𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐒 - luke castellan.

vii, the traumatized

t h e  t r a u m a t i z e d
venus

━━━━━━━

Home.

It was an unknown word to her two years ago. Its meaning and its worth were unknown.

Venus was born because Aphrodite fell in love with a mortal doctor. Maybe it was lust. Maybe it was an attraction. Venus didn't know and she never would. Her father was an attractive man. He was tall, intelligent, and not bad-looking. 

Aphrodite met him, and he instantly fell in love with her knowing who she was and they had her. She was abandoned by her mother because of embarrassment and she was abandoned by her father because of hatred.

Aphrodite disappeared after spending months with her father and then a few months later, a baby in a cradle showed up on his doorstep. Angry that he was ignored and avoided by the goddess, he dropped Venus at the orphanage and never turned back.

Venus grew up in multiple orphanages with no friends. She spoke of things she saw that other children couldn't and that labeled her as the weird kid. Kids hated her because she scared them whenever she pointed at places and said "Look at that! he's waving at me!" even her caretakers would get scared thinking that she was seeing ghosts.

After that, she would run away. She had run away from five orphanages until she ended up at camp. And then she found the meaning of home. 

Home was campfires on November nights. Home was snow days in January. Home was spring in April. Home was sleeping in Luke's bed while he slept on the sleeping bag which was meant for her because she was unclaimed. Home was following him and calling him her protector. Home was pushing each other in the lakes. Home was Hades' children telling scary stories at ten p.m. Home was ordering Luke to do her work because she was too lazy. Home was teasing Grover. Home was Luke reading her books because she didn't know the big words yet.

Home was camp. 

Home was Luke.

"Grover, what are you-"

"Somebody's making hamburgers in the middle of nowhere, on a satyr path," Grover said. "Whoever it is they're from our world."

"Hopefully they'll offer us food," Venus said as her stomach grumbled.

Percy held onto Luke's gift as if it was sacred. They looked around while following Grover as the scent of hamburgers became more prominent. They came closer and saw a garden of gnomes. 

"Oh, come on," Annabeth said.

"What?" Luke asked.

"Aunty "Em" has a garden full of petrified stone folks. Yeah, this is someone from our world, all right." She said. "Anyone wanna guess what "Em" is for short?"

"Emaline... Emberlyn... Em..." Venus listed. "Medusa?... no... Emdusa?" She said. They suddenly stopped in front of gnomes of monsters. "Ohhh," Grover said.

"Let's get out of here, please, while we still can," Annabeth said but they turned around a yell escaped Venus's throat. Alecto stood in front of them. Jumpscare. Percy handed Venus the box and took out his sword. 

"You should've accepted my offer when you had the chance," Alecto said.

"Offer? What offer?" Percy asked but was ignored.

"Not today, friends, not on my doorstep." A sweet feminine voice spoke. Alecto immediately hides behind her wing. The teens turn to look.

"Oh, shoot!" Annabeth said and they hid their faces, Percy doing the same.

"I was right," Venus whispered to Annabeth.

"If you have something to resolve, why not come inside and I'll help?" Medusa said. "Alecto? Will you be joining us?"

Venus had read about Medusa in books after coming to camp and if anything. Venus loved Medusa. 

 "No, well I wouldn't think you would," Medusa said, quietly. "She won't bother you as long as you're with me. But it isn't as though she'll leave either, not if it means reporting that she failed to retrieve the son of Poseidon." Venus almost cringed.

"How did you-" Percy started

"A forbidden child has been claimed. How long did you think that secret would keep?" Medusa asked. "It's a pleasure to meet you, son of Poseidon. I'm Medusa."

"Percy, don't," Annabeth said after seeing that he was almost about to look. "She's a monster,"

"She's not-"

"We all choose who we make monsters, but right now, that one wants to tear you limb from limb and I'm offering you lunch. The choice is yours." Medusa said and then walked away. 

"I think we can trust her," Percy said and Venus agreed.

"What?"

"Dude!"

"I can't explain it, I just..." He said, "My mom used to tell me her story. And the point was always that she wasn't what people think, and I definitely trust my mom."

"Haven't you read her story?" Venus asked. "She was a victim,"

"So, we're going in. You guys do what you want." Percy said and the two walked away.