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The Perks of Being a Goddess

--butIdoLOVEyoU--

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:-III: -Again- :

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Set your heart in love on fire, cross through a thousand dreams

Run right and left, through the miracle of meeting

The clouds scatter and the sun goes down again

And two parades melt into the night sky

--Chaba

If you shut the door, things will seem to just disappear into an ending
Unable to be completely honest, as I’m left to walk down the uncertain everyday
Perhaps at that time we walked out towards different paths
Until the time that one day those emotions release their beams
If the wheels rotate, the journey shall begin with it
I won’t turn away anymore, I’ll quietly embrace the past

--Arashi

SPECIAL BIG THANKS TO: Bleeding White Lily and SoHowAreDelusionOutWon!

Thanks for doing the beta work! XD

AND TO YOU GUYS WHO HAVE REVIEWED!

Thanks!

In the distance, the water from the waterfall crashed against the rocks. The sounds of birds played in the background. The sweet smell of flowers and spring merged to create a lulling scent. In the horizon the sun fell. The sky was painted in hues of pink, orange and gray. Pink for the innocence of the world, the blue sky marking the sorrow embed in the soul, and gray, for the storm that would follow. A fiery red hid, masked between the masterful colors of blue and pink, the presence of anger not too far from the surface.

Miles of flowers extended beyond the steps of the Temple, all exotic, many of which were rare and hard to breed. A field of brilliant flowers filled with joy and fun; of ringing laughter from the tiny hands and feet that scurried through them. The laughs rose higher, higher and higher until it reached the sky, rumbling so that the clouds trembled and the first droplet of water fell. That water drop fell on a cheek, marking the cheek with one tear, then another and another. The laughing rose and it angered the streak of red, so that when the water continued to fall a shrike was heard across the field.

A baby wailed in protest.

The gray consumed the blue and the lingering yellow that marked the laughing and joy of the day. It feed on the anger. It grew with the hatred. The drops were no longer soft, they stung upon impact. The laughing seized to exist. The rumbling still shook the sky.

The flower petals gave under the pressure of the droplets. The rain was no longer of cause. Instead, the water fell with consistent accuracy, in measurement of uncontrolled anger.

A mist of bitterness shrouded the youthful spring. The wind was no longer gentle. It cut into the skin of those that weren’t Gods. It froze all emotion, except for that which fed it with uncontrollable haste.

When a single ray of light tried to infiltrate the raging storm, the mist gave way, parting so that small young hands—soft in care, yet brusque with purpose—picked up the baby. The child, young but older, ran with the baby. He ran through the torturing emotions and through the flaring storm he created that were all essence of his feelings. And when the baby laughed again, laughed because the rain didn’t bother, because it felt nice to feel the wind pick up her dress and toss her short bob of hair around her face, the child seethe with anger again. In his own heart he was too young to understand that there was no mockery in the baby’s laugh. That his presence calmed her wailing protest, which in her eyes, the child, had all of her affection. He did not understand that the baby’s laugher to his presence was her communication of love.

When the gates parted, the child was too young to know that when the Goddess fell, he helped brake a law.

. . . When the Goddess fell, the pink of her innocence merged with the blue and gray, creating a storm of sorrow to seize her being.

Rolling over I knocked into Chico. He had so persistent during the last ten minutes to wake me, that he stuck his muzzle in my neck and started doing that sniffing motion he did when sampling his food. And because I had no energy to make him stop I let him be.

Nothing was going to hinder my sleep this morning.

Ah. . . sweet Saturday, I thought until I rolled over and came face to face with a note strapped around Chico’s collar.

Thinking it was one of moms weird ways of getting her messages to me, I took it, carelessly unrolling it to read its contents.

Morning Princess, I read in my head. A grin took claim of my face. Whenever mom started her messages as such there was nothing to fret over. It meant she was thoughtful while writing the note and wasn’t in any rush to storm out of the house.

I’ve set time back to yesterday. So to you, this might be a Saturday, but in truth. . .It’s Friday.

A weird, yet cute caricature was inserted next to Friday, something a long the lines of a frowning-big-eyed creature.

Once you notice that you’re late for school, do thank me. The first bell rang an hour ago, but since you didn’t have the qualms of getting up or shutting off your still buzzing alarm I stuck a note onto Chico’s collar to give to you once he woke you up. He deserves a treat. Don’t you think?

Another face, this time the smiley was inserted at the end of the line. Noticing what mom wrote about the alarm I reached over and hit the snooze button.

Hopefully you’ll be able to take your midterms today. Don’t know how much of a difference that will make when you won’t be here for the results. Anyways, we’ll meet again in the subway station. This time, please refrain from staring at my (whispers) you-know-what.

A winking face was inserted after this one. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. This so reminded me of Pierce. . .

Try and gather your thoughts for any questions and what I have to tell you later today. Hopefully you won’t freak out. (To myself: Though, probability of it happening is 99.8 percent.) And please don’t try to run away or hide. I can always catch up to you.

Oh, and Chico just so happened to take a leek on the wheels of your car. Your mother did a good job of washing it away. . .

A big grin was placed where the sentence wasn’t finished.

If you wake up in time there is a big chance you’ll make it to your first midterm. You should watch out for your friend Laura. She’s in a pissy mood at the moment. Wonder whose fault that is. . .

A big question mark filled up the rest of the space. That was until magically the words, Pierce Alexandre signed itself at the bottom.

How didn’t I notice that this penmanship wasn’t my mothers? It was too freakishly pretty to compare to that of a doctor’s writing. There were too many twist and turns to the cursive letters. Was it humanly possible to use this font without a computer? And why the hell did I say it sounded like Pierce? This really was him. Looking back at the note the only thing readable was the time. Everything else was gone.

It took a moment to remember yesterday’s incident. Like a rising tsunami, everything raised high above ground level and just when I remembered everything, the waves crashed, pounding into my head and leaving a terrible headache behind. I couldn’t believe I had lain in bed so calmly when this whole nonsense was still taking place. This must have been a crude joke. The fool was trying to drive me crazy.

Of course it was Saturday morning. No one could turn back time!

I scoffed, chortled and nearly chocked when the words Goddess ringed in my ears. Sitting upright, I took a glance at myself. I was filthy.

My hands were covered in black soot and so were my clothes. As a matter a fact, I still wore my jeans from yesterday and the gray sweater. All ruined. My sneakers were still on too.

I rose from bed, not being careful with the sheets since they were already as damaged as the rest of me. Going into the bathroom I rinsed my hands with soap to wash away the dirt. I returned to the room and picked up my cell phone. It read: 9:30 AM Friday March 31.

I remained calm. If the fool managed to tag the note onto Chico, that meant he got into my house. I don’t remember coming back home. And if the things that happened yesterday were accurate, then he must have brought me home and changed the time and date on my cell phone as well. How else would he know about Laura? There were ten messages from her after all, and four missed calls.

He was being the nosy old lady when he dropped me off.

Pierce in my room, poking about my stuff. . . a funny feeling settled into my chest.

I recalled the last few minutes I spent with him yesterday, in which the scenery kept changing from that lucid white to the temple and then darkness. Those were creations of powers; it had to be.

I shook my head. Thinking about yesterday made this nagging feeling throb in the back of my mind. Perhaps he was speaking the truth when he wrote that I was late for school after he did what he did with time.

Shaking my head again didn’t help the feeling so I reached for the remote control. This was the only way to figure out if he was lying or not.

-

-

I don’t know how I did it. But in just about two minutes, I cried, changed into some new clothing and sprinted out of the house. Tears were still running down my cheeks while I ran down the street. As I fumbled through my bag I couldn’t remember if I had locked the door properly.

What I could remember was yesterday, and clearly.

He had written that we would meet in the subway station again. I was tempted to ride the bus all the way to school, no matter how much longer it would take, but then, he said he would find me regardless.

And anyways, the only way to rid myself of this tormenting issue was to know about all of it once and for all.

I paused running, long enough to wipe my tears and make up my mind. ‘Alright Isabel. There is no need to be a wimp. I can handle this. I’m strong.’ Even through the pep talk I could feel my knees trembling.

In the back of my mind, Goddess kept re-sounding like someone was making a mockery out of the title.

‘Being a Goddess isn’t so bad.’ I used the thought to push me forward as I ran to the nearest train station without having to wait for a bus.

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Leaning against the subway wall while he waited, he could feel her getting closer. He could also feel the roving eyes. Females too, entranced with him. Earlier, he had been courteous enough to smile back at some of the girls, but now he wouldn’t make the same mistake. As soon as he smiled at one of them, her and a few of her friends flanked over, all interested in his phone number or wanting to meet up with him. He had refused them kindly and they had refused boarding a train until he boarded one. When he told them he was waiting for his female companion they had all sucked their teeth in disappointment and went their way.

Again, another horde of girls, and this time the college girls wouldn’t take him out of their gaze.

He made little eye contact with any of them. Which was all starting to feel worse than when Zeus wouldn’t let him out of his sight; it was all too creepy to have people watch him too intently. It felt like they were trying to get into his mind. He was only thankful that these mere human girls weren’t as capable as Zeus was.

Only two people in the world could read him perfectly without much effort. Old pops Zeus and his dear mother, his mother he was still angry at for not getting him out of performing this task. If Elisavet was originally sent, why did he have to come too?

The only one to blame was Dorothea. She’s the cause for all his trouble. Even after he thought he had ridden himself of the girl, she still caused trouble for him.

No matter how much prayer was invested for this mission to run smoothly, Pierce doubted it could help one ounce. The girl was too stubborn to accept the truth and to agree to come as quickly as she was advised to. One look at her and he had all the forewarning he needed. Even if he were God, none of this was going to be a smooth return home. His last option left to return her home was by force. As of now, he couldn’t go with that, no matter how much he wanted. Elisavet was keeping a close watch on him any ways.

For now, he had no better option than to wait for her.

That look on her face when she discovered that the note was his was priceless.

Silly girl thinking it was her mother.

He chuckled; he knew it would seem crazy to laugh by oneself, but if it meant the girls would stay away then he didn’t mind laughing at Dorothea’s silliness all by himself.

Isabel, he tested her new name. Not that it had much meaning to him. It was just a name.

She, however, had grown exactly opposite of what he always envisioned as a growing child. Since she had been round back when they were young, he figured the roundness would stay with her. It didn’t though.

She had grown up beautifully. Nothing like the hideous monster he thought her to be. Beautiful shaped gray eyes, long black silky hair. Her skin tanned from the numerous hours she spent out in the sun playing volleyball or anything else that kept her figure in shape. One look at her and you’d think a beautiful stuck up girl. Who would know that she was a complete air head? But there went your saying that pretty girls were all just clueless. Her reception was bad. Completely horrible!

Pierce couldn’t believe that she was the next big thing.

Though, watching her for the past month, she seemed like the nicest girl out to conquer the world. He had yet to see such devotion like Isabel’s for her friends and family. Perhaps, this image of her air headedness was due to the fact that she never found a time to be serious. Sure, she was serious about playing that sport of hers, but she was all about jokes and fun. She could be serious if she wanted to. . . right?

Pierce sighed. She was just one big headache.

When she entered the subway station, all out of breath he smirked. He glanced down at Elisavet signaling that the girl was here and he was ready to get going. She nodded once and turned from him, walking further down the platform.

Pierce stared after her. Elisavet was an exact replica of her older sister Greta. She was tall, red head with evil looking topaz eyes, and was excruciatingly skinny. She could pass for a human model, one of those anorexic chicks. However, unlike her older sister Greta, who was the biggest sweetheart, Elisavet was the type of person you wouldn’t like to mess with. If you pissed her off, she didn’t care whose son or daughter you were. Pierce couldn’t understand how her lover Yanis could communicate with her. Even if they both shared the same personality, wouldn’t it be difficult for them to agree with one another?

It really didn’t matter much; he hardly ever associated with those two. In fact, he was starting to think that it was good he was sent with Elisavet after Dorothea. She wouldn’t have made it alive if Elisavet was left to this task alone.

Now, if he could receive some patience. This girl really knew how to work his.

Pierce watched her scan the area. He was impressed with how fast she found him and how composed she was when she marched in his direction.

He was tempted to laugh when she walked up to him, pulled at his arm and pushed him into the train cart with her.

And because she was so clueless, it was hard for her to notice how the college girls were glaring daggers at her for stealing him away.

-

-

I looked for the most gorgeous guy in sight. And because it was hard to tell in this place, I looked for a dense crowd, obviously consisting of girls. It wasn’t hard to miss him, leaning against a wall. He had that indifference attitude, looking so damn fine in another one of his snug jeans and a blazer over a hooded sweater. Since he was so great at knowing when I was looking at him he turned in my direction, giving me one of his mocking smirks.

I had made great time while running because there was another train ready to head off towards its next stop.

Marching over to where he stood, I took his arm and dragged him onto the train, stuffing him in with the rest of everyone who tried boarding. I guess I hadn’t noticed that every hour was rush hour.

“You’re going to drive me insane,” were my first words to him. Forget a morning greeting or anything close to it. This guy didn’t deserve one. “How could you give me that note? Do you know how much destruction it could cause the human mind?”

“I had anticipated more than human mind destruction. I guess a complete destruction of a certain human was too much to ask for. Forgive me for failing.” He had that playful look in his eyes.

Did the guy suffer from mood swings?

“I’m perfectly fine. Thank you.” He grinned down at me.

He had to be reading my thoughts. Good, that way I wouldn’t have to make much of a scene.

Stupid, stupid. You freak! Who gives you the right to talk to me like that? Why were you in my room last night? Did you go snooping around my room? My cell phone, you touched it you idiot didn’t you!

I frowned up at him and he gave me a blank expression.

Stupid!

He said nothing. While I screeched at him in my head I was convinced that he was hearing me. Guess he couldn’t read my thoughts.

“What’s your reason for the time thing?” I couldn’t be too specific with my words in such a place.

“Well,” he sounded so damn casual. “You would have no way of denying what I told you. It’s the reason why I’m here now, to see if you’re convinced.”

“I’m convinced.” I hissed. “Next time, won’t you leave some pills for my nerves? It could do the both of us some good.”

“It would do us both some good if you dropped the tone.”

I opened my mouth to protest but promptly chose against it. Fine, the jerk couldn’t handle being talked to a little less than civil. Well, neither could I. I purposely shoved my elbow into his stomach which resulted in him losing his balance and me all but splaying out on top of him. He did manage to hold onto the top railing, but I was still all over him.

Stupid me. He was my support for my wobbly legs. How could I forget?

I stiffened when he wrapped an arm around my waist. I had taken defense lessons. I could throw him off if he tried something.

“I advice for you to stand still.” A nerve in his jaw ticked.

I was making him lose patience. I wanted to chuckle. Already I had him talking through clenched teeth, but, just to wipe the small smile of my lips he said. “Aren’t you regretting our close proximity a bit? How can you have a good look at my lower half when we are this up close?”

I glared at him. “Keep talking and you’ll be food for your starving friends who keep checking you out.”

I knew I got him good. Just as soon as I said that, he stiffened. Unconsciously he pulled me tight against his chest, like a shield as he looked over my head. Perhaps he was searching for any threatening female.

When he brought me closer to him, a little warning went off in my head, but the non logical part of me wanted to snuggle into his warmth. He smelled wonderfully.

He smelled of spring; a gentle and soothing scent.

Pierce was like the perfect guy I so wanted to flash as my boyfriend. It was like he was made for me, something I carved just for myself. The arm wrapped around me held me protectively, with such secure-ness that it made my head fuzzy and my heart all warm. His whole presence, for some unknown reason, made me want to melt in his arms. At first sight he made me want to act like the childish stupid brat I knew how to be, just because I knew it worked like the perfect charm for me.

Of course, my whole reaction to him could always be of his doing. A God like him should be able to control my emotions if he’s able to control time. Making me feel attracted to him might make his job a lot easier. Things like attraction, lust and love are always the best tools for crumbling ones resolve.

Remembering what that job was, I wanted to burst into tears. The shards of yesterday’s memory in the basement and of this morning were too heavy for my poor mind to handle.

I tried breathing in Pierce’s scent.

Was he making me think of him as my support pillar, because, that’s what I currently thought of him as? Other than knowing of my attraction towards him, his presence, as someone who could put me back together if I shattered, helped settle the ragging thoughts that battled each other out in my head.

Then again, he was one, out of very few guys, that I found my self drooling for. His appearance alone couldn’t be enough. Sure he was exquisite, but there were others like him, made for a magazine’s front page. Somewhere out there, another Pierce was making use of his image; just like this one was making use of his, to help maneuver his way through my judgment and decisions. If I forced myself to look past the exterior, I’m sure there was more deepness to his person that I could find just as attractive as well, or just simply repulsive. At least, I was hoping he had a terrible nasty side to him. My poor beat up mind had no clue as to why I was thinking these thoughts though.

The logical explanation was that under the circumstances I found myself in, I was looking for my last chance to love. Occupying the mind with another person, and concerning your self with that person always did the trick of helping one forget what wants to be forgotten. If the mind was consumed elsewhere, then, there was little room to think about anything but that one person you want to strive for. That is, until reality crashes back into your system.

A big part of me knew that, right at this moment—simply because I felt comfortable in Pierce’s hold—I was using the opportunity to escape from the truth, all because I found him attractive. The smaller part of me simply wished to feel without any thoughts. If there were no thoughts for feelings, then things could be a lot easier. The thought of being hurt wouldn’t be so hard to handle if there were no thoughts to go by in the first place.

The thought of having to part from your family wouldn’t be so mind numbing if there was no room for thinking. Because, once it’s over and done with, another emotion shall come; happiness will always find its way. But with a thought, there is no way of deleting it from your mind. There is no way one could be completely happy if the thought still persists in ones mind. The thought shall always be a reminder of what sadness is.

That caused for the grief that stirred in my heart. It doesn’t take a genius to know that there was no say in your decision for staying on Earth if you’re still being followed around. With such a resolution, wouldn’t your seeker leave you alone, simply because your decision was above all? It is obviously clear that no matter how much I fight against Pierce taking me back, I have no say in the matter. Wouldn’t it be easier for him to leave, even if he left things without further explanation?

The bruising in my heart kept deepening. As soon as this month started and all my ideas started to pave way for my belief in a certain power, a terrible heartache has become my disease. No longer could I still be the person I learned to be; no longer would I completely hold the same links with those I cherish close to me, when the last thing that held us together was our humanity.

I no longer was human.

I had simply been playing the role of a human, because I did not know that I was left with no other option than to play the role that is most obvious to anyone, that of a human. I was also playing the role of a daughter. A daughter to a once strange family, who had accepted me, loved me even when I wasn’t their blood related daughter. Because, I didn’t know my parents and because I was abandoned I had to gradually learn how to play a role of being grateful, being happy, being who I’m not.

I felt cheated.

If I had worked hard to play my role well, why was I being torn away from it? Why not when I was struggling to assimilate with unknown strangers?

All those thoughts I had locked away, of not being loved, being left alone and of being left under a passerby’s care, came gushing at me now. How long had I fought a war against myself to believe in those around me? I felt cheated for having to confront them again and have to be torn away from those who helped me become the person I was now.

This wasn’t fair. This wasn’t fair. This wasn’t fair.

I thought I wouldn’t have to think about this for years to come. Maybe, even, never.

It only seemed like yesterday when I cried my last tear for being abandoned.

It also seemed like yesterday when I realized that accepting my powers would also mean having to forfeit my current life. And having to forfeit my current life would mean struggle once again in order to find a place for myself. That in it self, scared me. Learning of this truth only pushed me against a corner.

So of course, it wasn’t going to be anything easy for a person like me, with so much sorrow embedded in my soul, to be able to accept this new chapter of life when I just recently closed the last sad one. Of course it wasn’t going to be anything easy for me to handle when both the new and the old broke me just as easily.

“This is so not fair,” I mumbled against Pierce’s chest, hoping that he didn’t hear the crack in my voice.

I breathed in his scent again. Calm, steady. . . breathe. Calm, steady. . . breathe. Calm, steady. . . breathe. I had to find my composure again. I had to revert back to the strong girl that wouldn’t dare cry.

“Anything wrong?” Pierce asked.

“Can you answer one question?”

I wouldn’t dare look up at him. In the past month, I had been able to handle things well. For some reason, things weren’t as bad, but with his presence, I just wanted for him to hold me and let me pour out my heart on him. He could catch it, hold it and mend it. If I didn’t have enough fears at the moment, falling in love with this stud was one of them. For all I knew, it might not be actual love, just me reaching out to the most convenient person who came along just when I couldn’t handle things anymore. Having to confuse my love for someone is something I don’t want to have to go through.

“What is it?” His cold fingers brushed my hair aside, but I buried my face in his chest so he couldn’t see me. I wasn’t crying yet, but if I gazed at him I would start to.

“Can you really not leave without me?”

The sigh that escaped him was so long that I already knew my answer. “No Isabel, I’m afraid not.”

“I see.” The tears spilled over my eyes, and no matter how hard my face was pressed against his chest, they still tumbled down my checks. It didn’t take Pierce long to figure out that I was crying. It was probably in his knowledge that I needed this, so he let me cry. He simply cradled me against him for what seemed like ages.

-

When we made it to my stop he patted my head and told me we were there. I shock my head and mumbled that it was four more stops away.

Of course, this was my stop, but what was the point of going to school looking like this? My eyes had to be blood red by now. If I walked into school like this everyone would just think something happened to me on my way to school that I ended up crying and being late because of it.

If we were going to talk, I wanted to do it now. The small café I frequently went to wouldn’t be busy at this hour. With a seat in one of the small dark corners I could sure cry and yell at Pierce all I wanted.

When I had started crying, the tears seemed to have frozen. It was Pierce’s fault. He had murmured something in my ear in that strange tongue he had used last time. Probably some chant that helped settled my nerves. It was either that or his scent had helped my mind feel like it was up in space while my body enjoyed it self out in the sun without any worry.

“I’m sure this is your last stop,” Pierce said when the announcer asked for anyone stopping here to dismount.

I pulled my face away from his chest, just for a brief moment to let him know, “I’m not going to school. We’re going to talk and we’re going to do it at the café I so enjoy. Don’t ruin my day any further.” I glared up at him before letting my face return to the comfort of his chest.

He didn’t say anything, but that shocked look he gave me when I glared at him was a bit comforting. It actually made me want to laugh, because, from that face alone he was giving away that he wasn’t used to being talked to like that, or handling the mood swings that came with a crying female.

That look alone made me want to smile a bit because he looked adorable.

But nope, this was his entire fault. If he hadn’t shown up, then eventually when nothing happened, everything would go away and I would go back to normal.

I kept pondering about how that would work out. When we made it to our stop I dismounted in a daze. Working out all possible scenarios as to how things would’ve gone back to normal, I realized that the end result was that the incident wouldn’t be able to erase itself from my mind and of course, I wouldn’t be the same thereafter.

I tugged at Pierce’s arm and he turned to me. “How much longer do I have?”

“Until tomorrow midnight.”

“That makes it what. . .” I tried doing the calculations in my head, I didn’t have much room in my head to do them fast enough.

“About 36 hours.”

Thirty-six hours, those words echoed in my head.

The number worked my emotions again, and when I looked up at Pierce with teary eyes his eyes widened. I could almost see his inner self frantically thinking of what do to.

We stood staring at each other for all of two minutes, me with my big teary eyes and Pierce looking at me with no clue of what to do. He remembered before I could where our destination was and asked. “The café, aren’t we going there now?”

The nod of my head felt like I was being worked over like a puppet.

“So. . .?” He extended his hand, in what seemed like an awkward way. The poor guy; I almost felt like crying for him because of his lack of intuitive.

I took it. My vision was blurry anyways, so it was better to hold onto him unless I wanted to fall on my face.

It was strange how he led me out of the station, down the block and into the café. When I was about to ask if he frequented here, he asked, “Out front or in the back?”

“Back.”

I was distracted by the question and busy looking for a place to sit that it skipped my mind to ask. Pierce however, led me over to a quiet secluded spot in the back. He sat across from me, hands in his jean pocket. He didn’t even bother sitting up right. He peered at me from under the hair that shielded his vision. The cute adorable fool . . . He obviously didn’t have experience with emotional women. If this weren’t my own sad case I had to worry about, I wouldn’t have minded laughing at his misery when dealing with someone like me. To bad we had more pressing matters to discuss.

“Are you going to order anything?” I asked out of politeness and because we weren’t going any where with all the staring.

“No, no thank you.”

Alright. I peered around the café. Like I had anticipated, it was close to empty, perhaps, one or two people drinking a cup of coffee or maybe tea.

“Aren’t you going to order?” He sat up straight, placing his hands on the table.

“Don’t feel the need for anything at the moment.”

This was really awkward. With so many things in need of being said, it was obvious neither one of us knew how to start. He probably didn’t know any way to break it to me without having to encounter my weird reactions. I, of course, didn’t even want to have this talk, but I had to “man” up eventually.

I cleared my throat. “Yo-you,” why did it have to feel like I was being chocked? “You said I was dropped from heaven. . .”

He nodded his head, his gaze lingering on the napkins until he took one from the stationary to toy with. “It happened about fifteen years ago. From the Gates to the mortal world you were dropped down onto Earth.”

“I was three then, how could that happen? Why did it happen?”

“Interesting question. . .” In that moment I saw how uncomfortable he was. It was like he shrunk in his seat. “How? You were taken there by a little boy, just about two years older than you. Why? In simple terms, it was the easiest thing to do.”

I thought, since the boy was five, he didn’t know anything past having fun. “So, did he do it as a joke?”

“No, he did it so he wouldn’t have to face your presence.”

“He hated me?” The shock was evident in my voice.

“Yes. He hated you.” Pierce looked up when he said it. “He hated you, but even so, he was too young to understand the consequences of his action.”

“He was too young, but he knew how to hate? Wow.” That was incredulous. It sounded like a lame excuse for putting the boys doing past him.

“You really won’t understand how the boy felt.”

“No, I really don’t understand how that boy felt at the time. But I must have done something terrible for him to hate me.”

“Yes, you had come into existence, so of course.”

“E-Excuse me. . .” Why was Pierce starting to get mad?

“With your existence you brought great responsibilities to the boy who didn’t want any of it. His life felt threatened because of you.”

I ended up doing some shrinking in my seat too. “So, I am a threat.”

“No,” Pierce huffed, looked up at the ceiling and then looked at me before moving his gaze to the napkins. “You’re not a threat. It’s just . . . you . . . the boy. . .”

He seemed to be having a hard time. “Wasn’t anyone guarding the gates? I mean, how can they miss a five year old dropping a baby down from God kn—”

“No, there were no guards at the time. No one had expected it.”

“Well,” I racked my mind for something to say. “It’s been proven that kids are dare-devils at that time of age. Why wouldn’t they expect for something to happen? Even the most minor of incidents?”

The fact that Pierce wouldn’t look up at me while he spoke started to bother me. He wouldn’t even look up when I spoke. A long pause ensued over the both of us, in which, one of the waiters came over to take our order. Pierce refused to eat or drink anything. For myself, I asked for a tall glass of ice tea. I was feeling parched, and not cold enough.

“So, this boy drops me down because he ‘hates’ me. There was no one to stop the little boy. How long did it take for any one to notice I was missing?” I chewed on the straw.

“About ten minutes or so.”

“Wasn’t that enough time to bring me back?”

“No one knew you were dropped from the Gates until the child confessed about a month and a half later. Guests were staying at the temple, where you were kept, and so, they figured you were snatched away by one of them.”

“You said you were able to find me because of my powers. Couldn’t you do that before?”

“Remember, you’ve awakened your powers recently. Then, your powers were sealed. There was no pulse for your thread of power to help identify where you were.”

“Oh.”

“You don’t know how extremely valuable and important you are to the God World. Of course, no one would suspect the Gate. You yourself didn’t know where they were. The festivities going on at the time only meant that someone abused of the opportunity.

“At least, that’s what they all thought. Your thread of life was no where in sight when they did a scan for you through out all the realms and cities. ‘Maybe she was killed and buried somewhere,’ some thought, but your existence thread meant you were still alive.”

“So, if my existence thread hadn’t,” I searched for the word. “. . . Pulsed, that meant I would be dead?”

“Correct. The thread of life is pretty much the same as the thread of existence. However, the two are very different. If you do not exist you’re dead and so the thread of life doesn’t work. In your case, the thread of life did not signal because either you are too far out of reach or the thread is being manipulated.

“For almost two months, everyone had turned against each other. Fathers, mothers, siblings, grandparents, they had all turned into enemies. A house hold of three was like letting loose three Cerberus against each other. You were so important that in two weeks time, all God realms were searched in order to find you, every inch was inspected, a week later and still no news, so the process was repeated again.”

“My-my birth parents . . . how . . . what . . . how did they react?”

A little candle went up inside me. All those questions of wanting to know about my birth parents would be answered now. No longer did I have to think they abandoned me because they saw no use to me.

Pierce looked me straight in the eyes when he said, “I guess the only parents you have are your human ones.”

“Eh?”

“You were created by higher powers.”

My mind was all a foggy white. Pierce must have noticed my confusion because he explained.

“You know about what the humans' call Myths, right?” I nodded my head. “Zeus still holds crown to our throne.”

“Z-Zeus?”

Pierce smiled a bit. “Yeah, Zeus.”

“B-But—”

“He is an ancient guy. Yeah, I know.”

Zeus? Still ruling? How . . . ? Wow.

“Twenty years before either one of us was born he called forth a meeting. He was removing himself from the throne. The next to rule would be a making from the younger generation, from our generation. Zeus, he laid out some rules. Rank and gender did not matter to him.

“You will notice that there are more of us closer in age than there ever was. Just about everyone wanted their child to wear the crown. You can say Zeus was so bored he decided to play this game. In confession, he told the Priests and Priestess how the winner would be determined. At the mark of the New Year, any child born first for that day would be King or Queen. At 2:43 am, Yorick Zantes was born. But it wasn’t until two days later that Zeus received word of two other children being born first. Stephan was born at 1:15 am while I was born at 12:03. Zeus couldn’t be happier that the next child to rule would be from within the family.”

“Family?”

“Yes, he is my grandfather. Artemis is my father and the ever lovely Aphrodite is my mother.” There was so much irony in his voice when he said ‘ever lovely.’

“You have to be kidding me?” I was so surprised because of the news. When he spoke of Gods I couldn’t believe he spoke of ancient Greek gods. My shaky hands ended up knocking the ice tea over when comprehending his words.

Just as quickly as I reached for the napkins, Pierce placed his hand over the spill and somehow, without touching the spill, cleaned the mess up. I gaped at him for what he did and for his revelation.

Maybe that’s the reason why he looks so . . . smexy. His mother after all is. . .wow.

Pierce chuckled at my expression.

“Anyways.”

“No wait, you are serious.”

“Of course I am.” He sounded a bit offended.

“So that’s why.” I finally concluded my thoughts.

“Excuse me?”

“No, nothing, continue.”

Pierce took a few seconds to watch me. Shaking his head he spoke again. “When I was around two, talk about who would be my queen started. At around that time, three of the Primeval Gods wanted to leave their post. They decided that in order to be able to do so, and to prevent a feud for a queen, they would present me with a present. That present was you.”

My jaw dropped. That had to mean that I was, am his . . . bride? “Oh no,” what was I supposed to say. This was just, no, this couldn’t be true. “You have to be lying.”

“Why, it’s very possible for someone to be created without sexual intercourse. At least in our world it is—”

“Not that Pierce!” I couldn’t help but shout at him. It was too hard to believe. “You and I. I’m. . .”

When I couldn’t get the words out he said, “A terrible match don’t you agree?”

“Eh?” All my surprise and anger dispersed with his words. I looked closely at Pierce, feeling deflated for some weird reason.

“What?” Pierce asked.

“You said. . .”

We stared at each other for what seemed like years. I was waiting to see if I heard him right and Pierce, without repeating any of his words, gazed into my eyes.

“Can’t . . . can’t they take back their powers?”

“No, they can’t.”

“So they were able to transfer them to make me but can’t take them back?” That sounded strange to me.

“They don’t want to take their powers back.”

“They. Don’t. Want. To.” I repeated his words, slow enough so that I could hear the actual meaning to them. The words were enough to set me on a rampage. Just when I realized that there was no more need for this conversation to keep going I bolted up from my seat, startling Pierce. “I don’t want to.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not going back. I don’t want to.”

Pierce jumped to his feet. “You can’t. You have to go back.”

“Why?”

“Sit and I will tell you.”

“No.”

“Sit, Isabel.”

“No.”

“Isabel, sit!” His voice was forceful, a hint of ‘or-else’ laced behind his tone.

“I said—”

Another shock for the day. Without much effort I found myself back in my chair. “Stupid Jerk.” I screeched back at him.

“There is a law Isabel. It was set between your fellow humans and my kind. Any God, detected on earth shall be killed. It’s an Oath between our world and this. Can’t you see that the only reason I’m here is because they will find you. They might not be able to find you now, but tomorrow they will. And just as precaution they will do away with your family and friends. They don’t want us here Isabel. Try hiding all you want, but on your turning of age, when all of your awakened powers are released, there is no helping what will happen if you’re still here.”

I tried processing, ‘as precaution . . . kill . . . do away . . . friends . . . family’, all at the same time. It was hard to make an understanding out of it.

“The Gods chose to distance themselves from human relations. I believe something happened but I don’t know the specifics. Some of the other Gods wouldn’t comply and continued to meddle with the humans. Those who wanted to keep the Oath assigned one or two gods to work with the Cult. This Cult has all right to kill any fellow God spotted on Earth. No questions asked. It has been the law for almost two millenniums. In the last half a century, you and I have been the only ones to violate this law.”

“It’s not my fault.” I cried desperately. It was hard to believe such a thing. But they were making sense in my head by now. Already, my options were caving out before me.

Pierce repeated no questions asked. He then added. “The only time a God is allowed onto Earth is when consent has been given, and that is because said God is being stripped from their powers and all knowledge of our world. The Cult takes them in to help them assimilate with the humans; they each have their own rule for being sent to the Cult.”

“But why all of this?”

“Zeus might have a more proper response but the humans don’t want us controlling them any more. They don’t want us to interfere with them ever again.”

“I really have no say about leaving or not.” The tone of my voice sounded dead pang. For a moment, Pierce had engulfed me in his story. He made me forget that we were discussing me and my current need to leave Earth. Since it sounded too surreal, I couldn’t help but feel detached from the tormenting emotions that I’ve been carrying around like my sun block—not letting anything colorful penetrate close to my guard—or at least, I had detached myself from those feelings for a little while.

“No, you don’t.” Pierce answered my statement.

I laid my forehead on the table top.

My family.

How long had I gone thinking that I had another family out there, before being abandoned, when in truth, the only family I had are those who adopted me. The ones, who raised me, gave me a home, a name, a life. They gave me happiness, everything a spoiled child could ask for. They gave me all the love I “thought” my previous parents didn’t want to give me. My parents: two gentle, honest, hard working and kind creatures, who took in a child when they couldn’t have any of their own. How could I allow for anyone to take the child they had always wanted and were so blessed to have? How could I allow for anyone to take away their happiness, all their achievements and dreams? How could I allow for anyone to remove me from those I loved?

They were the ones to educate me, guide me, and encourage me. They were my support and supporters.

How could I repay them back this way? How could I hurt them this way?

This I was scared of, of having to separate myself from them. But then . . . could I endanger their lives? Laura, Mandy, Michael, all of my friends. Would they have to pay with their lives for my existence?

Not only was I a bother to that child because I came into existence, but now, my existence elsewhere could harm those I cared about.

“How will I part from them?” I asked Pierce, not bothering to look up at him, not bothering to wipe away my tears.

He didn’t say anything, and he didn’t have to. I already knew what I have to do. For the sake of protecting my one and only family, for the sake of the people I love, no matter how much it tears at my heart.

-

-

When I arrived home, the talk of earlier today still played in my mind. The more it played out, the less outlandish and the clearer things became. It was only that I couldn’t get rid of the numb feeling that wrapped around me like a comfortable silk blanket.

Leaving the café, Pierce and I took a walk around a near by park, one with a pretty pond and lush green fields of grass and trees. Spring had already begun, and although it felt like winter, the grass was a vibrant green, the flowers ready to burst from their buds. It was real spiteful of me to want for the clear blue sky to turn into a gloomy gray, all because I wasn’t feeling at my best. I couldn’t help and feel that, compared to the current misery, I was headed for, the weather should have been some sort of a premonition, and, if not, the least it could do was match my depressive mood.

It just wasn’t right that the outside world could continue with its regular routine when I had to seize mine.

On the real down side, I felt hopeless because I couldn’t do anything about it. I couldn’t change the happy atmosphere around me or the fact that I would have to leave. I couldn’t even change my current mood.

Of course, I knew what the best course of action was, unless I want to start a war. Because, even if Pierce didn’t outwardly say it, if I where to be killed, then more killing would befall on Earth. Being that I was that important to the Gods and the God World, wouldn’t they want to avenge the death of one of their most valuable?

I didn’t even want to get started on how wrong that whole value thing sounded to me. That word alone made me feel like an object, something I was not!

-

Our walk around the park just entitled me doing some thinking while Pierce trailed behind. He never uttered a word, which really aggravated me. For some reason, the fact that he was so quiet when I needed some guidance angered me. Then again, I didn’t want any of his pity, so I couldn’t help but feel irritated with myself.

But now, as I stepped inside my house, and took one long painful look at the inside of it, I wished he would have stayed a little longer with me.

I felt myself break in side.

In a few hours, I wouldn’t be able to walk inside this home, ever again. I wouldn’t be able to sit idly in the living room, scheming something with my friends. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy any special holiday in the comfort of the dinning room. That feeling I got when walking into the sanctuary of my room would not overcome me anymore. Instead, thinking about walking into a strange place, a strange room, with strange people reminded me of that first day I awakened in the hospital.

That first day of my new life.

So many faces loomed above me, all shouting and questioning my existence. I didn’t want to live through that terror again; of not knowing who those strange faces belonged to, or how I ended up in such a place—that was the first time I learned of terror.

The only difference now is that I wouldn’t be that three year old baby who didn’t know her name, her parents or her whereabouts. I wouldn’t be a lonely child anymore. I have Pierce now; at least, I hope I can count on him. He wouldn’t be so calloused as to leave me as soon as he completes his given task. Would he?

I wonder how that would be, entering heaven, walking past some gates, looking at new faces that could just as easily be as stunning as Pierce’s face.

I felt cold. A deep, deep cold ran strong within my bones. I felt so cold that my trembling fingers stumbled a bit with my coat buttons.

I decided. I decided that if I was going to do some final thinking—because the longer I keep rethinking things, the more insane I’d turn—I would have to make myself comfortable. And, I couldn’t think on an empty stomach.

-

-

I pushed away from the door, venturing pass the silent living room and into the empty kitchen. Chico lay cuddle up near his half empty bowl of food. He was startled when I walked into the kitchen. Looking at him, I couldn’t help and feel guilty for the neglect I’d inflicted on him these past few days. It was all because I was too petrified with this whole nonsense that was a bit hard to believe. At least, now I knew the reason for my luck and for the strange way I suddenly ended up in a hospital, alone and confused.

I walked over to where he looked at me from, with his big sad brown eyes. Attentively, I patted him on the head, scared that he would disappear just as soon as I did. He didn’t. I was glad for that. I had missed him so much and had spent a good amount of time crying for my poor baby.

I picked him up, sat against the wall and hugged my adorable teddy-look-alike. Like a broken dam, when all the water is released, the fun times with Chico came gushing, the memories tumbling against one another, overlapping until they found the perfect steady flow.

The time we encountered the little pup, it was a stormy night. The rain was coming down so hard it felt like grains of rice plucked at your skin. I remember complaining to mom for dragging me outside without an umbrella. Chico was the only one, out of four other pups, that were abandoned to walk the street calling for attention with his small fragile yelps. I felt so in love with the cute little thing, that forgetting about the current argument I had been sharing with mom about whose fault it was, I rushed over and picked him up, trying to shield him as best as I could from the rain.

“Aren’t we the lucky ones to be taken in by mom and dad,” I asked Chico. Referring to how kind they were to the idea of taking me as their own and taking in Chico as another family member.

I chuckled. The only thing Chico knew of doing was lick my face.

And because I didn’t stop him, he found it in himself to try and absorb all of my attention.

I watched as he jumped out of my grip and ran to a far corner, bringing a ball back with him.

It’ll be another member short, I thought as I threw the ball across the room.

Mom had lost her mother to cancer and she wasn’t fortunate enough to have any other siblings or to have met her father. Dad had lost both his older brother and his father in a car accident, back when he was six years old. It was during a rain storm, when returning home from a family trip. As much of a family went, I only had my parents and Grandma Ella, who passed away not too long ago.

And now, it would only be my parents and Chico—the major reason as to why I didn’t want to part from them, why I couldn’t accept this new change. Did they not spend a portion of their time alone? Weren’t the people around them always leaving, moving on without them? How could I be another one to leave them behind? . . .To leave and never come back?

I didn’t want to do it, I couldn’t do it. But then I had no option. It was either let them immerse themselves in loneliness again or have them killed for something they were clueless about. And because I knew them best, because no matter how much they enjoy my company and loved me, they would always want for me to move on rather than die. As doctors who save lives, neither one of them would agree to have me die just because I didn’t want to part from them or they from me.

Glancing over at Chico I laughed a bit. It seemed he was having a hard time choosing his next toy so that we could continue to interact.

“I wonder what goes on in that head of yours.” I asked him. If I would’ve received a reply it would have made me happy. I would be able to understand him a little better. I mean, did he know he had died? Did he know that I brought him back to life?

I sighed.

Things had always been a lot simpler compared to this. Sure, on the inside I had spent a long time crying, crying for that one hand to come out and grasp me, give me that valid point I knew I had missed about my life. On the surface though, and even deep inside—when I wasn’t trying to figure out who I truly was—I had always played the happy girl, had always been the happy girl.

The phone rang. It wasn’t my cell phone though. I had shut it off as soon as I stepped into the Café.

I didn’t bother picking up the phone. I wasn’t supposed to be home right now, and as much as I would have loved to talk to any of my friends—it had to be one of them!—I couldn’t afford to do that now. Seeing them or hearing their voices at this moment would only cause me to break down.

Instead I went over to the fridge. I needed something to eat.

I had two things that troubled me. One: How was I supposed to leave? And two: Would Pierce be able to do me one big favor?

It was decided against my will that I would have to leave. I could only hope that in compensation for the grief it was causing me, I would be granted a wish. Also, when I left, wouldn’t anyone notice it? Or did he have that cover?

I wondered about him. Where he was? Where he slept? What he was doing?

Could he be familiarizing himself with the human world while I cried and tormented myself with this whole issue that, thinking about it now, seemed like weeks since I tried to decide what to do, when it was only yesterday that things were truly revealed?

The more I thought the less I knew what to think next. And the little I thought the more troubled I became. Perhaps, if I had more time, I wouldn’t be the mess that I was starting to become.

At the moment, I only needed Pierce. I needed him to do this one thing for me if he wanted me to cooperate at the best of my abilities. Once this was done, I wouldn’t act like a big cry baby.

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