Dear Ms Lady Demigod: Twelve Days To Doom

2 2 Bare

Ariel sat beside a train window, looking outside at the snow falling in the vast fields. The train tracks were laid between those fields full of flowers and snow. The northern lights shone in the sky. The train gave off white smoke as it travelled through the magical scenery. Ariel looked very young, probably not more than ten. His eyes looked tired and there were bruises all over his body that peeped through the buttons of his white shirt.

"Do you like Sweden?" An older boy sat before him, he seemed to be in high school. He had blonde hair and brown eyes.
Ariel looked at him and shook his head.
"Why?" He said in Swedish, "It's so beautiful-"
Ariel pressed his head on the window, not saying a word.

"Don't you talk?"
"Conversations..." Ariel said, "Bore me,"
He smiled, "What makes you happy?"
He looked at him, "Not being around people like you,"

His brown eyes mellowed and he looked outside the window, 
"Pretty cocky for a catemite." He said and Ariel rolled his eyes. "I hope you like Italy though," He reached his hands towards Ariel's head and gently caressed his head, 

"You liked what we did yesterday?" 
Ariel looked outside, "Please let me go,"
"Come on now," He smiled as he went towards him and sat beside him. The train was empty and they were the only ones in that entire couch, "I feel so much better after that," He smiled, "I wanna do it again,"

Ariel squirmed away from him but he grabbed his arms and slammed him on the train window. Ariel's eyes glowed golden but the bracelets on his hands squeezed his skin tightly. "UGH!"
"You can't use your powers on me,"
Ariel struggled as his kicked his feet in the air. He looked into his brown eyes as his blonde hair slowly fell over his shoulders. 

Like a butterfly born in a garden of thorns.
Its fragile wings break as it struggles to free itself
From a spider's cobweb

His nails digging into his skin, scratching his body 
Blood fell on the sleeves of his white shirt.
"Ajax, you're so pretty," He whispered. Ariel coughed as his body got covered with blight, "Wow! Is that my disease?"

Blight.
A dark impurity which feels like acid on the skin, melting the skin it touches, eating away the body it enters. To humans, it is harmless, but for gods and stars, it is fatal. Only demigods can control these. It is a parasite that feeds on divine flesh and evaporates the moment it is full, the skin grows back and the demigod is healed. 

But the pain it leaves behind
Is unbearable.
A demigod might die from the pain itself.

"Lemme go! It hurts, you monster!"

Aphrodite, 
Why would you abandon me like this?

.

Ariel, now seventeen, stood at his balcony; smoking by himself, looking into the darkness. His skin looked dry, and his freckles seemed darker. He got on the railings of the balcony and looked at the moon, "Ariel!" He heard and looked down. It was Jevelene, "What are you doing?" She looked at the cigarette in his mouth, "Why are you smoking?" She asked.

"...It's got nothing to with you," He said.
"What do you mean? We are friends!" She said.
"Please shut up. Please please shut up!" He said.
"Okay," She looked down and then looked at him again, "Is Mr Akagi home?"

"Why?"
"He told me he'd lend me some books,"
Ariel smirked, "What a nerd," He jumped down from his balcony and landed on the soft grass. Jevelene took a step back from him and covered her nose, "You smell of smoke,"
"I am smoking for a while now,"

"Smoking kills you," She said.
"I am going to die anyways,"
"...What do you mean?" She asked anxiously, "What are going to do, Ariel?"
"I don't know. The only thing I know is this; I'm full of wounds and still standing on my feet,"