Elizabeth Potter

Chapter 3

It took all my willpower not to look back. I knew they were still watching me.

'Focus Elizabeth' I told myself. I pulled the map out and looked at my destination. All the way across the country in a place called New York. Tucking the map back into my pocket, I made a plan. I would cover as much ground as I could before sunset and then make camp.

The day grew warmer, and I was glad when I found a stream to stop at. It was a little past noon. I could tell by the placement of the sun. I sat on the bank and decided to see what Luna had backed for me. Multiple water bottles. Very, very useful. There was a lot of food, clothes, two more pairs of shoes, and some other stuff. How it all fit, I had no idea. I took a sip of water, which gave me more energy, and had a few berries. I zipped up my bag and swung it over my shoulder. Then I heard a leaf crunch. I was not alone. I flicked my daggers out and spun around just as three hellhounds entered the clearing. There was a brief moment when no one moved. And then, the first hellhound attack. I quickly step-sided it and ran my dagger along its side, turning into dust. The other two launched themselves at me at the same time. I jumped to the side, and the two hounds crashed into each other. They were dazed for a moment and then turned to me. They were far enough away for me to throw my knives at them. I never miss.

As the sun disappeared behind the trees, I began my hunt. I didn't enjoy killing animals, but I needed more than berries to survive. I crept through the forest, following a rabbit. It stopped just long enough for me to throw a knife. I looked away as the dagger made contact with the rabbit.

After dinner, I curled up on my moss bed and stared at the stars. I thought about my journey. How long would I be on the road? Would I even make it? I had to walk all the way across the country at six years old. I knew my mom was watching me. Relief washed over me, and before I knew it, I was asleep.

...

I was on Mount Olympus. Not the actual one, but the Mount Olympus in Utah. Three months had gone by, and I was in Utah. Snow covered the ground as far as I could see, and more was falling. I didn't know why I was on a mountain. I just was. The view was amazing. The sun was setting, which lit up everything in gold.

Then I heard a meow. My head snapped away from Apollo and towards the cat. Listening closer, I heard someone else as well. They were whispering, trying to calm the cat. Slowly, I followed the noise. As I turned the corner, I was shocked at the sight I was met with. A girl my age was crouched on the ground, fiddling with a net. She whispered calming words in English to the two kittens trapped in the net. Like me, the girl had red hair, but hers was frizzy and pulled back into a bun. Quietly, as not to scare the kittens, I walked over to the net. The girl finally seemed to notice me. She jumped in surprise when I crouched down next to her. I noticed that she had green eyes (emerald green instead of the ocean teal green that I had) and freckles all over her face. Ignoring her, I studied the net. Made by a mortal but was too tough for my mortal knife to cut through. I pulled out my Imperial gold dagger, and the kittens flinched back, running to the other end of the net. I heard the girl gasp when I pulled out my knife. She was able to see through the mist. Putting the thought aside, I began to cut. Beside me, the girl went back to fiddling with a knot. As I cut, the black kitten slowly walked over to me. I stopped for a moment to look at her. The kitten was female with soft yellow eyes. I smiled at her and then resumed slicing through the net. I broke through at the same time the girl untied the knot. The black kitten's paw touched me at the same time the white kitten's paw touched the girl. There was a flash of blue and red light, but nothing changed. Curious, I turned to the girl, who looked at me with equal confusion.

"Who are you?" The girl asked me finally. I called back on the English Lupa taught me.

"I'm Eliza. Who are you?" I asked, petting the black kitten.