Long Past Dawn

"Dawn," Artemis says, glancing at Hades as she speaks, "I am your mother."

What? This has to be a joke, right? Mom's dead, and has been for years.

The familiar numb pain starts to spread through me, I will not cry here… I will not cry.

Artemis's words ring in my ears and on the inside a part of me can't help but sneer, what is this? Star Wars?

"She's dead," I say after a moment as I stare down at the tiled marble floor. "She's already dead."

"Dawn I-" Artemis starts but by now all the anger in me has started to build up as I finally start to let it out again.

"What? You're sorry?" I sneer as the tears start to form, I'm sick of everyone saying sorry, "I don't want to hear you say anything about being my mother or leaving me behind for some greater good shit because my mom is dead ok? She's f.u.c.k.i.n.g dead and not coming back so don't try to f.u.c.k.i.n.g pretend that your someone who cares about me."

'Dawn…' Iferis says softly in my head and it soothes me, if only slightly. But the little monster inside of me isn't calmed at all.

"You know what?" I shout the words as tears burn the back of my eyes, "I don't care if you even are my 'real' mother because even if we are related by blood I will never think of you as my real mother ok? I don't care who you are but to me, you will never be able to be my mom. Because she's not here, because she's dead. She's dead and not coming back."

Out of nowhere, the tears that I was holding back start to roll down my cheeks, "She's dead."

I try to take deep breathes but it feels like the air won't come through like I'm drowning on dry land, "Don't you ever try to f.u.c.k.i.n.g pretend that you're my mother. Do you know what would be better? If you stayed the f.u.c.k away from me!"

I spit the last sentence before I turn around and stalk away towards the exit, leaving Iferis, Hades, and Artemis behind.

As I walk past Hades I look up at the pleading look in his eyes, asking me to stay and listen. He told me that he was taken me to see my mother but I sure as hell know this woman is not someone I will ever see as a mother.

"Liar," I say to him before turning around and walking away and out of the room.

I hear Hades say to Artemis as I leave, "Leave her be, she'll come around."

I vaguely notice that I rush past Apollo but right now I'm too pissed to give a f.u.c.k about him.

I feel my lip quiver slightly and I bite down on it until I can taste blood. I wipe away what's left of my tears as I run out of the palace. As I step out of the palace I let the fresh smell of pine hit me, but it still doesn't help, I still feel like I'm drowning.

The fresh air and cobblestones beneath my feet seem to ground me slightly as I try to calm myself down. But I can't, it feels like a roaring dragon is inside of me, and it wants blood.

I run a hand through my messy hair but nothing seems to get rid of the scowl on my face and the hate in my heart.

What the f.u.c.k is wrong with my life right now? I let out an annoyed sigh before I start to walk further away from the palace. The last thing I need right now is to be right here.

I start walking in no particular direction for a bit before I realize that I'm 100% lost. Apparently getting lost in your thoughts will often get you lost in real life too. Huh, who would have thought of that?

"F.u.c.k," I say to myself as I slam my fist into a conveniently located marble pillar. I turn my head down and look at the little flowers popping up in between the cobblestone as my hair covers my face.

"F.u.c.k f.u.c.k f.u.c.kity f.u.c.k," I say as I squat down on the ground and curl my arms around my knees. I gently rock myself back and forth.

"Well excuse you," I hear a voice say from somewhere and I lift my head to see where the voice is from. No one in front or behind me or on my right and since the pillars on my left no one could be there. Well, that's just great, I'm going crazy now.

"Oi, up here idiot," The voice says and this time I can tell it's a man's. I look up to see a guy about my age hanging lazily onto a statue at the top of the tall pillar, "I guess it's fourth times the charm for idiots."

I feel a vein pop in my head, ah yes, this is just the type I need to be around right now. The guy slips down from the top of the collum and somehow manages to land on both feet. He looks me up and down and I can't help but glare at the guy.

"Looks like someone's had a bad day," he says with a smug smile on his face.

"Asshole," I mutter under my breath as I look at the guy who I just bumped into on the street.

The guy's smile only widens and he laughs, "Last time I check the name was Alec but hey whatever works for you."

Well, asshole works just fine for me, I say to myself as I narrow my eyes at the guy in front of me. He's infuriating that's for sure.

"What?" He laughs as I glare at him, "Did you fall in love with me?"

"No, I was actually wondering if anyone would notice if you suddenly went missing and then your dead body appeared a few days later," I say bluntly, I hate these type of people.

The guy just laughs and for once I take a good look at him, like almost every guy I've met here he's wearing a white toga and he has tan skin, his dark brown hair looks soft and curly and he has a dimple on the left side of his face, with his rugged features and good body I have a feeling he would make a lot if he was a model. I shake my head in disappointment as I remember his personality, ha... What a waste of a perfectly good face.

"Why so annoyed?" He asks and oh my god do I want to wipe that infuriating smile off his god damn face.

"Well my tolerance level for idiots is very low today so if you go somewhere else I'm sure I'll be just fine," I say through gritted teeth as I glare at the guy in front of me. At this point, I would like to go back to Artemis then stay here and talk to this douche.

"Well aren't you a little ray of pitch black," He says with a laugh and leans one shoulder on the pillar and crosses one leg over the other.

"Wow," I say as I look him up and down, "I've met a lot of pricks but you, Alec, are a f.u.c.k.i.n.g cactus."

"It's one of my many talents," He says as I'm starting to wonder whether that smirk ever actually leaves his face.