Chariots of fire

"Preferably for you" she responded nonchalantly over her shoulder at Lyssa who looked quite smug with herself, though she didn't think anything less from the goddess "besides we don't know did all this to me for all we know we might be dead by morning" the thought rang through her head a dozen times knowing soon the threat would be revealed but for the moment they were as in the dark metaphorically as they were literally.

"I wasn't expecting anything less" she admitted knowing she prepared herself to drink a vile drink but the consequences caught her off guard like a collision with a bus "one seizure, two mild hallucinations, piece of cake" though nervousness clouded her mind and shook her heart into an unsteady rhythm as she slowly followed after the wisp.

"Any long term crap I need to be worried about?" she asked quickly slowing down as the wisp did, they were close but she knew that already. This part of the woods were familiar to her eyes and within no time she found herself leaning against the edge of the well's small brick walls. She turned to look at the goddess, a woman she'd began trusting within hours of meeting her and waved towards the well.

"How much do you need?" she asked seriously looking down at the well covering a yawn with her hand, hopefully this doesn't kill her and the goddess knew what she was doing, as desperate as she was for the truth she had no desire to die that night. She truly felt as if there was something she needed to do still before her life ended. But she shook the thoughts aside and waited patiently to hear just what she was supposed to do next.

"I only like the glass full when I'm drinking"she joked with a soft chuckle certain that her sense of humor wasn't anything close to that of Lyssa's.

"thank you" Annabelle's lips curled into a grateful smile with a soft nod "whenever it is you need something I will do all I can to help. You have my word" the kindness Lyssa was showing her tugged at her heart strings and flooded her mind with joy. Perhaps their paths were meant to entwine.

Lyssa was clear about the risks and the consequences but Annabelle knew the would not dare turn away then given the choice. She gave a reassuring smirk to the flawless goddess with a lighthearted thumbs up "I never expected anything less. I need answers and if this is the way to get them I'd go through hell and back to do so" she took a short pause and calmed her raging nerves "besides I'm pretty sure my alter ego couldn't be much worse than I am" she smiled brightly at the goddess before letting the bucket slip down into the darkness within the well.

"you have no idea how much I appreciate this" she didn't know if Lyssa had heard her but the words were as pure as her appreciation was and rather drifted through her lips on their own accord. Even if the journey proved to be dangerous and painful she was glad she'd met someone worth trusting.

She watched curiously as the goddess chanted towards the cup, this was her only chance and although there was no turning around then small clusters of doubts tugged within her. Perhaps her memories were hidden for a reason but she couldn't care less, she wanted the truth and she intended to get it. she took the cup gratefully looking at the bright liquid knowing the had all the answers in her control, for the first time things were truly taking a turn for the better.

"Yeah cause amnesia's gonne be the biggest issue" she retorted sarcastically as she felt a soft nervous chuckle slip past her lips. She allowed herself to slip to the ground and rested against the thick cold bark of a nearby tree before lifting the cup to her lips. It tasted strange, bitter and burned her throat so much she nearly choked. But nothing happened, as she sat there waiting for her memories to return she looked at the goddess confused "I guess it doesn't work after all" but she was terribly wrong.

She sprung to her feet as the cup slipped from her grasp and the world around her turned ablaze warming her cold skin. Through the raging fire she saw her memories mending and returning to her in flashes. She saw her mother, a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and feet tucked into the wet sand watching the ocean lovingly. Annabelle saw herself looking to the distance as another figure approached but the figure was a blur and all she could identify was the loud booming voice.

"Did you think you could hide from me!" she asked her mother who ripped Annabelle terrified and placed herself between her daughter and the threat "Apollo should have never fathered you, you are nothing but an abomination. And so is she" the figure pointed towards Annabelle who was far too young to realize what was happening.

"You may take my life, send me to the depths of hell but leave her be, take pity on her please. She is no threat to you! She is but a child" her mother begged falling to her knees wiping at the tears running down her face.

"Enough!" the woman yelled but seemed reluctant "I shall spare your child but if she rebels against the Gods she will die, by my hands!" her voice echoed in the wind around them.

"Annabelle" her mother whispered towards her "remember I love you, always. Close your eyes baby" Annabelle who's cheeks were wet from tears and shook from fear did as her mother asked while the stranger grabbed her mother forcefully by her throat. The whole scene got blurry but Annabelle saw her mother sink to the sand as nothing more but a woman who died to save her child, her body burnt and limp.

"I will take your memories child" the woman hovered over Annabelle and pressed held her fingers to the child's temple "It is best you remain nothing more but a forgotten orphan" and the scene faded and morphed into the same figure standing at the same beach but with Annabelle, grown and holding the golden compass.

"I suspected you would return here" the woman told her, less frightening than she was previously.

"You killed my mother" Annabelle yelled furiously pointing a dagger towards her, she'd seen the very memory that faded within the flames through the compass.

"And I will kill you as well!" but she didn't, instead she waved a hand towards Annabelle "but you still have worth. A curse is coming, you will be ripped from this beach to a land without magic. Perhaps there your death will be more poetic" the woman chuckled "as I did when you were a child, your memories are yours no longer" and before the curse wiped over Annabelle to take away every memory left the woman turned to look through the fire at her.

"Haven't we been through this enough!" She yelled stepping through the flames and slamming a hand to Annabelle's chest, leaving her hunched over in the dirt with every single memory returning to Annabelle like lighting to her mind. She fell to her knees in the woods looking towards Aphrodite with tears brimming her eyes and heat sparking at her fingertips "mild hallucinations my ass" she told her sarcastically trying to hide the fear and sadness that took grip of her heart "please tell me you saw that?" she begged hoping to never repeat the events she'd gone through. Her whole body shook with pain and a terrible migraine tugged at her eyes.