Echo: The Girl That Time Forgot

A Series of Unfortunate Events

I awoke to searing pain, like a lance had gone through my head, my eyes were red and blurred with pain and my entire body ached.
But worst of all, I couldn't talk. I tried to move my lips but they wouldn't make a sound, as I tried to push myself up I couldn't even groan. It was gone, my individuality, my identity, my voice.

I connected with the world through stories. Spinning tales to tell people and seeing them smile and laugh was one of the reasons I lived, but Hera had taken that away from me.

Utter despair entwined itself with my soul and I collapsed back to the ground. My entire life had changed course in a matter of minutes. The small amount of happiness that I had managed to attain was gone in the snap of a finger.

But I am a doer, I know I can't just lie around all day. Aika and Ayana are both mad at me so they won't be by anytime soon.

For the first time I take a moment to look at my surroundings, and I realize I'm in my meadow. That means that I haven't been banished from the immortal realm, only Olympus. It also means that I still have access to the olive springs, so if somehow I can get there it can heal my body. I also realize that there is blood dripping from my head wound, seeping into the grass, so I take the time to stop the blood flow with some clothe.

The need for water over rides all else and I find my self staggering in the general direction of the olive springs. After 20 painstaking minutes I finally make it to the springs and my body gives way as I collapse into the water and sink to the bottom.

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I can't breath. The air is thick and snow is falling heavily. My feet are stinging and I look down to see that they are dripping in blood. My blood.

I hold out my hand and I realize in horror that it isn't snow falling from the sky, it's ashes. They fall all around me, thicker and thicker, catching in my hair and choking me.

I struggle to breath and it gets harder and harder by the second, finally I collapse to the ground fighting for my last breathes.

I look around me and I realize finally that I'm on Olympus, but everything is wrong, the throne room has been shattered, it's glass ceiling desiccated, and I realize that the ash that is choking me was once the royal palace.

I stopped moving, I had no fight left. But before I slipped into the abyss I looked around me and saw nymphs, dryads, centaurs and mortals all dying around me, the throne room splattered with their blood, and I realized with world shattering clarity, that I had caused this, I had let them down and they were here dying in this gods forsaken place, because of me.

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My eyes snapped open and I stared blearily up at the dancing dots that appeared to be naiads playing in the springs.

Though I knew I was awake and it was only a dream, a feeling of dread still lingered with me.

I had to talk to someone, I felt like dying and part of me wanted to. But Aika and Ayana were still mad at me and I doubted that Artemis would take me in after Hera condemned me.

Narcissus. He would listen to me. My only problem is figuring out how to get to the mortal realm, and how to get a message to Narcissus. Luckily Hermès owes me a favor and he can probably help me with both of those problems.

I silently sighed, kicked off the bottom of the springs and swam to the surface. As my head broke the water, my wet hair clung to the sides of my face and the naiads screamed and ran away from me. Naiads are world class cowards.

My body was healed of any physical ailment but I had a feeling like a gray cloud hanging over me, a sense of impending doom. I shoved these thoughts to the back of my mind, and summoned Hermès in my head.