Pandora's Box

“Time to get up now, Pandora.”

Understanding Sister Daphne was becoming easier with the continued lessons. I was quick to learn and easily adaptive.

But hearing her early in the morning, through the door to my new bedroom was irritating, even though I had always been an early riser, my body wasn’t quite used to it, since I’ve been, well, asleep in a way for so long. Sighing deeply, I struggled out of bed, but my body was thankfully livelier and not struggling anymore. I could walk, run and move around with ease like I used to before I had passed away.

I grabbed the towel resting on the vanity and some clothes and undergarments and left my room for the bathroom. Once I had locked the door and stripped down, I stared forebodingly at the large cubicle, the thick green glass all around and a long silver protrusion stuck out of the wall, a disk at the end with several little holes in it.

Twin nozzles stuck out of the wall beneath the nozzle and I was just realizing I did not know which one to turn.

Sister Joan said one was hot and one was cold water. But I don’t remember which one she turned. Gritting my teeth, I reached for the nozzle on the left and turned right.

PPPSSSHHHHHH

“AAAHHH!!” I squealed, ice water drowning over me, jumping back into the glass wall which was frigid against my back. “Aaaaahhhh!” I bounced on and off the wall, trying to escape the cold while I desperately reached the other handle and turned quickly and almost instantly, the frigid water softened to a lukewarm.

Holy Hera. That was awful.

I turned the hot handle another turn and the lukewarm water turned to almost steaming, but it felt so great on my now icy skin. With a contented sigh, I stepped further into the water, letting the water cascade all around me.

It had been seven days since I’ve been revived somehow. And before that, I was laid in my tomb, nothing more than just a pile of bones and dust. And yet, I could not remember my life in afterlife. It was like it had been cut from memory. The last thing I remembered, was not as clear anymore, were the fading lights around me, the dimming room, the hushed whispers and a voice telling me I will be okay before I closed my eyes, welcoming death.

And then waking up in here.

I don’t even know if I had a place in Heaven...or in the Underworld. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was placed in the Underworld. Just another cruel trick of the God’s. I was a toy, a tool, a pawn in their game of fun and punishments. Why bother keep me around when I’d fulfilled my usefulness?

Mother at least would be in Heaven.

I’d accept my place in Hell as long as I knew my mother had peace beyond the pearly, golden gates. She didn’t deserve those horrors, after everything I had done.

I blinked through the water, light coming through as I woke from my daze. I shook my head, painful memories on the edge of my mind. But I did not have the time nor the guts to face them right now. I could barely conjure up a memory of my mother and her warm smile and loving eyes without seeing her last moments.

Washing the soap from my hair quickly, turning the taps off, I stepped carefully out of the shower and onto the rugged carpet on the floor and ran the towel over my body.

“Pandora, are you almost done?”

"Naí." I stuttered, startled at Daphne’s voice. “Uh, yes. Yes, almost.” Once I had dried off, I slipped into my garments and then my clothes, a simple grey top with long sleeves and as I put it on, the neck of it covered my own neck. The fabric uncomfortable around my neck, itchy, constricting. The dark, blue pants - or jeans, I’ve been told they are - came down to my ankles and sat loosely over my hips.

I opened the door to find Sister Daphne still waiting outside the bathroom for me. She glanced over me and chuckled slightly.

“The fashion of today’s century, you will figure out eventually, dear.” I frowned glancing down at my clothes, trying to find anything wrong. With a click of her tongue, Daphne shooed me down to my bedroom and disappeared in my cupboard, only glancing at me once and gesturing to my shirt. “Tuck your top into your pants. It’ll look neater and nicer. And then pull your pants up. You look like those boys who wear their pants down to their knees.”

“Why on Earth would anyone wear their pants down to their knees?” I pictured on the young altar boys with these kinds of pants down to their knees and shuddered. Even I knew that was bad.

“Uh, let’s not question that.” Daphne hummed, while I pushed the hem of my black top inside my jeans and realizing just how clingy the outfit was.

“It shows a bit,” I reached for the wardrobe but my hand was pulled away as Daphne chuckles.

“Hardly, and we only just got these clothes, so sizing wasn’t taken into much account. Just as long as it fits, you’re fine. Once you’re more accustomed to everything, we’ll get you clothes you’re more comfortable in. Maybe we could find some today.”

“But a priority is getting you out of here for a bit, since it can be quite stuffy in here.” Daphne chuckled, looking into the mirror and fixing her hair. She wore a similar outfit to mine, just her pants were ripped at the knees and she wore a long thick green coat.

I bit my lip to stop the snarky question I was thinking of. It had been stuck in my head for a while, and I believed I already had my answer.

Once I was dressed in a somewhat presentable manner for today’s standards, Daphne who nodded approvingly left my bedroom with me following closely. I hadn’t much ventured outside the inside of the church and out a backdoor which led into a large open garden.

It was like seeing colour for the first time in so long. I had glimpsed the gardens from outside the windows but had been asked to stay indoors just in case.

They have not told me what I am exactly preparing for...or whom.

Daphne locked up the backdoor of the church, leaving me a few moments to take in the fresh cool, morning air. My lungs greedily drank it all in, almost weeping with delight and I wanted to fall my knees and curl in the ground. I didn’t since the permanent scent of rain stuck in the air, the sky cloudy and grey, the possibility of more rain later in the day.

Following Daphne down the gravel path towards a large open area with gravel all around, and beyond and around the side of the church were huge rose bushes of all colours. Beyond that, spaced out evenly were large tombstones, flowers resting on the mounds.

It was beautifully sad.

I followed Daphne to one of the large shiny contraptions she and others called a car. A means of transportation. Like a cart or wagon they said fuelled by horse power. I saw no horses though.

Daphne stood at one side of grey car, and pulled a dark latch on the side and it opened with a click and she slid inside and slammed the door after her while I watched confused before herding around the other side of the car. Finding a similar dark grey latch, I slipped my fingers over and under it, trying to find anything other than dust coating my fingertips. I pulled the latch, feeling it tense and then snap up and the door pop open.

Huh.

I opened the door and following Daphne, I slipped into the seat that was there next to Daphne. She waited seemingly patiently for me while I slipped in then reached for the open door.

“Don’t close the door on your fingers please. It’s very painful.”

You don’t say.

I pulled the door closed, but it remained loose.

“You got to close it a little harder, dear. Don’t worry it isn’t gonna break. She’s sturdy.” I push the door open then grab the hole on the inside and pull it harder. It slams in place with a thump. I turn to Daphne, who nods and pulls some keys out of her pocket and into a keyhole next to the steering wheel. With a twist, a loud grumbling roar and the seat beneath me suddenly shakes and rumbles. I flinch in surprise and Daphne suddenly points to behind my shoulder on the car’s interior. “Put your seatbelt on, Pandora.”

Frowning I glanced over her quickly, seeing a wide, strip of grey material latched across her body and locked in at her hip, I reached over pulling the seatbelt and slipped the metal in the lock and it locked my body in tightly.

“Should I be worried?” Daphne chuckled, a soft smile pulling at her eyes.

“Hopefully not. Driving is a good way to get around.” The car starts to move as her legs shift and she pulls the wheel around while manoeuvring a metal stick with a black bulb at the top around sharply. “But driving is not safe if you or someone else is not careful. There can be causalities. Seatbelts are a requirement, especially for your safety.”

While she speaks, I keep my gaze out the windows as the scenery moves before my very eyes. We move pass the cemetery, down a long narrow gravel pathway, I watch the rose bushes and large hedges blur as the car picks up speed and we turn a curve and suddenly the speed is on a flat road is almost flying.

“My God, that’s so unusual.”

“Very different, no doubt it is.” Daphne chuckled. “Hey, you see this?” She gestured to a rectangle, shiny black box into between us at the front of the car. “This is called a radio. It plays music and other things. You see that round silver circle closest to you? Turn it.”

Hesitantly, I reach for the round, silver disc and turn it. Nothing happens, so I roll it around the other direction quickly-

-rd there was a secret chord That David played and it pleased the Lord

Oh!

I jumped when my ears were assaulted with a painfully, loud, raised voice and stringing tones in the air. I turned the dial back the other way and the sounds quietened to a more comfortable volume. I stared in surprise at the box, where the music drifted out of.

The voice, a man’s, was beautiful and wistful, the instrument playing with his voice added an ethereal beauty to it. The sounds altogether were emotional even though I didn’t catch much words, except the word hallelujah repeated over and over again.

“It’s beautiful.” I hummed. “How is there music coming from this, this, radio?”

“The beauty of the ever-growing minds. It’s difficult to explain without much to show. But in these days and age, things are easily shared around.”

“But just be warned, not all music is like this. It can be quite, much for someone who has been so long of the game.”

I sat back as comfortably I could while the hums and notes of the song echoed inside the now silent car, my emotions rising as the voice rose and then drifted to a softer tone.

And from your lips, she drew the Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

The drive wasn’t too long and further ahead there were some more cars on the larger road we slid onto. Further ahead, there were large grey constructions high, so very high in the sky even from where we were.

“Are those temples?”

“We call them buildings. They are not temples. They are places for work and homes for people.”

The further we drove, the bigger everything became and there was more life than I’d seen in a week. Cars moved all around, in such an orderly fashion. I heard deep low thrums, quick and sharp and sudden.

“Why are they making noises?”

“They are in a rush, so unfortunately beeping someone is basically a telling off.” She shook her head irritably. “This is New York City, so it’s a little crazy in the mornings here. This is the time when everyone is heading to work.”

It was wild. Maybe a little too wild.

“Let’s catch a bus in. You’ll get to see more if I can show you without being distracted.”

“What is a ‘bus’?”

“A form of transportation to get somewhere, that can take a lot of people at once. Kind of like a car, just bigger.”

Bigger?

The view, the sights, the smells, the sounds...I saw almost all of it.

In the middle, surrounded by high-towering buildings that glinted in the morning light sun peeking behind grey clouds. My coat around me protected me from the fresh chill sweeping around but I was more focused on everything around me.

There were people around in the little park Daphne and I were walking through. Some sitting on wooden or stone benches, pigeons fluttering all around, some people were eating, or reading a book. A couple children ran amok, mothers travelling not too far from them. The smells drew me closer to a large white and red cart with a person inside and a small crowd of people milling about in front. They handed the man inside a card or some form of money, pointing out their order from a large board beside the vendor.

The smells inside made my stomach grumble and my mouth water.

My goodness, that smell was absolutely divine. Maybe even better than that sandwich I had yesterday.

“What do you want to get?”

Frowning, I glanced over the board where words intermingled together. My brows scrunched in, as I slowly took in the words, though I think there had to be some mistakes in there.

“I think some of the words are wrong? There are no dogs here?” Frowning, I turned to Daphne. “I think this man wrote his food wrong?” A few people glanced at me; their expressions odd. Daphne’s face was twitching as she coughed, turned away before turning back to me with a sigh and moving us both closer to the board, she swept her finger under the two words that were the source of my confusion.

“This is a food called a hotdog, silly. It’s meat in some bread and not made from dog. I promise.” Daphne smiled widely. “Want to try then?”

“Um, alright.”

“Good. It’s four-fifty for a normal hotdog, and a drink. So, get me whatever you get. Here’s a card.” She placed a small rectangle piece of plastic in my hand, decorated with numbers and symbols on either side. “Go up and order as you would.” Daphne moved me into the crowd and standing behind me, led me slowly with the crowd closer. I felt the large vendor start to loom ominously over me. “Ask for two hotdogs and two large hot chocolates. When he says pay, well you see what that lady is doing there?” I watched a woman lean in with a similar card in hand and place it over a black odd shaped piece that made a beep and the vendor smiled and handed her a small sheet of paper.

Daphne pressed me up so I was apparently next and the man smiled down at me, chipper smile on his face as he spoke fast and quickly.

"Uh, I-I would like, the two hotdogs, and, uh-"

“Uh, sorry miss. I don’t understand.” The man smiled apologetically.

Oh, whoops.

“Oh, uh, sygnómi, uh I mean, sorry.” Flustered, I recited my order again while the vendor patiently wrote it down and held up the same black machine. “Uh, yes I will pay. With card.”

I could hear a cough behind me, and Daphne’s smile was almost visible through her twitching mouth. Glaring, I turned back around and laid the card she handed me on the machine and a beep came through.

“Thank you.” The vendor smiled down at me. And I looked up to smile at him as Daphne and I reached for the brown paper box where the delicious scents wafted out of, to see the man staring at me intently. “Have a nice day, Pandora.”

I blinked, startled to hear my name and the man’s eyes seemed friendly enough...

If only they hadn’t turned yellow.

Warily, I stepped away as he watched me with a cat-like smile and moved to his next customers and I quickly hurried after Daphne. She was sitting at a wooden table and bench, eating her hotdog and sipping the hot chocolate in the paper cup.

“What do you think?” Daphne asked once I had my first try of this meat in bread roll and the hot chocolate. I stared at her in absolute wonder.

“It’s absolutely delicious!” I hummed and dug back into my hotdog. The meat was juicy and delicious, the bread warm and buttery. A red sauce on top added a tang to the meat, almost sweetening it. The hot chocolate, was pure delight, especially on such a chilly morning. “I could live on this hot chocolate. It’s much better than that coffee you introduced me too yesterday.” Bleurgh! I shuddered thinking of it, “I think with the hot chocolate I have now, I can finally rid myself of that awful taste.” Daphne laughed, and raised her hot drink in return.

“Amen, sister.”

We sat in silence, while I chewed my food and then my previous thoughts came back to me.

“Who are you, Daphne?”

Daphne glanced at me over her drink cup, her oak brown eyes swirling with confusion. She opened her mouth to speak but I cut her off quickly.

“I don’t want to imply anything, but you’ll understand I am wary about everything now. And it could be hard to trust anything. Also, the fact that you are no nun.” Daphne remained silent and I smiled lightly. “You dressed the part when we first met but not after that. And you’re treated differently by the others, especially Father Marios. He holds much respect for you, almost revered.” I tap my drink cup slowly. The first day when I climbed out my tomb, she had dressed in those long black robes like everyone else at the church. But she did not continue to do so after. She dressed like I currently did, with the current clothing style. Her hair remained always in high bun, with little flowers here and there decorating it, she towered over Father Marios, had obvious muscles on her body. She was exotic in appearance and was a complete contrast to the church. “So, who are you?”

Daphne was silent as she looked at the park around us with the people around, enjoying a quiet morning, and sighed softly.

“I never said I was a nun. But I dedicate myself to helping as they help some of us. To the Church, those of a non-human status, most are revered and treated with caution but also to protect from current human society. The Church only wish to make sure that no damages happen on either end.”

“They are my family as well. And they took me in from a long time ago, when I had nowhere else to go. I’ve fought to keep them and others safe.” Daphne smiled sadly and glancing at me, she blinked slowly and her eyes glowed a golden brown with flecks of forest green. Shimmers appeared across her cheeks and over her ochre brown hair.

My mouth gaped open in stunned disbelief as I stared at her, fingers trembling over the cup in my hand.

“You’re...you’re...”

“Yes, I am a dryad. And I am the Daphne.”

“Is it hard adjusting for you?”

“It took a bit of time for me, because I slept peacefully, hidden away for many years.” Daphne sighed, glancing sideways. “Then I awakened from my sleep and suddenly the world was so much different.” Daphne smiled at me lightly. “But I woke up sometime in the 15th century. A few centuries ago, but long after your catastrophe.” I grimaced but Daphne chuckled.

“You were around when that happened?”

“I actually was planning on attending on your very prestigious wedding.” Daphne glanced skyward. “I just got side-tracked by a reputable God, so I decided to give my blessings later during your marriage. Which unfortunately, didn’t come to plan.”

“You were planning on coming to my wedding?” I stopped walking suddenly, stunned and Daphne smiled softly.

“A party held by one of the Titan brothers, I’ve always heard they’ve been quite popular.” She glanced down at me and noticing my look, she added, “Well, by brothers I mean Epimetheus, your husband. He was the party boy out of the two.” Daphne chuckled and nudged my shoulder. “You would know, am I right? Right?”

Epimetheus.

Another person I tried not to think on, for fear of what I would conjure up in my head. Ever since I opened that blasted box, and realized who I was meant to be and the very reason I was born. I wasn’t my mother’s so-called miracle child from Zeus. I was just a trick, a tool, to hurt people I ended up caring about.

I never got to see Epimetheus again.

And it hurts to think what or where he could be...that is if he is still alive. What did I cause him?

“Ah, I uh, I’m sorry,” I felt Daphne’s hand on my shoulder breaking me out of my spell. “I wasn’t thinking there.”

I shook my head slowly and smiled weakly up at Daphne.

“I am okay.”

“Well, from what I was told, it was quite a wedding.” Daphne stammered, obviously trying to cheer me up. “I mean, before everything went to shit.”

It was quite...spectacular indeed.

“So, the stories about yourself,” I started speaking to distract myself from the memories starting to rear up again. “I’d heard. You had quite the admirer that was Apollo himself.” Daphne scoffed at that, rolling her eyes.

“Admirer, he did not plan on being. There are so many stories to it, even I can barely remember which was truth or lies. One of those damn cupids had a bit of fun on Apollo by turning him into a boy chasing my skirts, or leaves. And I was cursed by a damn arrow to keep on running. Needless to say, if I see that damn Eros ever, I’m going to break that stupid bow of his, amongst other things.”

Daphne stretched her arms over head and groaned.

“Well, I think we can head back. It’s getting a bit chilly even more.” Daphne smiled lightly. “You got some clothes yesterday and today, and I think we need to stop otherwise we may just spend all the money we have. And you’ve managed to do well, speaking bits of English here. It’s always a good skill to have, the knowledge of languages and you do it really well.” My smile grew more genuine and Daphne and I walked past the park where we ate a couple hours ago. The cart selling food remained and I could still see the same server and I suddenly remembered-

“Daphne, that server there from this morning.” I gestured to the cart and Daphne glanced at it briefly. “He called me Pandora.” Daphne frowned, glancing at the vendor and then back at me.

“Are you sure? Because I never said your name aloud, for him to hear.”

“I’m sure.” I glanced back at Daphne only her expression was hard but skin was paler and she grimaced.

“You sure you didn’t say your name to him?” Daphne sounded almost desperate and my heart clenched.

“No, I promise. I would not. You’ve made it clear I should be careful.”

“Damn,” She hissed and grabbing my wrist moved us quickly through the streets. “Better safe than sorry.” We slipped down a few streets until we stopped at a bust stop. Daphne kept her expression sharp and her eyes were alert and hard. “I hate to say it, but these cards I got you, you may need to use them soon.”

Daphne had brought a small round disc shaped item, silver in colour and the music playing from it was the same from the car drive into the city.

Listening to it was dreamy and comforting almost, but it didn’t make me forget yesterday. Daphne had gotten us back to the church and had been quick to find Father Marios and speak in private with him.

I wanted answers. I demanded answers but I was only told I had to be patient for a little longer.

Patient? For what? What did I have to wait for until my patience broke?

I hated to think of what could be happening so soon that had even Daphne nervous and worried.

No, that wasn’t true.

If I was found to be alive, could there be those that still desire that damn box? And if they found me, they would look for the box. I just had to remain calm if that was it, since the box was safe hidden from me and everyone else. Or at least, I hoped that was true.

The Church was quiet as people were long asleep and the lights were non-existent. It was too quiet though. My heart was humming inside my chest and my palms were sweating.

Something was wrong and I would not be getting any sleep. No matter how hard I tried to close my eyes.

My bedroom door creaked open.

No sleep at all.

“Pandora,” Daphne stepped into the room, a beam of light in her hand coming from a slight brick shaped object. “Sorry, kiddo. It’s time to get up now.”

Good God.

“Daphne, whatever is going-”

“Pandora, I implore you to remain quiet for now and just deal with this.” Daphne switched on the lights, making my eyes blur and water from the sudden brightness. “You’re gonna have to get dressed, it’s freezing at night.”

I slipped on some jeans, a long sleeved black, buttoned shirt that hung loosely over my body and grabbed a thick brown coat and followed Daphne down the hallway. I couldn’t see anyone else moving about but I could sense the activity and hear people moving about.

“Daphne, I need answers.”

“What do you think is happening Pandora?” Daphne whirled on me, her eyes glowering inhumanely bright. “We, or more specifically you, are being hunted down.”

“How do you know? How do you know anyone is here or knows where I am?” Daphne smiled darkly and glanced out the window and blew out the candle next to it.

“Call it predatory instinct.” And she hurried down the hallway with me at her heels. We entered the small dining room and a couple of the nuns and altar boys milled about, talking in hushed tones. They looked nervous but also determined.

A young man slipped a knife into his large sleeves out of sight and my stomach churned.

Destruction and death follow everywhere you go.

Daphne was standing near the doorway, speaking in hushed tones to Father Marios who was dressed in more casual wear, long dark pants and long sleeve black shirt, his robes open and loose around him. Daphne was dressed in extremely tight black pants, and black boots that reached the tops of her knees and similar black top. Her hair done in high pony-tail at the top of her head. Her voice was hushed but harsh as she spoke hurriedly with Marios in English, as if thinking I wouldn’t catch on still.

“-telling you, that we should send her to him.” Daphne hisses quietly, Marios shaking his head in reply.

“It’s too dangerous...”

“And sending her there isn’t?”

“They do not reach out to anyone at all, until now.” Father Marios touched the cross hanging from his neck. “They are the least dangerous to her.”

“You don’t know that! They would not keep her safe-”

“Do you not think He would not kill her, once he finds out who she is?” Marios hissed irritably. “I don’t doubt his morals, but the past can be a force that should not be so lightly thrown in one’s face...We send her to them! That is final!”

“I am here, right?” I snapped and they both backed away, annoyed but Marios smiled at me apologetically.

"Syngnómi, but time is of the essence." He glanced at Daphne and gave her a sharp look, before coming towards me and gently clasped my hands. “Pandora, it has been an honour to be in your presence even if you believe otherwise. I believe you will do what is required of you, for you are strong and resilient. I wish you the best of luck and do not come back. Until, at least things have quietened down.”

“Father, I,” I did not know what to say. I wanted to say I would say and face whatever was coming but as if he knew, he shook his head at me.

“You must stay safe, Pandora. If there is anything you’ve learnt from your past, do not let anyone control you.”

“But, why am I being sent away. If the box is safe, why are you sending me away?” Marios shook his head, patting my head gently.

“We have to, at their request.” Father Marios stepped away. “You will find out soon enough my dear. Til then, stay safe.” He disappeared down the doorway, leaving me alone with Daphne who sighed irritably, shaking her head.

“I don’t get this Daphne.” I frowned, confusion and frustration warring together within. “The box is safe here or somewhere else. Why send me away if I have no knowledge? If you’re all in danger, then I should be here to face it with you.”

Daphne stared at me silently, eyes appraising over my face, arms folded over her chest, until a quiet ding from her hand broke the tense silence. She glanced at the rectangle shape she had called a phone and her shoulders rose and fell despondently.

“I don’t know, Pandora. All I know is that that box is yours. Made for you. I know the secrets about it Pandora, like you know. I know the risk we face if it gets out. But not everyone knows. The reason you need to leave is you’ve been summoned and you need to get there.” And she turned and left the dining room, urging me to follow after her and outside.

“Summoned?” I gasped, huffing after her. “By who?”

“Apparently the Fates themselves.”

I skidded to a stop beside her outside on the road next to the church.

“The Fates? But why?” Daphne shrugged. “Daphne, is this goodbye?”

“Hopefully not forever.” Daphne smiled weakly, glancing down at me and handed me a small bag and inside were a couple cards for money, transportation and one with a name and photo. “This is your I.D. It tells people who you are. Get used to the fake name and birthday quickly.” She suddenly held out her phone to me. “This is a spare phone; it won’t be tracked. All you need to do is get to this address.” She pointed down on the bright screen where an address was listed at the top and there was map with some red lines running across the map on show. “This is a map and this dot here, is you. And this one is your destination. Make sure you are going in this direction. Otherwise,” Daphne shoved a piece of paper in my bag. “If something comes up, you’re in trouble or whatever, go to this address. If he asks, say it’s from me.”

My brain was scattered all over the place, the information feeded to me all over the place as I tried desperately to make sense of it all.

Daphne suddenly gripped my shoulders and leaned down so we were eye level.

“Shit’s gonna get real soon, Pandora. Whether this involves you or not. Make sure you stay alive. And for the love of God, don’t come back until I call this phone, okay.” Daphne smiled weakly. “God knows where we will be by then.”

Lights lit up ahead and I turned as a yellow car suddenly pulled up beside us. The driver’s window rolled down and he called out to us.

“Lift for Dany Fields.”

“Yep, right here.” Daphne answered and I glanced back at her, my nerves scattered and all over the place. I quickly threw my arms around her and she tightened her arms around me and whispered quietly in my ear. “Be alert and wary of everyone and everything. Even those that seem trustful.” I didn’t say anything as Daphne quickly popped open the door and pushed me inside the back of the cab and closed it with a bang.

The driver turned to me with a bored and tired expression.

“Where to ma’am?”

“Uh, right, uh,” I read off the address on the phone map slowly and the driver typed it on his phone and started to move. I glanced out the window and saw Daphne quickly walking back to the church and barely glanced back as she disappeared inside and the car lurched down the gravel road and into the dark.

I watched the lights from the city stand out so brightly against the background of a midnight black canvas. The buildings mostly dark but the streets were lit up by tall, thin beams with lights and the cars that drove through.

It was far from dark. There was so much light, it was a miracle anyone could get some sleep at all.

The driver hummed quietly at the front seat across from me. Thankfully, he wasn’t interested in talking and I honestly had no idea what I could or would say. I was still reeling over suddenly being sent off.

The Fates have made a summoning.

Christ. That was...unexplainable.

Anyone...and I mean anyone to be summoned by the Fates, be it human, beast or God...the Fates had very, very good reason to do so. And not listening to their summons was nothing more than a backhanded insult while spitting in their general direction.

One may as well be cursed.

I couldn’t imagine why I was being summoned by the Fates. And why it had to be tonight, especially when they desperately needed me out of the church.

Let’s not go there.

I wanted so badly to turn the driver around and go back and stand with them. But I had to trust that they knew what they were doing. And they had Daphne. Dryad, she was far from a sweet creature. Dryads were savage and brutal from what I had heard when I was but a mere child in my mother’s arms.

Easily throwing their opponents over trees, through canopies so they fell from great heights to their death, to dragging them underground, to tearing them apart with their roots or limbs.

The driver turned down a small road, the lights going red and slowed to a stop next a couple other cars. Looking into the phone, I could see that we were still going in the right direction.

“Um, sygnómi,” The driver frowned slightly as he glanced at me but I quickly backtracked. “How long to our destination?” The driver glanced at his large phone standing upright in front of him and shrugged.

“Could be about an hour and a half, miss. We are coming in from Brooklyn.”

Taking a deep breath, I settled back in the car, watching the light turn green and the cars move alongside ours. I watched the passing city lights as we drove through the city heart. I didn’t have much curiosity to admire the looming bridges in the distance I could see through the buildings, but they were unlike anything I’d ever seen before. But maybe, I could see more of this New York once everything was sorted.

The driver drove into less lit areas, down a dark road, the only lights coming from his car and any car ahead or behind him. A quick glance at my phone showed we were still moving in the right direction. Breathing in slowly, I slumped back, trying to fight the exhaustion and worry starting to take over and just watched the sweeping darkness of the wilderness brush past.

Only to awaken with a start when we hit a slight bump.

With a groan, I rubbed my eyes, glancing outside to see it was still dark and the time said 12:57AM. I wasn’t asleep for too long at least. A few minutes at the very least.

The area was dark lit, empty and dark, no more lights except from the city further behind. Trees hidden in the darkness surrounded both sides of the road we travelled on.

I glanced down at the phone in my hand and we were in the right directions at least...I think.

Frowning, I glanced at the screen, putting the bright screen closer to my eyes. Didn’t Daphne say that the blue dot would move as it got closer to its destination? Why hasn’t it moved? Christ, what did she say could happen with the tools of the modern century?

I shook it around, smacking it against my thigh and it flickered oddly and I glanced up and looking over, at the driver’s phone which had the same map of directions. Except...

“Um, how much longer to there. My, giagiá, I mean grandmother, is expecting me soon.” I squeezed my jeans, my nerves on edge and the driver barely turned his head at my question.

“Not long now.” The drivers voice was quiet but deeper than before and he slowly looked at me over his shoulder. In the complete darkness, his eyes burned a horrifying glow.