Chapter 1: A Daughter of Artemis?
Gina's parents (more like parent) were slightly paranoid. Her mother (LEGAL mother) had been horrified when Gina's dad came home with a little girl and said she was a gift from the god. His wife (at the time) had thought he was insane. She called the police, but all the records said she was his. And that she was hers.
Still not confinced- how could she forget her own CHILD? -she asked him what had happened. In responce, he told her a story.
Artemis is- or WAS -a maiden goddess. It means that, unlike most of the other gods, she didn't have demigod children with mortals. She decided that she needed someone to be her hero, and regardless of her Hunters of Artemis, while special and LIKE her own children, she wanted a child. Someone to fawn over from a distance, someone to be outraged for if they were in danger. So, she found me. She told me that I was perfect, and that the Greek gods are real. They're REAL, Sharon! She told me that I was to take care of a child, and at this she handed me the bundle that, until then, I hadn't noticed in her hands. She told me to take it home and raise it as my own. That the details were all taken care of.
She said to raise it well, Sharon. And I intend on doing just that.
Gina was raised in a perfectly normal home, with a perfectly normal family. WRONG. She was raised that the Greek gods were real, and learned all about their culture. Her father- to prepare her for camp, he said -made them burn foods in an alter to her mom, Artemis. He told her she was special, and had her practice archery each day. Her life was perfect. He had read THOUSANDS of child development books, and was raising her perfectly. Like she was a 'special' child.
But that wasn't what Gina wanted.
She wanted to be OUT there in the world, to try new things. To have friends. But every friend she introduced had the possibility of being a bad influence. Her father isolated her. The LEAST he could do was let her go to camp already!
But she had to wait until she was 16. It was always, 'when you're 16 this', and 'when you're 16 that'. SHE JUST WANTED TO BE 16 ALREADY! It was coming up soon. She was 15, and would turn 16 in a few days.
Along with the thousands of child development books, he had also read MILLIONS of Greek mythology books. He knew how to keep her safe from monsters, what to wear and what NOT to wear as a modern Greek demigod. He had access to the Amazon's amazon warehouse because of her mom's connections.
Which were, practically, everywhere and everyone. While most would KILL for Gina's life, she wanted either one of 2 things: To be a normal teenager, or to go to camp already. Where her dad couldn't follow her. Don't get me wrong, Gina loved her dad. He was just RIDICULOUSLY suffocating. You can do this, but only if your never do that. You can have this, but don't download that. Don't listen to that song anymore, it says 'kiss' in it.
See what I mean? Anyone would be annoyed with it. Anyone, except you were exactly like her dad.
But the day finally came. Her birthday! Along with her new iPod (because she couldn't have a phone anymore, she traded out her iPhone for an iPod) she also got an 8 hour car ride from Virginia to New York with her dad in his little van.
Joy.
"Bye, dad!" Her dad wasn't having any of it. He was WALKING her to the entrance. To the hill, with a pine tree on it. Strange, because they didn't seem to have any other pine trees around on the hill. Probably just decoration.
Her dad walked her to the top, until her bumped into an invisable wall. Gina walked strait across and her dad shouted one last thing to her.
"Don't tell anyone who your mom is! Bye, sweetie!" Gina, confused, turned and waved, but then continued on her merry way. She was walking to the big house (like her dad told her to, during the 8 HOURS in the car with him), when a sweaty, oily kid ran into her and she hit her head on the ground, passing out.
