The Tormented Goddess (3 page)

             
“Have a seat!” commanded his father.
“I would like you young man to tell me exactly what is going on between you and that insensible girl.”

             
Edward took a deep silent breath and finally answered his father after the old clock tick and tock pressured him to do so. “Miss Venus is a student at Oxford in the same department as I am; we were assigned as partners for an upcoming critical evaluation, as she said for a thesis on the French revolution. That is why she invited me to accompany her to meet a historian she is well acquainted with.”

             
Still doubtful of the rationality of the circumstances his father further questioned him “If that is actually the case, then why did your mother find you having tea with her.”

             
“I see it natural to get to know a person with whom you will work with.”

             
“I still believe otherwise, indeed she is fairly charming and oddly very well behaved for a woman of her genre, but I do not know if such an excursion would be advisable
. We wouldn’t want you to end up like your brother dishonouring dozens of girls having me to handle the consequences.”

             
“Father, I am deeply disappointed in your opinion of me, as you said she is not a displeasing burden to bear, but the relation between me and my classmate is strictly b
ased on educational purposes.” Clarified Mr. Charleston’s son
.
   

             
“I am a man myself, and this category of inferiors merits only to be cast away in a harem to teach them a lesson of who is in command here.” said Edward’s father in an angered temper.

             
Shocked by his fathers over biased ideology
Edward made up his mind and decided to contradict his father. “And what if I found her pleasing to the eyes, I am sure that I have the intelligence to not further shame your family honour. Father you will excuse me I must commence to pack for my excursion.”

             
“I haven’t authorised you yet.” almost screamed his father.

             
Edward ignored his father and left the room finding Venus at the entrance wishing farewell to his siblings and mother. Frede
ric fascinated by the creature
questioned her.

             
“May I ask how you will be getting home at such a late hour of the night?”

             
“The weather is splendid at this time of the year, that is why I am walking home Frederic.” answered Venus.

             
“Oh, but a young lady like you walking alone at night would be unacceptable, I insist you allow us to take you home by carriage.” said Elian.

             
But Venus could not be persuaded “no need of botherin
g your horseman Mrs. Charleston
my hotel is very near and I would be more that glad to walk. I thank you again for the enchanting dinner, fare well. Oh Edward I almost forgot, could you please come to
the
campuses library tomorrow at ten.” Venus smiled and walked away into the shadows of the night.

C
hapter
Three

             
Entering an atrium filled with books till they were out of sight Venus and Edward walked in having their eyes be drowned by the diversity of the sweet pieces of literature. Following the vertical outstretched of the sun light marks on the ground Edward curiously followed Venus. A
l
l of the sudden she turned around and uttered in a hushed voice “
C
lose your eyes
.” Edward obeyed; Venus gently grabbed his arm with both of her hands and dragged him through uncharted secret passages of the building. Edward felt the air grow cold as she took him down multiple staircases into the earth. After the creaking of a door she told him that “you may open your eyes now.” To his amazement the over empowering wealth of the room made him speechless for quite a while.

             
“Where are we, this chamber seems to date a centuries old?” he asked.

             
“This is my study.”

             
“This can’t be your study it’s a museum.”

             
“I have a passion for
archeology, this room
is
unknown
to many thus I ask you to not reveal its location to
anyone
.”

             
“I am honoured to have the chance of seeing it but why
are you
show
ing
me
a treasure which seem dear to your heart to me.”

             
“I like to know people I work with.”
said Venus in a mocking voice.

             
“You heard that.”

             
“
I heard the whole delighting
conversation you had with your
father;
your door doesn’t
really isolate sound very well if you would like to know.” Venus stated.

             
“You are indisposing me.”

             
“Do not worry I have complete faith in your preservation of family honour, I actually brought you here to show you something that would benefit our research. Could I still though have your word that this room shall never be revealed by you, I wouldn’t want the artifacts to be in any possible threat.”

             
“You have my word
.”

             
Leaving
Edward to admire the
richness of the Greco roman medieval decorations she took the enflaming torch and headed to the other side of the room. You see here somewhere is
the
journal of Marie Antoinette the last queen of France; it is updated till her execution. Like I told you it would be a very useful resource for our paper.” She reached into an old chest covered with dust where out of nowhere a scorpion surfaced the piled papyrus of the boxes content and stabbed Venus’s index finger. Edward violently
attacked
the venomous
creature to death, rushing immediately to Venus’s side after he won his battle with the miniature demon.

             
“Are you alright? We must get you to a doctor this instance” He asked in a rushed worried pace.

             
“What are you talking about I am not a victim of the now lifeless insect, now where did I put those manuscripts, I must of misplaced my Egyptian papyrus in the wrong case.” She added in a pacific tone as if nothing has happened.

             
“I could have sworn that he poisoned you, look you still have a mark.”

             
Troubled that her plague might worsen she rubbed it until it was barely visible as she spotted the journal and assured Edward that nothing happed. “No that was only a paper cut, oh there it is!”

             
They both sat on a roman couch and lit by numerous candles both took turns to read the delicate journal of the long dead queen. In a bewildered tone Edward asked her “how did you ever manage to purchase this?”

             
“I know many people.” Feeling the venom too strong to oppress she closed the book and said to Edward “You know, you should run along now and pack your luggage.

             
“I have one last question, what is the way out?”

             
Feeling the venom taking action she could not show him out to ensure the secrecy of the room thus instructed him of the way out and bade him farewell. The moment he surfaced back into the universities library the venom overcame her, the singletons curse may ensure never ending life but one
is not spared the pain of death.

C
hapter Four

             
Before boarding the ship Edward was wishing goodbye to his loved ones, as he kissed his eldest sister she
reminded him “Don’t forget my wedding little brother.”

             
“Don’t worry; I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He smiled and took his luggage as he mounted onto the steam ship. On the ferry the two were having great conversation more likely transforming into a competition of
who travelled more
, obviously the young man’s travels were nothing compared to Venus, Edward ended the game with “That would som
ehow
explain all your antiquities.”

             
“Dear Edward
, there is a lot you l
ack in your knowledge of me. Look,
we can already see the boarders, these steamships are remarkable.” She said trying to abort the conversation.

             
“What do I not know of you?” he asked.

             
“Everything” she said, saying the truth never hurts, it would be impossible for a mortal to believe the madness she is living through.

             
Challenged Edward started listing what he knew of her. “I know you name is Miss Venus, I know you’re a very bright young woman.”

             
“Young woman, I’m certainly much older than you.”

             
“You’re not thirty, please don’t be.”

             
“I am not, I’m much more
probably
centuries more than you
, it’s a complicated story
.”

             
“Really, I won’t debate your intellectual capabilities but your physical appearance demonstrates otherwise.”

             
“You’ve never met someone a thousand years old, so how can you know
how such a person looks like?”

             
“My intuition says that such
a
person would not look like you.”

             
“Interesting” Concluded Venus as the boat came ashore.

             
Approaching the land Venus’s footsteps felt heavier, her stomach also seemed to be starving thus she proposed that she preferred to eat before the long carriage ride to Paris. They
walked into a beautiful village they found a restaurant covered with vine leafs and ordered their meal. Venus began the conversation with “Have you ever heard of the fictional island of Atlantis Edward?”

             
“Indeed I
have
such a beautiful story.”

             
“Story!” exclaimed Venus.

             
“
Well it certainly untrue.” He firmly attested, they debated on the usage of the term fictitious.
In l
ess than in half a
n hour the server arrived serving
them roasted lamb and carrots. They ate it
,
savouring the French captivating twist to cuisine.

             
“Isn’t this delicious?”
Affirmed Venus,
Edward nodded in agreement. A pain surged into her flesh, the torments of evil did not leave her thus she evaded telling “I have to go to the rest room, I’m not hungry
anymore could you please order some
tea.” Walking away he
r head seemed to be getting drowsier every second. Inside the washroom she locked the door, she then splashed her face with water but her blood seemed to be getting but warmer, she resented it boiling under her flesh. A vision came to he, she felt herself drowned into the depths of the seven seas,
and even
though her body was still in the cabinet her conscience was take
n
elsewhere. She saw the gates of the underworld
and then all of the sudden some
one knocked on the door.

             
“Is it for a long time, I have my little one who really needs to go.”
s
aid the woman.
The human voice
reincarnated
Venus’s soul
into her
flesh; she walked out the door with a dead smile engraved on her face.
Back at the table Edward got up and pulled out Venus’s chair, he noticed her lighted tone.