The new Goddess

We were following Callum and Tess who walked in the front and I leaned on Finn while we walked. I'd asked him a couple of times if it was okay but he'd always answered that it was okay.
Abby and I talked about a lot of things and I never thought we shared so many interest. Actually she was a really nice girl.
The wind became stronger and I felt the excitement in the group grow. Everyone wanted to see the sunlight again.
Suddenly Callum yelped and Tess punched him on his shoulder.
'Dont be scared! It's just a ghost.' She said. Callum still looked uncomfortable.
The ghost was an old woman and she didn't look really happy to see us. Behind her appeared more ghosts, a younger woman, another old woman and a girl, maybe the same age as Abby, she smiled at us.
'Welcome strangers.' The old woman said. 'I guess you're looking for the exit?'
We nodded. 'Do you know where it is?' Abby asked
'Of course.' The woman said. 'But you're not coming there for free.'
'What do you mean?' Tess asked.
'Were the keepers of this way. If you go through this gate you will find the exit but you have to pay the price.'
Abby felt in her pocket. 'I have seven drachmas. Is that enough?'
The young girl laughed.
'She doesn't mean money silly.' She said. If she talked it sounded like she was singing and I could imagine how boys would immediately fall for that.
Finn smiled at her. 'Well can you tell us what the price is then?' He asked.
'You have to tell us your fatal flaws. That's were we live from, we collect them.' The old woman answered.
Great. I thought.
'But I don't know my fatal flaw...' I said.
'Dont worry about that my child. We will give you the opportunity to find out. We will show you visions only you can see and in those visions you can find out your fatal flaw. And don't look at me that way son of Apollo!' The old woman said. 'You may think it's a bad price but it's not.'
Callums head was as red as a tomato and he didn't dare to say something anymore.
'Ready?' The young girl said.
'Ready.' Finn answered for us.
The ghost said something in a foreign language and my vision started to change. I saw myself being in an argument with Finn. It was about which way to go. He wanted to go right but I insisted on going left. Finally we went left.
The vision changed and I saw myself leading a group. They followed my plan, my instructions.
I thought I knew what my fatal flaw was and I actually didn't want to see more. I felt so stupid now. I closed my eyes and for a while the only thing I saw was the dark.
Then I heard the ghosts talking in their language again and I dared to open my eyes.
I've never thought I would be happy to be back in the cave again.
I looked around, everyone looked uncomfortable and a bit ashamed.
The old woman looked at us and nodded.
'Well... Alexa can you tell us your fatal flaw please?'
I think I was as red as Callum was now and it took a while before I found the right words. I felt so stupid.
'I... I.. I think my fatal flaw is... I think I'm always right... I'm bossy.' I said full embarrassment. The worst thing was that I knew it was true.
The ghost looked at each other and nodded.
I looked at the others but they didn't laugh or looked at me with disgust. They just looked at the ground being nervous.
'And you Abby?' The old woman continued.
'Egoism.' Abby answered. Apparently she had nothing to add and the woman continued asking.
'Callum?'
'Ehh... I am insecure. Like really insecure. The vision showed me that people easily could talk in to me and let me do things, saying that things would go better if I would do it.' I looked at Callum in amazement. Poor guy. He slowly walked back so he could hide in the darkness of the cave and stood in Tess food. She didn't say anything about it but I could see that Callum could punch himself really hard for being this stupid. I felt so sorry for him. Everyone could see he liked Tess but he was so clumsy and had so less experience with girls...
'And you Tess?' The woman said.
'Loyalty.' Tess said. It was like she had more to say but she didn't do it. I trusted Tess. If it was important she would say it. She knew what she was doing.
Only one person left: Finn.
'I don't know my fatal flaw.' He said.
'Of course you know it.' The old woman said. 'You just don't want to say it.'
'Finn!' Abby said. 'You have to say it! You want to leave this cave right?'
Finn looked helpless at the ghosts. What was wrong with him? Why didn't he just tell his fatal flaw?
'He can also just tell it to us right?' The young ghost girl said. 'His friends don't have to know.'
Finn nodded and the old woman thought.
'I think that can work.' She said and Finn went with them in another hallway.
We were walking for an hour now through the new hallway. It felt so good to know that we would finally go to the excited of the cave. Finn had turned back after a while, talking and laughing with the ghost girl and we could finally enter the gate. I still didn't understand why he just didn't tell his fatal flaw. Why did he has to be special?
I talked about it with Tess and the conversation ended up in a funny talk about nothing. It felt so good to do such normal things like that.
Finally Tess dared to ask about the time I was separated from them. My time with Mathew. I realized that I hadn't told her about it and if someone had the right to know it was her so I started to tell.
Tess was the best listener ever and I was her really grateful for that. It was still hard to talk about the part that Mathew sacrificed himself for me and for some reason Tess felt I needed a hug. I felt so good to have someone you could really share your pain with. Tess was the best friend I'd ever had.

Notes