Chapter 4

"Zeus." Hades greeted coldly.

"Bad man!" I hissed pointing at Zeus who looked at me, amused.

"What happened to babygirl?" Zeus asked as he came closer. His scent of sex, sweat, and wine was overwhelming.

I wanted to vomit.

"Don't call her that." Mommy hissed, before warning, "Don't come closer."

Mommy grip on me tighten and she went rigid. No doubt ready to pounce at a mo,ents notice.

Zeus stopped in his track and narrowed his eyes at Mommy, "Shes my spawn too."

"I don't give a Pegasus's ass." Mommy snarled.

Their bickering faded away as I watched the butterfly flutter above. It was a bright red color and was singing.

"Pretty butterfly." I murmured. My finger followed the beautiful butterflies movement. It flew around our heads, occasionally hovering in certain spots.

"Lalalalalalallalalalala." I sang in perfect tune with the butterfly. "Butterfly, butterfly alalalalalalala!"

"You could try but the barriers will rip her apart." Hades said calmly. His words were directed to mommy. Who was pissed, her racing heartbeat told me so.

It's because Hades and Zeus poopy pants were being rude.

"Kore stop singing." Zeus said. "What's wrong with her, why are her eyes dilated?"

"It's the effect of the pomegranate seeds. The nymph often use them as drugs." Hades explained, "They give hallucinations and a euphoric feeling."

"BUTTERFLLLYY!" I squealed rolling out of my mommy's arms. I hit the ground with a loud thud. My head slammed against a rock, vibrating my brain and causing my skull to throb.

Well that took a deadly turn.

Too bad I can't die!

"Kore!" I heard mommy cry out. I saw her concerns face squat in front of mine.

My brain felt as if it had been rattled and my vision blurred. Multiples mommy's appearing.

"Woah, there five of youuuuuu."

"Kore, how many fingers?" Mommy asked holding up twelve fingers.

"Woah! Multi fingeeerrrrrsss!!!"

Spot danced around my vision, it was slowly getting dark and I had the overwhelming to sleep.

Sleep would be so nice right now.

"I go to sleep."

"No! Kore don't close you're eyes." My mommy pleaded.

I ignored her and closed them, fading away into a place of dreams.

-*-

I was slowly coming to my senses and everything felt sluggish. I had the overwhelming feeling of vomit.

Gods, what the hell happened?

I slowly opened my eyes and squinted at the light that shone brightly above me. "Can you turn the lights off? They're blinding." I said my voice hoarse. I was definitely in a hospital room of sorts.

My eyes roamed the white and black speckled ceiling for a few moments before I looked to the side where an IV was attached to my arm. No liquid was being pumped into my arm, but that wasn't what I found odd.

What I found odd was the fact that I was in a hospital in the first place.

I'm a Goddess, and we don't get injured easily.

The lights flicked off my mother's concerned face appeared in front of me. "Kore, Kore sweetie how many fingers am I holding up?"

She wagged four fingers in front of me and so I held up four fingers. I sat up wincing slightly. it felt like my head was going to explode.

"Mom, mom it's burning hot in here, can you turn the air down?" I asked grasping her arm. My mom's expression hardened and she looked at something behind me.

Why isn't she helping me? She can see I'm in pain.

"Eat the ice chips. They will help." A voice, Hades said from beside me. I turned to face him, I hadn't seen him in the corner trying to weave himself into the shadows. I also saw Zeus, Hera, and an old man I didn't know standing off to the left. The man had a long gray beard that went to his stomach, brown eyes, and gray hair. He looked like somebody you would see in the comic books that are old and spouts riddles and wisdom.

I reached for the cup of ice that sat on the bedside but couldn't reach it. Every time I did it felt like my stomach was trying to turn inside out. I was in pain, agonizing burning pain.

And gods aren't supposed to feel pain.

I clutched my stomach as beads of sweat dripping down my neck, face, and back. What's happening? Why isn't anyone helping me?

I looked at my mom for help but she looked away. She looked away as if she was disgusted by something.

By me.

Hades stepped next to me and handed me a spoon and the cup but I couldn't grab it. Tears welled in my eyes and I gasped out.

Everything was throbbing and the euphoric feeling I once had was gone.

Help me, please.

Hade's eyes searched my face before he sat down in the chair next to me and scooped a spoonful of ice chips. He held the spoon out to me, not understanding what he was doing I reached to grab it but he shook his head. He moved it closer to my mouth and gestured for me to open. Hades softly placed the spoon into my mouth, allowing me to take the ice on it.

It didn't do much to soothe the ache inside of my body, but it was a nice effort.

"Kore, do you remember anything?" My mother asked. Despite her lack of effort, there was a look of concern in her eyes.

I shook my head. All I remembered was arriving here talking to people and after that, it's a blur.

A big messy blur.

Despite the calm, in her voice, I could tell my mother was restraining herself. She either wanted to scream at me or scold but couldn't with others in the room.

Her voice was soft, tender, but a force to be reckoned with, "You ate food, Kore."

I frowned. I couldn't exactly remember why it was bad to eat food here.

Would I get bad gas?

No, I don't think that was it. Although if I ate something containing dairy we were going to have an issue later on.

A big stinky issue.

"Thats an issue because..? Honestly can someone fill me in here." I grumbled, I began to sit up which was a mistake.

All of a sudden everything started spinning and I felt whatever I ate start coming up. It was like I was in a wash machine on a heavy wash.

Before I could shout out look out I am about to vomit, everything came out of me. The secert steak sandwich I had earlier for lunch, the kool aid I drank everything.

Even these weird little seed looking things. I don't remember eating any seeds.

Why didn't I chew the seeds? It looks like I just swallowed them whole like a damn bird.

"Oh!" I heard Hera cry out. I felt hands grab me and push me back into the bed. Hades appeared in front of me, he place a cool hand on top of my forehead and shook his head.

I could hear Zeus in the back wailing about how there was vomit on his clothing.

"Don't move." Hades instructed to me before looking back and hissing, "Zeus stop being a drama queen, it's just vomit."

"Why are there seeds in my vomit...oh gods please tell me they were seeds and not maggots." I pleaded with Hades as I gripped his free hand.

"Their not maggots for the love of Olympus—DEMETER." Hades looked around for my mother who was pouting in the corner. "Tell your child what's happening to her, or gods so help me you will be trapped down here too."

Trapped?

What did he mean by trapped?

I felt something twist in my chest and all of a sudden I felt panic settle inside of me.

The seeds.

It hit me like a chariot, I remembered what my mother said about the underworld and it's food.

Eating the food in the underworld would trap you here.

"I don't feel so well." I murmured before vomiting everywhere.