A/N: Hello readers! This is Emberwind8 with a new story, 'Flickering Flames'! Enjoy!


I do not own the PJO series

Chapter One:

My name is Embrina Marley Cheddar, more commonly known as Ember. I live in Amelia City, Florida and am currently attending Haxwyn High School. I'm sixteen years old, and only have two friends: Cat Ferris, and Glenn Kelsey. I'm a loner. No one in my school knows anything about me, or even my first name. Cat and I live only with our fathers, both of our mothers left after we were born. We've grown up used to it.

Today, Haxwyn is taking a field trip to Long Island, New York. It'll be the first time there for Cat and I, but apparently it was where Glenn grew up before Amelia City. I can't say I'm looking forward to it, from what I've heard, it's loud, and cold, and busy. I'm not used to towering buildings and cars racing across the street. Where I live, everything is quiet and peaceful.

I had to wake up at three in the morning to get ready for school. It was awful. The only good thing about this trip is the ride there. We're going by coach bus and driving for fourteen straight hours, obviously with some stops along the way for food. Too many people this would sound like torture, but I've always enjoyed long rides. I just like to sit and listen to music while watching the cities from the window. I find it calming; it helps me get away from my numerous troubles.

I dress in a green t-shirt with a sweatshirt overtop, along with blue jeans and sneakers. Wearing this during spring in Florida might give you a heat stroke, so it feels weird. My father isn't awake yet, so I leave without saying goodbye, and instead leave a note. Outside of my small house, Cat and Glenn are waiting for me. We're all neighbors. The school's in waking distance, so obviously we walk there. We're too tired to even talk to each other. It's four o'clock now, and the buses are lined up in the parking lot. Our teachers are outside, greeting everyone and placing them on a bus.

When we get up there, the bus we get on is half empty, or half full if you're optimistic, unlike me. There are three seats per row, so Cat, Glenn, and I all get to sit together. Nobody talks to us as we sit down. I can't tell if it's because they're so tired, or because they didn't even know we went to their school. I'm still too tired to talk, so I put my ear buds into my pathetic mp3 player and play some music. My father won't allow me to have anything more than that for some reason.

Before the buses have started moving, I've listened to about fifteen Beatles songs. The engine finally starts making its annoying little noises, and the wheels start turning. Cat and I exchange glances that are meant to mean something like, 'Oh look, we're leaving', or something along those lines.

It takes another three hours to become fully awake. By this point, sleeping people are waking up, and conversations are brewing. Sadly, Cat and I still sleeping, and if Glenn and I were to start speaking, she would wake up. I never sleep on anything other than a bed, and I don't see how she could possibly do that. I've found that it's a good idea not to wake her up, unless I want to be injured. Thankfully, the voices around us wake her up automatically, so no bruises this time.

"What time is it?" she asks me drearily.

"Seven o'clock," I answer. On a normal day, I would be starting school now.

"Where are we?" she asks.

"I think we're around one of the Carolinas, maybe South Carolina," I answer again. We're three fourteenths of the way there. Yay.

The next eleven hours go by surprisingly quickly, and by the time we get to New York, it's five in the afternoon, but it would normally be six in Florida. You may be wondering why we would have a field trip that late, but this is a special trip that you have to sign up to go on, and we had to pay for hotel rooms. The trip is from now until four in the morning two days from now, so we get over twenty-four hours in New York, of course not counting the time spent sleeping.

"All right everyone, we're going to go put our things in the hotel rooms, and then we're going to wander around in groups for a while! Okay?" one of the teachers accompanying the trip announces. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something in the window, but I can't tell what it is. Glenn seems to have seen it too, and looks a bit worried.

Everyone mumbles in agreement. "So where are we, exactly?" I ask Glenn.

"The town of Montauk in Long Island," he answers, "where I grew up."

"So do you know where everything is?" questions Cat.

"Pretty much. And there's somewhere you guys need to see today, it's right by here. I'll take you."

"Okay."

The bus doors open, and everyone rushes out, leaving my friends and I to get off last. As I'd expected, the streets are alight with cars, and it doesn't seem like there is any place nearby to escape the clamor. While the teachers get ready to take role, Cat, Glenn, and I sneak off to wherever the place he wants to show us is, which is apparently close enough to get to and come back without anyone noticing our absence. We hurriedly climb a tall hill to a place called 'Delphi Strawberry Service.'

"Is that really what we came here for?" I ask, annoyed.

"In a way, yes," Glenn answers, but still keeps trekking up the hill, until he gets to a sigh engraved with symbols that may be Latin. While looking at it again, the symbols seem to rearrange into English. So if I hadn't already mentioned, I'm extremely dyslexic, as is Cat, but what makes me different from her is that I also have ADHD. It's a lovely combination.

Suddenly, I hear a screech coming from the sky above me. We all look up immediately, and see what appears to be none other than a dragon. Yes, a dragon. And as we are looking to the dragon, the dragon looks down to us. I can see flares start to form in its nostrils, and then, see a fiery inferno blast from its mouth. Crap.

"Into the gate, now!" Glenn commands, and him and Cat dart through the gate. But I'm mesmerized by the sight, and stand still in shock. This is why having ADHD is the most wonderful, amazing thing you could hope for.

"Em! What are you doing?! Get in here!" Cat shrieks. But I just watch the flames shoot though the air to where I'm standing.

"Em! EM!" Cat screams, but it's too late. I'm engulfed by the flames. But no, I'm dead. At least, I don't believe I am. I could be, I guess. I reach out my arm, which is fully functional and has, surprisingly, not been scorched. I look at Glenn and Cat in awe, who return the same expression. Finally, the dragon lets up, and Cat runs out of the gate and pulls me in.


A/N: So what did you think? Like it? Review! And read my other stories!