Chapter Text
There are two types of people in this world, believers and non believers. Of course, the people that don't believe still have that spark of doubt, a small part of them already knowing that certain places and things really exist. Eris, the young girl this story is about, was at first a non believer. Stories of dragons and griffons, of Atlantis and Olympus never intrigued her. Still, deep down she couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, it was all real. Eris lived in a small town, surrounded by massive feilds of crops that seperated her from the rest of the world. Sure there were people she talked to online, but it wasn't the same as talking to friends face to face. Unfortunately, friends were something she lacked much of.
One ordinary, July evening, Eris had been scrolling boredly through her emails, zoning out before jumping at the sound of her mother calling her out to the living room.
"Eris, honey, there's a big storm headed our way, come help me lock everything up!"
Eris took one more glance at the emails before closing her laptop and jumping to her feet.
Once storm shutters were closed and lawn furniture all locked up in the shed, Eris dusted off her jeans and huffed. It was growing dark and already clouds were just visible on the horizon. They were dark and brooding and gave Eris the chills. Just as she turned away, another sight caught Eris's attention. A dark figure, darker that the the solid grey mess of cloud and rain, dropped from the clouds and then soared right back up again. Eris blinked and tried to focus but the figure was gone. Shaking her head, Eris headed in for dinner and a bath, far away thunder rolling behind her.
It was hardly one in the morning when a terrible roar rocked the house, an earthquake throwing Eris from her warm bed. She cried out and ran into the hallway, then to the living room. Her ears began to ring and looking out through the cracks in the storm shutters Eris swore she saw something through the pouring rain. Something big, dark, and moving.
She stared through the cracks a moment longer but whatever it was was gone. Another roll of thunder assaulted her still ringing ears and Eris braced against the small couch as the ground shook. A picture fell from the mantle and she jumped, letting go of the faux leather as she did so. Eris lost her balance and panicked. The nearest thing to her once she had stumbled back was the front door, which most certainly should have been locked. And she thought it was, until she caught hold of the door.
The door knob turned easily in her hand and the door was thrown open, rain and wind blasting into her and anything that got in its way. Eris was thrown to the ground and she stayed there a moment trying, and failing, to get her bearing. The rain blinded her and the wind stung but she managed to crawl forwards, thinking that she was facing further into the house.
Surprise hit her hard as the door slammed shut against its frame behind her and the rain didn't stop. Quickly Eris got to her feet and pulled back her hair but still she could see only the rolling waves of grey wetness all around her. She squinted into the darkness and watched, horrified, as she saw monstrous sillouhetts wandering by her. Massive bodies an long legs whipping tails ambled ten feet from her, larger dops of collected water shook from the creature an felt warm as it showered down on Eris. Wind shrieked in time to Eris, her own cry drowned out as she tried to move away. Suddenly a hand grasped her wrist, small and strong, it yanked Eris away into the grey storm. Everything went black.