Divine Existence - Percy Jackson

Chapter One

It all began peaceful. 

This story starts at a little cottage, that was on a plot of land right on the edge of the woods in Washington. A home that was full of love and peace. The brick house was covered in flowering ivy and had all different types of flowers drowning the front lawn. The grass had just been mowed the day before, and there was the smell of the grass trimmings mixed with the scent of oak and honey in the air. The trim around the windows needed a fresh coat of white paint, but that was all the work that needed to be done. It was a house that you could tell was lived in and loved. 

As you enter the forest green front door, you would be met with what can only be described as organized chaos. On the left, was a large room that was the house's library. There were a few bookshelves on each wall, that went from floor to ceiling, full to the brim of all genres of books. Most of their pages were worn, after being read more than a handful of times. In one of the corners, there was a comfy rocking chair, and on the other wall was a window seat that looked out to the garden. 

If you went to the right, there was a cozy living room, with a couch and a few chairs. The furniture was mismatched, and they all had fuzzy blankets covering the back of them. There were a few books placed on the coffee table, and toys scattered across the rug. As you moved down the long hallway, there were two bedrooms on either side. One that housed a young girl who absolutely adored the color yellow. The other room was for a father who loved studying medicine. 

At the very end of the house, before leading out to the large backyard, that butted right into the forest, was the kitchen. For the most part, the kitchen was tidy and always smelled of freshly made bread. On this particular day, flour littered the counters, and there was a very pungent smell of pancakes. That were obviously made with love. 

"Flip it again, daddy." Came the joyful voice of Icaria Elanor Kane. A sweet little four year old girl. She had bright golden eyes that matched her father, and she would proudly tell everyone that she met that particular fact. 

Atticus David Kane, the father in demand of the little girl, laughed and flipped the pancake back over without a spatula. He smiled as he listened to the sound of his daughter squealing with pure joy. After another minute on that side, Atticus slid the last one onto the growing pile of blueberry pancakes. He handed the plate to Icaria, and watched as she carefully carried it with two hands, to the oak table in the dining room attached to the kitchen. 

The little girl sat at her assigned place, fork already in hand. Her only focus on the two pancakes on her plate, along with the raspberry syrup that was dangerously close by. Atticus sat across from her, taking his own food, and then poured the syrup on his daughter's plate. Both father and daughter bowed their heads and mumbled a quick blessing. Then, they had dived into their breakfast. 

Atticus listened to his daughter tell him all about the dream that she had the night before. Her eyes were bright, and her arms waved around dramatically as she shared. The father couldn't help but fall more in love with her as the seconds ticked by. Atticus was truly blessed by the gods with Icaria, and he knew that he would cherish her always. Their four years together already were filled with so much love and laughter. 

"And then the raven flew around the fire, before landing on the sand. It wasn't scared of anything. The waves even said hello to him." Icaria explained the end of her dream, taking the final bite of her delicious breakfast. 

"You've been seeing that raven a lot, it's probably trying to be your friend. Now, my darling Ria, tell me what you want to do tomorrow. You know, it's a very special day." Icaria gasped, nodding her head frantically. 

"Hold on, I'll be right back! I have a whole list of things I want to do. They're in my book. Wait, I think I wanna add a few more things too. Oh, it's going to be so much fun." Icaria placed her empty plate in the sink, and then all but sprinted into her room.