My day was great. Keyword: was. Then, he came. And that's when I knew from then on, my whole life would be more complicated. Or as complicated it can get when you're Annabeth Chase.

I started running, but something kept holding me back- as if I was running in slow-motion. Then, I saw what I was running from. It was horrific; it's misshapen body, grimy and unappealing to the eyes. My heart started pounding. It was a monster. It's hideous, red, glowing eyes bore into me like a rusty blade. I couldn't move. I was paralyzed, as if a force was freezing time along with me. It's nasty, dirty talons swiped at me. I jumped to the side, but it was too late. I was hit. Blood flew out of my left side like an over-flowing river. That's when I saw him. A boy my age came into my dream. I knew I had never seen him, because I would've remembered such beautiful eyes. Sea-green, with rebellion, hate, and hope. Then, he looked in me, no, not at me. In me. As if his majestic orbs were looking into my soul, only seeing the good in me.

"Annabeth!" He yelled.

I was surprised. How did this mysterious stranger know my name? And why did his voice sound so familiar?

"Annabeth!" He yelled yet again, more annoyed this time. "Annabeth! Wake up!"

Light flooded my vision. I blinked my eyes open, only to see my half-brother, Malcolm, sitting on my bunk.

"What do you want, Malcolm?"

"It's time for breakfast down at the Pavilion. I thought it would be a good idea to wake you up, seeing as you're, um, I don't know? The freaking head counselor?" He said this with a whole lot of sass in his voice.

"Well, then good morning to you too. Mr. Sassy-pants," I smirked.

"Right back at ya."

Then he did that thing that you snap and make a finger gun, then click your tongue. I laughed and woke up the rest of the cabin, with Mr. Sassy-pants' help of course. I then took a shower and got dressed. Once I was ready, I took my cabin down to Pavilion. While everyone was still chatting, I was thinking about my dream. Who was that boy? And why was there so much power behind those eyes, those eyes that that made him look so innocent and guilty at the same time?

"Annabeth, are you okay?" Sophie, my half-sister, asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, Soph, I'm fine."

"You just look kind of out of it."

I smirked and ruffled her short, blonde hair.

"No, I was just thinking."

"Well, that's not a surprise," Sophie laughed. "But, maybe you could think louder?"

I couldn't help but smile. Sophie was such a sweetheart, and I knew she looked up to me, even though she was only a year younger.

"Maybe later, but know I think we should go up to burn our food," I laughed.

Sophie laughed as we went to offer our breakfast to the gods.

I went to Archery and Sword practice after breakfast. Nothing eventful happened, just the normal Chiron teaching the younger ones how to hold a bow correctly, while the others, (including me) would go and shoot by ourselves. Then, the normal Luke would teach us a normal sword technique. So you would think I would've had a normal lunch, right? Wrong. This is how it started.

"Luke!" I yelled.

"What, Annie?"

"I wanted to ask you-Hey! Don't call me Annie!"

"But that's the whole reason why I call you that. I love seeing you so flustered."

If anyone else called me Annie, they would've had my knife in them in less than 5 seconds, but Luke was different. He was my only family that I really had. Sure, my mom is a goddess, but she doesn't have time to care about me. Same with my dad. He betrayed me by staying with that witch I dare to call my step-mom. The only other family I had was Thalia, the only problem was, that she was a freaking tree. Luke was the only one I could trust.

"Anyways, I was wondering about that disarming maneuver you taught us during practice. I just can't get it done with my knife," I asked.

He looked at me and smiled. His scar rippled, and I gazed into his eyes, and I knew that even though Luke smiled, it didn't mean he was happy. In fact, I haven't seen him happy since Thalia left us. Maybe it was because they were best friends. Maybe it was because when their matching electric-blue eyes met, they knew exactly what the other was going to say. But, what I think best reason was that they were in love.

"Sure, just after I beat up the Stoll's butts. Yesterday, I let them use my shaving cream. Let's just say you were right with telling me I shouldn't have."

"When am I ever wrong? And I would love to see you beat them senseless. They stole my alarm clock on Friday, so Malcolm had to wake me up for the past two days. I don't think either of us are enjoying that," I laughed.

"Yeah, and I don't enjoy waking up in a bunk full of shaving cream," Luke chuckled.

So after my talk with my role-model, I went to eat lunch with my Malcolm about how Luke was gonna kick the Stoll's butts, and that we could plan our revenge later. Mwah ha ha! (Cues evil lightning) Yeah, don't ever mess with a child of Athena. We ALWAYS have a plan. Then, Chiron comes to me.

"Annabeth, where's Sophie?"

"I don't know, why?"

"Her parents, they want to talk to her."

"What? But I thought they were kidnapped?"

"They were found."

My brain was going overboard. What? How was that even possible? They were gone for, like, 3 years! Everyone thought of them dead. Her dad, he was a nuclear physicist, married her step-mom. Luckily for Soph, she wasn't evil. Then, one day while Sophie was at camp, she found out that her whole family had been kidnapped. Her dad, step-mom, even her step-sister. I went to go find Sophie, Chiron followed me, and I remember her saying this morning that she was going to be by the lake.

"Soph?"

I heard sobbing.

"What do you want Annabeth?"

"Sophie, I want to talk."

"About what?"

"About your family."

"That's why I cry, Annabeth! I want them back so bad, it's crazy. But they aren't coming back, and they never will…"

I heard more sobbing. I always knew Sophie went to cry by the lake, but it broke my heart to see it in person.

"That's exactly what I want to talk to you about. Sophie, they came back."

"What?" She asked, and I could hear the uncertainty in her voice, as if she was scared that I was joking.

"They were found. Today. Chiron has them on the phone, and they want to talk to you."

Sophie stepped out with red, puffy eyes and a smile on her face. She was still sobbing, but I knew that these were tears of joy. She ran up to me and gave me a hug.

"Thank you," She whispered.

"No, thank you."

"For what?"

"Caring."

Sophie looked confused as she pulled away, but didn't ask any longer to what I meant. I smiled as I saw her run up to the big house, laughing and dancing like a lunatic.

Next, I had canoe races and the climbing wall. Nothing happened there, so I thought that my excitement was done for the day, but I didn't have any clue how wrong I was.

I was just finishing up dinner and was about to start cleaning the dishes with the rest of the Athena kids, when Chiron pulled me back, away from the others.

"Annabeth, we need to talk."

"What?" I asked.

"Something happened, about a year ago-you know, I'll wait to tell you inside of the big house. Come meet me there once you're done with your chores."

"Sure thing, Chiron."

As he trotted off, I could feel the tension in the air. Either I had to go to a funeral, or I might go on a quest. You can never tell with Chiron, he thinks of both of them quite tragic. But I wanted a quest so badly, to get out into the world. No one (or thing) likes to be cooped up in a place for too long. And I wanted to be free.

Malcolm poked me out of my thoughts. "You coming, or gonna stare into open space for eternity?"

"Ow, yeah, I'm coming," I whined, rubbing my side, where he tazed me.

Malcolm laughed and then asked me, "Do you know where Sophie is? I haven't seen her since lunch."

"Yeah, great news, Malcolm, they were found."

"WHAT? Am I the last one to know this? I mean I don't live in Gossip Central, but I still should know what was going on."

"I think she went home, but it scares me to think, that maybe she'll leave us forever."

"Don't worry Annabeth, she'll come back. I know she will."

I sighed and hoped that what Malcolm said was true. She wasn't going to leave me like everyone else in my life, at least Luke didn't. Yet. I knew that one day he would get too old for camp, and would go live in the city, but I needed one family that would always be there. And Soph was like the little sister I never had.

"Come on, we have dishes to clean," He smiled.

I smiled, thinking that I'll always have Malcolm, no matter how annoying and bratty he can be.

"Last one to the kitchen is a rotten egg!"

After a painfully hot experience washing dishes, (of course we had to wash with lava) I went over to the big house to meet Chiron. I searched the porch, and when he wasn't there, I went inside the house. I saw him playing pinochle with Dionysus.

"Aha! I win! 1,902 is my lucky number! Whoop!"

"Sorry Dionysus, I win yet again."

"Shoot. 1,903?"

"Maybe later, Mr. D. I need to talk to Annabeth about what's happening on Olympus."

"Such a shame, I don't think I'll ever win," Mr. D sighed.

"Me neither. Annabeth, why don't you come in here?"

"Sure thing Chiron, what's it that you wanted to talk about?"
He sighed and paused, as if trying to think of how to say it.

"What happened in Olympus?"

"Someone stole it."

I waited for him to tell me more, but he didn't.

"What? That's all you're going to tell me? I already knew that! The satyrs have been talking about something stolen for months!"

"Annabeth, someone stole-"

He was cut off by Chris, who ran through the door, not even knocking.

"He's here."