The Demigods

Chapter6: Leaving Home

I stumbled backwards as a ram like looking beast smashed through the barriers I had drawn, I stumbled backwards, climbing up the toilet I quickly scrambled and over into the next stall just as the beast smashed into the previous one. I worked my way swiftly through the stalls until I was three stalls away the creature still hot on my tail, I looked back which was a terrible mistake as I lost my footing and slipped off the toilet and landed painfully on my ankle, I tried to scramble up but any slight movement sent unbearable pain up my ankle as the creature smashed into my current stall where I lay helpless it loomed over me and then stuck it's hand into my chest, it's huge beefy hand tearing through my chest and grasping my heart, I let out a strangled gasp as pain shot through my body, black spots dotted my vision as I felt some kind of power flow into my heart, my life flashed before my eyes, and I mean that literally, my first birthday, my seventh birthday, my thirteenth birthday and the day when I entered my dad's office at home without permission, I vividly remember that day and not because I was currently seeing it through my eyes, my dad had always warned me to stay away from his office if course being a child I would make up imaginary stories as to why I was forbidden to go there, one day after school as I was passing by his office and I noticed his keys were still in the lock, quickly without thinking I turned the lock and entered his office, it was huge and filled with rows and rows if old looking books with weird symbols engraved on the walls, I inspected every book until one caught my attention, it glowed like it was made of gold, and when I removed the book, I noticed a hallow compartment, I tried to open it but it wouldn't budge, after two minutes of trying I gave up and returned the book quietly slipping out of his office. I let out a strangled scream as I felt the masquerade's hand tighten around my heart, my limbs were now numb and blood dribbled down my chin from the corners of my mouth my vision was nearly completely black when  felt a him of electricity pulse through the bathroom, the masquerade's grasp slacked and then released my heart, it fell to the ground eyes wide and body convulsing, revealing a very pissed off Keyshia, her expression turned to one of worry when she saw me "oh my god Demelovo!" She cried as she rushed towards me trying to staunch the flow of blood, I groaned as Seth, Fela and Aaliyah entered the toilet "what happened?" Aaliyah asked as she knelt beside me, she carefully peeled off my blood soaked shirt and pressed her hand against the wound I hissed as her freezing fingers made contact with my wound, "calm down" said Aaliyah as she used her ice to help relive some of the pain, "so did you guys get all of them?" I managed to ask as Seth and Fela hoisted me up "yeah" Fela replied "cool" I said as darkness surrounded me.
"Demelovo" a familiar voice called, I groaned and opened my eyes "Choine?" I asked, she grinned "the one and only" she said "where am I?" I asked as I tried to sit up, my chest felt warm and sticky for some reason, Choine gently pushed me back by my shoulders, "rest, Hehet said you suffered a fatal injury and you're lucky to be alive" said Choine, I groaned and laid down "Demelovo!" Keyisha screeched as she burst into the room Fela right beside her with Amare and Aaliyah following behind them with Jawara and Seth pulling up the rear, "hey guys" I said as Keyisha flung herself at me Fela shoved a tray with plate of mountains if food, "Keyisha you're squeezing too tight" I said weakly tapping her arm she pulled away "I thought you died when you blacked out and wouldn't wake up, Hehet said you might not wake up and-" "you were out for three days" said Fela, "no wonder I'm so hungry" I said as I wolfed down the plates of food Fela brought "anyways we just came to see how you were doy Keyisha wouldn't stop talking about how you were doomed to die" said Jawara as Keyisha elbowed him "what happened in the toilet?" Seth asked, "yeah, I thought you created a shield" said Fela "I did but the masquerade destroyed it and I ran but I slipped and twisted my ankle and it just-" my voice trailed off "stuck it's hand in your chest?" Keyisha said I nodded "it was like my life was flashing before my eyes and then it kind of zoomed into one memory" I explained "and?" Said Aaliyah "i entered my dad's office I wasn't supposed to it was off limits, it was kind of like a library and I found this book it was glowing like gold and I took it out and there was this compartment behind it and when I tried to open it, it wouldn't budge and yeah, that's what happened" I narrated "do you think it has something to do with the orb?" Choine asked "well, the masquerades did kill his dad because he refused to tell them what he knew, so yeah I guess" said Fela "so what do we do?" Keyisha asked "we should go check it out" said Jawara "Demelovo you know where it is, right?" Amare asked, I nodded "great, let's get going" said Fela "how are we going to get to my house?" I asked "the same way you went home, a portal" Keyisha replied grabbing my wrist and leading me to the meadows the others trailing behind us, "there are barriers surrounding us and this is where they end once we step through all you have to do is focus to where you want to go to" she instructed I nodded "ready?" Choine asked I nodded as I took a step forward imagining the delicious aroma of my mother's egusi soup wafting through the house, the small garden at the back of the house that she tried to care for and the warm cream colored walls which his mother strictly warned him never to touch and the cold spotless tiles.
I opened my eyes I was standing in the driveway of my house the others beside me, "wow" I breathed as Choine grinned at me "come on let's get going" she said, as we entered the house luckily my mother wasn't around she went to visit my aunt her sister assuming I would be sleeping over at Tunde's, I crept up the stairs the others following behind me, as we padded down the empty corridors, I stopped beside my mother's bedroom where the door to my dad's office was supposed to be "um, where's the door?" Keyisha asked sounding confused "I don't know, it's supposed to be here" I replied as I pressed my palm against the wall remembering the huge well polished oakwood door, I gasped as wood brushed against my palm, I grabbed the door handle and pushed open the door "pretty clever trick to keep people out" said Seth, as I  looked around the huge office it was just like how I remembered, stacked with shelves upon shelves of books, I walked down the aisles between the familiar aisles, and then I found the book, glowing bright gold, I pulled it out, relived that the compartment was still there I pressed my palm against it imagining it unlocking and then something clicked and the compartment opened.