Writing Prompt: “On the run from mercenaries, a young girl stumbles into an old Greek temple and in a last ditch effort to save herself, begs for help from whichever god or goddess it belongs to. She didn’t expect them to show up in person.”
Elena ran through the streets as fast as she could. Her heart was pounding and her lungs burned, but she couldn’t stop running. She needed to get out of here and fast. She knew that it wouldn’t be long before the men with guns found her. What was she going to do? Elena knew she couldn’t fight them and she knew she couldn’t run for much longer. She had to find some place to hide and she needed to find it quick.
The streets of the Mediterranean town were completely empty and the storefronts were all closed down for the night. Elena thought for a moment that she could duck into one of those, but she couldn’t risk breaking into some store. Plus she didn’t know how long it would take. Time was of the essence.
As she looked around, Elena saw a set of stairs that lead to a lower part of the town. It was a little offbeat and away from where the tourists usually went. That seemed like her best chance.
Elena darted forward and began her descent down these stairs. They were stone embedded into the earth, but they were quite steep. She worried one misstep would send her tumbling down the cliff side into the Mediterranean sea.
“Quick but careful,” Elena muttered to herself as she moved.
As she descended, she could hear the yelling from the men and guns. They were close.
“Faster,” Elena said as she began to move quick.
Eventually she just leaped over the last few steps and landed on a small platform embedded in the cliff. She glanced around but it looked like a dead end. Just a look out point.
“No. No. This can’t be it. There’s got to be something,” Elena began to freak out.
To her left and to the front of her was just water. Useless water. To the right of her was the cliff. Behind her was a staircase that lead to her death. There was nothing she could do. She was stuck here.
Tears began to well up in her eyes and she pressed herself against the side of the cliff.
“She couldn’t have gotten far. Find her,” A voice above her said.
They were here. They were here and she couldn’t do anything. She was trapped.
Elena stayed as still as possible as she squeezed herself up against the cliff, hoping that the men wouldn’t find her.
As she did that, she felt a bit of the stone give way. At first it was just a pebble, then a larger rock. There was a rumbling as the cliff behind her gave way and she fell backwards.
“So much for being quiet,” She thought as she looked around.
Elena had fallen back into what first seemed like a cave. As a bit of moonlight shone through the newly created hole and lit up the room, Elena noticed that this was no ordinary cave. She had managed to find some sort of ancient cavern equipped with a old Greek statue.
Elena crawled forward to examine the statue. It was a white marble statue of a woman holding a long spear and an elegantly carved shield with a symbol of an owl. Down near the statue’s feet was a small bowl which Elena figured was for some sort of worship or sacrifice.
“Did you hear that?” A voice above yelled.
“She must be down there!” Another voice yelled.
Elena let out a sound of panic. She had found this ancient Greek worship site but that wouldn’t help her. She needed some sort of escape or way to fight her way out. But this place seemed completely empty other than the statue.
Elena glanced up and looked the marble woman in the eyes.
“Alright, this is crazy. But I don’t know. You might be real, right? If you are, can you help me?” Elena asked the statue. “Please I really need a miracle.”
Elena glanced down at the bowl and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a granola bar that was a bit smashed and a few Greek coins.
“This is all I have,” Elena said placing the contents of her pockets into the bowl.
“An interesting offering,” A woman’s voice emerged from the entrance of the cave.
Elena jumped in fear as she turned around to face the woman. She took a few steps back, partially hiding herself behind the marble statue.
“Who are you?” Elena asked.
The woman looked at her with fierce, gray eyes.
“You called on me, Elena,” The woman said.
“How do you know my name?”
The woman let out a small chuckle.
“I know many things. Knowledge is my domain,” She said. “I’ve watched you as you discovered this shrine to me.”
“You…you…”
Elena looked from the woman standing in front of her to the marble statue. The similarities were uncanny. This woman wasn’t wielding a spear or shield, but the look on her face of stoicism was the same and the intense eyes were the same.
“You’re…this… this is you,” Elena said.
The woman nodded.
“My name is Athena.”
“Athena, right. Athena. I knew that,” Elena said.
Athena raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
“Do not lie Elena. I appreciate knowledge and truth. It will benefit you to tell me the truth,” Athena said.
“Right. Sorry. I don’t really know anything about…Greek..umm… Greek Gods or anything. I’m just here on vacation with some friends and I somehow got caught up in this..I don’t even know. But there are these people chasing me and they might be here any second and I really need your help,” Elena said.
Athena nodded.
“I have helped many heroes on their quests in times of perils,” She said.
“Does that mean you can help me, now?” Elena asked.
Athena nodded again.
“I can tell you are truly desperate. Plus I do not get many visitors. It has been quite awhile since someone had given me a tribute,” Athena said. “Even one as simple as that.”
“Uh…alright,” Elena said.
Outside she could hear the incoming footsteps as men made their way down the stairs.
“I think that’s them,” Elena said.
Athena stepped forward and placed her hand on Elena’s shoulders. Instantly she felt this surge of energy through her body. Where there was exhaustion in her muscles, now she felt energy and strength.
“Woah,” Elena said.
Athena grabbed the marble spear and pulled it from the statue. She placed it in Elena’s hands. A marble spear like this should have been impossible for Elena to lift, but she held it effortlessly.
“Go, Elena. Fight with the force of a Spartan Legion and the brains of the Athenian Scholars,” Athena said as her words echoed like a battle cry in Elena’s ears.
Elena stood there spear in hand as the first two men reached the opening of the cavern.
“There you are,” One sneered, but didn’t manage to say anymore.
Elena yelled with the voice of a thousand Greek soldiers as she charged spear in hand.
Those mercenaries barely had time to react before Elena made her way too them and by then it was too late. They now had the force of an angry woman and a powerful goddess to deal with. They didn’t stand a chance.
Header Photo Credit to Wikipedia’s Article on the Athena Giustiniani
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athena_Giustiniani
Writing Prompt submitted to r/WritingPrompts by u/SweetheartEevee
Allen The Writer 