Olympus Drive Book 5: Situation Normal

Prologue

1

Sleep

In my dreams, the darkness comes. It's always there, just lurking around the edges. I try to ignore it. Try to walk away. Focus on something else. The happy parts. I like good dreams. I like happy dreams. I don't even mind sad ones, full of melancholy and missed moments .

I move through them, it's like wading through deep water. The deeper, the scarier the dream, the harder it is to get out of it.

But the darkness is always there. And sometimes it gets to be too much. Sometimes it whispers my name. I know it wants me back. But I'm afraid. I don't want to go. I want to get out of the dreams if it's there. But I can't. It's too much. Once it has me, it grabs me. And it never wants to let go.

I fight. And pull. And I run. I run through every dream I've crossed. Cold summer days and warm nights and fears of failure that are all too real. I just want to go home. I just want to wake up.

"Shh."

I wake up sobbing, wrapped in mother's arms. Her white nightgown stained with my tears.

"Shhh, you're all right now," she says, stroking my hair out of my face, "Was it another nightmare?"

"He was after me again, he wants me," I sob.

"I'm never going to let him get you," she says, snuggling me close, "I promise."

"Why does he want to scare me if he's really my dad?" I sniffle. I know that that's my real dad. That thing.

"Not all parents care for their children. I promise. I'll never let him hurt you," she says, kissing my forehead.

"It makes me scared to go to sleep."

"I know. But you're stronger than him."

"I don't feel it."

"Well, you will be," she says, picking me up, "Shh. I won't let him get you."

"Okay," I mumbled, pressing my face into her nightshirt.

"I promise. I'll always be right here."

"Charon says that the dark wants to eat me," Charon is my big brother.

"Charon says lot of things. Now, do you want to stay in with me tonight?"

"Uhuh," I don't want to be in my own dreams. Not now. Other people's are far better. And my mother dreams of flowers and sunshine. I've never seen the sun.

2

Unleasher

I wake up to the gentle sound of the crashing of the waves. I smile, my face still in my pillow. Today will be a good day. I promise myself.

Nearly sunrise. Just in time to watch the sun come up over the mountains as I visit the choppy early morning waters.

I hop up, sorting for my shirt and shorts, discarded the night before. I take only one knife, strapped to my leg. My mother has trained me well. But today I'm surfing. I'm not seeing anyone. I have no intention of talking to anyone all day. My dad and my uncle are away for work so there's no point in venturing downstairs. I don't really like my step mother. She's all right. I told my dad I liked her so he wouldn't be mad. But she just makes me uncomfortable.

No matter. Today will be fun.

I get dressed hurriedly, stuffing my phone in my pocket. No missed calls or texts. Nobody is looking for me. Good. I have a day job at the surf shop, now that school's out. But if they're not asking me to come in on my day off I'm hardly offering.