Poseidon (The God Chronicles) Read Online Free Page A

curiously.
    “Everyone was talking about the girl who tried to kill herself by jumping into the ocean,” he laughed. “I figured I should come share what I saw.”
    “Well, thank you for that as well.” The light drumming that signaled a beginning of a headache was starting at the back of my head. I’d been diagnosed with a pretty severe concussion that made for some bad pain, but at least I wasn’t going to be forced to deal with them in rehab now.
    “You okay, sweetheart?” Mom asked. I hadn’t realized I’d gone quite for a few minutes.
    “Yeah, just tired. My head is starting to hurt, too.” I smiled weakly.
    “That sounds like my cue to leave,” Sy said. “Would you like me to send your nurse in on my way out?”
    “Thank you. For everything.” I smiled warmly. He reminded me of John a little—always polite, considerate, and now—literally—my lifesaver.
    John. I felt so empty without him. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do or where to go from here. Every time I’d tried to figure it out, the pain was too much for me to handle. A future without him felt impossible and I was being forced to realize my greatest fears.
    As Sy left the room and Mom fiddled with the blinds, I decided to concentrate on just me. My life was different now—there would be no going back. There was time to mourn, and then there would be time to pick up the pieces. 
     
     

     
     
     
    Chapter Four
    One year later
     
    “Well, it does get easier I suppose. The pain is always there, tucked away under everything else, but it's manageable.”
    I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, the heat of twenty-four eyes burning my skin. They all looked so engaged, especially Mary, the therapist I had been meeting with one on one for the past eight months.
    Mom had been right to suggest I get help. The only difference was I didn't need suicide counseling —grief had taken over every part of my life in the months following my discharge from the hospital in California. Living on my own, surrounded by the remains of my former life, felt like a constant battering of my fragile being. I had nowhere to go since my boss insisted I take a leave of work. It was a miracle if I even got out of bed most days.
    “How wonderful, Audrey.” Mary smiled as she stood from the chair next to me and walked to the center of the circle. “Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I knew you would be a great help to our group.” Several members nodded in agreement, one of them even wiping a tear away.
    “As we all just heard,” Mary continued, slowly turning to face each section of the circle as she spoke. “ Audrey has been through a lot in the past year. She could have let it overwhelm her, she could have given in and done something that would have hurt those around her even more. But she didn't! She got help and she picked up what was left of her life. And here she is today, strong, independent, and doing everything she can to move forward with her life.”
    A round of applause broke out as she finished and I squirmed some more in my seat. I hadn't chosen group therapy for myself, because I didn't want everyone else's opinions on what I should do with my life. I already had that at home, with every fam ily member trying to tell me what I needed to feel better. So I'd chosen just to speak with Dr. Young-Mary-and it was exactly what I'd felt I needed.
    The group began to break up and leave, some of them staying to talk with Mary, other's stopping to shake my hand as they headed toward the door. When everyone else had finally gone, Mary turned to me.
    “So, how did that feel Audrey?” She smiled softly and sat back down in the chair next to me.
    “It was pretty much what I expected . . . and also not,” I laughed. “I knew it would be hard to drag all of that stuff back up to the surface, but it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. There weren't any panicked feelings and I didn't feel uncomfortable sharing everything. I still feel sad,