Chapter 10: A Bad Trip Through Memory Lane

"Let me explain", Lachesis said as she pulled Apollo into another one of Sarah's memories. Now they were in a surgical room. Young Sarah was sitting on the table, she was awake, and alone. "What happened? Oh, I remember. I just got that surgery. I have to go find work to report on today." Sarah said calmly as she stood up and left the room. Apollo and Lachesis followed her all the way out to the borders. "All right, I have to find him now." She said to herself. They followed the young Sarah through the forest. She was staring at them? No, she was staring behind them. The two turned around to see a wealthy looking man standing with a group of servants cutting down a mahogany tree. "There he is." Young Sarah said quietly. She pounced to the man, grabbing his neck. "AHHH!" The man screamed. "Who are you? What do you want?" The man asked, fear shining through his deep voice. The servants turned around as one said, "who are you? You put him down this instant." "No sir, not until you apologize and show your loyalty to the ********** Government. They hired you, they pay you, they keep you safe, and this is how you treat them? For a leader of the neighboring monarchy no less? That, that is unacceptable." The young Sarah said maturely. "Oh dear, they know? We can't just leave." One of the servants said as the others nodded in agreement. "So get going before I make your life miserable." She said, they then scurried away. "What do you want?" The noble said rudely. "Hmm, let's see." She said maliciously as she pulled something out of his pocket. What is that? Apollo thought. "It's a fake right of passage. This man betrayed the Herestrian embassy in the monarchy's territory. He's pretending to be someone he's not, so the Herestrian government sent her to finish him off." Lachesis said smugly. "So she's going to kill him?" Apollo asked worriedly. "No, even worse." Lachesis brought him to another memory. Young Sarah sat in a…... dungeon? The man had been beaten, and now the young Sarah sat there, watching him carefully. "If you're going to kill me would you do it already?" He asked pitifully. "Fine then" she said. At that moment Sarah darted towards him and Apollo had to turn around. He couldn't bear to watch that. How can she be so fragile now, if she was able to do cruel things like that? Apollo thought. When he turned back around he was once again in a white nothingness. "That's not enough to convince you?" Lachesis asked. "Why do you care so much? You cursed me, so why does my opinion matter to you so much?" Apollo asked coldly. "Because I need your damn help kid." She said as she pulled him into yet another series of memories. Sarah killing people, hurting people, manipulates people, and last. Sarah becoming who she is now. They saw her being threatened. They saw the Herestirans putting something in her brain. They then watched Sarah wake up confused, scared, and just….wrong. Apollo then watched a time lapse of Sarah's broken state over the years. He still had one question though. How did she leave the government? Why isn't that in her memory? They didn't "self destruct" until about a year ago, so why isn't this in her memory? We're both 14, I think at least. She wouldn't lie about that, right? Apollo thought curiously. Lachesis brought him back into the vast nothingness. "Why do you need me?" He asked. "I hate that I have to ask you this, but I need a favor, Apollo." She responded. "A favor, from me?! What do you mean? Why should I help you, and why are you asking a mortal for a favor? Doesn't that…..lower your value as a sister?" He asked mockingly. "Oh shush you ignorant child. You do realize what I could do to you, right? Curse you more, make your life awful, dreadful, dark." She said maniacally. "But you don't understand Lachesis. You already did that. Do you seriously think I'll be any more worse off?" Apollo answered. "Excuse me?" Lachesis raised her voice. "How dare you talk to me like that? I'm just as powerful as the gods! Do you know what I could put you through?" Lachesis shouted. "It'd be nothing worse than what I could do to you." Apollo responded, his eyes starting to glow. "What, what is that? Are you...you're like her, aren't you?" Lachesis asked psychotically. "Relax, I'm not going to do anything, but what was that? Do you….what do you mean like her?" He asked. "Your kind did that. This wasn't how he meant for it to be. Why…..why would they betray him." Right at that moment there was a strike of thunder. A storm had started, but they were in a vast nothingness, how is this happening? Apollo thought worriedly. A person came down, it was, a man? He was holding what looked like a staff. He smacked Lachesis and said, "you should know your place by now. You serve us, not that god. He then whispered in her ear and left the plane of nothingness.

"You tell no one and I'll help change what that girl will become. For a price of course. Deal?" Lachesis asked. "You're not going to tell me what I'm agreeing to until after I agree, right?" Apollo asked. "Exactly." Her answers were becoming shorter. Apollo knew that she was nervous. She must have been serious about helping after he completed her favor. That's what he thought, at least. "Okay, deal Lachesis." Apollo mustered to say, as he was filled with determination to get Sarah help before she became...…...well...what he imagined as his worst nightmare.

With Blake and Isi:

They were on their way to Apollo's house. He wasn't exactly in a good neighborhood, so they were trying to be as careful as possible. They reached Apollo's street, and it was deserted. There was no one to be seen for a while. "Wait." Blake said, putting his arm in front of Isi's chest, to keep her from going any closer. "Do you hear that yelling?" He asked, suspiciously. The yelling stopped. "Let's just keep going slowly. He wouldn't get scared if we needed him, right?" Isi asked, answering her own question. They proceeded cautiously, all of a sudden there was a police officer pulling someone out of Apollo's house. Isi ran up to the police car with her hands up to her chest. "Hey! Hey!" She yelled. "Stay back Young Miss. We're in the middle of an arrest." The police officer said calmly. "Yes, I understand. But I need too...umm...." Blake interrupted her. "We need to question the suspect at hand for personal reasons. We have a warrant from your director, Daniel. You shouldn't make him angry." Blake said sophistically. The police officer sighed. "You're right, you have 5 minutes, but then we have to get going back to the station." "Thanks Mr.!" Isi said energetically. They walked to the window of the car where the man was fastened. "Hey, you're Apollo's father right?" Blake asked, in awe. He looks so different now. I guess that's what happens under substance abuse for so many years. Blake thought. "We just have a few questions!" Isi exclaimed. "What do you want from me?" The older man asked. "We are friends of your son, we were hoping you would know where he is?" Blake asked seriously. "I haven't seen that boy in days, he hasn't been in these parts of town since…...Last Tuesday." That's when he said he was going to help Sarah. It's been a week and a half. Let's see, that was Monday the 3rd, today's Friday the 14th. That means it's been 11 days since anyone has heard from him. This is bad, really bad. Keep your calm Blake, I'm sure he's okay. He's Apollo! Blake thought as Isi asked him if he had heard from Apollo at all. "No Ma'am." Apollo's father responded. The police officer told them to say their goodbyes, just as Blakes phone started to ring. "OH! It's Sarah! Blake exclaimed. "Bye Mr. Cartel, thanks!" Isi said as Blake dragged her down the street, putting his phone up to his ear. Before Isi even knew what was going on, Blake said "got it, we'll be on our way as soon as possible. See you soon, be careful till we get there, ok? ----------- Okay, bye." "What's happening?" Isi asked. "We're going to the monarchy for a party. Let's get packing."