The Love Ride

 “Don’t go in there! Those who do never make it out dead or alive!”

“Grow a pair of balls, Adam! That’s all a myth and you know it! Besides, what harm can there be in a Love Ride?”

“Fine, but if we wind up dead, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He couldn’t figure out why he ever let his best friend, Jessica Gunther, talk him into this.

“Ever the loveable scaredy cat, Talesnick.” She steered him in the direction of the ride. “Besides, it’s just a carnival ride.” Little did she know just what that was all about.

They took their seats in the small boat. Slowly they headed into the dark tunnel, with only the occasional pink light. “Finally, there’s the end of the tunnel. That was boring. Weird, really weird.”

“Boring?” The new voice was eerie and directly in front of them. “We can fix boring. Weird? Let’s spice it up!” The pink light illuminated a face with no body. Black bushy brows, coal eyes, jet black hair, and extremely pale skin with pink lips. That’s all they saw. Adam screamed.

“What the fuck was that?”

“Only the bodiless killer you said was just a myth! Also, since we’re about to die, I need to say something!”

The boat sped up so that everything was a blue. “Hold that thought, Adam.” She concentrated on the water current, forcing it to reverse its flow. Finally, she had the boat floating backwards at a pace where they could actually see everything. “Stay like that, current, she muttered.”

“Woah! How’d you do that?”

She shrugged. “Dunno for sure. I’ve just always been able to do stuff like that.”

The eerie voice resounded. “Daughter of Posiedon. Stronger than the last of your sisters that went through. Yet, you have the beauty of Athena. Interesting.”

“Greek mythology, really?” She scooted closer to Adam. “I think we need an escape plan.” He nodded, obviously lost in thought, and paying her no mind. She sighed, figuring that the only way to get his attention was something she’d more likely than not end up regretting. “Adam, I love you.” It was true, and why she’d brought him along, but this wasn’t how she’d wanted to tell him.

He looked at her, dumbfounded. “You do?” His green eyes met her ocean-blue and stormy-grey ones. “Really?”

“Duh! You big do-do-brain! Why do you think I chose to go on this ride with you and not another guy?”

“I love you too. We’re gonna die, aren’t we?” She leaned towards him.

“Not if I can help it. As always, I’ve got a plan.” She smiled.

The bodiless Killer reappeared. “Well, as a true daughter of Athena, you should.” She ignored the Greek reference and handed Adam a pair of earplugs.

“Put them in. Trust me.” They both put them in. “Now jump!”

“Jump?! Are you crazy?”

“Do you want to die at nineteen?” He shook his head. “Then jump!” She took his hand and they jumped. A bubble of air surrounded them. “You can breathe, Adam.” He let go of his breath and opened his eyes.

“Woah!” He hugged her. “What are those?” He pointed to a group of scaly beings with black hair, green-ish skin, webbed fingers, hollow eyes, sharp teeth, and tails.

“Sirens. The reasons for the earplugs. The sirens chased them for half a mile, screeching with rage over their fleeing meal. They broke to the surface. “How long is this tunnel?”

“Currently? About five miles. Long swim, I’d say.”

“Oh crap! Piranhas!” She blasted wave after wave, attempting to separate them. “New plan. Climb the walls!” They scrambled up the walls using the built in rungs that were used as ladders back in the day. “Follow my lead!” She leapt the short distance between each ladder set, stopping to make sure Adam was close behind. He was fine until he was gone. “Adam!”

“You’ll never find him.” The creepy head laughed and disappeared again. She made up her mind that she’d believe in anything to save Adam, even if it meant Greek mythology, and that she knew a lot about. "You don’t believe in everything you need," she heard the disappearing head cackle.

“I swear on the River Styx that I will find Adam. Alive.” Thunder clapped overhead, outside the tunnel. “Poseidon, Athena, if y’all are my real parents, get both of us out of here alive.” She thought for a moment. “Hermes, god of travelers and mischief, take your trickster from me! I swear, on the River Styx, if y’all do this for me, I’ll teach my kids and their kids to believe in y'all!”

Thunder clapped again overhead. She heard Adam somewhere in the distance. A green trident and pink carnation appeared above her head and just as suddenly, disappeared. She jumped back into, well onto, the water and ran in Adam’s direction. She reached him, fulfilling one promise.

Suddenly, she felt something in her shirt pocket. Pulling it out, she gasped. “Riptide.” A few seconds later, she knew why she needed it. “Thanks, Father.” She leapt in the air over the beast’s head and uncapped the pen. From it, a glowing sword appeared.

“What are you doing with a sword? Do you even know how to use that thing?” She ignored him and landed on the sea serpent’s back. Right where the heart was, she jabbed downward, using strength and adrenaline the water and battle provided her. With a deafening yell, she thrust the sword all the way through and yanked it out. “Dude! That was awesome! Are you supposed to be glowing? Does that mean all this Greek stuff was true?”

She laughed and nodded. “Apparently so. This means that you must have the sight. Humans aren’t supposed to see the sword, but something else entirely.” She looked around. “There’s the exit.” They ran for it. No sooner than they’d made it out, the tunnel crumbled behind them. She kissed his cheek and tried to turn away. He laughed and caught her waist.

“I don’t think so. I’ve wanted to do this for far too long.” He pulled her to him and kissed her slow, not caring who saw them.