Young Writers Society

The Quest to Find Aphrodite
Chapter 1
I get attacked by Hellhounds
(Katie’s POV)


I was putting my books in my locker when my best friend Jake Rilf came up.
“Hi how’s it goin?” Jake asked
“Good,” I said with a huge sigh.
I stuffed my last literature book in and grabbed my math books.
“Whoa that was a huge sigh. What’s up?” Jake asked.
“I don’t know. Everything. I just don’t like it here. I don’t like being dyslexic. I like to read, but reading doesn’t like me.” I said sort of complaining. We started to walk to math class.
“You say that every time.” Jake complained. Jake has a short stubby beard, deep green eyes, crutches, brown skin, and brown hair. He was wearing a t-shirt that read “Hi”, jeans that looked always wrinkled and blue, and red convers with dirty white shoe laces.
“I know, that’s because I mean it every time.” I replied. I have long flowing copper red hair, changing eyes, tan skin, and freckles. I was wearing a blue neon tank top over a black top, jeans, a black flannel jacket, and black convers, one with a neon pink shoe lace, and the other with a blue neon shoe lace. We had no dress code at this school, that was awesome. We stopped because there was a fight going on.
“Oh man, I wish I could spend all day at the beach, bogie boarding, and getting more tan.” I said sadly.
“I know this place is horrible.” Jake sadly said too.
We pasted the fight, finally, and stopped at the front door to the Math, Algebra, and Math Tutor room. Really that was the sign above the door.
“Ready?” I asked no one un-particular.
“No,” Jake replied.
We walked in and everyone was just chatting waiting for Mrs. Ditty to come and torcher us with more math. We picked our seat in the back and we started to chat about the field trip after math.
“Go find your seats!” Mrs. Ditty yelled to everyone.
Surprisingly she was already sitting down, the door didn’t even open. Time whizzed by until I was asked to go up and answer a hard problem. The problem was;
Mary has $50.00. She goes to the mall and buys lipstick and then she buys shampoo, which is half the price of the lipstick. She then spends half of what she has left on a purse, leaving her with $15.00. How much did the shampoo cost? How much did the lipstick cost? My answer was;
Let x = price of lipstick Let 1/2 x = price of shampoo Cost of lipstick AND shampoo, combined = x + 1/2 x Money spent on lipstick AND shampoo combined: $50.00 - ($15.00)*2 = $20.00 Therefore, x + 1/2 x = $20.00 1.5x = $20.00 x = $13.33 Lipstick cost: x = $13.33 Shampoo cost: 1/2 x = 1/2 * $13.33 = $6.67. I wrote that on the chalk board.

“Correct.” Mrs. Ditty said flatly.
“Thank you,” I squeaked back.
I quickly walked back to my seat next to Jake. Jake gave me a high five. The rest of the class again whizzed by, then it was time to go. We piled into the bus, Jake and I found a seat in the back. Mrs. Ditty and Mr. Minsters were up front. Mr. Minsters ate his lunch, which was always carrots, celery, and broccoli. When Mr. Minster was done he wheeled up in his wheel chair, and started to talk about different music, dances, and comedy, that was when I dozed off .Unfortunately I dozed off on Jake.
I had a strange dream, I dreamt that I was at this weird camp, I was heading to a dark forest with a boy about my age maybe a bit older or younger, he had brown hair, blue eyes, and…. what I thought was battle armor, another boy about my age, he looked exactly like Jake, but with… where those goat legs, and finally a girl about my age too, blonde hair, gray eyes, and again what I thought was battle armor that Mr. Minster brought to history class some times. We were talking about what we should do after ‘capture the flag’, whatever that was. “I think we should get to know one another.” Said the boy with brown hair and blue eyes. “But Percy, I think we should test her skills.” Said the girl with blonde hair, and gray eyes. ‘Percy’ that was his name, the guy with brown hair, and blue eyes. “Look she’s knew I think that we should just have her godly parent claim her then you can battle her. Its kind a scary here at first, with all the pointy weapons, and stuff like that.” Said the guy that looks like Jake but with goat legs. We walked into the forest, and I noticed that I was wearing very heavy armor, and a blue helmet. Also I was holding a sword. That was when my dream ended. I was shaken a wake.
“Katie! Katie!” Jake yelled, “ KAT!” he yelled again, and was shaking me.
“What?” I said sleepily, and groggily, “ What?”
“We’re here, we’re getting off the bus.” Jake answered.
“We are?” I asked rubbing my eyes.
“Yeah,” Jake said getting up, I followed.
When we walked into the theater, it looked like something the Muses would have made. It had ballet shoes, and instruments, papers in cases that had poetry on them, written in loopy cursive, like my moms. It was amazing, it was huge, and the ceilings rose into the sky basically, all of it was just beautiful, some of the walls were glass, and some were painted a violet red, and some were bamboo, there were doors that led into other theaters, there classes, music filled the air, and a fresh pine sent too. We walked up to the front desk, and checked in.
“This way if you please class. We are going to theater number 3. We will watch a play of the Muses.” Mr. Minsters said as he wheeled his wheel chair other to theater number 3, we all followed.
When we were all there, Mr. Minster said the play will start in thirty minutes, and that we can do whatever till then. I walked around with Jake, we talked about the Muses.
“So, they were like into singing, dancing, and writing poetry?” I asked Jake
“Yup,” he answered.
“Ok, so who were their parents?” I asked again.
“Their parents are Zeus and Mnemosyne,” Jake replied.
“Oh it sounds like you know a lot about this stuff,” I said.
When we were half way down the hall I stopped to look at a lyre, it was beautiful. Jake looked at his watch.
“We need to head back if we want to make it in time before the play starts.” He said.
We started to head back, but I still was thinking of that beautiful lyre. When we found our seats the play started. It was an hour long, but I kept on moving, because I was ADHD. It means Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Ten minutes after the play started I got up because I couldn’t hold still anymore.
“Hey! Dude where you going?” Jake said in furious whisper.
“I can’t sit still anymore,” I whispered back.
I walked out of the door, and walked to where the lyre was. I was staring at it for like five minutes and then Mrs. Ditty came up behind me.
“It’s beautiful,” she said flatly.
“ OH! Gee’s.” I said, “ You scared me!”
“Yes well we need to talk.” Mrs. Ditty said flatly.
Mrs. Ditty always says things flatly to me.
“O-okay,” I said and followed.
We walked till we came to a stop at an out of order theater.
“Um, I don’t think we can go in there.” I said nervously.
“No, it’s fine,” Mrs. Ditty answered flatly.
We walked in and she led me to the stage. I climbed the stairs, and turned around to look at the props.
“You cause much trouble Katie.” Mrs. Ditty said.
“What?” I asked.
Mrs. Ditty was wearing a black skirt, a black top, and a black leather jacket. Her jacket leather melted into leather wings and I heard growling noises in the shadows.
“Ummmmmm,” I said franticly.
Mrs. Ditty came at me. I had time to duck, before she slammed me into the wall. I got on my behind, and crawled back. That was when three hideous dogs came out of the shadows. They were black, and viscous.
“Whoa! Whoa!” I yelled and scrambled out of the way to not get hit my Mrs. Ditty, but I got slammed into the ground by one of the dogs. Its breath smelt horrible, and I was frightened. Mrs. Ditty came up behind me and lift me up. Now the dogs were angry. They jumped and lashed, and scratched my legs and feet.
“Away with you horrid hellhounds!” Mrs. Ditty seethed
“Kat!” Jake yelled and it echoed.
“Let her go!” Mr. Minster yelled at Mrs. Ditty.
“You!” she screamed at them.
I was still looking at what she called ‘hellhounds’, then they started to go back into the shadows. Thank goodness. Then I was dropped on some seats, and Mrs. Ditty flew out the doors. I was smack down on the ground. I grabbed the arm of the seat, and heaved myself up.
“Did that just really happen!?” I yelled to them.
“She’s in danger” Mr. Minster told Jake.
“Katie you okay?” Jake asked me ignoring Mr. Minster.
“You didn’t answer my question, did that just really happen, did she just turn into that thing, then she just flew out the doors?!” I yelled to them again rubbing my hands together, and pointing to the door.
“A fury,” Mr. Minster said, “And yes. It did all just happen.”
I had a few scraps on my arm, one gash on my cheek. I walked over to where Mr. Minster was Jake followed.
“What did she want?” Mr. Minster asked me.
“I don’t know she just attacked me.” I said.
“You sure,” Jake butted in.
“I’m positive,” I answered to both of them, “What… What- All those times when you called on me to answer your questions in history class, you were preparing me. And-“ I tried to continue, but Mr. Minster interrupted me.
“You left the theater to go look at the lyre, then Mrs. Ditty as you called her – we call her Alecto – came up behind you and asked you to follow her, you did because you thought that she was an everyday teacher, she came to a stop here, you walked in with her and she attacked, you were scared, and then hellhounds came out, then it led all up to now.” Mr. Minster said looking into my eyes.
I stumbled, and nearly fell.
“Y-y-y-y- you knew all of th-th-that?” I stuttered.
“Yes,” Mr. Minster said simply.
“Ok, Mr. Minster may we discuss what we should do with Katie,” Jake urged.
“Yes,” Mr. Minster replied, “Katie sit, don’t talk, don’t move till I say so”
I did as told, but not moving was like not breathing. I moved and fidgeted, and that irritated Mr. Minster, but all he did was glance at me, and then moved on… When he and Jake were done talking they turned to me, I was braiding my hair.
“Well,” I said, “ what are you going to do to me? Send me to that weird camp?”
Mr. Minster looked at me then at Jake. Jake’s lower lip started to quiver.
“I-I d--didn’t m-mean t-to” Jake stammered.
“What did you do?” Mr. Minster asked.
“I fell asleep on him, when you were talking about the different kinds of music, dances, and comedy on the bus, then Jake and I walked down to where the lyre was and then we walked back, in silence, and then it led up to know… Is there something wrong with that?” I answer and asked for Jake.
“Mmmmm Hhhmmm,” Mr. Minster said, “ So Jake did you use the emphany link?”
“I-I d-don’t-t know-ow.” Jake stammered again.
“It’s ok Jake,” Mr. Minster said, “We need to take Katie to camp, and before you do, let her mom know-“ Mr. Minster stopped when he looked at me.
“I don’t know what happened to my mom or my dad…. They just disappeared when I was three. Like they fell off the face of the Earth. There was this big search, but no one found them…” I said interrupting Mr. Minster and that was when silence fell for a few minutes.
After a few more minutes Mr. Minster spoke, “Ok so do you live with anyone? And if so who?”
“I live by myself, so that would also answer who…” I said to both of them.
“Right, well you need to go there with no delay, and pack for one day…” H said.
“Ok I-“ I started when we all turned to the stage, the shadows. We listened and there the noise was again. A deep groule came from the shadows. That was when the hellhounds came out again.
“Run, run!” I said franticly. That was when the hellhounds leapt down from the stage and came mainly at me which I thought was weird, but I ran. When we got to the door Mr. Minster went first then Jake, and that was when I went and fell over. The hellhounds were on me now.
“Katie!” Jake yelled.
“Jake, no!” Mr. Minster said to Jake. “I know the biggest hellhound.”
“Really? Who is the biggest hellhound?”
They said all that when I started to laugh. Mrs. O’Leary was licking my face.
“She is Mrs. O’Leary,” Mr. Minster simply replied.
When Mrs. O’Leary got off of me Jake helped me up and Mr. Minster called Mrs. O’Leary. Mr. Minster wheeled back into the shadows and Mrs. O’Leary followed. Then they were gone. We headed out and to my place.