Chapter 41

“Mh… you must forgive me, I can’t tell you everything, before we start.” Calypso warned with a frown. “Aphrodite and me, we… have a few quarrels, recently. But she needed my help this time.”

“Well, that tracks. I bet she’s jealous of how beautiful you are.”

Calypso’s face contorted into about five different expressions. She seemed pleased at the compliment at first, a little shy, then she frowned and dipped her head, clearing her throat. Oh… Aphrodite really had it out for her because of that? Oof.

“I- that’s right?”

“You know alot about this island,” She added, changing conversations. “How it’s a punishment, and how men wash up on the brink of death, and how Ogygia is nowhere and everywhere all at once,” She elaborated. “But the biggest thing about my island…” She frowned, looking away.

“I- I mean, it hurts to say, it always does. And I hate that I’ve not known you for aslong as I usually get to know them before saying this, especially with it being a woman for once, but- but my curse on this island, is that the only people that wash up, are the ones that can never stay.”

Kayla paused mid-chew on a grape. Oh, yeah. That was the rest of the story. “You always fall in love,” Kayla finished after she swallowed her grape. “How long have we known eachother again? That- that isn’t a jab, I just- I can’t quite place the time I’ve spent.”

“Days, around a week, maybe a little more. You don’t remember most of it, you were in bed, in and out of consciousness. For the first three.” Calypso looked down at her own lap. No matter what, she always managed to look stunning. Kayla felt like a bull dozer had hit her in the chest when she saw Calypso become sad. She took her hand. She couldn’t deny she had thought about staying. But it just didn’t feel right. Her goal was to get back to camp. She wouldn’t ever forgive herself if she lived her days out here and never knew about the outside world. That was torture. So many things she would miss…

“I have to, regardless if I want to,” She spoke. “I need to find this loop hole you spoke of, with my oath. Don’t  I?”

Calypso nodded, looking up at Kayla and trying to straighten her posture. “Yes, even becoming immortal, that oath would have great consequences if not met.” She wiped her eyes. “That’s what would happen, if you stayed here. You would become immortal, and spend it on here with me.”

Kayla dropped her hand, shaking her head. She couldn’t. “I have… people, I need to get back to. Who I can’t leave. My aunt, you know?”

Calypso nodded, placing her hands in her lap and sitting sweetly. “I will heal you up to health, so I can help you off of this island. Though I must warn you, where ever your destiny lies-your fate, is where you will end up once again. I have no say in that. This is simply an island of revival. A prison to me, and no others.”

“Well, I was very far off whatever my fate is before arriving here. So you’ll be doing me a big favour,” Kayla shrugged. “A-and do you definitely fall in love with everyone who ends up on this island? I mean,” Kayla scoffed, scratching the back of her neck.

“I’m not-“

“I see the potential of love in everyone, especially you. Why wouldn’t I see it in you?”

Kayla went quiet at first. The answer startled her. Then, she pretended to think. “Uh… I dunno, lets see…” She started to lift a finger up jokingly while looking up for each thing she might be able to list off on why it was shocking Calypso would be able to love her.

The thought was scary. Uneasy.

Calypso chuckled, taking Kayla’s hands to stop her from listening stuff off. “That’s definitely one reason I could- you’re very funny. I love laughing, you’re very good at making me laugh.”

Kayla gave a lopsided, goofy smile.

“Glad someone finally appreciates my jokes. You know, if I said all my thoughts out loud, I think I’d be atleast in the top ten comedians of all times. Like, one day, I’m just gonna rock up to a bar in the mortal world and recite all my demigod stories in the most dramatic wording possible, and people are just going to burst out laughing! Like, ‘dude, where do those stories come from!? They’re rad!'” Kayla joked. She had started squeezing Calypso’s hands as she spoke, waving them about.

It was nice for someone to laugh at her jokes after so long. It reminded her of…

“And who else do you miss in this mortal world? I’d love to know more about your life.” Calypso said as she laughed, like she couldn’t quite control herself. The food on the feast table had been discarded for now. Instead, it was just her and Calypso under the stars, having a chat, the waves in the background creating a peaceful, tranquil atmosphere.

She smiled at Calypso’s curiousity. “Well- Malcolm, who I mentioned earlier. He’s my best friend. Or, was. I don’t know how long it’s been, and even before that, he started to drift away. I think he’s got something going on with someone, but, I don’t know. I don’t like the thought of him drifting away just because he might be interested in someone romantically. I guess I’ll see when I get back.” Kayla’s smile left and reappeared constantly as she spoke.

She told her all about random people in camp, and about her aunt and mother, and how they’re daughters of Aphrodite. She got carried away talking about money, then makeup, then school and education- before eventually returning back to the original conversation.

“And- and there’s this girl, I don’t know why I haven’t mentioned her, I got carried away in- I can’t remember,” She shook her head. Typical ADHD. “But, she’s my best friend, I’d say. Even if she would never agree. She knows I’m hers too, deep down.”

“Maybe not anymore. But Aphrodite says she’s searching for me, which I really, really tried not to focus on when she said that… We spent alot of forced time together. But in the end, we ended up befriending each other. You know, which I’m glad happened after about one hundred life or death situations and having to share the same bed.” Kayla’s eyes flickered all over as she spoke, like she had to focus to speak properly. Which, she kind of did with the level of ADHD she had. Unless she wanted to try and introduce a new made up language to Calypso.

Hey, she was shocked she hadn’t already done that to the girl. Having to stare at an angel reincarnate, and she hadn’t messed up while speaking? Kayla considered that a giant achievement.

“But- but I feel so lucky to be her friend, and it’s weird, cause no one who knows her thinks that; that you could be lucky to be her friend. She’s… a very hot headed girl. But last summer, we hung out alot. It was a blast, and I’m pretty sure she only got properly mad at me once. And that was when I accidentally lost her axe in the woods. I think I like her, alot. She’s a unique person, and tough to get through to. I remember one of the last times I saw her… she gave me this look, and I spent all night mostly thinking about what it meant, and trying to sort out my own feelings rather than reading these files I was supposed to be reading. I haven’t seen her since then, and my-“

“Kayla.”

Kayla’s eyes flicked up in a weak expression. Eyebrows furrowed, pupils enlarged. The edges of her mouth kept perking up, then frowning, constantly. “Huh? What?”

Calypso studied her with a soft smile. Her eyes held excitement. Little dimples rose on her cheeks. “I think you definitely need to go back, if there’s anything I gathered from that conversation. You seem to have alot to say about everything. Especially Clarisse.”

Kayla gave her a ten second, thosand yard stare.

Did I just admit to liking Clarisse La Rue out loud?

She cleared her throat and nodded, eventually smiling. Clarisse. She did have alot to say. And she had only just realised it. “It- it’s so stupid, and cringe, and embarrassing to talk about, because what the hell even is romance? What even are feelings? I never understood that. I never saw myself ever feeling stuff so weird and foreign for someone, and especially not-” Kayla cut herself off, squeezing her eyes closed. “I need to shut up. I really need to shut up, im cringing myself out. She definitely never even liked me back. I was a gremlin to her. Literally.”

“What is.. a gremlin?” Calypso chuckled, tucking her feet up on her chair.

“A gremlin?” An embarrassed, upside-down smile found it’s way onto Kayla’s face. “It’s… this fictional creature that’s basically like a five year old on steroids.” She explained. Wait, did she know what steroids were? “Steroids- uh, super crazy drug that makes you act all hyper, sometimes. Or- depends which steroid, there’s- nevermind! Just… a gremlin is a little shit. I was a little shit to her. And I was somehow one of the only people she tolerated, despite that.”

Calypso burst out into a fit of laughter, covering her face. “Okay, well, if she tolerates you and only you even if you were a ‘little shit’, then I think that says alot. And, she’s searching for you, isn’t she? You’re blind, woman.”

Kayla frowned again at the mention of her searching.

“For her own sake, I really hope she’s searching in the wrong place.”

Calypso gave a reassuring smile, putting her feet down to stand up. “She’ll be okay. She sounds strong, from what I hear.”

“Oh, she is, she has these giant muscles, super strong, you-“

“Oh, here we go… you’re not finished in the slightest, are you?” She teased, leading Kayla off to the flower gardens.

…

Calypso did as she intended within the next week or so of Kayla’s stay; she healed her back up to good health and kept her company.

As much as Kayla didn’t want to leave, she wanted nothing more but to leave at the same time. Part of her was scared to leave. This was a nice sanctuary after months in the Labyrinth. But the other part knew she had no choice, and not just because she had to fix her entire River Styx deal.

In the meantime, she busied herself  with learning how to plant flowers and care for them, and helping to pick fruit from trees and store them correctly. Ogygia had some wonderful fruit. Lychee, snake fruit, dragon fruit. Kayla had spent a whole day the other day testing out different fruits in the middle of the field. That was it. And, she had great enjoyment in doing so, too. Her favourite had to be mangosteen. She was definitely getting some of that back at camp whenever that would be.

Kayla and Calypso also spoke through alot of problems. Mostly Kayla’s worries, like not getting back to camp, not seeing Clarisse, or her Aunt, etcetera etcetera. Calypso reassured her, and used her magic to calm her down.

Now, Calypso sat with Kayla in the middle of the flower fields. Calypso was was making a flower crown, as Kayla pulled the petals off some poor flowers. Calypso had been sad at times recently. Kayla swore, as happy as the girl could be, sometimes she would catch a glimpse of a random frown out of the corner of her eye. If Kayla ever tried to fully catch it, it would be gone before she could, replaced by that familiar soothing smile.

Kayla had taken a lot of time to think to why she might be so sad at times. And, well, it wasn’t rocket science. Calypso fell in love with everyone that came to her island. And that would always be someone she could never have. Perhaps the salt in the wound was the fact Kayla had spoken of Clarisse for an hour or two straight the other night.

Kayla sure knew she would hate it if Clarisse spoke to her about a different girl for two hours straight. Ouch.

“It’s mid-day, Calypso.” Kayla interrupted the silence. “I need the… the bag.” Her voice cracked.

Calypso sighed, moving her braid behind her back and standing up. “I suppose I should check you have everything, shouldn’t I?” She held a hand out to Kayla after placing the flower crown on her own head. It was a beautiful mixture of pink, red, and purple flowers, with Baby’s Breath poking out of each little gap any flowers made.

Kayla helped Calypso lift her up, then they walked back together slowly. “So, how am I getting off here again?”

“Well, I send you on a raft, and from there, destiny will take it’s place naturally.”

“Naturally. Right.” Kayla hummed. Not natural at all, if you think about it. Natural would be destiny not existing. But, what could you say when you were a demigod, huh?

Before Calypso gave Kayla the things she may need on the raft, she took one last look inside the cave. God, she wished she could have crystals like that forming on her bedroom ceiling.

“Here’s a bag,” Calypso pushed it into Kayla’s hands gently. It was made from brown leather and looked rather simple. A latch on the front, and two side pockets. “There’s some fruit preservatives, some medicine, some water. Just… everything you might need.”

Kayla smiled thankfully, slinging it onto her back. The flower crown she made was placed atop her head quickly. “And that. The flowers shouldn’t ever die. Be safe, will you? The raft is waiting for you down at the bottom of the beach.”

“I will,” She smiled. Thanks for everything, Calypso. Are you coming to wave me off?”

“No, no, I’ll stay up here. Now, off you go, I’ll… remember you.”

Kayla kept a smile on her face despite the absoloute gut wrenching words. Poor girl. Kayla hoped Calypso would be freed one day. She really did.

The raft was quite sturdy for how it looked. She didn’t have to try hard to keep it balanced on the waves.

The waves were quite calm.

Were.

What were the odds the ocean would take an interest in Kayla Graves to swallow her up and spit her out somewhere else entirely?

Apparently very likely.

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This is like 3 days too late and I apologise💔 been so lazy this week up until today and went on a giant solo shopping spree😛

I’ll post the next chapter in 2 days and hopefully I can build up more drafts within that time!!

Also guys im not lying when I keep saying Clarissa is near okay hold on now. Let it cook. It will cook so good.

Also, if anyone would consider following me as it means any messages I may post in the future will let anyone know of any updates for my stories<3