Hell Upside Down

Chapter 19

Point of View Alena

The boat brought us to a dock, where we were accompanied to a lighthouse. The people who drove us were wearing a mask and black caps. Their faces are covered. Willow had stayed by me on the boat and petted Blaze, who comforted her. I wondered where we were going and why we were not going straight to Hellia.

- "This is your transition period. You will stay here for a day, just to calm down before you return to Hellia." Said the man with the cap as if he could read my mind.

As soon as we entered the building, the caped people left us at the door. I joined a big spacious room. Thomas and Noah had showered, cleaned up, and eating stacks of meat at the counter.

- "Glad to see you made it out alive." Noah said as he dove back into his food.

Thomas had already finished his plate and noticed the person standing beside me. He looked confused and pointed at her. "Who the hell is that?"

I would have thought that Noah would have hit him in the head or sent him a look like he did each time Thomas said something somewhat inappropriate. Noah surprised me when he didn't. He looked curious too and somewhat disappointed. He finished his food and turned towards me while Willow was static next to me.

- "This is Willow. She's not a creature; she's a student who was left behind last year." I explained as I took Willow's hand.

She was covered in mud and smelled terrible. Noah and Thomas turned around, probably didn't want to say anymore in front of her. I dragged her upstairs, where I found a bathroom. I still couldn't believe we had made it out of the Maze alive. I was grateful that we had time to rest and breathe before returning to civilization. I still couldn't believe what had happened, including parts I forgot when I passed out.

Willow hadn't spoken at all. She let me undress her and push her into the shower, where the water washed all the mud away. Her eyes never met mine as she stared at an invisible point in the tile of the shower. She seemed lost. I wondered if it was too late if she had lost all her humanity.

I used a sponge to watch her off. I moved quickly across her body, and once I was done, I wrapped her body in a towel. I found a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt in the room next door. I put them on her; she helped me a bit by raising her arm. She didn't seem nervous or scared of me seeing her in such a state.

Once clothes, I finally saw her beauty. She had olive skin and light green eyes with dirty blond hair, which fell at the bottom of her back. She had a bunch of freckles across her face and full lips.

I left her downstairs with the boys before I went back up to take a shower.

- "Please watch her, and don't do anything dumb with her." I ordered the two guys who were watching some sports on tv.

When I came back down, cleaned, and in a new pair of clothes, I came back down. Willow was still sitting at the same place where I had left her.

Noah turned back to me once the commercial started. "So, now that we are officially part of the Shadow Cast, what symbol are you getting?"

I had never thought about the question. I didn't think I would survive the Maze or be accepted. I felt a long time; I wanted something that reminded me of the Shadow Cast. The one that I admired growing up. Blaze was lying at my feet. He had already saved my life and always stayed by my side. I wanted something that reminded me of him. I wanted Blaze to be my symbol. He was a beautiful creature; he helped me pass the test.

- "I don't know yet." I lied as I wasn't ready to share this information yet. I wanted to surprise everyone, including Blaze. I knew he was a creature, but I could swear that he could understand me. "What about you guys?" I asked.

Noah and Thomas looked at each other with excitement. "We both want a wolf." They said together.

This was a big moment in our lives. It was going to be a symbol that we would have for the rest of our lives. It would mean that we were part of Hellia; it demanded respect. Somehow, I also heard that the symbol you choose should not be chosen lightly.

- "I want a Willow Tree with the N initial, for Nero, my soulmate."

We all turned our heads towards Willow, who had barely spoken yet. At the sudden attention she received, she seemed to shut down again. I gulped as I knew that things weren't going to be straightforward with this whole situation of soulmates.

Thomas and Noah looked at me as they both knew my roommate and Nero. They had crossed paths in the past.

- "As in Nero, the tall guy from Nallia?" Thomas asked.

He exchanged looks with his brother and looked back at me. I wanted to tell them every one, but it was too delicate to speak about in front of Willow. She had been through a lot. She didn't respond to his question but slowly nodded her head and brought her knees up to her chest.

- "Oh, damn." He replied while scratching his head while I tried to catch his attention and send him death stares to make him understand to stop talking about it. "Do you know how long you've been trapped in the Maze?"

She paused for a moment before counting her fingers. "I think maybe a month." She reflected.

Thomas looked at her with pity. Willow had no idea that so many things had changed. It wasn't a month, but a whole year that she had missed. Adding to that, her soulmate thought her dead and now was dating her old roommate. This was going to get messy.

- "We have a lot to figure out." I clap my hands. "I think it's time to go to bed!"