A/N First chapter or this first story! Reviews are always welcome and advice is highly respected (: Try not to be too hard on me though!

~FoxyFlames~

"Come back, Monnie! We'll make it better, I promise. I found myself a job. Mika's all grown up now! Don't you want to see your little baby as a big girl now? She's almost fourteen. Ten years since you last saw her. She looks just like you, you'd be so shocked. But it makes it hard, sometimes. Monnie, it hurts her when people ask her if her daddy's the one she looks like. It kills her to have to tell people that it is her daddy, but he's gone. Just come back, Monnie, and make everything all better for her. Please? Monnie! I need you! Please." My mom's voice fades down into a whisper as she talks into the empty phone line, and then rises to a shriek. "Monnie, Mika's been having weird things going on. Weird even for a teenager. When she sleeps, it's like she's dead. When she wakes up, she asks me about things that never happened, rambles about people I've never heard of. I need you to help me cope. It's getting harder, Monnie. Just come back!"

I wince at the hysterical cries on my mom. Every word pierces my heart like a thousand needles. Things that never happened… people I've never heard of. I close my eyes and try not to focus on her pleas. "She's just hurt," I whisper to myself, trying to alleviate my own hurting. And she is. When my dad left, my mom fell to pieces. She barely pulled herself together enough to secure a job as a waitress at the diner down the street. Every day for ten years my mom begs to a silent phone for my dad to come back. Every time, she tells him about how strange I am, and won't he help her?

"Dreams, Monnie. Her dreams scare me. They're starting to come to life. One day, she told me that her friend, Kristi, was going to come over. I told her, 'Mika, I've never heard of a girl named Kristi in my life.' And I hadn't. But Mika just said, 'Mom, Kristi visited me last night. In my head. She's coming over tomorrow afternoon for lunch.' I didn't know what to do. But the next afternoon, right before lunch, this American girl with long brown hair and big green eyes came over! Her dreams, Monnie. They scare me."

I remember that time, the time my friend Kristi came over so many years ago. How I long for her still. I could tell her all about my troubles, and she'd just listen to me. But that night, in my dreams, she came to me and said, "Mika, I have to leave you. I'm back where I belong." And I haven't seen her in my dreams or in my life since. Just like I haven't seen my father. Except he didn't give me any warning.

I hear my mom set the phone back in its stand. "Mika! Come here! We need to talk about something very important."

I force myself off my bed and out into the living room of our apartment. My mom stands with her back to me, her black hair falling out of its bun. "Mika, please. Tell me one thing."

"What? What is it Mom?" I'm worried. "Mom, what's wrong? Is something wrong? Are you feeling all right?"

My mom just sighs and whispers, "Have you seen your father? Have you seen your father in your dreams?"

I'm struck silent. My mom never asks me about my dreams. She's scared to death about them. "My…dreams? Why would I see Dad in my dreams?"

"Because you've seen so many things in your dreams, Mika! And you were three when he left. Three! And yet, when I asked you a few months ago to describe him, you gave me a perfect description! If you haven't seen him in your dreams, how else would you know how your father looks? It's not like there are pictures of him lying around the house!" My mom has turned around, and now she waves her arms about wildly.

"Alright! Alright, I have. I have. Once. Just once. We didn't talk. I don't even think he saw me. But I knew he was Dad as soon as I saw him. I just knew. There, are you happy?" I'm breathing heavily now. My anger has caused me to spit out the one secret I cherished, the one memory I really wanted to keep secret. But it's out there, now. My mom knows it now. There's nothing good I have left for me. Nothing.

"Mika, why didn't you tell me? Your own mother! You wouldn't tell me? You saw your father and you won't tell me. Where did I go wrong with the parenting?" she wonders, glaring up at the ceiling. "Where?"

"You know why Dad left, don't you?" I accuse her. Now it's her turn to give me a shocked-yet-guilty look. "You know why, and you didn't tell me."

She sniffs in indignation. "I do. It's my choice, however, what to tell you and what to keep from you. Now, Mika Kim, you're grounded until I say. Go to your room."

The cold dismissal, and still the secret keeping, drives me insane. "Fine! I guess it won't matter whether or not I ever find Dad, huh? Apparently, knowing anything about my father doesn't matter. If I do happen to meet him, he'll definitely want to come back to a woman who won't tell her own daughter about him! Psh, you wanted help raising me? Maybe you should try raising me yourself!" With that I run back into my room and slam the door as hard as I can, probably waking up all the elderly Koreans that live around us. "Stupid family!" I scream into my pillow. "Stupid Dad, Stupid Mom, stupid dreams! Especially you, Dad," I shriek, every word aimed at the man who wouldn't even acknowledge me in a dream. "If you hadn't left, I wouldn't be stuck in this mess in the first place!" I yell curses and hateful things into my pillow, and then cry myself out and eventually fall into a restless sleep, where I know no happiness awaits me.

The wind blows over a tall hill and the branches of a tall pine tree sway gently. Two kids, a girl and a boy stand under it. The girl says, "She's still out there. Time's running out, Lukas. We don't have a lot of time. They could get there any minute." Fear is evident in her deep blue eyes. Blonde curls swing around in the breeze. She looks like a model from a shampoo commercial. "Any minute."

"Well then, shouldn't we get started? After all, time isn't going to stop for us. Well, not for you, Jenny," the boy says, laughing. His eyes are gold and shine like the sun. His hair is a sandy brown, and he has an easy-going look about him. "Let's ask Chiron and go already! I'm sick of waiting around."

"Don't be hasty," warns the girl. "For all you know, she could be a lot more powerful than you. Even if she's the daughter of a minor, and you of a Titan, she could easily best you." Titan, titan. So familiar, but so far away. If only I'd paid more attention in school! Titan, titan…

"Blah, blah, blah. Less talking, more moving. And what's that about the daughter of a minor beating me? Psh, so not happening. You can come if you want. I'm off," says the boy, walking past the tree and starting down the hill.

The girl's arm snaps out and snatches at the boy's wrist. "Hey!" he protests.

She holds him firmly. "Listen, Lukas. I don't find it funny, at all, that you think you're so good you can beat anything. Stay here." The last two words sound richer, stronger. The boy's eyes become unfocused for a second, but then he shakes his head and glares at her.

"Oh yeah? Well listen, pretty girl. I got news for you and for your dopey charmspeak. You can try all you want to stop me. Sure, this camp beat my dad. No biggie to me. I'll be the first to admit he did some pretty bad stuff. But your little model mama wouldn't last two seconds against me. Lucky you and your siblings get only half of your mama's genes. Or whatever she gives you. But if you had all of her, you'd be as useless as a cupcake: Pretty, filling for a second, but useless."

The girl's face turns red, and she splutters, "Useless! Listen, Reynolds. I don't know anybody in this camp who gives a drachma about you and your evil daddy. Whatever. But you insult my Mom, my cabin, you're going to end up just like you're daddy. So shut it and let's go to Chiron, shall we?" Chiron is Greek. Maybe the Chiron is a camp director or something. He's probably of a Greek descent.

"Fine, whatever. Let's just go and get it over with," Lukas mutters and sprints down the hill. Jenny rolls her eyes, tosses her blonde hair over her shoulder, and runs after him. I take a step towards them, but my dream dissolves into wisps of smoke and I wake up.

Weekends aren't pleasant for me, contrary to what most kids think. I've got one friend, Loisa, but she's not the type who hangs out with her friends on the weekends or after school. She likes to stay at home with her cats and knit. Which is ridiculous, because we live in Connecticut. In the summer months, it's so hot and most kids like to go swimming, or leave the East Coast to some place cooler. I decide to go to the diner that my mom works at and get a sundae or something to cheer myself up.

I enter the eighty's style diner and seat myself at the bar. "Sundae," I order, sliding a five dollar bill across the counter. The waitress, Gertude, takes it and slips it into the register. She hands me my change, an ice cream sundae, and a spoon. "Thanks," I say, and she nods and walks off to serve another customer. Since my mom works here, all the staff knows me. Since they know me, they know better than to try to socialize with me.

Except there's someone new here. His eyes are like gold and his hair is sandy. I gasp slightly. Not again, this is not happening again. He meets my gaze and his eyes widen a little. He covers it up with a cocky grin and he saunters over. "Well hello, little lady," he says with a wink. I give him a disgusted look. "How's your day been?"

"It's ten in the morning," I retort, giving him a suspicious glare. "And, for your information, Gregory," I say, sneaking a glance at his name badge. "I'm expecting a boy my age named Lukas, and a girl with blonde hair named Jenny. Would you happen to know them?"

Gregory looks taken aback. "Um, what?"

"Lukas Reynolds and Jenny's his friend. They go to a camp together. I do remember hearing them come after me though. Ah, I remember why I thought of this! You look just like Lukas!" I say brightly. Gregory looks severely uncomfortable. "Why, it's like you popped right out of my dream," I marvel, looking him up and down. "Wow, very similar in resemblance. Shocking, really."

"How do you know Lukas?" Gregory asks. His grin is gone and he sounds worried. "When did you talk to him?"

I shrug. "I never talked to him. I never did. I mean, I saw him in a dream. Son of a Titan, perhaps?"

Gregory scans the diner quickly while I take a mouthful of ice cream. "Alright, fine. I am Lukas, alright? I used some magic to look older so that I could get a better look at you. Jenny doesn't know I'm here, okay? So don't tell anyone or sound any alarm. I just wanted to get you before—"

A boy my age walks into the diner. He's got shaggy black hair swept across his forehead. Black eyes peer out through the bangs. "Whoa, he's hot." The words are out of my mouth before I even think about them. I blush violently and mutter something about sweat under my breath.

Lukas groans and glares at the boy. "This is who I wanted to avoid," he confides in me. He ducks behind the counter and a few minutes later the real Lukas is standing in front of me. My height, my age with sandy blonde hair and the same liquid gold eyes. He's now dressed in a simple orange t-shirt and jeans. "Camp Half-Blood?" I ask, reading his shirt.

"It's nothing. Just go to your apartment, okay? I'll be there eventually. This is not going to be pretty," he mutters, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket. He flips it open, but there isn't a dial pad of a screen. The inside of the cell phone is lined with retractable knives, tiny darts and a little vial filled with a vibrant purple liquid. "Go!" he whispers.

I waste no time in scooting off the counter seat and crossing to the door on the opposite side of the hot boy. I avoid his gaze, which I feel on me, searing my side like a blowtorch. "Out of here," I mutter.

I'm just outside of the diner when screams reach me. I pause, unsure what to do. Go to my apartment or see what happened? I follow my instinct and run back into the diner.

The black haired boy is slumped onto a table. A waitress and the people at the table are screaming, because blood is seeping from the boy's arm through his jacket onto the table. I look around wildly for Lukas. He's at the door, looking at me with wide eyes. "Mika! Please, get out of here!"

"What did you do?" I shriek, and only after I yell do I realize it probably wasn't a smart idea to shout that. Everyone's staring at Lukas now. Lukas curses in another language which instantly registers as Greek in my mind.

"Hurry up!" he screams, and then bolts out. I run out after him just as police cars pull up to the curb, sirens ringing and lights flashing. I caught up with Lukas and grabbed his hand. "Pretend we're a couple trying to get away from the craziness," I mutter, and he gives a subtle nod. I walk really close to him and our fingers entwine.

"Hey, kids! Stop!"

We stop and turn around. "Hello, Officer, uh, Jenson," I say, smiling at the officer's name badge. Her blonde hair is in a tight blonde bun beneath her cap.

"Mika Kim?" The officer peers at me. "What are you doing with this boy?"

"He's my boyfriend!" I lie, trying to sound surprised that she didn't know that. "Once the commotion started in the diner, we wanted to get away from it. I think we're going to go to the café a few blocks down. You know, for privacy." I blush slightly and hope the officer takes it the right way.

"Lukas, you're supposed to collect her, not date her," the officer scowls and mutters quietly to Lukas. She turns to the other cops. "I'll take them from here. I'll just ask them a few questions and then be on my way," she says. They nod and go into the building.

We round a corner and I turn to the officer. Only she's not an officer anymore. She's the girl I saw on the hill in my dream, Jenny. Her hair is loose and falls past her shoulder in perfect curls. Her blue eyes are large and bright. She's dressed in a blue tank top and a short black skirt with white leggings. She directs a steely glare at Lukas. "Lukas, what are you doing out here?"

"Does everyone transform?" I ask. "Because this is getting a tiny bit annoying. Next thing I know my mom is going to be turning into Dracula or something."

Jenny cocks her head slightly and gives me a questioning look. "He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" I ask, looking at Lukas. He's shuffling his feet and staring at the sidewalk. "Lukas?"

"Tell me what you heard in your dreams. Tell me what you know."

"Something about Son of a Titan, daughter of a minor, which makes no sense because my mom is definitely over eighteen, and someone called Chiron? I think that was the name…"

Lukas' face pales and Jenny says, "Mika, do you know what a Titan is? A centaur? Do you know anything about the Greek gods?"

"The Greek gods. Um, yeah, I kind of remember learning about them in sixth grade. A couple of years ago. Let's see… there were twelve of them, right? Like Zeus was the king or something with the thunder in his hands. And Poseidon was the water guy, and Hades the king of death. And I remember, um, that Persephone was stolen by Hades, right? And she ate the apple…"

"Pomegranate," Jenny interrupts me. I shoot her a sour look and she shrugs and motions for me to continue.

"Anyways, those gods, right? The twelve people who walk around on a mountain with togas and little donkey people running around serving them? Or are they the ones who lounge on couches and eat from platters held by cherubs?" I ask. "Because I can't remember anything to save my life."

"But you remember your dreams," Lukas says. "And I'd bet a drachma that you can remember every dream you've had since you were four."

The age four is a rather touchy subject. "Um, why four, exactly?"

"Those are when your dreams started, right?"

I stare at him. "How did you know that?"

"He's a good gut guesser," Jenny snaps, glaring at Lukas. "And he's going to shut his mouth until I'm done speaking. Right?" she asks him, and he nods his head a little to quickly for it to be natural. Something in his eyes, or rather what's missing, tells me he's not up to his usual confidence.

"Right, so you saw the boy with the dark hair and dark eyes," states Jenny. "He's an enemy. No questions asked, no lies given. You'll see him when we reach our destination. Do not talk with him, whatever anyone says. Just remember that this boy, no matter how sweet and gooey he may seem, is not a friend."

"Why?"

"Didn't you hear me? No questions asked, no lies given," she sighs. "But the point is he's going to try to make friends with you. He's done it for everyone. But I warn you this: the ones who accept him accept their death and disappearance forever. I guarantee it."

Her chilling warning makes the warm summer day sends shivers down my spine, and I shudder. "So where are we going?" I ask to change the subject.

A dark shadow Jenny's radiant features, turning them from stunning to sinister. "This is the sticky part. We're going to be seeing your mom, Lois Kim."

"Ms. Kim? We're here to see you."

My mom opens the apartment door and sighs with relief. "Oh good," she breathes. "You're not here with the police. You've stayed out of trouble."

"Maybe not the mortal police," Jenny says, shooting my mom a sharp glance. My mom pales until she's as white as paper and starts trembling. Without welcoming us in, she goes into the living room and lowers herself, trembling, onto a couch.

"You came. You knew I was hiding her here. When I heard about the war that ravaged New York, I thought about sending her. But he… he came to me. He told me I wasn't to send her to Camp, but to his army. To the Titan. But I couldn't leave Mika alone!"

Lukas tightens up around Titan. Jenny freezes around Camp. I tense up when my mom says he. "He was here? Dad was here?"

My mom avoids my gaze. "Mika, last year, he came back. He asked me to give you up. At least give me credit for trying to keep you safe. You could have died out there."

"I don't care," I say sullenly. "I don't care. He was here, and you never even told me. He was here. Here. Here."

"I'm sorry," she whispers, and I evade her gaze, directing my anger by pinpointing my sight on a white dot in the dark wood by my shoe.

"Well, we're taking her to Camp now, today," Jenny says. I hear my mom suck in a breath. "So we just dropped in to let you know. Lois, you can't hold on to her forever."

"Alright," my mom whispers. "Alright, you can take her. But promise me one thing," she says, grabbing on to Jenny's wrist as she started to rise and yanking her back down. "Jennifer, promise me one thing."

"How do you know her name?" I ask, my curiosity winning out over my anger.

"She will not go on a quest."

Jenny sighs. "I'll file in the request for Chiron. But the Oracle chooses who the Oracle chooses," Jenny says in a warning tone. My mom nods, her lips pressed together in a tight line, the way it is when she anxious. She tries to gather me in a hug, but I push her away and out of the three of us, I'm the first out the door.

"So where is this camp?" I ask once we're on the street, all of us searching for a taxi, because apparently Lukas is "fresh out of drachmas". "How do we get there?"

Lukas smiles slightly, his gold eyes glowing with excitement and fun. "And now we enter the most fun part of our journey; and the most dangerous."