The Pink Sky

Sixteen.

Almost two weeks had passed since Seph had last heard from Des and she was not coping well.

On one hand she was pissed off at herself for becoming so reliant on someone she had only known for a month, but, on the other hand, he had totally emaciated himself into her daily life and then ripped himself out of it so suddenly.

She was indecisive on who she was angry at.

Ar and Lena were trying their best to keep her mind off of him but the video Oscar showed them played on a loop in her head.

'I couldn't have been under a spell,' she thought to herself, she was too happy when Des proposed to her.

He couldn't have fooled everyone into believing his lie either, everyone on the tape seemed thrilled about him popping the question, there had to be more to it.

She had decided that she wouldn't give up on him, despite the cruel phone call, so she took all the film from Oscar's place to look over it.

Oscar was right, a lot of the tapes were nothing much to go on, snippets of them all together in Hestia's and Alec's flat, along with a couple of other places Seph didn't recognise.

She was focused on one video in particular, it was much older than the other ones, she and Lo were running around the meadow just outside of the cottage.

They were so young, Seph was taller than him by a few inches and was easily escaping him, they couldn't have been older than ten, maybe eleven.

She felt strange seeing herself like that.

She hadn't thought of growing up in Olympus, it seemed to make it all too real, she'd lived there her whole life and was only now seeing any part of it.

They both looked so happy and as Ar appeared in the frame she looked the same, beaming with excitement.

A suddenly struck Seph that she had been so focused on trying to remember what they had before, that she had forgotten to have fun now.

It looked as though she and the rest of her friends would be staying in Olympus indefinitely, why couldn't they have a bit of fun in between investigations.

"Demeter!" She called from her place on the bed, immediately followed by footsteps padding along the hallway.

"Kore!" Demeter yelled from her bedroom door.

Seph smiled at her and shut the camera off.

"Where did we used to go for fun?" She asked, sitting up straight, "The group, I mean."

Demeter hummed and leaned pensively against the doorframe.

"You liked the Moiraío Lake," she grinned, remembering how excited she was the first time she'd gone herself, "you all used to take little picnics and towels with you, made a day of it."

"Where is that?" Seph smiled back and stood from her seat.

"Just at the end of the meadow, you'll have to walk for a while but it's worth it when you get there."

"Amazing," she chirped and quickly hugged her mother, "see you later, Demeter."

Demeter smiled at her back and hoped she could get over what she was trying to block out.

********

"Arielle! Arielle Thomas!" Seph called through the letterbox, "answer this bloody door or I'll kick it down!"

As quick as a flash, a very dishevelled looking Ar swung the door open with a disturbing scowl on her flushed face.

"When someone doesn't answer after ten minutes of knocking..." she began, "perhaps take the hint that no one is home."