The Sun Queen

Amanda looked down at her paper in despair. What is this? She never gave us this! what the heck

is this? Her mind raced as she tried to remember what was taught in the last few months of high

school. Her mind came up blank, she couldn’t remember any of it. Panicked, she pressed the

heels of her hands against her eyes. Slowly, she raised her hand. If she couldn’t pass this she

wasn’t going to do it at all. The instructor glanced at her, he seemed to have dismissed her and

she lowered her hand. 2 seconds later she felt his hot, cigarette smelling breath on her neck.

“what do you need, ashama?” he asked. She jumped. He was so creepy! How could a man built

like a cross between a bean pole and a bloated balloon be so quick? She shook her head, slightly

confused by his use of the name ashama which meant sun queen. She felt a small sting at the

base of her spine

“ I need to use the bathroom, and my name is Amanda,” her mother had always told her to correct

people when they said her name wrong. It was a simple name, how could this guy get it wrong?

She rolled her eyes.

“Certainly, AMANDA, go right ahead,” he had stressed her name like a bad word. But lord knows

she didn’t care.

Pushing back her chair, she cringed as it made a loud scraping noise in the quiet classroom. She

glanced at her crush, Jamie, as he looked up with a snarl on his lips. Whoops! At least she had

gotten his attention and she hadn’t even been trying this time.

Walking quickly out the class, she pulled open the door and tried to make as little noise as

possible. Turning, She saw movement out the corner of her eye. Pivoting on her heels, she tried to

catch the shadow. It couldn’t be. She took a half step towards the shadow but the heavy feeling in

her bladder stopped her. She had pretended to need the bathroom and now, she had to use it.

With a sigh she took off down the hallway, the sound her of shoes hitting the floor, the soles

making a hallow and empty sound, seeming to mock her for her lie and the karma she was now

reaping. the air felt charged, maybe it was her imagination but the hot pre-summer day had

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suddenly felt like December. Turning the knob on the bathroom door, Amanda took a deep breath.

The bathroom had always held an ammonia smell that seemed to sink into your skin, holding on

like a Pitbull attacking an enemy, refusing to let go. She did her business, still trying to sort her

mind out when a noise stopped her from opening the stall door.

“I saw her come in here, check the stalls” the voice that spoke sounded like gravel being

crunched, but slightly familiar. Amanda distinctly remembered that she had been the only one in

the bathroom. Oh good lord, its them! How had they found her? When had she slipped up and

made it easy for them to find her? Glancing around she realized there was limited options. A. she

could stay here and wait for them to grab her or B. she could run. She sure as heck wasn’t staying

here like a duck waiting to be plucked.

Climbing under the stall door, she pressed her her feet against the stall walls as she

listened to heavy footsteps push the empty stall doors. They had already searched this stall so she

prayed they didn’t look again. An alarm blared in her mind. How could she be so dumb? It was the

instructor. He had called her sun queen. He had known who she was! He had alerted these men

who were looking for her. When she got out she was going to wring his ankles. She felt a familiar

burn working up her arm. No, not now. She heard the footsteps stop outside the door. What

should she do? It was kill or be killed because she couldn’t control this situation.

“Come out ashama, we can smell you flaring.” When he said it like that, she had to sniff her arm to

make sure she wasn’t sweating up a storm. She wasn’t. So how could he…she looked at her red

fingertip turn yellow, the metal door was crumbling under them turning a faint amber as she got

more and more scared.

“she’s in the stall at the bottom. Grab her and lets go.”

Amanda decided to take the option out their hands, they would have to kill her first before she

gave in. This tingle in her fingers turned into a slow burn. Slamming her feet against the ugly beige

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tiles, she shoved the door open. She could feel her hair raising up and whipping against her

cheeks.

“What the….” The voice sounded startled but the hardened face that look back at her had her

taking a step back. It couldn’t be, he was dead. She had buried him.

“Yes, princess, you didn’t kill me after all. Your coming with me. So, don’t try fighting”

“The only way I’m leaving here is either passed out or dead, but I’m sure as Hades not leaving

here willingly with you.”

She felt a shiver go down her spine as he smiled a chilling smile. Raising her hands, she felt the

cool comfort of her flame rise up. He wouldn’t survive this, then again, he seemed to have made it

out of the hole she’d thrown him in.

“It’s like that? “. He laughed, his black, stringy hair moving with his hunched shoulders. The white

scars marring his face a glaring reminder of their last battle. Jamie’s face had melted into the

mirage that was Brodonos.

She felt her feet rise off the floor. She knew how she looked. This mortal body was only 5’9 and

slender, her green cat-like eyes would be glowing with retribution. Nothing like her true form which

was why when she landed in the morgue she had chosen it. It was nothing like her true self.

Flinging her hand backwards, she shoved the louvers outwards to let in the sunlight full blast. He

had always hated the light and she had only found out too late why.

“You bi..” ducking down, he barely avoided his head being severed where he stood by the ball of

raw liquid fire.

“Get her Bruce.” She had forgotten about his lacky. She needed to get out of here, him alone she

could handle but with another she would be weaken. It had been ages since she’d had to resort to

using her skill.

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Pushing backwards she went through the window and landed with a thud that she barely felt. As

she alighted she knew in her bones that she couldn’t be caught, not now. She couldn’t go back

down to Hades again. Not to him. Not to her……..husband.

She made a mad dash to a bus that was pulling out, jumping on just in time as three other

buses simultaneously slid out their spaces. Shimmying down in the seat, she pulled her

sunglasses on and pulled up a used newspaper that someone had left on the seat. She tried to

control her breathing, she had already drawn too much attention to herself as it were. She needed

to contact her mother. Slowing her heart proved difficult but after five minutes she got it under

control. Closing her eyes, she reached out into her subconscious to connect with her mother.

“Daughter mine, is your exam over already?” her mother’s soft voice filled her head.

“No, but we have bigger problems. They’re here.” she didn’t need to say who, the tense silence in

her mind told her that her mother knew exactly who she referred to. The taste of fear was almost

palpable in her mouth.

“Don’t come here. You need to make it to the nearest airport and get to the island. They can’t find

you there.”

“Not there mother, you’re not allowed to go there, who will protect you?”

“Don’t worry about me. I have one more life force before I go into the ether. I will find you”

Her mother had already died eight times before, the next time would be her last before she really

never came back. Amanda steeled her heart. She had to obey for to disobey would mean her

freedom, if not her life. She knew her mother wouldn’t change her mind so she had to do this.

“Tell me what to do.”

“At the airport there’s a bag waiting for you, everything you need is in there, the ticket is in

standing so there’s no problem. I will find you again my daughter. Don’t let them catch you. If they

do, you have to destroy them.”

“Goodbye mother mine. Till we meet again.”

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The echoing silence that met her made her heart sink. She had never not said I love you too my

ashawaneha, my mood and stars.

Sending out her mental fingers she made the driver turn the bus towards the airport. The other

passengers protested loudly, arguing that this wasn’t their route but the driver wouldn’t hear them

until she was out of range and let go of his mind.

Jumping out, she didn’t allow herself to feel the humid air pressing against her lungs, seeming to

steal her breath. Comfort was not an option now she had to get out of here. Making a run to the

baggage area, she grabbed the bag left in the hidey hole and rushed to the checkout counter. The

grinning flight attendant greeted her and she had to force a smile and speak slowly.

“Good mor..” before he could finish, she had already shoved the documents in his face and

frantically looked around.

“Oh, I see your heading to tavania, can I have your...”

Passport. The passport she had forgotten to mask her photo from their last disappearance. She

looked the flight attendant in the eyes, preparing to mind meld with him and make him see what

she wanted him to see. Before she could do that however, she felt a heavy arm wrap around her

waist. Instant flames kicked up from her finger tips. It was him! She could smell the worn leather of

his jacket that never got old, feel his rancid breath blowing her hair against her cheek. His body

heat seemed to take over her now clammy one.

“Wife mine, where are we headed?” his tilting accent was made to put mortals at ease but for her it

was like nails dragging against a board.

“Husband mine,” she murmured, “You to hell and me far from whence you’ve come.” She felt

rather than heard the rumble of his laughter.

She saw the clerk look at them in puzzlement. he opened his eyes as if to ask, do you need help?

Amanda shook her head. Why get him killed? For what useless cause? She could only save

herself at this time.

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“Ma’am, where did you say you were going?”

“My wife has changed her mind. She’s going home…. with me. Aren’t you dear?” he sounded

amused. Amanda refused to meet his eyes. She didn’t want to see what form he had taken that

would have mortals falling to his feet in a thrall aimed at pleasing him and him alone.

“Yes, Daramus, we seem to be.” Turning, she squeezed the strap of the bag tightly, refusing to

hand it over to him. Time seemed to slow all of a sudden.

“Look at me woman.” His commanding voice did nothing but irritate her. She casted her eyes to

the floor, defying him as was her custom.

“I said LOOK AT ME!” HIS VOICE BOOM ACROSS THE airport, no one else heard him because

time had slowed to nothing. Not a sound could be heard. The bustling and hustling around them

has stopped completely. Even a fly that was about to land on her face had been paused midair.

Brushing it aside she looked at him.

To her shock, his natural face looked back at her. The face of her jailer. Deeply premature white

hair curled against his hallowed cheeks, his sunken eyes a midnight black, his skin lightly tanned

from years of working in the forges of hades. His clothes hid a lean but still muscular body that had

spent eons swinging a mighty hammer. He was an ordinary looking being, nothing compared to

his god like siblings. But still handsome in his own way.

“Do you like what you see, my queen?” he sneered the last part.

“I could have done without it for a few more years, you know what they say absence makes the

heart grow founder. In your case, it hasn’t been nearly long enough.”

Wearily, she watched as his hand lift and fearing he might strike her, she lashed out. A ball of fire

hurtled towards him, liquid death, her own special brand of destruction. He caught it with his bare

hands.

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“Now darling, is that any way to treat your dear husband who has come to take you home? Back

to where you signed your name in blood besides his?”

Watching in amazement as he used her liquid fire to do something no other being could have, he

opened a portal to Hades. She gazed at the green grass and blowing trees. No….no…noooooo.

people thought Hades was only fire and brimstone but in reality, it was pretty cozy. There were

homes lining the streets paved with green soft moss. But the true horrors lay behind the doors.

Behind the towers of unholy terror.

Before she could draw breath to scream and raise up her valiant army of spirits, he grabbed her,

kissed her and shoved her through the portal.

The cool rush of air against her skin sickened her. watching in horror as her jeans and t-shirt

melted off and in its place was her ceremonial dress of deep purple and black, she resigned

herself to this part of the change. Her nails now black and the heavy crown of Hades on her head

she knew she looked a sight. She glanced at him as his wings appeared along with his horns. His

true form in every sense…. she was back. Back at the devil’s side.

The end