10 years ago*
Thalia opens the front door cautiously and dumps her backpack onto the floor. She never knows what to expect from her mom when she comes home from school so she's always careful.
"Mom?" she calls out because it's better to let her know than to sneak in. "I'm home." Thalia tenses but there's no response.
"Great, she's passed out again," Thalia thinks and heads to the kitchen. The meager PB&J her mom had packed for lunch is a distant memory and Thalia knew that if her mom was passed out, that meant dinner was up to her.
She hears her mom's quiet sobs just as she enters the kitchen and she stops. "Crap," Thalia thinks freezing. She takes a deep breath and, smelling sherry, she relaxes. Sherry means her mom wasn't going to try and get violent. Her mom hadn't tried anything since Thalia turned ten this year and proved she could defend herself by giving her mother a black eye but you never knew.
"Mom?" Thalia questions and the sobbing breaks.
"Come here honey," her mother says, more steady than Thalia had expected. She holds out her arms for a hug but pats the seat next to her when Thalia makes no move. "I've got a couple of things your father wanted me to give you when you were old enough."
A flutter of joy hits Thalia's stomach before her anger stomps it down. She sneers, "Why would I want anything from him?"
"Just come and see," her mother sighs and takes a big gulp of the sherry.
Not sure what to do but not wanting to seem like she was scared, Thalia crossed the kitchen to see what her mother had.
"I saw some ravens today," her mother murmurs as Thalia takes the seat. Her mother sounds scared. "One tapped on the front window."
"Who cares about a stupid raven?" Thalia replies seeing the photo her mother claimed was her dad (just the back of a head and a blurred face) and..."A bracelet and a can of mace? What the hell?"
"Raven's are a bad omen. Promise me you'll be careful outside?"
"Like you care," Thalia fires back. She doesn't trust it when her mother is like this.
"Thalia!" her mother says, her voice rising but she takes a deep breath and calms herself. She finishes the glass of sherry and pours herself another. "Just be careful. There's an ill wind."
"Whatever. Can I go now?"
"Yes but promise me you'll keep these with you?" Her mother holds out the bracelet and can of mace.
"If it means you'll leave me alone," Thalia says and snatches the items from her mother's hand to race to her room.
*From The Battle for the Labyrinth.
"Mom?" she calls out because it's better to let her know than to sneak in. "I'm home." Thalia tenses but there's no response.
"Great, she's passed out again," Thalia thinks and heads to the kitchen. The meager PB&J her mom had packed for lunch is a distant memory and Thalia knew that if her mom was passed out, that meant dinner was up to her.
She hears her mom's quiet sobs just as she enters the kitchen and she stops. "Crap," Thalia thinks freezing. She takes a deep breath and, smelling sherry, she relaxes. Sherry means her mom wasn't going to try and get violent. Her mom hadn't tried anything since Thalia turned ten this year and proved she could defend herself by giving her mother a black eye but you never knew.
"Mom?" Thalia questions and the sobbing breaks.
"Come here honey," her mother says, more steady than Thalia had expected. She holds out her arms for a hug but pats the seat next to her when Thalia makes no move. "I've got a couple of things your father wanted me to give you when you were old enough."
A flutter of joy hits Thalia's stomach before her anger stomps it down. She sneers, "Why would I want anything from him?"
"Just come and see," her mother sighs and takes a big gulp of the sherry.
Not sure what to do but not wanting to seem like she was scared, Thalia crossed the kitchen to see what her mother had.
"I saw some ravens today," her mother murmurs as Thalia takes the seat. Her mother sounds scared. "One tapped on the front window."
"Who cares about a stupid raven?" Thalia replies seeing the photo her mother claimed was her dad (just the back of a head and a blurred face) and..."A bracelet and a can of mace? What the hell?"
"Raven's are a bad omen. Promise me you'll be careful outside?"
"Like you care," Thalia fires back. She doesn't trust it when her mother is like this.
"Thalia!" her mother says, her voice rising but she takes a deep breath and calms herself. She finishes the glass of sherry and pours herself another. "Just be careful. There's an ill wind."
"Whatever. Can I go now?"
"Yes but promise me you'll keep these with you?" Her mother holds out the bracelet and can of mace.
"If it means you'll leave me alone," Thalia says and snatches the items from her mother's hand to race to her room.
*From The Battle for the Labyrinth.