The Secret Rose Chapter 1

         When I stepped out of the plane and took my first step in Athens, Greece. I looked around. Everything was so beautiful. I scanned the city and saw the Parthenon. Instead of thinking of how amazing it is, I cried. I cried because the Parthenon has been destroyed many times. It is amazing it still stands.

         I don't ever want to leave this astonishing country, so I thought of many ways to convince my parents to never make me come back to America. I don't only want to stay the summer here. I want to stay longer. I want to stay here forever.

         I learned the people here are really nice my very first day. When my newly bought purse got caught on a tree, Some guy offered to buy a new one. I declined, but he kept begging, so I had to accept. When I payed him, he didn’t accept the money; instead, he gave me a piece of paper with words and numbers on it. His address.

         I put the piece of paper in my pocket and started to look at other places, but suddenly, a girl who looks about seventeen  pulled me behind a tree. I didn’t know what she was doing until a big group of people burned others with flamethrowers. I was angry, but she kept me there probably trying to protect me.

         “They want us dead.” She whispered, “They want Hellenists out of Greece, our home. They want to kill us. Please help.”

         What she said startled me. Why would people kill others because of their religion? That is wrong! “I will help you, but why do you ask me? Who are you? I don't really know what to do in this situation.”

         “I am Zoe. We are part of a group of Hellenists formed to fight against The Fotia Kausteres,” She replied, “I have a gift which allows me to know a lot about someone just by looking at their face. I know you are really smart and talented. You may be the best we got. ”

         I didn't speak, but Zoe told me to follow and took me to a hidden place with a lot of people chatting. I was really shy when I walked in, but everyone greeted me quietly and asked me to sit. I sat by a girl who looks my age. I asked her, “What is going on here?”

         “We are going to ask you to talk about yourself, then we are going to preform a ritual for Athena so she would protect us. If they kill us, they will go to other countries and kill others like us. They are people who want to get all Hellenists off this planet”

         I was more scared. I have seen them before trying to burn down a market where Zoe works, but when two people tell me who they are, I get more scared. I imagined being surrounded by the Fotia Kausteres with flame throwers and getting caught on fire.

         “We don’t want to talk about it,” A girl named Sophia said, “but when they are too much, we have to. You didn’t say who you are. What is your name? Where are you from? Have you met any Hellenists before you came to Greece?”

         I answered kind of quietly, “My name is Amy. I am from California which is in the United States. I have not met any Hellenists before I came to Greece. I thought that I was the only one left. That didn’t stop me. My parents knew, and they didn't like it. They sent me to a Catholic school trying to convert me. That didn't work out.”

         Sophia nodded and walked to sit by Zoe, then I asked the girl I was sitting by for here name. She says it is Raine. I was surprised that her name wasn’t Greek until she told me her parents came from France and moved to Greece before she was born.

         I looked at everyone and saw a resemblance as if they were related, but then I looked at myself in a mirror and found nothing in common with anyone else.

         “I don’t think I belong here!” I complained. “I don’t look like anyone, I don’t sound like anyone, I don’t even know Greek. I think you got the wrong girl!”

         Sophia crawled over to me and wrapped me with a blanket saying, “Everyone is different. You belong here. Don’t worry. You can understand us. We can understand you. You don’t need to learn Greek. A lot of Greeks know English as you can tell. If we didn’t know English, you wouldn’t know what we are saying”

         I was smiling because she was right. They are speaking English right now. They are nice to me. I know that it is a custom to be kind to strangers, but they act as if they known me their whole lives.

         “Now that we got to know a little about Amy, do you think she should participate in the ritual?” Announced Zoe.

         Everyone voted “yes” except one girl who was laughing. Zoe didn’t look like she took her seriously, but she said, “Now, Alexandria, everyone participates in rituals. We don’t leave anyone out.”

         So they voted for no reason. I kind of giggled myself, but at the same time, I was nervous. I never taken part in a ritual. I don’t know what to do. I was sweating, and my hands were shaking.

         Zoe must have seen me shaking, so she said, “Amy, I can tell you never had a ritual. It is pretty easy. You can just do what we do, and you will be fine. There will not be any punishment for copying.”

         I felt more relived when she said that. I nodded my head and walked next to her.

We sacrificed and sang hymns to Athena. The hard part was when I was told to give her an offering. I hesitated as I tried to pour wine for the goddess.

         After the ritual was done, I started to cry. I thought I was going to cry during the ritual, but I kept myself together. I don’t know why I cried. Zoe said that I had no control, and it seems like there was no reason, but there was. Gods cause people to cry a lot during or after prayers or rituals.

         I stopped crying after a while and walked next to Sophia. I can see her face red, but not embarrassed or blushing. She looks hurt. She explained how she barley got away from those Fotia Kausteres. They threw fire at her face. Amazingly, she didn’t burn too bad. Only a first degree.

         I was angry. Angry at the Fotia Kausteres, and angry at myself for crying. Even if it isn’t my fought. One of my friends burned when I didn’t notice it. Why would the gods hide pain so it can’t be cured? I started to doubt they made me cry. It was probably because of extreme nervousness.

         Sophia said she felt no pain anymore, so we walked back to our hide out finding it destroyed. I saw a dead person in it. Zoe cried and ran to hug her. Then she took some coins from her pocket and put it on the victim’s eyes and in the mouth. Finally,          she started to burn the body and said something in Greek, “αντίο, μητέρα.”

I realized that this was a funeral, but I didn’t know her. I kept silent but respectful because funerals are important. If a person does not get a funeral, they will not be able to go to Hades, and they would have to stay on the Earth until they get one.

         After the funeral, Zoe buried the ashes of the lady who I realized was her mother and fell to the ground crying. She didn't cry for long After she was done, she grabbed a knife and told me to follow her.

         Zoe's mother died before we ever asked for protection, and the hide out doesn't seem to be secret, so we never thought Athena ignored us.