“Regan, there you are!” Logan called. I sat up, losing the invigorating staring contest the ceiling and I were having. “C’mon it’s time for dinner.”
“How do we know what time it is if we can’t see the sun?” I asked, still in my ‘deep thought’ mindset. “Do you ever wonder what it’s like up there?”
“I do all the time.” He sighed, “But it’s never good to wish for things you know you might not get. I’m happy down here with my closest friends, even though we might be missing out on other things.” His voice was full of sadness, like everyone else’s was. We lost our spirit; the Mad Hatter would say we lost our ‘muchness’. Even Cathie and Melissa seemed out-of-sorts recently. We were almost like ghosts, just going through the motions. I absolutely hated it, it was nearly intolerable. There were days I didn’t even get out of bed; I just stared at the ceiling. If I had to stay down there any longer I’d waste away.
“I don’t even remember what sunlight feels like, or water, or even sand. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been to a beach?” I murmured. It took some urging to get my head back underground. I spent the majority of my time imagining the world above, a world I missed dearly. I’d always been a dreamer, even before I was locked down in this prison for my own good. I’d wanted to travel the world, see as much as possible. How drastically had the surface changed, were once great monuments now ruins?
“You’ve got to stop thinking about that Regan,” Logan commanded gently, “You’ll feel better if you don’t.”
“How good can someone feel when they’re living like a mole?” I snapped, resuming my staring contest. I struggled to see past the plaster covered ceiling, see the sun and the clouds again. “I can never forget. If I forget, I will never be the same. I’ve already changed so much, everyone has changed so much! Why can’t we be high school students again? We’re office workers in our cubicles. Do chores, eat meals, and watch a movie, go to sleep. We don’t even know what time it is, and we still follow the same schedule!” I ranted. “I want change Logan! Is that too much to ask for?!”
He was silent as I wrapped myself into a ball and breathed heavily.
“I know this is hard for you Regan. You’re one of the most free-spirited people here. It’s one reason you’re easily the most amazing girl I know.” He consoled me. “But you’ve got to try to appreciate what you’ve got for now, and then you can celebrate. Let’s go get some food, you need it.” I could hear concern in his voice, honest-to-goodness concern. So what if I’d skipped a bunch of meals now? What difference did it make?
“I’m not hungry.” I muttered. Logan cursed behind me and walked away, calling out to Cathie and Bridget. Soon a pair of footsteps was hurrying down the hall; Bridget was beside me in a flash.
“C’mon Regan, you can’t keep skipping meals.” She sighed. That was Bridget for you, straight to the point. “We need to keep our strength up, especially if we’re going to be prepared for whatever’s up there.”
“Bridget’s right Regan, you’ve got to eat.” Cathie joined in. “People are really starting to worry.”
“If you don’t eat, it’ll just draw more attention to yourself, and I know you don’t want that right now.”
“Sitting around staring at nothing doesn’t help either. You were so social before, what happened?”
“What happened?! Nothing happened! Cause I have nothing to live for anymore! I just have you two! That’s a miracle in itself. But I don’t have an Eric, and I don’t have so many friends that I’m never alone!” I cried. “I want out. I won’t eat till I’ve felt the sun again.” I lifted my head so I could stare each of them down. They were both shocked, it was obvious. Usually I was the one calming someone down, or giving someone the pep talk. I’d never lost it like this before. I felt tears swimming in my eyes, so I hid again. “I want out.” I whispered to myself.
I hiccupped as Cathie and Bridget both wrapped their arms around me, the only thing they could do at the time. I didn’t know if Logan was watching or not, and I didn’t really care. He was just a friend, and any friend of mine should be ok with me crying. My heart shriveled up like a raisin, ready for me to end it all. I wanted a calling, something to do. I knew if I just sat around I would waste away, leaving a shell that just looked like me.
I stood up shakily, locking all my pathetic sorrow into a drawer and shoved it in the back of my mind, locking it up tight. I smiled weakly at Cathie and Bridget, wiping away my tears. Without a word, I turned towards our cafeteria, and started walking. I heard them follow, and eventually catch up to me. We stepped into the cafeteria as a unified wall of sisterhood, hurrying to the food. I kept to my pact and just grabbed water, earning myself a couple of glares.
“C’mon Regan.” Trish, another senior, admonished. “At least have a breadstick.”
“Thanks Trish, but I’m not really hungry.” I replied lightly, fiddling with the hem of my shirt-sleeve. All the urging to eat was really getting on my nerves. I quickly fled to a corner, where I attempted to drink my tepid water alone. Unfortunately, Logan and the rest of the crew were able to find me wrapped in the shadows.
“Come sit with us Regan!” Yvonne called, probably to expose me. I shook my head, slinking further back. Yvonne laughed and sat up, pulling Thomas with her. They sat next to me, causing all my other friends to follow. They were able to involve me in their conversations, as dull as they were. I even accepted a breadstick Logan kept poking me with.
“Seriously Thomas,” Yvonne laughed. “Why on earth would your father want your family to move to America?” Thomas was a German exchange student, so Yvonne fell for him very quickly.
“He believed it would be better for us here, well, guess he was wrong wasn’t he?” Thomas yawned. We all chuckled; nothing really made us laugh anymore.
“Students! Can I have your attention please?!” Hartsaugh called over our chatter. We calmed down, why not? “Thank you. I have some exciting news for you all. Mike, Aaron, Derik, Josh, and Craig have all volunteered to go above ground and scope out the area.” Cheers instantly drowned out whatever he said next. Once we had quieted down, he continued. “We have no clue who, or what, could be out there, and our volunteers know that. So for these next two days, we are going to treat them with the upmost respect.”
“Aside from that, things are also going to change down here as well. It’s been brought to my attention that regardless of the condition up top, we are all at least one year older than we were when we fled down here. So, in calibration, we’re going to have a party!” He proclaimed. “We’ve found some special treats way back in the food store-room, so we will feast the night before the boys leave!” Hartsaugh had to yell over the cries of joy from us students, myself included.
Finally! He actually took my advice! I’d been badgering him for a while now about sending some people up top, but it looks like he didn’t get the part about me coming along. It was still an improvement, and I’d sneak out alone anyway. I felt like packing my things and leaving right then. I was so happy, I even hugged Logan. He returned my hug a little too quickly, causing a reaction.
“Oh, happy she finally hugged you Logan?” Eric chuckled.
“Shut up Eric.” Logan snapped, not letting me go. If anything, he held me tighter. I had to poke him in the side before he’d let me go.
“I wish I could go you guys.” I told Craig, smiling weakly.
“If I could choose any girl to come with us, it would be you.” He laughed. “We don’t have to worry about you, and you’re one of the best cooks I know. I can’t even make instant pudding.” I snickered, remembering a pudding malfunction from a past church activity.
“God, that was hilarious.” I sighed. Joy continued to bubble up inside of me, nearly over-boiling. If I wasn’t careful, I could start singing or something. I had to get rid of some of this extra energy. I bolted up, jogging eagerly to the game room.
“Regan? Hey, wait up!” One of the boys called. I sprinted down the big hallway, rounding the corners so fast, I literally slid around them. I could hear people thundering after me, but I was too fast. I nearly face-planted when I screeched in to the game room, heading straight for the karaoke Wii, I eagerly putt in my favorite karaoke disc. I plugged in the microphone and eagerly waited for the game to start. I’d never sung around my band family, even though I was good if I had a pitch reference. Once the song menu came up, I went straight to Cascada’s “Because the Night.”
“Take me now baby, here as I am. Hold me close, and try to understand.” I sang, completely ignoring the people I heard behind me. “Desire is the hunger is fire I breathe. Love is a banquet on which we feed…” I completely lost myself in the lyrics, closing my eyes like I do whenever I really get into a song. I could imagine myself on a stage somewhere, my hair long again, my belly-fat gone. “…Because the night belongs to lovers. Because the night belongs to lust. Because the night belongs to lovers. Because the night belongs to lust!”
I kept singing. It was one of my venting methods. Never Ending Dream, San Francisco, Truly Madly Deeply, if it’s a Cascada song, I sang it. I even experimented with some Basshunter. When I’d killed all my options and collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily, whoever was behind me began cheering.
“God, Regan!” Cathie cried, helping me up. “You’ve got skill! I knew you liked to sing, but I didn’t know you liked to sing that much!”
“I could totally see you up on stage; I’ve never seen you on fire like that!” Bridget smiled. I just laughed hoarsely, picking myself up from the floor. Logan ruffled my hair, just like an older brother would. Before I knew it, Cathie, Bridget, Amber, and I were all sharing the mic and singing like a group of drunken girls. We laughed so hard, and stumbled over each other, I hadn’t had so much fun in forever. Karaoke eventually turned into a dance party, with the entire band. It was probably phase one of the boy’s send off, so it would only get better from there.
None of us could’ve guessed what was up there.

The last party was mind-blowing. Not only did some of the seniors sneak some champagne they found- boy did they get in trouble- and get really wasted, but I actually felt like a teen for the first time in a while. I giggled, laughed, danced, pulled pranks; I wasn’t angst-y at all! My drawer of pathetic sorrow stayed quiet as I enjoyed myself. It was only on the morning of the send off that my angst returned, full force.
“Up-and-at-‘em ladies! We’ve got a scouting crew to send off!” Allie yelled, jolting me awake in no time. I was a heavy sleeper, but it took nothing to wake me up. Groggily, I pulled myself up and ran my fingers through my hair. A rock formed in my stomach, knowing that even though the boys would be leaving, I wouldn’t. Well, I would, but no one could know.
The plan was simple. Once everyone was asleep, I would set everything back up as quickly as possible, pack as much as I needed to get started, and blow the joint. I knew it would kill Cathie and Bridget, but they had other people to rely on, they didn’t need me. If anything I was just one more mouth to feed. As I slid into one of my grey dresses, I actually looked forward to skinning a dear or two to make something that wasn’t grey cotton to wear. The girls chattered around me, worrying about the boys. Jessie was particularly worried about Josh, just because they’d been together forever. We all knew it would kill her if Josh never came back. A throbbing headache pulsed at my temples, but I ignored it. I’d ask Trish for some aspirin later.
As the hours past, my headache didn’t subside, even after the painkillers. I had to stop and breathe for a bit in the middle of helping Craig pack his things. It was like my brain was a balloon trapped in my skull, slowly expanding to the point of madness. I moaned, clutching my head.
“Hey, are you ok Regan?” Craig asked, kneeling beside me. I couldn’t even answer, the pain was so horrible. “Regan?” He repeated.
My vision began going fuzzy, in and out of focus. I could feel my body swaying back and forth, no longer in my control. In my moments of clear vision, I could see Craig yelling, jumping up and running from the room. To my dismay, I couldn’t hear. I closed my eyes, a shiver ran down my spine, and I was gone.

My eyelids had a red tint to them, like when you’re trying to sleep outside but the sun is right above you. I slowly blinked them open, pushing myself up on one shoulder. To my surprise, I saw a bush in front of me. As I continued to look around, the more confused I became. I appeared to be in a fancy courtyard. Children were playing in bits of grass, dressed in ancient Grecian style clothing. There was a fountain in the center, where girls my age were giggling, pots beside them full of water. The closer I looked; I recognized them as Greek amphoras. There courtyard was surrounded by what appeared to be the back-sides of houses, made of stone or wood covered with plaster. Everything was white, turquoise, or a pale orange. There was some rich brown, but that was it. The clothing was vibrant, and way to low cut on the girls for my taste. A shadow passed over the courtyard, causing me to look up.
I gasped as I saw three griffins flying overhead, boys riding them. They were shirtless, wearing baggy pants and sandals. They cat called at the girls on the fountain, causing another round of giggles. One of them caught my eye, doing a double take. He had light brown hair that seemed to curl at the tips, and tan skin. His deep blue eyes, nearly a navy blue, were curious. Before I knew it, the boy was coming in for a landing, smiling at me.


“I don’t know! She just started clutching her head and her eyes went all glassy. Then I’m running to find you!” Craig cried, his voice shaking. I blinked my eyes open, sitting up. Mike, Aaron, and Mr. H were talking to a distraught Craig, trying to get some info out of him. They all seemed to be really tense, scared almost.
“Hey, did I miss something?” I asked, standing up. I felt lighter, more energetic. I looked back on the daydream, and it hit me.
Did I just have a prophetic vision?!
I felt dread creep into my stomach. Oh no, no, no! Not happening to me! Yeah, I’d written about it, dreamed about it even. But it could not be happening!
“Regan! God girl, sit back down!” Mike demanded. I thumped to the floor, putting my face in my hands. I felt nauseous, and cold. “How are you felling?”
“Like I have the flu.” I moaned.
“Do you remember anything?” Aaron asked. Mike and Aaron were the two brass directors, so I was with them a bunch. Aaron actually helped teach freshman drill stuff as well.
“Oh yeah. It was crazy, but I remember it.” I laughed darkly, “Did I pass out?”
“Yep, gave us quite a scare.” Mike sighed, “You were out for almost five minutes.”
“You’ve got to be joking!” I cried, snapping my head up. He blinked twice, staring at my face. “What’s wrong?”
“Hey Mr. H? Can we get a mirror or something?” He asked, worry spelled all across his face.
“What’s wrong?!” I repeated, the dread intensifying.
“Craig, can you please go get Cathie and Bridget, they’re going to want to see this.” Aaron smiled.
“See what?!” I demanded, “What happened?!”
“You just changed a little, that’s all.” Mike assured me. “Well don’t keep staring at her Craig, go get her sisters!”
“How’d I change?”
“You’re going to have to see for yourself.” Mr. H said, walking back in with a mirror. I accepted it from him, and nearly screamed.
The face looking back at me was mine, but it wasn’t. Yeah, the facial structure was right, but the eyes! My creamy brown eyes had been replaced with a shimmering grey, almost like pewter, but a shade lighter. My brown-blonde hair was also replaced by thick dark chocolate waves, no longer the muddy brown on a good day. They contrasted with each other so much; it only made them both stand out more. I stood up to do a further examination, and nearly died. My belly fat was gone, as well as any other fat that might’ve lingered on my body. I could tell I hadn’t grown any, but I could feel my hair swish around my hips.
“Oh my god!” Someone squealed from the doorway, “Is that really you Regan?!” I looked up to see Cathie standing in the doorway, obviously winded.
“I guess.” I shrugged, examining my nails. I had chewed them to stubs, but they were a healthy length and clean now.
“Oh god I knew you were in there somewhere! That’s the Regan I knew would come out one day!” Cathie cried, wrapping me in a hug. I giggled nervously and hugged her back. Craig stood frozen in the doorway, his jaw practically hitting the floor. Bridget shoved her way past him, simply gasping at my appearance.
An hour or two later, I was sitting with the band staff in the cafeteria, being forced to eat a meal and explain my vision.
“Well, I was in a courtyard.” I repeated for the trillionth time. “The trees appeared to be good climbing trees, with branches low to the ground. Kids were playing in the shade, while some teenage girls were giggling by a fountain. They were all dressed in ancient Greek clothing, with obvious Minoan influences. There was a lot of white, but the clothes were very vibrant.”
“And you think this was a communal courtyard?” Mr. H asked.
“Yeah, the buildings surrounding it looked like they could be the back of three story houses. There was even a garden on top of one of them. Laundry hung from building to building about a story above where I was sitting.”
“Describe the griffins again for me.” Aaron requested, writing everything I said down on a notepad.
“I don’t know, they appeared to be your typical griffins.” I shrugged. “Head of an eagle, body of a lion. Wings, claws, a big beak. To be honest, I didn’t really pay much attention to them.”
“Ok. Just, let us know if you have any more visions like this ok?” Mr. H said.
“You really think what I’m saying could be what’s up there?” I asked, excitement filling my body.
“It’s the only thing we’ve got right now.” He sighed. “Might as well listen. Go find some of your friends now, we need to discuss what you’ve shared with us.”
“Kay, see you later.” I smiled, jumping out of my seat and out the door. The boys hadn’t left yet, mainly because they wanted to make sure I was ok. I jogged to the game room, where everyone was crowded around the big T.V, watching Tangled. I squeezed in beside Cathie and Logan, who were sitting on the floor in front of the screen.
“Whoa! Who are you?” Logan gasped, giving me a once over. I slapped his arm in response.
“It’s me you idiot.” I snapped, thank god my voice hadn’t changed.
“Regan? What happened?”
“I passed out, had a prophetic vision, and woke up like this.” I responded. “Ask Craig, he knows what happened better than I do.”
He just looked at me.
“Oh forget it!” I cried, settling down to watch the movie.
I was only able to get through the part where Maximus and Flynn are chasing each other through the forest before my head started throbbing again. I leaned over to Cathie and whispered, “I think another one is coming, I’ll be in the girls’ bathroom.” I quickly rose, bile creeping up my throat. I couldn’t even make it to the bathroom before I had to sit down. The agony began, I had to choke back a scream. I only closed my eyes and let the vision take me when I saw Cathie running towards me.


A thriving town was laid out before me, clusters of homes surrounding courtyards and avenues and boulevards lined with shops and carts. At the north end of the town stood a beautiful temple, a very, very Greek temple. Across from it rose a colossal palace. It was only two stories high, but it was big! I could count fifteen courtyards and at least five pools. There must’ve been countless bedrooms and bathrooms in there; I’d hate to work in that kitchen! Stables weren’t far off, filled with griffons and pegasi. A large river ran along the city’s west edge, with several ports lining it. The water appeared to be white, only because of the river’s white bottom. Farmland surrounded the city; an army even ran drills on the east side in an empty field. I could see gravel roads branching away from the city in every direction, eventually turning into nothing but dirt paths.


This time I didn’t wake up to voices. I sat up, feeling like I had just gotten wasted at a party. I put my face in my hands, chocking back the vomit. It was dark, and warm. I looked around, slowly making out the shadowy outlines of the girl’s bedroom. Had they dragged me in here when I was immersed in my vision? I stood, stretching. As I wandered the halls, I tried to analyze my vision. The whole lay out of the city was so familiar, how everything seemed to be based off one central market that had a circular shape. The river on the west side was familiar as well, just the shape of it.
“Hello?” I called out, walking into the kitchen. There was soup on the stove, about ready to boil over. I quickly turned down the heat and gave it an experimental stir, French onion. Once I was confident that it wouldn’t boil over again, I continued to search the bomb shelter.
Had everyone just left?
I poked my head into the big room, where I found everyone gathered. Logan was sitting with Cathie and Bridget, all looking scared. The whole staff was standing in front of everyone, grim looks on their faces.
“We are not going to exile her.” Hartsaugh said firmly.
“But her passing out so much must mean she’s not stable.” One of the guard girls sneered. I couldn’t place her name, but I think she was a senior or a junior. “It would be best for everyone if she wasn’t here anymore.”
“Right now she’s the best asset we have. Do you know how much this girl has read?” Mike countered. “I bet she’d be the most prepared out of all of us when we go up top.”
“We can’t promise that she will be prepared though, can we?”
“She’s our best hope!”
I slunk back into the shadows, fear gripping me. How many people wanted me gone? I walked slowly, trying not to be heard. Then as soon as I couldn’t really hear them still discussing my possible banishment, I sprinted further into the bomb shelter. The game room had a concealed passageway that I hadn’t told anyone about; I’d been dying to explore it anyway.
I knew not everyone liked me, but who would be cruel enough to suggest banishment?! Sure, it may be the best thing for everyone, but what if my visions were right!? God, no wonder Bridget looked so scared. Cold fear rolled over me like a fog, causing the little hairs on the back of my neck to stand up. Tears streamed from my eyes as I sprinted down the deserted hallways.
I squeezed behind the board game cabinet, feeling for the pull away door. My hand ran across a button, bingo! I quickly depressed it, causing the small door to pop out. It was tricky, maneuvering myself into the small opening, but I somehow managed. I closed the door behind me, easily snapping it back into the wall. The only light I had was the little light seeping in from the cracks in the door, wasn’t much at all.
Slowly, I stood up, surprised I had room. In fact, it seemed like the tunnel was fairly large. I pressed my hand against one of the walls, shocked to find it smooth and cool. I could feel cool dirt underneath my bare feet.
Dirt…
Could this tunnel lead outside? Sinking to the ground, I ran the fine soil trough my fingers. I don’t know how long I sat there, but it was long enough that people eventually went back to the game room.
“Do you seriously think Hartsaugh is going to banish her?” Some one said.
“I don’t know.” The other person said, “I barely even know the girl.”
“Guys! Have you seen Regan?!” Another person, was it Craig, asked. “We can’t find her!”
I stood up, backing down the tunnel at a snails pace. Oh no, I was not going to be found. Mike was right; I had read enough to make it on my own up there! If I could just find that city, I could probably get a job or something, and be good! Then I could come back for everyone, no problem!
“This is not good.” Craig muttered. “Can you help us look?”
I turned and ran down the tunnel like I was running from the devil. The tunnel had an upward tilt to it, further proving my idea of the surface. I even found myself climbing ladders, smooth metal rungs.
I locked my guilt for leaving in the back of my mind, focusing on what I’d do when I reached the surface. Was there a need for an alias? Would they be hunting Americans? I pulled my hair up with a vine I found growing on one of the ladders, amazed at how long it was. Had I changed any since my last vision? I paused on a landing, doing a quick mental assessment. I felt even lighter, so I guess that meant I lost some more weight. I fingered my hair, surprised to find it was more wavy than before. Everything else would have to wait till I could find a mirror or something.
I climbed yet another ladder, panting. I had no clue how long I’d gone, but I needed a rest. I found the tunnel wall and curled up against it, happy that it was warm down here. It felt wrong not saying goodnight to everyone, not to hear their breathing. I cushioned my head on my arm, whispering my goodnights to myself. As soon as I closed my eyes, I was out.


“Well who do we have here?” The brunette asked, leaning against his griffin.
“Calla,” I replied, crossing my arms. “Like the flower.”
“Nice, you’re new around here aren’t you?” He smiled pleasantly, “Have any of these girls shown you around?”
“Nope.” I sighed, feeling blush rise to my cheeks. Thank god I wasn’t staring at him like the idiot girls by the fountain. I swear one of them was drooling.
“Mind if I give you the grand tour then?” He offered. “It would be my pleasure.”
“I would be honored. But may I ask who my guide is?” I requested, hopping down from the wall I was sitting on. I stumbled, about to plant my face into the ground. Luckily the guy caught me, laughing.
“I’m Galen.” He chuckled. “Let’s get you in the air before you break something.”



I blinked my eyes open, sad to see the blackness. As I slowly stood, I couldn’t help but think I heard music. I shook my head, convinced it was just me going crazy. I continued on, coming in contact with more and more ladders. About three hours later, I reached one that seemed never ending. Sweat dripped from my brow, and my breathing became really labored.
And I hit my head on the ceiling. I swore loudly, stepping down a rung. What in the world?! I reached up and pressed against the ceiling, which moved when I touched it. I slid my fingers in a little crack, pushing the panel over my head. Sunlight flooded into the tunnel, which I could now tell was sleek and polished.
I felt joy bubble up inside me while my heart thrummed a mile a minute. A brilliant smile burst its way into reality as I pulled myself onto solid ground that actually had grass! I stared at the little green blades for at least ten minutes, feeling them. Then I spotted a dandelion, and almost freaked out. Slowly I marveled at everything I had taken for granted before, till my eyes landed on a grand looking fountain. A miniature sculpture of a Grecian style woman stood at the top, vaguely familiar. I skipped over and dipped my fingers in the cool water, fresh water. I could see gold coins at the basin, and little bits of algae floating about. I let an exasperated giggle escape from my lips, dry from my recent lack of water. I took a handful of the cool water and took an experimental sip, finding it to taste slightly like strawberries, I gulped down some more. I was soon distracted by a colorful butterfly that floated by.
I felt like a little kid in a new place. Like I was five and going to the zoo for the first time, or a children’s museum. My parents would’ve put a leash on me to make sure I didn’t run into the lion’s pen. I basked in the sun, larger than I’d ever seen it, but enjoying the vitamin D anyway.
“Oh dear!” A girl cried. Something clattered to the ground behind me, triggering my instincts to run. I pushed of the ground and spun to face the new person.
I had to suppress a giggle when I realized that she was wearing what a woman from ancient Greece would wear. Her hair was even styled similarly. She carried a basket (hand woven) full of what appeared to be olives, and the shattered remains of a broken pot lay at her feet.
“Sorry about that.” I said softly, nodding at the ceramic shards. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Who are you?! Where did you come from?!” She squeaked. Her auburn hair quivered in time with her body tremors. Was I really that horrible looking? I must’ve been compared to her, when was the last time I’d taken a shower anyway?
“I’m so sorry. I’ve been traveling for a long time,” I began. My natural talent for lying on the spot did come in handy once in a while. “I’ve been trying to find help.”
“Oh, you’re a traveler?” She gasped, perking right up. “Thank the gods, I thought you were a bandit come to raid the temple!” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and took my wrist. “Come, this temple is a sacred place, we’ll house and feed you till you can get back on your feet.”
She drug me through a maze of marble columns and luscious plants, obviously happy that I wasn’t a bandit. “So as you might’ve guessed, this is a temple of Giselle. But if you’re a traveler, you might not know who she is! Don’t worry, Marcie will explain all the god’s stories to you. Well, she will once we find her.” The girl winked back at me. “I’m Kirsten by the way.”
“I’m Calla.” I replied, staring wide eyed at our surroundings. The flowers were so colorful, full of oranges and blues and yellows. There were many climbing vines and patches of clover. I heard pipe music, and soon enough, a faun pranced into view. He waved at Kirsten, trotting over on his goat hooves.
“Morning Kirsten! Who do we have visiting today?” He bleated. I was too stunned for speech. I’d read about fauns, but never seen one. Till then I’d thought they were fictional, the stuff of legends. His copper eyes had horizontal pupils, and he even had little horns sticking out of his mop of sandy hair. His legs and half his torso were covered in coarse fur that matched his hair, revealed because he didn’t wear pants.
“Hi Bennie, this is Calla.” Kirsten smiled. “She’s staying with us for a while. Have you seen Marcie?”
“Sure have, she was in the herb garden last I saw her.” Bennie replied.
“You weren’t sneaking mint leaves again were you?” Kirsten teased him, tweaking his horns.
“No!” He cried, blushing. “Of course not!”
“Well, we’d better go catch her right Calla?” She laughed, “See you later Bennie.”
“Later!” He waved, trotting back into the greenery.
“Is he really a faun?” I whispered as Kirsten continued to pull me through the temple.
“Of course! Do you not have fauns where you came from?”
“No, not much of any creatures really.” I muttered.
“Really? You must’ve come from the wastelands then. According to Marcie, the wastelands used to be called the Great Plains. But after the Awakening, the land lost its fertility and could only be used as grasslands for cattle.” She explained when I looked confused. Did she mean the Great Plains as in like the American Great Plains. “You do smell a bit like livestock, not to offend of course.”
“None taken.” I assured her, cracking a small smile. Kirsten reminded me of Lindsey, one of the guard girls. She loved to talk, and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind at all. Kirsten was nothing like Lindsey in looks. Kirsten was a typical California girl if you asked me. She continued to talk, enough for the both of us, as we hustled through the temple.
Personally, I didn’t see how the beautiful place we were in was a temple. More like the hanging gardens of Babylon. There was foliage everywhere, and most of it appeared to have a purpose. I saw some aloe plants, catnip, rosemary, and so much more that I knew had minor medicinal purposes. Other plants were probably there to make perfumes, like the wonderful smelling roses. Doves flitted about above us, cooing softly. A soft breeze floated through the glass-less windows and many skylights, counteracting the humid temperature. We passed many fountains and statues of the same lady I’d seen on the fountain when I first came to the surface. I assumed that the lady was Giselle, judging by how much I saw her statue.
“Marcie!” Kirsten suddenly called out. “We have a traveler in our midst.”
“You say so? Well, introduce me then.” A pleasant voice replied from behind a tower of flowers. A beautiful woman, probably in her late thirties, emerged. You could tell this girl knew things, wise beyond her years. If Kirsten was a priestess-in-training, Marcie was her teacher. She was dressed similarly to Kirsten as well, but instead of a drab tan, Marcie wore a pale pink stola. She also had vines of ivy woven into her hair, braided into a crown on her brow.
“This is Calla,” Kirsten smiled. “She’s from the wastelands.”
“Oh, welcome Calla.” Marcie beamed, taking both my hands in hers. “I hope Kirsten hasn’t chewed your eardrums out with her incessant talking, because I can’t wait to hear your story.”
“She hasn’t been too talkative.” I shrugged. “I am very confused though, I’ve never been in a temple like this.”
“You probably haven’t dear. It’s a shame how unreligious the people in wasteland are.” Marcie sighed. “Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to lead you down the right path. Giselle is a kind and forgiving goddess, I see no reason she wouldn’t embrace you like she’s done so many others.” She squeezed my hands to help assure me. “Kirsten, please go harvest some of the apples, we can’t leave all the work to our faun friends.”
“Yes Marcie. See you around Calla.” Kirsten winked, jogging off too a patch of trees we’d seen earlier.

“Come Calla, we’ll get you some proper clothing and food. I’m sure you had little to eat on your travels.” Marcie said, leading me through an archway.