Olympus Drive Book 3: According to Plan

Chapter 20

Sol

Opening the gate to the underworld is trickier than I imagined. Because it's less of a gate. Not like it is when I'm going to visit my uncle and sister. No this is quite different, sneaking in.

It really isn't a gate at all; it's a tunnel, a dark one, full of absolutely nothing at all, that keeps collapsing with everything in it. I'm able to open it with just the last few rays of sunlight. Keeping it open is another matter. There's no sunlight anymore, not here. but there is sound. Just the tiniest bit of sound, seeping in from the real world. I cling to that, focusing the waves, intensifying them, until brilliant music bursts through the tunnel, forcing it open so I can run, slip, and slide through.

Once I've done that my plan is much less sound. Because all sound stops. And all light. There is light but it's dim it's not sunlight. So now I'm just a really durable seventeen year old armed with a bow and arrow. Fantastic. No, not really. It could be worse. Luna could be here telling me what a truly stupid idea this is. It could also be better I've not got any way to make music, except my phone but I'm not wasting the charge and that doesn't work well anyway. It needs to be natural, like someone actually playing an instrument, just like it has  to be real sunlight. Shout out to whoever was giving themselves a full on angsty violin concert primarily of showtunes, between midnight and one am while I sneaked down here. Way to help a guy out.

I walk slowly down the upside down cobble stone street. The houses are lit and cheery. Souls rattle inside. I shiver. I know they're just dead but---how on earth am I gonna find Erin?  The Underworld is big I'm guessing?

"Sol," I spin around quickly at the sound of my name. Jasmine is standing there, looking rather amused. She's in one of her pastel dresses, a flower crown in her hair for some reason, and she's barefoot. "What do you think you're up to?"

"My friend---a friend of mine, died this morning. We had something of a date tonight---I didn't think that death ought to cause me to stand her up," I say, awkwardly, "I thought I'd find her—and make sure she's all right."

"How did you plan on doing that? You know you're not supposed to be down here without permission?" she asks, still more amused than mad.

"It was late—I didn't want to bother you guys---I also didn't think Uncle Hector was gonna say yes," I mumble, stuffing my fists in my pockets.

"He wouldn't have," she says.

I sigh.

"But I will. Go and say goodbye to your friend," she says, holding out a sand timer on a necklace.

"Really?"

"Really. You have a week," she says, turning the timer over, "After that, I'll send you home myself."

"Thanks," I say, as she puts it over my neck.

"Say goodbye. But remember, you cannot take her with you, nor can you tell her about the outside world."

"Fantastic," I say, planning on doing both of those things.