Elysium's Love Triangle Read online

  Daniel and Greg knew each other before today. Greg told me that they attended the same summer camp when they were young.

  His tone told me that the two of them didn’t get along, that well, back then.

  Tanya was trying to hog Daniel’s attention the whole way through lunch. She kept dropping hints about the dance. It was obvious to me that she wanted him to ask her.

  She seemed just as struck by his looks as I am.

  At the end of lunch I suggested to Daniel that he should sit with us again tomorrow.

  He just smiled and said that he might just do that.

  Angelica jolts me from this memory when she takes out her shark book again.

  “I think I’m going to go to bed now,” I say quickly before stuffing my diary under my bed.

  I go to our bathroom and begin brushing my teeth.

  “Wow,” Angelica says, “Hey, Katy. Did you know that Great Whites have rows and rows of teeth? They just launch at their prey, like some kind of rocket! Amazing, isn’t it?”

  I look in the mirror. I can almost see the fear in my eyes.

  “Yeah . . . amazing,” I reply.

  I swear it’s almost like that girl knows what scares me.

  I am staying awake tonight. If she leaves I will follow.

  I am going to find out what’s going on around here, whatever the cost.

  Chapter Three

  It takes my room-mate until half three to leave. I have opened my eyes, roughly every fifteen minutes, for the last few hours.

  She has always been here, until now.

  I am amazed. I didn’t even hear her leave.

  She couldn’t have opened the door, or closed it, surely, without me hearing.

  Then I see it.

  The window. It is wide open, the wind blowing in through it, creating a light breeze.

  I don’t understand. She couldn’t possibly have left that way.

  We are three floors up.

  I get up and look out through the window. I can’t see anything out there, it’s so dark.

  I sigh; there is no way to follow her now.

  I am walking back to my bed when something sticks to my foot. I peel if off and find that it’s a picture.

  A spider of course.

  This isn’t what interests me. The words, written on the back of picture, are far more intriguing.

  The Gymnasium. Four O Clock Sharp.

  I almost laugh.

  This is most definitely where she has gone. It’s a message from one of the others.

  I look at the clock. I now have twenty minutes to get there before the stated time.

  Throwing on a pair of jeans and a blue tank up takes me half a minute.

  Then I realise my predicament. I can’t leave out through the window, even if she somehow managed it.

  I will have to sneak through the school.

  They have hall monitors here. If any of them catch me I am dead.

  I open the door and sneak out quietly, making sure to close it behind me. The monitors will definitely know that there is something awry if I leave it ajar.

  I check around every corner before I dare go around it.

  The flights of stairs seem to take eternity to get down.

  There is no-where to hide on them. It is impossible not to make noise on them.

  I get to the bottom of the last one and let out a sigh of relief.

  The front door is so near.

  I wonder whether making a run for it would be a good idea. I would be out quicker; on the other hand going slow would probably be quieter.

  In the end I make a mad dash for it.

  I pull on the front door. To my horror it is locked.

  I hear some voices.

  The Monitors.

  I look around, panicking.

  I quietly make my way into the science room and close the door behind me. I pray that the Monitors will just walk on by.

  I recognise one of the voices as Krein. He tells the other Monitor of some ‘disturbance’ in the boy’s dormitory.

  They both run off to deal with this emergency at the other end of the school.

  I breathe a sigh of relief.

  I concede defeat. I will have to make my way back up to my room. The front door is locked, there is no way out.

  Just then a butterfly takes my attention. It has lovely pink wings and has just flown in through the window.

  I almost yell with delight. The mission isn’t over after all.

  The Window. It’s open.

  I climb out of it rather awkwardly, having to work hard to keep balanced. I definitely wouldn’t give Greg or Daniel a run for their money in the gymnastics stakes, that’s for sure.

  I make my way over to the gymnasium, again keeping quiet.

  It is not a nice night. The air is still and heavy. Dark clouds are hiding the stars and the moon from view. The whole earth seems dull and lifeless.

  I get the horrible feeling that there are dangers lurking out there.

  The Monitors are not the only ones to be wary of tonight. I am sure that this group, whatever they are up to, would not welcome spies among them.

  There is one upside to the darkness. It will at least make it harder for them to see me.

  I soon find myself a window to peek in through, at the back of the gymnasium building.

  One look inside confirms one thing for me. This is a party for the blue eyed people only.

  They don’t seem to be up to much yet, other than standing around talking.

  Daniel is there, so is his sister.

  They are at opposite ends of the room.

  They really don’t seem to be very close.

  I never had a sibling myself. I often imagine what it would be like to have a sister. We’d be ever so close, like best friends. She would braid my hair and we’d stay up late telling secrets and stories. We’d share our clothes and get into silly arguments over silly things.

  In the end we’d always make up because, at the end of the day, we’re still sisters.

  It’s just a fantasy of course. I never will have a sister.

  The ‘incident’ made sure of that.

  I peek into the window again.

  Something is about to happen. They are all standing in a circle now, with joined hands.

  I am beginning to think that my idea about them being a secret society is correct.

  I keep watching.

  A boy with black curly hair and lizard tattoos walks in through the entrance.

  In his arms he is holding Tanya. She is fast asleep.

  The others all look to him in unison. They’ve been waiting for this.

  I gasp and put my hand to my mouth.

  What are they doing with her? Why isn’t she waking up?

  I am completely frozen.

  There is a chair in the middle of the circle they’ve formed. They place her on it.

  She holds herself in the sitting position, despite being asleep.

  All of them keep their eyes on her.

  I cannot believe what I’m seeing.

  It’s like they’re performing some weird ritual. The kid with the lizard tattoos steps forward and stands beside Tanya, “Okay, you guys, what nightmare will I give her?”

  He is obviously the ringleader here. They’ve all been silent since he walked in, completely respectful. Most are looking at him in admiration now.

  Angelica answers, “I dunno, but make it a scary one. I’m hungry tonight.”

  “You’re always hungry,” he answers rolling his eyes. “Has anyone sensed what she’s afraid of?”

  Again Angelica answers, “Yes, snakes. Make the dream involve them.”

  I don’t understand.

  What did Angelica mean when she said that she was ‘hungry’?

  The ringleader is talking like he can literally control Tanya’s dream.

  It doesn’t make any sense.

  Daniel is looking rather regretful. It makes him stand out, the rest of them look excited.

&
nbsp; “Okay,” the ringleader says, “Everyone ready? It’s dinner time.”

  He puts his right hand on Tanya’s forehead.

  This doesn’t wake her up. She starts twitching anxiously.

  She begins talking in her sleep. Her words are telling ‘it’ to go away.

  There are thousands of them, she shrieks.

  Most of the blue eyed people have closed their eyes. It’s like they are all trying to concentrate again, like they are soaking up something in the air. Angelica seems especially happy.

  The ringleader’s hand never leaves Tanya’s forehead.

  She begins screaming in fear.

  Her nightmare is obviously getting worse. He is somehow forming it in her head.

  The more she screams the happier, and more satisfied, the people around her seem.

  I wonder why she isn’t waking up.

  The ringleader swaps his hands, now resting his left on her head.

  This brings back a memory for me.

  Last night. The feeling that someone, or something, had just been with me.

  The awful nightmare.

  I almost stagger back.

  Last night they did this to me.

  Last night they all watched as I lived my worst fear.

  I still can’t understand why they are doing this.

  Tanya’s screams reach a crescendo and fade off.

  The ringleader looks around, “Is everybody fed?”

  A few answer to the affirmative.

  The ringleader takes his hand off her head at last.

  He instructs one of the boys to take her back to her room. Only when she’s in bed is he let her wake up, by now he surely knows the rules.

  The boy goes about this business quickly. He picks up a still sleeping Tanya in his arms and departs for the school.

  I am extremely glad that she is not around them anymore. There is something horribly evil about these people. Whatever that was she didn’t deserve it.

  Is everybody fed? What does he mean by that?

  They all convene a meeting now, back in their circle.

  The ringleader speaks to them now, harshly.

  Their cheap tricks in English today are not to be repeated.

  There should be no need to bring fear upon people during the day. They should eat enough at night so that this isn’t necessary.

  Causing fear during the day may, eventually, make some human suspicious. Their species didn’t survive from the times of Ancient Greece by being obvious.

  No one must suspect that they are different. They must remember this.

  Secrecy is the key to survival.

  He lets them go.

  I duck down as they all walk out together.

  He said their ‘species’.

  They aren’t human.

  I think of their beautiful eyes.

  I begin to realise that I should not have snuck out tonight.

  The answer to this mystery is a bit more than I can handle.

  I’ll never be able to sleep around here again. Not knowing what I know now.

  I think of calling my Mom tomorrow. Perhaps if I beg and cry she will let me move schools.

  I sigh. Leaving wouldn’t solve the problem. All the other students would still be here, among these things.

  I couldn’t leave knowing that everyone left behind is unsafe.

  I have to do something.

  Warning everyone isn’t an option. No one would believe me and the creatures would, no doubt, hunt me down.

  They are all exiting out of the front of the building now. They shouldn’t see me here, at the back. Still, I duck down and make myself as small as possible.

  I hear them chatting amongst themselves.

  Then I realise that I am in trouble.

  Angelica is going to get back to our room before me. She will know that I left.

  I panic for a moment.

  Then I begin to think straight again. I’ll just tell her I snuck off to see Greg.

  Surely she will believe it.

  I wonder what will happen if she doesn’t.

  I hear a male voice, “Whoa, wait a minute. . . Do you guys smell that?”

  They seem rather near.

  I swallow.

  What if they see me?

  “Yes, I’m getting it too,” answers Angelica’s voice. “Its fear . . . There’s a human somewhere here!”

  They have just sensed my fear.

  If I wasn’t so afraid I’d be amazed.

  I try to take some deep breathes and calm down. My fear will lead them to me if I don’t.

  They’re voices get nearer and nearer all the time.

  There is a human spying on them. It is vital for the species that they don’t let me get away, they are saying.

  Now I really wish that I’d stayed inside.

  They are about to come around the corner. They will see me.

  All I can do now is make a mad dash for it.

  I do.

  “Oh girly, come back here,” calls the ringleader. His voice isn’t sincere, “We won’t hurt you . . .”

  I run faster than I’ve ever ran in my life.

  It’s no use.

  The ringleader appears, from nowhere, in front of me.

  I stop dead, afraid.

  He puts his hand on my shoulder.

  His sparkling eyes never leave me, “Sleep now darling.”

  There is nothing I can do to stop it.

  I fall to the ground.

  *

  When I wake up I am on the chair they used for Tanya earlier.

  They are all standing around discussing, in frantic voices, what to do with me.

  There is an almost unanimous verdict that I must be killed.

  It’s only almost unanimous because Daniel is taking my side.

  “We’re not monsters,” he argues. “When did we begin thinking that killing people is alright? We have to let her go.”

  No one agrees with him.

  “Don’t be such a wuss Danny,” says Angelica, flicking back her hair. “She knows about us. We can’t just let her walk out of here.”

  I am still a bit woozy.

  My voice comes out softly, “Please don’t kill me . . .”

  They all turn their heads in my direction, completely in unison.

  It is pretty creepy.

  They all seem pretty shocked. I find myself wondering what’s wrong with them.

  “Is she . . . awake?” A short girl with glasses asks, amazed.

  They all look reluctant to believe it.

  The ringleader comes closer, as if to make sure. “That’s impossible; the spell I put on her should work for six hours . . . This has never happened before.”

  They all stare at me like I’m the freak.

  “This just proves it,” the girl with glasses announces. “This girl definitely needs to die. She knows about us and she can defy our magic. She is extremely dangerous. If we don’t do something about her now we will be sorry. It’s our responsibility to the whole species.”

  There is a loud murmur of agreement.

  The ringleader is greatly disturbed. He asks me how I defied his magic.

  I tell him that I don’t know.

  This doesn’t impress him.

  He gives the verdict.

  I surely need to die.

  The danger brings me to my senses suddenly. I don’t like the way some of them are looking at me.

  I realise that I can’t move.

  “Don’t do this,” I beg the ringleader frantically. Something within me is screaming that I must save my life now, “I won’t tell anyone about you guys, I promise.”

  “I think she’s telling the truth,” Daniel once again backs me up.

  I don’t know why he is fighting my corner for me.

  I am glad he is though. He is the only one here on my side.

  The ringleader tells him that he is weak.

  “What are you guys?” I ask, astounded at my discoveries tonight.

 
The ringleader laughs, seemingly overjoyed at my question.

  He never gets a chance to explain it to humans, he says. Since I’m going to die anyway he may as well tell me.

  They call themselves the ‘Arachne’. They are the true descendants of a Greek Goddess by that name.

  They have powers us humans don’t have. They would live high up in the heavens if it wasn’t for the special diet they have.

  Human fear is the only food that has ever satisfied them.

  This is why they live among us mortals. Without a supply of fresh human fear they would soon grow weak and die.

  Humans have never become aware of their presence. They live by giving us nightmares in the night, and by many other tricks that cause us fear.

  Arachnes are the only reason that people have nightmares. Humans only dream pleasantly in their natural state.

  They know what scares us. This knowledge comes to them the second they set their eyes upon us. They can use this to their advantage.

  All of this explains a lot.

  “You fed on me last night,” I stammer.

  The ringleader nods.

  He thinks that it is time to kill me now.

  He raises his hand.

  Nothing I say changes his mind. He simply won’t believe that I won’t tell anyone about them.

  I realise that my defying of his magic may have hurt his pride also.

  He looks me in the eyes; his tattoos change colour suddenly. “When I place my hand upon thy shoulder you will enter your final, and eternal, sleep.”

  There are a few gasps.

  They all know what it means. I will die.

  I close my eyes. I try to keep the tears from coming.

  There is no use in struggling. I still can’t move.

  They have paralysed me somehow.

  “Wait, stop!” A boy yells.

  I open my eyes again.

  Daniel.

  “I have an idea,” he says breathlessly. There is a definite hint of panic in his voice now, “A way she can live on and be sure not to tell our secret.”

  Angelica looks amused, “There’s a lot of fear in you Daniel. What is that all about?”

  He gives her a dirty look.

  The ringleader asks him to state his idea quickly or his chance will be gone.

  “Okay,” Daniel steps forward, glancing around at the rest of them. “We could . . . you know . . . change her.”

  My mouth drops open.

  He means to turn me into one of them.

  The ringleader turns to him, “We don’t change humans often. It’s always a risk for the species, to welcome an unknown amongst us.”