I drove out of town, my need to escape pulling me down the highway at breakneck speeds. Going back to Vegas stung like a slap in the face, so I went the opposite direction, taking the exit for Sacramento. San Francisco called out for me like a siren, the once place that had always felt right for me.
After several hours on the road, my cheeks were tight with dried, salty tears that fell intermittently. The drive was a lot longer than going back to Vegas would have been but, thankfully, I had extra money on me. I’d planned on going shopping, like everyone else in the country would be on Black Friday, but not anymore.
Each piece of Zeus’s confession seemed to stab at me, drawing blood with each jab. I thought the girls were my friends. It was true I hadn’t spent much time with them once Zeus and I started dating, but it had still felt like we were close. When I’d seen Jessie in the doorway, I’d worried something bad had happened. Now I knew the truth—she was merely out to get me. I wished I’d screamed at her too. Nobody should have to feel the way I did.
Zeus had broken my heart. I could get over the stupid joke if he hadn’t told me that they’d planned it from the beginning. Now I didn’t know the difference between the lies and reality. Did he even have a friend in trouble? It was embarrassing to realize I hadn’t caught on. I could’ve saved myself so much heartache if I’d stuck to my guns and refused to go out with him. I could only imagine the jokes I would have suffered through if I had slept with him.
Cities and towns rolled by as I continued to drive, letting the warm morning rays dry my face. Each mile I put behind me was a lie I’d been told—left in the past where it could gather cobwebs.
I arrived in San Francisco in the early afternoon. Each turn took me further away from the pain and closer to what I’d wanted to begin with—the art institute. When I’d been in high school, I’d memorized every mile of the long trip to the school, dreaming of the day I would finally attend and all of my dreams would come true.
As I analyzed my situation, I realized it probably wouldn’t look very good if I dropped out of school now. The semester was almost over, and I could probably persuade my teachers to let me turn things in online, so I could stay here. I wouldn’t be able to go to the art show, but that was fine. If I could go to school here, none of that would matter anyway, right?
I pulled into the empty lot and gazed in wonder at what I’d hoped would be my alma mater. I wasn’t accepted before, that was true, but I would beg them to reconsider—paint a portrait of the dean, offer to teach disadvantaged youth in the area about art, anything that would persuade them to let me in. I’d tried other routes and been screwed over. This was the only thing I’d ever really wanted. I had to have it—why couldn’t they see that?
I was so tired. I wanted to finally feel like I’d won at something, instead of settling for something else. After sitting there for an hour, I drove away and headed to the beach.
There were no more tears left for me to cry, only determination. I knew I should call home, but Zeus might still be there. Mom would understand eventually, but for now she needed to stay in the dark.
The road ended at the ocean, a pier jutting out over the water with only a couple people in sight—either everyone was out shopping incredible deals, or they were all still in a food coma.
I parked and got out to stretch, feeling like it was safe to leave the comfort of the car at last. There was a slight breeze, which made my sleepy ponytail flutter around my face, and it was nice there wasn’t anyone to see my “just out of bed” appearance—neon green and yellow pajamas and all.
The smell of salt and the sound of the waves calmed me further as I walked down the beach. I flopped down into the sand when I reached the water’s edge, removing my shoes and rolling up my pants so the liquid could wash over my skin.
When I was little my family had taken a road trip, and we’d stopped in Los Angeles for a break at the beach. I’d tripped and skinned my knee while running around, and I didn’t know where my parents had gone. As I sat crying in the sand, a man walked out of the ocean and asked me what was wrong. After a short explanation, he helped bandage me up and sent me on my way, seeming to return to the waters he’d come from.
I smiled to myself as I remembered the pure childlike wonder I’d felt at this magical being whom I know now was nothing more than a lifeguard. It was a shame that there weren’t any lifeguards around—it would have been nice to have him here to help me—to tell me it was okay and make the hurt go away.
I wiped away the single tear that had fallen while I’d remembered, laughing at myself. There was no such thing as magic.
I threw my suitcase on the modest hotel’s generic, stiff bed and headed for the bathroom, feeling the need for a shower As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I needed to go back to Vegas, even if it was just to get my things. I would finish out the semester and move on one day at a time. The salt air had helped clear my head—I was an adult with responsibilities and would act accordingly.
And then I would run away from it all.
I made the water hotter than normal, trying to burn away the hurt and anxiousness. Thankfully, it helped me relax some, though I still felt pretty bad. The heat never ran out, and I finally dragged myself from the tub. My pajamas were covered with sand, so I slipped on a pair of cotton shorts and a t-shirt before combing my hair.
After almost twenty-four hours with no sleep, I crumpled onto the bed, pulled the sheets up to my chin, and knew no more for the time being.
I was standing in the middle of a large, empty room. There were no windows or doors, just the shiny wood floors and a full-length mirror, which sat right in front of me. Light was coming from somewhere, but I wasn’t concerned enough to find its source.
Instead of reflecting me, the glass was showing my dark hotel room. It appeared I was still sleeping in the bed. For a minute, the picture remained unchanged. Suddenly, the door’s deadbolt moved—slow and silent—to the unlocked position. My form remained asleep in the bed, but my stomach tightened into a knot as I watched from above.
A beam of moonlight grew through the room as the door opened silently. A figure sneaked in, shut the entryway, and slipped back into the shadows. Try as I might, I couldn’t find the person until I caught the moonlight glinting off of the blade in their hand. I couldn’t help it—I screamed in terror.
I grabbed the sides of the mirror and started shaking it, yelling in horror. The sound of rushing wings filled the air and a man blocked the view of my room. I realized the beating wings were his and jumped away from the glass as if I’d been burned. His face portrayed fear as he tried to say something, but I couldn’t understand him. He was ripped away by something and the rushing sounds faded.
I ran back to the mirror and the man who stood over my sleeping form, the back of his dark suit facing me. The knife was still in his hands, and I screamed as he raised it high and slammed it down into my chest then ripped it out again. Somehow, I was suddenly falling through the glass, my hands and arms cut and bleeding. I landed on the floor with a painful thud, the wind knocked out of me. Gasping, I looked over to the bed at my side where the man continued stabbing me, over and over again. Blood from the sleeping me was seeping into the sheets and dripping onto the floor. I pushed myself up and ran to the other side of the bed.
“Stop, stop, stop!” I screamed, grabbing him by the shoulders and turning him to face me. He resembled Zeus. His nose was bigger, but the eyes were the same, unless you considered the cold, dead look in his. I froze in shock. I was so confused. Suddenly, his appearance transformed, and I was holding the strange angel man instead.
“Wake up, Karly! Run!” he screamed.
I jerked away, tripping over my own feet, and landed hard on my back. The angel man was gone again, leaving my murderer in his place. Trying to put as much space as I could between us, I scrambled to my feet and ran to the door.
The man was behind me in an instant. He shoved me hard, and I fell against the door with a loud thump. Blood tric
kled from my nose. Hands grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to a sickly smile on his face. Red splatters from the dead me covered him. I gagged at the sight but couldn’t turn away. His eyes were boring into mine, as dead as the form on the bed.
“It’s a dream, just a dream,” I whimpered. The angel man told me to wake up. I was having a nightmare. It was the only explanation I could think of.
The man opened his mouth wide, wider than he should have been able to. There were rows of jagged teeth inside, like a shark. I continued to whimper as it gaped to epic proportions. A low growl rumbled in his chest and he suddenly jerked forward. His mouth snapped shut around me, and I screamed.
A scream ripped from my throat as I sat up at light speed. I was shaking uncontrollably, my body drenched in sweat. My hands explored my chest, searching for knife wounds. They found no trace of injury or blood anywhere. I jumped out of the bed and ripped the sheets off, scared I would find stains. When nothing was revealed, I dropped to the floor and looked for the mess there.
Nothing.
I stumbled to the bathroom, tears of relief now joining the perspiration I was already experiencing. Placing my hands on the counter for balance, I examined myself in the mirror. Everything was normal. I looked like I’d showered with my clothes on, but other than that, I was fine.
“It was only a dream.” I laughed at myself. It had seemed so real.
I filled the sink with cold water and splashed some on my face. The trembling had mostly stopped, as had the pounding of my heart. I took a deep breath and let the water out of the sink. Taking a step back, I grabbed a towel and leaned against the door, drying my face.
The front door creaked, and I froze, my face still in the cloth. I didn’t lower the rag until I’d heard it close again. Bracing myself, I looked into the glass, searching the sliver of room it reflected.
My breath caught—it was the man from my nightmare. Paralyzed, I tried to rip my eyes from his reflection and think of what to do. He was examining the bed I’d ripped apart. Finally, I managed to slide down the door and out of the mirror’s line of sight. I spotted my bathroom bag, under the counter. A memory flashed before me— my father had given me pepper spray when I moved and I’d tossed it into one of my bags, never planning on actually taking it anywhere. I hadn’t wanted anyone to think I was a freak for carrying it around. A cry of relief almost escaped me when I realized I’d thrown it into the bag now in front of me.
As quietly as I could, I went through the large clutch until I found it.
“Hiding in the bathroom, how cliché.”
I spun around, the spray in my hands, and pointed it at him.
“I don’t know who you are or what you want, but you need to leave now,” I said, my voice shaking.
“Now, now Karly,” he said, leaning against the door frame and looking down at me. “You know who I am.”
“My boyfriend went to get ice and will be back any second,” I lied. Panic was starting to take over.
“You and I both know that Zeus has no idea where you are, Karly.”
I looked at him in disbelief. How did he know so much about me? Suddenly, it dawned on me.
“You’re . . . his dad! You’re Kronos!” The resemblance was undeniable. There was no kindness in his eyes, though.
“Bravo,” he said in a sickly sweet tone. “I am indeed Kronos. I’ve come to take you to Mount Olympus, my dear.” He examined the fingernails of his right hand as he spoke, not seeming to have a care in the world.
“What?” I spat out. Fury started to replace the panic. Zeus had done this. He had sent his “Daddy” to bring me back to him.
“You don’t need to play along,” I said quietly, the rage boiling in my voice. “He told me everything, and I know he’s lying. You don’t need to act like he’s some God. And I’m not going with you. I don’t date liars.” I stood, the spray still pointed at him. “You should leave now.”
Kronos gave me that sickly smile again and stood up straight.
“It wasn’t a lie, sweetheart.”
My nightmare became real as he opened his mouth, revealing rows of sharp teeth. I screamed as he lunged at me, spraying him in the eyes and trying to run out into the room. He bellowed in anger, rubbing the pepper spray off of his face. I almost made it past him, but he grabbed me around the waist before I could escape, ripping the spray out of my hands. Desperate, I scoured the room for anything I could use against him. I beat him with my fists, pushing his face away from me. He snapped his terrifying jaw, and I jerked my hands away, one of them hitting the hair dryer on the wall. I tore it from the holder and swung it towards his face, connecting with his temple. He released me for a second, his bearings lost, and I tried to run again.
I wasn’t fast enough.
Kronos grabbed me by the neck and hoisted me into the air. I kicked my feet, trying to wiggle out of his grip, but only succeeded in choking myself more. His jaw opened wide, dislocating like a snake as I clawed at the hand around my throat. Finally, I managed to get in one good kick to the stomach. He grunted, his mouth closing most of the way, but his grip didn’t loosen.
I was going to die. I could feel the edges of my vision turning black from lack of air as stars danced around me, but I couldn’t stop squirming. I kicked everywhere I could, clawed at his hand until there was blood, kept trying to get a scream to leave my mouth.
Kronos wore a look of amusement, slightly clouded by frustration. Suddenly, he pushed me back harshly, snapping his teeth together repeatedly. My head connected with the mirror, and I slipped into peaceful darkness.
Chapter Twenty-One