Chapter 1= I Banish fellow Campers
Most people seem to think children from the big three are the most powerful demigods there are. And they used to be right, before I existed. Before I begin though, lets get something straight. I am not dangerous. That is, unless you're an unfriendly monster. But I behave just like any other normal human being, minus all my godlike powers and such, but that's beside the point. So now that that's all out of the way, we can begin.
Nobody would have suspected me of being a demigod. I wasn't ADHD, didn't have dyslexia, I wasn't routinely kicked out of schools, and I had two parents. As I now know, they aren't my real parents. But they loved, and cared for me like real parents would, even after their divorce, so I can't complain. I never even suspected a thing.
My life was as normal as the next girls. I did very well in school, and played musical instruments. (Unfortunately, not including the vocals. Horrible experience for everyone…) I liked to read, write, sew and cook. I was a lithe and flexible dancer, and was in the school play. I had loads of friends, and even a so-called twin brother named Adrian. What could have gone wrong? Well I'll tell you…
It started when I was twelve years old, in the summer before seventh grade. It was the fifth week of summer, and I was at summer camp. Having already been to two weeks of day camp, and two weeks at sleep away camp, I had summer fever. I was going back to another week of day camp, and Monday and Tuesday passed by in a fun blur. Come Wednesday, I had already had my swimming lesson, went to the game room, and went to drama class. Then, it was time for our group to go on the high ropes. My friends, Laura and Reagan, bubbled with excitement as we waited our turns. Laura, with her bulky, athletic figure, and Reagan with her classic beauty of straight dark chestnut hair and deep blue eyes. Patiently, we all stood there as quietly as we could. Those who had already finished the course were storytelling on the details of what had happened during their turn. While Laura and Reagan chatted on what they had planned that afternoon, I quietly gazed around. The, "whoosh" of cars passing us on the highway, the tall majestic trees supporting the courses above our heads, and of course, Ryan and Kyle each got a turn.
The brutish bully, and classic jerk going by the name Ryan. He spread fake rumors, and would purposely aggravate and annoy you until he got what he wanted. Sometimes, just entertainment by annoying you and waiting for a reaction. Then there was Kyle. Who was quiet, and shy. Who always wore pants, and his b-boy cap. I remember him from school. He was a grade above me, and was in the play as well. He even scored a lead role! As my thoughts ran free, more and more people had their turns. Before I knew it, Reagan was shaking my shoulder.
"Lily! Earth to Lily!" Reagan giggled. "It is your turn, I repeat, it is your turn!"
Being Pulled back down to reality, I realized she was right, and Laura was already halfway up the tree!
"Oh. Right." I muttered, "Thanks Reagan."
Absentmindedly, I pulled on the harness and helmet, and walked to the instructor. She expertly attached my harness to the rope with a carabineer, and tightened the rope.
"On belay." She declared.
I nodded to let her know I got the message. "May I begin climbing?" I asked.
"Climb on." She answered.
Grasping onto the ladder, I began to ascend. The tree was easy. I breezed over the ladder, and then up the hooks drilled into the tree.
"Go Lily!' Reagan cried from below.
"You can do it!" Laura encouraged from above.
"Well, duh." I thought. "The six year olds do this course!"
In no time I had pulled myself up onto the platform.
"Nice job." The instructor commented. "That was one of the fastest times I've seen!"
"Thanks." I politely muttered, and then went back to my fascination of the bird's eye view. I was up fifty feet in the air, and that wasn't an everyday occurrence! Looking down, I saw Reagan getting into her harness, some other campers talking to one another, Kyle, but strangely enough Ryan and a few of his cronies weren't to be seen.
"Whatever." I thought. "They're probably all fighting over who's the stupidest of them all."
"You can go now!" The instructor said. "And have fun!"
I looked down, to realize he had already hooked me from the tree element, to the wobbly log.
"Thank you." I said, and then took the first step onto the log. It swayed slightly, but quickly regained steadiness. I started walking across at a measured pace. Heights don't scare me that much, thus the roller coaster junkie I am, but adrenaline always gets to me before I can calm down. The element was actually really easy, and wasn't difficult in any way. The only reason anyone would have had trouble finishing it, was if they had height issues.
"But then again," I thought, 'Why would someone scared of heights, participate in the high ropes course?"
My mind started wondering that if I fell from this height, I would turn into a pancake when I hit the ground. Before I knew it, I was at the other end of the wobbly log.
"Finally!" I thought. "The zip line!"
To complete the high ropes course, participants make their way over pre-chosen elements to finish at the zip line.
I stepped onto the next platform, and waited patiently as the instructor hooked me onto the ropes. Then he had me sit back into my harness, and I was off!
The wind tore into my hair, causing it to ripple and wave. My eyes burned in the wind, but I refused to close them intent on not missing a second of my ride. As I started to enter the trees, my neck started to tingle, as if anticipating something. A branch snapped to my left, and I turned my head so sharply, my momentum carried and spun my entire harness to the left right as a human face, connected to the body of a lion, connected to a leathery, spiky, tail containing huge thorns.
"What is that?" I cried, and started thrashing around in my harness. Then I realized that face wasn't just any face, it was Ryan's face! My body went limp with realization, and a dribble of cold perspiration chilled my still tingling neck. The woods to both sides of me have been eerily quiet, and I slide about another ten feet before it launches itself at me again.
Prepared this time, I quickly wrap my loop of rope from my shoulder around the beast's head as he flies past me. It realized the presence of the rope, and starts to thrash. It was so busy struggling; it didn't pay attention on landing, and started to plummet thirty feet below. With a little squeak, I realized I was connected to the other end of the rope.
Once the beast hit the mark of three quarters of the way down the fall, I started to feel myself being pulled in its wake. It took a much shorter time than I realized for my rope to snap, and as I started free falling towards my fate, all I could think about the beast was, "Fatty."
The impact with the ground knocked the breath from my lungs. I tried to look around, but my vision was blurred. I figured I would have a vicious headache in the morning, and my knee wasn't feeling great either. The ground around me was lightly shaking, and I came to the realization that the beast must still be thrashing around. Then I must still have time! My vision was starting to come back, and my eyes rested on a small patch of cacti that I must have missed after my free fall by inches. Without thinking, I ripped moss off the nearest tree and used it to pick up a handful of cacti, and chucked it at the beast. Then, I ran as fast as I could.
The beast's roars sliced the trees and air behind me. Running blindly, I was just trying to get away. Suddenly, Kyle came into view.
"Hhmm…"I thought." He changed his pants!" before, he was wearing regular blue jeans, now, he was wearing some sort of brown shag pants, complete with, were those hooves? At the bottom.
"Go back!" I cried, "There's a giant monster-ugly-beast-Ryan thing!"
But instead of turning around, like any normal human being, Kyle ran until he was next to me, and as running back in pace with me.
"Get away from the manticore, get away from the manticore." He was routinely chanting. For a second, he turned around, just to face the angry beast, finally free of the rope, thundering behind us, let out a goatly bleat, and sped it up.
Suddenly, a spike flew past my face and imbedded itself into a tree. The beasts tail! Those spikes must be able to shoot out of it, similar to some kind of sick porcupine. And now, it's probably aiming at, ME!
"No point in running now." I figured. "Might as well go down with some pride."
The beast, or manticore, whatever kept coming and right before it impacted with me, something else hit it first with a cry of fury.
Reagan! On the, amazingly, still intact but loose zip line wielding a shield, bashed into the manticore's face!
Then, Laura flew out of the woods on a flying horse (you heard me) and stabbed the manticore in the eye.
Ferociously, the manticore roared and desperately tried to paw at its bleeding eye socket. Expertly, Laura dropped from the horse and slashed at the lion claw. The blade cutting straight through it, the claw dropped to the ground and Laura pocketed it.
"Want you to have a souvenir once we beat this ugly thing!" she winked.
Then, Reagan ran up underneath the manticore, already off the zip line, and stabbed it between its bulky rib cages. With one last roar of fury, the beast burst into dust leaving nothing but the memory of itself to the others.
That was when, I'm sorry to say, I must have passed out. When I woke up, I was on the back of the first flying horse with Reagan in front of me, while Laura was on another one next to Kyle.
"Where are we going?" I mumbled.
"Camp Half-Blood." Reagan answered confidently.
"O.k. " I said. "Sounds good to me." And then, I slipped into the welcoming arms of unconsciousness.
4