Return of the Goddess

Chapter 8

When they reached the second floor they fell into an abyss of light blue walls, cream carpet and never ending doors each marked with a god’s symbol. The first door to the right had no symbol, but a word in Greek that she easily deciphered as uncertain. Lauren opened the door and inside was a horrid spectacle. Lined in a row facing the door were three wooden bunk beds, and two dressers, one in between each one. The room looked like a cabin at a run-down camp for kids. Genna sat on a mattress feeling the straw that was inside. Each bed had a cream-colored pillow and red and white cotton blankets, which did not look warm at all. Two of the beds were claimed with small packs sitting on the edge. The others were cleaned and Genna placed her pack on the bottom bunk she was sitting on.

     “This is your room Genna. It’s for demigods who do not know who their parent is, but here almost everyone gets claimed sooner or later.” Lauren encouraged her.

     “Can I see where you all are staying?” she did not want to be in the room any longer than she needed to.

     “Yah, I’m across the hall.” Seth bounded over to the other room to show Genna the room dedicated to Zeus’ children. The walls were blue with white fluffy clouds that seemed to be painted in by a child.      The carpet was a lighter blue and there were nine beds against the wall. On each bed were lightning bolt sheets and pillows with the same design. This room was the definition of comfortable with its blue and yellow giant beanbags, flat screen TV, and Seth’s own personal possessions, as well as crafts hanging from the wall.

      “This room is way better than the uncertain room, but it seems a little cramped.” Genna thought of having to share this room with eight other kids.

     “Yah, Zeus has the most children, you know, because he is always having extra-marital affairs.” Sage said.

     “Where are the other kids?” Genna asked.

     “They are in training in the backyard.” Lauren answered. Moving to the room next to Seth’s she opened the door.

     This room had a giant hot tub in the corner with two waterbeds on the far wall. Both beds had plain blue sheets and white pillows. There were two wooden dressers painted white beside the beds, one has the name Chelsea painted on it in cursive and the other had Lauren painted on it in big bold letters. The ceiling had horses running across it and the wallpaper was full of sea horses and clown fish.

      “This is the Poseidon room.” Chelsea looked pleased to see that all her things were untouched. “Each god designs the room for their children so you will see certain advantages to each god.”

     “Like you guys get a hot tub,” Genna was drawn to the water. “It’s not only a hot tub, it’s a salt water tub!” Chelsea and Lauren were astonished by how she knew that but neither commented.

     “I want to catch up with Chelsea so Sage will you give Genna a tour?” Lauren already stepped into the room.

     “Of course,” Sage led her across the hall to the room beside hers. Inside the walls were black and so were the sheets on the bed and the carpet. This was obviously Hades’ room where Lucy was the only one. The room’s high lights were the black couches, flat screen TV and computer desk.

     “Paradise,” Lucy walked into her room and slammed the door behind her.

     The room beside Lucy’s was Demeter‘s, the goddess of the harvest, room. The room had a flowerbed full of different types of plants and barley. The walls carpet and bed sheets were so bright that you would think these girls were blind.

Across the hall Cal opened the door and gestured for Genna to look inside. The room was completely enveloped in designer products. The walls were white and the carpet pink. There were four walk in closets full of Prada, Gucci, and Chanel. They had several beds with designer sheets and all the furniture was all from the Ralph Lauren furniture collection. Although she had only stood in there for a minute her nose was clogged from the prodigious perfume scent.

     Cal went into the room and claimed the end bed. Sage led her to the door beside Demeter’s room, “This is the Apollo room.” She opened the door, and a grotesque medicine smell enveloped the hall. Everything was like a fancy log cabin. There were bows and arrows on hooks all over the wall. On the left side of the room there was a cabinet full of bottles and tubes. There was two bunk bed with each bed reserved.

     “We had three Apollo kids here when I left, so I guess we have another now. They are really useful because of their knowledge of medicine.” Sage said.

     She closed the door and opened the one next to it. When it opened a woodsy smell entered the hall and masked the medicine smell. Inside there were no beds, but silver arrows on the wall, and animal skin on all the chairs and some on the floor.

     “Artemis has no kids, so we mostly use this room to give her animal skins,” Sage said.

     She went to the next door and opened it slightly, “This is Hestia’s room. Like Artemis she is a maiden goddess so no kids.” Genna looked inside and saw nothing but a small stoned fireplace.

     Charlie finally spoke after following them around, “This is my room.” She saw about five kids in the high-technological room. Each bed had a laptop on it and headphones. The furniture was wooden and the walls were a boring brown but the things found in the room were extravagant.

     “I’ll have to introduce you to my younger sister. We’re really close,” Charlie walked in and high fived some of the people in the room.

     In the Hephaestus room there were four beds on the sides, with a huge flaming blacksmith forge in the middle of the room, everything made of medal. In cases were swords, daggers, battle-axes, and shields.

     “We get all our weapons from the Hephaestus kids,” Sage said.

     Next-door was the Ares room in which four boys and a girl were sitting on their beds. The girl had light brown hair and golden eyes. She was sitting cross-legged in a malicious manner she was stabbing a notebook with a knife. She got up and walked over to them.

     “Hi, my name is Megan. You can call me Meg,” Megan shook hands with Genna.

     “Hi, I’m Genna,” Genna beamed back.

     “It was nice seeing you again. We have to go.” Sage pulled Genna out of the Ares room. They left a confused Megan behind.

     “This is my room,” Sage said. She opened the door to expose her endless bookshelves full of knowledge. “It’s nice to be the only daughter of Athena. I can always redesign and I don’t have to consult anyone.”

     “It must be nice. I guess the gods really don’t like me if they’re going to put me in a bedroom with straw mattresses.” Genna half-smiled.

     “Don’t get too comfortable. You’ll be out of there soon.” Sage smiled. “Meet in the backyard in ten minutes, and we’ll talk about your training now that were at the safe house.”

     “Don’t worry I can’t get comfortable.” Genna chuckled. Genna walked into the room and closed the door. Inside sitting on the bunk on top of hers was Ryder.