Chương 17: and is

AUBREY KEEPS HER MOUTH SHUT even when she wants to yell back an insult because she spots a small kitchen knife about a half meter from Gemma, she could easily reach out and stab her with it, given her kind of attitude. She reluctantly turns back to the man just in time to see him give Gemma a hard look but he immediately wipes it off as soon as Aubrey sees it.

"Yes." He says, fully capturing Aubrey's attention. "Less than 0.001% of the population reads this story for fun, not knowing the reality behind it, just that it happened more than centuries ago."

She frowns the more, "So, what does this have to do with me?"

However, the man keeps on reading. "She was all by herself, walking from place to place in the quiet forest with no purpose and it felt like the gods she once adored, all deserted her. But the most interesting detail about the young woman was that she carried a child."

Seconds pass and realization soon hits her. Aubrey chuckles out loudly, a hand over her mouth. The three of them shoot her questioning looks but Gemma's is more intimidating as she stares at Aubrey like her prey. "Wait," She tries to cut short her laughter and her face clearly shows she is amused. "Is this what you do for a living?"

The red-brown haired man in front of her only gives her a straight, blank look as he looks all serious.

"You read creepy, scary stories to people and expect them to be thrilled and give you guys money?" She chuckles the more. "You picked the wrong citizen. I have no money. My apartment even got robbed some days ago." She laughs at them.

If he really wants to read her fairytales, she has no time for that and it only makes Aubrey think that they are indeed mentally ill.

"Be quiet and listen." Gemma snarls aggressively, making Aubrey's laughter seize.

He lowers his head down to the book, "She was in despair; all alone; cold at night with no one to care for her. Nevertheless, she deserved it. She was suffering from the consequences of her actions. The cause of her loneliness was very clear to her—she killed them all."

Her lips twitch at the eerily familiar lines of the story. At least she knows they aren't dangerous, just desperate and weird people seeking for easy money; to her, it's a stupid and hilarious method for begging money. Aubrey sighs. "I still won't give you guys any money. I won't pay for this incapacitated entertainment, I'm not interested in these kinds of stories," She mocks the word. "You should read this to brother instead, I guess you have to bring him out from wherever you're keeping him now."

The red-brown haired -sick and tired of her not taking the story seriously- closes the book aggressively, causing the table to rattle. His gesture makes Aubrey's eyes widen for the hundredth time as she is amazed and also shook at how he is able to cause a thick, wooden table move with one hit.

"You said your apartment got robbed?" He asks her with folded hands on the table.

Aubrey leans back in her seat, "Yes." She turns to the two individuals standing at her left, "So I have no money to give you."

Gemma and Geo groan at her words, out of exhaustion.

Now, Aubrey doesn't see no reason to be scared of them, since she thinks they're begging for money; it makes them look lower than her which gives her the audacity to speak.

"The man who robbed your apartment," He pauses.

Her eyebrows furrow at the intimacy in his voice.

"He's not human."

She is cut off as she stares blankly at him.

"And so are we." He points to Gemma and Geo. "We're gods."

Aubrey's lip parts open as a soft gasp leaves. She can already feel the environment change, leaving intense chills on her arms.

"I am a god," He points at himself, "He's a god." He points to Geo. "And she is a goddess." His finger lands finally on Gemma. "We are the lost gods of Mount Olympus."

Aubrey stares at the three of them with a perplexed look; she is confused and also terrified at the same time. If they really are psychos, then she is in big trouble; no one knows what they are capable of doing next. She snickers and the three give her frowns, "Then I am Shrek. I bleached my skin to turn white."

Aubrey laughs at her joke.

Gemma grows impatient, gripping Aubrey's chair and pulling her closer. "If I should appear in my true form, your eyes would be blinded by the divineness I carry." She says through gritted teeth.

Aubrey rolls her eyes at the statement. She doesn't believe in tales of gods and goddesses even if her brother reads her his favorite stories. All she believes is that the world works based on nothing but Science. Nothing like the supernatural. Nothing like gods or demons. Just pure Science.

"I know you won't believe us now, but you would eventually. Right now, we need to tell you what's happening." Geo says as he takes a step closer to a freaked-out Aubrey. She only ignores him, getting offended by their nonsensical words and statements.

She turns her attention back to the brown-red haired in front of her and he stares solely in her eyes.

"We're trying to tell you the truth." He pauses when Aubrey gives him a blank look. "The man who broke into your apartment, isn't human."

"The Mayor's son is not human." She notes down, sarcastically.

He sighs, a look of discouragement taking over his features. "He has that one ability to make people see him in whatever way he feels. But the form you have seen him is his true human form, not his god form though."

"Okay." She nods.

He sighs, knowing she only said that but doesn't mean it. "You're in danger." He tells her.

"Yeah, no kidding. I'm surrounded by freaks talking about gods. Yes, I'm endangered."

"Listen Aubrey. Our lives are in your hands. The world and even the younger brother you seem to care so much about; we're all in your hands. Whatever choice you make determines our fate. So please listen to what he has to say." Hearing Gemma's voice tone down and sound desperate, Aubrey still doesn't care as she keeps her blank look on.

"I think it's better you take me home, it's of no use keeping me here."

Gemma and Geo sigh but the red-brown haired nods. "Okay. You can go home."

Aubrey's eyes widen for a moment at the appalling words of the young man.

"I can go home." She says to confirm.

The two individuals behind her also sound affected by his words.

"Connor. What are you doing?" Geo sounds scared.

Connor. That's the name of the red-brown haired seated in front of her. What a normal name for someone who claims to be a god-- Aubrey's thoughts exactly.

"You can go home, Aubrey."

Aubrey doesn't wait for another minute as she rises up on her feet but Gemma quickly grabs her by the arm, restricting her from freedom.

"Connor, we can't let her go."