Chapter 1

            I sniffed back the tears that where now frozen down over my cheeks, and realized that my crying had been in vain. The darkness still surrounded me, but my light continued to keep the dark forces away. I could hear the tearing of the ground outside of my glow, and the screaming as they neared it. I knew that even if my god was unable to come save me from this world that he would allow me to keep his light as protection from whatever evils may be lurking in the shadows.

            In his protection I wasn’t free from the unendurable pain. The coldness was blistering my skin. I wished that I could say that because of the bitter chill that was surrounding my body only numbed my extremities but instead searing pain shot through each of them going directly into my heart. I kept my arms wrapped so tight around me hoping that it would help keep me warm, but I knew that it was useless. I could feel my skin burning oddly enough in the freezing weather. My hand shook badly as I brought it up to see what was happening to my body. I feared what I saw, but was not shocked when it was blackened.

            I continued wondering the dark hoping that I would find the fire soon. It was not the fire that I truly wanted, but the slight transition would bring me some kind of peace as it warmed my body. Maybe even the ever changing sands could bring some heat to my body until the whipping winds took over tearing the skin from my body. A second of peace in the years of torment were all that I could look forward to in the foreboding world.

            The calm and melodic voice came to me just as she had done several times before, “Your light is much brighter. Are you still continuing to pray to Apollo for his aid?”

            “He is all that I have left.” I answered causing my teeth to chatter against themselves. “How many years have passed since I’ve died?”

            “The Gods have moved over the sea and found a new following.” The voice responded as best she could I assumed, “Odd though that with their new people they have taken new names.”

            Trying to shake the cold away from my skin I had to ask, “What shall I call my God now? What new name as he taken?”

            “My dearest, he is still the Phoebus Apollo that you call your own.” She laughed, but I wasn’t sure why, “He refused a new name. Declaring that he was still the same therefore his name shall remain.”

            Before I could even notice the change I was running through the hallways of my home towards my parent’s room. The chill from my body had disappeared and I was clothed in nice warm cotton. As I opened the door to my parent’s room I called for my mother.

            “Dear Lord! Charles, look at your daughter!” I heard my mother cry out from the darkness.

            “She was just having another nightmare because the power went out. Just send her back to bed.” My father’s voice sounded, but it was heavy with sleep.

            I could hear my mother pushing him up into a sitting position, “Charles, look at her.”

            “Good God, she’s glowing!” My father exclaimed now wide awake it would seem.

            I glanced around me as I heard the thunder crashing outside our home. The power had gone out and I was standing in the hallway illuminating it from the same light that was in my dream. It was neither around me nor over me, but coming from within my own skin. I stared down at the childish figure that was mine. I was now lost to the fact that I had just been a grown woman in a hell to become a four year old child.

            “Bree!” I could hear a voice coming from somewhere around me, but I didn’t recognize it, “Bree! Wake up!”

            I glanced at where my parents were just at but the room before me started shaking and slowly dissolving. I screamed for them but it was not use they were gone right before my eyes. I could feel my body being shaken just as the house began disappearing.

            “Bree! Come on it is time to get up!” The voice called out and I screamed out in fear of whom or what it was.

            My voice trailed my vision as I realized that I was now staring straight at a man with dark brown hair falling just over his brow causing my eyes now to stare at his. I searched for an answer to who he was as I looked into his blue eyes. I searched what memories I could remember, but at the moment they all stopped with my parents disappearing.

            “Bree, where are you? Hello?” His voice continued but I still couldn’t remember who he was. “You are going to be late for work if you don’t get up now.”

            “Work?” I repeated hoping that it would help me figure out what was going on. Without warning my past flew right through my mind flashing several important factors leading me up to this point, ending with me standing behind a counter being what I imagined bored out of my mind. “Work!”

            “Welcome back.” Dave smiled and stood up away from me, “Where in the world were you?”

            “I’m sorry.” I apologized as I sat up and looked around studying the room around me. It wasn’t were I had expected to wake up at, “Why am I on the couch?”

            “Don’t ask me. That is where you were when I came home last night, passed out cold.” Dave started out towards the kitchen, “Since you are running late, would you like me to get you some breakfast?”

            After I rubbed the nightmares from memory and eyes I stared blankly at the clock trying to remember what day it was. “What’s today?”

            “If I were you I would be more worried about getting ready since you have a little less than an hour to get ready and get to work, and trust me, you look like you need a shower.” Dave started laughing from the kitchen.

            “Dave, just what is today?” I asked again. “Please.”

            “Tuesday.” Dave stuck his head in the doorway, “What did you do last night?”

            “I don’t remember. My brain is on some kind of overload right now, and I just can’t think at the moment.” I scrambled trying to think of what in the world I did last night to bring back all those forgotten nightmares.

            “Overload? Bree, you just woke up. Overload is for when you can’t go to sleep.” Dave started banging things around in the kitchen again. “You are going to have to come up with a better excuse, and an apology for screaming in my face.”

            “I’m sorry you scared me. What else would you have me do?” I got up and looked down at myself realizing that I was still dressed from the day before. “I’m going to get in the shower.”

            After my short, but helpful shower I was now aware of everything that I had seemed to have lost within the time that I had fallen asleep until Dave rudely woke me up. I am kind of glad that he had gotten me out of that horrid dream. Those were times that I had gladly forgotten, but I don’t understand why they all of a sudden came back.

            “Hey, I made you breakfast!” Dave announced at my doorway, “A lovely toasted cinnamon and raison bagel.”

            I finished putting on a light coat of lip gloss, “What would I do without you?”

            Dave got a huge grin on his face and walked with me out into the living room, “Well, for starters you would be looking for a new job, you would be starving I’m sure without that bagel, and the best for last, you, I’m pretty sure, would be homeless since I am paying half of the rent here.”

            “Aren’t you just a knight in shining, um,” I couldn’t help but chuckle at him, “Shorts?”

            Dave flexed his muscles as best he could as I stretched up on my tip toes to kiss him lightly on the cheek, “Couldn’t ask for anything more, could you?”

            “I wouldn’t go that far, but for the moment you are the best.” I picked up my bag from beside the door and flung it over my shoulder as I realized I was staring at a wounded man. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

            “I’ll be fine.” Dave began wiping away fake tears, “If all we have is right now, I guess I will take it.”

            I glanced down at my watch to check the time to make sure that I wasn’t running too late when I remembered that Dave said it was Tuesday, “Hey, aren’t you going to be late for class?”

            “The greatest thing about being a guy is all that I have to do to get ready is throw on some shoes and a shirt, and I’m good. That and I have my car which can get me from here to there quite quickly.” Dave threw himself on the couch, “So I have sometime before I actually have to get ready.”

            “Bye Dave.” I waved to the ego manic sitting on the couch and walked out of the apartment.

           

            As I walked out onto the street and I was greeted by the cool fall breeze. I turned to the east finding that the sun’s rays were almost completely cut off by the dense haze. There before me was an odd colorless sun almost causing me to be alarmed, but I remembered that it was only because the obscure thick cloud surrounding me. I followed it until the mist had dissipated and left me blinded by the brilliant light that was warming me through and through.

            It was then that I was reminded of that strange dream that I had not more than an hour ago. A sudden chill ran through my spine causing each hair to rise. I was left in the darkness in each one, if they could be separated into two different ones. Alienated from the darkness but that radiant light that shined through me. More than that had confused me though. Why when I woke up couldn’t I remember anything?

            I fought battles inside my mind until I finally arrived at the school. I kept telling myself that I didn’t need to worry about it that it was just a dream and it didn’t need to be dissected into something else. That is what I declared as I pulled the school id badge from my bag and hung it around my neck. It was time for work, not for the therapist.

            Closing my eyes and inhaling my last breath of fresh air I pushed open the door. I found my way quickly to the next set of double doors that would hold me for the next eight hours. As I entered the library I let out the fresh air, and gradually began taking in the stale air. I looked around hoping that everything was in order and neat, and of course it was. I turned on everything then placed my bag behind the desk and took my seat where I would be while the world continued without me.

            “Bree, hey can you do me a big favor?” Cora’s voice echoed through the columns of books.

            “Shh.” I placed my finger up to my lips, “This is a library, remember?”

            She began giggling as she got closer to the desk, “How could I forget? Listen, I talked to Mrs. Tillman to see about switching my shift for the next two weeks, and she told me to ask you. That is if you wouldn’t mind doing it.”

            “Three to eleven?” I honestly didn’t want to, “Just for two weeks right?”

            “Two weeks is all. I have to watch my little sister while my mom goes on her honeymoon with her new man. I can do the day shift because she’ll be in school. Would you help me out?” She clasped her hands together as if she were praying for me to say yes.

            “When?”

            “Um,” She paused quickly removing herself from the praying hands to tapping her fingers on the counter top, “Tomorrow?”

            “Why didn’t you ask me before now?” I tried hard to keep myself calm, “I mean if your mom was leaving then they would have had to make the plans weeks ago, right?”

            “Well, I was so busy helping her with the wedding stuff that I honestly hadn’t even thought about it.” Her bright blue eyes shined brilliantly in the sun coming through the window above us making me forgive her more than her excuse, “I also thought that she would have been going to stay with my dad.”

            “Alright,” I agreed. “Just for two weeks though.”

            “So,” Cora let out a long awkward yawn, “I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

            “I’m out of favors this morning, Cora.” I almost growled.

            She held up her hands moving back slightly, “No, I was just wondering about Dave.”

            “Oh,” I eased up, “What about him?”

            “I was just wondering when his next match is.” She asked sheepishly.

            Just as I had thought, “Tonight at eight, but he has one next week that you could go see because I will be working.”

            Cora leaned in on the counter, “So are you two a thing or what?”

            “A thing?” I started laughing, “He’s like my brother, and that would be just weird.”

             “So you wouldn’t mind if I asked him out?” I saw a flash of hope in her eyes now.

            “Ask him out, date him, marry him,” I almost made myself sick, “Don’t marry him. No offense, but I don’t want you in the family.”

            “Thanks.” Cora seemed disgusted now, “I’ll see you at three then.”

            I watched as she quickly turned throwing back her black hair and saunter out of the two doors that separated me from the world. As of tomorrow I would be here until eleven at night. What a wonderful way to spend my evening. I had done it before and thoroughly detested each and every minute of it worse than now.

            I glanced at the large clock on the wall just as it struck seven o’clock. I had now started my day, and I could tell that it was going to be a long one. I sat there in that same spot for nearly three hours checking out books, and collecting ones that were being returned. It was then that I had nearly filled up the cart, and I could finally put some books away giving me something to actually do.

            Sitting there I started filing the book in somewhat of a semblance of order, but there was one completely out of place. Actually it didn’t belong to the library at all. I flipped open the front cover hoping that there was a name in it, but it was bare. I began flipping through the pages hoping for a paper or something letting me knows whose book it might be. I didn’t even make it half the way through the book before a name finally caught me by surprise. I held the spot and flipped it over studying the cover again.

            “Apollo,” I read the name that had gained my attention, “God of light, prophecy, and healing, not to be confused with Helios God of the Sun.”

            “My dearest, he is still the Phoebus Apollo that you call your own.” The eerie voice from my dream resurfaced.

            I shut the book and stared at the cover for sometime, “Why am I dreaming about Greek Mythology?”

            I searched what memories I had from my old history classes, and I remembered Zeus, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and a few others as well as Apollo. Why Apollo? He was just a lesser God, son of Zeus. Apollo was the God of light. Light? Apollo’s light was the one in the dream that protected me from the evil outside of it. “Apollo has left us for a new land. He refused to follow Zeus with this new creed.”

            “He has refused Zeus?” The news shocked me more than the frightening things surrounding me.

            “Yes, it is now the time for you to accept his fate and yours. I have now done as he wished and forbidden him from this world.” Hades’ voice brought me to a standstill in the hot flames surrounding me. My flesh began falling into the blaze and burst into small flames of their own.

            “My God is finished.” I cried without able to show any tears.

            “No, my dearest. Not finished, only beginning.” Hades laughed suddenly, chilling causing my heart to break even more, “But he will never be your Apollo again.”

            “Excuse me, hello?” A voice broke into me that didn’t belong there in what I was seeing. “Hello? Can I have this?”

            The scene in front of me began fading and I found myself back in the library with someone right in front of me. “I’m sorry.”

            The more that I brought myself back into reality, the man standing in front of me was grasping the book that I gripped. I stared down at the cover holding a large bearded Zeus on the front. “I accidentally brought this in and I would like it back, if you would just let it go.”

            “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just,” I released the book into the hands that pulled on it. “I was just looking to see if it had a name in it.”

            When the man turned and began walking away I hit myself with the palm of my hand, “Get out of my head.”

            Even though I wished to look up more information on Apollo, I feared it because of what just happened. I pushed Apollo and my thoughts to the back of my mind as I tried to get through the rest of my day here. I did however check out a book myself to take home and read about the Greek Mythology. If I had any more episodes I would make sure that I would be safe within the walls of my own bedroom, not out in the world for everyone to see.

            When Cora finally came in just before three, I gathered up my book into my bag and tried to rush out the door. I wanted to get out of there before she started talking because I was honestly not in the mood to listen to her at the moment. My mind was bent on the fact of going home and researching this mysterious God from my dreams.

            I had surprisingly got out of the library with as little as one goodbye from Cora. Relieved I pushed myself past the students in the hallways and found myself once again outside in the bright sunlight. I stretched in the light allowing my body to gather as much fresh air as I could.

            As soon as I got into the apartment I went straight into my bedroom and opened my windows allowing the fresh air to circulate inside. I glanced at the clock to see how much time I had until Dave would be home. I still had over an hour so I pulled the book out and stretched out on my bed allowing myself to get comfortable.

            I read everything that I possibly could about Apollo in the book, but nothing made sense to my last vision or whatever it was. Apollo was never stuck down. He was never cast down to the underworld. His son Asclepius was but never him. It was not mentioned once that he was. As for the dream that I had this morning it seemed correct. When the Romans adopted the Greek God’s they did rename almost all of them, but Apollo had kept his name.

            I ran Hades’ voice again through my head, and remembered that he had said he went to another new land. In the book that I had read it told how Apollo was similar to many other Gods in other religions. I quickly pulled out a notebook and jotted down the different religions that had similarities between Apollo and their Gods. I stared at the list of five names, Hittite God, Arab God Hobal, Assyro-Babylonian Sun God Shamash-Utu, Nordic Sun God and Celts.

            I ran the history of religion through my mind.

            Christianity is the only religion that had brought down the Roman Mythology. According to the book the only religions that it said the Greeks obtained Apollo were the Hittite God, Arab God, and the Babylonian god, but the Nordic and Celt they only referred to the similarity. Would those two be where Apollo had left Romans for? Christianity hadn’t spread that far north. Or maybe he left before Christianity had even reached Rome.

            Hades had said that he left because he didn’t agree with Zeus’ new creed. What if he had left before Christianity even started thriving as a religion? If he had ran north that would be the new land that she spoke of, and it was there that Zeus found Apollo and cast him down to the underworld.

            The biggest question that I contained in my head the whole time was: What in the world does this have to do with me?

            Visions, dreams whatever I could call them were coming from somewhere. I had never once thought twice about any of this even in my history class in high school. But that first dream was also mixed with a real memory. They both contained that bright light coming from somewhere within me.

            “Hey, you almost ready?” Dave’s voice broke my thoughts making me jump from the bed. “Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.”

            “It’s okay, I was just thinking.” I looked at him, and then glanced at the clock, “What the? It’s almost seven thirty.”

            “Yeah, that is why I asked you if you were ready.” Dave began jogging in place in my doorway, “I figured I would walk with you over.”

            “Okay, but I have to get ready first.” I couldn’t believe that I had lost that much time. “It won’t take me too long just give me five minutes.”

            I got up and headed towards the bathroom as Dave moved out of my way, and I caught a glimpse of him heading over to my bed as I went through the hallway, “So what were you doing?”

            “Just reading about the Greeks.” I answered.

            “Greeks?”

            “Yes, is there something wrong with that? They were kind of neat.” I pulled my hair up entering back into my room, “You know if it wasn’t for the Greeks you probably wouldn’t be wrestling tonight.”

            “Since when did you get interested in this stuff?” Dave lifted up the book, “I mean it isn’t normal reading. Is it?”

            “Someone brought it in and I started reading it. Is that okay with you?” I pulled the book from his hand and put it back into my bag, “Are you ready?”

            “If you are.” Dave got up off the bed and we left the apartment together.

            He was walking so fast that I could barely keep up. I know that he had to get there earlier, but he should have said that he was going to walk with me more than a half hour before the match started, since it took me more or less a half hour to get there.

            “So why did you decide to walk with me?” I stumbled up towards Dave who was now rushing. “Especially now that you are going to be late.”

            “Well, it has been so long since I’ve actually taken the time to walk with you, I figured tonight would be a good night, but I had also assumed that you were ready to leave.” Dave spoke but never took his eyes off of his destination. “Next time I am driving, and you are coming with me.”

            “I don’t see that one happening.” I announce hoping that he would get the point, but it was about that time that he would begin pushing again.

            “Brie, it has been almost ten years, I think you should just take a short drive with me to see that it is okay to ride in a car again.” Dave finally slowed down to my pace, and started at me now.

            “Ten, twenty, or thirty, I don’t care. They scare me to death, and I should be dead right now with my parents.” I snarled and picked up my speed hoping that the sooner we got there the conversation would be over.

            “How many times have I wrecked since I’ve started driving?” Dave threw his arm around my shoulders and slowed me to walk with him.

            “Not once, but are you trying to say that my dad was a bad driver because he wasn’t. And don’t dare say that it was a freak accident because if you say it again I swear that I will slap you so hard that, that…” I was lost in what I really wanted to say so I just let my voice draw to an end as the conversation did as well.

            We walked in silence until the gymnasium was in sight and then Dave turned to me, “Hey, I have to get in there, but I want you to wait for me after the match. Okay?”

            “Go,” I pushed him away towards his destination. I watched him jog to the side doors, and disappear inside. Heading into the main doors I could see the fire that surrounded me and the light that was protecting me. I shook the images from my mind as I found a seat at the back of the bleachers. It was the perfect seat away from everyone else, and gave me the advantage of watching everything.

I always came to watch Dave and support him, but I had more fun watching people. It was amazing I thought how excited people got watching two men grope on each other and throw them around. It was not a sport that I was into to say the least, but Dave apparently was.

My eyes glanced down at the two men now having their time in the spot light. People were screaming at the men on the ground while others cheered. As the match ended the crowded either cheered or jeered in unison. I searched the crowd for faces that I could recognize from the library. None of them were people that I knew by name, but there were a few that came in quite frequently. Most of the people that I saw on a regular basis where quite into the wrestling of two men, but it was those people that were being tutored as well. They were trying to keep up their grades while they spent most of their time bothering with sports.

Dave finally got his chance and I tried to gain interest, but it was hard. I had seen him wrestle so many times, and it was just like watching him play video games. It was quite boring. I scanned the audience as they cheered for Dave. Of course this was a home match so he had the home town crowd rooting for him.

Dave wrestled the other man and pinned him in some awkward position. I applauded as needed, and I saw others standing and cheering as he was still undefeated. As I searched the crowd there was only one person sitting. He was not applauding or even seeming enthused by the men’s sport. The man sitting there look exceedingly out of place.

The hair that fell to just below his jaw line covered most of his face causing a black cascade to disrupt my visualization of his entire face. Thin colorless lips were lifeless among the cheering around him. He sat there with his elbows placed squarely on each one of his knees and his hands were brought together in the middle. He leaned in closer staring at Dave down on the mat. His eyes seemed to follow Dave as he left the gymnasium allowing the next two men to have their turn.

I was now leaning forward trying to gather a better look at the man who had his sight on Dave. When Dave was out of sight and into the locker room the man who I continue to watch turned slowly and began watching the other men. I continued watching him just as he had done with Dave. His head raised a little as if something had caused him alarm, and without warning his eyes met mine.

Gasping I tried to pull my eyes away from his but I was struck in awe. At first I had assumed that it was the intention of his stare or even the dark crimson eyes, but the longer that he held my attention the more I was aware that it was the perfection of him that kept me. Black hair framing a face that I’m sure was carved from marble. His eyes were the only thing to stand out, but they were beautiful in their own way. His age couldn’t be describe because there were no lines denoting that he was older, which made him look no older than I. His eyes however conveyed that he was much older, but I couldn’t understand how it was quite possible.

My eyes only left his for a brief second as I saw his lifeless lips gain some strength to bring a slight upturn to the one side. He bit his lower lip causing the grin to disappear and his eyes turned into more of the intense stare that he had just been watching Dave with. His eyes slowly closed as he let his lip out again.

I could feel the pulse racing through my veins as I never known it to do before. I clenched the seat beneath me with eagerness waiting for to open his eyes again. I wanted his gaze to be on me again, but as he opened them he concerned himself with the men on the floor.

“What are you staring at?” Dave’s face cut into my view of the man. Instead of staring at beauty I was staring straight into blue faded eyes of uncertainty.

“Huh?” I murmured trying to see around Dave.

“What are you so interested it?” Dave turned around to see in the direction that I was looking.

“Nothing,” I said forcing myself out of whatever trance I was in, “Aren’t you supposed to be down there?”

“Well, I told the coach that I walked over with you, and that we had to leave because you have to get up early. So he told me to go ahead and get home.” Dave turned back around to face me and held out his hand to help me up.

“That was nice of him.” I hesitated on getting up because I was rather enjoying myself at this point. As I allowed Dave to assist me I glanced over again in the direction of the man, but he was gone. The spot where I had just seen him was now empty as if he was never there. “Home then?”

“Yep, time to walk.” He sounded very indifferent by his choice of walking over with me now. “So what did you think?”

We began making out way out of the gymnasium and I scanned the area as quickly as I could hoping to see the man leaving as well since his seat was now empty, but the only ones leaving was us. “Well, you won, again.”

“Only God himself could beat me.” Dave couldn’t hold in his bragging it seemed. I let him continue on until we were out the doors and on our way home.

I stared at the night sky while we walked together. It was hard to believe that fall was here and it was going to be getting dark sooner. It was only nine o’clock, and the sun was completely gone. Once we were out of the bright lights surrounding the school the night sky seemed darker than most nights. After a few minutes of walking under the stars I realized that it must have been a new moon which made it seem darker than usual.

“Oh, I’m not going to be able to make it next week.” The night air caused me to remember that I had to let Dave know that I would be working a different shift for the next two weeks. “I told Cora that I would switch shifts with her for the next two weeks.”

            “What?” Dave stopped me under the streetlight. “I had plans for us tomorrow.”

            “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” I kicked at the rocks refusing to look up at him.

            Dave threw his arm around me, “Well, we can just do it tonight, if that is alright with you.”

            I glanced up to find a huge grin across his face, “So what were your plans?”

            “There was this art show thing that I thought you might be interested in.” Dave kept his arm around me as we started walking.

            “What makes you think I would have an interest in Art?” I couldn’t help but laugh at him.

            “I didn’t know you were into Greeks, but that one shocked me.” Dave turned me as we arrived at the corner, and began walking away from the apartment, “I actually drove passed it the other day, and there was a painting in the window that I wanted to show you.”

            “Alright.”