Hate is a Strong Word (PAUSED)

Chapter 1: A snake mistakes me for a sandwich

 There's nothing that can prepare someone for the death of a loved one. Whether they died fighting for their country, or fighting cancer it hurts just the same. For Emily Cadieux, it was the latter. Or at least, the first death was.

Emily sprinted up that hill like her life depended on it, dragging her sister behind her. "Leah! We can make it, we're almost there Leah". She said, her voice straining from holding up the majority of her sister's weight. The blood from Leah's wound dripped down her leg, painting the fresh snow in red. Leah groaned, getting closer to unconscious by the second. Emily could see the snake's poison spreading through her sister's leg, turning her light skin purple and pale.

There was a sudden rustling behind her, followed by hissing. The giant snake lunged at Emily's torso, seconds away from clamping its jaws around her. Emily panted and struggled to keep going but eventually collapsed on the ground. Her sister was too big for her to carry, too heavy to make it past the tall pine tree. The snake hissed again, getting ready to kill them. Emily set her sister down in the snow next to her. "I promise I'll be back Leah, just hold on," she whispered, her voice desperate.

Emily pulled herself up, looking around for anything she could use. It was no use, there were no branches or rocks or... an arrow?

A whistling sound fired through the air as a second arrow came speeding past, just missing the snake by 2 feet. As soon as the second arrow hit the ground Emily dropped and covered her sister's body with hers. Were they aiming for me? What the fuck was that? The snake recoiled from the arrow but soon went to strike back. It slithered towards the wounded sisters. Emily kicked at the snake and shouted for help as it drew closer. A third arrow flew through the air and embedded itself into the snake's... back? Tail? Stomach? Emily had no clue but she thanked God for the help.⠀⠀⠀

Behind her, she heard shouting, "Two wounded kids on the hill! Get Chiron!". What's a Chiron? Like a Chiropractor? We'll need more than that to save us. There were sounds of metal banging against metal, which seriously did NOT help Emily's headache. 

Emily looked back, trying to see what was going on, there at the top of the hill was a tall, lean teenager with black hair and a scar leading from his left eyebrow down his cheek. He was covered in old Greek armor, and his helmet had a blue plume. He raised his sword and shouted "Chérosi!". A loud cry came from behind him as half a dozen kids in armor and matching orange shirts stormed down the hill.

Before she had time to look back at the snake and register the sound of it striking, its fangs were buried deep in her abdomen. She let out a cry of pain, immediately it felt like her whole body was on fire. 

She flailed around looking for anything to hit the snake with before grabbing the arrow in its side and plunging it into the snake's head. She felt the snake release its grip on her, its jaw slack, and saw its eyes dull as spots swam in her vision. Her side was throbbing and her body was on fire. She had just enough time to see the black-haired guy approach and run the snake through with his sword again before she passed out. 

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The room smells like sausage and... a wet cat? Emily woke up dazed and thirsty. "Where am I?" she groans, looking around. She's in a large homey room filled with cots. It feels kind of like a cabin, with a fireplace in the middle of the wall, the old music playing on a phonograph and the snow falling outside. The only thing that stands out is a leopard head mounted on the wall. 

"What the he-" she's cut off as she tries to sit up and feels a sharp shooting pain in her side. 

A short Asian boy who can't be more than 12 runs up to her. "What do you think you're doing chazos?" He nearly shouts. "Trying to sit up," Emily mutters, looking the boy up and down. "Do it again and I'll feed your remains to Seymour." He huffs. "Seymour?" The leopard on the wall growls, startling Emily. The kid is clearly trying to hide his laugh, she glares at the scrawny boy with a look that says shut up. "You don't scare me chazos. I've been here longer than you have, I could take you in a fight with my hands tied." He proudly states, his chin in the air. "Yeah ok fun size" she scoffs, slowly sitting up against the wall. 

Her side aches from the snake bite. 

The snake bite.... Leah. 

Emily whips her head around looking for her wounded sister. "Where's my sister?" She says, her voice demanding. The kid won't meet her eyes. "Where's. My. Sister." Her voice starts to waver. "I'll... I'll go get Luke,". The kid shuffles out of the room with his head down. Emily can barely breathe. 

She's fine. I'm fine. We're fine. Leah's probably in the next room over already up. We're fine.

 Her sharp inhales start to slow down and return to normal. She scans the room, looking for anyone else who might be able to help her find where her sister is, but apart from her and Seymour, the room is empty. However, next to her bedside was a glass filled with what looked like apple juice with a purple straw sticking out of it. She picks it up ignoring the ache in her side and smells it. It smells like brownies and vanilla lattes, like the ones she and Leah used to get at Pierre's, the local cafe. That was not at all what Emily expected. She puts her mouth up to the straw and takes a sip. Even before she finishes the glass the aching in her side fades. 

"Ambrosia."

 The black-haired guy, Luke, is leaning against the doorframe smiling at her. He walks over and sits on a nearby cot, "The drink of the gods. Mortals can't handle it, they burn up. But..." He grabs the empty glass and shakes it. "Because we're half god we can handle little portions." 

"I feel like I could take on a tank." Emily sits up grinning. 

"So where's Leah?"

Luke's face falls at the mention of the other girl. "Is that the girl you came with?" Emily nods slowly, starting to get anxious.

"Yeah, the one with the wounded leg."

"She um, she passed away not long after we brought her here."

The music stops, the falling snow freezes in place and the only thing still going is Emily's heart. 

Pounding. 

Pounding out of her chest.

Her breaths are being weighed down by a bowling ball. 

"What?"

"She lost a lot of blood, the poison had already set in, and we couldn't save her. We tried."

"That's not enough," she says her voice wavering.

"It was too little too late. I swear if we could've saved her she'd be sitting here next to you." 

Tears are streaming from Emily's eyes now. "You're lying" Luke tries to cut in but she starts shouting "You fucking liar! Where is she?" Standing up now, she throws her pillow at Luke. "Where is my sister?"

Luke just sits there and calls "Could we get Michael and a Hypnos kid in here?" "I'm talking to you!" Emily shouts. "Where is Leah?!"It only takes minutes for the small kid and a girl in a matching orange shirt to show up. The girl comes with a small bottle of something and she works with Michael to put it in a syringe. 

"You should've saved her!" Half the camp can hear her now. "You should've saved her..." This time it's quieter. Defeated. She slumps down on the floor as Michael injects whatever that kid had into Emily's arm. "You should've..." Her eyelids start to droop. "Saved..." it's more gurgling than talking now. "Her."