A/N Please enjoy (:
Disclaimer - I only own what I made up
Title - Finding Yourself
Summery - 'A child of Artemis, that is impossible' Chiron muttered. 'The goddess pledged herself to be pure, therefore there can't be an offspring from her' he looked at me, a frown on his wise face. 'Who are you?!' he demanded.
Chapter 1 - How it all began
I looked up at the large, white washed house with it's wrap around blue porch and wooden table and chairs. As I started to climb the stairs my legs felt wobbly, when I got to the top of the stairs I collapsed onto the decking. My head was spinning and I hurt all over. The huge cut on my leg was still tricking blood, the bruises that covered my arms were all horrible black/blue colour. My clothes looked like they had been through a blender and my hair was streaked with mud and twigs.
I looked up at the sky and saw black spots in my vision, feeling dizzy I closed my eyes. I heard voices but they seemed far away and echoy like they were talking to me from the other side of a tunnel. I felt hands dragging me to my feet and that was when I blacked out.
I was lying in the most comfiest bed ever, the pillows were stuffed tight with feathers and the covers felt like soft fluffy clouds. My head and my limbs felt like lead. Slowly I opened my eyes and found myself in an infirmary, the large windows were letting in lots of sunshine which cast shadows of the trees on the white walls and wooden floors. There were six beds in the room, all of them empty except from two, mine and one which had curtains pulled tight around them. In the corner there was a large shelving unit which contained lots and lots of jars, bottles and containers, each labelled with swirly looped writing.
The door opened and in came a man in a wheelchair. He had a long straggly beard and cropped, thinning brown hair. He wheeled closer to the bed, "I see you are awake now" he said.
I tried to prop myself up higher but I was too weak to push myself up and I just slumped back down into the soft pillows. "Where am I?" I mumbled, my mouth was dry and my throat felt like I had gargled rocks.
"Camp Half-blood child. You were found collapsed on the steps of the Big House two days ago" the man said.
"Two days ago?" I said, trying to recall what had happened and how I had ended up in this infirmary room. Panic took over me when I thought about my grandmother and how she must be feeling, knowing that I'm nowhere near home. "Does my grandmother know where I am?" I asked, feeling my heart squeeze.
"Yes we let your grandmother know you are here" the man said. Making me feel a little less worried as I sighed in relief, "now I am sure you are wondering what is going on and what Camp Half-blood is" I nodded. "You've heard of the Greek Gods, I'm sure." I nodded again. "Well Camp Half-blood is a camp for special people. People who are offspring of the gods and mortals (demi-gods or half-bloods)-"
"Wait. So your saying that all those myths about the Greek Gods are true?" I asked, slowly. I felt like I was in some sort of weird dream.
"Yes but they are not myths. How would you feel if you had done something great and others said you hadn't or said that it was only a myth?"
"I would probably feel angry that they thought I was lying"
"Exactly!" the man said, nodding his head.
"If the Gods are real does that mean Olympus is real too" but by the smile I was being given I already new the answer. "Who are you?" I blurted out. As soon as I said it I felt rude, and wanted to scoop my words up and swallow them.
But he didn't seem to mind, he just waved away my quick apology, as if he had been asked that questions for aeons. "I am Chiron trainer of heroes and activities director at Camp Half-blood." he said, a modest grin on his face. "But this isn't my true form" He began to stand up and wiggle out of his wheelchair - but only his top half moved, his legs remained fixed to the wheelchair. He grew taller and stood out of the wheelchair and eventually all that was left was an empty box. I looked at Chiron and where his legs should have been there was the hind of a great white stallion. If I hadn't been knocked out for two days and my brain felt as if it had been swirled around, I would have swore I was high.
"Now I have explained myself and the camp now it's time to explain how you managed to travel here without being killed by monsters"
I sighed, I was having trouble remembering everything completely. I could see parts of what happened in my mind clear as day but there were some parts which looked staticy and fuzzy. But I knew there was no point in putting it off as the longer I left it the harder it would be to remember later on.
"It was the last day of school before we broke off for summer break…" I began.
The air was dry and hot as I was running around the track at school for gym. As I was passing the bleachers, I saw Katy sitting in the stands with a worried expression on her face, as she talked on the phone. I stopped and looked at her.
Katy was my friend and the only one I had. I wasn't into making friends as I didn't last long at schools and didn't see the point in getting close to someone if you have to say goodbye. The longest I had lasted at a school was six months but this time I had made it a full year without getting the blame for something I didn't do.
Weird things were always happening to me; things which if I told people about they'd think I was crazy and even if I tried I would get the blame and get kicked out of school again. I tried not to attract trouble it just seemed to follow me around like a shadow.
I slowed my pace and stopped and pretended to tie my shoe lace so I could listen into her conversation. As I was on the ground I peeked up and saw that she had turned round so her back was to me, making it harder to hear her conversation. I couldn't really understand what she was saying but whatever the phone call was about it was making her upset.
"…I can't it's too dangerous…summer is coming up…Please her finding out will only risk getting herself into trouble" Katy's voice shook as she held her phone to her face. It hurt to see my best friend upset and I hated when she cried, Katy was an emotional person but she tried to never let anyone see her cry.
Katy turned round and she saw me crouched on the ground, all the colour drained from her face and abruptly she hung up the phone. She put on a false smile and began walking down the steps of the bleachers towards me. "Hi Olivia I-"
"Who were you talking to?" I blurted out.
"What? Oh that, oh nothing it was a wrong number" Katy didn't look at me, she focused her attention across the track at our class working out on the field.
I knew she was lying to me I could practically smell the lies oozing out of her skin. I narrowed my eyes, "okay well I better get back to the lesson" I went to turn but she gripped my arm.
She looked me straight in the face, "Oli don't tell anyone what happened, don't tell them about the phone call. You didn't see or hear anything" her voice was full of worry.
"Okay I didn't hear anything" Not that I was lying, I could hardly hear what she was saying. I looked at her and could see the fear in her eyes. I moved to go and stopped, "you know if anyone's bothering you, you can tell me" I said. She nodded and I jogged across the field to join my class.
Something or someone was bothering her and making her upset and I couldn't stand to see her feeling like that. And I was not going to let anyone hurt her, I've lost enough people in my life and I was not about to lose my best friend as well.
The rest of my class were doing stretches before we started the actual lesson when I jogged over to meet up with them.
"Okay ladies, I know the sun's out and it's hot but that doesn't excuse you girls from lsacking behind on your times" Miss Richman moaned, glancing at her clipboard. Miss Richman was our gym teacher. She was the kind of woman who men fell over themselves to be with but she was an independent lady who didn't need a husband.
Miss Richman put her hands on her curvy hips and looked at us all in turn. Her eyes landing on me last and locking with mine for a few seconds. "Okay pair up everyone", she called out before walking towards me. "Olivia can I speak to you for a minute?"
"Uh yeah", normally I didn't get a one-to-one with Miss Richman. She took me out of earshot from the other girls and faced me.
"How are you feeling Olivia?" she began, a concerned tone to her voice.
"Fine" I said quickly.
"You don't seem fine, everything okay with your Gran?"
My stomach knotted thinking about my sweet old Gran. "Yeah everything's great" I said.
"You know you can speak to me if you ever need anything" she said, sliding her sunglasses on.
"Was there anything important you needed to speak to me about?" I said.
"Oh no. I was just checking in. Olivia I know I'm uptight and try to push you girls to do better but I am here for you guys, I mean that. I would hate for you to be suffering under the weight of something" she said. Hearing what she said put her under a new light. She was no longer my moany gym teacher who criticised how many push ups we could do or made us run an extra lap every time we slowed our pace to a walk. She was now a young, caring girl. Like an older sister. "Okay go join the rest of the group-" she began but she was cut off by a girlish shriek of pain.
"Heather are you okay?" Miss Richman, said running over to a girl lying on the floor clutching her wrist to her stomach.
"I'll be fine" Heather said, as her friends helped her to her feet. "See- ow. It really hurts miss" she said, tear filling her eyes.
I heard giggling and looked at the culprits. Holly Hayes and her loyal band of hoes. Holly was super rich and had her daddy wrapped around her pinkie. She flicked her full blonde hair as she whispered to her BFFs Rickie and Sam. She was stoking a baseball pat in her hands caressing it like a pet snake. She was always causing trouble and she never got caught because of her way of words and killer body which seemed to hypnotise the teachers.
"Okay guys lesson is finished. I need to take Heather to the infirmary" Miss Richman said, guiding a sobbing Heather back to the school.
When they were out of site Holly giggled louder and Rickie and Sam high-fived each other.
"Did you see her face when you smacked her around with that bat?" Sam said, gasping for air. Beating up people who couldn't stand up for their selves was their forte and it got me pissed every time.
Anger boiled in me as I stepped closer to the three girls. "Holly what's you're problem?"
Holly blinked being addressed by a lower being, in her sense. "What?" she sneered.
"Why are you such a bitch to people who don't deserve it" Rickie gasped and Sam gave me a dirty look as I disrespected their queen.
"Who're you again?" Holly asked, looking at me as if I was two inches high and un-important.
"That's none of your business" I said, crossing my arms across my chest.
"Olivia?" came a new voice. I turned to see Katy pushing her way through the now gathering circle of students.
"Oh you're Olivia!" Holly said, loudly. "Loner Oli!" she shrieked. Both Rickie and Sam laughed along with her.
When Holly recovered from her fit of laughter she said straight faced, "We've been looking for you" her voiced changed, it sounded husky, like a long time smoker. Holly, Rickie and Sam's skin started to become wrinkled and ancient, they looked like they had aged sixty years instantly.
Beside me Katy whimpered and griped my hand, "we have to get out of here" I wanted to leave but my feet were rooted to the ground and I couldn't take my eyes from the three girls in front of me, whose skin was now turning dark grey. Their nails lengthened and pointed like claws. Large, veiny black wings started to stretch out from their backs making them look half old lady half bat. Their eyes became slitted and red, their teeth pointed, their legs became stumpy and lastly their feet curled in talons.
Standing before me were now three fearsome monsters not the stuck up queen Bees who intimidated me. Sam opened her mouth and her forked tongue hissed in the air.
Before I knew what was happening the middle monster (Holly) lunged for me, making me fall onto my butt.
"Olivia we need to go now!" Katy screamed at me, pulling me by the arms.
I stumbled onto my feet and pushed through the crowd of kids. Katy sprinted past me, pulling a bow and an arrow out from her backpack. She turned and notched it aiming for the monsters. With a whoosh it stuck in one of the monster's leg, making it growl in pain.
Katy was slowing them down with every arrow she shot at the monsters but it wasn't doing fatal damage just angering them.
"Shit it's not doing anything" Katy yelled, as she lined up another arrow and let it go. "Hold. Aim and fire. Got it?!" she thrust the bow and arrow to me as she bent down and rummaged in her backpack, "keep me covered"
My legs felt like jelly, I held up the bow and lined up the arrow, the way I had watched Katy do it. My stomach was churning as I looked down the arrow and focused on the monsters gaining on us. I had to protect Katy she was my only hope. I pulled back the arrow and let it go. The arrow whizzed in the air and struck the monster right in the head, the force of the arrow knocked it off of it's feet.
A tingling sensation worked it's way up my arms. The knotting in my stomach loosened and my arms no longer felt weak, they were steady and strong as I held the bow.
I looked down and Katy handed me a knife in exchange for the bow. I didn't want to give her the bow back, I felt a sort of longing for the weapon but took the knife anyway.
"Only use it if they are down don't try to get close or it could hurt you" Katy warned, as she fired another arrow.
The thing that stumped me was that the rest of the kids on the field weren't scared or running away they were getting closer again. They were forming a crowd again waving their arms and chanting, 'fight fight fight!'
As if Katy read my mind she said, "they cant see past the mist like you and me. Here's your chance, a quick hard blow to the head should finish them"
A monster was closing in on us and Katy Shot an arrow in it's thigh and it landed with a thump. I raced towards it and held the knife above it's head and dug the knife into it's old lady skull. With a poof it disappeared and what was left was golden dust.
I stared confused at the dust, I heard Katy shout my name and I looked up and behind me was another one of the monsters, before I knew it a clawed hand smacked me in the face.
My vision went fuzzy and I hit the ground.
I woke up and we were in my car speeding along the road. I looked over at Katy, she was holding onto the steering wheel with a white knuckled grip. She had a burst lip and she was white as a sheet. She kept mumbling to herself in a foreign, ancient language.
I rubbed my face and felt congealed blood on my cheek. I jumped up and looked at my reflection on the little pull down mirror on the sun visor. Starting from my forehead across my cheek and down my neck was massive cut. I felt sick looking at the blood smeared on my face and neck. My t-shirt also had blood on it.
Katy swivelled round and looked at me with wide shocked eyes. "Olivia thank god!" she started, "We have to get you out of here. I know a place where I can keep you safe"
My head pounded and eyes hurt making me squint to get my bearings. I looked into the backseat of the car and there sat a large red duffle bag packed tightly it looked like it was going to burst open. There were cans of coke and bags of Doritos sitting on top of the duffel.
"Katy, what the hell is happening? And what happened to my face!" I demanded.
"Oli you remember what happened at the school right?" Katy said, hesitantly as if I was a frightened animal.
I lay back into the car seat. Did I remember what happened or was it all a nightmare? Did the school bullies really become the monsters I knew they were? Was it the explanation of how I got this horrible cut on my face? It seemed crazy to say out loud or even just think about it but some how it made sense.
"Where are we going anyway?" I asked, looking out at the setting sun.
"First the hospital, we need to get that cut on your face looked at and get you some antibiotics so you don't get an infection. It's not too deep so I don't think you will need stitching"
"And then?" I questioned, studying Katy drive.
"Long Island-"
"Long Island? Are you serious?" I asked, sitting up straighter. Katy turned to look at me she gave me a watery smile, she looked desperate and young. I wanted to start crying. I felt so lost and helpless, I didn't have a say in where we were going. I didn't know why we were leaving and I certainly didn't want to think about those horrible creatures which attacked us in the high school. Katy faced back round and continued driving.
Driving to the hospital felt like hours but we finally seen the big red illuminated A&E sign. Katy drove up the hill to the hospital and dropped me off outside the doors. As I climbed out she said, "I'll be a minute I gotta make a call" I slammed the car door shut and she drove off.
I walked into the A&E, the reception was a tiny little room with about six chairs, a TV showing the news and an empty vending machine. I went up to the reception desk and an elderly lady sat behind the desk, she was pouring over a celebrity gossip magazine. She grunted and slammed down a clipboard with paper clipped to it without even looking up at me. "Fill it in and hand it back in"
I picked up the clipboard and scuttled over to the chairs. I sat down on one of the hard wooden chairs and began writing my name at the top of the sheet. I was nearly finished writing out the first page when the TV caught my attention.
"If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Olivia Blackburn should contact their local police station right away" the reporter on the TV said.
A deathly chill ran down my spine as I was staring at a picture of myself splashed across the TV screen.
I glanced over at the receptionist who happened to choose that moment to look at the TV screen, she then looked at me she realised who I was and her mouth formed at wide scared O. I pulled my hood over my head, grabbed my hospital forms from the clipboard and ran out of the hospital as the receptionist screamed for security.
I sprinted down the hill with a huge security guy running behind me shouting into a walkie-talkie. Behind him the receptionist screamed hysterically. In the car park I could see my little car with Katy getting out of the driver's side. She took one look at me and climbed back in and started the engine.
I ran around to the passenger side and flung myself in. "Gun it!" I screamed desperately at Katy. She did what she was told without a second thought. I turned to look over my shoulder as we peeled out of the hospital.
"What the hell happened!" Katy shouted at me as she drove down the road.
"The cops…looking for…me" I panted, fastening my seatbelt. "Saw it on the news"
"Shit. I thought this would happen" Katy whispered darkly.
"What?!"
"I'm sorry I had my suspicions but I didn't actually think they'd be right" Katy spoke.
I felt dizzy and sick. I was wanted by the police for god-only-knows, I was attacked in school by weird bat creatures and my face was cut open, I just wanted to sleep and hope that tomorrow would be better. "Take me home"
"What! Are you crazy. Olivia-"
"Take me home Katy!"
"No!"
"YES!" I screamed, slamming my hand against the car door. I looked over at Katy and I could see tears quietly rolling down her cheeks. "Katy, I'm sorry. I just-I don't know. I'm scared and lost. I don't know what's going on. I'm sorry I snapped. Honestly" I whispered. I felt terrible; Katy had been an amazing friend to me, saving my ass back at the school. And all I had done was shout and scream at her.
She wiped her cheeks, "just try and get some sleep, we'll take turns driving okay"
I nodded and turned onto my side and looked up at the beautiful crescent moon. My eyes started to feel heavy and sore. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Three hours later I was woken up by Katy slamming on the brakes and the car skidding across the road a loud bang sounded as the tires blew and stream was rising from the bonnet. I jerked up and looked over at her. Her face was ghostly white. I watched as she unbuckled her seat belt, "Olivia get out of the car!" she screamed, she threw open the car door, opened up the back door and pulled out the duffle bag. "Move!" she shouted at me and turning round and pointing over her shoulder.
I looked up and what I saw scared me to my core. Running towards us was this huge black bull. It's massive horns gleamed in the moonlight. As it barrelled down the hill towards us. I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the passenger side door and jumped out of the car. I stared opened mouthed in horror at the beast running towards us, "What is that thi-"
"Run!"
"What about the car?!" I ran along side Katy as we sprinted down the road.
"It's busted" and just like that the car exploded. The doors flying and the windows shattering all over the road. I turned round and watched black smoke filling the air.
I looked back over my shoulders and saw the bull but it no longer looked a bull. He walked on hind legs of a bull and had the chest and arms of a man. His eyes were blood red and his wicked sharp horns were bone white.
Katy dropped the duffle bag and began rummaging in it. "Here!" Katy tossed me the bow and arrow. "Keep me covered"
I nodded shock and fear making it hard to speak. I gripped the bow and started to nock the first arrow. I pulled back the string back and aimed for the bull man's large exposed chest. I released the arrow and the string made a snapping sound and the arrow whiz towards the monster.
The arrow stuck in his chest and the monster cried out and began charging towards me. "Katy!" I shouted, there was nothing I could do but keep aiming arrows at the monster which was steadily was getting closer. "Katy!" I yelled again, looking around for my friend and then saw her figure leaping and crawling in the grass. She almost blended into the shadows, melting into the darkness. She moved so gracefully I found it hard to keep a track of her and keep my eyes and arrows planted on the bull man.
I turned back round to my target and just grabbed another arrow aimed and fired. It then felt like a routine I had been doing for years. I was doing it all on instinct in a deep knowledge deep inside. Arrow, aim, fire. Arrow, aim, fire. Arrow, aim, fire. I told myself over and over as I continued to send arrows at the monster. I looked up and saw it stopping and looking around it then let out a bone shaking roar. I saw the glint of a blade and the sparkle of what looked like gold dust.
And then the frightened voice of my friend, "Olivia!" she screamed, "keep firing!"
I turned around to grab another arrow out of the duffle but it was empty. Nothing inside. "Shit" I cursed under my breath. I looked down at the ground and all I could find were stones. I picked up one and threw it in direction of the bull man.
"Hey!" I called out. "Bull boy! Over here!" I screamed louder "Hey!" and slowly it turned it's head it's red eyes targeted me and it began limping towards me. I threw more stones as Katy jumped around and slashed at the monster with her knife. She looked like a beautiful but deadly ballerina.
It felt like we had been at it for hours I was feeling sweaty and my arms hurt from throwing stones and my throat was hoarse from yelling. And from the looks of it Katy wasn't feeling any better. After another stab she turned to dart away but the monster was quicker and swatted her with his arm.
"Katy!" I screamed, my throat felt like it was on fire. I didn't think, I sprinted forwards charging the bull. My legs pumped as I ran as fast as I could. "Don't!" I shouted as I got closer. "Touch!" I panted the fire in my throat spreading to my chest. "Her!"
The bull turned and snorted as if it was laughing at the pitiful state of us, bloody beaten and tired and the bull looked as if it was only suffering from a scratch. "Katy now!"
Katy leapt to her feet and plunged her knife deep into the monster's shoulder, she twisted there was a sickening crack and then gold dust poured out of the wound and down her hand.
"Olivia the horn" she shouted, pulling the knife out and then digging it into the other shoulder. I did as I was told and wrapped my hands around one of the bulls white horns. I yanked and pulled and after a minute the thing broke off with a loud snap. The bull writhed and roared which sounded like a human screaming in pain. Then it collapsed to the ground dust pouring out of the wound in his head.
Slowly his whole body began to crumble and what was left was golden sparkly dust which twinkled in the dark night. I felt tired and my body hurt all over and felt like it was made of lead. I fell to my knees and dropped the bow which I didn't realise I was still clutching.
"What the hell was that?" I asked quietly.
"The Minotaur" Katy said. She walked over to me and kneeled in front of me. She cupped my cheeks. "Hey you okay" she asked in a hushed voice. I couldn't do anything but nod and mumble, she held out her hands and pulled me to my feet. "Not far now"
"Not far to where?" I asked, wrapping an arm around Katy's waist.
"Camp Half-blood"
A/N Thanks to everyone who read my chapter and please leave a review it helps me out a lot. See you next chapter.
