Young Writers Society

Reagan

" Jack, stop the bus!" I yelled. If something was attacking the bus, then we needed to attack it. I looked out the window to see a giant Minotaur following us. I quickly pulled my head inside to avoid any unnecessary decapitation.

" It's a Minotaur," I told Nick " We'll need to get out." by now the bus had stopped moving and the minotaur had made a good sized dent in the back of the bus. Before I could move, we were flipped over, all tumbling around. once I had gotten my bearings, I jumped out the door. In a second everyone else was out, weapons a the ready. Then it attacked.

Jack

So, the first thing we were to fight was a Minotaur? Oh great. I get to attack a bull-beast with my fists. I'd better attain god-hood for this. Anyways, we all were able to narrowly dodge out of the way of the first attack and I took my opportunity. I jumped up and ran at the Minotaur before it could turn around. An attack from behind wasn't a very honourable thing to do, but I had my fists. And it had everything.

"Jack!?" Lexie yelled, "What are you doing!?"

"I don't know!" I yelled back and charged punched the Minotaur square on the back. It roared and swung around hitting me back into the group.

"Are you alright?" Nick asked with a smirk.

"Punching it may not be a good idea unless it's weak." I said and fell back. I really had no clue what these knuckles that Ares gave me did. I thought it would work kind of like the other weapons and destroy the beast easily but that was obviously not the case. I would try again, but first I thought that I should sit back for a minute and let the others try and beat it.

So sorry I haven't posted in a while. My computer is down so I don't have much time to keep up with everything. I've read everything, but I can;t post at the moment. Please keep Kassie in this until I can post again.
Really sorry,
~Tabitha

Lexie-Ares

So we'd hit our first monster; a Minotaur. We all piled out of the van, weapons ready. I drew my sword and advanced toward the monster. Jack charged and punched it. Nothing happened. I thought for sure that it would've gotten knocked over or something. But oh well, now it was mad and we had to fight it. We all looked at Nick, waiting for instructions.

"Right, well since that didn't work, we're going to try and surround it. Then everyone can attack with their own weapon, ultimatly confusing the thing. Got it?"

We all nodded, ready to attack. Circling the monster, he looked at us each in turn, as if evaluating each of us. Finally Nick yelled, "Now!"

And the attack began.

Reagan

We circled around the beast while it tried to attack us. More than once one of us would narrowly miss getting killed. Once in position, Nick yelled, " Now!"

Everyone ran at it full force. I ended up with the beast facing me when he yelled, so I hung back one second so I wouldn't get decapitated. I charged at it while it was turning and struck it with all my might. I wasn't the only one. It cried out, tried to defend itself while fighting us off. It swung it's head around, narrowly missing Kassie. She jumped back while I ran forward and hit it again.

~Spirit Jones~

Reagan runs foward at the Minatour. This is a clever beast. While Reagan charges at it, I go from behind with my sword and stab it's side. Lexie goes to it's other side and does the same. The minatour bucks and throws me away. Getting up and dusting off my clothes. I curse. We need something new. Force... or not.

If anyone wants to kill it, they can in the next post.

Jack

Man, this Minotaur will not go down. So far it has taken two direct hits from celestial weapons and it still lives. My head was pounding, but I was able to struggle to my feet. It has been a while since I have won even a practise match. This was about to change.

"Hey!" I yelled. The Minotaur stopped and turned to me. It's nostrils flared in recognition, "Look you failed to kill!" I finished.

"Jack!" Spirit yelled, "Force isn't going to kill it!"

"I know." I murmured to myself. But I could trick it. I was standing just in front of our bus which had taken quite a bit of damage from the beast and if I was right, it was going to take a little bit more. The Minotaur roared and charged straight at me. A few of the others tried to stop it, but it just swatted them away like flies. If I missed this, I was going to die. I knew it, but I didn't let it take me over.

I waited until I could smell the beast (which wasn't very pleasant) before I moved. I was still a little uneasy, so I tripped a little in the dodge, but it was enough to get me out of its way. It hit the bus dead on almost tipping it over, but my trick worked. Its horns were stuck in the bus. I took my chance and and jumped onto its head. It tried to rear back to throw me off, but it was hopelessly trapped for the moment. I grappled on its fur with one hand and pounded its head with my free hand. Everyone else swarmed the beast attacking it mercilessly before it finally fell and exploded into dust.

I fell face first into the ground.

"How did you know that would work?" Nick asked as he helped me up.

"I didn't." I said simply, "I just really didn't want to lose this early on." If we didn't know this earlier, we sure knew then that this quest was going to be a little different than what we were used to. It wouldn't just come down to the weapons we had, but how we used them.

Reagan

I slapped Jack on the back " Good job, that was awesome!"

It almost hurt to say. I could have killed it. I had seen the perfect spot on his back to hit, but I hadn't. Still, the smiling yet weary look on Jack's face was almost worth not killing it. Everyone was congradulating him, while I was left on on the sidelines, alone. That was ok though, I liked it that way. I snuck away from the group and comprehended a minivan. I drove up to them all, almost hitting them, then hopped out and smiled.

" New ride, pile in. We're only in Ohio so we have to get on the road."

~Kassie~

Just to see my dad was enough trouble, being attacked was a whole new misserable task to complete. But, thanks to one Jack, it was.a task that was done. I could only imagine what would happen next, maybe a three headed dog or something. That would be cool, but scary none the less.

I glaced at Nick, who was patting Jack on the back. It seemed like I wasn't the only one who kept glancing at him. Cassandra was smiling at him as well--she'd been doing that lately. My smile faded as he returned her smile, and my eyes fell when he shot a glance at me.

What was I going to say to that? What could I say to that? What if...

My thoughts ended there at the sound of someone approaching. Their voice broke my revere.

~Spirit~

Jack killed it. Thank gods. I smile at him breifly before getting on the bus. It worried me that we were only in Chigago and had already ran into a minatour. I follow Kassie, my head spinning. A monster already? One of us could end up dead. We needed ,like, a monster repellent. I felt like smacking myself. That'd be stupid. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning hit me. I turn toward the seat my bag was in, only to find Kassie sitting in it. I plop down beside her. She seems deep in thought and I'd hate to awake her but my bag...
" Uh... Kassie?"
She turns toward me, eyes wide with shock.
" Uh, yeah?"
' Can you hand me my bag?," i ask.
She nodds, reaching for my bag. I grab it, sorting through it.
"What are you looking for?"
" Hermes stuff," I tell her without looking up.
"Oh." her voice fills with a bit of longing.
I take no notice. My guess is my micheviously cute brother was getting himself in a bit of romance. Romance... Sucked. Never ends up good for demi-gods. I pull out the HERMES BOOK OF PRANKS. Maybe this would help.

Reagan

I was so thrilled to be moving again. Now we could actually get something done. I looked in the rearview mirror around at our little group. Nick was congratulating Jack, Kassie was watching them while Spirit was reading a book. Reading a book?! Since when was she so calm? I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye and saw that she was reading a prank book. Oh well, as long as the target wasn't me. Cassandra and Lexie were sitting awkwardly next to each other not talking, although cassandra was also staring at Nick. Hmm. . .

" Reagan, watch out!" Nick yelled and dived for the steering wheel. I was too absorbed in my own thoughts to realize that I had drifted into the wrong lane. Nick grabbed the wheel and narrowly missed hitting the car.

I smiled sheepishly. " MAybe someone else should drive now."

Yeah, maybe not hitting a car would be a good idea. you should go sit down, I'll drive." I climbed back to sit next to Cass.

" You look nervous," I said.

"yeah, I've never met my dad, and now going down there to accuse him of kidnapping Persephone."

Lexie, who I'd thought hadn't been listening chimed in." Yeah, typically accusing your parents of kidnapping isn't very good."

Lexie

I really did feel bad for Cassie. I mean, we were all just up in Olympus meeting all our parents and they all told us how proud they were. Now we're headed to the Underworld, and instead of getting a warm welcome from her dad, Cassie's going to be accusing him of kidnapping. That can't be an easy thing to do.

One thing that had been bothering me for a while was the fact that we had been attacked by a monster early on. Why did it attack? It was as if someone was following us, watching our every move, waiting for the perfect time to strike. I didn't like that idea. I needed to talk to someone about it, and honestly, the only person I felt confortable talking to was Jack. I really hadn't made any other friends at camp.

After Nick went to drive, Jack sat alone in the first row of seats, staring out the window. I slid into the seat next to him and punched him on the shoulder.

"Good job out there. You killed a Minotaur."

"Yeah," he responded, "I did. Wasn't easy, but I figured out a way in the end."

I nodded. "You know what bothers me? How that monster found us so easliy."

"Well, with seven demi-gods crossing the entire US together, it can't be hard to track us."

"Yeah, but still, you don't think it's a little suspicous?"

"Nope, not one bit." After saying that he leaned back in the seat and went to sleep. Or at least pretended to. I turned away from him to look out the window. We passed by a couple towns bustling with people who didn't have a care in the world. Too bad I had to much to worry about, or then maybe I'd be like them: totally care free.

But then all I can think about was what we were going to say to Hades, and how we were going to get Persephone back. The only thing that was bothering more than that was the insane feeling that someone, or something, knew where we were going and was trying to stop us.

Cassandra [Hades]:

I sighed, looking down. Yeah, this was going to be hard....but I couldn't help thinking over what Hera had told me. You need to talk to you father, that's what she had said. And whatever you do, don't say no. Whatever that meant, it couldn't be good. I shifted slightly, fiddling with my necklace. I hadn't actually fought the minotaur. Believe it or not, I'd been scared of the damn thing.

Yeah. That wasn't good. A daughter of Hades...scared of one, little Minotaur? Yeah, real shameful. No doubt Hades would give me an earful when we got to the Underworld... Unconsciously, I cringed, thinking of what might happen. Yeah, so not a good idea. Gods, Cass, what was wrong with you?

I heard the conversation and looked up. How easily it had found us, huh? How...interesting. I frowned and looked out the window. That couldn't be right. I'd been outside the Camp for over four years before the Satyr had found me and brought me in, and not a single monster had attacked me... Or, if they had, I never noticed. Gods, I was so naive back then.

But that wasn't what bugged me; I'd felt horrible all day. Maybe I shouldn't have come on this Quest in the first place....but I'd been chosen and that was that. Stuck here. A horrible though came to me; What if I die on this one? It was my first quest, I wouldn't be surprised if I totally freaked out or something....but Die? That was another thing entirely, and I was a daughter of Hades... Then again, even a child of Hades could die... That one had been proved, several times.

And there it was again, Hera's words to be back on Olypmus: And whatever you do, don't say no.

Road and I are trying to joint leader. We WILL NOT LET THIS DIE!
~Spirit~

I tried to keep my head up but was failing miserabley. The sky was dark and I was squinting to keep reading.
"Get some sleep," Lexie whispers beside me.
I nodd, to tired to argue. I lay my head aganist the book as if it would soak in the information. I think I had gotten enough information. We had to steal Nyx's cloak. It was the only way this many demi-god's could pass through the Underworld with out dying. We had to. Setting apart the thoughts of death and woe I fall Asleep.


"Welcome to Viva Las Vegas!" Nick Chirps.
He was probaly thinking of all the money we could steal. Then again, so was I. Jack parks the bus in the parking lot of an old motel and we all pile out. It's probaly noonish and the sun is bright in the sky. Ah how I missed the sun.
"What now?" Kassie asks.
"What else? We go straight to the Underworld."
She gives Nick and I sharp glances and we smile sweetly. I decided then to tell them my idea, when we weren't about to die.
"Listen guys. I was reading a Hermes trick book yesterday and I discovered something."
I bite my lip and glance around.
"We can use Nyx's night cloak to pass through the Underworld without anyone noticing. Well, any monsters. Most monsters. So what do you think?"
"Sounds good to me." Nick says winking at me.
"There's a catch isn't there? Something you're not telling us." Reagan mutters.
" Well... Nyx's mansion is under the hard rock cafe."

Hope this is ok?