Inexperienced

When I arrived at the top of the hill, I stopped dead in my tracks.

I had no means of transport at all.

Wait... I was a goddess, right? Did that mean I could teleport? And how would that work, then?
(Not talking about atoms and stuff, only how I could do it). Maybe it worked just like Disapparating and Apparating.

So... Take a place in mind, focus on it and turn 360 degrees.

The world dissolved around me, and suddenly I was standing in a very crowded street. I frowned. I had been thinking of my own street. From the looks of it, I'd landed in the center of New York, while I lived on the outskirts. My friend Megara lived around here, I believed, but my sense of direction was comparable to that of a chicken, so I didn't really rely on that.

And I was suddenly bone tired.

I slumped against the wall, trying to keep myself from falling over as exhaustion washed over me.

Water.

I needed water. Or ambrosia or nectar.

None of which I had with me. And no money to buy water, either. I looked around, trying to get my bearings. I was on a crossroads, where Greene Street crosses Broome street, I thought it was Lower Manhattan.

After asking for directions a couple of times, I finally arrived at the nearest subway station. I dug out my metro card (thank the gods I still had it-oh, wait that's like thanking myself, never mind).

I suddenly heard my name being called and I whirled around.

Megara. Perfect timing. Nope.

'Hey, Anne, I've missed you! Where have you been?' She hugged me and then held me at arms length, examining me.

'You look ghastly, my dear.' She liked to fake a British accent and be overly polite. I used to, too.

'Yeah, I've-I've got a lot on my mind.' I made a vague gesture. 'But I really should get going now, I'm heading home.'

'Don't mind me tagging along? We've got some catching up to do!'

She was kind, she understood that something was wrong, but right now wasn't really the moment to tag along. Still, I couldn't say no.

'Yeah, sure.' I said, regretting the words the moment they left my mouth.

~

I knocked on the door. Seconds later, my mum opened it.

'Hi, mum.' I said nervously.

'Hello, dear. Shouldn't you be at camp?' I could see Megara trying to make sense of it, but I wasn't going to explain it to her. She wouldn't believe me anyway.

And it would be kinda rude to tell her to leave, right?

'Um, no, I had to talk to you.'

After my mum had seated us at the kitchen table and provided us both with a steaming cup of tea, I looked at Megara nervously.

'Um, could you, you know, leave us for a second to talk?'

'You seem like you need me, so I'll stay.' She squeezed my hand under the table. I did need her. But she didn't know anything. I looked at her hopelessly, but I knew she wouldn't leave me alone.

'O-okay. But you should know that you probably won't be able to follow our conversation, and there isn't enough time to explain. She nodded, though I could see she was clueless as to what was going on.

I turned towards my mother, who was looking at me expectantly.

'Why did you never tell me?'

Notes