by M. W. Muse
"I'm across town, sweetheart. I'll be there as soon as I can."
I screeched to a stop in my driveway and flew through the front door, right into Melissa. She grabbed my arms to stabilize me, staring at my face while I explained what happened, my voice getting louder, and by the end, I was screaming mad.
As I yelled, thunder crashed outside, and I panicked. Did Medusa just try to kill me through Tracy? Was Medusa trying to kill me now with another storm? I was borderline hysterical.
"Season, you need to calm down before you hurt yourself again!" I frowned at her, trying to make sense of her words. "Again?"
All my dreams flashed through my mind while Melissa stared at me, waiting for the final piece of the puzzle to fall into place.
"Medusa . . .?" I couldn't even finish the question. I couldn't even finish the thought. I didn't know what I was going to ask.
Melissa shook her head, watching my eyes.
Why was I thinking about my dreams? I already knew why I was having them. I was standing under the tornado. I wasn't scared of it, but I didn't want it to come. When I'd yelled no up at it, I'd thought I was yelling at the person responsible, which I later discovered was Medusa.
I gasped. I was wrong. That was why I had that new dream again; I hadn't figured everything out like I'd thought.
"Medusa isn't causing the weather problems?" I asked blankly.
"Not all of them." "Who?"
"You know who."
"Me," I whispered. I knew, but I didn't understand. "Season, were you angry when you got hit by lightning?"
"I was fighting with Chrys about Don." I exhaled slowly. "I hurt myself by accident because I was mad?"
"Yes. When you've been here and the weather's been beautiful, you've been happy—"
"And when I've been sad, it's been rainy or gloomy," I finished. She nodded.
"But what about the tropical storm in Florida when Don was on vacation and the hurricane when we were on vacation?"
"That wasn't you. I believe that was Medusa's doing. Either she tricked Poseidon into doing that, or Chrys did it."
"Why would Chrys do that?"
"To get back at Don for asking you out . . . to make you come home sooner. I don't know for sure. And if he did do it, he might not have consciously done it. He may not know what he's capable of. Just like you didn't know you could control the weather, he probably doesn't realize his emotions are manifesting into his abilities."
I stared at Melissa, feeling a sense of understanding wash over me. "I can control the weather."
"Not yet, not really. You have to learn how to control your emotions, or the earth will suffer. If the earth suffers, everyone suffers. This is the change you are going through. You need to accept this and learn to deal with your emotions properly. If you are unable to control yourself, the consequences could be devastating. And not just for you."
Everything was clicking now. "That's why Medusa had the red herring in my dream. She was distracting me from the truth that it was me all along, causing the weather here, not her."
"Right. And she'll keep messing with you, Season. She wants your powers, and she wants revenge against Poseidon. He is the reason the original Medusa was killed. Demeter and Poseidon are siblings, of sorts, and they both have earthly abilities. If she kills you, it would devastate Demeter, which will sadden Poseidon. Plus she'll gain some of those abilities when she destroys you, making her more powerful than Demeter. I think that's what she's really after. The revenge angle is an emotional reason. She's a monster. She's incapable of true emotion."
"But why would this new Medusa create Chrys with Poseidon if she wants revenge against him?"
"Because she's a monster, Season. You're looking for logic from an entity incapable of being reasonable. But from an outside perspective, I would think that maybe she wanted to cover all her angles of attack against you and your mother. Poseidon probably hoped the new Medusa had more heart than the original one, and she used his kindness against him."
Since Poseidon and Demeter were siblings, that'd make Chrys my cousin. "Why would there be a prophecy involving cousins being together? I know this is the south and all, but that's gross."
Melissa chuckled as we finally sat down. "I said they were like siblings. When gods create new gods together, it isn't always a romantic creation. I'm sure you've read some of the stories on Greek Mythology. A god doesn't even need another god to create a new god."
That made sense. Now that I didn't have to worry about being romantically bonded to a type of cousin, I needed other answers. "Why did you tell Chrys when I was in the hospital that Medusa hurt me when she didn't?"
"Because my job is to help you, and it was what he needed to hear. He needs to be strong for you because he's your best ally when it comes to stopping Medusa. He's going to be powerful soon."
"So you know Chrys is going to be powerful, but what about Don? He told me he descended from the gods, too. That he was created in the likeness of Adonis. His parents told him he'd ascend, but when he turned eighteen, nothing happened."
"Everything isn't always as it seems."
Hmmm, Don had told me the same thing. "Okay, what about Hades? Mom said he knows, and he has a plan."
"Hades is a real threat to you. He's always been, though. He may now have a plan to take you away, but that doesn't mean he hasn't tried before. I don't want you consumed with fear. Don and Chrys will protect you. You just have to be careful with them."
"Why do I need to be careful with them? Shouldn't I be careful about Hades?" "That's not what I meant. Obviously you need to be wary of Hades. But Don and
Chrys both have very strong feelings for you. Your safety is their main objective, and I don't want their feelings to cloud their judgment. They both want to be with you, but you can only be with one of them. One will get hurt." She paused and stared directly at me. "There is no way around that. But if they let their emotions get the best of them and Hades gets to you, then both will get hurt. I think you knowing this—how much Chrys and Don are hurting—will be what ultimately destroys you if captured. They can love you, but they cannot lose sight of what's really important. You have to be careful with their emotions, Season."
That made sense, but I suddenly realized that Melissa always talked about my mom, never my dad. "When you told me my mom was alive, why didn't you tell me my dad was, too?"
"I am your mother's priestess. I was created to serve her."
Okay. As I internalized that bit of information, I thought about my dreams again, searching for answers, completing the puzzle. "The lightning in my dreams." And it
clicked right there. I smiled. "It's not real lightning. It falls from the sky like confetti and glitters, but it never reaches me. Why is that?"
"Why do you think that is?" Melissa had to smile, too, apparently knowing where I was going with this.
"Because my dad is Zeus. The lightning bolt is his symbol, and in my dreams, the lightning symbolized him. It fell from the sky and glittered down as a gesture. It was as if he were showering me with his love." There was no doubt in my mind that this was the reason.
"Very good," Melissa whispered.
"So I inherited the lightning ability from him."
Melissa nodded cautiously; she obviously knew more but wasn't going to elaborate.
Since Melissa was finally opening the floodgates of knowledge, I didn't want to stop my inquisition if there were any other questions. I thought quickly for anything I needed clarification on.
"What about Laurel? Are her parents alive, too?" I asked quickly. "Why don't you ask her?" Melissa said, smiling.
Laurel walked into the living room, and I chuckled. I was just attacked not ten minutes ago, so my good humor must be because I was finally beginning to understand everything.
"Since you're actually here and not away at school, I take it you know all about
me."
"You mean your Greek heritage?" she asked with a smirk. "Yes, I know. And my
parents aren't dead, either." "Are you a new god, too?"
"No, I'm more like Melissa. I was brought here to help you." "How could you help me if you went away to college?"
She sat down beside me. "I never went to school. I've been trying to find information on Hades, and I've been doing my part to keep him away."
Hearing Laurel talk about helping me made me feel differently about her—she felt more like a sister now than she ever did. "But if you were brought here to help me, then why didn't we ever really get along?" How was that helpful?
Laurel laughed. "Not all sisters are best friends. We fell into our patterns naturally. It was our freewill to develop our relationship the way we wanted. Just like it's your freewill to develop a relationship with Don or Chrys."
"I have relationships with both of them." I immediately felt defensive.
"And that's your decision." Laurel chuckled. "But I don't see how that'll work out well." Then her expression became sincere. "Season, you're going to have to make a choice, before someone makes it for you."
"I've already decided."
"Sure you have." Laurel rolled her eyes; her sense of humor was back, but I wasn't really sure why.
I turned to Melissa. "So what happens now?"
"You keep changing. You'll get stronger, and with the help of the people who love you, you'll get more controlled the closer you get to eighteen. Each season will present new challenges for you. You'll be experiencing the weather of the upcoming seasons for the first time, just like you did this summer. At times, it'll be very difficult for you to understand what is happening, but you will need to learn how to harness your abilities."
"Then what happens . . . when I turn eighteen?"
"You haven't chosen the path you wish to take in your life, Season. You may know what you want now, but other circumstances haven't come into play. Until they do and you and the others decide on those circumstances, your destiny is unclear."
I was grateful for Melissa finally helping me with the answers, but as I thought about her, I realized she'd been helping me all along by letting me discover these truths on my own with Chrys and Don. She knew I needed to embrace the bond I had with the two of them. If she had told me this in the beginning, I wouldn't have believed her. I was so disbelieving that I didn't even listen to myself, my old soul.
The roar of Don's engine blaring down the road and the squeal of tires as he slammed on the brakes jolted me from the couch. He was running through the door before I reached it.
"Oh, sweetheart." He grabbed my face, gaping at my injuries. "Come here." He pulled me into his arms, dragging me into the bathroom to clean me up.
He gently wiped my face with the cloth he'd wetted, without speaking. He looked all over my face making sure he inspected and treated every abrasion, everywhere except my eyes. We had fought about Don not telling me everything he knew, and now he seemed to be walking on eggshells. This was not how I pictured our reunion.
"Why did Tracy attack you?" he murmured while brushing my hair aside, looking at my busted lip.
"Not sure. But her hair and then she turned into snakes, so she was either Medusa or some manifestation of her."
Don sighed, resting his forehead against mine, shaking his head, the sound like that of a tortured animal escaping his lips, and I knew it was the guilt—that he didn't believe she was capable of harming me like that—causing it.
"I'm sorry," he barely said.
He finally took a deep breath, squatting in front of me and making eye contact for the first time since we entered this room.
"I love you so much, Season," he whispered.
"I love you, too." I did not want to cry, but his sincerity tore me up.
"I'm so sorry about everything. I have felt horrible ever since we fought. It feels like I've failed you, and I never wanted to do that."
I didn't want to rehash our discussion from last night because I knew I couldn't take the emotional drain, but Don was in so much pain that I wanted to make him feel better. "I understand why you kept quiet. I honestly do."
"I promise you I will try to tell you everything from here on out. No matter how hard it may be for me to talk about things that could hurt you."
I didn't want him making that kind of promise I wasn't sure he could keep it. "I'm going to trust your judgment," I said as I stroked his cheek, hoping he understood I meant that.
He put his arms around my waist and pulled me into his lap as he sat fully on the floor. He buried his face in my hair, holding me. "Can I finish telling you what I know?" he whispered.
I nodded, and he squeezed me tighter. "My dad explained to me that after I was created like Adonis, then Demeter decided to recreate Persephone."
"Me?"
"Yes, sweetheart. When Demeter was successful, she needed to hide you from Hades. She left you here in Melissa's care, so you could live your life in peace and have a chance to make your own decisions. That's what I know. Now, what I think is that our families decided to have us grow up together to see if we'd have more control over our destinies. I don't know for sure, but that's my guess."
"They wanted us to be together?"
"I don't think they planned it like that—hoped is a better word. I think they wanted to give us the freewill to choose, but I'm sure my grandma lives next door to you for a reason." He chuckled.
"But then the Gorges moved here."
He pulled back, clasping his hands on my cheek to stare into my eyes. "My theory is that Medusa wants revenge against your mother, so she wants to destroy you. If she destroys you, then she gains your powers in the process—if you have any. Plus it'll keep Chrys from being with you. The possibility of you and Chrys forming a relationship is a chance she's willing to take. I'm sure she thinks if that happens, she'll use it against you. I'm also certain she thinks she can control Chrys. I'm worried he'll end up doing her dirty work for her. Your accident is proof that's possible, sweetheart."
But he didn't know what I'd just learned. I told him about my conversation with Melissa, telling him the truth about everything. He was shocked to hear about my weather abilities, but he believed me.
"You know I love you. I'll love you no matter what happens to you when you turn eighteen. But you have to know I'll protect you from Hades and Medusa, which in my mind means Chrys, too."
I knew Don would protect me at all costs. As for the Chrys battle, well, we'd save that for another day.
Don continued to rock me, caressing my side, my hair, touching me and kissing me while I thought back over everything that'd happened. Over the last few months, I found out about my mom, fell in love, found a new best friend, and believed in the mythically impossible. It was amazing to me how different my life was now. I did change. There was no doubt about that. Whether these changes were the ones that Melissa told me about on my birthday or a byproduct of experience, I didn't have a clue. But I liked these changes just the same.
After realizing this, I now understood consciously what my subconscious-self had been trying to tell me all along. I could control the weather. But more importantly, I was a powerful goddess.
Well, at least I was going to be.
Epilogue
Don was taking me to his freshmen banquet tonight at his new school. I started getting ready with a manicure and pedicure at the salon, and Chloe tagged along. We talked about my conversations with Melissa and Don and about my life in general. I could always count on her to listen when I needed and change the subject when I was done venting.
"So what are you wearing tonight?"
"I want to look perfect for Don, so I'm wearing the red silk dress that Melissa gave me on my birthday. I was saving it for a special occasion, and tonight will be perfect. And it goes great with the red shoes that you gave me, of course." I chuckled.
"You are going to be hot!"
"That's the idea." I winked at her.
"Well, since we're at the salon, you might as well have them do your makeup to cover what's left of those bruises, and whi
le you're at it, just have them do your hair, too. Go all out."
I chuckled. "Good idea."
When Chloe and I were finished with our nails and my makeup, I had a hairdresser style my hair into a loose side bun. Then I went home to finish getting ready. I put on the red silk dress, stilettos, and some dangly earrings that accentuated my hairdo. I also wore the watch that Don had given me, though I wore it every day. Lastly, I clasped the platinum necklace my mother had sent me around my neck.
After I put on the necklace, I lifted the pendant and smiled. It wasn't just an abstract design of a triangle formed with platinum wire and sprinkled with diamonds like I had originally thought; it wasn't abstract at all—it was a tornado.
I stood in front of the mirror and saw how beautiful I was. I was never one to be vain, but I had to admit I looked like a goddess. I shrugged it off, thinking it was the professional help I'd received in my attempt to be beautiful for Don, but at least I was beautiful.
I waited downstairs for Don to arrive. Even though we'd been dating all summer, I felt strangely nervous. I figured it was probably because this was the first time we'd gone out like this—we would be meeting a lot of new people, and I was naturally a shy person.
When I heard the three soft knocks, I felt the butterflies in my stomach like I'd felt on our first date. I smiled at myself because I knew it was silly to feel this way.
When I opened the door, there stood Don, literally my own personal Adonis. He was astonishingly handsome. He had his hair gelled and fixed perfectly, and his blue eyes gleamed like the sky on the clearest of days. He wore a black suit with a white shirt and a red, silk tie. I reached over and lifted the tie and stared at him with an arched eyebrow.
"I talked to Chloe," Don said, glowing like he was gazing at his own personal goddess. And I was just that—his.
"Of course." I beamed.
Don stepped closer. "You look . . ." He stopped and sighed. "You look so very beautiful. A vision of true beauty." Then he pulled his right hand out from behind his back and handed me a dozen, red roses. "These are for you."