Read Online The Heir of Olympus and the Forest Realm by Zachary Howe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Zachary Howe
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He closed his eyes to focus on the act of shunning such memories before continuing his post as time supervisor.
A half hour ticked away as he observed the progress of the minute-hand. Atalo cleared his throat. Another hour passed. Ellie sniffled. Then two hours. Finally, Atalo spoke.
“Can I make you two some food? You must not have eaten since breakfast.”
“I’m fine,” Ellie said.
“Me too,” Gordie agreed. He was not lying. He truly had no appetite. Of course, his grandpa was not appeased, and he headed to the kitchen to whip something up. Atalo returned in a few minutes with a plate of turkey sandwiches.
“Eat,” he said. “You need some food in your system.” Ellie didn’t seem to have the strength to argue, so she grabbed a sandwich and nibbled like a rabbit. Gordie followed suit, except his stomach was enlivened by its first nutrients in nearly eight hours, so he inhaled his lunch in true teenage form.
Ellie was evidently not fairing as well as him because she had consumed no more since her first bite. Gordie stood up and excused himself from the room as he could no longer sit idly. “I’m gonna go watch some TV,” he said to no one in particular.
“Good idea,” said Atalo. “I’ll join you in a bit.”
Gordie headed into the adjacent living room, plopped down on the cozy leather couch, and turned on ESPN. He was grateful that this room was secluded because he felt like he needed to get lost in TV for a while. He noted another Milwaukee Brewer failure with little concern—sports didn’t seem to mean as much as they had that morning.
With a pang of guilt he remembered that he had refused his dad’s offer from that morning to take him to an upcoming game. The thought stung, so he shook it off and focused his attention on the rundown of NBA victories. He continued to watch with little interest, and didn’t turn at the top of the hour when another SportsCenter began despite the fact that he was now being bombarded with all the same highlights he had viewed for the last hour.
“How’d the Crew do?” Atalo entered the room and sat in his leather recliner.
“They lost again,” Gordie said in monotone.
“Well, at least they’ll probably get the sweep against the Cubbies this weekend.” Atalo smiled, not realizing that Gordie had been actively avoiding the thought of that particular series.
“Yeah,” Gordie said. They watched in silence for a while.
Hours ticked by as the programming changed. The image of his father remained in his mind’s eye for an extended period of time. He allowed it because he needed to cope with it, become accustomed to it, eventually overcome it.
The sun had long since set. The family room was lit only by the light of the television. Ellie had remained at the kitchen table in solitude. Atalo had left his grandson in peace hours earlier to pass the time in his study, doing what, Gordie did not know. Gordie had sat in front of the television long enough, so he turned it off and returned to the kitchen.
“Mom?”
“Yeah, sweetie?”
“I was thinking about going to bed now. Do you think you could come with me? I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“Sure, honey.” She smiled at him and rose from her seat for the first time in hours. “We’re going to bed, Dad,” she called to the other room.
“Okay, sweetie,” Atalo said, poking his head around the corner. “Sleep well. I’ll see you two in the morning.”
Upstairs Gordie headed straight to the guest bedroom, while his mom went to the bathroom, telling him she would be in in a minute. He made a nest on the floor and lay on his back listening to the sink run as the flow of water was interrupted with the distinctive sound of face washing. This went on longer than a normal cleansing, and Gordie imagined his mom splashing her face obsessively with hot water in an attempt to wash away the misery. He started to get anxious as he lay there. He was alone and settled down for bed, something he had wanted to
A half hour ticked away as he observed the progress of the minute-hand. Atalo cleared his throat. Another hour passed. Ellie sniffled. Then two hours. Finally, Atalo spoke.
“Can I make you two some food? You must not have eaten since breakfast.”
“I’m fine,” Ellie said.
“Me too,” Gordie agreed. He was not lying. He truly had no appetite. Of course, his grandpa was not appeased, and he headed to the kitchen to whip something up. Atalo returned in a few minutes with a plate of turkey sandwiches.
“Eat,” he said. “You need some food in your system.” Ellie didn’t seem to have the strength to argue, so she grabbed a sandwich and nibbled like a rabbit. Gordie followed suit, except his stomach was enlivened by its first nutrients in nearly eight hours, so he inhaled his lunch in true teenage form.
Ellie was evidently not fairing as well as him because she had consumed no more since her first bite. Gordie stood up and excused himself from the room as he could no longer sit idly. “I’m gonna go watch some TV,” he said to no one in particular.
“Good idea,” said Atalo. “I’ll join you in a bit.”
Gordie headed into the adjacent living room, plopped down on the cozy leather couch, and turned on ESPN. He was grateful that this room was secluded because he felt like he needed to get lost in TV for a while. He noted another Milwaukee Brewer failure with little concern—sports didn’t seem to mean as much as they had that morning.
With a pang of guilt he remembered that he had refused his dad’s offer from that morning to take him to an upcoming game. The thought stung, so he shook it off and focused his attention on the rundown of NBA victories. He continued to watch with little interest, and didn’t turn at the top of the hour when another SportsCenter began despite the fact that he was now being bombarded with all the same highlights he had viewed for the last hour.
“How’d the Crew do?” Atalo entered the room and sat in his leather recliner.
“They lost again,” Gordie said in monotone.
“Well, at least they’ll probably get the sweep against the Cubbies this weekend.” Atalo smiled, not realizing that Gordie had been actively avoiding the thought of that particular series.
“Yeah,” Gordie said. They watched in silence for a while.
Hours ticked by as the programming changed. The image of his father remained in his mind’s eye for an extended period of time. He allowed it because he needed to cope with it, become accustomed to it, eventually overcome it.
The sun had long since set. The family room was lit only by the light of the television. Ellie had remained at the kitchen table in solitude. Atalo had left his grandson in peace hours earlier to pass the time in his study, doing what, Gordie did not know. Gordie had sat in front of the television long enough, so he turned it off and returned to the kitchen.
“Mom?”
“Yeah, sweetie?”
“I was thinking about going to bed now. Do you think you could come with me? I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“Sure, honey.” She smiled at him and rose from her seat for the first time in hours. “We’re going to bed, Dad,” she called to the other room.
“Okay, sweetie,” Atalo said, poking his head around the corner. “Sleep well. I’ll see you two in the morning.”
Upstairs Gordie headed straight to the guest bedroom, while his mom went to the bathroom, telling him she would be in in a minute. He made a nest on the floor and lay on his back listening to the sink run as the flow of water was interrupted with the distinctive sound of face washing. This went on longer than a normal cleansing, and Gordie imagined his mom splashing her face obsessively with hot water in an attempt to wash away the misery. He started to get anxious as he lay there. He was alone and settled down for bed, something he had wanted to
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