Chapter One

A Place to Run

I stroked my cat's deep orange fur. I let the breeze comb my hair as I listened to the ocean sounds. The salty smell filled the air. I stared at the sun-set over the ocean. Who am I, you may ask? I am Carter Parker. Until Two months ago, my life was normal. This was then end of the day that started my story.

That morning I awoke to the sound of my granny calling for me to wake up. I shifted my weight to my left and stared at my blank wall.

"HURRY UP!" yelled Granny.

"COMING!" I retorted, rising from my mattress.

I slipped on my torn-up skull t-shirt and my ripped skinny jeans. I slowly, taking my time, walked out of my door. Mornings were always bad for me. I slumped against the wall, letting out a deep groan.

"Come on, today's the school dance!" said Granny, pulling me to her shoulder.

"Where's my mom and where's my dad? What happened to them? I. Want. To. Know!" I yell at her as I do every morning.

"In time" she replied, as always, nodding. I groan again and follow her down the stairs. I stopped at the picture of my grandfather. He had died from a stroke three years back. I was only nine.

Granny braided my hair as I slowly ate my eggs. I didn't know anything about anyone. I just remember waking up in this house, with a old lady claiming to be my grandmother.

"Come on, Carter. You love school dances!" she said optimistically.

"No, I don't. I have always hated them" I snap back. This is just the mood I'm in when I wake-up. I get better, towards five o'clock.

"Do you think you need to go feed Pumpkin?" asked Granny.

"I left her out some milk and food last night" I say, slouching more in my chair.

"But…the coyotes" said Granny.

"Didn't they take care of that pack last week?" I asked.

"I heard about sightings of a new pack" said Granny.

"Are you my mom's mom or my dad's mom?" I asked.

"Dad's" she said, nodding like she always does when she tells me something about my parents.

"Was he a nice guy?" I asked her, hoping for a yes.

"Kinda-sorta" said Granny.

"Well, there's the bus. Love ya Gran" I said, grabbing my stuff and walking out the door.

I sat in my regular seat in the back. No one picked on me there. Up to last year, my life was decent. Then something happened at the last school dance. I'll probably tell you later, though.

I heard kids say my name then laugh. A few crumbles of paper hit me. See? And Granny still doesn't think I'm picked on. Only if she lived long enough to read this account. But this was written because of her death.

Our bus hit a pretty big bump as a picture—more of a vison, actually—came to me.

I was a small baby, no more than three weeks old. I looked up to see a girl with blonde hair and and gray eyes look at me. Soon the door in front of me opened and a lot younger verson of my Granny opened it.

"Please—they're calling" said the woman holding me.

"Until you return" said Granny, taking me into her arms. The door closed as Granny let tears fall down her just-now-wrinkling cheeks. She had to let her child go. "May Zeus be with you" Granny choked, walking back into the foyer.

I lifted my head back up. It had collided with the seat in front of me. I rubbed my head as a strange face seemed to be staring at me from someone's yard. It was gone in a flash but I still have feelings that it was more than that.

And later, I proved it was.

The bus came to a halt at the front of my school. I grabbed my flute and back-pack and walked out.

I stopped by the band hall real quick and dropped off my music stuff.

"B flat, D, E flat, E natural, repeat three times, F, F, F, B flat, B flat, B flat" whispered my band director, Mr. Colt, into my ear. That was the school song I was still struggling on.

"Thank-you" I said.

"Your welcome" responded Mr. Colt.

I then went out. The first bell rang and I took my time for my first period class. Mr. James sat at his desk, reading papers for our class.

"Ah, if it isn't Miss Parker" said Mr. James, handing me a worksheet.

"Thank you" I said, nodding while walking to my desk. It was done and turned in by the end of the first tardy bell. This was my best class: Foreign Language.

We learned simple Greek Phrases until we learned the accent marks, which didn't throw me off a bit. The bell rang and I advanced to Band.

"B flat, D, E flat, E natural, repeat three times, F, F, F, B flat, B flat, B flat" said Mr. Colt, reminding me the notes. I played it perfectly and moved onto playing "The Hey Song". For once, I wasn't behind.

What caught my eye, was a man in a huge black cloak pasted by the class window. What tha…?

I pushed it out of my mind. Wild imagination again. I keep playing my flute. Surprisingly, the day seemed to be over in five seconds. The dance. Yeah.

The first song they played was a song I still didn't know the name of. I met up with my only friend, Katie.

"Sup" I said, walking to her at the punch bowl.

(Ohh) two zero one two (ohh)

it's alright oh it's alright

you know what they say

life aint always easy

and everyday were survivors

so forget the day

its all about tonight at the school.

"Gosh, I hate this song!" said Katie.

"I don't get what's so bad about it" I say.

"Keep listening" she assured me.

and start a riot a-riot

be a rebel

bottles popping till we cant stand

you keep it rocking till 6 am

new york to london over to japan

turn it up turn it up mash it up

we gunna party like

party like, likes its the end of the world

we gonna party like, like its 2012

you know that it doesn't matter

as long as we got each other

turn it up turn it up mash it up

it aint the end of the world

(ohh)

we gunna live like its the end of the world

gunna party like

(ohh)

turn it up turn it up mash it up

it aint the end of the world

world, two zero one two

have a drink with me and lets make tonight

go down in history, in history yeah

lets make belive its the last 24 hours

and this whole world is ours eternally, eternally (hey)

bottles popping till we cant stand(cant stand)

you keep it rocking till 6 am (6 am)

new york to london over to japan

turn it up turn it up mash it up

we gunna party like

party like, likes its the end of the world (end of the world)

we gonna party like, like its 2012 (like 2012)

you know that it doesn't matter as long as we got each other

turn it up turn it up mash it up

it aint the end of the world

(ohh)

we gunna live like its the end of the world

gunna party like

(ohh)

turn it up turn it up mash it up

we gunna party like its the end of the world

(nooo)

no im not gonna follow

anything that they say anymore

and its never to late to start again

so lets start it with right here and right now

party like, likes its the end of the world

we gonna party like, like its 2012

you know it doesn't matter as long as we got each other

turn it up turn it up mash it up

it aint the end of the world

(ohh)

we gunna live like its the end of the world

gunna party like

(ohh)

turn it up turn it up mash it up

it aint the end of the world..

"Oh..." I say.

"Yeah" said Katie.

Granny pulled up and I nearly jumped in the car.

"Since you don't like dances…" she started.

"THANK-YOU NOW DRIVE!" I say.

We drive and go to our house again. I ran to the one place I could be me: the attic.

Strange, I know. I climbed the ladder and looked for an old book.

The one that really caught my eye was a notebook with a golden lighting bolt on it.


WHOOP! FIRST CHAPPIE! Sorry if the lyrics are in all lower case I didn't know them too well so I copied and pasted them from a website (Hey, Tori!). Well, this is co-aurthored by Derek-God of Annoyingness. Read his story, To Kill a Demigod. He is an awesome co-aurthor, beta, boyfriend, and everything a girl could ask for. So, see ya next chappie!

~Rachel