1 Meeting the Goddess

Hi. My name is Melissa Speed. I am twenty-six years old and today is the worst day of my life. The day started the same as every day, I got out of bed, meanwhile, my boyfriend of five years kept sleeping.

I have absolutely no time for hobbies, like reading or playing video games because Joey - my boyfriend- lost his job. So I had to work overtime to compensate for the loss of income.

I stumbled to my bathroom mirror to brush my teeth. My reflection, a woman with gold-blond chin-length hair, big forest green eyes, and white skin is glaring back at me.

As I looked at my watch I noticed that I was late, so I ran out of the apartment and took the subway without eating. I hate it when I don't have enough time to eat breakfast.

So here I was rushing to my dead-end job only to be told that I was getting fired because I was late one time too often. Perfect. No breakfast and now this. So I took my things and went home again.

So here we are... I am standing in the doorway of my bedroom and I can't believe what I am seeing. I mean my boyfriend is not sleeping anymore, so I guess this could count as one positive aspect of the situation. But he is having sex with my best and only friend Bethany. What the fuck? Seriously?

[Joey] Oh, yeah, Beth you are so good.

Oh my god, I think I am going to vomit. And why didn't they notice that someone is standing at the door? What do I do? Yell? Cry? Start throwing things at them? No, I don't want to give them the satisfaction to get a rise out of me.

Ugh..they are still at it. Ok, that's it. I can't take more of their moaning. I go to the kitchen and fill a bottle full of cold water, pound back to the bedroom and douse those two unfaithful bitches with water.

[Melissa] There. That should cool you down.

Joey and Bethany look up at me with fright distorted faces. Now they see me. Good. But what do I do now? I mean I don't have anything to say to them. Actually I don't want to see them and so I turn around and storm out the apartment door. I would really like to kick Joey out of there but the rental contract has Joey`s name on it. Shit. Now I am jobless, homeless, single and don't have a best friend anymore. I can only repeat myself: What the fuck?

As I was escaping the apartment, they started yelling my name and tried to stop me from leaving. They began to apologize, but what are they expecting? That I turn around and tell them everything is ok, that it doesn't hurt that they betrayed me? Hastily I run from their voices, out the apartment door, down the staircase, and storm out of the building. In my distress, I am not looking at traffic and of course, a car runs me over. Sure, why not, what do you expect of the shittiest day of your life?

As I dizzily opened my eyes, lying on the street, the man whose car hit me is talking.

[Unkown Man] Please hang on. The ambulance is on its way. Why would you simply walk out the street? Do you have a deathwish? I mean you should check for cars before crossing even my five-year-old daughter knows that!

Oih, Really? Yes, sure blame the victim! How much bad luck do I have today? I mean he hit me with his car and now that I can't run away he tries to lecture me? What the hell?

The ambulance arrives at long last and takes me to the emergency room. At least I don't have to listen to this little shit anymore.

As I try breathing through my anger, my world is starting to feel a little wobbly. Damn that feels weird. Well, look at those black dots. Yepp, I am losing consciousness. Over and Out.

And that's when the shit really hits the fan!

As I crawl my way back to consciousness, I notice that I am standing on my feet. These hospital rooms sure look different than I remember. It's just an open white space.

[VOICE] HELLO MORTAL. I AM THE GODDESS L...

[Me] *laughing*... I am sorry but...*chuckling*... I was looking where the loud and intimidating voice was coming from. At first, I couldn't find you but then I looked down...*I start laughing again*... a child...I am sorry but the contrast is hilarious..pffff hahaha.

Standing in front of me is a really beautiful child: her silver hair reaches her ankles, her very big blues eyes are looking at me, she is wearing a cute white dress and has no shoes on.

[Voice] (*mumbles* I am sorry that I am only a child, I mean I am only 50 million years old, I will be a grown-up soon... )*coughs* How I look is irrelevant! Listen to me. I am here to present a proposal to you. A once in a lifetime chance.

[Me] *laughing* Ok. I am sorry. ... *laughs*... so...sorry. *I clear my throat* So you were saying...?

[Voice] As I was rudely interrupted by you: I am the Goddess of Life and my name is Lavi. I am looking for someone who can save my people and the spell I cast to find the savior led me to you.

[Me] You are a Goddess? Am I still sleeping?

I ask suspiciously. I mean what do you expect? Who in their right mind would believe that this isn't a dream but reality?

[Lavi] I don't have the time to convince you. I am not in my dimension and as soon as earths' god of life finds out I am here, I will be sent back to my home. So shut up and listen. Then you need to give me your answer. I need consent before I can do anything. I mean what do you have to lose? Worst-case scenario nothing happens.

[Me] Woah my subconscious is really convincing. Ok, I am listening.

I figure there can't be any harm in listening even if I am certain that I am dreaming.

[Lavi] So the Goddess of Death cursed my planet and now there is an apocalypse going on. She created a virus who turned most of the population into mindless zombies with animal traits, the ones who didn't lose their minds got an upgrade and were turned

[Me] Woah! Stop. Stop. Apocalypse? Seriously? And what do you mean turned?

[Lavi] As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted me AGAIN, they were turned into were-animals. I couldn't stop the release of the virus, but I added my personal twist to it, in the hopes to rescue my planet and to strengthen the population. I had hoped to turn them all into wereanimals but the virus was too potent, so a lot of humans didn't live through the transformation and became mindless were-zombies. Unfortunately, the remaining were-humans are losing the fight against the zombies. So I started looking for a someone who would help my people.

[Me] Wait...What?... Why would the Death Goddess curse your planet?

After I asked my question, I was hoping that my suspicion is wrong but I can see how her cheeks turn red.

[Lavi] *mumbles* I mean I only laughed at her a little, who could guess that she would take it to heart

[Me] What you laughed at her? Why?

[Lavi] ... okay I´ll tell you. It was during one of the assemblies of gods. She came through the door and stumbled, so I laughed at her.

[Me]... That was all? How old is she? Five? I mean ok I get it, getting laughed at is not a nice experience but to condemn a whole planet because of it?

[Lavi] No, Death is as old as time.

I gaped at her. What the fuck? As old as time? Holy hell that is old.

[Me] Never mind that. Why the hell should I consent to go to a world where the chance that I die is almost one hundred percent? I mean once I am bitten, I am almost certainly dead or am I wrong?

[Lavi] Yes you are wrong, the virus is airborne so you don't need to get bitten.

Ok. Now I know she is nuts. I stared at her gobsmacked.

[Lavi] haha. You should see your dumb look. Yes, the virus is airborne but I would send you there already transformed so you needn't be worried, silly. Gods and Goddess' can't walk among the mortals. And here is the loophole I intend to exploit: To get you to Lavos I have to drag your body through the Aether, that energie would be stored in your body and theoretically, it should be enough to help transform you in a baby goddess. Gods are born and not made so they have to obey a lot of rules. You, on the other hand, will be transformed and you don't belong to our pantheon so you should be exempt.

[Me] Theoretically? That word does not instill a lot of confidence in me... What kind of goddess would I be? Would I be powerful?

[Lavi] Are you dumb? Of course, you would be the goddess of transformation, what else could you be? You will be literally transformed into a goddess. I can't give you power. It doesn't work this way. I can only turn you into a goddess to get more powerful you need to collect worshippers.

[Me] Worshippers? I don't want to be worshipped! Is it not enough to believe in me? Must they worship me?

[Lavi] You are a strange creature *Lavi looks at me funny* What woman doesn't love to be worshipped? But to answer your question yes believing does count as worshipping.

[Me] But how am I going to keep everyone safe? If they are dying then I'll need someplace that is zombie-free.

[Lavi] Hmmm. You are right... *thinking* ... Okay, yes, I can grant you the city building assistant. With the assistant, you can build a city that has a magic barrier around it. So are you coming to my world? Please be quick. I don't have much time left before I am discovered!

[Me] Are you n ... *coughs* I mean are you serious? I wouldn't survive the first day there. Basically you just said that I'll be as good as powerless before I have some believers, am I right?

[Lavi] Yes you are correct. What do you want?

[Me] If you really want me to go then I`ll need something like instant mastery...I mean I won't have the time to train or am I wrong? And I'll also need some sort of guide function, something like Wikipedia? I know nothing about your world so something that could give important information about where I am going.

[Lavi] I am not able to grant you instant mastery but I can give you a genius-level weapon talent so the problem should be solved. A guide function...hmmm no not a function but I can give you Vargas. Yeah, Vargas can be your guide. *claps* Perfect. Now, are you going to rescue my world Lavos?

What is a Vargas? hmm, it doesn't matter as long as it can give me information everything else is irrelevant.

[Me] I can't believe I am considering this but today I lost everything that was important to me. So ... *thinking* ... wait a moment! is this just coincidence or did you have something to do with my shitty day?

[Lavi] No, no, no! I am hoping to work with you to save Lavos so I wouldn't start our relationship based on subterfuge. The only thing I did was to make your wounds more severe so that you would lose consciousness otherwise we couldn't talk. If you say no I will heal you and continue my search. But if you say yes I will take you with me to my world to stand against the apocalypse.

Ok, Mel, think. Here is a once in a lifetime chance. I mean I could become a GODDESS. I always dreamed of adventuring, this could be my dream come true! But a zombie apocalypse? Dying, is dying even a thing? gods and goddesses? Hmmm sounds really dangerous, but what do I have to lose? As the saying goes: Nothing ventured nothing gained. I always felt that there should be more to life than working a boring job until your pension. If I am not dreaming, no, even if I am dreaming I will take her up on her offer.

[Me] Apocalypse? Here I come!