A Reunion Between A Lost Pair

Chapter 19- A date with a godess

Chapter 19

Michael's POV

I awoke in a pitch-black space. If I hadn't been trapped in my own mind for a year, I would have said this was it. The air was damp, as if it had just stopped raining, yet no puddles surrounded me. Well, now I think about it, there wasn't exactly a floor for them to land on; that was arguably more important.

Then a light appeared in the darkness, slowing in both brightness and size. I covered my eyes with my hand until they no longer shone red, then looked to the woman who stood in front of me. Bit of a dramatic entrance if you ask me. I struggled to hold in a growl, instead pulling what I can only assume was not a happy face.

The whole god of marriage thing must have got to her head because she stood before me in a traditional, glistening white gown. The light seemed to glisten off her in a way that was almost blinding. I was already beyond fed up with it, and I don't even have anything against the dress.

I decided to stop glaring and acknowledge her existence, "Hera."

She smiled at me half-heartedly, "Michael."

I got straight to the point, "What do you want?"

"As straight-forward as ever, are we?" she said, "I want to know why you're still at that camp,"

"Ah yes, because I have a large pile of other options,"

"No need to be sassy, I just figured you would have run away by now," she said nonchalantly, "With how much of a risk you are, I mean,"

"First of all, I think I have every right to be sassy at you considering you ruined my life and second," I paused, "You're clearly not here about that. So, what are you trying to get at because right now? You're either avoiding it or you're choosing to state the damn obvious,"

"You're correct with the latter," she said, "You figured that out quickly, yet, what I'm here to speak about isn't obvious to you? Seems a bit farfetched to me; I thought you were supposed to be a child of Athena. I've played scrabble with that woman, you're letting her down,"

I let out the growl I'd been holding, "Oh so you're here to insult me? Doesn't sound so productive to me, you know, considering how you gods must use your time on important business. For example, not speaking to your children"

"Wow, the time in that cave really changed you-"

"No," I said, "You did"

"Hmm, sure." she continued, "So, back to my original point. You're heading towards an endgame, one you can't avoid, one you know will be dangerous, yet you remain where there would be the most casualties? Why is that?"

I sighed, "Something tells me you already know the answer to that,"

"So, it's true then? You really think he's going to be able to save you?" she asked, "You really are letting your mother down,"

"Sorry to disappoint,"

"It makes a cute storyline, I'll give you that" she said, "But it's extremely naïve,"

I scoffed, "Naivety, huh?"

She shook her head, "Thinking one guy is going to fix all this, just because he likes you? I'd say so,"

I looked directly at her. "Do you actually have anything important to say, or are you just here to criticize me?"

"No, I have a reason. I think you just needed someone to point out your misjudgements. The girl was better anyway-"

My vision went red. I could feel the anger boil up under my skin. Time slowed, my head throbbing with everything I wanted to say, to shut her down, to point out how all this was her fault. I could see it now, the door closing, leaving use exposed to the darkness.

She continued, unaware to the storm I was brewing, "It's a shame she had to go really-"

I'd had enough. "A shame? A shame? Really?" I laughed, "You murder a girl in front of my eyes, a girl I loved and yet you have the audacity to say it was a shame. She had a whole life ahead of her! She deserved to live, whether it fit in with your perfect storyline, because guess what? No demigod, and I mean no demigod, ever gets to have a perfect, happy story" I paused, gasping for breath, "And for the record, she had a name: Katelyn,"

My vision cleared slightly, enough so I could see the woman in front of me again. She was smiling. "There he is! He finally let it out! Took you long enough,"

I growled, "Are you serious right now? Are you actually serious?"

"Deadly," she said, "You feel better now?"

"No. No, I do not."

She smiled, in a way that was almost threatening. "Sure, darling,"

I exhaled slowly, trying to clear the vision of Katelyn that was replaying on my mind. "Can you please say what you need to so that I can leave?"

"Sure, dear. I'm here to say that what's happening at the moment does have an explanation and it's a fun one at that, but you don't get to hear it until you've solved this little problem of yours. So, I recommend getting out of this phase of yours as quickly as possible" she said, "You do know the answer, that little brain of yours is just restricting you from seeing it as a possibility"

"That it?"

"Yeah," she said, "And Michael? You're more important than you think,"

-<3-

Then I was back in my cabin. Someone was shaking my shoulders, that was the first thing I noticed. Then it was how bright the light was behind my eyelids. Finally, I heard the person shaking me, I couldn't hear what was being said yet, just that they sounded alarmed and that they were being very loud.

I struggled to open my eyes, listening as this mysterious person let out a sigh of relief next to me. I groaned looking up to see who they were.

Ritchie. Why am I even surprised anymore?

I back off instinctively, sitting up so my back was pressed up against the wall. Ritchie sat crossed legged on the bed in front of me, "You okay?". I raised my eyebrows in response. He sighed, raising his eyebrows back at me.

"Yes, I'm okay except for the obvious" I tried to ignore the throbbing behind me eyes.

"You want to talk about it?"

"It being what exactly? Because it could be a few things right now,"

"Your nightmare"

"Ah, that." I sighed, "I'm not sure it was a nightmare, it seemed different to the usual ones"

"Different how?" he asked gently.

"I had way too much control, like, in dreams you don't have full control of the situation, that's what makes them scary," I started, "And then there's the fact I had all my senses, I could feel the air move against my skin and I could feel my eyes burning at the bright light"

"bright light?"

I explained the story to him, in as much detail as I could remember. He shook his head at some parts (okay, maybe most parts) muttering about how much of an idiot I was to say those things to a goddess, but in my defence, it's her fault I'm in this position. I think its justified personally.

Before Ritchie could scold me, someone knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" I asked, shoving a sceptical look in Ritchie's direction. He just shrugged.

A muffled "Austin" could be heard from outside the door.

"Come in," Ritchie said before I had a chance to reply.

Austin's head slowly peaked around the door, followed by the rest of him once he deemed it safe. I smiled in his direction but he seemed more concerned with Ritchie. "There's been two more."