The Afflicted

Chapter 2

Zeke awoke to someone shaking her arm. Hoping that it would make whomever it was leave, she pulled the covers over her head.

"They are coming, they are," Aurora's empty voice rang out from behind her.

Zeke rolled over to face Aurora, tangling her hair in the process.

"What did you just say?" Her voice was thick with sleep. Zeke sat up and shook her head, hoping that it would wake her up.

"The bad men. They know I'm here and they are coming," her voice way far away, almost like she was under water. The two girls sat there in silence for a few moments before Zeke broke it by standing up and reaching her hands out towards Aurora's.

"Well they won't find you. Come, I know where to hide you."

And with that the two girls went of to quickly dress and pack a small bag of their belongings. As much as Zeke hated to admit it, Aurora had quickly grown on her, ever since the day she arrived, the two had started to grow close. Zeke stared at the other girl for a few moments, thinking about what must have happened to her to drive her insane.

Then, she was jerked back to reality by a bang at the door.

Aurora turned to her and grabbed her arms. "Death, yes, death is very near. We must find the Old Man of the Sea. Yes, he's the only one who can save us now," she whispered in Zeke's ear. Her voice seemed to echo in the head of the other girl, as though it was large and hollow.

Zeke spun around and grabbed her bag. "Then we must leave," she said under her breath. "Now."

Then both girls raced towards the huge closet that sat in the corner of her bedroom, and opened the doors. They climbed inside and closed the doors behind them tightly.

Zeke then turned to face the back wall and crouched down to grab a small piece of flooring, propping it up against the wall. The place where she had lifted the flooring opened up into a tunnel of darkness that looked as though it dropped straight downwards. Zeke looked up at Aurora and smiled, then dropped down into the darkness. Aurora didn't hesitate to follow her into the shadows.

Both girls landed with a soft thump. It was still pitch black and the darkness seemed to loom over Aurora, bring back faint memories from her awful past.

Zeke reached out and grabbed Aurora's hand. She leaned over and spoke quietly in her ear.

"Follow me. I used to use this route to sneak out to watch the stars at night. I've been this way a thousand times." Zeke's eyes met Aurora's, and even though she hated lying, she raised her voice and said, "It's all going to be fine."

With that the girls headed off down the pitch black tunnel, of to find the Old Man of the Sea.

****

Athena woke before the sun had rose. She sat on the edge of the building and watched the city.

Even at night the people came and went. Everywhere. Like ants searching for food. Or bees looking for pollen.

As often as Athena watched the streets below, she was still in awe how many people there were. Thousands. Millions, maybe. It seemed like the only people who she ever saw more then once were the merchants. They even seemed to come and go like clouds in the sky.

Athena suddenly felt the hairs on her neck prickle. She spun around to see a old woman, with her grey hair pulled into a side braid, standing behind her. She sprang to her feet and reached to the dagger in her boot, the one that her father had given her the day he was taken away, and the one that she had used on the day she dared not to speak of.