The Fleece Job (Olympus Drive Chronicles)

Chapter 18: Top of the World

Reese

I skip through Elysium park, strumming on my guitar. I'm not playing anything in particular, just any music that comes to mind. It's stronger that way. I'm composing a little melody about chaos. I can't wait for my dad to hear it completely out of context of its creation.

Elysium park is the loveliest part of the Underworld. The Underworld works such that everybody who dies, gets to live, basically wherever they felt safest in life. Usually that's just wherever they lived, like their house or sometimes their parent's house. Then when family members die, they go there too. I mean, it's not really their house. It just looks like it to them. Like Ari is in his old room at our dad's old town home. That's what our dad explained to me.

But for some people, they don't have anywhere clear that was someplace they felt safe. Either they moved a lot, or they don't want to be there alone, or whatever. And if they were a nice, non problematic person, then they get to come to Elysium. Problematic people either have to stay in their rooms, or worse, they get non descript places just to exist, or worse, Tartarus which is actual torture. My Uncle Hector and his Furies and his Judge (they call the the Executioner) decide who goes where and manage people.

Anyway, Elysium park is this huge park, with grass and fields and dogs that didn't have any humans that cared for them. Strays, breeding animals that never had a home, wander freely here. Cats as well. Down in the valley horses graze in a field. 

And the people here? They don't have homes either. Either they don't want to remain alone, or they can't conceive of anywhere that would be of comfort to them. So, they have this place, lacking happy enough memories for the eternity they deserve. It's pleasant, tranquil. People wander the trees, talk in groups. Soldiers who have no family waiting her for them. Orphans who died sad and alone. They all gather here, play with the dogs. And eventually some do leave. Family comes and they go home for eternity. Some linger on.

My dad told me all this one of the times we were trying to get Ari out. He was reluctant to bring me, but my mom didn't show up to pick me up for visitation. So he took me with him. We got rapidly evicted. Anyway.

I strum my guitar, loudly. The spirts turn a little. They usually don't notice the living. But they can't ignore my music.

"Ladies and Gentleman! Your attention please! I'm here causing problems, and a bit of a distraction, because I'm trying to see my big brother one more time. Would any of you good people like to be of assistance? Break up the monotony of the after life? Step right up," I say, strumming my guitar as I do. The spirits chuckle and glance at me, but don't really react.

"I'll help," a girl stands up. She was sitting on a park bench petting a dog. She's got short dark hair that hangs just at her chin, and wicked dark eyes. She looks my age, not much older. She's wearing a black knee length dress and practical boots, as well as thick leggings.

"I'm Reese Calli, pleasure to make your acquaintance," I say, bowing.

"And yours. I'm Frankie Lutz," she says, grinning, "We don't get many living people down here."

"How long have you been here?" I ask, frowning.

"I don't exactly know. Probably a hundred years," she says, shrugging.

"You know more than most," especially if she's been here that long. Most spirits are nowhere near this lucid.

"Most of us children do. When we die young, we take more of the world with us."

"Easier to bring you back," I say, quietly. That's  what Ari told me. He was joking, telling me if I died he'd get me back right away, so there was nothing to be afraid of. But still. I think the words were true. "How did you die?