Return of the Goddess

Chapter 2

     The night was silent in the countryside so Chelsea’s watch was uneventful. When the sun began to rise she packed her bag and began to wake up Calvin and Sage.

     “Calvin, wake up,” Chelsea nudged him with her foot for the seventh time.

     “Five more hours,” Calvin mumbled making Sage kick him in the stomach. “Oww! Fine I’m up,” Calvin sat upright.

     “Let’s go. We should find a town or something because we’re almost out of water and we can’t waste anymore food,” Sage picked up her backpack and swung it over her shoulder. She had been wearing the same white tank top and orange sweater for a while so it was tattered and full of dirt while her jeans were ripped and let in the cold air.

     “Which way?” Chelsea stood up with Calvin.

     “Train tracks,” Calvin exclaimed running sideways over to the rusty trails.

     “If we follow them we’ll either find another train or a train station in another city,” Sage stimulated. She led the way as they began to follow the tracks.

     It was humid out making them sweat more than usual, and the ground was softer on their feet then it was in the city, but the grass was longer rubbing against their shins tickling. Calvin wasn’t the most athletic boy and quickly fell at a sluggish gate behind the girls. The grass turned into gravel after a few long hours making Sage believe that a town was close.

      Chelsea pulled a strand of grass from the ground and began to play with it, sliding it through her fingers. The ground started to shake and all three heard the sudden sound of an accelerating train coming towards them. Calvin picked up his pace running along the tracks. Sage and Chelsea had no choice, but to run as well. The train glided along side them, but it was too swift and none of them could jump on. 

     “Great, that was our chance,” Calvin was frustrated so he turned to Sage, “Now what?”

     “I don’t know. We just have to keep moving,” Sage shrugged beginning to walk again.

      “If I was at home in LA right now I’d be at a five star restaurant eating steak and caviar,” Calvin whined.

      “Then why did you leave?” Sage yelled at him turning around. The sudden change in Sage’s voice sent a shiver down Calvin’s back.

     “Sage!” Chelsea looked disapprovingly at her friend.

     “No, it’s okay.” Calvin began his story. “I was kicked out of my school a year ago for being a trouble maker. I was a popular kid with bad influences as friends. When I was expelled my dad got angry and threatened to send me to an institute in Utah. I ran away before he got the chance. I’m too scared to go back because he’s got quite a temper. I was out looking for my mom, but then I realized I wasn’t able to communicate with the gods unless they try to talk to you first.”

     “You knew your mom was Aphrodite before you left?” Chelsea asked curiously.

     “Yes, I’ve known for as long as I can remember. She told my dad and my dad explained everything to me.”

     “Can we just leave?” Chelsea asked fidgeting with her blue shirt.

     “No, you guys know just about everything about me and all I’ve gotten from you is your first names and a promise to help. How’d you guys become runaways,” Calvin set his backpack on the ground and sat on it.

     Sage and Chelsea exchanged glances then Sage began to speak, “I’m an Athena kid so I was born and placed into the hands of the person in charge of the safe house. Chelsea ran away from her mother because she was an alcoholic. End of story. Let’s go.”