Kat turned around, the statue looming behind her as she began striding back the way she'd come. Nathan was crouched over a smashed figure, examining it curiously. Kat smiled; he was always like once they reached one of his dig sites- oblivious to the world around him. He'd be busy for hours yet, his fascination with whatever material he'd come across taking over him. It was kind of sweet.
Kat picked her way through the rubble, her shoulders slumped as her feet dragged. She didn't know why she was disappointed that nothing had happened. Had Kat really expected it to? Had she really thought the curse could be real?
There was no such thing as curses or magic, certainly not in ancient civilizations. She'd simply been playing with the words in her mind, letting her darker fantasies shine through for a moment. Kat knew that those wishes would probably ruin her life, but part of her wanted them nonetheless. If only to understand what it was like- to have her fate determined by her own desires.
The sun was high in the sky as white clouds drifted lazily in the vast expanse of blue. A cool breeze caused the trees on the edge of the clearing to sway in a hypnotic dance. It was so serene, so calming. Perhaps it really was all just in her head.
Kat walked over to one of the streams that flanked the faded cobblestone path and bent down beside it. Kat closed her eyes and splashed some of the water on her face, letting out a slight gasp as the cold liquid washed over her. The ice-cold water cooled her skin, calming her heart's raging inferno.
Kat quirked a smile, "Yeah, that's it." But, she assured herself, "I just imagined the whole thing."
Kat took a deep breath, letting the statues and their curses drift from her mind as she soaked in the sun and took in her surroundings. Honestly, Kat couldn't remember a more serene place she'd ever visited in her entire life. She'd been on countless expeditions with Nathan, but none of them had ever compared to this.
The sounds of the forest surrounded her, birds chirping and insects buzzing. The air was sweet, not overpowering, and the water she'd splashed her face with tasted clean and refreshing. Something about this place seemed to cause the rest of the world to fade away. It was no wonder this had been the Terastia Gynaika's capital site. This place almost felt sheltered by the goddesses that they had worshiped like time didn't touch this place.
Yet there was evidence to the contrary all around her. The temple lay in ruin, doing its best to resist the passage of time, while the rest of the city was buried and forgotten. As she looked around, Kat could see the occasional stone or structure peeking out from beneath the overgrown ground- weathered and worn by countless years. How could something so great have been reduced to this? How amazing would it have been to see this place in its prime?
Kat finally rose after relaxing by the river, stretching her arms towards the sky and arching her back. She let out a shiver as the coarse fabric of her shirt teased her braless nipples. What was the point in wearing a bra if most guys had bigger chests than her? It was pointless.
After taking a few minutes to stretch her muscles, Kat set to work setting up camp. It was lucky for Nathan that she didn't mind the outdoors like many of her friends. Most of the girls she knew were the stereotypical "fashionista" types, content to spend all day in the bathroom or making up and painting their faces- or trying to. On the few occasions, they actually did decide to go on camping trips, they complained that their hair got ruined or they got dirty. That had quickly put an end to her attempts to invite them on the expeditions with her and Nathan. Beyond that, most of their parents weren't okay with them missing school to travel on some grand vacation.
It was definitely challenging to keep up in class when you missed at least one day almost every other week, but Kat was willing to put in the effort so Nathan wouldn't force her to stay home and study. It actually worked out reasonably well. Nathan would spend days documenting his findings while Kat worked on whatever school work she'd brought on the expedition. Most of the areas had at least decent mobile reception, and she could watch her classes on her phone. It had taken quite a bit of convincing by Nathan to get her teachers to agree to record their courses for her to watch while she was away, but in the end, it was hard for them to deny the fact that Kat was a model student interested in learning about the world.
Kat winced as a tent pole hit her breast. Instinctively, her hand darted up to where she'd been struck, massaging her soft flesh. It felt unusually tender, not to mention a little sore, when she touched it, though it seemed like the pole hadn't hit her that hard. Kat shook her head, wincing as the tenderness seemed to increase as she continued to massage the flesh.
"Hope it doesn't bruise," Kat whispered to herself. It must have hit her harder than she'd thought.
Kat took a deep breath and resumed assembling the tent before moving to gather some twigs and sticks to start a fire. It was still warm out, but they'd need a fire to heat the meals they'd brought with them. Besides, who didn't love spending time next to a crackling fire? It was a great meditation practice.
Kat soon had a small fire crackling beside her as she watched one of her classes on her phone, though it was difficult to focus. Her chest became more tender, aching at even the lightest touch as the day went on. She repeatedly checked yet could see no bruise, and everything seemed normal beyond the growing sensitivity of her breasts.
The night fell too soon, and Nathan finally emerged from the immense structure. The sky was painted in brilliant purples and pinks. The clouds seemed to glow with an ethereal light. With the sun gone, the temperature had dropped considerably, prompting Kat to pull a fleece blanket out of her pack. Rather than sit on one of the stones that dotted the area, Nathan made himself a large cushion out of some small branches.
"Sorry it took so long," Nathan said as he joined her by the fire. "This place is a lot more buried than I thought." His voice was low, a bit raspy. "It'll take a lot of time to explore. I got the basic layout, but I'll have to make another trip to work out some of the surroundings."
Kat nodded, "That's fine. I've just been working on school."
Nathan smiled, "Mom and dad would be proud."
Kat smiled, though she had to struggle not to let a tear roll down her cheek, "Yeah, well, I'm not the one who got perfect grades and is a prodigy in several subjects."
Nathan sighed, "Yeah, but I also had them help me. You've had to do everything by yourself these last couple of years. I... thanks."
"For what?"
"For being here. I know it would be easier for you to stay home and study. To have an everyday life with your friends, but... I guess I just appreciate you taking the time to come with me. I know it's not easy, and it's not that exciting. It's just..." His voice faded, and he took a deep breath. "It's nice to not be alone here."
She smiled, "I'm always happy to come along. Besides, you always bring me to such interesting places. There's no way I'm going to miss this trip."
Nathan seemed to shrug off the last comment, "Well, I've got to say finding something as amazing as this was pretty surprising."
Kat smiled, "Tell me about it. This is definitely the most amazing place we've been yet."
The two continued to talk, Nathan enthusiastically recounting the day's discoveries to Kat as the fire burned low between them. The birds grew silent, and the rhythmic chirping of nocturnal insects filled the air. Countless stars filled the sky above them- a sea of twinkling lights splashed across a velvet sky.
The fire finally turned to embers, and the two siblings retired to their tents. Kat turned on the small lantern hanging from a strap in her tent and stopped as she stripped her shirt from her body. Both breasts felt unusually sensitive, causing her to wince at even the slightest provocation. However, they didn't appear any different than expected. Still small and unremarkable- barely a blip on her chest.
Kat slipped into her sleeping bag and turned off the lantern, casting her tent into darkness. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly. Within minutes, the snoring sound emanated from the direction of Nathan's tent, and Kat smiled. "I guess he's already asleep," Kat whispered as she drifted off to sleep.
Kat opened her eyes, letting her jaw drop at her surroundings. She stood on a cobblestone street, surrounded by stone buildings that matched the temple's architecture she and Nathan had discovered. A stream flowed down the middle of the road, and her eyes followed it to its source. A massive structure stood, towering over the other buildings, twin waterfalls flanking an open entrance. The temple, restored to its former glory, and the city of Epektasi Stithon. Was this what they'd looked like hundreds or even thousands of years ago?
The forest was nowhere to be seen, instead replaced by an empty cityscape, devoid of people yet in pristine condition.
"Come, my child. I have blessed you with my gift, and now I wish to speak with thee."
Kat turned, searching for the source of the voice. It seemed to come from everywhere, yet she instinctively knew its inception was within the temple. Calm and commanding, pleasant and fearsome. It could only have been the voice of a goddess.
"Come, lest you invoke my curse. I will not be kept waiting."
Kat stood, petrified. Was this place real, or just a dream? What would happen if she followed the voice's commands? Kat glanced away from the temple, out of the city. In the distance, she could see a wall, an open gate at the end of the road, the only passage out of the town. Maybe...
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author
