Young Writers Society

Daemon : Dionysus : Tuesday morning

Groaning, I grab the nearest pillow and slam it over my head to block out the sun. Mornings are evil. As I lay there for couple minutes, I slowly became aware of a faint noise coming from the corner of my cabin. Was that...? I sat bolt upright and looked at Cleo's bed. It was! Kittens! I scrambled out of bed and knelt next to her. "Cleo they're beautiful!" I stroked the purring cat's head and counted the kittens. "There's...seven! Seven kittens! Geez Louise! You more than tripled the cabin's population in one night! How did you fit all of them in your belly?" Seven delicate fluffballs snuggled against their mother. Even though they were so young, they already had distinct markings. I gently rubbed one's head with my finger tip and smiled.

After seeing to all of Cleo's needs, I shuffled over to the fridge that I kept in my cabin and opened it. It was completely stocked full of Monster Energy drinks, but on a shelf on the fridge door there were a couple bags of grapes. I grabbed one of them, a monster and the box of raisins that sat on top of the fridge. Then I sat at my desk to eat my breakfast. Normally all I ate was a cluster of grapes and a small handful of raisins, and that was all I'd eat for the day, but today I had at least three bunches of grapes and my hand kept going back for more raisins. Probably because of all of the activity I did yesterday. I mean, making friends, jumping off a cliff, and just going outside. "Well that won't be happening today. I'm going to stay in my cabin all day long." I looked around at my messy cabin. Clothes were thrown everywhere, my laptop sat buried under camp homework I never finished, the trash was over flowing with monster cans and the cats' litter box needed changing. "Oh, I suppose I should take those out," I said to myself.

I got dressed and then successfully procrastinated for another good 45 minutes before actually getting up to take them out. Carlo followed me out as I made my way to the dumpster.

A couple Apollo kids were already up and playing basketball at the cement court that was outside their cabin. Zeus knows how long they'd already been up; Apollo kids were always up early, they rose with the sun. I ignored them and looked at Carlo, who had his chest puffed up and tail held high. "Oh, that proud look of a father. You did well. And seven kittens too! You might be happy now, but watch out, they'll be a handful. And then you'll be droopy and wishing you had more sleep." I laughed, threw the stuff in the dumpster, and quickly went back to my cabin.

Twenty minutes later found me lounging in my game chair with my headphones on and a DS in my hand. Carlo jumped on my lap and started pawing at my face. I glanced at Cleo and her kittens, but they seemed fine so I ignored him. But then he dug his claws into my leg. "Ow! What is your problem, Carlo?" He jumped off and trotted over to the door. I took off my head phones, "Seriously? You want out again?"

Just then, there was a brisk knock at the door. I froze. WHY was there a knock at my door? There was another knock. I relaxed when I realized it was probably just Chiron wanting me to participate in some stupid camp activity. I sighed and went over to the door.

But to my surprise, I opened it to about three campers. "Hi," one of the girls said, "We heard you have kittens. Can we come in and see them?"

I stood there, dumb-founded. "What??"

Laila- Hermes
Tuesday Morning
The sun was just rising by the time I woke up. I checked my watch, 6 a.m. I sat up and took in the unfamiliar surroundings. Only then did I realize that I was in Camp: Half Blood.
The events of last night washed over me. Someone was going to kill the Gods!
I felt a little queasy at the thought. I looked over and saw the then empty bed had someone sleeping on it.
I went over and peeked to see her face. She had a small face and looked thirteen, with dark hair, it was almost black. She was pretty in a quiet way. As if she could sense my presence, she opened her eyes. They were a lovely green and looked very angry at the moment.
I stumbled and said, "Hello, I'm Laila. I'm new here."
She gave me a cold stare and nodded. I took a step back and went to my bunk. Weird, she didn't even mention her name. I guess I have to ask her myself." Um, what is your name?" I asked, awkwardly.
"Miria. Now, clean up after you. They'll be coming to check the cabin and I don't want to lose points because of your laziness," she said coldly.
I started cleaning up my space, putting everything back in its place and tried to make it look presentable. I turned to see she'd already finished hers and was studying me. "So, are you also new here?" I asked trying to start up a conversation.
She glared at me and said, "Just because you're chummy with dad does not mean you can get chummy with me!" And with that, she stormed out of the cabin. Maybe she wasn't a morning person.
I sighed and sat on the bed. I reached into my bag and took out the phone which my dad had given me. I flipped it open and it turned into a Caduceus. It was small enough for a Caduceus, but it was what he told I should use if I ever wanted to call him. The two snakes Martha and George looked at me.
"Good Morning," George said. I smiled at the two snakes. "Do you have any ratss for uss?" asked Martha.
"Martha! You know sshe can't feed uss, only Lord Hermess can,"George retorted.
"Ssorry," Martha said. "But if you happen to have any, we wouldn't mind", said George.
"Yess, not at all"
I laughed. "You know I don't have any rats guys. I just wanted to tell dd that I've reached camp safely. Could you please pass on the message?"
"Of coursse" they said in unison. I smiled and shut it back into a phone. I sighed and grabbing a packet of Oreos, I headed outside. I walked towards the Big House. I wanted talk to Chiron. He was standing in front of The Big House. Next to him was a guy wearing shorts and playing checkers with a very frightened satyr. I called Chiron over to me and said, "Hey Chiron. I was just wondering, could I ask you something?"
"Of course. Ask away."
"Is it possible for a demigod such as myself to kill the Gods?"
Chiron stiffened and I saw fear in his eyes. "No, its not possible."
I sensed a "But.." coming. "But..?" I asked for him. He looked at me for a long moment and said," But nothing. Its not possible. Now of f you go."
I sighed and walked away. I walked to the forest, where I saw the Golden Fleece hanging on a pine tree. Whoa, I thought. Guarding the tree was a giant, purple dragon, Peleus. At the sight of the dragon, an image of Barney crossed my mind. I shook my head. The dragon looked at me and huffed, smoke coming out of his nose. I had a sudden urge to pet him. I took a step towards him and tried to pet his head. He let out another puff of smoke and turned away. I took an Oreo out of the packet and threw it towards him. Stupid me! Dragons don't eat cookies, they eat people! But Peleus sniffed the Oreo. I thought he was going to burn it, but surprisingly he ate it. What? I gave him one more which he gobbled up, licking his lips while doing so. I sat next to him, feeling courageous and petted his head. He didn't do anything. "I am in such a mess. I don't have any friends. My sibling doesn't like me, someone's planning to kill the Gods and I'm pretty sure Chiron was hiding something," I said to him.
No response.
"Would you be my friend?" I asked him.
Still no response. Honestly, I had no idea what I was expecting him to say.
Aside from Rachel, my only other friends were two snakes on a stick and a purple dragon that loves Oreos.
Life was so bizarre.
I let out a deep breath and walked towards the cabin. It was only seven in the morning and I had no idea what to do. I stopped in front of the Dionysus' cabin on hearing something. Mewing? I heard a couple of giggles as well. Giggles? I went to the door and peeked in. Kittens!! Seven of them! And four girls surrounding them. Looking around, I saw Daemon standing by the refrigerator, watching me.
I backed away slowly, cheeks reddening.
"You might as well come in and have a look!" Daemon called.
I gulped and went in.

Abri Moreau, daughter of Aphrodite

Abri awoke to the sound of birds by her window.

Normally, she would have gone up when the sun was gingerly touching the earth against the horizon, but today, she sat there against her bed near the window, staring into the floral ceiling that was painted by the campers many years ago.

Gemini's words echoed in her head. I was born to murder the gods, murder Zeus... There are twelve of us, each destined to murder our parent and take their thrones. Abri's heart raced, pulsed. She knew that Gemini was always so bent on getting revenge somehow, someway, but how did it come to this? Did she truly believe that this was the right answer, the right way to do it?

It wasn't, and it never will be.
But maybe she didn't get that message to Gemini straight enough.

Abri could remember an event that happened years ago when she, Lexi, and Gemini were all friends. Taking a long and unstable deep breath, she closed her eyes, losing herself back to memory that was buried for many years.

"Where's Lexi?" Gem asked her when she had entered her secret hideout by herself.
Abri was by herself, slightly damp from the gloomy drizzling midnight rain. She was young, maybe around twelve years old going into the brink of thirteen, with her hair hung up into a ponytail and her makeup-less face sighing into relief when she finally entered a haven away from the weather. "She told me she couldn't make it. Her cabin is getting suspicious and she's tired anyways."

"Aren't you tired too, Abri?" Gem asked innocently, her dark eyes looking stale under the dim light.

She shrugged. "I thought it'd be pretty lonely if you were here by yourself." She said this as she took a spare towel and wrapped it around herself, sitting next to her friend while offering a sweet smile.

Gem shifted uncomfortably as if she was still disturbed by the fact that she somehow made a friendship with a daughter of Aphrodite, the annoying goddess of love and beauty and all that gooey stuff. When Lexi was around, she could usually train with her and maybe fight a little match. This was the first time that Abri came to her hideout alone, and since she wasn't a strong fighter, what was there to do?

For a long time, there was silence between the two. The soft sound of the rain brushed against the roof and windows of her place.

Abri was the one who broke the silence. "Don't you ever miss your parents?" she blurted out.
Gem didn't say anything for a long time.
Before the silence could stay permanent, she continued on. "My dad always looks past me and pretend like I don't exist. 'She's not mine,' he would say to other people when they asked about me." She lingered on that thought for a long time. It hung in the air, turning foul and smelling up the whole room. "He never accepted the fact that my mother is Aphrodite and that the Greek gods are real. He didn't want to accept that, so he didn't accept me. And, growing up, I just pretended that him ignoring me was okay, that everything was alright when it really wasn't." Abri pulled her legs towards her chest, shivering under her wet hoodie before continuing on. "Six months ago, we got into an argument. I didn't know about the Greek gods back then, but I was targeted and I kept seeing monsters around our home. When I tried to tell him, he told me I was wrong. He told me to leave him alone, stop tormenting him, stop being in his life. That was when he gave me a one-way ticket here, saying, 'You're not my daughter. Leave my family alone.'"

Abri suddenly smiled in pity, shaking her head. "Awful, right? I know some people have it worse—I know that. But I haven't received a single letter, a single word, a single sign that he cares or even thinks about me anymore. He's the only real family I can reach, and to know that he doesn't want anything to do with me, it..."

"...Hurts?" Gem finished for her, silently taking in her story.
"Yeah. Hurts. It hurts."
Gem nodded. "I know. I know..."

They were silent again. The rain gained more energy, hitting the roof like hard stones against concrete. A soft boom was heard in the distance. Abri wondered if Gem's feelings were stirring.

"An emotional impact like that is just as worse as a story involving physical loss, Abri," Gem said cooly.
Abri looked at her to see if she would elaborate. She didn't.
"I had a family. A mom, dad, brother, sister," she said instead.
"Oohh, what are they like?"
"Zeus killed them."

Abri's eyes widened, her mouth opening in surprise. "Oh my gosh, Gem, I'm so sorry, I had no idea..."
"Stop it," Gem barked. "I don't like it when you get all gooey-eyed."

It was silent again. Boom, boom, crackle.

Abri swallowed the flood of sorry feelings down her throat. Even though what Gem said was so vague, it already sounded so horrible, so sad and sickening, and even when she said that an emotional loss was as bad as a physical one, Abri didn't feel like that.

She looked at her friend, so stony and hard. Her dirty blonde hair slumped by her shoulders and her eyes were cloudy and dark, no doubt stirring untold secrets and vengeance that she's been keeping in herself for many years now.

"It's not fair," Gemini whispered in a scratchy voice. "Why are we treated like this?"

Abri took her arm and linked it with hers. They were sitting side-by-side, and although Abri was wet from the rain, Gem didn't seem to mind.

"I don't know," Abri whispered back to her, the thunder drowning out her hushed and feeble voice. "But I won't leave your side, Gem."

Gem looked at her intently as if she was trying to decide whether this was just Aphrodite talk or if she was really serious. "Promise?" she sputtered out, already committing herself in this highly vulnerable moment.

"If you won't leave me, then I promise."

Abri opened her eyes back to reality, finding herself back in her room full of posters of celebrities with the walls painted pink and flowers soaking in the sun near the laced curtains hung against the window.

Thinking back on it now, their trio friendship was childish. Did Abri really think that she could grow up with friends like Lexi and Gemini, two very different people with very different interests? Things changed. Abri changed.

And now, Gemini changed.

She wants to kill the gods, and maybe she wants Abri to help. But even when they made a ridiculous truce when they were younger, even when they were formerly old friends, even if Abri would secretly still be by her side in a friendship—Abri would never, ever, ever kill her godly mom.

Ugh, I have enough of this already, she thought groggily, finally getting up out of her bed. It was still pretty early, but some of the other girls were also up. Abri was usually out when the rest of the camp was waking up (with the exception of the Apollo kids, of course—they're up even before the sun cracks at dawn), so when they still saw her there, some of her siblings smiled and greeted her.

Abri stretched, getting up to fix her hair, put on her makeup, and change into that hideous orange camp shirt. In the end, she curled her hair into perfect bouncy curls and decided to wear denim shorts and matching orange Toms for shoes to match the hideousness and plainness of the shirt.

On her way out the door, she stumbled across Ella that she vaguely remembered seeing for the first time before they went to sleep.

"Hey, sis," she greeted her.
"It's Abri, Ella," Abri corrected her. Then, without meaning to, she smiled. Abri's full name was Abriella, and to say Ella's name right after her own was incredibly ironic. So, even if Ella did nothing whatsoever, Abri decided that she already liked her.

That is, before she inspected her.

Too tall. Eyebrows too light. Nose too sharp.

These were all the things that Abri saw, but she also knew that most people would be blinded with her curves, her perfect skin, her full lips, her pearly smile, her brilliant beauty and hot bod that most of the Aphrodite kids possessed. She could tell that she recently straightened her hair to get rid of the frizzy curls planted on her head. After a quick debate in her head, Abri decided that, with a little care, Ella might just be someone Abri can accept into her clique.

"Have you been claimed yet?" Abri suddenly asked. If Ella said something to her earlier, she didn't hear it.
"Um...no? Probably not since I don't even know what that means," Ella responded.
"It's okay, sweets. You're stunning enough, so I can tell you're my sister." Abri showed off her pearly perfect smile.
Ella laughed and rolled her eyes at Abri's comment, but before she could say anything else, Abri took her hand and started to head towards the pegasi stable. "C'mon," she said, "I'm the cabin leader, so I have to show you around."

They went past the arena and armory, and Abri had to explain to her everything on the way to the stables. She told her about Aphrodite, the other gods, this camp, and the campers with the addition of telling her who to hang out and who to not hang out. Abri even told her about Aphrodite's Rite of Passage: a child of Aphrodite, which is Ella in this case, has to make someone fall in love with her, and then she has to break his heart.

"It's tradition," Abri told her. "You're just expected to do it."
Ella made a sour face. "Sounds kinda over-the-edge, dontcha think?"
Abri shrugged. "It's not that bad."
"Ooh, so you've done it?"
"Duh." She rolled her eyes, smiling.

They made it to the stables. Abri approached the most beautiful pegasus that was specially claimed by the Aphrodite cabin a long time ago, Philia. Her main was as white as snow and so were her wings—white, white, pure white, beautiful. When Abri approached her, she neighed in content that she finally came. Abri smiled and laughed, petting her while the other pegasi seemed to neigh in irritation that she had favorites.

Abri was in charge of the pegasi stable because the previous Aphrodite cabin leader was in charge of it, and she used to help her all the time. She's grown rather fond of the pegasi— especially Philia—and maybe, if someone came this early in the morning and visited the stables with her, they could see that Abri's laugh and smile was genuine, away from the mean girl life she blindly revolved around.

"Ever seen a real pegasus before?" she said to Ella, cracking a smile.

Rand Aloemir- Son of Apollo- Tuesday Morning

I stretched and did a quick sweep of the cabin, most Apollo's where up as the sun rose over the horizon, but I prided my self on waking up earlier. I rolled out of my bed landing a bit unevenly but quickly regaining my balance. I grabbed my bow and quiver and quickly found Ben's bunk. I had wanted him to join me on my early morning walk. I didn't want to wake the other Apollo's so I had to delicately wake him. I shook him hard and as he began to wake and yawn rather loudly I clasped my hand over his mouth. His eye's grew huge with terror before I held up my hand telling him to be quiet and get out of bed. I stood next to his bed waiting for him to get ready.

I held up my bow to tell him to grab a weapon and he held up a sword, weird I could have sworn he laid a bow down next to his bed last night. We got outside of our cabin before I decided to say anything, "I'm glad I could get you to wake up I wanted you to accompany me this morning." I spun light from within my quiver and made an arrow. I placed it on the string and pulled back, "eyes to the sky till we reach the forest."

"Where are we going?" He still seemed barely awake.

I laughed and turned back to him, "eyes to the sky and watch for harpies we still have a bit to go before they're gone." I kept walking with my bow at the ready till we reached the forest. I slowly relaxed the string on my bow turning my arrow into a makeshift torch. "Follow close dad won't be happy if I lose you."

We strolled forward and reached the destination at the perfect time. The sun began to rise and the light hit the water just right. "It's beautiful what is this place.'' He stood bewildered looking as dragonflies flitted about and birds began to sing.

"I found it my first year at camp," I grabbed his shoulder looking him in the eye. "Dad had claimed me early but the cabin leader at the time didn't see much potential in me. So for a while, at least in my own cabin, I didn't really fit in." I rustled his hair and he looked at me, "we're not to different huh? Anyway I was wandering by myself one day through the woods and found this pond. When I first came here it was nothing special but eventually I was called back to it at sunrise and found the same sight you see know." I sighed and sat down, "What I'm saying is a lot of us have a tough time fitting in at first but there's always something out there to help us that's why I named the pond Sateria. Because it helped me feel safe in a strange and foreign place."

Ben- Son of Apollo- Tuesday Morning

I watched as the morning sun peeked it's head out from the frosty mountains, red and orange light bled across the sky like fireworks. I shivered as the cool morning air blew gently and caressed me slowly. I sat next to Rand. My feet bathed by the cold blue water of the calm, mirror like pond.

I yawned, having just woken up from a deep sleep. The echoes of Artemis's wolfs still rang through my memory as I watched the yellow light of passing fireflies blend into the faint pale orange streams of color of the rising sun. My mind was elsewhere as we sat there in silence, the only noise coming from the sweet melodic songs of the early mornings birds.

"So are you ready for capture the flag today?" Rand asked, turning to me. His voice cutting through the silky smoke of my day dreams.

I picked up a blade of green grass and started twirling it around in my fingers absentmindedly. "Yeah, it sounds fun. Do we get to use any weapons and how long does it last?" I asked.

"Depends," Rand mused. "It lasts until the opposing teams flag is captured, sometimes in a matter of an hour or two, sometimes it even lasts days. It is literally a war, whether people want to call it that or not. Any weapon is allowed, but no killing, you may capture any of the opposing team, but they may not be bound or gagged. Also, guards are to stand more than ten yards away from your teams flag. Any violation of these rules results in loss of dessert for one week."

"Sounds harsh," I said.

"Ben, it is." Rand looked me in the eyes, he didn't strike me as a serious person but the way he said this made me look at capture the flag as more than just a fun game. It was war.

"How many times has the Apollo cabin represented a side and won?" I asked, curious.

"Since I have been a camper, the Apollo cabin has only represented once and we lost. But that was under a different cabin leader, plus our team has us now. And trust me, being handy with a bow is a definite boon. Also," he added playfully. "You could just distract all the girls with your good looks and popularity." He started wiggling his eyebrows jokingly at me.

"Shut-up, like that would ever happen," I replied, shoving him to the side. My cheeks now shaded a slight pink.

"Your cheeks tell a different story, you little player."

"Ugh, Rand, why do have to make everything so awkward?"

"Sorry, little bro, it's just who I am."

We both sat laughing as the now bright morning sun warmed us and reflected against the calm blue pond. The birds chirping merrily and the frogs croaking along with their songs. We sat there for another ten minuets before we exited the forest, the songs of the wildlife growing quieter as we entered the camp.

Name: Audrey Leefolt
Age: (12-19) 12
Parents: (Mortal and god) Athena and Harry Leefolt

Appearance: Like every other child of Athena, Audrey has blond hair and stormy grey eyes. She is very tall. She has medium lengthed wavy hair and has a small dimple on the side of her right cheek. She's quite pretty..I guess..

Personality: Audrey is very smart and very sophisticated. She loves to read and write books that often amaze her teachers. She is quite classy, (I guess) and girly, meaning to say she loves to wear dresses and other girly clothes. Don't label her as the "annoying girly type" because she isn't. She can be tough whenever she wants too. She does not tolerate most people, but is very friendly and loyal. She is a slight SLIGHT[/b][/b] hipster and is very reserved.

Brief history: Audrey was born in Manhattan New York. Her father named her after Audrey Hepburn. Her father is very loving but is often too busy to spend time with her due to his job as a professor in a famous university. Her stepmother is also very loving but is often called away from home to attend important meetings a businesswoman should attend. She has two siblings, one boy, and one girl.

At the early age of 12, she almost got attacked by a group of kids at her school. Her father then sent her to Camp Half-Blood, alone and scared. She began to make a few friends, but is still very shy and nervous, she has develop a strong friendship with Rachel Dare, the oracle.

Favorite Weapon: Her brains and her archery skills

Magical Item (if you have one): A locket that her mother, Athena, gave to her when she was very young. It stores information that she often forgets.
Up for love: Uh..maybe, I do think she is quite young for "love."
Other: I don't think I can post all the time but I will try. I have a tight schedule..so yeah.

Name: Nick Carter

Age: 16

Parent: Hermes and Lyra Carter

Appearance: Nick is well built for his age he has gray eyes, a handsome face which has a chin that is threatening to go double and jet black hair. He has the build of a sprint runner he is of medium height between 5'7 and 5'8 with a low deep voice he has strong and steady arms due to continuous hunting and he usually prefers wearing a t -shirt and jeans trouser when he is not in his orange camp half blood shirt.

Personality: He is a very sweet talker by nature with a wicked sense of humor , he also enjoys making new friends, practical jokes and being mischievous but he can be he can be really quiet when he wants puts his mind to it.

Brief History: Nicolas Carter grew up in Miami he lived with his Colombian American mother who worked part time at a local grocery store, he attended a local public school at school where he was not exactly good at anything and the only things he found interesting about school was sneaking out of school to skateboard and going on field trips, he generally loves moving from one place to another on the road and he has currently spent 3 years in Camp Half-Blood

Favorite Weapon: He really dose not have one kidda a jack of all trades but when push comes to shove the weapon he reaches for is his magical practical joke-book

Magical Item: Same as above ^'practical joke-book'^ it's a book that always has a plan for all situations.

Up For Love: Definitely but she should be able to understand his wicked sense of humour.

Other: A pet monkey named duke.

If its possible to have two characters I'll start working on my child of Athena

Gemini - Tuesday Mourning - Zeus Cabin

All I felt in the Zeus cabin was hostility, the statue of my father bearing down an unbearlable amoung of anger and hatred for me pressing down on me like a crushing weight. I found it hard to sleep there, but once my mind began to shut off, so did my senses. I did not find sleep though, I did not find rest to greet me, instead I found the same horrible nightmare that plagued my nights every night ever since it happened. I stood there in the same place, looking up at the same fire, looking up at the same burning building that has plagued my sleep. Tears running down my face as I heard there voices.

"This is your fault!" my brother yelled angrily.

"You did this to us!" my mother cried.

"Please make it stop big sister, make it stop!" Alexy wailed.

Then the thunder overhead boomed like laughter as if to believe he was successful in his masacure. It was all so much, it was my fault, it was my fault that they died, because I was born, because I lived, it was all my fault!

I awoke the next mourning with a start, the hostility was gone, the anger and hatred I felt towards me seemingly disappeared over night. It had been so long since I last slept in a bed, a comfortable bed. I rub my face with my hands feeling the tears that had run down my face all night, I began remembering everything from last night, the Miria girl, she was who I was looking for, it was definitly her. She went to her cabin, the Hermes cabin last night, now I know who I was looking for.

I had no idea what time it was, but I knew it was the mourning, I got dressed, cleaned my face off, hopefully it I didn't look like I had been crying. I put on a brand new orange Camp Half Blood T-shirt, loose fitting jeans, my blade and summer jacket. I made my way out of the cabin, people were crowding at the Dyonisus cabin, I wonder what happened? I would investagate later. Now I had to go find my mousy little friend, maybe a better, tad more friendlier approach would be better this time. That's when I felt it, it was hard to describe, it was like lightning coursing though me, but it was forgien and gave me a surge of power. Found her.

I pick up my pace and begin running, I knew where she was now, and I was going straight for her, I jump off my feet and just before I hit the ground, I stop and then take off. I was flying now, I was taking off towards the Arena, where I sensed Miria the first time. She must be there now, I flew high into the sky and then, came back down, hard and fast until I was at the top of the arena, I landed. I starred down at the center of the arena and just barely make out two figures, I creep down the steps and make out Lexi and Miria, they were fighting. Miria was constantly on the run, dodging and running from Lexi at every turn. But then, just as Miria ducks one of Lexi's swings, she catches Miria's leg and trips her over. Now Lexi was on top of Miria, had her pinned, right where Lexi wants her, I quickly flew down, I had to stop her.

"Lexi!" I yelled as I flew towards the two.

Aidan Jewel- Poseidon

When I woke up the other people in my cabin were still fast asleep. I tiptoed out of the room, stopping in the bathroom just long enough to pee and splash some water on my face. I then left the cabin and let my feet carry me wherever they wanted to go. I wasn't sure where I would go, but I was determined to make today start off better than the day before had ended.

I ended up back at the cliff where I'd fallen and stopped just where the strange symbol had shone over my head. I glanced around as if expecting to see another symbol, but nothing came. Shrugging, I moved closer to the water, and waded in up to my ankles. I didn't want to get in any deeper, with all the strangeness of the past few days I had no idea what dangers might lurk under the water.

Everything felt strange and unreal, and I tried to go back through my mind to the days before the Mistake. I pushed past memories of my dark room and my distant mother, and tried to see what had come before. I vaguely remembered other people, teachers, school, friends. It had been years since I'd thought of that word: friends.
I was interrupted by the feeling of being watched. After so long of going without friends I instantly heard the faint breath of another person, and turned to see a girl half-hidden in the shadows behind me. I beckoned her to come closer, but she didn't react for a while.

"What's your name?" I choked out the words- they still didn't sound normal coming from my mouth.

"Miranda," she whispered, but came a few steps closer. I tried to smile, but couldn't quite remember what a smile looked like. I just wanted to make a friend again. I wanted to remember what it was like to meet people and talk to people and feel what it was like to be around someone. Only, I didn't know what else to say or how to continue the conversation. So I just waited and watched the girl. She was beautiful, and I didn't think that was just because I hadn't seen any girls before getting to this strange place. She looked so sad, though, I couldn't bear to see her eyes, huge with unshed tears.

"Um, how old are you?" I tried again, and collapsed into the sand when she didn't answer immediately.

"Seventeen." Surprisingly, she followed me into the sand, and spun so that she was half-facing me, half-facing the ocean.

"Me too." I answered. Eleven years had gone by since the accident. Eleven years was a long time. After that I stopped, since I really didn't know what else to say. Miranda didn't seem to mind, so we sat in silence for a long time, watching the sun rise over the mountains and listening to the waves crash gently against the shore.

Miranda Furia

I wrapped the towel around myself, not wanting to remember last night's events. I still felt the cold of the water, and when mixed with the eeriness of the blood moon, it was... it was like the dead had been raised. I was still feeling it.

I rubbed my arm with the towel absentmindedly as I looked to my twin daggers. A dangerous thing they were, and enchanted so they couldn't kill me or harm me in any way. It was a gift from a past Chiron. I loved them, and in a way, it reminded me of how much others love my life. However, staying here is proving to be dangerous. Camp Half-Blood always has monsters outside its doorstep, but since I came, it's been ten times worse, with monsters that seemingly vanished from history trying to get in.

I stood up and walked out of my cabin, seemingly avoiding everyone. I knew what was going on. Capture the Flag was starting today. I participated in most of them, but I was usually a guard, and a good one at that. Being in multiple time periods with multiple sets of fighting skills has made me dangerous, dangerous indeed.

I had my armor on in preparation, but I needed to go back to the water, to see what had happened.

I reached the cliff fairly quickly and leaned against the cliff wall, using the shadows to blend in. Breathing in the air, memories of what happened throughout the times came back to me. Blood-red moon. One other time before this, back when all were strong and no one was safe. It shone brightly over the ensuing war. A war that was unrelenting on everyone and killed all who were innocent.

It poured its might over the battlefield, licking up the bloodshed as if it was a favorite candy or treat that didn't happen often enough. The land turned red, and the fight ceased immediately. All were dead. All were alive. The Underworld was no more.

I gasped and my vision came back to reality. There was a man just staring at the water. Tan skin and dark hair. Lean body. He was handsome. I smiled a small smile. It's been a long time since I had thought anyone handsome.

Just then, he looked up and his vision turned to my direction. I tried to cover myself with more shadows, but my nervousness stopped my powers from happening. He motioned me to come out from the shadows. His actions felt forced, almost awkward, like he was just trying to figure out his locomotive skills.

I didn't move, as if I was locked in place. Maybe I was, from fear. No one in a long time had even tried to talk to me, and no one certainly wanted to. He waited for a moment, then spoke, "What's your name?" It sounded rough, like he was forcing some foreign object from his system. Maybe I wasn't the only socially unacceptable person in this camp.

"Miranda." I said silently. Was I even doing this? Almost reluctantly, I inched closer to him.

He waded into the water, and I followed. "Uh, so how old are you?" He asked, his cheeks turning red. Boy, this guy was even worse than me when it came to social interaction. He laid down, or more like fell, into the sand, and I followed almost instantaneously.

"Seventeen." I said, smiling. I don't know how, but his awkwardness made me feel better, made me forget about some of my worries.

"Me, too." I looked down at the horizon, meeting the sun with something almost like relish. It felt calm, relaxing in some ways, and it made me forget about a lot of things. It made me feel like I didn't have the weight of secrets as ancient as the gods anymore. Being here, with this awkward guy my age, it felt almost perfect. Almost.

I looked towards the man. He had one of my daggers, examining it. I almost forgot that I was carrying those around. Seeing someone else holding it made me want to slit their throats for taking something that was mine, but I resisted the urge, and slowly grabbing the dagger. I stopped, realizing that I was basically caressing his hand, and stuffed the dagger back into its sleeve. "So, um, I never got your name." I said, desperately wanting to wrap myself with shadows, never to be seen again.

"Aidan." He said, his voice sounding like he was trying to get something out of his throat more than saying anything. "I see you're, uh, ready for Capture the Flag later on today." I said nothing, trying to cool down my cheeks and hoping that he didn't see. "What side are you on?"

"Apollo." I said silently. For some reason, I immediately regretted it.

"Oh. I'm on Poseidon." He said silently. The heat came back to my cheeks with a sudden fury. So, we said nothing more.

Audrey Leefolt

Monday After Lunch

My dad and I stood in front of the entrance to Camp Half-Blood. I suppose it was a nice day, the sun was shining bright and I could see birds flying. It would have been a great day, aside from the fact that I was going to be forced to socialize with random "demigods" like me. On the car ride, my dad told me I was a demigod and that my mother didn't die; but I had to find out who she is on my own. He squeezed my shoulder lightly and said "I'm going to be late. I have a class to teach." I was so scared. Never have I gone to camp without knowing anyone before! I took a deep breath and hugged him and said I loved him and that I'll see him after summer. He let go of me and went to the car, I stood there watching the car become smaller and smaller; then it was out of sight. I turned around and went into the camp. What I saw was totally different from what I saw outside. There were lakes and cabins were arranged in a U shape. I could go into full detail, but frankly it would take up too much time.

As I walked around the camp nervously, I man, who I do believe to be acentaur went up to me. "What would your mother think if she saw her daughter standing around like a fool?" He said. I could feel my cheeks heating up. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I know you." I replied. He smiled gently, he reminded me of my father, well, not the horse thing, but yeah. "My name is Chiron, I train demigods." He replied. "That's nice, so..um..I don't really know what to do right now." I answered. "I see, please wait here a moment." Then he went off. A few minutes later, he came back with a satyr or faun or whatever. "This is Jones, he was supposed to look after you, but came back telling us that he couldn't find you." I was homeschooled. "I'm homeschooled." Their faces seemed to understand. "Anyway," Jones said, "I'm supposed to show you around the camp. Come on." I followed him towards the Amphitheater and the climbing wall. He basically showed me all of the places in camp. He introduced me to Rachel Dare, the oracle and tried to introduce me to Mr. D, the one "in charge" of Camp Half-Blood, though I can't really say for sure. After he got me settled at Hermes' Cabin, we went of to dinner.

Dinner

The kids from Cabin Eleven were pretty nice, they explained some stuff to me and what not. It was all fun and games until a weird hologram appeared above my head. It was shaped like an owl, but you know, I didn't really understand what was going on. The Athena kids were cheering and the other kids were clapping lightly. Jones went to me and said "You've just been claimed."
"Claimed by who exactly?"
"Athena." This got me excited. I was a child of Athena, who else could fall for a nerdy guy such as my dad?

Laila- Hermes
Tuesday Morning

Inside the Dionysus cabin, I saw four girls huddled around the kittens. I wanted to get a better look at them, but that meant I'd have to talk to them, which of course, my shy self wouldn't want to.
Daemon was still by the refrigerator, drink in hand and looked really annoyed at all the giggling. I was more interested in the drink he was holding. Was that alcohol? I doubted it, but he was the son of the God of Wine.
"No, its not alchohol. Besides, you know Zeus forbade my father from drinking wine when he was banished to this camp," Daemon said, as if reading my mind.
Oh. I nodded awkwardly and groped for a good conversation starter when something brushed against my leg. It was a kitten! It's fur was a beautiful combination of gray, black and white. I bent down and picked up the little guy.
"Hey kitty. Look at you cutie!" I cooed.
Daemon let out a snort. I huffed and looked up. "What? It is cute," I said.
"I didn't say anything. Whats your name?" he asked me.
"Laila."
"From the Hermes cabin," I said quickly. It seemed as though people were very interested in the cabin you were from more than the person itself.
"I never asked. I'm Daemon, from the Dionysus Cabin" he said grinning.
I felt my cheeks burn and looked down at the kitten in my hands and said," What to name you? Oh,I know! Hello Mr. Puddykin!" I gushed.
"Mr. Puddykin?"
"What? Its original. I hope," I said.
"I'm sure it is," his voice was dripping with sarcasm.
I looked outside the door to see a new kid entering the Hermes cabin. Another sibling! I hoped this one's friendly. Without another word, I rushed out towards my cabin.
I stopped at the entrance. What was I going to say?
"Hello" I said softly.
"Hey."
"Are you one of my siblings?" I asked stupidly.
He looked at me as if I was crazy before realization washed over his face.
"No way! You're Hermes' daughter?" he asked laughing.
Why was he laughing at me? "Why shouldn't I be?" I asked indignantly.
"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I just never thought my dad's daughter would be a cat lady. I'm Nick, by the way," he said grinning. He was a very handsome boy, with, of course, black hair.
Cat Lad..Oh! I still had Mr.Puddykin in my hands.
"There's nothing wrong with having a cat. I'm Laila. Welcome to Camp Half Blood. I'm new here as well."
"Good to hear I'm not alone here," he said.
"You're not alone. Its actually pretty cool here."
There was a weird noise coming from Nick, almost like someone crying.
"Uh, Nick? What's that noise?"
"Oh,that's just my pet monkey, Duke," he said, taking a monkey from his backpack.
"A monkey? And you called me cat lady,you zoo keeper!" I teased, laughing.
"Hey!" he said and started laughing too.
I was sure I was forgetting something.
Oh no,I'd just run out of the Dionysus cabin like a freak. Daemon's going to think I was a real nut job. "Catch you later,Nick," I said and left.
I took deep breaths and walked towards the Dionysus cabin as if I'd just come back after a leisurely walk. I handed Daemon the kitten without looking him in the eye and turned to leave when he said, " You can come feed him everyday, you know."
I whipped around so fast, I thought my neck was going to snap. "Really?" I asked in delight.
"Sure."
"Thank you!" I practically skipped out of the cabin.
Things were turning out much better than I'd hoped.
I walked around the volleyball court, when I heard most of the campers talking about a "Capture the Flag" that was going to take place later in the evening.
This should be fun, I thought bitterly.

MY LIFE IS SO BUSY.

I also love the little jabs Abri and Ella keep throwing at each other. It makes me ridiculously happy.

Ella Pond


I thought she was being sarcastic.

My hair had been dutifully straightened in some shallow effort (I'm rather shallow in the mornings, I swear by it) to impress my new family and, without possessing one of those Camp Half-Blood orange shirts, I had on my favorite patterned tank top. I was getting ready to ruin it all by going into a horse stall.

Goodness, though, pegasi!

The rest of the tour had been interestng in the obligatory way; hey, look, you're the child of a Greek Goddess, here's all the cool stuff you get to look at! This, however, is something that deserves the bright enthusaism that Ella Pond posseses.

I respond with a quick hair pull over my shoulder. "You have to be kidding me, right?"

"Why would I be kidding?" Abri is much nicer in the daylight, but her tone is still a little superior in its lilt. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

I've never liked horses, but pegasus aren't horses. They are so much cooler than that, much more beautiful; like unicorns, minus the deadly, stabby horn and add on wings.

"They're so pretty!" I find myself exclaiming, happier than a pre-schooler with an orange highlighter.

Abri laughs, a bell-like laugh that automatically brings boys to the door. "Our mother is the goddess of beauty," it is weird for me to hear that phrase 'mother', let alone next to 'our', "we see things in their best light. So, yes, the creatures are gorgeous. This one," she gestures to- go figure- the slightest and prettiest pegasi in the stable and says, "is my favorite."

I put my hand out to pet the creature, but she rears away. I've never been very good with animals, and that suddenly seems like an awful weakness. I inspect her wings, folded like a birds behind her. "Do you ride these things?"

"Of course!" I half-expect her to say that 'now would be a bad time, that we would get ou outfits dirty' (it seems like a thing she would say, from my limited knowlege of my sister). She doesn't, looking instead with longing eyes at the horse. "Philia would love to go out for a ride. I should save her for lessons later, but a tour of the Camp would be so much nicer from the sky."

Okay, what?

A horse from the stall next to Philia's nuzzles my hand. I look at Abri, her dark hair dripping curls onto her shoulders. "Are you serious?"

"Achilla seems to have taken a liking to you, as well! Okay, we are sodoing this." Abri runs to the side of the stable, grabs a saddle that is way to big for her tiny body to carry, and plops it on 'Achilla'. With one efficent motion, Philia and Achilla both have people on their back. It's so quick, I feellike the guy from that Old Spice commercial. "Look at your Demi-god! Look back at me! Don't you wish she was a daughter of Aphrodite like me? I'm on a horse!"

God(s?), I'm so glad Abri can't hear my thought process. I'd be kicked from the cabin immediately.

Abri's pegasus leads mine out of the stable. My body feels to big for the nimble horse; feel unstable, tipsy. "You realize I have no clue what I'm doing, right?"

Abr yells back," Just go with it," as she takes off.

I think I might just like this girl.

Ella should crash, because it would be fun.

Lexi-Ares
Tuesday morning

I eventually fell asleep last night. I'm not sure when or how, but it happened. This whole business with Gemini had my mind working double time. I needed to find a way to...to what? Stop her? I wasn't strong enough to do that. And if I did stop her, she would hate me for the rest of eternity. I don't think I could stand the. We were friends after all. Right?

I scooted out of bed, careful not to wake Alex. He was lying face down on his bed, a puddle of drool collecting on his pillow. I smiled to myself. He always drooled when he slept. It was kind of gross, but it was really funny too.

The morning air felt good. It wasn't exactly hot yet because the sun was still rising. I had expected it to be a little earlier. I usually sleep late. Not today. The moon is still high in the sky. I look up at its faded light. Last night it had been filled with a blood red color. And Gemini wasn't the one behind it; I just know.

Now, where to go? The basketball and volleyball courts were occupied with the Apollo kids. I could easily take any of them in a game of volleyball, but I didn't feel like it right now. So I turned and headed back to my cabin to get my sword and took of towards the arena.

On my way there, I decided to walk past the woods. Maybe if I was lucky, a monster would be hanging out. I had killed almost all of the ones in the woods, but more always come back. It's the perfect practice for whatever may be coming after us outside the boundaries.

But I find something even more interesting than a monster.

Standing in a clearing in the middle of the woods is the girl who was spying on me, Abri and Gemini last night. I hid behind a tree and watched. She had no weapon on her which surprised me. Shouldn't she have something to fend off the monsters? But she just sat there on a lonely rock and stared at the ground.

Just as I'm about to talk to her, a monster thunders over to where she was. I can't tell exactly what the monster is, it's too dark, but it's fairly big. I grip the hilt of my sword tight, ready to attack if needed. But this girl didn't need my help. When the monster came down on her, she disappeared and reappeared behind it. I blinked and shook my head. Did that really just happen? It happened again and this time she pulled out a tiny dagger I hadn't seen and stabbed the monster, disintegrating it.

"Hey!" I called out, not bothering to hide anymore. She looked at me like a deer in the headlights and then took off. I rushed after her. I smirked when she went into the arena. I had her trapped now.

To my surprise, she was the one who attacked first. But I got the last laugh and tripped her, flipping her onto her back on the cold arena floor. I pinned her to the ground. Just as I was about to interagate her, someone pulled me off.

"Lexi," Gemini yelled in my face. "Let her be."

"She can teleport! That's not good, not good at all." To my surprise, Gemini only grinned.

"I know. I need her. She's gonna--"

"Help you kill our parents. Well isn't that wonderful, demi-gods with unnatural powers running around using them for the wrong reason." I'm steaming now; literally. Gemini looks at me strange and backs away. I know that my body is giving off steam. It happens when I get really mad, like right now.

"This whole plan of yours," I growled, pointing to Gemini. "Is crazy and down right stupid. But I'm tired of trying to prevent it. Just know that if you actually go through with this, I'll be leading the other side in a fight against you. Same with you." I glared at the teleporting girl and stomped out of the arena.

Aidan- Poseidon


The girl stopped talking, and suddenly slipped away. I felt a sudden surge of anger at myself. I'd said something wrong, I knew it.

Ness, whom I'd figured out was the leader of my cabin, or my room and apparently all the Poseidon people, had mentioned that we would be playing capture the flag. I'd never heard of the game, but he told me that it was sort of like a battle.
Even with my limited knowledge and experience I knew Miranda's knives would be used in battle. I glanced down at my hands, which were slightly wet. She's taken the knife from my hand, but she'd done so very slowly and carefully, as if....

I shook away the thoughts and tried to stand up. My legs wobbled due to some unknown emotion inspired by the girl. Miranda, her name sounded so pretty... I shook my head again. What was happening to me, anyway?

Slowly, I began wandering towards the cabin to ask Ness for more information. I didn't want to be caught in the middle of a battle clueless as to what I needed to do. Somehow I knew the game was more complicated than just a simple action of catching a flag.

However, as I made my way back to the cabin I felt myself drawn back to the water's edge. I took a few steps forward and let the water drip over my feet. Without thinking, I moved my eyes along with the waves, and let my fingers dance with the water. Then, slowly, I lifted my hand and watched in awe as the water began lifting as well. A small pillar formed from the rippling water below, and in surprise I dropped it again. I waited until the shock had vanished, and then tried again. The water followed my eyes and my motions, and for minutes I just stood there lifting the water and letting it fall again.

"Pretty cool, isn't it?" Someone asked, and I nodded. I didn't care who was talking, I was still too caught up in the motion of the water. "Eventually you'll learn some tricks and maybe some moves for self defense."

"There's more?" I asked, turning around at last. I found Riley staring at me with her notebook clutched in her hand. She nodded and flashed me a quick smile, then pulled her hoodie more tightly around her shoulders. Then, without any more words she continued walking, and left me with a few drops of water still dancing in my palm.

I turned my hand upside down and watched the water fall back into the lake for the last time, then finally drove my attention away from the liquid and towards the cabins. A group of people had gathered outside of one cabin, and for a moment I felt the urge to investigate. However, as I glanced over the crowd a girl emerged with a tiny kitten cuddled in her arms. I raised an eyebrow and watched her pass. Someone else came out, also with a kitten. I went up and passed my hand down the kitten's fur. It looked so tiny and fragile. I forgot about manners and introductions, and didn't even say a word to the person holding the cat before walking away and taking the last few steps to my cabin.

"Ness?" I peered through the door and saw Ness sorting through his belongings. "Can you explain capture the flag?" He nodded and swerved his attention away from whatever he'd been doing before. "And... do you know Miranda? She's on Apollo team for the game, but I don't think she's in that cabin... I don't know... I..." I shook out the soup of words pouring from my mouth.

"A girl?" Ness gave me a playful look and motioned for me to sit on the bed across from him. "Let's here all about it, and then I'll explain the dynamics of Capture the Flag."