Chapter one:
My beginning
You may know some things about me but you don't know everything. My name is Annabeth Chase, I am a half-blood daughter of Athena and I'm seven years old. A life of a half-blood is never easy but mine seems especially difficult. Whenever I ask to hear the story of how I was born my father would say,
"You were carried down by Zephyr the west wind in a golden carriage" He said but he said it like it was the worst thing that ever happened to him.
"Now Annabeth, please leave me to my work I am very busy and Mei is going to be here soon." Oh no not her again. She's my dad's girlfriend but he doesn't seem realize how mean she is!
"Daddy why do-"
"Annabeth" he cut me off "I need you to go upstairs and stay there until she leaves ok?"
"Fine" I grumbled. I turned and walked up the stairs and into my room. I sat down on my bed and looked around at all my posters in my room mostly about architecture. I looked at the letters on them and they danced off the page, flying around the room and circling my head. If you haven't guessed all ready I'm dyslectic and I have ADHD. I closed my eyes and thought does dad even want you Annabeth? He doesn't seem to love you as much as Mei! A tear welled in my eye and as a blinked it slowly traced its way down my cheek. It was warm and when it touched my lip and I brushed it off my face it felt cold. I got up and walked over to my mirror and looked into the reflection. I saw a small blond haired grey eyed freak with a tear mark on her face. I heard the door open downstairs and walking, then a scream,
"Oh My god!" I heard Mei scream and then laugh. I swung open the door and ran half way down the stairs and then stopped in my tracks. I saw her, a little Asian woman with long black hair and blue eyes. She flung her arms around my dad and planted a kiss on his lips. I looked at her hand that brushed my dad's sandy colored hair and I couldn't believe what I saw, it was a wedding ring! How could my dad do this? How could he betray Athena? I was so stunned but I was able to slowly walk back up the stairs and into me room. Maybe three, four hours later there was a knock on my door.
"Go Away!"I yelled but of course the handle moved and in came my dad holding Mei's hand. My dad frowned and then said,
"Annabeth this is gonna be big news for you but Mei and I-"
"I know you're getting married aren't you?"
"Yes" Mei said with mocked enthusiasm "Isn't it wonderful Annabeth?"
"No my dad betrayed my mom by proposing to you!"I yelled "Now go away!" She was going to say more but my dad touched her arm and said to her,
"I will talk to you tomorrow about the wedding arrangement come on Ill drive you home" Please drive her into the desert and leave her there I thought. But of course I didn't say that, Mei would have hit my arm so hard it would leave a big red hand print and of course my dad wouldn't have said a thing. He may have encouraged it. Then a terrible thing occurred to me, if they get married she could hit as much as she wanted. I stuffed my head into my pillow and heard the door shut and the sound of footsteps walking down stairs. For the next few weeks my dad and I didn't talk much but every night id here him telling Mei on the phone how much he loved her and couldn't wait to "the lucky" man to be her husband. Funny he only said I love to me once a week and to her all the time in any place. I'll bet you, if he had one choice to save either Mei or me he would choose her.
"I love you daddy." I said one night
"Bye Annabeth." He said then took out his phone and dialed a number, he closed the door and outside I could hear him say,
"Hi honey I can't wait until when we get married. The wedding is in a few weeks!" He listened and then said "Hmm hmm how about in California? Yes I know it's a while away but it could be very nice… Ok lets finish this conversation when we're together I love you." Then he walked away. I cried, I hated crying but it happened sometimes. I opend the window at stepped out onto a part of the roof that slopes under my window. I sit there when I get upset. I cried until there was no more water left in my eyes. I stepped back into my room and left the window opedn so air can be let in. I would close it in the morning. I cried one last tear and fell asleep. In my dream there was a woman with dark hair and similar features as mine. Grey eyes like mine and the same facial expression on her face that I sometimes get if I'm mad or disapproving of something. She walked toward me and I glow of bright light was around her. She smiled at me and her expression softened, she reached out a hand. As it touched my face a gust of warmth swept through me. I knew that very second that it was my mother Athena.
"Annabeth" she said "You are too young to be this angry. I know you don't love your father's choices with this a-Mei woman but you must try to make your life less miserable it isn't wise."
"Mommy?" I asked she nodded
"Annabeth I want you to know that I cannot make physical contact with you but I always be there for you. I will speak to you in your dreams and I will watch over you. Whatever you do you must remember that I love you and I will help you will your hard choices but please for me in return try to make your father's life easier this is a hard time for him even if he doesn't show it. Your father's choice to tell you who you are at this age was not wise. If you are ever attached you must get into a taxi and get to camp half blood you will find the address and how to get there on the foot of your bed when you wake up. I must go now Zeus has sensed that I am talking to my child I love you Annabeth."
"Mommy!" I yelled "please don't leave me! Daddy won't help me with my problems like you will! Mommy please do not go!"
"Bye sweetie I love you." She said. Then her light faded and mist curled around her and she disappeared. I woke with a start I looked at the foot of my bed and sure enough there was a little envelope and on it written in fancy hand writing was my name. I opened it up and ten large coins that somehow I knew were golden dracmas at least that's what they called them in ancient Greece, 50 dollars in cash and an address that took me a while to read but eventually I made out
Half-blood hill long island New York New York 800-009-009
Then there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" I yelled as I threw off the covers. Daddy stepped through the door.
"Good morning, honey, time for school."
"Can I stay home today?" I asked
"No Annabeth" he sighed. I nodded and hugged him. Then I went to the bathroom to brush my hair and teeth. After that I changed out of my PJ's and got a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. My dad was at the table reading a newspaper and drinking something that was a hazel color, coffee that's it its coffee. He looked up and saw me; he scooted the chair back and got up. Together we walked outside and got in the car. We drove down a few blocks. The school I go to is for kids with issues in other words one of the only schools in New York that will take kids that can't sit still and kids that can barley spell the word schoolbecause to us it looks like shocol. Our problem is that we have dyslexia or ADHD. Me, I have both. Don't get me wrong though, I'm smart and a great strategist and I know big words, just can't spell them. Anyway, we arrived at my school and the first thing I saw was a new lady in front, maybe a substitute teacher for the day. I hoped that if that was the case she knew what she was getting into. My class was terrible, every time we get a substitute teacher she or he always leaves after the first few hours. I said by to daddy and got out the car. I walked up to the front door and the lady stopped me.
"Hello." I said
"Hmm" she looked me up and down. "Who are you do you go here?" her voice was raspy and low. I wanted to turn and go to a side entrance in the school because I was not in the mood for this.
"Yes I do, my name is Annabeth Chase. I'm in second grade."
"I ssssee" she said. I stared at her. Why did she make that noise? Then the bell rang and a bunch of kids as old as the age of ten rushed inside taking me with them. I looked back and saw her, glaring at me, and I'll admit it she scared me more than anything I have ever seen before in my life. Then the sea of kids cleared going to class and something was at my feet an envelope. I looked at it and recognized the hand writing as my mothers. It read, Annabeth Chase, in bid letters. I picked it up carefully and opened it. Inside there were tiny tablets in a plastic bag and a sling shot, there were also directions,
Step one: shoot tablet at monster
Step two: yell οκύβοςτεράτων πηγαίνειστο tartarus μεεπέτρεψεναείμαι! ημητέραΑθηνάμεβοηθά!
Somehow I knew that that meant monster die go to tartarus let me be! Mother Athena, help me! I wondered how I knew that but then I noticed the Ps at the bottom of the page,
PS,
Only use one tablet Annabeth don't use more than one on one monster. Be careful go to class and watch for forked tongues.
What the heck was that supposed to mean? I sighed and went to my class. OI walked in and everyone stared at me. I walked in and sat down.
"Annabeth" I knew it was coming I looked at the clock and realized I was fifteen minutes late for class. "Where were you?" My teacher Harrison Ms asked me. I tried to think about what to say I couldn't just say, Oh my mother Athena the Greek god of wisdom and battle left me this note telling me to watch out for forked tongues and a baggie of tablets with a sling shot to save my life. I'd sound like a lunatic!
"I Ummm, I had to call my dad."
"Oh? And do you mind telling me the reasons?" Ms Harrison asked, crossing her arms.
"Because this morning he put them into my backpack and he forgot to take them back." I held up the bag of tablets that Athena left me for her to see. I was feeling pretty good about myself.
"Oh I'll hold them for him just so they don't get lost." She took the tablets from me. My heart sank. She turned around and I hit my hand against the table. According to Athena I had to watch out for something not human and those tablets were supposed to help me stay alive. I looked up and saw her put my bag of life-saving tablets into her purse. She turned to face the class,
"Ok class as I was saying before I am only staying a half day today so lets get to work. Now please take out your notebooks and write five sentences about your weekend." I took out my notebook and started writing about my shock over the engagement of my father and soon to be step mom. Then when everyone was done she explained about how this was called a essay. She wrote the words on the board but I couldn't read them. I was in the back of the room and I had dyslexia so of course that didn't help me at all. I looked around the class room. There were so many posters with words on them. So many books with the covers stuck out in a way so you can see the letters. I started to loose interest in what Ms Harrison was saying and started to think about my dad and Mei. The angrier I got about it the more the letters floated off the page and all around the room. I closed my eyes and shook my head. I opened my eyes and Ms Harrison frowned.
"Annabeth, are you ok sweetie?"
"Are you ok sweetie?" Mathew Corcoran whispered to me "Is that your mommy?"
"Nah" His buddy whispered his name was Isaiah "She never knew her mom. She probably left when she saw Annabeths ugly face." They laughed but immediately stopped when I stood up out of my chair. I turned to face Isaiah and slapped him across the cheek.
"You know that's not true!" I yelled at him "My mother loved me!"
"Then tell me why she left you! If she loved you so much then why she'd leave you? Huh?" Mathew stood
"Children please!" Ms Harrison yelled as she walked toward us.
"Take it back!" I yelled
"Why? Because you know she didn't want you!" That was it. I kicked him in his soft spot and he squealed in pain but his voice was so high some of the other kids laughed. Tears welled in my eyes as he fell to the floor and curled into a feedle position. I ran to the back of the room and sat down in the corner by the bookshelf and put my head in my hands. I looked up and saw Ms Harrison looking at Isaiah's cheek and other kids helping Mathew up and walking him out the door, probably to the school nurse. There was a large red mark on his friend's face that made out a hand print. They were asking for it I told myself. I couldn't believe they had to bring Athena into this! Ms Harrison took an ice pack out of the emergency freezer box where she kept ice packs and gave it to Isaiah to put on his cheek to stop the pain. After she knew he was ok she told the rest of the class about a group project where the class would have to write an essay about being a good person. Then she walked over to me and squatted down by my side. I hugged my knees and put my head down to hide the tears flowing down my cheeks like a flood of salt water.
"Annabeth, Are you alright?" she asked
"No," I said getting angry "please go away I want to be alone for a while."
"Oh Annabeth I know what Mathew and Isaiah did to you was terrible and I will have a talk with them but please come and join the class." She stood and offered me her hand I whipped the tears off my cheeks and took her hand. She helped me up and brought me to the table I was sitting at before. But with Mathew and Isaiah gone It was just me my best friend Maria who I had known since pre-school and my other friend named James. James was a short kid but was older than everyone in the class. He also never wore shorts because he says his knees look disgusting. I sat down and put my head on the table. Maria got out of her seat and came over to the one next to mine. She told me it would be ok and that I shouldn't worry about Mathew.
"Don't worry Annabeth; just remember that Mathew and Isaiah are identical pieces of crap. They can't help it!" I laughed and hugged her she always knew how to make me feel better. James cleared his throat and reminded us about the assignment. After a wile of checking and erasing and laughing at James for no reason at all (we love doing that to him) we got up and gave our work to Ms Harrison. She took it and told us to get ready for recess which would be in a minute exactly. Maria and James walked back to their seats but I stayed back. I asked Ms Harrison if I could get a drink.
"Sure sweetie, go head. When you come back go right outside we're going out to recess now."
I nodded and walked out the class room and down the hall way. As I drank I heard a hiss. I spun around to meet a snake but it had double trunks for feet and scaly arms and body. It was a human snake. A dracaena. Then I looked at her face and I realized it was the woman I had seen out in front of the school! Out from her scaly a forked tongue came out. I then remembered Athena's warning and I ran passed the dracaena. She was really fast and I was slowing down,
"Come child come ssssssso I can put you out of your missssery!" she yelled. My mind was racing I tried to think about what I could do when James and Maria walked out of the classroom. I guess they hadn't left for recess yet. I ran toward them at full speed the dracaena right behind me. Maria jumped out of the way and James ran back in the class room. The dracaena then turned on Maria.
"An othhhhher one well I ssssseem very lucky today! It'ssssss time for lunch" Maria screamed as the dracaena pounced.
"No!"I yelled. I jumped onto the monsters back and held on tight. The monster howled in rage as it threw me off.
"Annabeth catch!"James yelled as he threw the tablets at me. I didn't have the sling shot so I opened the bag took one and threw it. As it sailed through the air I yelled,
"oκύβοςτεράτων πηγαίνειστοtartarusμεεπέτρεψεναείμαι! ημητέραΑθηνάμεβοηθά!"
It landed at the dracaenas feet trunks the tablet expanded and started to fizz and bubble. Then it burst into flames and engulfed her. But the flames also raced across the floor and then the walls until we were caught inside a fire me on one side and my friends' on the other. James grabbed Maria's hand and ran outside pulling her along. I didn't know it then but I wouldn't be seeing Maria for a very long time.
I shoved the bag of tablets into my jean pockets and ran into the class room. I grabbed my back pack and pulled out the money, drachmas, and the sling shot Athena had given me. Then I dropped the back pack and turned to run put the door and out the side but saw that the door was engulfed with flames. My mind was racing almost as fast as my heart beat. I coughed and ran away from the door. I jumped onto the table but it started to burn, and smoke rose upward and I coughed some more. My lungs hurt so bad I wanted to cry but the smoke and burned my eyes so much tears couldn't come out. I looked around franticly and noticed a window on the other side of the room. I jumped off the table and over a column of flames and ran to the window I looked down at the teachers calling 911 on their phones or trying to organize screaming kids and count them. I looked down the street and saw James pulling Maria away. She was screaming and trying to run back to help me but James got in her path grabbed her feet and should and carried her off like she was some crazy flailing princes. Then they turned a corner and they were gone. I turned back to the school play yard and say my teacher look up and saw me, she screamed and pointed at me. I opened the window and jumped. My pants on fire and the open window of the classroom had fire coming out. I fell through the air and landed in the dumpster. I jumped out and swatted at my clothes. I checked my pockets and nothing was burned. I looked down at my pants and on pant leg was burned half way of f revealing burn marks and nasty cuts on my leg.
"There! Ms Harrison yelled to the fireman "She must have done it! She was the only kid left in the school and she was mad at the school! She has ADHD she couldn't have controlled herself!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing Ms Harrison would never say that about me. She just did I said to myself you heard her, she did say it. I looked and saw the fireman look at me and I ran down the block and into a store. I heard fire trucks wail down the avenue. Then silence. I ran out the store and down the other way, toward home.