The Code

Left, right, left, right, left— I fight my mind to keep my tired legs from giving out. "On your left," a guard shouted to the other. "Dont let her get away," said another. I dodged their attempts to capture me by sliding under the metal door that was closing. I just made it out along with my belongings. I checked my satchel before picking back up speed to make sure it was there. In my hands was a translucent diamond-shaped gem. "Open the door," I heard the guards screams from the other side. Panting as my lungs are ready to explode, I dive behind a bush waiting for my captors to rush by. I held my breath. I pray the slightest inhale doesn’t set off any alarms in the direction of my location. Nothing. I raised myself to peek my eyes over the flat hedge. Have I gained enough ground to keep going? Why did they stop? It’s too soon to feel a sense of freedom. Something isn’t quite right. I get to my feet and continue to flee. This time walking with no angst. It’s silent. Eerily silent. I continued down the cobblestone path towards the black gates. No guards. If I wasn’t already perplexed by the surprise of the front gate not being guarded, I would’ve sent myself back into my cell. What the hell was happening? Usually, in this part, I’m captured yet again. I continued through the gates. I look towards the building once more before taking my plight back down to Earth. I woke in a state of panic. My bedsheets are soaked by sweat. I rub my face but leave my hands to cover my eyes. What time is it? I lazily reach for my phone, take it to my face, and click the lock button. It’s two forty-seven in the morning. I have less than four hours to sneak in some more sleep if I’d like to, yet I don’t think I could do that. I don’t think I want to. I pull my legs to the side of my bed and raise myself to sit. Wiping the cold from my eyes, I stood up. Clink, boom, bam. Something heavy fell onto the wooden floor. I ignored it thinking it was just my phone and I’ll retrieve it later. Soundlessly, I slipped by my roommates' doors and made my way to our open kitchen. The white walls and cabinets always feel so nice to see. With the sleek silver appliances to compliment the modern approach. I made my way around the island counter to the stove flushed against the wall to grab the tea kettle. I move to the sink to run water into the top. “What are you doing?” Says a voice in the dark. I drop the kettle into the sink as fear rushes through my veins. “f**k,” I shouted as water splashed on the counter and the floor. “ Well, don’t just stand there. Turn the lights on.” The lights flash as my eyes rush to adjust. I close them tight and blink aggressively after. Celeste enters the room as her wavy blonde hair covers the left side of her face, forcing her to brush it back. “What are you doing? It’s like 4 am,” she says, breaking into a yawn. I, continuing to fill the pot, ignored her statement. I place the kettle on the stove and turn on the burner. “I couldn’t sleep. Had that dream again,” I said, turning towards her and crossing my arms. “What happened this time,” she asks, placing her hands under her chin with her eyes closed. It’s obvious she’s fighting her sleep. “I made it out,” I said reluctantly. It was a relief. I’ve had the same reoccurring dream for the past two weeks and each time it was a different outcome. None of them were positive. “Good. Maybe we can all finally get a full eight hours of sleep from now on. It was getting old with the late night interruptions. You know I’m not the heaviest sleeper,” she says, looking at me with irritated eyes. I feel terrible because I know I make sounds when I’m dreaming, but I swear this time around I felt like I was actually there. “Did you at least find out where you were,” she asked, hoping to put an end to her curiosity. “Nope,” I say flatly as the kettle begins to whistle, signaling the water is hot. I grab my Shrek tea cup from the cabinet along with a green tea tea bag and begin pouring the water. “Hopefully, this is the end of it for you. If you don’t mind, I’m going back to bed. I’ll see you in the morning, Andy.” She pushes the bar stool away from the counter and walks towards the way she entered. I sip at my tea and exhale my worries. I looked at the oven to see the time displayed in teal green. It’s now three o’five in the morning. I sigh and mope towards my bedroom. Placing the cup on my nightstand, I re-entered my bed from the opposite side to lay my body back to rest. I count down from a hundred and begin to lose count at sixty-four as my mind drifts back to sleep. EEP! EEP! EEP! EEP! EEP! I frantically woke up at the sound of my six a.m. alarm coming from my phone. Scrambling, I rummage through my bed, overtly ruining the perfectly aligned sheets that had now dried. I can’t find it. It’s too early for my day to start at a disadvantage. Flipping over my pillows, I looked between the divots and discovered it had fallen into the crevasse between my headboard and the wall. f*****g peachy. I squeeze my hand into the opening to capture my phone between my index and middle fingers. It slips and I try again. Successfully, I pulled it through and turned the alarm off. I roll on my back and breathe out of frustration as the adrenaline that surges through my heart begins to dissipate. I am drained. I could ultimately choose not to go to class today. What’s one absence going to do? I debate with my inner self, coming up with a pros and cons list as to why I shouldn’t go to class. Ultimately, I boost myself up to step out of bed. I’m going to class. If I miss this final, I’m f****d. I feel the cool ground beneath me and place my weight on my feet. Something sharp stings the center of my right foot. “Son of a b***h,” I screamed at the top of my lungs. I hopped around the room trying to regain my composure as Celeste, now joined Valerie at my door. Clearly showing concern in their faces, they piece together what had happened and continue on with their day. I truly hate how, as of late, I’ve been a really terrible roommate. I stopped jumping to find what it was that hurt me. I searched throughout the area and nothing turned up. Weird. Vzzt. Vzzt. Vzzt. My phone vibrates against the nightstand. It’s my mom. “Ma,” I say flatly. “Andriana,” she says, mimicking me. I can hear she’s in the car with me on speaker. “Listen, I need you to be ready to go to the rehearsal dinner around four-thirty this evening. It’s about an hour and a half drive from your school so please be prompt, my love,” she says, almost pleading. I don’t have the best track record when it comes to timeliness. “Yeah, no, sure thing. Don’t worry. I’ll be ready,” I assure her. “Thank you. Oh, by the way, I’ve invited your cousin Kyler to stay with us for the week. I beg you to please be on your best behavior. You are both seventeen and still holding on to a ten-year grudge. Let it go,” she said sternly. Quite frankly, I couldn’t give a single reason as to why I don’t like my cousin. Unfortunately, he’s fallen under the categories of muck, i***t, and asshole; in short, people I refuse to associate with. You see, Kyler comes from my father’s side of the family. Being an Afro-Greek isn’t the most sought after combination, so when my parents married, my father's family rejected my mother and me due to our black ancestry. So please understand there isn’t a direct reason as to why my only cousin and I don’t get along. “Why are we going if that side doesn’t acknowledge us,” I asked. I heard a sigh come through the phone followed by a slight pause. “Family is family,” she says and leaves it at that. I’ve never been a believer that family should always stick together, even when they treat you unfairly. My parents always said that respect is earned, not given. For the past seventeen years, respect hasn’t existed. “Besides, your father would love to show you off. You are his only daughter,” she finishes. “Mmm, not a good enough reason, but I’ll bite. I’ll see you later, Ma,” I said before hanging up. “Hey, did you want anything to eat? I’m thinking we could swing by the pit before STG,” says Virginia, poking her head from around the corner. I shook my head yes and hurried to do my morning routine. I close my bedroom door as I push my arm through the jacket. I give her a head nod signaling I’m ready to roll. Grabbing our bags from the hooks by the door, we make our way out the common space, through the dorm halls, and out onto the campus yard. The clouds aggressively hide the sun, making the day gloomy. The air is dewy and smells as if rain is about to fall at any second. “So, I was thinking…” Virginia says as she looks at me with excited eyes, “We should invite Max with us on our trip to Mykonos.” Max was a classmate from our Greek Mythology course. He was a fourth year scholar but was advanced in his skill set. He skipped his third year and went straight to fourth. Makes all the most sense with him being one of the many sons of Hermes. “Nia, walk me through this. You have never spoken to this guy and yet you want him to come on this trip… that isn’t even paid for… because everyone won’t send the money in,” I said in a sarcastic tone. Her facial expression didn’t waiver and she was filled with excitement at the idea. Virginia has had her eyes set on Max since we shared a class with him two semesters ago. I have to give it to her, she determined. “Oh, f**k it. Go for it,” I said, giving in as she gave a strong puppy-eyed face. I’m reality, I didn’t care if he came or not. I just wanted to get away with my friends. “Oh that reminds me, he has a friend that I think you’d be interested in,” I immediately knew who she was referring to. Atticus Moon. Atticus is one of the many children of Zeus and his wife, Hera. Whilst many swoon over him, I find him to be unsettling. He never smiled unless it was to manipulate those to get his way. He was a loner nonetheless. “I don’t think that’s such a great idea, Nia. When have you ever seen Atticus around anyone other than himself,” I asked, trying to prove a point. She shakes her head and smiles. “All the more reason to invite him,” she says, walking away confidently as her ginger hair bounces from side to side in her ponytail. Nia is undeniably and annoyingly beautiful— inside and out. She comes from a large family and being one of twelve children has taught her to be more direct with what she wants, as her mother is the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. Ironically, considering the number of children she had, Athena developed and created strong relationships with each of her children. Unfortunately, none are able to share the same with their father, except Virginia. Virginia was half mortal and her mother had given her the ability to transcend the realms to visit her father on Earth as she pleased. Easy to say, she’s a complete daddy’s girl. I caught up with my fiery-haired friend as we made our way to the pit. We went towards the rustic doors and entered into the noisy pit. Smells of freshly baked cinnamon rolls and other breakfast treats fill the air. I dismissed myself from Nia after grabbing a food tray and made my way to the fruit bar. I reach for a bowl at the same time as a stranger. I looked up to see a familiar modelesque face with scruffy hair surrounding the chin line, enchanting brown eyes, skin as rich as chocolate and untamed with brows thicker than last week’s porridge options. He was muscular but not overwhelmingly. Strong but not overbearing. Smelling of sweat but in the most masculine way. I was attracted to it. Oh my, Zeus. “I’m sorry. Please go,” says the man with a deep, baritone voice. I proceeded without second guessing his intentions. I make my way down the line placing mixtures of fruits and colors into the bowl. Grapes, orange slices, star fruit— the works. “Andriana, correct?” The voice asked. I froze. I looked towards him again and saw a gentle smile peeking through. Silence broke between us. “That’s your name, right?” “Umm, mhm, yes— I’m sorry. Yes, but I go by Andy. Andy, Andy, Andy. Just Andy,” I stumble through trying to correct him. I can feel my palms getting sweaty. Why the hell am I acting this way? “Atticus,” he says, reaching out his hand for me to shake. As if I didn’t know his name. I just didn’t know he knew mine. I took his hand in mine and shook it softly. His hands, although they were brawny, were soft to the touch. I had to look down at it because I couldn’t believe it. “I use chamomile and lemon lotion after every wash. I know it’s weird for a guy to have soft hands,” he says, pulling away in embarrassment. I reassured him that it wasn’t a bad thing. It shows great personal care. He chuckles and looks back to the food line. He has a dimple on his right cheek deep enough to get lost in it. Not knowing how to keep the conversation going, I turned to him and said: “Zeus, what’s he like as a Dad?” He nodded as if he hadn’t heard this question before. I noticed I had made a mistake in asking. “I’m sorry. That’s not my place to be asking. I just met you and I’m sorry. It’s your business,” I shouted, trying to back track. “My dad is like most. A lot of people think he’s harsh and cold, but he’s not. Being the leader of both mortals and immortals isn’t easy and many believe the way he governs applies to his children. In reality, it’s the exact opposite,” he says, turning to me with soft eyes. I see why he is the school's hottest catch. Who wouldn’t want him? “Now, I should be the one asking about your mom. What’s that like?” He asks, leaving a trail of giggles. If we’re being honest, most people here either earned their right of entry to this school or were birthed with it. I fell under the birth category along with Nia and Atticus. My mother is Athena. Woefully, our relationship isn’t the strongest. During my development years, we clashed on multiple occasions. Since my arrival at Demerelio Prep we’ve been seeing eye to eye, but nothing as close to what Nia has with her mother. I sighed before answering. “Uhh, it’s decent. Probably what you’d expect as the child of a war goddess.” He nodded his head in a sign of understanding. He doesn’t say anything. He reaches his hand over my tray and hovers over the top left corner. He moved his hand, revealing a small, cream-colored rose. “What’s this for,” I asked. “Look it up,” he says, walking away. I turned my head to follow his path until he was no longer to be seen. I finish gathering my food and head towards a table in the corner of the pit where I find Nia staring at me. Once she catches my attention, she stands and urges me to come forth. I do so and can feel the stress building in my chest. “I saw what he left you! I looked up as he was walking away. Look!” She shouts and squeaks out of excitement. The textbook shared the meaning of the flower in a chart. Cream; charm and thoughtfulness. Ideal for friends or family members going through tough times, letting them know you're thinking about them. Commonly used for sleeping aids. He left me a sleeping flower? “This is so romantic,” she screams, causing the table to stop and stare. I mouthed sorry to them and tried to get her to calm down. “You’re overreacting. It was a nice gesture. Leave it at that.” I said, ending the conversation. It was silent. “Atticus and Andy --sitting on a tree, all in love because of Aphrodite,” she sings as she dances on the table. I can feel my cheeks turning red. I’ve never had a boy show interest in me before. Especially one as attractive as Atticus. I can’t see if this will grow into anything, but I do know I did enjoy the feelings that overcame me. “And you said he wouldn’t want to come on the trip…” she slyly smiles and winks “…all that’s left is asking Max. Since we covered—“ “Whoa whoa whoa, I didn’t ask Atticus to go on the trip.” She jumps off the table and gathers herself back on the seat. I could see the disappointment and confusion stirring in her face. Before she could speak, I shared with her the conversation that had happened. I could see the contentment returning to her face. “You know what? It’s a start. Every good thing starts out small. If you don’t think he’s a good fit for you, then I don’t know what to tell you. He’s a good catch.” “You don’t know that. Again, the guy is a loner. Why would anyone in their right mind not want to be around him?” I asked, once again proving a point. “Maybe he has a secret,” she says, making a sound like a snake. There are a plethora of theories I can come up with, but for now I have to get to class. I finish my food and remove myself from the table. I have arrived at the STG wing where courses provided here fall under ancient sciences, modern tech, and Greek ecology. As a third year, I’m concluding the year with Ecology 201. Here at Demerelio Prep we are taught by Gods and Goddesses from previous generations who have extensive knowledge and experience in the subject. I look forward to the class simply because I admire my professor. It’s not often you luck up and get a woman as your professor here. The school is still outdated when it comes to who they let into their educational halls. Gaia, the Greek goddess of the Earth, taught the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings. I entered the lecture hall to see I was not the first one to arrive. With fifteen minutes to spare, I saw Theo was in the front row. I walked down the steps towards the front and grabbed a seat next to my friend. His golden curly hair creates a bush on the top of his head as his smooth baby face greets me with a smile. “I’m so ready for summer break. All that’s standing in the way is this final and the one in Hephaestus’s class— sociology,” he says anxiously. I huffed and shook my head and agreed. I couldn’t be more ready for a break. This semester was difficult, to say the least. I yawn, hoping to get through this without passing out. The professor enters along with the remainder of the class. She passes out a collection of rocks along with the tools necessary to dissect and identify them. She places a red, octahedron shaped stone in front of me. I easily recognize it’s the heart stone of Aphrodite. “Class, these stones are replicas of the original. Your task is to identify the name, origin, its purpose, and how to destroy it. You have fifteen minutes,” she says, taking her place at the front to observe. I write down my answers to the questions. What is the name of the stone? Heart stone of Aphrodite What is its origin?Mountain of Aphrodite,made of sapphire and gem stone What is its use/purpose?The heart of Aphrodite is used to heal the heart of the lost and the damned. The stone is not to be used by any other being besides the goddess that designed it. If misused, it is said the stone could turn black and become the heart stone of Hades. If there is a way, how does one destroy it?The heart stone is to be broken into five pieces and each to be devoured in the five rivers of the Greek underworld. I reviewed my answers thoroughly before getting up to return my materials along with what seemed like the rest of the class, minus a few. I take my final goodbye from the room and exit with Theo. “Which one did you get?,” he asks. “Heart stone,” I said without looking up from my feet. “Damn. She practically gave you an easy A. I had Ares’s brass boar. At first I thought it was Zeus’s hermlock, but the shape threw me off, since the hermlock is in the shape of a clover and the boar is more like a rhombus.” He continues on as a zone out. I really don’t want to go to this wedding this weekend. More importantly, I don’t want to see my dickhead cousin. “Do you want to come to a wedding with me and my family this weekend? It’s for my mom’s friend’s daughter from her D-prep days,” I interrupted. “Will there be free food?” “All the free food in the world,” I said reluctantly. “I’m all in. When do we leave?” “Today, around four-thirty,” I shouted as we began to go our separate ways. “meet me at the tower and we’ll head out from there!” “Bet! Catch you in a few,” he says, running to his next final. Continuing on a path by myself, I pulled my phone out and sent a text to the group chat. Andy: finish the Eco Final. Easy af. Nia: OMFG. What did you get? Mine was hard. Literally the worst. If I don’t get at least a “C”, my mom is going to kill me. Also, btw @Celeste … Andy talked to Atticus today Celeste: wow. That’s new. Andy and male interaction usually don’t mix Andy: very funny. Nia: oh @andy, I talked to Max… HE’S IN! Andy: let the fun times roll ... I lock my phone and place it back in my pocket. Walking back to the dorms, I notice the crowds of students dwindling as the sun disappears and clouds full of rain takes its place. I continue walking with my hands in my jacket pockets and the hood covering my curly black hair. In a short time, I got back to our place and forced my way through the door. After three jiggles and a jolt, it opens. Wet and exhausted, I drop my bag by the door, kick my shoes off, and pass out on the couch swiftly drifting away into slumber. Knock. Knock. Knock. I immediately jump at the startling sound that came from the door. I rolled over to check the clock on the television stand. Three thirty p.m., I still have time. I made my way to stand and stumble towards the door. I opened it and no one was there. Whoever it was left a brown paper, wrapped package with my name on it. I grab the rectangular gift and brought it inside and placed it on the counter. “Who was it?” asked Nia coming from her room with a sheet mask on her face. I immediately look for scissors to start cutting the box open. Mia’s attention was drawn to my actions as we both wondered what could be inside. Trimming away at the paper and peeling it back was regular shoe box. “Okay, what thee actual f**k? Open it.” She demands. Instinctively, I don’t think I should but my curiosity is killing me as well. Inside was scarlet skeleton key. “Who the hell sent this,” she asked demanding an answer. I stood with my mouth agape. I looked at her shrugging and trying to put words together to form a sentence, alas nothing came out. KNOCK. KNOCK. We both jumped at the sound. It’s the door again. This time she runs to open it and discovered it was Max waiting on the other side. Before a word could be shared, she slammed it shut and ran to her bedroom. I rushed to the door to let him in. “Hi, I’m so sorry about that. I’m Andy, please come in,” I say leading him towards the kitchen. “Can I get you anything? Water? Snack?” “Nah, I’m okay,” he answered calmly. I nod. “I don’t mean to be rude but why are you here, exactly?” “I remembered Virginia needing to speak with me but we didn’t get around to it in todays final class so I figured I’d drop by.” “Oh, OH! Oh, okay— wow. Let me go get her for you then.” I quickly left and found Nia in the bathroom forcing makeup on her face. Nothing seemed to be working as she was panicking. “Nia, he’s in the kitchen. Leave the makeup alone. Just to talk to him,” I said trying to reassure her that she looked fine as is. She ignored me and shouted towards the kitchen: “I’ll be there in two minutes,” and proceeded to put her face together. I continued to watch her scramble as a white light beamed from my room. Flickering back and forth, I turn towards my door and walk towards it. I can feel a presence behind me as Nia tries to walk past to get to Max but stopped in her tracks to see what’s going on in my room. I covered my eyes with my hand before being greeted by the most blinding light. Getting closer to the source, I kneel against my bed and searched under it with my right hand as a guide. I plunked my hand down onto a sharp edged object, grasped it, and pulled it out. “WHAT THE f**k IS THAT?” Nia screams sending a shock to everyone in the whole house. Celeste and Max both join us in the room where they too are blinded by the light coming from my hand. “Turn it off! Andy, turn it the f**k off!” “I can’t! I don’t know what it is! I don’t even know where it came from,” I scream back hoping she’ll calm down. The light turns off as if someone inside found an off switch. As everyone’s eyes readjusted, Max came closer to examine what was in front of me. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. Does anyone have a year five Stones and Mythology textbook nearby,” he asked hoping to help find an answer to our questions. Celeste immediately runs to our neighbors next door as they all are year five scholars. She comes back and hands the book to Max. Scrambling through the sticky pages, he stops on a page titled the Forbidden League’s Legacy.