Eros

Chapter 28: Mount Olympus

A cold breeze nipped Angie's nose as everyone dressed in impressive climbing gear gathered in silent hush but for the occasional clank and clink of their movements. Armed with walking sticks and everything possible in her rucksack, she felt like a soldier in full battle uniform, ready to take on the enemy: Mount Olympus.

"Shay, how can you be so calm?" she hissed, breaking the whisper barrier with her excitement. "I can't wait to find Eros. Do you think we'll find Eros? I mean, look, the mountain looks like any other mountain. How silly of me. I'm not sure if I can find him. I mean, what am I thinking? Greek gods are nothing but legends, stories. I'm so happy you believe me and don't think I imagined it all. Where would I be without you? Shay, I love ya, have I ever told you?" Angie couldn't stop her anxiety as the tears and giggles took over.

"Shush," Shay leaned closely, her eyes pinned to the mountain guide at the front.

How she managed to drive as fast as she could from their rental home in Litochoro to their meeting spot in Prionia, Angie couldn't fathom. But she was forever grateful.

The guide outfitted in his impressive paraphernalia, cleared his throat. "This expedition is not for the weak, the lame, or the frail," he began, his eyes lingering on all eight people that joined him early that morning, including Angie. She squirmed under his stare until she turned red.

"He's creepy," Angie whispered into Shay's ear and made her giggle. "I don't like him."

Shay leaned toward her and murmured, "Yeah, but it will be him who will take you to Eros, so shush."

Sunglasses attached to his head like dark swimming goggles, his bucket hat secured with a pull string, and his headlamp shined into her eyes. After several more instructions on safety and warnings, they were ready to head off Mount Olympus's trailhead. And it was still dark.

She studied the looming forest of deciduous trees, never expecting such a greeting when all she imagined was a naked mountain.

"I still can't believe you're willing to pass up the Megalo Meteoro." Shay gave her a mock-surprise glare.

Angie pretended to pout. "Too true that your neighborhood history geek passed the glorified eight-day tour for a simpler one—but this group takes me through the trek a whole lot faster. Four days! I mean, c'mon. I'm not in it for the glory."

"But it's a monastery on top of a plateau, baby!" Shay winked as she gave Angie a playful shove.

To Angie's surprise, Shay clamped her arm, coaxing a squeak from her.

"Angie, I'm feeling a little woozie."

"What? No, stop it. You can do this, I know you can."

"Look at that sucker, why don't you? Didn't you hear what the guide said just a sec ago? It's 9,000 plus feet!" Shay braced her knees, and lifted pleading eyes. "9,000 feet straight into the sky."

Angie smirked. She didn't hear the guide say that. She must've been fighting tangles of thoughts about finding Eros. She stared at the mountain; it was nothing more than a dark shapeless goliath that ate the brilliant stars. "You can't even see it. And we aren't going to do it in one day, silly. We'll camp out in the lodge thingie somewhere up there tonight." She pointed up, imagining the highest mountain peek. Her stomach did flip flops just thinking that she'd be on the same mountain as the ancient Greek gods.

Shay dug her heels into the rocky ground and covered her mouth, her cheek bulging. "I don't think it would be a good idea for me to go. Remember how I feel about heights? I forgot all about it."