I stared at the monster, mesmerized by the snakes coiling around her head. Now also turned to stone, I wondered if they had moved around while the monster was still alive.
“We need to capture the essence of the Gorgon and then put her back in the box,” Rhyker explained. “Lock her up back where she belongs.”
“Okay.” I nodded, although my mind refused to form a single coherent thought.
Monsters were real.
All of this was real.
“So, you needed the mirror app because…” I turned to Rhyker, waiting for him to reply.
“If the Gorgon looked at her own mirror image, she would turn herself into stone,” he explained. “You mentioned a mirror upstairs that was cracked? This could explain the Gorgon’s presence here, if this house was the last place she visited before being put into Pandora’s box, it’s likely she woke up here.”
“There’s a statue upstairs,” I told him. “Of a woman looking terrifying, and wearing a nightgown. It scared Emlyn and I half to death earlier today.”
Rhyker nodded. “Probably one of her victims. The Gorgon no doubt broke the mirror herself, just so no one could use it against her.” He paused for a second, licking his lips. “If she was the last monster roaming around Ash House before the Ash’s disappeared, then maybe she’s the one who killed them.”
“Most of them died in the fire, though,” I said. “At least, that’s what I read. Nothing about people turning into statues.”
“Hm.” Rhyker shrugged and walked toward the Gorgon. “Either way, we’ll have to lock her up into the box, and then we’ll have to figure out what to do next. She’s only the first of an impressive horde of monsters Pandora’s offspring locked up over the years, and we’ve got a lot of work carved out for us.”
“Can I ask you something?” I asked him, my voice slightly lower than before. “How do you know so much about all this? And why are you helping me?”
He didn’t reply for a while.
Just when I started thinking he wouldn’t bother answer that, he did.
“Because I’m a descendant of Pandora too,” he said. “And long ago, a monster got the better of me. My siblings had no choice…” A hint of sadness had crept into his voice, and tears glistened in his eyes. “They could either let the monster go, allow it to cause mayhem everywhere it went, or they could lock it up… But not without locking me up as well.”
My heart skipped a beat. “You…” My gaze slipped to the box. “You were in there?”
“Yes. For hundreds of years.” Rhyker sighed. “It was a horrible choice, but one they had to make. For the good of mankind. I urged them to do it, to let me go, and thank the Gods, they listened.”
“But they locked you up.” I blinked, not understanding how he could be so forgiving. If anyone put me in a cage for several centuries, I would tear half the world apart in rage.
“They had no choice. I’m a descendant of Pandora, Faye,” Rhyker said while moving right in front of me, his eyes boring into mine.
His eyes were gorgeous, like the start of the storm, the depths of the ocean.
“That means I’m destined to hunt down monsters. And now you’ve opened that box, you’re in this as well. We have no choice. We have to hunt down every single monster roaming the earth, and lock them back up where they belong.” He patted the box.
I swallowed hard. “Put them back in Pandora’s box.”
Untitled
The story continues in THE MONSTERS OF PANDORA, releasing winter 2020.
Author Bio
Majanka Verstraete studied law and criminology, and now works as Legal Counsel. Writing is her passion ever since she learned how to read.
She writes about all things supernatural, her books ranging from children’s picture books to young adult novels, all the way to new adult academy and reverse harem books.
Check out her website for more information about her current series and her upcoming projects: http://majankaverstraete.com
The Water-Man
Leslie Conzatti
The Water-Man © 2020 Leslie Conzatti
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Chapter 1
“Hello, this is Grove Family Medicine. Dr. Ashley Grove is taking a holiday with his daughter and won’t be back for a week at least…”
A week… The doctor’s face broke into a smile as he thought of Miss Finchley, the receptionist fielding calls with the prepared speech. She would have it down pat by the third or fourth repetition. In case the apology was not sufficient, the impossibly amiable woman had been armed with a litany of hospitals for emergency cases. Meanwhile, it had been years since Dr. Grove had a day off, and he planned to enjoy every minute of the coming week. Not that he resented his patients for being sick—but one person taking care of so many did get a little wearisome after a time.
Ash glanced to his left, where his daughter Madeline sat. Her nut-brown curls flowed easily over her shoulders as she stared out the window. She’d been pretty silent the whole time, and Ash was getting the feeling that perhaps she preferred it that way. He never knew quite what to make of his daughter. Maybe it was normal
