The Ferryman’s Daughter

Note: This was in response to a challenge emailed to me by my favorite author.  Write a story in 30 minuets with no more than 300 words.  We had to use the first line he provided and throw in a kiss.  This is the final product.

The young man gaped at me with something between wonder and terror in his eyes. "How'd you do that?" he stammered. I listened to the soft patter of water dripping onto the tile in my bathroom. A few moments ago our feet had been firmly planted behind the thick yellow line of Platform 3. I searched my mind for an explanation that would ease his frazzled mind but none came and so my lips took charge and the truth spilled from them.

“My father is Charon.” I searched his eyes for understanding but found none. “Charon the one who ferries souls across the river Styx, he is my dad. I know it sounds crazy but it’s true and now we need to get moving.” I tossed him a towel, grabbed one for myself and hurried out the door into my bedroom.

The struggle to remove my wet clothes only added tinder to the fire of my frustration. “So, what exactly happened back there?” he grumbled. I tossed a set of his “stay over” clothes at him and wrapped the towel around my hair.

“I opened a portal, we fell through into the river, which runs below everything, and came out here.”

“Why are we in such a hurry?” he asked as he emerged fully dressed. Pulling my shirt over my head I rounded the corner of the bed and stood before him. I stood on my toes, kissed his cheek, and whispered in his ear.

“There are rules. Your temper and my love for you forced me to break those rules. Now they will be coming for us.” I pulled away and watched his expression as his brain worked to process this new information. With a heavy sigh he grabbed his gym bag, dumped its contents, and began to pack.