Lost in Aestia

2. Aestia

Mom sits on her small little chair and only sits on when Dad is on his large reclining one. That has always been their arrangement, for I don't know how long. She's just staring at the space where he should be. Eyes distant and probably replaying a memory that we would never be able to come back to.

I can't help but stare at it too. Not too long ago, he would be on that chair and teach me about the college lectures that I couldn't understand. He'll say, "Those professors of yours don't know s**t," and he'll smile and pet my hair. I smile at the memory but felt the painful ache in my chest.

I wipe my wet hands on my jeans and approach Mom slowly. "Ma, it's time to go to sleep" I squat down in front of her and slowly take her hand on her chair's arm.

She shakes herself awake from the trance and looks down at me with her softest smile, "Is it? Sorry, I was lost in the clouds again" she cups my cheek and rubs her thumb on my face

"No need to be sorry," I smile back to her while gently rubbing my thumb on the back of her hand. "This was a hard a day."

"It is," I hear the pain in her voice also how she's trying not to cry by swallowing her emotions down her throat. She looks away from me to stop herself from crying even more then looks back down at me, "but you are so beautiful."

"I am my parent's daughter, so" I smile cheekily while I kiss her hand "How about we let this day end."

She nods but doesn't stand up. So, I stand first and offer her my hand. "I'm not that old," she says.

She doesn't look like an average fifty-year-old either. She seems infinitely younger because some people mistake her as my older sister or some cousin with blonde hair.

"But you still need to get up from that chair," I say, unrelenting.

She sighs and takes my hand. She turns to look at the recliner and then at the candle. She takes the unlit torch in her arms and cradles it like a baby. "I'll go ahead then."

"Sure," I say, "I'll clean what's left here."

"Thank you" she kisses my cheeks and leaves for her room

I looked at the plate with the wet matches and took it to the sink. I'll handle that tomorrow. Then I made sure the doors of the house are locked and turned the lights off. I see Bie on the counter. That big black bundle of fur that is absolutely obese.

I took him in my arms, and he meows. I kissed his head and went to my old room. It wasn't that long ago, too, that I was in this room, studying for the SATs. There wasn't much that changed other than the fact I took my old Star Wars bedsheets with new ones.

I'm such a nerd. I sigh and let go of Bie, who automatically knows where to sleep, which was in my blankets by the pillow. I'm convinced he is more human than cat.

"Let's go to sleep," I say while switching the lights off and sliding into my bed. I hear Bie purring at my right and the sound of the wind outside of my window. I didn't think the TV said it'll be rain tonight. Was there a storm tonight?

Instead of thinking about it anymore and make it worse for my mind, I sigh and snuggle Bie instead.

I dreamt of my graduation, where Dad stood when I was on stage. He was the only one standing while my Mom clutched on to my baby pictures like it'll fade away. He was shouting something, but I couldn't hear it through the clapping. I soon couldn't see him through the lights that were on me. I was about to take my diploma when I hear a loud crash, and I sit up.

Bie is by the door, and she keeps meowing. I stand and run to the outside. I gasp at the sight of the chaos. The vases and mirrors were broken. The pictures are torn. The carpet of the hallway looks like a lion has ripped through them.

"what...Mom," I run to her room, but her door was broken. The knob was ripped away from the wood, and when I pushed it aside, Mom was nowhere to be found. I look around the room heard the glass shards but ignored them. "Mom!" I run to the living room, the kitchen, and the dining room, but she was nowhere. I soon realize that my feet were bleeding and I couldn't care. The adrenaline is in my veins. I rush to my bag and called 911. I grabbed Bie like a safety blanket and kept him in my arms.

"Hello, this is 911."

"Someone wrecked my home and took my Mom," I blurted out. My mind going a hundred different directions. Where could she be? Why wasn't my room touched? What on earth would they need from us? The police came as well as the ambulance. They tended to my feet and asked me a lot of questions. I couldn't answer most of them because all that time I was asleep. I didn't know whether they believed me or not, but I just cried.

Where's my Mom?

3 days later

I look through her bookcase. Bie curls up on the Dad's desk while I pulled all the books to pack them. I still haven't been able to find my Mom, but I'm not going to give up. There might be some clues or someone who wanted something from my family. We weren't rich, but I have always found it suspicious that I have never met any family from Mom's side. She told me she was an orphan and had to survive on her own and even through college.

Aunt Anderea touches my shoulder to get my attention. She smiles at me, her lips red with her favorite lipstick and her red hair tied tightly. She has such a beautiful and soft face that no one would be able to resist her. "you need to get some rest."

I put my hand over hers. "I'm fine, but thank you," I tiptoed and try to feel for anything that I might have missed on the higher shelf when I felt a book on the far side. I grabbed it and expected it to be my baby pictures, which Mom usually puts in weird hiding places. It wasn't. I felt another twinge in my chest as I thought of her. The police said it was k********g, but there were no traces in the house other than my Mom and I. The only blood there was were mine when I was looking for her. I blamed myself for that. I should have called the police when I had a chance, but what baffled everyone was that my room was untouched. Every part of the house was ransacked, and only my room was spared.

I could imagine Mom saying that Dad was protecting me, even Aunt Anderea thinks that way. She told me that we summoned Dad and that he is with us for that day and even today. She asks where the candle was, but I could care less of the candle. I care more as to where my Mom could be.

I furrow my brows and touch the weird letters on the cover of the book. It looks Arabic mixed with Korean and some Japanese. It was odd and something I have never seen before. It wasn't strange that Mom had books like these since it's her job as a linguistic professor. "Aunt Anderea, do you understand this?"

"Hm?" she approaches me, and her eyes widen at the book. "Actually, I do. This is the book we both studied"

"Well, this is the first time I saw it. can you read it?" I ask while opening it on some random page. There were many words that I could barely understand.

"I don't know. It's been so long," she says. I feel Bie jump to my shoulders trying to get some attention. "let's see—"

Girhoe looks out of his celestial room. The water below his window was creating a sound that coincides with the sounds of birds chirping and the wind howling. All he can see outside was one of his moons. The gray moon that was getting closer and closer by the day. If he hovers to it, he'll get there in minutes rather than an hour or so. He hears the laughter of the other gods. He understands his Mother, who was latching on to his Father. They talk of children and a new world while Heara was talking to Aryo.

He doesn't understand his sister's infatuation with him. He follows a lot `things but no other being's emotions, that is what he lacked. He couldn't feel pain, so he doesn't understand the humans who whine and complain. Death never comes to God unless a God kills him. He stares into his moon instead because he knows every crater and spot on it. The reason Heara was born was because of him. When he was just a newborn child, he accidentally pulled the moon too close to the world before this and destroyed everything that lived in it. Thus, Heara was born.

He hears Aryo enter his room "What are you glum about?" he approaches him and took a seat in front of Girhoe.

He doesn't say anything but just stares at the moon. The only thing that seems essential to him. What else are there? It was boredom that makes him pull the moon closer and closer to the world of man.

"if you want, we could go hunting," Aryo grins at him. He hasn't given up on his old friend, not like the other Gods who think his company is as stale as bread. The God of Pain and Pleasure is the exception of God's not feeling pain though he only has an idea of it, not the full sensation. To him, the pain was just a displeasing feeling, a concept of something unreal.

"And hunt what?" he asks, his voice not giving any hints of interest or even curiosity. He says it with such monotone pitch that it just blends in the music of the nature outside his window.

"I don't know, humans?" Aryo chuckles darkly.

"Then ask for Uncle Girhen, not me" Girhoe touches his gray hair. His gray hair that gleamed in the moonlight. Some humans that were fortunate enough to see him is always blinded by his hair. He notices Aryo's red hair that also sparkled in the fire, which is what made Heara so infatuated with him. Fire suits pain and pleasure.

Girhen must be around the realm of a man causing havoc and chaos. He has been giving Girhoe gifts in thanks for pulling the moon closer to the world. More people were in turmoil and disarray, which Girhen finds amusing.

"He's no fun. All he cares are war and turmoil" Aryo huffs and jumps to his feet. He starts looking for a book to read on Girhoe's shelves. "I heard your parents are arranging for me to marry your sister."

Girhoe ignores him and keeps staring at the moon. His boredom was evident, and it rolled off him in waves. Aryo continues, "I bet that was your sister's doing rather than your parents."

Girhoe sighs, "Yes, very smart."

"I don't mind marrying anyone as long as I get to have fun" Girhoe found one of the celestial books about the realm. "I hope she doesn't mind me playing with the Sik's after our night together."

The Sik's were like the nymphs of earth mythology, but they were known for opening their legs faster than any God. They are beautiful beings that often take a man or two to w***e around and bear them beautiful children that often have tragic lives. The sik's children were destined to have disastrous ends.

Girhoe grunts, "I think she wouldn't care."

"I'll agree to the marriage then" Aryo goes out of his room and fades into the halls.

Girhoe heard cheers and a happy Heara. He could even feel the heat that she radiated out of her from his room. He sighs again and pulls the moon closer so she can hear the humans in turmoil by it.

I woke up, the ground rumbled under me. I sit up and crawl through the dark. Where am I? I look everywhere and only see the light at one end. I crawl to it with the ground was packed and soft. I hear meowing and thought of Bie.

"Bie!" I touch around and felt some bundle of fur comes to my arms. I breathe out a sigh of relief. "Come on, let's get out of here."

I crawled out of the darkness and realize I was in a cave under the earth. I manage to get out of the small hole and shake the dirt from my hair. I look around, and there were trees and meadows around me. I don't know where I am. I was taken by my Mom's kidnappers, for sure. Why else would I be under the earth and in this weird place?

Bie snuggles in my arms, and I smile at him. "We'll figure this out" I shake the dirt off my shirt and my jeans. I look for my shoes, but they were nowhere near me. "What the hell?" I straighten my hair first and tuck them behind my ears.

I start walking everywhere and following the north. I know the sun travels from east to west, so north would be where I am roaming too, but then I saw the sun in that direction. Confused, I look around and realize that there were two suns!

I gasp and clutch on to Bie tighter. "I'm going mad. They must have put some hallucinogenic in me."

Bie meows again but stays still. Where on earth am I? I sit back down on the ground as I try to think. Think of a way to survive. I could follow a stream of water and start from there, but what then? How can I ask for help on my bare feet around this forest? A feeling of hopelessness comes in my chest when I hear someone coming. I look up and make out children's voices. I need to move and catch them since it was getting late, but with the two suns and all, it's throwing me off.

"Help!" I shout. Running through the bushes and forest. Following the voices of startled children. I keep running until I reach a clearing where blonde and blue-eyed children look at me. They all have elfen like features with large eyes and small faces. Their ears were a bit pointed and chin round. One was a girl with long blonde hair and the other a boy with short hair "You need to help me, I got kidnapped and—"

they screamed. Their voices hurt my ears as they ran away. "No! wait!" I follow them and see them running up a hill of rocks. I struggle to chase them as Bie was in my arms, and my feet were starting to hurt on this terrain. Why are they running away from me? I notice what they were wearing, and the boy was in some sort of foreign shirt or something. Now is not the time to think of children in costumes.

I groan and make my way up. It was just a dirt road of some sort. I look around and see a village with stone gates and small houses. I see the short forms of the children running to those gates. I feel relieved as I follow the road and to the village. This must not be a hallucination. I mean, it can't be. I could accept the two suns since it was just one thing but to hallucinate a whole village? It's not possible...right?

I limp my way there and see a lot of blonde-haired people. They all stared at me the moment I passed through the gates. I look back at them as I see their clothes. They were off and foreign to me. Some were in dresses that are form-fitting with cloths that can see through them. They wear something inside to hide their proximities. I don't know what kind of fashion trend it was, but most of them wore their clothes like that. The men have weirder clothes with tight shirts, and some sort of shawl belted to their bodies over their shirts. Their pants look like tights in these leather-like shoes. I haven't seen anyone like that.

Someone taps my shoulder. It was a blonde woman with hawkish like features. She looks so beautiful with her blonde hair in a tight braid on her scalp. She says something that I couldn't understand, and I shake my head. "I'm sorry, can you speak in English?" she points to Bie accusingly. In reflex, I hide her in my shirt. I don't know why, but I just did it. "what?" I glare at her

She keeps saying foreign words when I see the children behind her. The two looked afraid. "Shut up! You're scaring them" I shout back at her, which makes her stop. But only for a second and she starts talking again. She points to the children, and they looked at me. I realize they were afraid of me. I furrow my brows, confused. What on earth is happening?

People started gathering around me. I see some of the men with spears point it at me, and I squeal. "What the hell!?" I shout while moving back. They threaten to stab, and it seems they're coaxing me into some direction. I hear more marching as more guards come to where I was. I move back from the spears and the woman that still keeps speaking.

Then the earth crumbles and shakes beneath us. I squat down and put my legs on a wide stance to avoid falling like the people around me did. I supported my weight while they stumbled and fall. They look at me with such fearful eyes, and before I know it, more people were shouting and yelling. I couldn't understand it. It sounds like a lot of vowels and high pitched noises. The guards got up to their feet and keep poking their spears.

There was an old woman with graying hair in a blue dress that pushes her way through the guards. She says something and glances at me with cold eyes. Her frown deepening at the sight of me. I feel Bie wanting to poke out of my shirt, but I don't let her. I don't feel safe here, not anymore. She shouts again, and before I know it, the Guards were all around me and pointing their spears. They wouldn't dare come any closer to me as the old woman motions for me to follow. I followed her because I don't know where else to go. Where could I go? I move, and we went deeper into the village. We reach a large church-like building on the side of a mountain. I would appreciate it's architecture if it weren't for the cold wind that blew out of it. The doors open on their own with the old woman just in front. I approached while the guards are still behind me.

It was even more magnificent inside. There was an altar, and on that altar was a plank. We climb the stairs to it, and I hear dripping of water through the spikes of the stones. The ceiling was more than 100 meters high, and its height made me lightheaded. I felt the speak poke me, and I curse. "Okay, already," I walk faster.

The plank leads to a body of water. It looks deep, and the water seems to glow blue. I gasp, they must want me to jump. The old woman faces the people that followed us and shouts something. She takes out a knife and raises it over her head. I thought she was going to stab herself when she forcefully took my hand and cuts my palm. I squealed and whine. "What the hell are you doing?!"

She threw the droplets of my blood on her blade on the glowing water. She smiles evilly at me, and it dawned on me. I was being sacrificed. I clutch on to Bie, but I didn't know what to do. Are they some sort of evil native people? I was about to protest when she suddenly pushes me to the water. I fall with Bie, and I was still able to see the stones they threw right afterward. They wanted me to die and be hit with the rocks. I pursed my lips and close my eyes. I hold tighter on Bie as she claws away from me as we hit the water, and I waited for the stone to beat us. Then everything was dark again.