Summer of the Lake House

Summer of the Lake House


Chapter Six: Abandon all Hope Ye who Enter Here

A/N: Okies, as I said before, this chapter is gonna be a little different as it’s entirely in Tylers POV. I’ve been thinking about this for awhile and planning what I should do but as usual I go where my plot bunny leads. Enjoy.

And yay to all the lovely reviewers, you’re all so nice. *hands out muffins*


Tyler’s POV:


I couldn’t stop shaking. I was cold, wet, and scared. I knew this would happen. I could feel it the second Dion left that I wasn’t going to be rescued, that something was going to happen. I was right.

After Dion had been gone for a while the Raven man became restless. I was afraid of him. Just like with the kid I could see flickers of what was behind the mask, that great winged being that was hiding behind the mischievous eyes. He was beautiful and terrible and I felt deathly afraid to be in his presence, the presence of a power greater than myself. It was much the same with Amenci but with the noticeable difference that he was a gentle force, I wasn’t afraid like I was with Raven.

As he paced irritably I could see further and further into the mask. I sat on the damp floor where he had left me and tried to make myself as still and invisible as I could while he walked back and forth in front of me.

I could feel the power radiating off of him, a careless, easy power that no normal person could or should ever have. It made my bones ache and my teeth chatter. He was old, very, very old, I knew this, but he was also childish with the carelessness a child has about the world. He could do all of this without remorse because of that childishness. He could crush me and everyone within a hundred mile radius without a hint of pity because he was only playing a game. He was a kid stepping on an anthill, laughing as he watched them scurry around in a panic.

How did I know these things? How could I see his true self and feel him when Dion couldn’t or when all of them couldn’t see how different Amenci was?

My head ached. I pressed the palm of my hands into my forehead, trying to stop the pressure from building. This was too much; my body felt like it was attached to electric wires. I wanted to run, to move or scream or do anything that would relieve this damn itch that had been building ever since I had set eyes on that kid. Raven’s appearance had only magnified it to an unbearable level.

Tears crawled slowly down my cheeks. I was trapped and I couldn’t do anything to help myself. The feeling wouldn’t go away and my head was spinning thanks to all this new information it was suddenly trying to process.

I had always been a little more aware than other people, a little more connected, but this was pure insanity. All this shit was buzzing around in my mind and I couldn’t stop it.

I sat wallowing in my own agony for I don’t know how long. I was so wrapped up in it I didn’t notice Raven leaving or even his return until I felt the startling warmth of sunlight on my back. I looked up slowly, hardly able to see with my clouded, watery eyes. For a split second I actually thought I was safe, that Raven had gotten what he wanted and was gone.

A split second was all the time I had. My hopes were crushed when I saw an enormous dark shadow pass across the floor and settle directly over top of me, blocking out the sun and making my stomach drop with a sickening lurch. I didn’t bother looking up, I couldn’t see but I already knew what it was. The enormous bursts of wind chilled my already cold body and seemed to make the water on me freeze up like icicles. The bursts of wind got closer and closer to me and I let myself go limp as the sun was completely blacked out. When the large talons closed around my middle I didn’t even flinch, I had all but shut down. I could feel the cool claws wrapping me up and lifting me off the ground but it felt like it wasn’t really happening to me. It felt like watching a movie, it was happening but not to me, I was so far away and disconnected I didn’t even care as I rose higher and higher into the air and away from my life.

I didn’t need my second sight to tell me my life was over. The father those talons carried me away from the ground the more I could feel it carrying me away from my old life, from my family, my friends, everything good and familiar.

I felt it with a deep sense of loss.

I could never go back.

My life was over.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

By the time we landed my tears had long since dried. I wasn’t ok by a long shot but I didn’t feel like I was going crazy anymore. All that was left now was a lingering sickness and the deepest sense of loss and depression I had ever felt in my life. If you’ve ever had a moment in you’re life where you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and life just seems to close in on you in a heavy blanket of isolation and depression than you’ll know what I’m talking about. The world seemed so much darker than it had a few hours ago.

I watched the enormous raven land in front of me and once more become the stick thin, feathered man from before. I didn’t even bat an eye at the transformation. I just wanted to go back home, I wanted my family. The thought that I would never be able to sleep in my old bed again or see my family tore at me and overshadowed any awe I might have had for the great being.

Raven trotted up beside me, looking annoyingly happy and cheerful. Why the hell was he so happy when I was now all alone in the world? Why did he get to be happy after causing me so much misery?

He must have seen the thoughts passing over my face because his happy expression dimmed and his smile faltered. “Stop looking so sad,” demanded the feathered man.

I sighed, wanting to glare but not having the energy. I couldn’t do anything but stare blankly until Raven tuned away, looking almost uncomfortable.

“I shouldn’t have taken you.” An understatement in my opinion. “I haven’t the time to baby sit a human, much less one who’s as depressing as you.” He looked back up and crossed his arms over his thin chest. It was strange that he was still naked but for some reason I didn’t feel bothered by it anymore. He stared at me, looking as if he was considering something. I stared right back. “You’re a strange one. You must have the sight, am I right?”

“The sight?” My own voice startled me for a moment. I didn’t mean to speak but I couldn’t deny my morbid fascination with my situation. Any information was good information, right?

He nodded, making the feathers on his head sway gently with the motion. “That’s what you people were calling it when I was on earth. You can see things other humans can’t. You can see me, can’t you? My real self?”

The mask wavered again and even more of the bird man was revealed. I gulped nervously at the sight of the enormous figure. “You’re some sort of….spirit,” I said uncertainly.

“Something like that,” Raven agreed, “last time I checked you were all calling me a god, but I suppose I can live with that. But the point is that you can see us. In my day you would have been made a priest and I would spend all sorts of time with you,” he smiled reminiscently. “I miss those days.”

I snorted softly. “Yeah, the good old days, back when I had a home and a family.”

“Oh shut up, you!” Raven scowled darkly at me, “It’s not my fault you’re in this position. All I wanted was the boy but you’re friend had to make a big deal out of it and now look at what happened.”

“Why can’t you take me back and forget it all happened? You don’t have to keep me here.” I pleaded weakly.

“Oh yes I do. I own you now. You’re friend bargained you’re life for the boys; I didn’t get what I wanted so you are my reward. It’s a very simple concept.” He gave me a look that said I was a total jackass for suggesting any different.

I perked up hopefully. “So if you get Amenci then you’ll give me back? Just make a switch and trade us again? My life isn’t over?”

“We-ell…no. That’s just one of those things that sound really good but never actually get followed through with. It’s to keep us all safe and happy, I’m sure. After all, can’t have too many of you’re kind going back with our secrets, now can we?”

“What do you mean,” I asked grimly, knowing I wasn’t about to hear any good news and bracing myself for the worst. I prayed I was wrong.

“You’re never going to leave here.” He declared, voicing the one thing I feared most of all. “You belong to us now and we never give back what we’ve taken from the human world. It just a rule that everyone follows, I’m not sure why. But can you imagine what would happen if the humans got a hold of things that have been touched by our power? You people don’t know how to handle power, you’d destroy each other in the blink of an eye and nobody wants that.” He paused and thought for a moment. “Oh, I guess that’s the reason.” Grinning sheepishly the feathered man shrugged and grabbed my hand, yanking me into a slow trot behind him. “Come on, we have to go now.”

“Where? Please, I just want to go back, I swear, I won’t tell anybody what happened. Nobody would believe me anyways.”

Raven didn’t answer but dragged me around the enormous stone thing in front of us. It was a towering wall of gray, just a sheer, nearly flat surface. I craned my head back I was astonished to see clouds above us, swirling peacefully around an enormous peak. It took me a second to realize that what I was seeing was a mountain. We were on a mountain.

“Oh my god! It’s huge,” I gasped, forgetting my problems for a moment at the sight of the giant stone monolith. I realized I wasn’t even seeing the full size of the mountain a moment later when I realized we were standing in the middle of an enormous ledge. I’m not even joking when I say that a couple of houses could have fit comfortable on that ledge with room for a front lawn and a street to boot.

I had never seen anything like it and somehow I doubted anyone on earth ever had either. Way to pound it into my head that I was a long way from home.

Raven laughed softly, strangely happy with my awe. “Magnificent, isn’t it? This is my home. The Home of the Gods as you people once called it.”

I looked at him in astonishment. It couldn’t be, it was all to coincidental but more and more I was beginning to see the unbelievable become reality and I knew this giant mountain could be only one thing. An ancient myth brought to life and made real before my eyes. “Mount Olympus,” I whispered, awe struck, staring up at the sheer stone wall as it disappeared into the clouds. I turned my head and looked out from the ledge to see only more clouds in a soft, wispy carpet stretching out into the horizon before me.

“Yes it is. I’m not surprised you’ve heard of it, everyone has some sort of name for it, everyone who has ever worshipped one of us.”

I nodded, “We call it Heaven.” I smirked as I starred at the pure, white blanket of clouds fanning out below us and on into forever, “It’s supposedly up in the clouds and angels sit around and play harps all day.” It was a joke but I think Raven took it literally.

His brow furrowed as he continued dragging me across the giant ledge. “That’s a strange thing to do with you’re time. What’s an angel? Is it like a god? I don’t recall meeting any angels around here.” He looked around as if an angel would pop out of nowhere. “But I’ll admit I haven’t gotten to know everyone around here. There’s just so many of them and I don’t have time to waste shaking hands with everybody. Just one of the many things I regret…”

I get the feeling he would have gone on and on if I didn’t interrupt him. God or no he was a bit of a flake. “It’s just something people believe in. Their people with wings, that’s all.” I explained softly, staring around me with an ever growing sense of my own insignificance in the face of all I was seeing.

Raven looked at me strangely. “I have wings though,” he murmured, jerking me sharply to the side and through a small opening in the mountain wall. I would have missed it if Raven hadn’t walked me through it; it was so well disguised and at a strange angle. We were plunged into complete darkness but Raven didn’t seem the least bit phased as he kept talking and talking while I was suddenly on my toes and trying not to bump my face into the stone walls. “In fact, many of us have wings; I suppose it must be a divine attribute because you humans don’t ever have them. I guess that’s where that whole angel thing must have come from. Humans do have a hard time telling one thing from another, one minute I’m a god the next I’m this ‘angel’ thing, I do wish you’d all make up you’re minds.” He sighed wearily. “Why must you name me like this? I’m simply Raven, that’s good enough for me, I don’t need all these names, and it gets to confusing. But I have to admit, and many others will agree with me, I do like being worshipped. It’s kind of nice to have so many people looking to you.” There was a long pause, really long, I thought Raven might have run out of steam but then he continued on, to my amazement, in a whining sort of voice. “I miss my people. They must be so lost without me. I’m so bad just leaving them like that, they must think I’ve abandon them but it’s not true…..I just forgot,” he whimpered sadly.

He stopped suddenly. I bumped into him with a small squeak of surprise. I couldn’t really tell for sure in the dark but I think he turned to face me.

“Am I a bad person,” he asked mournfully.

“What?” I squawked in surprise. That was the LAST question I ever thought to be answering in that situation.

“Am I a bad person? I feel like I am.”

“Um….no, I’m sure you’re a nice guy.” I responded uncertainly.

Another pause before Raven let out a loud laugh that startled me so bad my body started tingling fearfully again. “Oh thank goodness. I was so worried that what everyone was saying was true. Everyone say’s I’m mean and careless but I’m not really a bad person.” His voice became soft and subdued. “I try hard to be thoughtful but I just forget that people can get hurt.”

After that Raven didn’t say anything more. I stumbled along behind him, blind and lost but for some reason I couldn’t help but feel for Raven. Dion was always telling me how much of a bleeding heart I was. He was probably right when he told me I should stop worrying about the world’s problems and help myself first, but I can’t help myself. Whenever I saw somebody or something in need I had to try, it would eat me up inside if I didn’t try to help. I empathized too much and this was grossly obvious when I began feeling bad for Raven.

The man who in one fell swoop had destroyed my entire life and made me his prisoner was the same man that I was now feeling bad for. I honestly felt like hugging him and telling him that he wasn’t a bad person but I just couldn’t bring myself to comfort my captor.

It was a long time before anything was said. Raven led me through corridor after corridor and I knew there was no possible way of me ever getting out alone. I wanted to run away but that would have been beyond stupid. We kept walking for I don’t know how long but my legs were burning by the time I saw a tiny flicker of light ahead of us.

“Where are you taking me,” asked nervously.

“I’m not keeping you. I can’t take care of you properly; you probably know that, you’d be dead before the end of the week if I tried.” I saw his head turn and he gave me an encouraging smile in the dim light. “I’m leaving you with someone nice. He’ll be good to you, I’m sure. You’ve probably heard of him, everyone has I’m sure, he partially rules the Underworld after all.”

My knees weakened and I stumbled in shock, the only thing that kept me up was Ravens steady hand.

“Easy there. He’s not so bad. I’ll admit he’s not the easiest person to like and he’ll be a stern master but you’ll be in good hands. Trust me,” he said gently, obviously trying to make some effort to comfort me.

“You’re giving me to Hades?” I squeaked faintly.

“Hades? Is that another one of you’re strange names? I don’t know about Hades. It sounds familiar but there are many Underworld Gods, after all, there are a WHOLE lot of dead people so you need a whole lot of people to manage them. Some people collect the dead, other people judge them, others Shepard them, and some do the paper work. And don’t even get me started on how much work it is to maintain the River Styx. The dead have been floating in now more than ever and it keeps getting stuck and backing up for days at a time. I went down there once, souls piled up to here.” He made a random gesture with his hand. “It’s a full time job. Not to mention the enormous waiting list in Purgatory, that’s just a mess, there are people that have been waiting for hundreds of years to be processed. Isn’t that sick?” He gave me a look that suggested that I should agree with him.

I didn’t really care about the situation in Purgatory. “Don’t bring me there. I don’t care if you’re careless, I’ll go with you.”

“No no, you’re going with Lucie. You’ll be fine,” he assured me yanking my stiff body towards the light and into a large room that instantly struck me as some sort of strange melding of an office and a dungeon. The right corner was dominated by a giant, crackling granite fireplace and the back was filled entirely by a large hardwood desk and an enormous throne-like chair that was padded with a rich, velvety red material. Beyond that it was barren, simply a cold, stone room.

I shivered as Raven dragged me into the room. Despite the roaring fire I was cold in that room and more afraid than I had been, even more so than following Raven blindly through the mountain. The room was so big and cold, I could just imagine the man who worked there day after day. I have no illusions about my strength, both mental and physical. The last thing I wanted was to be left in the care of a cruel man who would prey on my weaknesses.

I tied to dig my feet into the ground and stand steady but Raven was much stronger than he looked. He pulled me effortlessly across the floor despite my struggling; he didn’t even look like he noticed my protests.

“I don’t want to be here!” I cried. “I don’t belong to you people! I just want to go back home.”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured pulling me over to the enormous throne-like chair and pushing me to my knees beside it. “He won’t be a bad master, I promise. Just be polite and quiet and he’ll leave you alone. I’ll even come by again and you can tell me more about these ‘angels’ of yours.” With those final words the feathered man closed his hands around my wrist and the arm of the chair. A warm gold glow began underneath his fingers formed a solid rope of light between his two hands. He let go and I watched, mystified, as the glow slowly faded, leaving behind a thin, delicate gold chain connecting my wrist to the chair. “There we go. Now be good, you don’t want to make a bad impression, do you?”

I made some sort of sound in the back of my throat that I had never made before, a strangled wailing sound that sounded so alien to me. I tugged the chain as hard as I could but neither it nor the chair showed any signs of moving in the slightest. “You can’t do this to me,” I gasped, clawing frantically at the gold band encircling my wrist.

Raven calmly put his hand over my wrist to stop my clawing. “Don’t do that. I really, truly don’t want you to be hurt. I like you. So you have to believe me when I say that you’ll be fine. The chain is for your own protection, there are things outside of this room that will hurt you if you give them the chance. If you think its bad now I assure you it would be a thousand times worse if you were in the care of the Underworld’s creatures. Lucie will keep you safe, okay.”

I didn’t want to. I wanted to stay with Raven. He was the lesser of the two evils in my mind. “I just want to go home,” I whimpered pitifully, sagging helplessly against the throne.

“You’ll be fine,” Raven whispered, patting my head as he stood up.

I watched in silence as he walked away, the fire illuminating his skin as he passed by it. Before he left Raven turned back and gave me one last friendly smile. It was so bright and happy that I couldn’t help but feel a little bit encouraged by it. He turned away and walked out of the room and back into the darkness, taking away the last of my hope.

I bit my lip nervously and huddled closer to the chair. I gave the chain- so out of place in it brilliance- a few experimental tugs but it didn’t budge. The room was so cold and unforgiving and the longer I sat the more the warmth seemed to be sucked out of my body and the more the roaring fireplace seemed to shrink and disappear.

Shakily, I wiped at my eyes as they began filling with tears. My entire body was tensed and shaking in apprehension the longer I sat on that hard stone floor. I missed everyone, but most especially Dion. If he was in my place I’m sure he would know what to do and I wished he was with me.

The thought of Dion only made it worse. He made me think of all I would never see again. Was I to be confined to this small room for the rest of my life? Or stuck in this dark stone world until I became as pale as a sheet and lost all my memories? Claustrophobia was pressing in on me. I whined softly, crawling up into the enormous throne-chair and curling up into a little ball on the large seat. My lanky body just fit onto the soft red cushion and I nestled into the surprising warmth of it, letting my tears flow freely now that I felt a little safer.

Before I knew it I was letting out tiny hiccupping sobs and within minutes I was full out crying. My face was buried in my knees and my body shuddering forcefully. I felt like I was going to explode. There was so many emotions running through me, fear, panic, loneliness, I couldn’t take it, I wanted to go back to something familiar. But I couldn’t do anything. All I could do was wait…and hope.




A/N: ARRRGHHH! I did it again! I was only intending to make Tyler’s scene one small chapter and now look what happened. Damn my crazy fingers! *sigh* Oh well, one more chapter of Tyler goodness. It’s all good.

Oh, and a cookie to anybody who can figure out who “Lucie” is. It’s really not that hard to figure out…at least I don’t think so.