Page 30 of Hades

This time, I follow him. The motel is a small, two-floor establishment that from the outside looks as if it’s seen better days. It also has a horror movie quality that I can’t seem to get over, especially since I’m literally following Hades to my room.

We’re on the second floor, and Argos automatically knows what room we’ll be in as he runs ahead and waits by one of the many doors.

Hades and I stop, and he unlocks the door, then Argos runs in and jumps on the bed. All I can do is shake my head. He really is a silly dog. Hades gestures for me to go in and follows behind.

“I’ll be right next door in case you need anything. Just knock,” he demonstrates by knocking on the shared wall. “They’re paper-thin.”

“Thanks.”

There’s an awkward moment of silence before Hades clears his throat, gives Argos one last pet, and turns to leave.

“Keep the door locked. Don’t let anyone in,” he reminds me as if I’m a child at home alone for the first time. “Good night,”

“Night.” I say as I follow him to the door and lock it behind him. A split second later he knocks, and I unlock the chain and open the door.

“I told you not to open the door to anyone,” he scolds.

“But I knew it was you.”

“No, you didn’t. You assumed it was me. Don’t open it for anyone, understood?”

“Yes, Dad,” I mock, but he doesn’t find it funny.

“Good night, Aradia,” he says before I shut the door and lock it again.

It only takes me a few minutes to wash my face and change out of my clothes. When I return from the bathroom, Argos is already stretched out on the bed. I look at him for a moment, my protector and best friend.

“Are you really a Hellhound?” I ask him. All I get in response is a yawn as he stretches across the length of the bed, taking up more room than I would have thought possible. “You’re going to have to share the bed, you know,” I insist as I sit on the edge of the mattress. “Is this what you really look like?” I ask him, not expecting him to give me a response.

I’m about to crawl into bed beside him when there’s a series of knocks on the wall.“Tap… tap, tap, tap, tap.”

Hades ‘ playful side makes me smile, and I give the only response I can.“Tap, tap…”

“Go to sleep, beautiful,” I hear him say clear as day from the other side of the wall. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

I don’t bother to respond. Instead, I pull the covers back and snuggle into bed beside Argos. The exhaustion from the day finally begins to catch up to me, and I can feel my body start to relax. I hadn’t intended to stay the night, but someone besides myself was looking out for me for the first time in my life. I don’t know if I’d ever tell him that I was glad he insisted that I stay, but as my eyes drift shut, I’m glad I listened.

Sleep is about to claim me completely when there’s a knock on the door. I ignore it, hoping it’s just a dream-induced hallucination and tightly pull the covers around my neck. My body is so relaxed that the next series of knocking startles me fully awake. To my shock, the knocking on the door doesn’t seem to wake Argos, who blissfully snores beside me.

A third series of knocking has me swing my legs over the side of the bed and check my phone to see what time it is. It’s just after four in the morning, and I’ve been asleep for a few hours. Another gentle tap on the door, and I’m up and unlocking it.

Expecting to see Hades when I open the door, I’m taken aback by the beautiful red-haired woman standing before me in a flowing green gown. To say she looks out of place would be an understatement. She’s radiant. Tall and slender, with perfect alabaster skin that practically glows under the lights. She gives me a kind smile that seems almost familiar for a moment. She is quite easily the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in real life.

“Can I help you?” I ask her, suddenly realizing just how out of place she seems.

“No, darling, I’ve come to bring you home,” she says, as if that statement answers every question.

Her words have me stepping back into my room, and when I try to shut the door, she quickly stops it. I glance over at Argos, who is still unusually sound asleep. That alone should be a red flag. He’s never slept through anything, least of all a stranger coming into our space.

“I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong person, and you definitely have the wrong room,” I say, continuing to back away from her. My accusation frustrates her, and she lets out an agitated sigh yet continues to move toward me methodically.

When my back is against the wall that I share with Hades, I give it a frantic knock. The woman laughs, which only makes me knock harder.

“No one can hear us, dear. It’s just you and me.”

“And you are?” I ask as I continue my relentless knocking, hoping to wake Hades, Argos, or someone who can remove this crazy woman from my room.

She purses her lips together, making her seem much older than she appears. And again, she sighs. “I’m Themis, your mother.”

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