The Untold (Unedited)

Halfway Home

Annika's POV
"Annika." I hear someone whisper, but I let a rumble erupt from the bottom of my chest to let them know that I am not ready to awaken from my slumber. Apparently that didn't work because I found myself getting shaken until I was in a straight siting position on high alert.

"What is it!?" I exclaim. I hear laughter come from the right of me and turn my head to find Christopher, my father.

"I'm so sorry Annika, but you wouldn't budge!" He says in between his fits of laughter. After a minute or so my door is flung open by the Organizer who I met at the airport. I step out of the vehicle eyeing him during my every move.

"I'm sorry but who are you?" I ask him when he closes the door after me.

"Oh I'm sorry I never introduced myself love. I am Gregory, the driver." He says with a small smile.

"No no no who are you Greek wise." I ask wording my question more specifically. At the mention of Greece his eyes brighten an extreme amount.

"Oh! Of course! My apologies! I am Hermes God of trade, heralds, merchants, commerce, roads, thieves, trickery, sports, travelers, athletes, and I'm also the messenger." He says with a bow and bright smile. His positive attitude rubs off on me and I find myself smiling also feeling giddy about meeting a real life, ancient, Greek God.

"It's extremely nice to meet you Hermes." I say holding out my hand. "I hope my apparent eternity around you is filled with a wonderful friendship." He grabs my hand and shakes it in return.

"I hope so as well." Soon enough he is walking off to the drivers side of the car and speeding off to who knows where.

"Annika please follow me." I hear a voice behind me speak. I turn and follow my father up the steps of a small cottage. I hadn't noticed before but we were in the middle of nowhere.

Creepy.

Christopher opens the door and I'm met with the delicious smell of freshly made chocolate chip cookies. It's very cozy and warm compared to the outside bitter chillones of the October air. It's larger than it looks from the outside with honey brown floorboards which go perfectly with the cream colored walls. Out of nowhere someone starts humming and I jump back frightened.

"It's alright Ann. Follow me to the kitchen." Christopher says as he walks ahead of me to what I assume is the kitchen. Hesitating for a moment I begin my trek and the smell of the cookies intensifies indicating that we are in fact going to the kitchen. In a short time we make it to the beautifully decorated kitchen and I find a woman about my height, 5'2" standing over the counter. Her long brown hair cascades only to her mid back and her dress seems far too elegant for a measly kitchen such as this one.

"Hello." Christopher says. The woman jumps slightly like I did not to long ago. When she turns around my heart nearly stops in my chest.

"Mom!?" I scream. Before I can stop myself I'm running at full speed towards the woman who raised me. I had seen her only last month and her hair had been down her back nearly to her knees. She wore baggy pants and a baggy shirt to match with tennis shoes so jacked up a homeless person would've been ashamed. That's why I hadn't noticed it was her.

"My Annie!" She exclaims as I make it over to her. She rubs my head as I break down against her chest. I guess everything I had been building up since I got stuffed into the car in Colorado finally needed to be released.

"It's alright my little goddess." She says as she pushes me back to wipe my tears. I laugh at her nickname for me. It all makes sense now. She's called me little Goddess forever. I feel like the stupid friend who finally caught on to the joke.

"So its all true mom? You're a goddess? Aphrodite?" I ask pulling myself together.

"Yes I am! And you Annika are a goddess. Soon to be queen of the underworld!" She yelps. At this statement I frown nearly throwing up in my mouth at the thought of meeting this strange ma-god...man? Man-god?

"Is this really MY destiny? Did the fates really mean me as in Annika San-Math- Sanders? I ask stuttering still confused on what to call myself anymore.

"Yes darling. I'm sorry Annie. I wish I could've told you who you truly were, but it wasn't my place. Christopher and Hermes have both decided when you were twenty four they'd tell you everything." She carried a look of regret on her beautiful features and it broke my heart for some reason.

"Mom its alright. No worries. I can still call you mom though right?" I ask suddenly self conscious on calling one of the most powerful goddesses 'mom'

"Well you're definitely not calling me by my first name. You know how I raised you to speak to elders by their titles." She scolds. It's funny how I barely know this woman like I thought I did, but she knows me through and through.

"Yes mom." I say holding my head down. I look up when I hear a chuckle come from behind us and I look up to see Christopher watching our encounter. I honestly had forgotten that he was here.

"Anyway when do I get to meet the big bad Hades?" I ask as I sit on a stool near the island in the kitchen. I rest my head against my hand waiting for a response. They look at each other and they seem to have a conversation with each other with their eyes. My mother seems to be losing which pisses me off.

"Tonight." My mom and "father" say in synch. I stare at them waiting for the laughter to let me know that they're joking, but they won't laugh. They won't even crack a smile. They are deadly serious and it makes my stomach tighten.

"W-What?" I feel my body grow cold like I laid in the snow naked. "You can't be serious!" I say. Looking towards the stove I realize that it's only 1 in the afternoon giving me plenty of time to get ready physically, but not nearly enough time to get ready emotionally, or mentally.

"Annika please breath." My mother says stepping towards me slowly. I hadn't noticed before but my breaths were coming out shallow and high pitched. I was having an anxiety attack.

"M-mom I-c-ca-n't." I try to say in between breaths. I'm beginning to feel light headed as the lights start to become brighter. Suddenly I feel a paper bag come across my nose and mouth and I instantly begin to inhale and exhale like my doctor taught me. Inhale 1 exhale 2 inhale 3 exhale 4 inhale 5 exhale 6 inhale 7- calm.

"Okay. Okay I'm fine." I say as I rest my head against my arm which is laying on the counter. "Can I please get a few hours of sleep before he eats here? What time exactly is he coming anyway?" I ask.

"He's coming at eight so you have plenty of time to rest." my mom responds as she rubs her hands against my arms like when I was a kid and used to get my panic attacks.

goddesses don't get panic attacks you wuss.

"Follow me and I'll show you upstairs to your room." My mom says as she intertwines our hands and slightly tugs me to get up. When we make it to the stairs and begin our ascent my mother begins her endless apologies.

"Annie darling I'm just so so sorry about all of this. I'm sure you'll truly love Hades, but this ain't fair to you, and I've been hearing how well you've been handling every thing! You even agreed after such a short amount of time! Sure you were bitter, but you agreed because you felt the pressure and I'm so-" we find the platform of the steps and as soon as we do I hug her silencing all her please of forgiveness.

"Mother if this is something that I must do then I'm okay with it. The fates said it would be alright. At least that's what Christopher implied. I hope because he never really finished that story, but I'll be okay." We pull away and we smile dumbly at each other for awhile until she shows me to a extremely small room. She says she'll wake me around six leaving me plenty of time to get ready which I adore her for. Lucky for me once the lights go out and I'm snuggled under the blanket I fall into a deep sleep dreaming of nothing but bliss.

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Eoooowwwwwww.

Momma Aphrodite in the hoooouuuussseeeee!!!!

Chapter 6 is next!

Love it!

Sincerely,
ReinaWriter233