TADA! And after months and months of waiting, this chapter is finally finished! Im so sorry its taken this long, but Ive already started writing the next chapter so it shouldnt take so long, touch wood. Thanks for being so understanding, and enjoy!
----------------------------------------------
It had been a long, hot, dusty day. A two hour flight from England to Greece, and then the longest drive from Athens. 5 Hours. I mean, c’mon, that’s just ridiculous. The flight was okay, to say I’d never flown before. Grandma was quite tense, but I think that’s just because of all the news stories she’s heard before. I thought it was quite peaceful, and extremely relieving to leave England behind.
Once we landed in Athens, Grandma rented a little convertible car, loaded my suitcase into it, and we set off for the long drive to Mount Olympus. Well, to the base, where Grandma said my new home would become apparent.
However long the journey, it sure was beautiful. I think I saw everything Greece has to offer - from luscious beaches and Mediterranean Sea to field after field of Olive trees, full of people just getting on with their lives. Even the houses were beautiful; terracotta clay walls, shuttered windows and stunning Mediterranean gardens. I loved it here already, though I was sure I wouldn’t get to live like this. Greece just seemed stopped in time, nothing seemed 21st century, and it was all rustic in the traditional sense. I would miss the rain though. There was dust everywhere, on the roads, covering the children that ran around, even in our little car. I just sat back and embraced it, embraced everything, the sunshine, the heat, and the people. It was my home in every way.
“I can see you here” I said to Grandma when we passed another little town
“I can’t. It’s too sunny, Grandpa would never cope. England is our home, with your parents.”
“Do you think if I made friends with Hades I could see them?”
“I don’t know sweetheart. I wouldn’t count on it. Hades is notoriously tricky to bargain with. Don’t do anything you might regret for the sake of an image of two people you didn’t even know”
“I suppose so...” I guess that I would have to accept the reality of having a new family soon, but the concept felt so alien, so unreal, so... Greek. I just wanted my Gran and Grandpa, in our little cottage in the hills of England, with all the sheep and the cows and the chickens. But at the same time, my heart was longing for the heat and the sun and my new family. I was torn, and I hadn’t even got to Mount Olympus yet.
After a long drive, which wasn't quite long enough to not feel sad anymore, we reached the base of Mount Olympus. You could see why the Greeks gave it to the Gods as their home. It was awe inspiring, and my inner Goddess was screaming ‘Yes! You belong here Tory!’ You couldn’t see the top of the Mountain for clouds, and I could believe that there was an Olympic village where the Gods feasted and partied and wreaked havoc on the non-believers on Earth.
“Right, so it should be just around the mountain...” Grandma muttered, driving past Mount Olympus and past another field full of olive trees “ah! There we go!”
I tore my gaze away from the mountain to see what Grandma had found. And then my jaw dropped. We had reached the most exquisite Greek temple I had ever seen, and I was in awe.
“Well Tory, this is your new home”
“My home? This is where I’m going to live?”
“Apparently so”
“But where are all the people?” The place was deserted, not another person in sight. I suddenly thought that maybe Grandma was joking, that suddenly she’d turn around, laugh at me and tell me she’ll never forget the look on my face when she convinced me I was a Greek Goddess. But when I turned around to look at her, her face was just as puzzled as mine. “I’m not living alone for the rest of my life!”
“I think your answers lie within that temple my sweet” Gran said softly
“But Gran, I’m scared. I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to be a goddess, I don’t want to... I just don’t want to be here.”
“You know I don’t want to let you go, but this is your destiny. We knew that from the night of the storm, ” Grandma said smiling, but I could see the tears in her eyes
“Do I have to go alone?”
“I can go no further, but they didn’t say anything about me not keeping in touch with you”
“I’ll call you everyday” I promised
“I’ll call you as soon as I’m back home. You can talk to Grandpa then too”
“Okay.” I looked up at the huge Grecian temple that stood before me. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” I asked hopefully. I was too scared to do it alone in truth, and I needed my Grandma
“You know I can’t sweetheart. This is something you need to do alone.” Grandma hugged me “I know you're scared baby girl, but you're strong. You're going to be a Goddess and a damn good one too. So you need to be brave, because it won’t be as scary as you think it will be, I promise” She squeezed me tight, and then held me at arm’s length, brushing my fringe back from my face. “Now,” Grandma declared “I think we’ve stood out here long enough, don’t you?”
“No,” I muttered “I could stand out here all day” I sniffed then, tears threatening to spill over “I don’t want to start off alone... I want to go back, please Grandma!” I was about a tear away from throwing myself on the floor and clinging onto Gran’s leg. I was secretly glad of the alone-ness at that point. Bad enough as starting a new life alone is starting a new life after everyone has seen you act like a 3 year old on their first day of nursery is worse.
“ C’mon Tory, what’s gotten into you? What would Ava say if she was here?”
I snorted. “Something about checking out all the hot Greek Gods in there, and finally finding myself a boyfriend”
“Well, as crude and blunt as Ava is, maybe she’s right. The Gods have been saving your heart for a God-in-Training. So why don’t you go and find him, and stop worrying about your old Grandma here. I have Grandpa to look after me, its finding someone to look after you now. You never know” Grandma winked, and carried on in a silly sing song voice “Maybe your mystery saviour will be waiting...”
That made me laugh and piqued my interest at the same time. Even amidst all the confusion and heartache I’d been thinking about my dream and what my saviour would look like, wondering if he’d be attractive, imagining what his hair would be like, what colour his eyes are, even his complexion. In my head he was blonde, with green eyes and golden skin. I was just praying that Gran was right about the Gods saving me for him, and my freaky boy senses wouldn’t flare up and ruin yet another chance with a hot boy. I was fed up of flings. I sighed and grabbed my suitcase. “I guess I should go then... He – I mean, they – will be waiting for me”
Grandma smiled my favourite crinkly smile of hers and pulled me into a hug. “Oh Tory, I do love you so much”
“I love you too Grandma,” I choked out “To the Gods and back again”
Gran put me at arms’ length and wiped my tears away with her thumb “now go out and be the best Goddess the Greeks can want, and don’t forget to listen to my prayers every once in a while. I’ll be praying for you my Darling”
I smiled at Grandma, and took her all in. I needed to remember everything, in case I never saw her again. Her white hair, the flowery dress she dug out of her wardrobe, the pearl necklace Grandpa and I bought her for Christmas, everything. And then I let go of her hand, looked over my shoulder at the huge, looming, beautiful temple that would kick start my career and knew, with all certainty that I wouldn’t be alone.
The walk to the temple seemed to take forever. And not the good forever, but that bad forever at the end of the horror movie, when the helpless girl is crouched behind a sofa, and you’re waiting for the scary serial killer to appear and end the film. But when I finally reached the temple, the part of me that knew I belonged here all along filled me, and I was at peace with my new life
------------------------------------
oh and also, i want to start thinking of ideas for the cast, so as i introduce them I want ideas! First off I want to know who you think of our 4 we've already met - Tory, Ava, Grandma Grace and Grandpa Joe! Comment with your ideas and I'll choose the best one by next upload!
Dizzie xox
YOU ARE READING
Finding Athena
Ficção AdolescenteHouse of Deities - Book One - Olympus Tory was a normal girl, trying to get through her A-Level exams so she could leave her small town and find a new life. Then she starts having prophetic dreams that bleed into real life. What were her parents hid...
