The Reaping of the Gods

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After a long day at work. I head home and start getting my dinner ready.

The invite. I had forgotten about it while at work. I pick it up and notice it’s changed again. This time it has ‘Main Hall, Sovengrad’. Where the hell is that? I’m starting to think I’m going crazy.

*Beep Beep*

Alarm to tell me I need to get ready for my night out. I’ve always had this habit of setting alarms because if I don’t I lose track of time.

I go get in the shower and start getting ready.

“Hey babe!” Danica walks through my bathroom door.

“D, I’m in the shower.” I exclaim startled:

“Oh come on, nothing I haven’t seen.” She mocks handing me a towel.

“Why you here? I thought we were meeting at the club.”

“Yeah the others are but I came to make sure you were getting ready.” She starts fixing her hair and make up in the mirror. She was pretty but she always was more done up than she needed to.

“I’m getting ready.” I head to my room with D following behind me.

She starts going through my closet and dresser, throwing clothes at me. I put them on, a short skirt, tank top and cardigan. It had a catholic school girl vibe. I looked cute but not my style. She starts fussing over my hair and by the time she’s done I look nothing like myself. Whatever it’s one night.

“Let’s go. We don’t wanna be late.”

“How can you be late to a club?” I say as she grabs my hand pulls me towards the door.

Before I know it we are pulling up to the club and meeting up with our friends. We head inside and it’s like any other club but with the bartenders in togas and s**t. God this is awful.

After an uneventful night at the club I put my over endulged best friend into a cab and send her home. I hail another cab and climb in ready to head home.

Pulling up to my building, I hand the driver some money and get out of the car. I stumble into my apartment slightly inebriated kicking off my shoes and throwing my purse on the floor.

Out of the corner of my eye I see a twinkling light. It was way different than any lights I had in my apartment. I look over and see that damn invite again.

There was what looked like golden crystals growing out of it. It was mesmerizing. I reach out to it as if it’s calling to me. I go to touch the crystal and *ouch* it pokes my finger producing a drop of blood. The drop of blood falls down landing on the invite and disappears as if it got sucked up by the invite. I grab my hand and run into the bathroom to rinse the blood off my finger. As I rinse off the blood I can see the cut on my finger healing before my eyes. I’m definitely going crazy.

I dry my hands and start to feel a bit dizzy. Assuming the alcohol is making me feel this way I head to bed because this is definitely going to be normal tomorrow. I might be way drunker than I thought. I plop on the bed still in my clothes and before long I’m asleep.

I'm standing in a dark room. Looks medieval. Like a castle dining room with the large table, stone fireplace and metal chandliers. The only light is coming from the fireplace, creating a lot of dark corners that make me feel as if someone is watching me.

“Who's there?” I ask.

Just as I'm searching the room for anything or anyone, a figure steps out of a dark corner into the light of the fireplace. I can't see what he looks like just the silhouette of a tall man in a suit.

“Don't be scared. I'll see you soon. Please just don't be scared.” His voice is deep and raspy but also gentle. I feel calm hearing his voice.

“What are you talking about?” I question.

“I can't tell you. I'm not supposed to be here. Just be open-minded okay?” he responds before stepping back into the darkness.

“Where are you going? You can't leave me here!!” I scream.

Then I feel a hand grip my shoulder and before I can turn around I'm being pulled backwards.

* Beep Beep *

I hear my phone's alarm going off. Without opening my eyes, I reach out to my side table to grab it. Nothing. No table or phone. I peak open one eye to see how far away from the table I am. I don't see my table or phone. I see a girl sitting in a bed beside me. I sit upright fully awake now. I rub my eyes and then look around the room.

A large room with 10-12 beds in it. Set up like a room in a girls group home or orphanage. Each bed had a girl sitting on it or standing beside it. All of them staring at me.

“You're finally awake. Everyone has been waiting for you to wake up. It's the first time we've seen a human here.” the girl in the bed beside me pipes up.

“Where am I? Is this a hospital or something?” I ask. Glancing around the room trying to take in my surroundings a bit more. Something must be wrong with my eyes because some of these girls look strange.

“No.....Do you not know whats happening?” she asks, clearly questioning if I'm serious about not knowing where I am.

“All I know is that I fell asleep in my bed and I woke up here.” I reply.

“Oh my gods. Someone go get the Headmaiden.” She exclaims to the room and a group of girls head out of the room.

“My name's Josie.” I take a look at her, she had bleach blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She looked like an Elf from Lord of the Rings.

“Larissa. Can you explain whats going on?”

“Its hard to explain. The Headmaiden will explain better than I can. But you're at the reaping. Didn't you get your invite?” Josie asks.

Invite? The invite! I look down at my finger and the cut from the crystal is completely gone, just a small tiny gold scar is in its place. I then notice that I am wearing pajamas. Not my pajamas but they fit properly. Grey shorts and a grey t-shirt.

My heart rate starts picking up. My thoughts jumbled with too many unknowns running through my head at the same time. I start to panic. I've only had a panic attack once before when my parents died. But I could tell this is definitely what is happening. Just as I start hyperventilating I hear the doors of the room slam open and the girls and an Older Woman run in. She had grey hair bone straight down to her butt. Pretty but older with wrinkles and age spots, wearing a black top and black pants. Like a uniform.

“My dear. Do you know where you are?” she asks as she walks towards me and grabs my hand, sitting on the bed beside me.

“No.I don't.” I answer. She turns my hand over and looks at the gold scar on my finger and nods.

“Yup you're supposed to be here. Let's go to my office and have a chat ok?” she stands and holds her hand out to me.

I nod and take her hand to follow her. I'm not scared to go with her. Something about her calms my anxiety and all that takes its place is confusion. She leads me down a hall, bare white walls. Looks like a hospital but like a fancy, rich person hospital. We get to a door that says 'Anaya, HM'. No last name? Her office is cozy compared to the hallway and girls room. Comfy looking couch and chairs, long curtains covering what I can assume is a large window, soft lighting and it felt warmer somehow.

“Take a seat.” she motions to the couch and walks over to her desk. “I'm Anaya. Head Maiden of the Reaping House. Which is where we are at the moment.”

I sit on the couch and its as comfy as it looks. I watch as she sits in her desk chair and goes searching for something in her desk drawer. After some searching she pulls a file out and drops it on the desk.

“Okay hun, I'm going to tell you something and you aren't going to believe me but I need you to try.” She explains while opening the file. My picture paper clipped to the front page. I just nod.

“You have been brought here for the Reaping of the Gods, hun.”