Love Lines

39: Gone Was The Glow

Chapter Thirty-Nine

He'd stopped by the hay bales, looking around like he had all the time in the world. Even though we both knew he didn't. This fun adventure had a time stamp on it and he was cutting it close.

"All this used to be open fields, did you know? They extended for miles and miles, seemingly to have no end. But you know that, don't you? Saw it all in that head of yours." When I nodded he smiled. "These fields were once entrusted to a young goddess to look over, to guard. That was until she was lured unknowingly away by a lusting god, promising to get her out from underneath her mother's thumb. Little did he know what he was really doing, having forgotten just what this expanse of land had sealed underneath. Fascinating, really. Someone with ill-intent could've come along and taken advantage of the abandoned post for the past millennia. The Gods have such long memories but they forget some things so easily. They've traveled so far away from their original purpose, entrusting it to lesser beings, with nothing more than a by your leave. I think it's time to remind them, don't you?"

"I already know all of this..." I whispered. "I saw it...I tried to warn them..."

"I know. That's what allows me to have so much respect for you, Oracle. No matter what you told them or what you did, they never would've believed you because they think they are the greater beings. But because you saw what you did, that also means you know why we're here? You know what lurks right under your feet." I nodded again, not being able to say anything. "Good. I hate uninformed sacrifices. The ritual is filled with cries of 'why me' and 'please don't do this' but you're not going to be like that, are you? You know why you're here and what role you play. You've learned to accept your fate and not be stubborn about it."

"You'll never get away with this, you know that, right?"

"I don't want to, my dear girl. I have to. I want your gods to stop me. Do you really think I want to release them? The gods have had every opportunity in which to stop this from happening yet they haven't taken any of those chances. It's frustrating just to sit back and watch, trusting that they would do something to stop this. But it never happened. So I will fully release the trapped abominations in order to retrieve my wife. She's buried deep down in there, asleep." He huffed. "I swear that woman could sleep for eternity if I let her."

"She's supposed to. She's never supposed to wake up. You know what will happen if she does, everything will be thrown into chaos..."

"I know. And I'm supposed to watch from above and let every infraction pass but your gods have ruined the gift my wife gave them so many years ago. I think it's time we change that, strike some fear back into the heart of man and god before we wipe them out of existence forever. It's not that big of a plan, I know, but it's a pretty good one. There will be blood and death, everything one expects of an apocalypse. It will be glorious."

"What about him?" I whispered, gesturing at the body he was inhabiting. "What will happen to him?"

"I've been experiencing the world through this particular Elite family line for centuries now. And after tonight, I'll be permanently cemented in this body, free to do what I like with it. The boy you know will be no more and Gaia will be free..."

"Won't she need a body too?"

He nodded and waved his hand nonchalantly. "Yes but there's time for that. First things first, of course. We have to get her out of the ground." He held out his hand like we were going to a dance instead of marching off to my demise. "Shall we?"

"I need a minute to process. You are about to kill me, you know."

"I'm not going to be the one to kill you. But take all the time you need. I actually thought you might fight this a bit more. Scream a little, pound your fists, stomp your feet. Plead. I had time allotted for that. But you're actually very compliant about it all. It makes things so much easier. We're actually running ahead of schedule."