The Survival of Four

Chapter 11

I opened cabinet after cabinet, naming off foods that I could possible make for dinner. "Riley, I'm starving," my brother complained for the hundredth time. He sat at the table with his chin in his hands, indecisive of what he wanted for a late dinner.

"Well, what do you want?" I asked once again.

"I don't know," he groaned.

I sighed. "I can't cook if I don't know what you want me to make."

"But I don't know what I want to eat."

I groaned, completely frustrated. "If you say 'I don't know' one more time, I swear I will throw this water at you and you will eat a bowl of cereal for dinner," I told him picking up a glass of water. "Now, what do you want?"

He looked up at the ceiling as if he was lost in a deep thought. For a moment, I actually thought he was going to name off a food. He looked at me and then put his face in his hands. "I don't know."

I pulled back my arm with the glass of water in it. I was in motion to toss the water when a knock sounded on the door. I froze and placed the cup back on the table. "Whoever is at the front door, just saved your life," I informed my brother. Carson laughed and stuck his tongue out at me. I rolled my eyes and opened the door. Dylan and Kyle waltzed through the doorway, without waiting for my consent. "What are you two doing here?" I asked, closing the door behind them. "It's getting late."

"I brought Carson something," Kyle spoke up.

Carson stood from the chair and walked in to greet our guests. The son of Hades handed him a thick, green book. "What's this?" Carson asked, accepting the book into his hands.

"It's a book with a list of every Greek Monster. There are pictures, along with descriptions and lists of the easiest ways to kill them, too. I noticed today, you didn't have a clue what a Stymphalian Bird was, much less how to kill on. Now you can actually know what you are up against when you come in contact with a monster."

A smile etched its way across my brother's face and he began flipping through the pages. "Thanks."

Kyle scratched the back of his head. "Don't mention it."

My brother turned back toward the kitchen and placed the book on the table. "Can we please eat now? I'm so hungry."

I placed a hand on my forehead. "Carson, if you complain one more time, I'm going to kill you."

Dylan chuckled. "I see you two have already started the common sibling arguing," he noted.

The son of Poseidon shrugged. "She won't make me food."

I threw my hands in the air. "Because you won't tell me what you want!"

Kyle laughed and patted my shoulder. Dylan made his way into the kitchen and looked through our freezer. After taking a look around, he pulled out a bag of chicken strips. "I can quickly whip up some chicken and macaroni," he offered.

Carson ruffled Dylan's hair. "You are my new best friend."

Twenty minutes later, we were all sitting around the dining table, eating the food Dylan had prepared for us. Once we were all nearly finished, my eyes caught on Carson picking up his drink. I watched him stick his finger into his almost empty glass of water. A second later, the water began filling back up to the top. Beside me, Kyle choked on his drink and burst out laughing.

I chuckled. "Why didn't you just refill your glass from the fridge or tap?" I asked.

"This is easier."

"But your finger is probably dirty and you just stuck it in your water," Dylan joined in. Carson shrugged and took a drink of his water anyways.

#

I finished washing the last dish and placed it on the drying rack. I dried my hands off on a dish towel and turned around. Carson was sitting quietly at the dining table, reading through the monster book, Kyle gifted him. "Are you going to go to bed?" I asked him. "It's almost midnight."

He flipped another page, keeping his gaze on the words. "I will in a little while. I want to read some of this first."

I nodded and placed the dishtowel back on the counter. After getting an idea, I walked out of the room, down the hall, and opened the weapon closet. A dozen bronze weapons were displayed neatly in the small room. Most were scratched and scuffed from days of sparring with Kyle and Dylan. One bronze sword was hung in the corner without a scratch or spotted with a speck of dirt. I gripped it in my hand and pulled it out of the closet. I closed the door behind me and made my way back into the kitchen.

Carson glanced up at me as I stopped beside him. I handed him the nicest sword that was in the closet. He hesitantly gripped the sword in his palm. The blade's polished unused bronze shined. "You are going to need a weapon, if you are going to fight monsters," I explained. "Kyle was right when he said you are going to be a great fighter."

He turned the weapon and observed it delicately. "Kyle said I was going to be a good fighter?" he asked, surprised.

I nodded. "With the right training, you will no doubt be one of the best."

He smiled and found a button on the bottom of the handle. The weapon transformed to a watch and wrapped around his wrist. "Did you know it did that?" he asked.

I shook my head, honestly. I hadn't even noticed the button. "No. It's just another surprise from dad."

***

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**Until next time:) ~Emily