AN: This is for the CHB competition! (Yes I know, another one...)
Name: AlEmily360
Cabin: Apollo
Team: Blue
Prompt: The Kane Chronicles- write about siblings
Additional Prompts Used: [Word] Higher, [Character] Zoe Nightshade, [Word] Everything
Summary: When Calypso lost her memories due to a dangerous event she didn't unwillingly with her father, Atlas, her sister was there to help. A Mortal AU.
Word Count: 1,895
Side By Side
Calypso didn't know what to feel as she ran down toward the beach behind her father, Atlas. Her carmel hair flowing in a braid behind her. She was wearing a simple black shirt and legging. To top it off, her father made her wear a black cloak to cover her whole body, plus her face so no one can realize them.
She didn't know why she let herself be roped into her father's scheme. She should have just stayed home with her sister, Zoe. Then, everything would have been fine and she wouldn't be running away from the police with nothing in hands. But, they did break into the people's house.
Confuse? Well, it started off as a normal day for twelve years old Calypso Nightshade. She was in her room, doing homework as her twenty years old sister, Zoe, played the piano next to her. She was enjoying the music when their father, Atlas, bursted into their house.
"Who will help me?" Atlas growled at his two daughters. Smell of cigarettes could be smelled on his body. Atlas was the worst father in the history of father but he is Calypso and Zoe's only family member alive. He is also a criminal, but none of his children knew that.
"With what, father?" Zoe asked politely as she silently moved toward her younger sister, standing in a protective manner.
"Just a job," Atlas answered, tapping his left foot impatiently on the ground.
"We're fine, father," Zoe answered for both her and her younger sister.
Their father growled. "Then you are both as useless as your mother. She's dead because she's too weak!"
Calypso, wanting to do nothing more than to impress her father, went out from behind her sister. "Sure."
Zoe widened her eyes at Calypso, mouthing the word "No" over and over again but Calypso didn't listen. Atlas grabbed his younger daughter roughly before shoving her through the door.
"Come on," he roared at Calypso and when he saw his oldest daughter staring at her, growled at her as well. "What are you looking at, punk."
"Nothing," Zoe mumbled softly before wiping a tear away from her eyes and closing the door behind her sorry-excuse of a father and her younger sister. Be save, Zoe mentally prayed for her sister's safety.
With their father, she never know what will happen.
/
"Where are we going?" Calypso asked softly as she played with her cloak's sleeve.
"The Olympian's house," her father stated fatly. Calypso look horrified. She knew her father hated the Olympian's, so there's only one reason he could be doing this. He's stealing or robbing something from their house. Calypso wanted to do nothing more than to run back home and curled up next to her sister by the fireplace.
She tried escaping slowly but her father grabbed her shirt. "Oh no, you don't"
He forced her to follow him as they slowly walked closer and closer to the Olympian's mansion. Closer and closer to her doom. Closer and closer to something she would never be. Closer and closer to someone she would never be. Closer and closer to the truth about her father.
The robbing/stealing went as well as Calypso guessed. They got caught within the minute and were forced to run. That's what got her here, running toward the beach behind her father.
As they continued to run, Calypso considered turning herself in and telling them that they could do whatever they wanted with her as long as she could see her sister one last time. But she didn't, because her father dragged her a boat, and mind you, it's not his boat.
Calypso has no idea how her father could drive the boat without a key but he managed it. And they sail off toward the ocean, sailing off the shore and leaving behind their house in New York. Calypso sat alone on the deck as she tugged herself into a ball and stared at the night sky. The stars were shining brightly and the full moon was visible as well, not a single cloud could be seen in the sky.
That all changed soon though. The wind changed direction as a heavy storm cloud passed over the boat they're at. Without warning, rain started pouring heavily and Calypso used her soak cloak to shield herself for the wind, shivering wherever the wind made contact with her skin.
Atlas walked toward his younger daughter with a glare. "You useless daughter of a bit-"
He never got to finish his sentence though. A huge wave appeared to be swallowing the whole boat but the water quickly drained. The look on Atlas' face is priceless. But as another wave hit the boat, Calypso wasn't so lucky.
The wave was bigger and higher than the last one and it's threatening to pull her into the big, wild ocean. Her father made no attempt to hold on to her however, too busy making sure he isn't wet. When another powerful wind hit, Calypso was sent tumbling overboard. She was screaming the whole way but if her father heard her, he didn't act on it.
As the ocean swallowed her, Calypso wondered if this was how she would die. Alone and forgotten by all. She tried to swim upward, to get air but something seemed to be holding onto her leg, making her unable to move. But when a wooden chest fell off the boat, Calypso used the last bit of strength to kick upward and attached herself to the wooden chest, opening the lid and quickly finding a rope to tie herself to the chest.
As another wave hit Calypso, her world turned black, the last thought on her mind was, I love you, Zoe.
/
Words float around Calypso's mind, but she couldn't really hear what they were saying. She couldn't tell if this was reality or not. Is she dead? Is she alive? What's happening? What's her name?
Her mind was overloaded with too many questions when she started to make out her surroundings. The first sound she heard was a machine's beeping. Someone was holding her hands, but she couldn't tell who.
Calypso opened her eyes and was met with familiar black eyes. She couldn't place the familiar feeling though, it's like a dream that she couldn't reach. The girl smiled at her and whispered.
"You're fine now. I'll keep you safe. Now sleep." And Calypso was out again.
/
When Calypso opened her eyes again, she was in a familiar yet not really familiar bed. The room was painted like an outdoor scene. The same girl that she saw earlier was here as well.
"Calypso!" The girl said in a delighted voice when she saw her eyes opened.
Calypso looked at the other girl in confusion. "Who are you? Who am I?"
The girl looked at Calypso sadly before saying softly. "You don't remember me?"
"Should I?"
The girl started crying softly as she gently tugged a loose hair behind Calypso's ears. "I'm Zoe. Zoe Nightshade. You're my little sis, Calypso Nightshade."
Calypso could only stare at the girl, Zoe, blankly, no emotion on her face. Zoe put her left hand on Calypso's cheek. "What do you remember?"
"Nothing," Calypso answered honestly.
"Nothing?" Zoe asked softly. Calypso nodded her head slowly. "Anything at all?"
"I forgot everything," Calypso answered. "I only know what you just told me. That's I'm Calypso and you're my sister."
"The doctor warned me this could happen," Zoe answered sadly. "I try not to believe it."
Calypso wrapped her arms around her supposed sister. She doesn't know if she should believe her but as she hugged her, she felt like she should believe her. The hug felt so nature, like it was a thing they did a lot.
Zoe hugged her back before pulling away a second later. She gave Calypso a small smile before going out of her room. She's soon back with a picture book though.
"Where are we?" Calypso couldn't resist asking as they sat on what she thought was her bed and started flipping through the pictures.
"New York," Zoe answered with a smile before pointing to the pictures. "There's many pictures of us in there, maybe you'll remember soon."
As they look through pictures, a question keeps ringing in her ears. So when they looked through the picture of nine years old Calypso with eighteen years old Zoe next to her in Sea World , she asked her sister the question.
"Where's our parents?"
"Gone," Zoe finally said after a long silence.
"Gone?" Calypso repeated.
"Yeah," Zoe mumbled softly. "Mom left when you were only five and father "took care" of us after that."
"Left?" Calypso questioned. A soft smile appeared on Zoe's lips.
"I think your memories could be taken but you still have the same personality. Always asking questions."
Calypso couldn't help herself but smiles as well.
"Anyways," Zoe said, stretching out the word. "None of us know what happened to mom. She just disappeared one day. Then a few weeks ago-"
"Weeks?"
"Yeah," Zoe answered. "You've been out for a few months. The doctors said you're in a coma. And when you woke up, you probably won't remember anything."
"What happened that got me in the hospital?" Calypso asked in a soft voice. Zoe simply hugged her and started telling the story.
"So our father, Atlas, dragged you on a dangerous mission that got you washed up on the shore of Long Island," Calypso took a deep breath. Something seems familiar about this but she couldn't place the memories. "And our father is most likely dead."
"You don't sound like you care," Calypso noted.
Zoe snorted. "Oh no, I don't care. He's the worst father in the history of worst father."
"Wow," Calypso was taken back a step but she didn't say anything. Zoe smiled at her.
"Come on, it's getting late. We could continue this tomorrow."
"Sure," Calypso agreed. Zoe didn't leave though, choosing instead to sit next to her.
"I want to sing you something, something our mom used to sing to you. Maybe you'll remember something then..." Zoe trailed off.
Calypso smiled at her. "Of course!"
Zoe smiled and started singing softly.
"When I look up at the star,
I know which way to go.
It show me which life is ours,
I want you to know.
The bird can sing,
But that's not all it do.
It's like you and I,
Doing something new.
It's-"
Calypso didn't hear the rest of the song, as she fell asleep before that. But memories fill her dreams that night, one that she knows is real.
/
When Calypso woke up the next morning, Zoe was asleep next to her. She gently poke her nose, earning a groan from her.
"Good morning!" Calypso chipped happily and Zoe looked at her weirdly.
"What gets you so happy today?"
"I remember."
The two simple words made Zoe speechless. The doctor told her that it would take a few days, weeks, or even months before she could remember anything. And there her sister is, telling her she remembers.
"Really?" Zoe asked. Calypso nodded with a big smile on her face. Without a moment of hesitation, Zoe hugged her sister tight.
"As long as you are with me, side by side," Calypso started as she hugged her sister tighter. "I know we could get through anything."