The Gods Play (Gods & Goddesses Anew #1)

Chapter 1 | The Recurring Nightmare

A/N: Hey guys! So this idea came from a really strange dream.... I'm just surprised I remembered it! Anyway, be nice please! Comment Vote.

Oh and while you read you can listen to the song over there >>>>

____________________________________________________________

Every night I was forced to go through the same horrid dream. Over and over I would witness the chaos around me as the never ending pain of seeing this war raged on. This wasn't a normal war. Hideous monsters attacked these beings that seemed to be more then what there appearances let on.

The world around them was nothing but rocky and dark. The landscape alone was enough to drive someone into madness. Fire was everywhere, consuming those that were not careful. Loud screeches and battle cries echoed off the surrounding rock cliffs. Moving slowly forward rocks dug into my sensitive bare feet, causing me to drop down on my hand ands knees.

Just like in every past dream, a man breaks away and rushes towards me as if to see if I'm okay. His face is hidden in the shadows and his darker hair stands in a mess. I see his mouth move, but hear nothing. And when he finally tries to reach out to me that is when the darkness and chaos consume me.

I awoke with a gasp. Setting up I rubbed my pounding head, only to feel it damp with sweat. Then my tired eyes looked at the time, my teal green clock read 3:23 A.M. Looks like I would have another sleepless night. Kicking off the covers I left my room to see if I could somehow entertain myself till my Grandfather got up. My Grandfather was the only living family I had. My mom and dad died a few months after I was born, in Greece. They took a vacation and left me in my Grandfathers care when I was only 4 months old. The cause of death was unknown. Strange right? It doesn't matter anyway, I never knew them. It has always just been my Grandfather and me, and we got along fine. I was as happy as a person with recurring nightmares could be.

Finding nothing better to do in our small apartment I picked up a book off the shelf. I lifted the book up to my nose and breathed in deeply. I loved the smell of books. Flipping the book open, I let the pages within transport me to a world where there were no wars to haunt me.

"Pennie, would you mind to take out the trash for me?" My Grandfather asked from his favorite reclining chair. He sipped the coffee I made him at around 5, just to take my mind off what happened last night. "The garbage truck should be here before noon."

"Of course, Papa George." Hefting the large black bag up I walked down the stairs and out into the morning air. Dew coated the grass and tricked the eye into thinking thousands upon thousands of diamonds littered the ground. Summer had just started, but the June heat was already hitting full force. Just from walking across the parking lot to the garbage bin I felt a bead of sweat roll down my back. I flung our trash into the bin then headed back, wanting to get out of the suns glaring rays. My fair skin couldn't handle too much sun, and most of the time I coated a layer of sunscreen everywhere. Skin cancer won't touch me!

"Okay Papa, so what's our plan for today?" I asked as I slipped off my shoes and closed the front door. "Did you want to go to the fair? It's awfully hot though!"

"The fair sounds great! Its up to you, I don't care." Grandpa sounded sincere, but I knew it was just too hot for him. I wouldn't want to chance his health just for a few hours of fun.

"Why don't we just hang around the apartment today?" I suggested which gained a smile from him.

Our day went on as normal as ever. I did my chores while he read the newspaper, then we did the crossword together. As I filled in three down my grandfather stared to cough deeply. His deep cough reverberated through my skull startling me. The ink pin I was using scratched across the paper, the cross word was ruined.

"Pennie I know you haven't asked before, or ever indicated you wanted to know, but I think you should know about your parents." His voice was filled with agony. I knew this was hard for him to talk about; my mother was his only daughter and his wife passed away very young. The pain was still extremely real for him, you could read it on his face.

"It's okay. Let's not talk about it; I really don't need to know. Also, I didn't even know them; you're the only family I have!" I laughed a little to try and lighten the mood. It didn't work.

"That's another matter that I needed to talk to you about," He coughed again." I am not the only family you have. Your father has a brother who still lives in Greece. He's your only uncle, Pennie. Your father was born in Greece and traveled to America as a teenager. He got a job and met my daughter, your mother, Libbi. They fell in love in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it I had you to take care of you." My Grandfathers voice was filled with pain, but when he talked about me it brightened slightly. I was trying my hardest not to have my jaw drop and stare at him like he had lost it. This was the first I have heard about my parents in ages. I once asked him about them when I was 4. All he told me was that my parents died on a vacation, not that my father was Greek. Which would mean I was half Greek!

That sure was a joke. My alabaster pale skin was nothing that would resemble a Greek. My hair was that of rich wood, a deep drown that sometimes shined with lighter shades mixed inbetween. The only thing that would give any proof to my heritage is the thickness of my hair. Really the amount of hair on my head was absolutely flabbergasting.

"Why are you telling me this now? Why-?" I stopped, I was just too stunned. My heart felt as if someone was tossing it back and forth, I felt sick.

"Your uncle, Gael, has contacted me. He asked if you could visit him, and possible stay for a while." He looked at his hands wrinkled with age and countless hours of hard labor.

"You mean go to Greece and stay with a man I have never meet in my life, or heard about, till now? No." I shook my head violently then continued. "Besides, why did he all of a sudden feel the need to contact us?" I asked with hurt and anger coating my voice.

"Pennie I know this is hard, I'm not going to live forever. You need someone to take care of you, and when I'm gone you will only have Gael. I have no idea why he called me, but he did and it got me thinking. You need to get out of here anyway!" He laughed. "You're cooped up with an old man, and you have never gone on a vacation. Think of this as the perfect summer getaway and you will get to finally meet your uncle."

"I won't leave you. You took care of me all this time, and now it's my turn to take care of you. I-"

"You need to live your life," He cut me off quickly. "I hate feeling like I'm a burden to you. I can hardly make it down the stairs." His voiced cracked, and I noticed a small tear escaped his left eye.

"Papa stop. Just stop." I begged him. I knew his time was coming. His movements have gotten slower, his bones creak, his breathing is labored.

"This will be a great adventure for you! You can't pass up an opportunity like this. Your uncle is paying for everything, and getting to see another country is anyones dream. Plus, you will have a proud Greek to show you just how amazing Greece is, so you won't be milling around like any old tourist. You need to do this Penelope Goulas, if not for yourself then for me. It will set my mind at ease to know you have someone else to take care of you." He used my full name not just Pennie, that meant he was either irritated or dead serious; and thanks to my father my last name was very...Greek, I would assume the later.

"I'm eighteen; I don't think I'll need Uncle Gael anytime soon," I joked. "I'll think about it, no promises though!" I said quickly when he started to smile brightly. Even with no promises his eyes lit up like a fourth of July firework, as if life had suddenly sparked behind his old wise grey eyes

I walked away not giving him a chance to say anymore about traveling to Greece. It was plain crazy! Why do I need to meet this 'Uncle Gael'? As far as I'm concerned all I have is Grandpa George, and I liked it that way.

I looked back at him once more, as he sat there finishing the cross word. How did he expect me to leave him? I pushed the thought aside I wouldn't, no I couldn't, leave.

____________________________________________________________

A/N: So what do you think so far? Please let me know!