Biting Back Ch3

Chapter 3 - Coming Home Wasn't Good
I looked at this figure in disbelief, he was athletic, but apart from that, he could not be related to me. I could barely see him from his light still tring to give him a physical form.

"Now, shall I take you away from here?" he said.

I stepped up "No. We need a bandage for Thalia's leg, and we need food. Now get out of my way!"

He didn't move at all. he just replied "I don't think your mother would want you stealing at your age".

"Well how are we suppose to get what we need?"

"You could always use the front door".

I wanted to shout at him some more, but he already knocked on the door.

My mom opened the door and she immeadiatly threw herself at me for a hug. "Luke! Oh how much you've grown. Oh, my sweet baby is home again." She looked towards Hermes.

"Hermes! I knew you would return."

"Hello May". he stepped forward like a pompous git as if he was going to get on one knee and kiss her hand. "May we come in?"

"Yes, of course, you and Luke and his friends. I've made cookies and Kool Aid, like you always liked it. There's plenty and I'm making more".

I stepped back in nervously. I promised I would never ever come back, yet I broke that promise after years of never even looking back at it. I walked straight away from the kitchen and my mom's burnt cookies.

Candles flickered on the fireplace mantel, reflected in the mirrors along the walls. Through the kitchen doorway I could see Thalia sitting at the table while Ms. Castellan bandaged her wounded leg. Annabeth sat next to her, playing with a Medusa beanbag toy.

Hermes and I stood apart in the living room.

My dad's face looked liquid in the candlelight, like he couldn't decide what shape to adopt. He was dressed in a navy blue jogging outfit with winged Reeboks. As if he would ever just jog at night

"Why show yourself now?" I demanded. My shoulders were tense, I was going to stab him proper good if he had no decent excuse. "All these years I've been calling to you, praying you'd show up, and nothing. You left me with her." I pointed toward the kitchen where my mom was making her 115th batch of cookies for us, and walking straight back to Thalia and Annabeth before they even finished there first load.

"Luke, do not dishonor her," Hermes shouted, as if he still seemed to have some authority over me which wasn't very impressive. "Your mother did the best she could. As for me, I could not interfere with your path. The children of the gods must find their own way.”

"So it was for my own good. Growing up on the streets, fending for myself, fighting monsters.”

"You're my son," Hermes said. "I knew you had the ability. When I was only a baby, I crawled from my cradle and set out for—”

"I'm not a god! Just once, you could've said something. You could've helped when" I was so angry with him, turning up when I had finally been able to take care of myself, and now wanted to be a parent. Too late. "When she was having one of her fits, shaking me and saying crazy things about my fate. When I used to hide in the closet so she wouldn't find me with those . . . those glowing eyes. Did you even care that I was scared? Did you even know when I finally ran away?”

In the kitchen, I could hear my mom chattered aimlessly, pouring Kool-Aid for Thalia and Annabeth as she told them stories about me when I was a baby. Thalia rubbed her bandaged leg nervously. Annabeth glanced into the living room and held up a burned cookie for me to see. She mouthed, Can we go now? I personally couldn't blame her, but I wasn't finished with Hermes yet.

"Luke, I care very much," Hermes said slowly, "but gods must not interfere directly in mortal affairs. It is one of our Ancient Laws. Especially when your destiny . . ." His voice trailed off. He stared at the candles as if remembering something unpleasant.

"What?" I asked. "What about my destiny?”

"You should not have come back," Hermes muttered. "It only upsets you both. However, I see now that you are getting too old to be on the run without help. I'll speak with Chiron at Camp Half-Blood and ask him to send a satyr to collect you.”

"We're doing fine without your help," I growled at him. "Now, what were you saying about my destiny?”

The wings on his Reeboks were fluttering restlessly. He studied me like he was trying to memorize my face, and suddenly a cold feeling washed through me. I was almost certain that he knew very well what my mom was saying, but was never going to tell me.

"My son," he said, "I'm the god of travelers, the god of loads. If I know anything, I know that you must walk your own path, even though it tears my heart.”

"You don't love me.”

"I promise I . . . I do love you. Go to camp. I will see that you get a quest soon. Perhaps you can defeat the Hydra, or steal the apples of Hesperides. You will get a chance to be a great hero before . . .”

"Before what? What did mom see that made her like this? What's going to happen to me? If you love me, tell me.”

Hermes's expression tightened. "I cannot.”

"Then you don't care!" Luke yelled. I turned and began walking towards Thalia and Annabeth.

"Luke?" Mom called. "Is that you? Is my boy all right?”

I hid my face from them so they couldn't see me cry. "I'm fine. I have a new family. I don't need either of you.”

"I'm your father," Hermes insisted.

"A father is supposed to be around. I've never even met you. Thalia, Annabeth, come on! We're leaving!”

"My boy, don't go!" Mom called after me. "I have your lunch ready!”

I stormed out the door, pushing past my mom. Thalia and Annabeth scrambling after me. My mom tried to follow, but Hermes held her back.

I could hear her crying, but I was sick of it. Always feeling sorry for themselves, when I was the one who suffered, the one who was always caught up in between. No more.

"What are we doing now Luke? Luke?" Thalia said.

I looked back at them "We're gonna kill some monsters. I'm in the mood for slicing something alive."

Annabeth's face light up from the sound of excitment, Thalia looked down at her leg like it was paining her, but she followed on with us down the road.

That is it, I said to myself, I was definately never going back there again. Ever. And this time I would keep that promise for good.