/ thálassa | pjo \

/ chapter seventeen | cruisin' for a bruisin' (ft. clarisse gettin' the glory) \

edited.

_____________________________________________________________________________

I don't know where I was–surprised to be here and not on the dark plain.

But at the same time, I knew that somehow I had been here before. I was on a cliffside–a storm brewing over the ocean thousands of miles offshore. I knew it was there–I could feel it in my bones.

Yet–the storm didn't bother me. It was the fact that I recognized this place but had no memory of being here.

"Mamá, where are you?" A young voice called–making me spin, a purple dress flaring around my legs.

The voice had come from me even though I hadn't spoken a word.

"Over here, little one," My mom's voice echoed back at me.

I was running–rushing away from the edge of the cliff.

I looked down at the royal purple dress I was wearing–recognizing it as the dress I wore until it fell apart when I was a little girl. It had been my favorite–my mom had gotten it on a business trip from California while I stayed with Abuelo. He had been tired during that visit, and we had spent a lot of time outside that weekend.

But the dress had been a surprise birthday gift. I had even worn it on my first day of school that year.

Seeing the skirt swish around my longer and stronger legs made my chest ache as I grew closer to where I had heard her voice.

"Mamá?!" I shouted when the darkness of the storm seemed to grow darker. "Where are you?"

"What do you mean?" Mamá's voice teased me–now sounding like it was near the cliff again. "I have been here this whole time! Even if you can't see me!"

I turned back to the cliff, grabbing the skirt as I jogged closer to the ledge again, "What does that mean?"

"What do you think it means?"

Mamá's voice turned cold as it filled my head–like she was screaming it in my ears.

I frowned–turning in a full circle and trying to spot her.

I hadn't heard her that upset since that day Poseidon showed up at our house and we moved. She was angry–but this time, she was angry with me. She sounded like she was frustrated I didn't know the answer to something that apparently was so obvious.

I felt small as I stood there by myself on the edge of the cliff.

When I peered down over the ledge, I could see the dark plain waiting for me to perform my walk of the night. I pinched my lips, turning over my shoulder in hopes that Mamá would come and save me from my endless march.

But she didn't. She had left me.

You could have her back... A familiar dark voice whispered in my ears. It was suave at the moment–almost like it knew that all it would take was the kind voice of someone I loved to convince me to do something. Your mother, her past, all of it...All for a small price. It is all within your reach.

I frowned–crossing my arms over my chest, "Nothing has a small price with you. I'm not stupid."

Ooohhh, come on now... The invisible titan taunted me. He sounded amused at my belligerence. Your mother and grandfather gave up so much for you–and you wouldn't give up everything to see them alive and well again?