The Daughter of Achilles and Her Final Fate

The Daughter of Achilles and Her Final Fate - Elizabeth Daine (Lutheran Academy, 10th Grade)

Today is my first day of high school. I have some friends not many, so I want to make more this year. My friends are from a group I go to that is about Greek mythology. I find it dumb, but it makes my dad happy. He goes there with me when he’s in town. He goes on work trips often. When he leaves my mom always acts like he’s going to die. It makes me worry sometimes but he always comes back. I don’t worry much. He always wears an ankle monitor thing. Anytime I ask about it, he tells me I will understand one day. 

My mom usually makes me wear an ankle brace whenever I go outside no matter what. I let her do whatever because it makes her anxious when I’m not wearing it. I hope she won’t make me wear it today because I don’t play sports, people are going to think I’m weird if I’m wearing an ankle brace for no reason. I try to walk out of the house to go to the bus without my ankle brace but before I step out of the door my dad stops me. 

He says “you got to wear this you can’t go to school without it” “why? it will just make me look stupid” “you will understand one day” I snatch it from his hand quickly my face is burning with anger, and I just want to scream. “I got to go my bus is here. I will put it on in the bus” “swear on it” my mother says without hesitating. I stare at the wall for a moment then reluctantly say “I swear on it”. 

I don’t understand why my mom thinks swearing is some big deal like it’s just words. “Love you Ella” my parents yell as I close the door. I get on the bus and shove the brace into my backpack. I grab my schedule from my pocket and notice my first period is gym. 

I get to school and go to the gym. I get there and I see an old man who must be the teacher. He screams at us “TODAY WERE GONNA BE PLAYING DODGE BALL THIS AINT FOR THE WEAK”. We grab the dodgeballs and start throwing. I hit a couple of people. I notice there are a bunch of dodgeballs behind me. I turn my back to the other team and grab one. I’m bending down, I feel someone hit my ankle with a ball. 

I want to die. I can’t describe the amount of pain I’m in. I want to yell for help but before I can my body hits the ground, and I lay there thinking. I don’t know why any of this is happening. How my parents may have known something was going to happen to my ankle. I hear people talking but my brain can’t process a word anyone is saying. My eyelids shut. I wake up in a hospital. 

My head is still spinning as my mother is freaking out screaming “Ella”. I’m trying to examine the room when I see a calendar on a wall. IT SAYS 1972. HOW COULD THAT BE!!! I have been in a coma for 2 years my mom explains. Why did this all happen because someone threw a dodgeball at my heel none of this makes sense. I can tell that my mom understands I have questions. 

I’m about to speak, and my mother says quickly with her eyes focused on me and her breaths short and heavy “I need to talk to you about why this happened”. She turns to the nurse I can almost see her eyes burning through his soul as she lividly says, “can you please let me talk to my daughter Hermes”. I think that’s the name of a Greek god, right? My head hurts too much so I drop the thought. He walks out of the room you can tell he has an ego just by the way he walks. My mother looks at me with sympathy as she whispers, “you swore on it”. I can’t tell if she is talking to me or just talking to herself. 

“I-I don’t understand” My words fall short “why was I in a coma. Why did a dodge ball hitting my ankle do that” “where’s dad” I just realized he wasn’t in here. Why isn’t he here? “Your father is---”. “IS WHO?” I demand an answer “Achilles”. 

She takes a breath in. “That’s why he wears the ankle protecter it isn’t a monitor it protects him from his weak spot. That’s why I call him Achill (A-kil) I know you think your father’s name is Charllies but if you take out the r and rearrange the letters it is Achilles. He made a deal with Hades to come back from the underworld if your father would do his bidding and make his first daughter which is you, marry his son. The one other thing Hades did was make your only flaw be you having the same curse/blessing as your father. The only way you could die is if someone struck your heel. It can only hurt you until your 16 it can’t kill. Since your 16 now you’re going to wear a protector just like Achilles did. I need to ask Hermes for one, once he comes back” “DID” 

My eyes water. “He had to go visit Hades because of their deal and he sent your dad on a mission to talk to atlas. Your father is now holding the heavens. Atlas is watching him; he took off his protector if he fights back Atlas will kill him” I’m in shock. I don’t want that to happen to me one day. I grab the scalpel sitting on the table next to me and stab it into my ankle. As it pierces through my skin, I hear my mom screaming for Hermes, yet it is too late. I’m gone.