Raina and the Trials of the Gods - 1 - The Owl's Eyes
I: I ACCIDENTALLY DISINTEGRATED UP THE LUNCH LADY
Look, I didnt ask to be a demigod.
If youre reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.
Being a half-blood is dangerous. Its scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.
If youre a normal kid, reading this because you think its fiction, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened.
But if you recognize yourself in these pages-- if you feel something stirring inside-- stop reading immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, its only a matter of time before they sense it too, and they'll come for you.
Dont say I didnt warn you.
My name is Raina. Raina Loddom.
I'm ten years old. Until a few weeks ago, I was a boarding student at Eaglebrook, a private school for kids in Deerfield, Massachusetts. I have short, blond hair and grey eyes.
How should I explain my personality? Troublesome, perhaps?
Yeah. I guess you could say that.
You see, I am ADHD, and dyslexic. Meaning, I don't do so well in school. My grades don't go above a C+ unless I get lucky. I have also gotten expelled from at least three different schools.
So my day started out normal. Just your typical Tuesday. All good. Too good. Now, I don't normally believe in superstitions, but something definitely wasn't right.
I was getting ready for my most favorite time of day-- Lunch. Basically just a social hour. I would sit at the lunch table with my closest friend, Tobias. I don't really remember how he and I met, only that we have been friends for a long time. He always wears a sweatshirt with the hood up and he has a limp to his walk. He also has a small beard.
I went in line to wait for lunch (basically a few scoops of inedible Mac and Cheese). The school requires us to get a lunch, but that is probably because they want money. Tobias and I would always joke about that. I got up to the lunch lady, and I started to hear a sizzling-- no, not sizzling-- hissing. I thought it was the nasty food burning, but that didn't seem to be the case. I bumped into a statue. The statue looked kind of like one of my classmates, Matt. I then realized that this frozen dude, that he was Matt.
I turn to the lunch lady and saw a snake hissing in my face. I quickly jump backwards, dropping my tray.
"What the heck? What are you lady?" I say.
"I am sure you have guessed by now, my dear," the lunch lady answers in a cold voice.
And I did. This lady was a gorgon, the terrible one, one specific gorgon. Medusa.
I begin to back away slowly. My head was spinning all over the place. The one class I excelled at was Greek History, and I knew that Medusa was the only gorgon who could turn people to stone. I squeezed my eyes shut. Someone grabbed my hand and I was suddenly on the move.
"You can open your eyes now, Raina," a familiar voice tells me.
"Tobias! Thank goodness you came..." I trail off when I see his feet-- not feet-- hooves. That was something I really couldn't wrap my head around. My best friend has hooves.
"I don't think she likes me!" I shout to Tobias, turning my head.
"Don't look! She'll petrify you!" he shouts to me, "Here! Take this!"
He hands something to me. A little golden dagger.
"What the heck am I gonna--" Oh, he wants me to kill that?
"Close your eyes!" he shouts.
"But then I can't see!"
"Do it! Your body will guide you!" he says, releasing my hand. I close my eyes and lunge. I sprint quickly and my blade snags something. So does the side of my neck.
I open my eyes to see Medusa disintegrate into golden dust. I hear a 'splooch,' and I look at my neck in the mirror we were by. There were two silver fang marks on it, just large enough for two of Medusa's snake's fangs.
A bunch of kids came running down the hall.
"FIIIIRRRREEEEEE!!!" a girl screams. I turn towards the lunch room and curse under my breath. I prepare to run, but that is when I lose all the strength in my body. Tobias grabs my hand and runs.
"I can't do it... slow down..."
"Not unless we want to become grilled chicken! And for you information, I don't!" he says. I look behind us. We were the last people left in the school. As soon as we get out, the school-- how do I put this? The school explodes. |
