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It was slow spring day, and one if the dullest days in Kathleen's mind. Barely any customers entered her shop, though, she knew not to get her hopes up for any customers. What was she expecting, it was, after all, Decatur, Mississippi, occupancy 841. "Wouldn't hurt to take a little.. rest", Kathleen muttered as she dozed. Just as she began to doze off like any other day, a man came into the shop. "Hmm?" Kathleen muttered as she looked up to see the most beautiful creature she had ever lay eyes on. She hadn't felt this attraction since her ex husband, but that was all in her past. This man seemed to radiate the utmost beauty, and he seemed to be the perfect guy, in which she was determined to get. "H-hello, sir.. what may I get for you today?", Kathleen sputtered. "I'm looking to buy an orchid. Aha!", the man walks toward a specific orchid. "That's the one I have been looking for!" , he exclaims as he brings it to the counter. Just as the man looks for the money sorted in his pocket, Kathleen suddenly grabs his arm, and motions him to not pay. "It's on the house, and this one is too," she explained, as she pulled out the Sharpie and began writing her number on his wrist. "Have a nice day.." Kathleen exclaimed, feeling as if her heart would burst any minute. Though to none of her knowledge, the attraction she felt was not for an ordinary human being. No, this man was not ordinary at all. In fact, he wasn't even mortal, he was a God. Kathleen closed the shop for the day, and hurried home, in hopes that the gorgeous man would call her, and they could engage in conversation properly.
His answers were vague and short, calling himself "Zeph." After he asked, later that week, they went out. Their date was to the Hattiesburg Botanical Gardens. After several hours of roaming around, looking at the scenery, they laid down in the bed of Kathleen's truck. They did as young adults do, producing a child. When learning of the news that Kathleen was pregnant, Zephyrus sat her down. He explained everything to her in a calm manner, she nodded as she took it all in. "Zephyrus. God of Spring, Flowers, and the West Wind." She repeated to herself. He scrawled down directions, explaining that he would be safe if he went there.
Several months later, Kathleen gave birth to Caspar Foxx, a baby weighing in at 6 lbs 13 oz. As Caspar grew, so did his love for flowers. Each day, he would help his mother tend to the them. Caspar would always wander around the woods, picking wildflowers for a bouquet to give to his mother. His mother, after tending to the flowers with him, would tell him stories about the people of Ancient Greece, their vengeful gods, the amazing monsters. He was fascinated. Caspar was homeschooled. He always rushed on his work very fast so he could help out. He never did fancy the other months. Spring was always his favourite. He loved the scent of freshly-mowed lawns, flowers, and pine.
Caspar was 13 when he encountered it, the two-headed dog, Orthrus. He ventured into the woods as always, to pick flowers for his mother. He came upon a small clearing with many flowers. As he began to pick and walk deeper into the clearing, he noticed an animal--about the size of a dog. He called for it. "C'mere puppy puppy puppy!" He said playfully. No sooner than he finished the sentence, the dog became alert. Caspar looked at it again. "Hm?" He cocked his head. "Two heads?" He asked himself. Orthrus lunged at him, pinning him down and barking at his face. Caspar began to cry as the animal attacked him. Orthrus bit at him, the boy turned, and the dog cut his ear with its sharp teeth.
When Caspar turned his head to dodge the bite, he noticed a large, bread-loaf sized stone. He picked it up, using the sharper end of the stone, he used all the strength he could muster to hit the dog-creature's head. As Orthrus collapsed, he ran back to the Flower Shop. His mother would never believe him. He went into the house just as his mother did. He walked into her bedroom to tell her that he couldn't find any flowers. Kathleen noticed the cut on her son's ear. She asked about it, only for him to respond. "Briers." Caspar was a terrible liar, so she saw right through it.
"Caspar. Really. Tell me." She said with a Southern accent. "I'm going to sounds crazy momma." He responded. "Try me." She said with a serious look on her face. "Mom, you know the the dog we used to read about-"
"Yes. Cerebrus." She said, arching an eyebrow. "Honey, he's in the Underworld." "No, mom. Let me finish please. Orthrus. The two-headed dog." He said. She nodded and took him into the bathroom, bandaging his ear. "Probably just something panic induced. Wolf or something." She said, with a small look of fear in her eye.
In the next two years, two others attacked him-A Telekhine and A Scythian Dracanae. The first encounter with one was while he was swimming in a small lake beside their home. He was swimming in the lake, enjoying the day, when something grabbed at his leg. The Telekhine drug him underwater, leaving large gashes on one leg. He kicked at it furiously with the other, leaving it disoriented for only a small time, and in that time, he escaped, and he ran and stumbled his way back to the house, not bothering to tell his mother about it.
The second time, He was, yet again, going out to pick flowers for his mother. He was nearly finished and began wrapping the stems in rubber bands. He turned to walk bak when a young woman peeked from behind a large tree. Her skin-it was green-He wasted no time turning to run, gripping the flowers. The woman emerged from the tree, slithering towards him. "Wait--Slithering?" He thought, as he looked back he saw two snake-like tails where her legs would be. She grabbed at his arm, however failing by several inches. Caspar ran swiftly, eventually losing her. When he got into his house, his long legs were in immense pain from all the running. Again, deciding not to tell her mother. It would-after all- be easy to hide. He put the beautiful flowers in a vase filled with water.
He helped his mother in her flower shop. Never again did he see anything odd, save a few things he counted off as paranoia. Until nearly a week after he turned 16, he was walking as normal, avoiding the woods, when a large bird flew after him. "A Stymphalian Bird?" He thought as he ran back to his house. As he fumbled for his keys to open the front door, the bird landed. He had only just made it inside when the bird used its incredibly sharp beak to cut his leg. He yowled in pain, grabbing the spot it tore. He carefully bandaged it, calling his mother. "Mom, hey, this bird thing chased after me and my leg-" He thought of his leg, how it burned in pain. He winced as he kept talking. "My leg is hurt, really bad.. Mom this wasn't a normal bird." She hung up, running home in a panic to find that the bird had left. She opened the door. "I'll pack your things. We're going somewhere."
She did it quickly, packing his things and putting them in the bed of her now brown truck. He got into the car and buckled up. He noticed she carried only a small bag. "Uh--Mom?" He asked as she got into the truck, buckling herself. "You only have like, one pair of clothes." "Yes. I know." She said, as she pulled out of her driveway, making her way along the road. "Son, it's getting dark. You should sleep. We have a long drive. 17 hours." She said.
And so he did, he slept for nearly 13 hours. Caspar hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, so he slept like a rock. On the last few hours of the trip, his mother finally explained it all. "Okay." He said with a confused look. "When will I see you again?" "Look.. I don't know. I.. soon." she said with tears in her eyes. "Y-You're leaving me, dumping me off because I'm too much trouble. Is that what is it? Is that why dad left?" He asked through tears. "No.. No son. it isn't like that. Look.. I'll write to you. Okay?" She asked. He nodded, not saying a word until they reached the camp. They both exited the truck, her helping him grab his bags out of the bed of the vehicle.
He sniffled. "Goodbye mother. I love you." He said, grabbing his things after she said goodbye.
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