Aphrodite

~ Ripped jeans ~

When I opened my eyes, a lot was different. Where I would wake up in the softness of silk sheets and the harmonious sounds of a harp, there was nothing like that now. I heard soft talks downstairs, some kind of clutching sound outside. When I turned my head I looked into a small empty room. Rough fabrics covered my body... I couldn't remember coming down here. I didn't even know how much time was past. When I placed my bare feet on the wooden floor, it cracked a little. I wore shorts, an oversized shirt, my hair bound in a messy bun.

'Alessa!' A voice yelled, I startled.

I knew everything on earth was set for my arrival, I knew that coming here would be already installed in their minds. It wouldn't be a strange thing to go downstairs, be myself. But for me, I got a new name, needed to make new habits. Everything was different for me. I forced myself out of the bed, looked down at the clothes I wore before my eyes fell on the mirror. A small c***k came from out of the corner, one piece was missing. When I looked to myself I felt so different. I didn't look so graceful, yet my hair weaved around my shoulders like it always did when I pulled it out of his bun. I turned around to the door, forced myself away from the room as I took the stairs down. An empty hallway, no photo's, no love, hardly anything of value.

'There she is.' A young voice reacted on my arrival. I turned around, facing a small kitchen, with dark wooden cabins and a yellow cover over the table. Behind the table sat a little girl, blond brown eyes, twelve years old... she probably was the youngest female walking around, the last of her generation.

'You are not even dressed, Alessa.' The elder woman lead me to a seat and pushed me down. I needed to let it sink in a moment, gazing at a little tv playing the news. My "mother" pushed a plate over the table, two toasts with jam. 'Eat, you are already late.'

'She is not listening mom.' The girl chuckled as I looked down at my breakfast.

'Alessa?'

'Yes?' I looked up, forcing a smile on my lips as I looked at the woman. Old age... the wrinkles in her forehead came up as she studied my face.

'Are you alright?' She asked. I remembered her name, her age, I remembered everything about her. But me not speaking brought some concern into Helen her eyes. 'Alessa.' She repeated my name again.

'Yes, I'm fine, I just had a strange dream.' The lie rolled over my lips like it was nothing. I never lied before, there was never the occasion to do it.

'What kind of dream?' Fay asked curiously.

'No talking, you need to eat and get to work asap and you little girl,' Helen turned to Fay. 'we need to get you registered.' She followed. At the age of twelve you needed to get registered as a female, so they had more control over you. If Fay came into that database they could do whatever they wanted with her. But it was worse if you kept one hidden, then you were sentenced to die. I started with my toast, which turned out to be tastier than I expected it to be. I wasn't used to human food, not this at least. I mostly lived from fruits, nectar. My eyes rested on the tv, another thing where I wasn't used to. It showed imagines, powerful imagines of men, facilities... never a woman on the screen.

'Shouldn't I go with Fay?' I offered, looking away from the tv to Helen. I knew Helen her work was more valuable because she was older... she was here before all this manpower started. Before there was immortality. Women were always underrated, but it got worse after they invented eternal life. Helen was a doctor, one of the dying breeds in female jobs. My job was nothing much, girls and women didn't get any education here, they just got to work; keep the streets clean, make clothes, prepare meals, nothing fancy.

'Maybe that would be better. You know where to go to?' Helen asked me. I gazed aside to Fay who had that bright smile on her lips, glad I would be joining her. It was like I fell right in my role there, giving her a small grin myself before nodding and looking back to Helen.

'The school.'

'Be careful, don't provoke them and if,' she felt silence.

'If there are immortals?' I guessed.

'Yes, bow, be polite, do as they ask.' Helen said.

'I want to kick one between the legs, see if they are that immortal.' Fay announced lightly as she got from her seat. I looked after her, holding my laugh as Helen gave her a stern gaze.

'This isn't funny. Alessa, keep a close eye on her.'

'I will, I promise.' I nodded, pushing myself from my chair to get dressed. I ran back upstairs, pulled the closet open... Here I was used to those amazing soft light long dresses. This closet contained wool sweaters, ripped jeans. A pair of old blue sneakers stood under the window. I pulled out black jeans that defiantly wouldn't cover my knees with those holes in it. I got dressed pretty quickly, pulled a sweater over my head, and rushed a brush through my long hair before pulling on the sneakers. Everything fit perfectly. When I got downstairs Fay was already waiting in the kitchen, her blond hair all pulled up in a high ponytail. She wore a light blue dress, to look nice when she got registered.

'We good?' I asked her as she immediately grabbed my hand. I suppressed a smile. We didn't have children in the realm, I was one of the youngest up there. Now I had a little sister to take care of and it felt nice.

'Mom we are going!'

'Wait, a second.' Helen stopped us both from walking out the door. I was eager on seeing the world. Despite everything I learned this would still be different. I turned and pushed my head around the door, she stood there, watching the tv, one finger up in stopping us. I lowered my eyes to the tv. I almost planned on asking what that was, standing there, behind a speaking chair on the tv. I let go of Fay and walked back in the kitchen, looking to the young man. His both hands clamped around the speaking chair as he stood there, nonchalant, completely at home on his spot of power. But his eyes... those eyes. I hardly cared about how good looking he was, even for a human, I cared for the eyes. As the camera captured his speech and head I only could look for the eyes like they lived a life on themselves. They hadn't a distinct color, and if they had it became overshadowed by what looked like a lens. Around his pupil, it was sharp bright blue, a little circle was visible. It turned around his pupil, like a loading computer. Athena said I would see and know it, and I did. The young man widened his arms, like he proudly presented something, that crook smile around his lips like he was the biggest mischief in the world. Maybe he was... he definitely was an immortal.