[ Fallen Stars1 ]

Fallen Stars1

PROLOGUE:2

Millions and Millions of year ago there was nothing. 3

But then one moment, until this day it is unknown how, the god Re came into the nothingness. Many of the wisest men have thought about it for their whole life, and there has still been no answer explaining his sudden appearance. All we know is that he did. And what is the point of being so powerful if you have no one to rule? For this reason he created the world, and more importantly to him, Egypt. Although people worshipped him and he ruled over them, Re was not happy. Humans were something to watch over and control while Re wanted company and competition. So, he created for himself a wife named Hathor. This took all his energy and while he was weak his wife took care of him and nurtured him back to health. When he was feeling healthy again he starting having kids. After some time he became the father of Shu and Tefnut, grandfather of Nut and Geb, great grandfather of Osiris, Seth, Isis, Nephthys and great-great-granfather of Horus. For a while things were peaceful in Egypt as well as with the Gods. Re remained in control and no rebellion had been put forth. But is it really possible that everyone would accept Re’s leadership and no one would lash out against him? Maybe it is possible, but it didn’t happen. 4

Re was the sun and the sun was a fire. The Egyptians believed that you needed a boat to travel through the waters of heaven and the underworld. And so Re traveled in one. In the day he road in a great boat called the Madjet (Becoming Strong) that rose from the east behind Manu, the mountain of sunrise and passed between two sycamore trees. As the sun set, the boat Re used was a small one called Semektet (Becoming Weak). 5

The goddess Ma’at decided the course that Re and the boat would take and Horus was the captain of the ship. During his travels Re was not without company. Several gods took the journey with him and their job was to help navigate the boat and later for protection. Thoth and Ma’at stood on either side of Horus as he steered the boat. Two pilot fishes, known as Abtu and Ant, swam through the heavens in front of the boat. Others included Geb, Hu, Sia (god of intelligence) and Hike (god of magic). At night the god Upuaut, the opener of ways, stood at the prow along with many gods, including Keemon and Eldoria. The gods that protected Re were known to the Egyptians as Stars. For a while things were peaceful in Egypt as well as with the Gods. Re remained in control and no rebellion had been put forth. But is it really possible that everyone would accept Re’s leadership and no one would lash out against him? Maybe it is possible, but it didn’t happen. 6

It started simple, small. A rivalry between Horus and Set. Set’s wife, Neith, was very proud and very evil. She was shamed that her husband was constantly losing battles and getting injuries. For this reason she made a plan. Neith was the goddess of the Nile river and she was a very powerful goddess. She knew that her husband, Set, was just as powerful as Horus, if not more. The reason he was constantly losing their battles was because Horus had Re, a more powerful god, which he was loyal to and had on his side. So if there was a god stronger then Set and more evil and powerful then he, wouldn’t he be able to destroy Horus at last? This was how Neith thought, and this is why she created Apep. Apep came out of the nile river when Neith spit into it and was the first dragon. He was a personification of all that was evil. Apep was 16 yards in length and had a head made of flint. Neith died from the effort of creating such a powerful god. She quickly grew weak and died, laughing the whole time. 7

Now Apep was not stupid. He knew even though he was just as powerful as Re he could not go and attack him straight away. Apep only had Set on his side. Although powerful, Set was only one god and not hundreds like Re had for protection. 8

Apep worked quietly, swiftly. Gathering troops. Making plans. Not until his army was twice the size of Re’s and he even had many Stars on his side did Apep announce that they were ready for war. 9

Apep and his army of millions waited just below the sunset for Re to come on his boat. A war was about to begin. A battle between the gods. 10

Chapter 1: Captured11

Blaine and Drew were swallowed into darkness as they rounded another corner. There were no more street lights to show the way and they were relying only on memory to guide them. Blaine and Drew had been best friends from kindergarten. Although they were very different in appearance they had similar personalities (?) Blaine, who was very tall and skinny, had black hair that fell in front of his face, and he was always (often) brushing it out of his eyes. He had bright blue eyes that shone as clear as a cloudless sky. Drew was not exactly short, but he was definitely not tall. His hair was an unknown color. Some said it was blonde, some said brown, and some even said red. He always kept it spiked, but Blaine had told him that was too casual for tonight. After the two best friends argued about whether it was just a casual get together or a date Drew ended up leaving his hair without gel, but a hat hid most of it from view.12

“No one sees my hair when it’s not spiked!” he had said, pulling on a black hat. 13

It was freezing for spring as the two boys walked silently along the road. The cold breeze crept up Drew’s sleeves and felt as if it was soaking into his skin. There were no lights out and the sky was empty, the moon hiding its face that night. There was something about darkness that had always crept Drew out. Darkness was mysterious and unpredictable, but it wasn’t necessarily darkness that scared him, but all the things it could hide. 14

As the trees waved back and forth in the cold night breeze, groaning and creaking the whole time, they cast eerie shadows over the two boys, like some kind of creature grabbing for them. Drew looked over at Blaine to see if he was scared at all, but he looked completely comfortable in the darkness of the night. 15

As they got closer to the water Drew could hear the waves crashing against the shore. The sound was comforting. Growing up in California the sounds of waves hitting the sand and crashing over the rocks was as common to drew as another human’s voice, and in a sense more common and more soothing than anyone’s voice. It was the voice of the ocean and it spoke of peace, tranquility, and danger all at once. 16

When they turned the next and last corner Blaine looked to his right and saw a flashlight shining in the dark, only a few yards away. 17

He smiled and said, “That’s them Drew, our dates.” 18

Even though they were his own words, they surprised him, breaking the silence, they didn’t seem to fit with the sounds of night. 19

As they walked closer and closer towards the light, they could hear girls giggling and when they got even closer Blaine heard the familiar voice that he loves so much.20

“Hey Blaine, I wasn’t sure if you were actually going to come.”21

Elizabeth was his one true love, even thinking about her made Blaine’s heart do flips. He smiled at the sight of her, with the flashlight shining on her in the dark, illuminating her heart shaped face and strait auburn hair that fell down and covered one of her dark blue eyes. She looked even more beautiful then ever.22

“Hey Lizzy.” Blain said, kissing her on the forehead and gently taking her hand in his. They smiled, looking into each others eyes before Lizzy snapped back to reality and introduced her cousin to Blaine and Drew. 23

“Alright guys.” She said, “I’d like you to meet my beautiful and wonderful cousin Tori.”24

Lizzy was right, Tori was very beautiful. She had long wavy hair as dark as the night and dark brown eyes that were almost black, like her hair. She was very tan and gave an adorable smile showing her pure white teeth before saying, “What’s up guys?”25

The four teenagers walked towards their favorite dock talking. Blaine and drew asked Tori questions, getting to know her better. She was really fun. Her real name was Victoria, but she hated being called that, she said it was too fancy. She had just moved to California this year, and used to live in Georgia. Tori was 16 years old just like Lizzy, and she hated asparagus, but who doesn’t?26

When they got to the dock Elizabeth and Blaine sat on one side while Drew and Tori sat straight behind them on the opposite side. They all took of their shoes and placed them in the center of the dock, in between them. Elizabeth stuck the flashlight in one of their shoes. Blaine watched as she rolled up her jeans and dipped her feet into the water and then he did the same. The water was cool and refreshing but in a way wrong. He didn’t know how to explain it, how to think about it, but he just knew something wasn’t right. Blaine shrugged of the feeling and kept talking with Lizzy. 27

Lizzy and Blaine were laughing when he felt it. A hand around Blaine’s ankle. Whatever had grabbed him was extremely cold and the freezing sensation spread from his ankle quickly up towards his knee. Yelling, Blaine swiftly pulled his leg out of the water. 28

Both his feet were now planted firmly on the dock and everyone was starring at him, waiting for an explanation explaining why he had screamed like a girl. Blaine tried to explain what had just happened but before he even started talking he knew they were going to think he was crazy. 29

“Someone or…or something just grabbed my ankle!” He began. Looking at them with wide eyes he started explaining again. “It was a hand, but not really a hand. It wasn’t made out of skin, it felt like seaweed, but it was a hand!” Blaine realized how stupid he sounded and apparently so had everyone else. Yet for some odd reason, he kept trying to explain it.30

“It was like seaweed but I could feel five fingers and a palm, and it was a …a…” he didn’t know how to finish his sentence. 31

“A what?” Lizzy asked, sounding confused and annoyed at my strange behavior.32

“Yeah” Drew said. “The seaweed that drifted onto your foot?”33

Could they be right? Was he just making a big deal? Was it simply some sea weed? He knew it wasn’t. He knew it was something more. Blaine didn’t know what to say next or what to think next, except that he wanted to keep his girlfriend. 34

“You’re right. It was probably just some sea weed wrapped around a stick, sorry guys.” He apologized, reluctantly stuck his feet back into the ocean. 35

As Blaine slowly forgot what happened, Lizzy leaned against him and he wrapped his arm around her. The boy and girl sat in content silence for a long time, staring up at the stars. This is perfect. Blaine thought to himself.36

It happened so fast and suddenly! Blaine felt something grab his ankle again. He tried jerking his foot away but it wasn’t go to let go of him that easy this time! The grip became tighter around Blaine’s ankle and as it did the creature’s nails dug into his ankle. It felt like five knives piercing his flesh. As he opened his mouth to let out a yell of pain he was pulled into the freezing cold water, in with the creature that pulled him there. The more he thrashed the deeper the nails dug into his ankle. He tried to scream but the dirty salt water rushed into his mouth. Whatever was holding on to him flipped him over and wrapped its ‘hands’ around his chest, then bit him on the back and center of his neck. After this, Blaine thought he felt a pulse in the water, like a heart beat or an underwater ripple. But before he could be sure, he heard another splash and felt another pulse. Then another splash and another pulse, and for the third time, a splash and a pulse. Had Drew, Tori and Lizzy been pulled into the ice cold water as well? He thought. 37

Blaine was running out of air fast and he started to thrash around furiously, trying to get loose of the creature holding onto him, but it wasn’t letting go. It felt as if it was twice his size and thirty times his strength. The creature started to pull him along at a relatively fast speed, but going down and forward. Blaine was being pulled away from the dock, away from land, away from air and away from everything and everyone he knew and loves. 38

Blaine couldn’t hold his breath any longer. He breathed in, but instead of his lungs filling with oxygen, they filled with the dirty sea water, of course. He coughed and gagged and closed his mouth again. 39

Blaine had stopped thrashing around, it was useless and he was kind of preoccupied with the whole not being able to breathe thing. One minute passed, and for some very odd reason, Blaine was still alive, if this was even living. He couldn’t breathe and he longed for air with all that was left in him which wasn’t very much. Fifteen minutes later and he was still alive, it was like drowning but not dying, and right now dying sounded really good. 40

Blaine opened his yes, the salt stung and blurred his vision but he kept them open. He wanted to know if he could see Lizzy and the others. When his eyes adjusted enough to see more then a blur he was shocked, no terrified, at what he saw. He would have screamed if he could have. There was a ten foot creature carrying him. It was a mermaid in a way, but this was no Ariel, this was no ‘little’ mermaid. This creature looked ten feet long. It was al black and looked like the most evil creature you could ever imagine. It wasn’t as human as we think mermaids are, or pretty like we think they are. It’s hair was sea weed and it’s skin was the same texture and look of sea weed but it was all black. As it turned it’s head and looked back at Blaine with its pure red eyes, he felt a pain like no other shoot through his whole body. And only began to fade when his eyes were shut tight. Everything in him wished for life to end, and wondered why it hadn’t. His ankle throbbed where the ‘mermaid’ had dug her long sharp black nails into it. But, surprisingly, the back of his next felt normal, or as normal as a neck can feel when you’ve been deep underwater for half an hour being dragged by a ten foot mermaid. Blaine suddenly remembered the whole reason he had opened his eyes was to look for Lizzy. He gathered up the courage and opened his eyes again, making sure that he was looking behind him first, he wanted anything but to see the creature that was dragging him through the water. When he looked around he could see four shadows of in the distance, which all looked like one big person carrying a smaller person, but he knew the thing doing the carrying was far from a person. Blaine closed his eyes again and longed to breathe. Every second was torture, every second his head throbbed more and more until he expected it to explode. While his head was throbbing, he began to wonder for a second, why had he seen four shadows. There was just Lizzy, Drew and Tori that had been pulled in. I must have imagined the fourth one. He thought. And all the sudden everything went black, and he fell into unconsciousness.41

* * * * * * *42

Jamie Fisher was watching TV. Her little sister, Abigail, was playing with her dolls in the corner of the room. Jamie was flipping through the channels, trying to find something good to watch but out of the 100 something channels, there was nothing. She stopped on the news and listened to the TV announce,43

“Famous and respected lawyer, Arnold Fisher, was seen yelling at his wife today in a supermarket. The yelling turned violent as they grabbed whatever grocery product they could find, throwing it at each other. Records show that this ‘happy couple’ got divorced two months ago and have been trying to keep it unknown. They will be fined for the damaged grocery items and…” 44

Jamie threw the remote at the TV as hard as she could and stormed out of the room. She headed for the door, grabbing her black hoodie on the way. Abbey ran into the room behind her, alarmed at her sudden change. Jamie headed towards the front door and opened it. 45

“But Jamie,” Abbey began, “Daddy said not to leave the house, especially when it’s dark.”46

“Shut up!” Jamie snapped at Abigail as she slammed the door behind her. 47

Her dog, Rusty, raised his head as he saw Jamie come out. He jumped up, licked her hand and walked by her side. The two of them set out towards the ocean, there was no moon out but plenty of street lights to guide their way. Jamie’s dad’s house was right by the sea. Her dad was very rich and had an extremely nice house, but she hated to be there. Every weekend she was at her dad’s, and during the week she was at her moms. Half her clothes were at her moms half at her dads. Half her life happened on the weeks, half on the weekends. Abigail didn’t seem to mind, she loved having two houses, she just didn’t get it. Even though she was only four, Jamie hated her for being so happy, so care free about it all. She didn’t realize how selfish their parents were being. Abigail didn’t know is that they weren’t even sisters, only step sisters; four years ago Mrs. Fisher had been cheating on her dad, betraying him. She had wanted to have abortion but Jamie’s dad wouldn’t let her. He was a well known man and well respected, he didn’t want people to see his wife going into an abortion clinic. And now they were divorced, her mom lived in Georgia and her dad in Florida. The few times they saw each other, when the kids were being exchanged, they start yelling at each other. They are always telling Jamie, its better this way, she’ll be happier. Yah right! Jamie thought, as she walked in the cold night air. Jamie felt far from happy! How could they think this was better for her and Abbey? She reached the water and slipped her shoes of. If you waded into the water, a ways out there was a big rock sticking plenty big enough for her and rusty to sit on. She tied her shoelaces together and strung the shoes around her neck. The water was very cold and felt different then normal in an unexplainable way. She was halfway to her rock when she heard whining and turned around to see rusty still at the waters edge. Weird, she thought, Rusty was always at her side, or if he was really excited he would run ahead and chase fish. But there he was, whining at the waters edge, and too scared to go in. 48

“Look Rusty, if you’re just gonna stand there being stupid then you can go home.” 49

Rusty just stared at Jamie and then sat down where he was. “Stupid dog.” She mumbled under her breath as she climbed on top of the rock sitting down. The cold breeze swept across her face and through her almond hair as Jamie thought about life. 50

Jamie screamed and fell back, almost off the rock completely. She was sure she had seen a face in the water, a horrible looking face, with seaweed for hair, black slimy skin, and pure red eyes. She mustered up her courage and climbed back to the end of her rock, cautiously peering into the water. I imagined it, that’s all. She told herself. 51

All the sudden, something around teen feet tall jumped out of the water. This time Jamie couldn’t even scream, she just stared at the hideous creature that seemed to be moving in slow motion. It opened its mouth wide, fangs came out and an awful noise, like a thousand people screaming. Just as quickly as it had come, it dove back into the water. 52

Jamie knew she had to get up and run, run as fast as she could, run away from this nightmare but her legs wouldn’t obey. Her mind was buzzing like crazy, trying to convince herself that she had imagined it, but she knew. Before Jamie could move and run the creature jumped out again, and lunged for Jamie, who screamed and tried to scramble away. 53

Jamie felt two hands on her shoulders and when she turned she saw the horrible face of the ‘mermaid.’ It let out an awful noise Jamie realized was a laugh, and lunged for her neck. When the mermaids head was so close that Jamie could feel the cold breath on her neck, she was sure it was all over, her life would be no more. 54

All the sudden Rusty jumped from behind her and into the creature. There was snarling, screaming, whining and noises that Jamie had never heard before. Rusty grabbed hold of the mermaids neck and shook, growling louder the Jamie had ever heard a dog growl. 55

When rusty let go, the mermaid screamed, dived into the water, and swam swiftly away, without even a ripple to show where she left. 56

Whimpering and limping, Rusty crawled over to Jamie and collapsed beside her. She stroked his wet head as tears went down her cheek, she had to get out of here, and take Rusty with her. She had to find someone to help him, and who she could tell what horrible creature was living in the water. She stood up and picked up Rusty into her arms. She didn’t know how she could hold his weight, but it felt like she was carrying nothing other then a feather or two. 57

As she climbed down the rock, ready to wade back to land she screamed, again, and nearly dropped Rusty. Ten heads appeared out of the water around her, all with slimy skin and pure red eyes that shone with the desire to kill. 58

“You’re dog can’t save you now, little girl” One of them said, but it sounded more like she had hissed than spoke. 59

All ten ‘mermaids’ started laughing and rising out of the water. When the water became shallower, their fish like tale turned into two legs, and they started walking towards Jamie and rusty all laughing. 60

Just when Jamie thought it had to be nightmare, things got horribly worse.61

“Jamie, what are you doing? Who are they? I’m scared Jamie!” Abigail’s little voice said, as she came out of the shadows clutching to her blanket. 62

The same mermaid that had spoken before stepped forward and laughed.63

“So, there is another one? Keemon and Eldoria will be very pleased with us tonight. Get them!” she hissed the demand at her companions, and they obeyed.64

* * * * * *65

Meg and Charles were little sister and big brother. Meg is a 15 year old with curly black hair that reached past her shoulders. She was tall and slender and very beautiful. Charles had dark brown shaggy and messy hair that covered his dark blue and almost turquoise eyes. Charles is nineteen years old, and he is very tan from doing hard work in the sun for many hours and because of this same reason he is also very strong and muscular. The both of them wear too big miss matched clothes. This is because they are poor, and live in a mini van with just the two of them. They live in main, like they had ever since they were born. 66

Charles was running towards a mini van, which had its blue paint peeling off to reveal the white behind it, at around 9 o’clock at night, shouting and calling out with joy. 67

“Meg! Meg, come out here! I have something to tell you.” He shouted as he ran closer to the mini van and threw the doors open to reveal his sleeping little sister. 68

Meg was sprawled out on the floor of the mini van that they called home, and had taken the back seats out to give more space to sleep and store their few possessions. Meg was covered with a red blanket, full of holes, and jumped up when the loud noise of the door slamming open echoed through the empty parking lot behind the old movie theatre. 69

“What!” Exclaimed a surprised Meg, rubbing at her eyes. 70

Charles grabbed her hands and pulled her out of the mini van and standing next to him, and gave the smile that only he can. 71

“Meg! I just finished cleaning the junkyard and I got paid 100 dollars. Let’s go, we will eat good tonight!”72

Meg just smiled at her excited brother and followed him out of the old parking lot. 73

Meg and Charles sat at Burger King, Charles eating a double whopper and Meg a grilled chicken burger. They were talking to each other, laughing, and sipping their ice cold cola. It was more fun then they had had for weeks. 74

As Charles ate his last fry and the slurping of an empty cup sounded when Meg took her last sip of coke they decided to buy ice cream and take it down to the ocean. 75

“So Char, do you have a job yet? Or does no one want you still?” She said, teasing he brother. “But really Char, What will we do?” Meg asked, her voice changing to concern. They were walking along the ocean as they did most nights, and discussing their probable and unknown future as they did most nights. 76

Charles stopped and turned towards Meg, to see the concern and sadness etched in her face and hidden in her eyes. 77

“Look at me, Meg.” He said, seriously. “I’m gonna get a job alright. A great one. Everything is gonna be alright. A year from now we will be sleeping in an apartment, with our own beds, and a T.V. to watch at night and a refrigerator full of food and snacks. We will have our own rooms and we will be the happiest and smallest family in the whole world.”78

Meg embraced her brother, tears coming to her eyes. Even though it was so hard to believe, Charles said it with such enthusiasm and (?) that she had to believe him. She stepped back and turned around before speaking.79

“Look Char, we’re here. And I didn’t even notice. Come on, let’s go! Last one there is a rotten egg.” She shouted as she started running as fast as she could down the dock and towards the swinging bench at the end. 80

If you had looked at then end of an old wooden dock, at the corner of Breeze and Heroes road, you would have seen a swinging bench, and on that bench a girl in the arms of her older brother, sheltered by his body from the cold breeze that was blowing over the vast ocean and rustling through Charles hair. The night was dark, there was no moon shining above their heads.. 81

“Char, tell me how mom and dad looked again.” Meg asked sleepily. 82

She had been four when her Parents and twin brother, Max, died in car crash and she couldn’t remember them like Charles could. Meg and Charles had been switched from orphanage to orphanage over the years and when they were assigned to be moved to Vermont they ran away because they couldn’t bear the thought of being away from their lost loved ones graves. 83

As Charles explained how Meg had her mother’s eyes and smile and her father’s nose, hair and face, she slowly fell asleep. It was not unusual for the two of them to spend the night on the little swinging bench at the end of the old dock because it is what they did many nights. Charles sat on the bench, keeping it at a calm slow swing, and thought about his future, but mostly about the future of his little sister, Meg. Even though he had convinced his little sister with his voice of confidence that everything would be alright, he feared and was almost certain that it wouldn’t be. Although he constantly reassured Meg that it would be ok, knew it wouldn’t. No where he went wanted the work of a 19 year old homeless boy. He had managed to find hard labor to do, but only as one time jobs and the work wore him out. 84

As Charles thought about all of this and feared for the future of Meg he didn’t notice a dark slimy face coming from the bottom of the sea, and slowly reaching towards the surface. 85

Charles could barely believe his eyes when he saw three mermaid-like creatures jump out of the water and a split second before they landed on the dock their ‘fish tails’ turned into two slimy black legs with spikes coming out. The creature let out a hissy and cruel laugh as Charles jumped up and yelled at the sight of the three mer-things. 86

Charles woke up Meg as he jumped in front of her, shielding her, and she echoed his yell of his surprise and fright. As the mermaids abruptly stopped laughing, the one in the middle stepped and began to talk in a voice that sounded like it should belong to a snake. 87

“Take the girl. Leave the boy. The boy is too strong and if he joined the rebellion he could be harm towards us and it would be shame to kill him.” Both his companions stayed still, ignoring his command.88

“The girl is too weak.” The one on the far left began, “she is too skinny, and she will be no good to Keemon and Eldoria. It would be better to go back to (?) empty handed.”89

“Maybe.” Said the Mer-thing on the far right. “But it is better then the small one that Akeem had. Although he had and older girl as well and she looked very pre…”90

Before it could finish it’s sentence the one in the middle angrily interrupted. “You don’t talk about Akeem like that! Respect your leader. We are going with the girl, and we are leaving the boy, that’s final. If you follow me without the girl or with the boy I will plead with Akeem to kill you.”91

With that said, it jumped into the water-it’s legs turning back into a tail as it did. 92

“Have fun” said the one that had argued to leave them as he jumped into the water, following their leader. 93

The last and only one left turned to the trapped and scared boy and girl behind him. 94

“An order is an order” He mumbled. And in one swift motion he leapt, tackled Meg and dived towards the water. Screaming, Meg was carried into the water, her hand slipping from Charles’ one. 95

“MEG!” he yelled as he dived in after them. 96