A/N: All Greek translations are using an online translator and spelled phonetically according to said translator and therefore may not be 100% accurate. If you ever run into Zeus, I do not recommend quoting my Greek or Latin, and I am not responsible for any injuries because you did so.
And what came out were… doves. Bunches and bunches of… doves.
"They'll poop in my hair!" Gina shrieked, running in circles. Jack looked dazed, so Gina grabbed his hand and took off. The doves stayed, circling the clearing.
They were clearly Demonic Doves. I tore through the woods after Gina and Jack, screaming my head off and hearing Gina's screams from up ahead.
"Doves!" she was hollering, no doubt having come across other campers. "Hundreds and hundreds of doves came out and chased us!"
"Oh, for Zeus's sake," I heard a musical voice say, still musical even in annoyance.
Rose was storming towards me, her brow furrowed in determination. "Peristéria!" she commanded, holding a hand out as if to stop the little menaces with only willpower. "Eirí̱ni," she continued, calmer now. Doves. Peace. My understanding of the Greek made me dizzy, the realization that I would not wake up from this dream in my own bed at home setting in even deeper.
To get back to the point, the doves didn't stop, only slowed while I stopped for breath near Rose. Then they came and all landed on me; on my arms, on my feet, on my head, and messing up my already-mussed black hair.
"Would someone please get these birds off of me?" I wailed desperately.
Rose said something else in Greek, but my ears were too full of white feathers to hear. Jack smiled empathetically while he and Gina worked to get the white fluff out.
"That's a claiming if I've ever seen one," he said, laughing. Gina giggled too.
"I don't get it." I stared at him blankly.
"Doves," Rose interjected flatly. "Symbol of my mom, Aphrodite."
"Looks like you two are half-sisters," said Gina, who smirked, as if to say Good luck, Katy.
I raised my eyebrows. "Well, then, now that I'm determined, what was that you were saying about daughters of Aphrodite back there, Gina?"
Rose led me to her cabin, shooing away Gina and Jack. I was kind of miffed, seeing as how my mom had sent three dozen birds to claim me instead of just showing up herself. Really, no, it's okay. Just abandon me for fourteen years and don't even bother to say hello. No, it's okay, no need to apologize, Mommy!
Cabin #10 was… okay. It was just so… loving. It looked like one big valentine. As soon as I entered it, I knew I didn't belong. There was a girl with long silvery-blond hair brushing her hair and counting strokes quietly. A boy with milk chocolate colored hair was arguing with another girl who looked like his sister (though I figured every other girl was his sister, too.) Another girl was rearranging roses and another small flower I didn't recognize in a clear glass vase. You get the point. I had never seen more beautiful people in one place at once in my whole life. It was the most intimidating set-up I had ever been present at.
"Guys," Rose said, clearing her throat loudly. "This is Katy Pierce."
They all turned to look at me. For one awful second, they just blinked. Awkward.
Finally the redheaded girl by the vase spoke up. "Hi, Katy. Welcome to Cabin Ten. I'm Myrtle." She smiled a pretty, one-dimple smile. She had a more warm, youthful sort of beauty to her, more like a woodland fairy than a china doll. "Myrtle like the flower," she went on. "It's a symbol of our mother. Demeter, too, but, you know." She gave a quick shrug.
I was starting to like Myrtle.
The arguing brunettes waved. The boy spoke up, "Welcome, Katy. I'm Anthony and this is my sister, Aiko." He grinned, his bangs falling in front of his eyes. He looked like a skater girl's dream. Aiko elbowed him.
Rose sighed and rolled her eyes. "And this is-"
"I'm fully capable of my own introduction, Rose. My name is Maia. She was Hermes's mom, but my dad was a mythology nerd," the hair-brushing blonde spoke quickly and sharply, pausing her brushing briefly to shake my hand. "I'll be head counselor while Rose is gone."
I was introduced to a half dozen other girls and maybe half as many boys. Rose showed me to my bunk. It was surprisingly NON-FLOWERY; just plain and clean and crisp. I sat down and sank into the mattress, happy beyond belief to sit down. I'd been on my feet since math class. The day had been so long….
I was about to drift asleep when Myrtle shone a flashlight in my eyes. "Sorry to wake you, Katy, but it's dinnertime, and I know after my first day, dinner was a gift straight from heaven."
I sat up and yawned. "I can't sit with Jack or Gina, can I, Myrtle?"
She shook her head, curls bouncing. "Sorry."
I felt my face fall.
A/N: I know, not a very good ending, but a lot went on in that chapter. Yay, we claimed Katy! I'll update soon; I have some ideas for chapter five. Hope you enjoyed chapter 4 :)
