Chapter 25: A Lunch of Ideas

Lucas








    I imagined the shriek that sounded like a little girl. "What do you think that was?" I asked Annabeth as Cylena put a stack of cookies, punch, sandwiches, and carrots onto the beaten picnic table.
    "I'm not sure." Annabeth replied. She poured herself a glass of punch. Well, that wasn't enough for me!
    "Gravy!" I asked across the table. "What do you think that sound was?"
    Gravy shrugged, and thumb wrestled Helina. "Maybe a screaming bans-"
    "Let's not talk about banshees!" Panda interrupted. "Those things give me the creeps."
    "Quiet down!" Chieko said as Cylena and Alec took a seat. "Dig in,"
    I slowly consumed my lunch, not taking my mind off that scream. Maybe... "Maybe Glinda!" I said outloud.
    All the chatters, crunches, and slurps halted to a stop. Panda got fruit punch rolling down his chin.
    Cylena finished her mouthful of carrots. "Yes, that did sound like the familiar voice I knew... but... no. She's gone, and in the ice dungeon for sure." She began to quietly drink her fruit punch.
    Chieko had finished her gulp of sandwich, and threw her trash away into a black bag. She wiped Helina's messy face and then slowly spoke. "Cylena, I know what you mean. I recognize that voice anywhere." She hastily ran to the edge of the cliff, expecting to see Glinda's injured body. "But she's not there."
     "Impossible!" Gravy said. He ran to the edge also. He shook his head. "I don't see any signs! Not a trace of blood anywhere!"
     Annabeth finished her turkey sandwich and joined the two. Then Helina and Panda joined. Alec, Cylena, and me were still frozen in thoughts.
     "And why do you want to see blood?" Cylena asked.
     Gravy looked away sheepishly. Cylena just rolled her eyes.
     "Should we go to the Kingdom of snow? I bet Glinda had to return there!" I proposed.
     Annabeth shook her head. "We're bound to find her near here! She couldn't have gotten that far!"
     Chieko considered this. "I guess." She turned to the people still at the picnic table. "Finish your lunches, then let's set out, people!"

   "Dreams surely are difficult, confusing, and not everything in them is brought to pass for mankind. For fleeting dreams have two gates: one is fashioned of horn and one of ivory. Those which pass through the one of sawn ivory are deceptive, bringing tidings which come to nought, but those which issue from the one of polished horn bring true results when a mortal sees them."  Homer

Chapter 24: Trapped

   Special thanks to Artlife! Thanks, Artlife!








Glinda






    The mysterious man roughly swung my cage into a dark, rocky cave. There were jagged rocks everywhere, and water dripped down from limestone. You could smell the  distant smell of revolting guano and bats. When we were a fair distance away from the mouth, the man put me down. We were stopped in front of a cauldron. He lit the wood easily.
    "I ran out of special ingredients, for my cupcakes." The man said gruffly. He appeared to be a very old man, with sprouts of gray hair.
    "W-what special ingredient?" I asked anxiously.
    "You~!" The man cackled. He began to add steamed water and black powder.
    I shook the rusty bars. "Let me out~!"
    The man revealed rotten teeth. "Dearie, you can't be like that..."
    I suddenly saw a faint glow from Artemis' ring. I stared at it. Artemis was with me, I just knew it! "Why can't I?" I asked, raising my voice. "Why-"
    "That would be disobeying my orders... and that would kill my poor cupcakes."
    I heard only the fire crackling, and sparks flew out. The man hurriedly stirred the pot, and the large cloud of steam decreased. He continued to add the black powder.
    I hesitated. "Who gave you the orders?"
    "...The Mistress, Gaia."
    An awkward silence followed.
    "Gaia?" I asked in a small voice. "The earth wanted to kill me?"
    The old man's solemn eyes darkened. "If you want to get out, get out!"
    The old man passed me a key. I stared at it's design. It was twisted, and glowed ominously. I jingled at the lock, pushed, but nothing happened.
    "Wha-?"
    The old man only shook his head. "I'm sorry. Only the starfish and owl can free you. Gaia must have enchanted the key. Key-limes and pickled eggs, my soft heart!" The old man just stared at me. "I'm sorry~."
     The mouth shut with a clump of rocks and vampire bats lunged at me from the shadows. As they charged, and the man holding a knife, a tear rolled down my cheek.
     I was ready to kiss my life good-bye.

"What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better." Wendell Phillips

Chapter 23: Glinda on the Tundra

Glinda






     I felt close to crying. I was stuck on the icy plains and didn't know which way to get back home! A tear was rolling down my cheek felt like it was slowly freezing up. Then, I heard a loud rumbling and quickly turned around.
    Large, white, frost-covered vines erupted from the icy plains. Arctic foxes and hares quickly ran to their dens for safety. From the middle of the vines was the unmistakable moon goddess Artemis, out unconscious, floating mystically.
    "Artemis!" I cried. I scrabbled over to the vine cage. Artemis slowly opened her eyes.
    Her skin was deathly pale, and I couldn't understand what was happening!
    "Glinda..." Artemis said in a slow, struggling voice. "Get out! The prophecy..."
    I shook my head. "No!" With the harsh look on Artemis' face, I quickly changed my answer. "Yes! Ok! But where would I go?"
    Artemis reached out with her long, skinny arm and slipped a ring onto mine. "Use this ring and follow the light it gives. Good-bye... See you in the stars."
    "What are you talking about?" I demanded. "Artemis, are you leaving?"
    But without an answer, Artemis disappeared and the vines slipped back into the ice. The holes still remained.
    And for a minute I felt lost.
    Artemis. I thought. Please help me.
    Suddenly, a blue, lazer-like light pointed to the top of a snowy hill. I began to climb the icy hill and saw a distant cliff, just a mile away. Rush the rush of energy, I darted across the tundra, hearing the snow crunch under my feet. Then I met the grassy, but rocky, hill. It was almost a mountain, but it was that steep.
    I climbed, using rock ledges for support and weeds to pull me up. I smelled campfire, and the distant voices of a boy and girl.
    "Lucas, we have to find Glinda." The girl said.
    A boy spoke, probably Lucas. "Uh-huh." He said. "But how can we find her, in miles of snow?"
    "We'll just have to see." The girl said.
    I was now pulling myself up, skipping one rock ledge. But the next weeds I pulled, were by accident. They were dead and  pulled out by a rabbit. I slipped, and tumbled headfirst towards the ice.
    I squeezed my eyes shut. "HELP ME!"
    I imagined the pain of hitting the ice from above. I imagined me turning to mush or break a ton of things. But then I felt a warm, furry thing catch me.
    I opened my eyes and saw a gruff man catch me by the scruff. I whimpered, not knowing what to do. He carelessly stuffed me into a rusty old cage. But even though it was rusty, it had to be enchanted somehow. Even the rustiest parts I kicked, it just wouldn't break.
    "Help me!" I said. "Help,"
    Help.

"Hope is a waking dream." ~Ariostle