a young man who wore mostly black with some hughes of gray. He had a bandana over his eyes. His skin as pale as a vampire's, and his hair as black as a raven. His eyes simply rested on the girl, “Thea”, lazily and carelessly.

   She groaned and huffed and pushed herself up, her wings flapping and working to get her up. Her body seemed to glow faintly as she worked to get up. Once she was on her feet, she looked at Tom. The film over her eyes was gone along with any sign of tiredness.

   “Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?” She quizzed, glancing to the spot on the wall where the orb had hit. She gazed down at her hands then flicked her gaze to the guy at the door. She then moved her gaze back to Tom.

   “You did that?!” Tom asked, frozen in shock. She nodded and reached out a hand to him. He hesitated, slightly afraid, but then took it. She pulled him to his feet.

   “I'm Athena. And that's Naz.” She told him, morning to the guy in the doorway. Naz simply rolled his eyes and looked away, leaning on the doorway and crossing his arms. At that moment, Aranea ran back in.

   “I found Theo!” She declared, clearly out of breath. Another woman followed her. She wore a blue jacket with a white shirt under it and a blue pleated skirt. She also wore gray gloves. It was Theodora.

   “That's Theo?!”