Child of Zeus {Interactive Story} (PJO/HOO/TOA)

SIXTEEN: Rumbly Rumbly

Diana and Johnny helplessly followed me through the woods, where I walked behind the goat I strangely knew the name of.

"Amaltheia," I muttered in a trance, "She nursed Zeus. She wants to lead me somewhere..."

"Y/N, maybe we shouldn't..." Diana trudged beside me. "I remember Chiron telling me about the last people who came across her - she led them somewhere dangerous and they almost died!"

"But maybe it is a good idea," Johnny said, coming up on the other side of me. "Zeus wants us to succeed more than anything, right? So maybe he sent her to lead us somewhere good, like another mode of transportation since our last one didn't work out very well."

"Guys," I stuck both arms out to stop them. "She stopped."

We were only a quarter of a mile in, in a small clearing between the trees. Amaltheia bobbed her head as if inviting us forward.

"Yeah, this is good." Diana bit at Johnny.

"Well it definitely isn't bad." Johnny retorted.

I stepped forward and kneeled beside the goat - both columbian goddess and sheep man standing sheepishly (haha) behind me.

I studied the goat. She had the horns of a ram, but the udders of a female goat. Wisps of light seemed to cling to her like a cloud of neon, making her look radioactive. She had sad amber eyes and a bronze collar around her neck. If the glowingness wasn't enough, each of her utters was labeled with a different drink - milk, nectar, water, mountain dew, there was even a 'pull here for ice' utter. I tilted my head.

"Amaltheia," I said softly to her.

"Blaaaaah." Amaltheia replied.

"What?" Johnny asked. "Why?"

"What did she say?" I asked him, suddenly very anxious. "What does she want me to do?"

"Stroke her pelt." Johnny answered quizzically, looking at the goat like she were crazy.

"Come on, that's weird even for us!" Diana insisted.

"I'm gonna stroke her," I decided.

Diana face palmed.

The goat, upon hearing that, nuzzled closer to me. I stretched my fingers out and felt the soft hide of the animal, and the more I stroked her the more hazy my vision became. I didn't know why I continued, then, if it was impacting me like that. But I couldn't stop, and soon the world had been replaced with a new vision.

~

I saw my Mom, maybe fourteen years younger, walking casually down our street before it started to rain. Smiling to herself, she didn't speed up or try to run for cover. She let the rain hit her face and drench her hair and soak her clothes, even playfully sticking her tongue out when thunder started rolling across the sky.

Much like the storm we had at camp, the lightning and thunder were heavy and frequent, but the rain seemed to be staying soft, falling slowly if only on my mother.

"You are beautiful," I spoke, but the voice wasn't mine - it belonged to the man in my head. I stepped forward, out of the shadows and into the light of a street lamp.

Stunned, my mother took a step away. "Who are you?"

"I'll show you who I am." I replied charmingly. "Come close to me, and you will see."

And she did. My Mom, curious as she was kind, took a step towards the man she didn't know but who knew her.

"Closer," I implored. "Closer to me."