"Sssshhhhhh. Quiet down a bit, Liliya. You'll wake up Gabe." I say to my enthusiastic eight-year-old sister.
"But I can't wait!" She jumps up and down. I roll my eyes at how childish she could be, despite the small two year age gap. Liliya and I were waiting for the meteor shower expected to happen tonight.
"Pala! It's starting, it's starting!" She whisper shouted. I look up, out the window to see the falling lights in the sky.
While keeping my eyes locked to the sky, I say,
"Don't call me Pala..."
I don't know why, but ever since Liliya was five, she insisted on calling me Pala. I'd rather have her call me my actual nickname, but she won't change her mind about it. It doesn't bother me too much, luckily.
"I know you like it..." she smirks. I look at Liliya, taking her features in. She is so different from me. I guess, though, that that just makes it harder for her to be with me and Mom . When we go out (excluding Smelly Gabe because he's a sour pus) everyone stares at how different she is. I look almost like my mom. Mom tells me that she look like her dad. It makes me wonder who Liliya's Dad is. As much as mom avoids the subject, I know that we are only half siblings. I see it in her eyes. The sorrow of how we are different.
Her green eyes and dark hair. Tan skin. It all contrasts against Mom and my blue eyes and brown hair. Our pale skin.
I'm ripped out my thoughts when I hear Liliya's (quiet) squeak of delight.
"They're so pretty!"
With that comment, I notice how the lights have lessened. Maybe it's about to end?
"Pala? What do you think its like to be up there. Like up in the sky?" Liliya looks at me.
"I dunno, Liliya. Maybe someday, I'll tell you." I say. Her life will be better than mine. I'll make sure of that.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Liliya's sobs could be heard from throughout the apartment the next morning as she clung to mom. Such a momma's baby. Doesn't she know that this is already hard on mom in the first place?
You clearly have no idea what's even going on, so let me elaborate. Mom had entered us to get into a prestigious school. It was good academically as well as having a wonderful athletic program. Specifically gymnastics. That's the only way I even got in. Liliya is smart, I am not. However, I have so much energy that Mom put me into gymnastics when I was around five years old. I didn't want to stop moving, so might as well put that to use. In later years (Like when I found out I was the son of a sea god) I noticed that my flexibility stemmed from the fact that everything in the ocean is not very stiff.
Today, is the day we are to go to the school and live in the dorms and if you can't tell, Liliya doesn't want to leave mom's side. I don't want to either, but I know it'll only break mom's heart even more if I show that.
"Shhh. It's alright, Liliya. I will call you every night, okay? You'll be just fine." Mom continued comforting words to the small girl.
"But I don't want to leave!" Whined my younger sister as she clung to mom's leg.
"I don't want to be away from you either, but it'll just be until December. Then you can comeback home and we can celebrate with blue cookies and presents!" She tried to convince. It had an affect to Liliya since her sobs quieted down and turned into shaky breathes.
"Promise?" She looked up innocently to Mother.
"I promise." Mom replied.
And we were off to our new school.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The place was fancy. It was a victorian style building with grey tones. There was a sign out in the front by the school gates that said, Vaganova Primary School. It was a little ways outside of Manhattan in a deserted looking area. The place was surround by furs and blue spruces.
"Why, hello!" A young woman said to us as she opened the dark gate. She was pretty, with soft eyes and caramel coloured hair. "You two must be the new enrolled students on that scholarship. I am the house mother. I take care of food plans and cleaning of the dorms. Follow me and I will take you to the headmaster, Madame Vaganova."
We followed her inside were two men took our luggage, quickly. We continued on and went up a spiral staircase to a set of large, mahogany doors. The house mother took a step to the side and and held an arm out as if to invite us in. I walked forward and pushed one of the doors open.
Inside, there was a deep cherry red desk and a woman who seemed to be in her late fifties. Her graying hair curled back and violet eyes searing into our souls.
"Hello, children. I am Madame Vaganova, the headmaster of this school." She stop up from her chair and walked over to us, "You must be Perseus and Liliya." I cringed at my full name being said.
"We are very excited to be having you attend. You both are excellent at what you and we hope your year with us all be to your liking."
The woman looked at us darkly.
"Mary!" Madame called.
"Yes, Madame?" Asked the house mother.
"Take these children to their dorm room." She said.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Pala? Do you like this place?" Asked sister.
"I guess." I say shakily, "Do you?"
"No." She whispers. She curls into me more. I wrap my arms around her.
"It'll be over soon. We are only a month away from December, then we can see mom." She nods against my chest.
The poor thing had been overloaded with school work and her extracurricular activity she has to take, ballet. Since Liliya was never much for gymnastics (always preferring to stay home and read rather than go to practice with me), she thought ballet would be fun. Big mistake on her part, but how was she supposed to know. Mary, the house mother, said it'd be simple. She wants to quit, but it is required for her to take it (they don't want kids running about the halls of the dorm, so extra activities are put in place for that reason).
"Can we leave soon?" She asks.
"I just said that we only have a month left. Come on. We can do this." I reply.
"Children! Time to sleep!" The house mother shouted out. Both me and Liliya shivered at her words. The once nice looking woman we met on the first day, was the one who gave us nightmares.
Mary is the school's house mother. She is only 24 year old and already takes care of 150 students. She is in charge of every individual meal we receive and making sure that we clean up enough so she has minimal work todo when she cleans.
She is also the one who puts consequences int act when a child has been bad. Madame tells her what to do and she does it. That also means that she follows Madame's rather old fashioned and torturous requests.
Madame Vaganova was one who put me on guard ever since I met her. She was the absolute definition of two-faced and everyone, but misfit children and scholarship students loved her.
She only took our applications by random since its required that the school takes a few in. She didn't care if we were actually talented or not.
That made our lives a living hell. We were pushed harder, blamed for everything and had to do the work of ones who didn't want to.
It greatly affected Liliya since she has double the things to do. It made me hate gymnastics (the activity I have always loved).
"Pala, can I sleep with you?" She asked that every night. Even at home. She always received the same answer, too.
"Yes, you can."
In the morning, we woke up to pots and pans being banged together. Like usual.
"Come on Liliya, let's get your uniform on." I help her white sweater and black school dress on. Afterwards, I quickly put on my own uniform and we head to the dorm's dining area.
"Rice and fish today, Liliya" Mary said as she placed a plate in front of her. To be honest, the supposed 'rice and fish' didn't look like rice and fish. It looked more like gray slop.
"Broccoli soup, Perseus." She tells me. I swear this meal is poisoned. Is broccoli soup supposed to bubble? I look around to see others didn't receive the same ungodly horrid meals. The gymnastics captain even getting a nice bowl of cereal.
"Liliya, I don't have gymnastics today, so I want to go see your ballet rehearsal. Is that alright with you?" I ask, ignoring the food in front of me.
"Uh... Yeah!" She replies.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Up and over and side to..." the ballet instructor drawled. I could clearly see the discomfort in Liliya's in eyes. This is the tenth time her teacher has made her redo the footwork in the routine. She is clearly in pain. I want to shout at the instructor, but that'll only make things worse.
Afterwards, when we are walking (or Liliya who was limping) we chat about home. The both of us are homesick. We just want to see mom. We just want to snuggle against her and take in her lavender scent. We want our soft blankets. Even if we had to face Gabe, we'd deal with it. As long as we would make it home.
Xxxxxxxxxxx
"Perseus. Liliya." The house mother said,"Wake up, please."
I slightly open my heavy lids. What time is it even? Why is the house mother waking us up? She never personally wakes anyone up.
"House mother, what is wrong?" Liliya asks groggily.
"I need to take you somewhere really quick. It'll be nice and you'll love to see it!" Mary says in a hushed whisper.
"Do we need to get dressed?" I ask, softly.
"Yes, but we need to hurry before the sunrises. It won't be pretty if we get there late!" Mary replies. I look at her with a confused expression as I toss a sweater on. I look back to see the house mother buttoning Liliya's dress. She then quickly grabs our hands and walks out the big front doors. We walk right past the iron gates and into the nearby woods. Mary's grip on our hands might just leave bruises, it's so tight.
"Where are we going house mother?" Liliya asks and I shoot her a look that says to shut up.
"A fine place." Mary replies, not angry at all.
We then see a dark building ahead. Or at least we see the top of it. A square building, that doesn't look too large, is half in the ground and half above ground. We near a black door and Mary let's go of my hand momentarily are she reaches towards the door knob. When we walk in we see stained glass on the walls. You can't quite tell what the pictures the stain glass make up, but it does seem magnificent.
I can see Liliya squirm. Mary then leads us down a hall and tosses us in a room.
"Stay here and be quite please." She says as she shuts the door. The sound of a bolt lock is heard from the other side. Something definitely feels wrong. A hissing sound can be heard. Something that sounds like air is coming out a tight whole.
"Pala? What's happening?" Liliya asks.
"I don't think I know." I reply. A moment passes and Liliya starts to sway like she is drunk or something. It hits me then. They are gassing us. I look around the room to find a weak point in the walls. There seems to be a site of erosion in the farthest corner. I run over and start to claw at the wall. Liliya looks at me confused. Eventually, I get a good size whole and start to kick it in. My vision is starting to get hazy and that makes me work more frantically.
"Liliya, go through, now." I say sternly as I guide her through the whole. Once she completely passes through, I attempt to get out myself. I barely make it.
"Run Liliya!" I shout as my foot gets caught, "Run!"
I never did make it that day. My foot was stuck tight in the hole and I took too much gas in. I died right there. Only later did House Mother take and bury my body. To rot with the worms and the rest of the voiceless children whose home now lay underground.
Liliya's P.O.V.
I ran as fast as I could. Just like Pala told me to. After a while, I stopped and rested. I am hoping that Pala will come by soon and we can walk home together. I just want my mum. I want my blanket. I want to snuggle against Pala and sleep.
It is a long walk before I get home. The city is scary and loud. Even at night, but I guess that New York for ya. It takes a day or two before I make it to the front door of Mom and Gabe's apartment.
"Mum!" I yell.
"Liliya?" I hear. It is so comforting. She walks into the living room.
"Mummy!" I run to her, hugging her legs.
"Why aren't you at school?" She asks.
"P-Pala! It was so bad! T-the House Mother tried to-to kill us and I-I think Pa...Pala is d-dead!" I sob.
Mum's face is mortified. She wipes tears from my green eyes.
I'll never forget that day.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I hated my long black hair. It reminds of the times Pala would run his fingers through it. Dresses are repulsive. I guess that's how I have been since the events that took place all those years ago. Four to be exact. Now, I am at Yancy Academy. This is against what I want, but mum comprised and let me enroll as a male and with my brothers name.
And this is where you might think this story ends, but really it's only beginning.
I am Perseus Jackson. Son of Poseidon. No one can tell me otherwise.