[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

seventeenth birthday, and the whole time she knew why the
voice was coming to me. What kind of parent let s their
child suffer like that? What kind of parent watches their
child in pain and keeps the secret of why their child is in
pain in the first place?
The doorknob jingles again.  I m serious Persephone!
Open this door! Mom turns the doorknob so hard I think it
might snap off.
 No! Leave me alone!
 Pack your things! she shouts through the door.
 We re moving!
I grind my teeth and a lowly breath leaves my slotted
lips.  I am not moving again!
Part of me thinks this a ruse; mom is just saying this to
get me to open the door.
 Oh yes you are! She tries twisting the knob again.
 I ve already purchased the plane tickets. She lowers her
voice.  This time we re moving to Vermont. Remember how
much you liked it the last time we lived there?
 I am not moving! I march over to the door, unlock it,
and yank it open.  I refuse!
Mom is propped up against the frame and she smiles.
 Thank you for opening the door. She brushes past me and
sits down on my bed. Heat rises filling my cheeks with
warmth and I glare at her furiously. I was right; it was all a
ruse to get me to open the door.
Mom pats the spot on the bed next to her.  Sit down.
We need to talk. I ignore her and fold my arms across my
chest. She shakes her head.  Quit being stubborn,
Persephone.
 You lied to me! I snarl.
 Just because I didn t tell you every single detail
involving our moves does not mean I lied to you. I did this to
protect you.
 Really? Letting me suffer through centuries of
sleepless nights is protecting me? It s funny how parenting
works.
 You want to know the truth, don t you? I m about to tell
you, she says, sternly.  Now sit.
I huff and sit down next to her. The soft mattress dips
down and coils squeak. I don t face her. I drop my head and
the planks of the hardwood floors fill my gaze.  Tell me,
then.
Either way, I m going to get something out of this
conversation some answers.
I lift my head, stealing a glimpse at mom out of the
corner of my eyes. Mom adjusts herself scooting farther
back on my bed.  Oh goodness, where do I begin?
 Gee, I don t know, I say sarcastically.  How about the
beginning?
Mom gives me a hard look.  Lose the attitude.
A gust of wind leaves my lungs as the heat evaporates
from my cheeks and I start to calm down.  Fine.
 Before you were born, Hades came to your father and
asked him for a queen. He d spent centuries in the
underworld alone and his loneliness was finally getting to
him. He longed for companionship. He longed to have
someone to share a life with. So, even though your father
shouldn t have agreed to this deal, he did, agreeing to give
you to Hades to be his queen. And just days before your
seventeenth birthday, Hades came for you. But Hades did
not expect your father to go back on the deal. You see, after
watching you grow up, Zeus had become attached to you
and his love for you was greater than his word to Hades.
Guilt seizes my insides and grips onto my heart. I feel
terrible.  Zeus went back on his word for me?
Mom nods.  He did.
One thing I know about my dad is that he s always
been a God of his word. If he made a deal with someone
he kept it.  I know he hates doing that.
 He does. Mom places her hand on my shoulder.  But
that didn t matter. It matter what your father said. Hades had
already seen you. He d been watching you from afar and
was taken with you. Mom lowers her voice and there s a
hint of sadness in her tone.  Your father tried to bargain with
him. He tried to offer him another woman in place of you,
but it was no use. Hades could not be bargained with. In his
eyes, you were already his. Your father is a very powerful
God, but, he has never been able to control Hades. Hades
is the type of God who will stop at nothing to get what he
wants. He doesn t take no for an answer. In the end, their
debate over you ended in an explosive argument. Hades
made it perfectly clear, that if your father didn t hand you
over, he would simply just take you. That night, your father
came to me, informing me of what happened. Then he told
me to take you and flee. So that s exactly what I did.
Even after listening to her explanation I still feel like a
part of the story is missing. Most of all, I feel like Atlas. I m
holding the weight of the world on my shoulders. I hope I m
strong enough to keep the world up. I hope I don t let it fall.
Mom and Zeus have sacrificed so much to keep me safe.
All of my anger dwindles away and now I m not sure what to
do.  What can we do to prevent him from taking me? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]