Chapter 1- Waking Up

Charlie

"Charlotte Jackson!" a voice yelled, right into my ear. My eyes snapped open, and I scowled. My twin sister Andromeda- Andy as she proffered- was looming over me. Andy looked exactly like me, with the same curly black hair and aqua eyes. The only thing remotely different about the two of us was the birthmark I had received when I was a baby, born two minutes before Andy. She looked dressed and ready, in purple jeans and a floral leather jacket.

"Oh thank the Gods!" she yelled, throwing her head back. "I thought you'd never wake up." Andy turned around, her black combat boots thumping on the floor, and plopped down on her bed.

I rolled my eyes. "You don't have to be so dramatic about it," I grumbled, slipping my legs out of my silky grey sheets. "I would've gotten up at some point." I stood up and stretched.

"Well sure," Andy smirked. "But you'd be late for camp."

I was suddenly alert, I grinned. "Right! I can't believe I forgot… I haven't even started to pack." I bit my lip, a bad habit I'd acquired. I bent over, rummaging through the various items under my bed for my duffel bag.

Andy laughed, and patted her packed bag triumphantly. I tossed aside a worn Chuck Taylor. "Yeah well, not all of us take after mom." I muttered. I had always envied Andy for being more like mom and inheriting her smarts. She, and our older brother Luke, were always so organized. I was more like dad, and my brother Harry. I had, however, earned a few of mom's abilities.

My sister flipped open a book as I pulled out my duffel, grinning as I opened it up. Inside, I found my old notebook, and my riding boots that I had received as a birthday gift from my Aunt Hazel.

I searched through my drawers, pulling out shirts and jeans. I threw on a pair of neon blue jeans and a Pop Tarts tee. I glanced at my sister as I pulled my hair into a French braid. She was still engrossed in her book, franticly reading before everyone woke up. She was wearing the same crescent moon necklace that I was. I pinned a white flower hair tie into my braid to hold it in place. I threw some clothes into my duffel, along with books, magazines, a few things from my art set, and my lucky pens.

Andy looked up and blinked. "You done? 'Cause mom made cinnamon rolls," we were both out the door and rushing down the stairs side by side before I could think. I didn't even react to the blinding sunlight coming through the windows. When we reached the kitchen, I discovered nearly everyone was awake. My mother, Annabeth Jackson, was doing the dishes. Her curly blonde hair was tied back in a pony. My dad was reading the morning paper in Greek, like usual. Nothing had changed; I hoped nothing ever did change.

I glanced over at my big brother Luke, who was tuning his guitar. He began to strum a few chords, which sounded amazing. "Wow Luke," I grinned. "You could be the descendant of Apollo." My dad looked up from his paper.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, his voice an octave higher than normal.

"Nothin' dad." Andy answered for me, a smirk evident on her face as she ruffled Luke's golden blonde hair. Andy and I were thirteen, and Luke was fifteen. The two were pretty much inseparable. I rolled my eyes as I grabbed a roll from the platter on the island.

I had about five rolls before I was finally willing to go upstairs and get ready for camp. I reached the door to the bathroom, and wasn't surprised to see the door closed and locked. I knew immediately that it was my brother Harry. I grinned. Harry was seventeen, and had, like me, been gifted with water abilities, along with another that we had made a pact not to talk about. Everyone thought the big age gap would keep us apart, but Harry and I were so similar, we should've been the same age. We liked the same things, hung around each other a lot, and even when we weren't near each other, we had a way of communication.

We called it Channeling. An ability to get inside one another's heads and speak to each other, read each other's thoughts. Sometimes we did it without even realizing it. I remember once we had been eating lunch around the table, I had been mad at Andy, and I'd said some not nice things in my head, Harry had heard, and gave me a look. It was hard not to think what I was thinking, and I hadn't figured out how to lock my thoughts.

I didn't need to knock. Harry. I thought it was a weird feeling, knowing I'd gotten through to him. It barley took a second for him to respond.

Charlie, I'm in the shower! I cringed.

I don't care! It's my first day at camp; I'd like to smell clean. You've already got friends; they don't care if you're nasty. I didn't wait any longer. With the flick of my wrist, I changed the water temperature to freezing cold. Harry yelped from inside the bathroom, and the water switched off.

Charlie! Harry came out a moment later, dressed in his usual style; jeans and a worn camp tee. Harry had never been able to stay mad at me, and had always been overprotective. He flashed his signature crooked grin, and wrapped his arms around me.

"Sorry," I muttered aloud. Harry rolled his eyes.

"No, you're right. I was taking too long anyway." Harry walked past me, down the stairs and to mom's amazing rolls.

I walked into the bathroom, and turned the sink tap to hot. I splashed my face and scrubbed it clean. I applied the slightest bit of makeup and brushed my teeth. After a while, I was satisfied with how I looked, and went off to pack the rest of my things.

Two hours later, I was still in my room, staring out the window above my wooden bookshelf. My head snapped over to the door, where my father stood, his arms crossed.

"Dad," I greeted, giving a small, pathetic wave. My father grinned, and it was suddenly scary how similar he and Harry were. They both had the same eyes, the same nose and chin. Though Harry had blonde hair. My dad walked in, sitting on the edge of my sister's bed, which was pushed up against the wall in the corner, surrounded by pictures and posters, pages of her favorite books. Mine was covered in poems and sketches, and pictures of course.

"Charlie, there's something you need to know…" my dad paused, and I studied him.

My dad was a marine biologist, the best in the world. He and my mom had married at nineteen, and had Harry at twenty. My dad's eyes were bloodshot now, and his shirt was wrinkled. "Yeah?" I asked.

"You know that birthmark you have?" I nodded. "Well… It's more of a reminder… actually." Dad looked at me expectantly, and I cocked my head to the side.

"What're you saying dad?" I asked him. My dad looked to the floor.

"Charlotte," I cringed, my dad only called me by my first name if he was serious. "When you were born, you were given a prophecy… The next great prophecy I'm afraid." my dad paused to catch his breath, and I blinked. I could feel Harry's presence in the back of my mind, listening.

What's he talking about Hare? My dad continued.

"I can't tell you the full thing, or what it all means, because I don't even know. I just wanted you to know, because it might start soon, and I want you to know that I'm here for you. No matter what." my dad smiled warmly. I blinked, and he was gone. I'd never seen him do that before.

Charlie, he's telling the truth. If it does happen this summer, I'm going with you.

I shook my head, forcing Harry out of my mind. I didn't need this. I stuffed the rest of my things in my bag, and checked my phone. I had seventeen new messages, all from my best friend Willow. Willow was the daughter of Grover and Juniper Underwood. Willow, the third of nine, was the exact same age as me and Andy, but Willow had never really liked her. She had faked being friends with Andy up until the third grade, when she just couldn't take it anymore. Andy had found other friends. Willow wasn't a bad person, but she was the talkative one, and Andy was too talkative for her liking.

Willow U. - Charlie! It's six and you're not up yet! My mom had me up at the crack of dawn girl!

Willow U.- Oh Gods, don't tell me you haven't packed yet! Oh I knew it…

Willow U.- Poppy is KILLING me Charlie, I NEEEEED you!

There were so many other texts, more about Poppy, Bazil's older sister and one of my closest friends. I grinned, and typed back a response. But I still couldn't get my father's words out of my head.

Willow

My phone buzzed from my bedside table, and I reached out to grab it, hoping Charlie was almost ready for camp. But Dawn, my youngest sister, snatched up my phone before I could even react. Dawn was always a trouble maker, and that scared me to death. I glared at her, and Dawn giggled.

"Give. It. Back. Now." I gritted my teeth as she shook her head, her red curls flying up with her every movement. I had the exact same type of hair, and I hated every second of it. I was always stuffing my hair into my dad's old Rasta cap. I swung my legs off of my bed, and chased my sister down the halls, our curls bouncing with us.

"Donnie!" I screamed, dodging my brother Green and shoving past my sister Mell. I nearly tripped on an old Kleenex, and watched in horror as my sister ran straight to the bathroom, a big smile on her face. I was not smiling. I ran in just in time, only to see her standing over the toilet with my unprotected phone. I regretted taking the case of now.

"Dawn please, that's my phone, it's important." I took a hesitant step toward her, and her grip on the phone lessened. "No! Please!" It felt ridiculous to yell about something as stupid as a phone, but I needed to see what Charlie was up too, she could've died for all I know.

My mother rushed in just in time. She grabbed the phone out of Dawn's hands and sent her to her room. Dawn pouted, but my mother was persistent. Dawn ran out of the room in tears. My mother turned to me, and I was reminded of how pretty she was.

My mother had light green skin, but it didn't matter, because her red hair evened it all out. I didn't really have her complexion, just a small hint of green. She had always been there for me, she was the type of mother who listened intently, and always had the right thing to say. She loved me for who I was, and I couldn't thank her enough. My mom handed me the phone.

"Next time dear, keep it in its case." My mom smiled at me, and I retaliated. "Are you all packed for camp?" she asked me. I grinned and nodded, and rushed back to my room, shutting my door and locking it, just after checking to make sure there weren't any little demon children hiding under the bed.

I turned my phone on, and grinned at my long message from Charlie.

C.J.- Hey Willy, yes, I am packed. Just waiting on Luke and Harry now. My dad told me some pretty crazy stuff about a prophecy… I wish my stupid brothers would hurry up; I'm dying to see camp! I know you are too. Do you think anyone will like me there? I'm worried that my heritage will throw people off…

I responded back with a cheesy yet completely true message. Then I grabbed my duffel, and rushed out the door.

Hello! This was about five pages long, so yeah… I'm very excited for this story and have big plans! So R&R! Oh, F&F!