Sacrafices

Chapter 1: Amelia

I slowly open my eyes as sand comes into them, spitting out sand I begin to stand up. The sun streams in through some leaves, my shoes beginning to burn up as I hear Andrew cough and hack up sand and other things. About a few feet away, I hear both Ben and Cleo cough up some sand as well.

"You guys made quite a fall to actually wake me up from my afternoon nap under the trees, and I'm a heavy sleeper," I hear a disembodied source say from my sand filled and sun filled vision.

Another fit of coughing comes from the place where Andrew is lying right next to me, I begin to blink and notice that Danielle and Nico are both by the ocean, water lapping up against their backs. Seaweed is entwined in Danielle's bun and Nico's pitch black hair. The sun high above the sky, streaming into our eyes.

"Who are you? I mean our parents said we will know this location, but where are we exactly?" Cleo says with a sore voice and another fit of coughing from her as even more sand escapes from her sand caked lips.

"My name is Calypso, I am the daughter of one of the main Titans and the granddaughter of Gaia, although I don't agree with how she is doing things lately," the girl named Calypso says as she sways her silk white dress, she surveys the scene of all us lying on the wet and hot sand.

"So how do we get off this island then?" I ask as I slowly stand up from the beach, sand falling out of my already dirty clothes and shaggy hair that fell out of it's ponytail during the shadow-travel.

Calypso's golden blonde hair whipping in the breeze with a golden leaf headband wrapped around her forehead. Her silky white gown brushing against the sand and some golden sandals that seem untouched by the dirty sand, her face the right tone, I notice she is even wearing makeup. I look around and notice that we must look like complete garbage, with us full of sand, dirt, and even more things. I glance over and notice both Danielle and Nico slowly getting up from the ocean, water dripping from their wet clothes and hair.

"Well, I haven't got a message yet from Hermes so I wasn't even expecting people on my island," Calypso says casually as she helps Andrew up, while he is struggling to get a proper stance.

I feel my face burn up as she gazes at Andrew's eyes sea blue eyes and sandy hair, Danielle coughs and I see Cleo rush towards her, but fall onto the slippery sand and have her already dirty face become even more dirty with now wet sand. Nico slowly gets up as he helps Danielle up, I hear Ben cough again as he rises up slowly as well.

"How long do we have to stay here anyway? Gaia could be destroying the Ancient Lands as we speak!" Danielle says as she stutters in her steps and sits down on a wet soft rock.

"Like I said earlier, I haven't gotten a message from Hermes or any of his children saying anything about you guys. Didn't your parents say something about me?" Calypso says as she leans on Andrew's shoulder and bats her eyelashes, Andrew just gazing across the silent ocean.

"Our parents said we will stay at this destination until we get the go ahead from one of them to go to the Ancient Lands to defeat Gaia," Ben says with a raspy voice and followed with another fit of coughing, his black hair shaking back and forth, sand falling from it.

"Well if that's the case, then welcome to my beautiful island of Ogygia," Calypso says as she indicates to the rest of the forest covered island.

"Great, time to live here for a few days," I mutter as Calypso leads Andrew with her to the rest of the island, both of them disappearing into the forest thick part of the island.

I mutter curse words under my breath as I follow everyone else to the dense forest of the island. The heat of the sun becomes cooler as I hear running water from a nearby source. I hear Ben have a coughing fit yet again as Danielle leans on Nico for support to follow Calypso.

"So here is my lovely house, yes I know it is a cave, but I need a place to live so I found this cave," Calypso says as she leans on Andrew and tries to flirt with him by twirling her already perfectly curled hair with her fingers.

"Wow, amazing how you could make a cave into such a lovely home as you just did," Cleo says as Ben does yet another coughing fit and sits down on the dirt path with cobblestone steps.

"Well, it didn't take that long to make it habitable, but after awhile I just added different decorations as I was bored most of the time," Calypso says as she opens the leaf door, indicating us to come inside.

We all walk in following Calypso, as a wave of cinnamon hits my nose and makes me want to gag. Ben has yet another coughing fit as we all get the whiff of this sweet smelling scent, Danielle finds a chair and sits there as Nico rubs her shoulders. My head becomes dizzy as I struggle to find a spot to sit down, until my vision goes blank and I stumble onto the cold ground, my dark chocolate hair falling in a heap around my head, I hear distant voices as I become used to the pitch blackness as I usually faint now.

"Does she usually do this?" Calypso asks as my vision slowly goes back to normal.

"Oh my god Amelia, are you okay? I'm thinking that was caused by the heat and all this new stuff that is happening to us," Andrew says as he helps me up and kisses me on my sand covered cheek.

"Yes I'm fine, and I only do this when I am unsteady on my feet suddenly or I smell something or do something," I explain as Andrew helps to a chair across the oak table from Danielle.

I glance towards Calypso and notice her surprisingly ice blue eyes, as bright as ever, glaring at me as Andrew wipes off sand from my face. Ben coughs yet again as Cleo stumbles toward him and feels his forehead. I see Cleo's light grey eyes become a stormy grey as she removes her hand from Ben's forehead. Ben coughs again and almost falls forward just before Cleo could reach out and catch him, but she could only soften his fall, I flinch as I hear the thud of Ben's body on the ground and his groan erupt from his raspy throat.

"Oh Athena, oh Athena. Calypso do you have any healing herbs that can get Ben's temperature down," Cleo says as she picks up Ben and carries him to a soft leaf bed.