Songs of the Storm, part 4: Calling You (Cassandra Project)
For James, my hero.
Cassie woke up with her head in Joshua's lap. He dozed sitting up, his hands still in hers. The tarp had been neatly folded beside them and the blanket had been tucked around them by what she could only assume were caring hands. She blinked a few times against the sunshine and felt the sharp stab of reality as she realized they were surrounded by the murky water that chased them in the night.
That's when she heard the singing.
A woman wearing jeans and a t-shirt sat not far form them, singing under her breath. Her hair was in a way too neat plait and her bare feet were devoid of dirt. Cassie squinted. “Good morning...? Or is it morning?”
The woman smiled. “It is indeed morning, Cassandra. A friend sent me to make sure you were safe since she knew I would be here.”
“Athena,” Cassie breathed. She sat up, swallowing her tears. “I don't recognize you, I'm sorry.”
The woman laughed, moving to get closer. “Not that you would, dear. I'm Kwan Yin.”
“Japanese Kami of Mercy,” came from Joshua. He didn't hide his tears. “If you're here, it must be bad.”
The goddess' smile radiated sorrow. “Yes, child. You know who I am?”
He nodded, wiping his face. “What do we do now?”
Kwan Yin stepped over Cassie to kneel in front of him, drawing him close. “You're safe, child,” she whispered. “Just be strong a while longer. We need you to come out of this in one piece. I have faith in you.” She kissed his forehead.
He clung to her, raw awful sounds coming from him as he cried into her shoulder. She rocked him, stroked his hair and rubbed his back. “Why?” he choked. “Why? Why here? Why us?”
“Don't ask,” Kwan Yin cautioned. “Sometimes the answer hurts worse than the question.”
He calmed himself with effort and she released him but kept his hand. “What do we do now?” he repeated.
The goddess bowed her head. “I can't take you with me. I have work to do. Sometimes mercy comes only in death.” She looked up, face grave. “You can't stay here. I can have someone bring you to safety.”
“Will we see you again?” Joshua's voice was near pleading.
She hugged him. “I can make no promises. It has indeed been a pleasure. Remember, we need you. Stay strong.” Her eyes cut to the side. “Your ride is here.”
A young man in a flannel shirt and combat boots paddled a flatboat with an expert skill. He nodded at them as he guided the boat to rest beside the house. “All set?”
Kwan Yin nodded and helped them in. Once they were settled, the man began paddling. Cassie stared at him. “I know you. We've met.” Her eyes widened. “CHARON?!”
Joshua went white. “The one who ferries people across the river Styx?! Are we dead?!”
Charon laughed. “No, you're alive. I'm not here for you. I'm here as a favor to a friend of yours. My job is to bring you to the interstate and that's all. I do have a pick-up on the way.” Kwan Yin bowed her head.
Cassie looked around her for the first time, struck by how surreal everything seemed. Water hide the ground and was almost halfway to the roof in some places, cars and boats on top of houses. Worse was hearing the silence. No birds sang, no traffic. No people.
Charon guided the boat down their street, past boarded windows and floating trashcans. He maneuvered his way onto St. Claude, ignoring the looters pouring out of the convience store with their arms full of junk food and beer. Cassie noted in her daze that the water was only to their waist and one dragged a child behind her, one little hand clutching a snack cake. A gun went off and Charon grinned. “I'll swing back later.”
They rode in silence as Charon made his way to Elysian Fields. The buildings, windows boarded and doors shut with two by fours, seem to bow their heads in sadness. The ancient oaks that lined the street tried to hold their heads up proudly, silently sending the message that they would endure. The worse part was the voices. Cassie wept as she heard a woman calling out for someone, anyone to help. An elderly voice, made genderless by years of use, begged for someone to come because his daughter wasn't breathing. A child cried, screamed.
Joshua fell apart. He curled in the bottom of the boat, the anguish he had been choking down came boiling to the surface and coming up in the form of silent screaming. Kwan Yin knelt beside him, stroking his hair without speaking and reached for Cassie's hand.
The moment the goddess' hand touched hers, the voices fell away and were replaced by warm, tender compassion. “I will come back for them,” Kwan Yin promised quietly. “They will not suffer for long. They will be saved.”
“What about the others?” Cassie managed to say. “What of them? Are you saving them all?”
Charon stopped rowing, turned around and slapped Cassie across the face hard enough to knock her back. “You who have the gift of not only Sight but immortality dare ask the one who risked her very existence to save your worthless ass such things? You should be grateful and shut your goddamned mouth for once. Listen to yourself, spineless wonder.” He glared at her. “You know that life and death are part of a cycle. Only the cursed live forever. Rejoice that some will find peace.” He went back to rowing.
Kwan Yin looked away, her face hard.
Cassie squeezed her hand. “He's right. I'm sorry. I had no right.” The goddess forced a smile.
Their boat joined others moving toward the interstate. Charon guided the boat past people struggling to walk through the flood, some dragging air mattresses full of children or elderly and other guiding boats full to capacity. “Why can't they see us?”
“Who can see their death coming for them?” Charon asked rhetorically.
Kwan Yin glared at him, her eyes wet. “I will rejoice when we part ways.”
“And I'll do a dance, sister.”
He came to the overpass beside a looter truck stop and pulled off to the side. “We can only go this far. House rules.”
“What?” Joshua blurted without thinking.
Kwan Yin nodded. “My companion is correct. There are rules we cannot break. We've bent them as far as we dare.” She kissed each of them. “Be strong. We need you.”
Joshua helped Cassie step out of the boat and stood on the overpass, watching them go. There was a shimmer of light and the boat was gone.
Moments later, a helicopter flew past them.
Joshua's hand never lost it's death grip on Cassie's as they were deposited into a sea of humanity on the Causeway bridge, the masses kept back by National Guardsmen and barricades. She tried to block out the voices as her Sight kept giving her flashes of the futures around her and tried to keep Joshua close.
A call came through the crowd, loud and clear. Cassie closed her eyes, letting the voice guide her. “Joshua, hold on!”
She let the tide take her, feeling hands and elbows alternately shove and pull at her. The the darkness she could smell the fear and humanity, the sense of hopeless and helplessness near overwhelming. The focused on the voice, keeping it a beacon against the darkness around them.
When she opened her eyes, she was standing beside a dark-skinned man who was leaning weakly against the barricades. His eyes found hers. Without thinking, she took his arm.
“CASSIE!”
A Guardsman rushed over, his face flushed. “She said you were here!”
Cassie squinted. “Ares?”
“Yeah,” he smiled sadly. “I wasn't leaving my people out here alone.” He glanced at the big man on her arm. “Let me get you guys some water. Hold tight.”
He disappeared then reappeared with bottles of water. The man downed one with a grateful “thanks” then sipped another. Cassie passed hers to a child standing near them and shared one with Joshua. “What now?”
Ares sighed. “There's been massive flooring, rampant hysteria and looting. I made sure Eris was in Barcelona.”
Cassie laughed, then started crying. The man caught her before she fell, holding her like a child. “What's to be done with us?” she asked when she had composed herself and squeezed the man's hand in thanks.
“Bussed to Texas.” He glanced up. “Here comes your ride... Let's go.”
“He...” she looked up. “What's your name?”
“James,” the man said, finishing the second bottle of water.
“James is with us,” Cassie informed Ares.
He nodded. “Gotcha. I broke every other rule, why the hell not?” He moved them through the barricades and deposited them on the bus. “Be careful, Cassie. My sister would not be pleased if you were hurt on the way.”
She hugged the war god. “Thank you.”
He smiled. “See you later, Cassandra.”
The three of them slept the entire way to Houston. The bus stopped outside of the Astrodome, doors opened to release it's passengers. James went to stand but Cassie caught his hand. “Call her. Now. She's scared to death.” She handed him quarters form her pocket. “You'll need these.”
He looked puzzled. “Thanks?”
They hugged each other and stepped off the bus in time for Cassie and Joshua to be tackled by a blonde woman and a short brunette.
Athena, face streaked with tears and smudged with worry, held Cassie tight while Nike sobbed on Joshua's shoulder. “We were worried but father wouldn't let me save you! I-I...”
Cassie shushed her. “We're safe now.” She lowered her head. “Some weren't so lucky.”
“Some were.” Nike looked at James by the pay phone.
“Dee?” he said into the receiver. “Can you hear me?”
For those who want to know more about James' journey, you can find it here: http://tw1stedwh1spers.livejournal.com/31555.html
One of the worst experiences of the storm for me was thinking he was gone.
Cassie woke up with her head in Joshua's lap. He dozed sitting up, his hands still in hers. The tarp had been neatly folded beside them and the blanket had been tucked around them by what she could only assume were caring hands. She blinked a few times against the sunshine and felt the sharp stab of reality as she realized they were surrounded by the murky water that chased them in the night.
That's when she heard the singing.
A woman wearing jeans and a t-shirt sat not far form them, singing under her breath. Her hair was in a way too neat plait and her bare feet were devoid of dirt. Cassie squinted. “Good morning...? Or is it morning?”
The woman smiled. “It is indeed morning, Cassandra. A friend sent me to make sure you were safe since she knew I would be here.”
“Athena,” Cassie breathed. She sat up, swallowing her tears. “I don't recognize you, I'm sorry.”
The woman laughed, moving to get closer. “Not that you would, dear. I'm Kwan Yin.”
“Japanese Kami of Mercy,” came from Joshua. He didn't hide his tears. “If you're here, it must be bad.”
The goddess' smile radiated sorrow. “Yes, child. You know who I am?”
He nodded, wiping his face. “What do we do now?”
Kwan Yin stepped over Cassie to kneel in front of him, drawing him close. “You're safe, child,” she whispered. “Just be strong a while longer. We need you to come out of this in one piece. I have faith in you.” She kissed his forehead.
He clung to her, raw awful sounds coming from him as he cried into her shoulder. She rocked him, stroked his hair and rubbed his back. “Why?” he choked. “Why? Why here? Why us?”
“Don't ask,” Kwan Yin cautioned. “Sometimes the answer hurts worse than the question.”
He calmed himself with effort and she released him but kept his hand. “What do we do now?” he repeated.
The goddess bowed her head. “I can't take you with me. I have work to do. Sometimes mercy comes only in death.” She looked up, face grave. “You can't stay here. I can have someone bring you to safety.”
“Will we see you again?” Joshua's voice was near pleading.
She hugged him. “I can make no promises. It has indeed been a pleasure. Remember, we need you. Stay strong.” Her eyes cut to the side. “Your ride is here.”
A young man in a flannel shirt and combat boots paddled a flatboat with an expert skill. He nodded at them as he guided the boat to rest beside the house. “All set?”
Kwan Yin nodded and helped them in. Once they were settled, the man began paddling. Cassie stared at him. “I know you. We've met.” Her eyes widened. “CHARON?!”
Joshua went white. “The one who ferries people across the river Styx?! Are we dead?!”
Charon laughed. “No, you're alive. I'm not here for you. I'm here as a favor to a friend of yours. My job is to bring you to the interstate and that's all. I do have a pick-up on the way.” Kwan Yin bowed her head.
Cassie looked around her for the first time, struck by how surreal everything seemed. Water hide the ground and was almost halfway to the roof in some places, cars and boats on top of houses. Worse was hearing the silence. No birds sang, no traffic. No people.
Charon guided the boat down their street, past boarded windows and floating trashcans. He maneuvered his way onto St. Claude, ignoring the looters pouring out of the convience store with their arms full of junk food and beer. Cassie noted in her daze that the water was only to their waist and one dragged a child behind her, one little hand clutching a snack cake. A gun went off and Charon grinned. “I'll swing back later.”
They rode in silence as Charon made his way to Elysian Fields. The buildings, windows boarded and doors shut with two by fours, seem to bow their heads in sadness. The ancient oaks that lined the street tried to hold their heads up proudly, silently sending the message that they would endure. The worse part was the voices. Cassie wept as she heard a woman calling out for someone, anyone to help. An elderly voice, made genderless by years of use, begged for someone to come because his daughter wasn't breathing. A child cried, screamed.
Joshua fell apart. He curled in the bottom of the boat, the anguish he had been choking down came boiling to the surface and coming up in the form of silent screaming. Kwan Yin knelt beside him, stroking his hair without speaking and reached for Cassie's hand.
The moment the goddess' hand touched hers, the voices fell away and were replaced by warm, tender compassion. “I will come back for them,” Kwan Yin promised quietly. “They will not suffer for long. They will be saved.”
“What about the others?” Cassie managed to say. “What of them? Are you saving them all?”
Charon stopped rowing, turned around and slapped Cassie across the face hard enough to knock her back. “You who have the gift of not only Sight but immortality dare ask the one who risked her very existence to save your worthless ass such things? You should be grateful and shut your goddamned mouth for once. Listen to yourself, spineless wonder.” He glared at her. “You know that life and death are part of a cycle. Only the cursed live forever. Rejoice that some will find peace.” He went back to rowing.
Kwan Yin looked away, her face hard.
Cassie squeezed her hand. “He's right. I'm sorry. I had no right.” The goddess forced a smile.
Their boat joined others moving toward the interstate. Charon guided the boat past people struggling to walk through the flood, some dragging air mattresses full of children or elderly and other guiding boats full to capacity. “Why can't they see us?”
“Who can see their death coming for them?” Charon asked rhetorically.
Kwan Yin glared at him, her eyes wet. “I will rejoice when we part ways.”
“And I'll do a dance, sister.”
He came to the overpass beside a looter truck stop and pulled off to the side. “We can only go this far. House rules.”
“What?” Joshua blurted without thinking.
Kwan Yin nodded. “My companion is correct. There are rules we cannot break. We've bent them as far as we dare.” She kissed each of them. “Be strong. We need you.”
Joshua helped Cassie step out of the boat and stood on the overpass, watching them go. There was a shimmer of light and the boat was gone.
Moments later, a helicopter flew past them.
Joshua's hand never lost it's death grip on Cassie's as they were deposited into a sea of humanity on the Causeway bridge, the masses kept back by National Guardsmen and barricades. She tried to block out the voices as her Sight kept giving her flashes of the futures around her and tried to keep Joshua close.
A call came through the crowd, loud and clear. Cassie closed her eyes, letting the voice guide her. “Joshua, hold on!”
She let the tide take her, feeling hands and elbows alternately shove and pull at her. The the darkness she could smell the fear and humanity, the sense of hopeless and helplessness near overwhelming. The focused on the voice, keeping it a beacon against the darkness around them.
When she opened her eyes, she was standing beside a dark-skinned man who was leaning weakly against the barricades. His eyes found hers. Without thinking, she took his arm.
“CASSIE!”
A Guardsman rushed over, his face flushed. “She said you were here!”
Cassie squinted. “Ares?”
“Yeah,” he smiled sadly. “I wasn't leaving my people out here alone.” He glanced at the big man on her arm. “Let me get you guys some water. Hold tight.”
He disappeared then reappeared with bottles of water. The man downed one with a grateful “thanks” then sipped another. Cassie passed hers to a child standing near them and shared one with Joshua. “What now?”
Ares sighed. “There's been massive flooring, rampant hysteria and looting. I made sure Eris was in Barcelona.”
Cassie laughed, then started crying. The man caught her before she fell, holding her like a child. “What's to be done with us?” she asked when she had composed herself and squeezed the man's hand in thanks.
“Bussed to Texas.” He glanced up. “Here comes your ride... Let's go.”
“He...” she looked up. “What's your name?”
“James,” the man said, finishing the second bottle of water.
“James is with us,” Cassie informed Ares.
He nodded. “Gotcha. I broke every other rule, why the hell not?” He moved them through the barricades and deposited them on the bus. “Be careful, Cassie. My sister would not be pleased if you were hurt on the way.”
She hugged the war god. “Thank you.”
He smiled. “See you later, Cassandra.”
The three of them slept the entire way to Houston. The bus stopped outside of the Astrodome, doors opened to release it's passengers. James went to stand but Cassie caught his hand. “Call her. Now. She's scared to death.” She handed him quarters form her pocket. “You'll need these.”
He looked puzzled. “Thanks?”
They hugged each other and stepped off the bus in time for Cassie and Joshua to be tackled by a blonde woman and a short brunette.
Athena, face streaked with tears and smudged with worry, held Cassie tight while Nike sobbed on Joshua's shoulder. “We were worried but father wouldn't let me save you! I-I...”
Cassie shushed her. “We're safe now.” She lowered her head. “Some weren't so lucky.”
“Some were.” Nike looked at James by the pay phone.
“Dee?” he said into the receiver. “Can you hear me?”
For those who want to know more about James' journey, you can find it here: http://tw1stedwh1spers.livejournal.com/31555.html
One of the worst experiences of the storm for me was thinking he was gone.