Leda Atomica

Chapter One

Once upon a time, in a land not too far away, lived a girl. She was a normal, healthy homo sapien, but not quite, more of half. She was the daughter of a god. Demigod, they called her kind.

She sat by the creek, creating ripples with her left hallux, which she had named Ticky many moons ago. The young demigod had made a habit out of disturbing naiads, Ticky, being her trusty sidekick. She stared at the blazing red sky, sloping in a gentle gradient towards a stunning orange. She could almost see Apollo riding his chariot by, iPod ear pieces in his ears, humming with his eyes closed as the sun set. Sometimes, she'd wonder if he'd ever crashed into random Anemoi Thuellai along the way, and then let her imagination run circles.

Naiads were a type of nymph who presided over fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks.They are distinct from river gods who embodied rivers, and the very ancient spirits that inhabited the still waters. Said Wikipedia.

And with that, she went on to swirl her foot. Occasionally kicking water into the never ending distance ahead. Ticky, who had armed and coated itself with peanut butter, was ready for another great battle. For a weird reason, naiads seemed to detest the sticky goodness, something that Clarice simply couldn't understand. In her terms, peanut butter was the best thing that existed, next to cookies, of course.

Just as if on cue, bubbles erupted in front of her. She smirked in accomplishment as the tan lady stuck her head up, a nasty scowl on her petite features.

"Me, 7. Naiads, 0."

"Oh, you. I've heard about you. The arrogant little Phobos girl that goes around disturbing our peaceful community. Shoo, you win. Now take your pride and go away. Good bye."

"That's a first. Giving up without a fight? I brought him along."

"Him? You brought a little friend to join in your antics? We shall see to his end another day." And with that, the naiad swam away, but not without leaving her a good soak.

"I guess next time, Ticky. You have done well, my lieutenant." She smiled at the idea.

She slugged back to the place she called home. Her boredom had been satisfied for the day.

'Le Laguna' as she had randomly named it, was a small three roomed cabin which sat on a gentle hill where her foster parents and brother resided. It was a lovely place, tranquil, isolated and away from society. Just how she enjoyed it. The only set back was that it was so far away from all the daily facilities, including school and work. The thought of socialisation was terrifying to her. Oh the irony.

"Tadaima" she announced.

"Old habits die hard, don't they?" Keith sighed as he examined her dampened physical form.

Clarice smiled to her sibling in return and wasting no time in grabbing a new set of clothes. Kicking off her slippers, she balanced on her non-peanut substance coated foot and hopped off to the bathroom.

As she stepped in, she scanned the room wearily. No stalkers in sight; confirmed. That meant a peace of mind when you were bathing, or doing anything bathroom related. You could never be too paranoid when it came to people. 'Experience' pays off eventually.

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The young demigod towel dried her hair as she walked out. The distinct squeak of the wet slippers echoed through the wooden cabin. She felt like confronting her parents about the naiads' 'rude behavior' as a joke, seeing she had nothing else to do anyway. Her foster parents was the closest to a family the girl could get, the opposite of her ignorant 'dad', Phobos, god of fear, who was supposedly dark and scary. They were always there for her when she was ironically afraid, or when she needed someone to talk to, or even if she wanted someone to tuck her to bed.