Return of the Goddess

Chapter 4

“Listen kid, if you bounce that ball one more time I’m going to let you meet my dad!” Lucy’s threatening voice woke Charlie up.

    Charlie glanced across the playground to find Lucifiera staring down at a small freckle faced boy. He had a small basket ball in his hand that squeaked every time it hit the ground. He couldn’t be older than six.

    The boy released the ball letting it hit the ground, unleashing a small annoying sound from within. Lucifiera’s eyes widened at the defiance and her arms reached out to grab the boy by his shirt, but Sage interfered.

   “Leave him alone Lucifiera. He’s just a little kid,” Sage protected the child with her arm stretched out in front of him.

    “First off, no one calls me Lucifiera!” Lucy’s hair turned a deeper red. “And second, that punk is going to get it!”

    Lucy’s foot swept beneath Sage, sending the girl to the ground, as she ran after the troublesome kid. Charlie got up from where he was and tried to catch up with Lucy yet it was no use. When she was determined she could not be stopped.

    The boy ran back to his father, who then told Lucy to beat it before he called her parents. If only he knew that wasn’t such a great idea. Lucy’s eyes turned to pits of darkness sending the father and son running away terrifyingly. Lucy smirked as she walked back to Charlie.

     “Lucy, you need to control your hair,” Charlie gestured to the flames coming off the end of her choppy tips.

    “Sorry,” she took a deep breath and the flames subsided. Taking a comb from her back pocket she ran through her hair once than placed it back in its place of honor. “What’s on the agenda boss?” Lucy turned to Sage, who was wiping the dirt from her pants.

    “We need to get back to the safe house. There should be a bus stop somewhere around here where we can get a ride to New York,” Sage reached for her backpack on the ground, grabbing a granola bar and throwing it to Charlie. “Eat up. We have a lot to do today.”

    The sun was resting in the center of the sky meaning they had slept longer than safe. Sage packed up all the belongings and made sure every member of her band of demigods was ready to go.

    They left the park and walked through the suburban neighborhood. Kids on foot were all walking to the towns school. Charlie remembered back to when he was sent to a school day after day. The time when he didn’t know his true heritage. Luckily, a bus station was centered around the town’s community center. Sage told the others to stay outside in the shadows as she went in to check the schedule. To her surprise a New York bond bus was going to stop at this location in a half hour. If only she could get money for tickets, but there were too many of them.

    Sage walks back out to the others and corners Charlie, “I need you to steal us five tickets.”

    “No, you know I don’t steal,” Charlie shook his head in protest.

    “Come on Charlie! You’re a son of Hermes! We need these tickets!” Sage exclaims.

    “Calm down. I’ll do it,” Lucifiera drops her bag and instantly she disappears. With the swinging of the door she enters the bus station. It takes her no longer than two minutes before she appears before them again with five silver bus tickets with New York stamped across the front.

    The blue and gold bus pulls up to the station at a rather slow speed and opens the doors to them. The bus driver takes the tickets and they head to the back of the bus. It was a comfort bus with blue cloth seats and foot rests. Lucifiera takes the very back row and sits by the window. Charlie slides in beside her and Chelsea takes the other side with Sage in the aisle. With on other choice Calvin slips into the seat alone.