Dear son

Fourth chapter

Hiii!

So one thing I probably should have said earlier: Since I am not able to change fonts on this App, cursive is for the letters and fat stuff are text messages.
You probably already got that, but just to make sure.

Also not everything is super on the nose in this book, but I promise it will be explained at some point in the story.
Ofc you can still ask if you have questions, but you might get spoilers,

Onto the TW's: graphic depiction of injuries, unbelievable tension:)

Kidding. Anyway thank you for reading!

See ya,
Singular shoe

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Dear son,

Once again I am writing to you from a hospital bed. But this time I am not giving birth and I was also not attacked by another monster. No, there is a way more embarrassing reason for it.
We were in a car crash.
Yes, I did say we, but don't worry. You came out perfectly fine and I will be forever grateful for it. You're currently home with your grandpa's while I recover from surgery. I'll survive but I can already tell you that you won't get any siblings. And this time it's not because I don't want any more children, but because I can't have any more. (Oh and I had to get my leg amputated, but my dad -Ares- gave me a new one. It's pretty cool and apparently I can jump higher now. So, I'm not to mad about my old leg being gone.)
Some dumb metal piece got stabbed right through my uterus, so yeah... you'll definitely forever be my one and only baby.
I hope this will make you just as happy as me, after all you will never have to share any of your toys or friends or... whatever else siblings have to share (I don't know, I'm an only child too). If not, I'll get you a cat or a dog. Or one of those dolls that cry and do other realistic stuff.
Oh and you just got a cousin. Lucy had her baby a week ago, tiny baby Luke. He's only a couple months younger than you, so you'll have someone to play. You'll also be in the same grade in school. Meaning you won't get rid of him and basically have a brother.
Problem solved.
Anyways, I can't wait to see you tonight when you come to visit. Don't drive granny and grandpa insane, please.

With all my heart,
Your Mom

Walking into the kitchen smeared with blood all over while everyone was eating breakfast might not have been my smartest move. To be fair, I had a very exhausting run that resulted in the death of three hellhounds, a bruised rib cage and a scratched up back.
    My shirt was just hanging off my body in shreds, covered in dirt and more blood, my hair was sticking to my forehead and I smelled horrible. My looks made all heads turn towards me, but there were very different reactions.
    Mom, who was already used to this, got up and went to get a bowl and some rugs. I did notice her getting a bit paler though.
    Luke got wide eyes and dropped his nutella covered waffle. He then got up to inspect my wounds a bit closer.
    And Gaia... Gods, I felt bad for springing this on her without a warning, because she looked horrible. Big eyes, pale, kind of greenish colour on her face and her mouth wide open. I almost wanted to suggest someone get a bowl for her so she could throw up.
    "What happened to you, dude?" Luke walked around me, stopped behind my back. It had to be pretty bad, but I hadn't seen it yet. All I felt was the stinging pain of three claw marks. "It's not even eight in the morning! How did you manage to get this fucked up already?"
    I let out a chuckle, while Luke seated me at the table. Luckily on the opposite side from Gaia, so she didn't get to see too much. Her greenish colour had intensified and she was staring out the small window above the stove. Before I had the chance to ask her if she was alright, she got up and rushed out of the kitchen.
    "My run was interrupted by a couple of hellhounds. First one up on the hill and then two down by the forest." I explained, but was interrupted by the cold, burning feeling of a wet cloth on my back. It got better after a few seconds as my mom dabbed away the blood and dirt. "The first two were fine but the third one took me by surprise and that's how I got those."
    I pointed over my shoulder. Mom put a hand on my neck, keeping me stable, so I would stop moving around. When I turned my attention back towards Luke, he was shaking his head, a worried look in his eyes.
    "What?" I asked him.
"This is the third time you've been attacked by monsters in two weeks. That's a record number, even for you." Luke sighed, finally looking me in the eyes again. "Are you cursed or something?"
    "What? No!" I snorted. "Maybe the protection around town isn't working properly and they haven't noticed yet. And it's the end of summer, you know how the monsters get once the heat is fading."
    Luke didn't seem to be very happy with my theory, because he kept shaking his head and stared down at his intertwined hands. I would have said something to calm him a bit, but I just didn't know what. Our survival was the most important thing to him, all he could focus on, always in the back of his mind. Now, don't get me wrong, I do worry about our chances of death by monster too, but it wasn't my priority.
    We were trained well and so far we had gotten away, but maybe someday there would be a monster or a mythical creature that was stronger than us. Or the circumstances were bad. Or we would die in a car crash. Or we had a stroke.
    Fact is no matter how well we prepare, life is unfair. So I rather spend my time living life and not worrying about death.
    "I'm sure it's a coincidence. Percy is right, the whole summer the woods and even the town have been crawling with monsters. It will pass once the cold sets in."
Mom spoke with such soothing certainty that Luke looked up at her, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
    Those two had a very special relationship. Everytime I didn't know what to do or say to help Luke, my mom did. Like right now. She could take one look at him and find the exact words Luke needed to hear.
    It was a result of him spending a big part of his childhood over at our place. His mom had pretty bad mental health issues, one of the downsides of being the daughter of Hades, and spent a lot of her time shut into her bedroom or in hospitals. And his dad was either at work or trying to balance between being there for his wife and raising his son.
    It was a hard choice to make, but I didn't blame either of them for anything they did. They were young too when they had Luke (not as young as my mom of course) and back then Lucy's mental issues hadn't been nearly as bad. Barely noticeable. And after they started to get worse, they made the best they could out of a very shit situation.
    When my wounds were treated, I got up to wash my hair and change into a fresh and still sewn together outfit, putting on a shit ton of perfume and deodorant. Since there had been a slight delay in my timeplan there was no time left for a shower.
    Back downstairs I spotted Gaia on the couch, looking a lot better than she did fifteen minutes ago. I gave her a nod and took her hand, so I could pull her up to her feet.
    "Everything alright?"
"I should be asking you that! Why are you standing and not in bed?" Gaia tilted her head and crossed her arms, distantly reminding me of my mother.
    "Nah, I'm alright. I'm wrapped in bandages and high on pain medication, that should get me through the day." I shrugged and sat down in the hallway to put on my shoes. The door was open and I could hear the engine of the car running, meaning Luke was already waiting for us. Gaia put on her shoes too, but not without first giving me a doubtful side-eye.