Escape From Saint Rock - Chapter 2

Cisco and his crew are subjected to harsh punishment after their attempted escape.
Then, the city gets visited by someone.

+++

Cisco paused to catch his breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his arm. 

He quickly glanced over at the guard, who was supposed to be keeping watch. Luckily, the guard was preoccupied with a colleague who seemed to be telling a funny story, which caused him to guffaw.

Good, this provided Cisco with a brief moment to let his tired muscles relax after enduring brutal labor as retribution for his failed escape from this wretched place, where a tyrannical mother deemed herself the almighty ruler over him and his fellow prisoners.

"What are you doing, man? Keep going!" another man, looking just as exhausted and broken as Cisco, whispered urgently as he swung his pickaxe like a machine. "Or they will whip us all!"

Ignoring the desperate plea, Cisco squinted towards the distance where the women were gathered in the quarry, working tirelessly until their bodies gave out from exhaustion. 

He could see hundreds of them, all wearing tattered and grimy clothing, swinging their pickaxes in perfect harmony as they sang a sorrowful tune, almost like a performance.

His gaze swept over the area, searching for her – his former love, Jessy. Her swinging pickaxe caught his attention as her brown braid swayed with each strike. He longed to embrace her, but she had clarified that was no longer an option. It was all because of the disastrous event he orchestrated, which resulted in misery for him and his loyal team. Jessy held him responsible for their current plight in this quarry, where they were forced to work like slaves, day in day out.

            After a long day working with the pickaxe, Cisco's exhausted body collapses onto his makeshift bed of wooden boards. As he lay there, he could still feel the warmth of the sun on his skin and see the lush green lawn that symbolized their pursuit of freedom.

He was confident that their small size would keep them hidden from their owners' prying eyes while they hid among the grass. But their hopes were crushed when the owner's daughter spotted them with her sharp vision. Cisco cursed the clumsiness that caused the girl to drop her phone and inadvertently reveal their location as they sailed on a leaf in a puddle of water at the girl's feet.

The citizens of Saint Rock, numbering nearly 8 million, rarely caught a glimpse of the young sprout. However, after Cisco's capture, things changed drastically. The city had been given to their owner's daughter as a gift, effectively making her their new ruler. As Cisco gazed upon the city from the mountainside in the evening, he could already see new statues being erected throughout the streets.

The structures were distant, and Cisco couldn't see their exact appearance. But he didn't need to know that they were undoubtedly crafted in the likeness of the young girl who now owned them and ruled over them with unquestionable authority. 

The mere idea made Cisco shake his head in disbelief - he had become nothing more than a spectacle for the entertainment of a preteen girl.

 The ground trembled beneath their feet, the vibrations growing more substantial and intense with each passing moment. The whole city shook under the looming force that approached. Everyone knew what it meant—a giant was coming. It could only be the Goddess' mother or her daughter seeking to pester them for a change.

Shouts rang out from all corners of the quarry, echoing off the stone walls. Urgent commands were blared, demanding that work cease immediately.

The man next to Cisco, who had scolded him for his lackadaisical attitude, shot him an irritated look as he continued to lounge around. But Cisco paid him no mind, instead slamming his pickaxe against the hard ground in anticipation. Fear and awe washed over him as he awaited the arrival of the mighty being drawing near.

            "On your knees, filthy scum!" a guard said, lashing out at those who weren't quick enough for his liking. "A divinity is approaching!"

Cisco scoffed in disdain upon hearing these words before dropping to his knees and bowing deeply, pressing his forehead against the chilly surface of the quarry floor.

In the distance, speakers blared throughout the city, urging everyone to stop what they were doing and pay homage to the being that would soon appear in the sky.

In moments, she materialized above them, the daughter of the Goddess – a vision of unspeakable power and beauty rivaling even her comely mother despite her young age. 

Her youthful countenance, framed by tousled strands of dark hair, eclipsed the entire sky, her breaths resonating through the city with a low rumble. A sly smile formed on the girl's face, revealing her pleasure at seeing the people below in a state of vulnerability.

It was insane! Thought Cisco. 

            This one girl, who wasn't even old enough to be in high school and whose opinions should only matter in her bedroom, had complete control over every aspect of their lives. Nothing he or any of the other 8 million inhabitants could do to change that. It was maddening!

Audible gasps rippled through the city as another figure materialized in the sky above. People spun around in awe, witnessing another monumental face appearing on the opposite side of the city. This time, it was a girl with blonde curls and curious blue eyes stating the word 'wow!' which rolled over the city, prompting everyone to cover their ears from the explosiveness of her voice.

            "You like?" Ariana asked, feeling proud as she showed off her city to her best friend, Megan.

"They are so small!" Megan said, fixing her hair as she peered at the miniature city trapped in a clear box on Ariana's bedroom table.

"I know," Ariana chuckled evilly. "They're also easily frightened. Here, let me show you."

            With a malicious gleam in her eyes, Ariana leaned over the city and extended her hand, her small pinky finger sporting rainbow-colored polish, towards a cluster of skyscrapers. The people scurrying about in the buildings were entirely taken off guard when they realized the imminent danger they were facing. In an instant, hundreds of citizens were brought to their knees, paying homage to a mere child who loomed over their city like an all-powerful deity. But the forced determination the city's enforcers instilled was quickly shattered as Ariana's pinky finger descended upon them like a massive mothership from the sky.

            The group jumped to their feet, jostling and pushing each other towards the elevator or staircase, desperate to escape the collapsing building. The child Goddess had targeted it for destruction, and as Ariana's fingernail grazed the top floor, the entire structure began to crumble. Her gleeful laughter echoed throughout the city as she continued to destroy the delicate building with her mere touch.

And there it went—a nearly $1 billion costing structure that took three years to build and involved hundreds of professionals was taken down in a matter of seconds by the playful whims of a 10-year-old brat.

And Ariana was not done yet. 

With eager determination in her youthful eyes and nibbling on her lower lip, her pinkie finger pointed towards another target, leaving behind a trail of destruction and buried bodies from the skyscraper she had just demolished. 

As it became clear to the city officials that their ruler was not here to reap admiration but rather to wreak havoc, sirens blared throughout the streets.

            Amid the chaos, 8 million people frantically searched for shelter as their beloved city came under attack from a seemingly innocent tween with a mischievous streak. The streets echoed with shrieks as Ariana's finger pointed at yet another skyscraper, crushing it effortlessly into a metallic pancake. As she continued her destruction, entire apartment buildings and the city's shipyard fell victim to her power, toppling several cranes. Nowhere was safe from Ariana's wrath. 

People fell to their knees, pleading for mercy from the menacing girl looming over their city, willing to do anything to spare themselves from certain doom. Their eyes were filled with desperation as they begged Ariana without hesitation, promising to obey her every command without question.

            The eyes of the other young Goddess soaring above the city, Ariana's friend, frowned as she witnessed all the carnage, a sense of pity in her eyes as she spoke. "Aren't these people like… the same as us? Only smaller?"

Ariana shook her head as her finger was attentively busy searching for another target to pulverize. "My mom says that I should consider them less than ants. So, there is no harm in doing this." With a smirk, she brought her finger down on an industrial area filled with oil refineries, causing radiant explosions that lit up her delighted expression.

"This is so cool!" she said, impressed by her destructive abilities.

The mother's voice rumbled faintly in the background, saying, "Food's ready, girls!" Ariana brushed off her hands, letting debris fall onto the people below. "Let's go, Megan. We can have more fun with them later."