𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 (𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨'𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐬)

TWENTY-TWO ; eileen has an important realisation

     Finding a cab to take them up the mountain had been the easy part. Getting the cab all the way to the top - well, that wasn't the easiest task.

     Eileen sat in the middle, squashed between Piper and Jason as they bumped up the trail. She racked her brains while Leo made small talk with the cab driver, trying to think of anything useful Demeter had told her when she visited her dreams. Though, unless it was the fact that fibre was apparently good for your gut, nothing really stood out to her. She was getting pretty sick of thinking about cryptic messages and quests from undying beings that controlled every corner of the universe. Couldn't she worry more about... acne? Normal teenage problems. 

     Halfway up the mountain, the cab ground to a halt in front of a closed rangers station. Things hadn't been sounding good up until this point, and Eileen was almost relieved. The car had kept lurching and grinding and straining all the way up the road.

     "Far as I can go," the cabbie told them. "You sure about this? G'nna be a long walk back, and my car's actin' funny. I can't wait for you."

     "We're sure," Leo said.

     "Thanks anyway," Eileen said as she hopped out after Piper. She was no mechanic, but she had a good feeling she knew what the problem with the car was. Just like in Hera's cage, the ground was rippling beneath the wheels, ever so slowly sucking them all down into the earth - which should have been impossible, considering they were standing on hard-packed dirt.

     "Keep the change," Leo said as he passed a generous chunk of their remaining cash through the window. "And get out of here. Quick."

     The driver didn't argue, and the next second they were coughing and waving the dust from his car out of their faces.

     Mount Diablo had a great view of the valley from so high up. Eileen could almost see the whole town - neat rows of housing with bustling streets and flourishing greenery. A few late school kids ran down the streets to make their class, bags bouncing along their back, probably thinking about an upcoming test or a friend group drama.

     Eileen tore her gaze back to her friends. Did the kids at the Wilderness School realise they were gone? Probably not. It was nice to think they did, anyway. 

     "That's Concord," Jason explained, pointing to the north. "Walnut Creek below us. To the south, Danville, those houses. And that way..." He pointed west, when a ridge of sunkissed hills collected a pool of fog. A frown irked his face. "That's the Berkeley Hills. The East Bay. Past that, San Francisco."

     Piper touched the blonde's arm with a gentle hand. "You remember something? You've been here?"

     "Yes... no." Jason snapped his gaze back to meet Piper's with an anguished look. "It just seems important."

     "That's Titan land," Coach Hedge grunted. "Bad place, Jason. Trust me, this is as close to 'Frisco as we want to get."

     Jason looked at the hills with such a desperate longing, that Eileen felt almost sure he remembered more than he wanted to tell them. She couldn't be sure though, because he just sighed and nodded, squeezing Piper's hand and gently moving it from his arm.

     Leo went to take a step forward, and suddenly both him and Eileen were on the floor.

     "Watch where you're tripping." Eileen grumbled. She tried to clamber back to her feet, but her boots seemed to be sinking into the ground. She managed to pull herself out of the rock, but the hard-packed dirt sucked and strained against her.

     "That's for on the way to Aeolus's palace," Leo said. "Though, I'll be sure to warn you next time I plan on face planting." He took her offered hand with the slightest embarrassed flush, yanking his shoes free with a displeased huff.