Thalia POV
I sat there wondering what I was going to do now. Where was I going to go? What was going eat? How would I make any money? I was a twelve year old girl living on the streets. It's not like I could get a job. The pain in my ankle was getting worse. I looked at it. The poison had gone completely through my shoe, my sock, and my skin. Dried blood was all over my pants. It was already infected. Stupid Monster. I could've gotten away unharmed, but no; it had to shoot one of its stupid spiky-thingies at foot. I ripped off my shirt sleeve and wrapped it around the sore. It hurt worse than anything I could imagine. My stomach growled. I looked up at the sky. It was sunset. I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday and I was hungry. I knew I should probably wait, but my hunger took control. I pulled out a granola bar from my pack. I was just about to bite into it when I heard a sound. I pulled out my spear. "Who's there." I asked looking around, trying to sound brave. Something jumped out behind me. I turned instinctively. But it wasn't a something, it was a someone. I screamed as they pointed their sword at me. I slashed and stabbed, but it did no good; he deflected everything I did. Then, he knocked my weapon out of my hands and it slid ten feet away. I stood there, defenseless. I thought I was about to die.
Luke POV
I was staring at a girl in tattered clothes that looked about twelve or thirteen. She looked hungry, and scared; like me. I looked at her spear laying ten feet away. She had a spear. That alone made it highly possible she was like me in more ways than one. For her sake I prayed she wasn't. I sheathed my weapon. She looked confused at first, but I walked over and picked up her spear and handed it to her. She took it. I held out my hand. She hesitated for a second, but then shook it. "I'm Luke." I told her. "I'm Thalia." She replied. "Do you want something to eat? I mean something better than granola bars." I asked, taking of my bag. "I don't want to take your food." She said. "It wouldn't be taking, if I'm offering." I said, holding up packets of food. That did it. "Ok, maybe just a little." As she rose up to take the food, she winced in pain. I then noticed her ankle. "I think I have a first-aid kit in here." I said unzipping the larger part of the bag. I bandaged up her ankle and gave her something to drink. "Thanks." she said. It was getting dark now. "Don't mention it. So, why did you run away?" I asked, praying she didn't answer what I thought she would answer. "My mom thought I was a freak. I know this is going to make you think I'm crazy, but…" "You can see monsters; you can speak Greek even though you've never learned, and your dyslexic?" I guessed. I hoped she would say 'No! Weirdo! What the crap are you talking about?', but, of course, she didn't. "How'd you know?" She asked, instinctively reaching for her spear. She probably thought I was a monster. She'd never met anyone like her. "I'm like you. I'm a half-blood. Or a demigod. Whichever you want to call it. You know the Greek gods and legends?" I asked. "You mean Zeus, Hera, Hercules, Medusa, The Minotaur…" "Ok you can stop now. You really don't need to say those words that much when you're a demigod." I said looking around to make sure I wasn't going to be turned to stone or made into a kabob. "But anyway, that's all real. The gods are alive. And when a god has a kid with a human they're called demigods." "You're kidding, right?" She asked. "Think about everything that's ever happened to you," I said. "Think about the monsters. Think about the way you can see things other people can't. Think about the monster that hurt your ankle. The correct name for it is the Manticore. That's what kind of poison it is. Don't worry it won't kill you. But when you think about your life, doesn't it make sense?" She sat there for a moment taking it in. She started crying. I went and sat beside her. I put my hand on her shoulder. I didn't know what to say.
Thalia POV
I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe anything. I couldn't believe I was crying, I couldn't believe what he was telling me, and I couldn't believe there were people out there like me. I don't know why I was crying; maybe I was happy I wasn't alone, maybe I was upset I couldn't ever have a normal live, or maybe it was because I just couldn't take it anymore and was just using this as an excuse to let go. Then something hit me. "How come you know all this and I don't? Who told you?" His sympathetic expression changed into a hard, cold, glare at the ground. "My mom told me." He said flatly. I could tell by the look on his face he didn't want to talk about it anymore, so I just left it alone. We sat there in silence for a few minutes. When I finally stopped crying I asked the obvious question that we were both trying to avoid. "What do we do now?" "I don't know. Try to stay alive?" I smiled. He smiled. "Don't worry. Family takes care of each other. I'll take care of you. I got your back." I looked into his eyes looking for some sign that he was lying. I didn't find it. He had said family. "Every family I've ever had betrayed me. How do I know you won't?" I asked. "I promise I will never betray you." He said. "Promise?" I said again. "I, Luke Castellan, promise you, Thalia…What's your last name?" "None of your business." I replied. "I don't use my mother's last name." I said flatly. "Ok then. I, Luke Castellan, promise you, Thalia None-of-your-business, that I will never betray you." I couldn't help but laugh. "I think I like my new last name." He laughed too. Of course the moment didn't last. The next I new I heard a growl so terrifying that it sent chills down my spine. "Run!" Luke yelled. I got up to run, but my feet weren't touching the ground. "Luke help!" I screamed. He turned and ran toward the monster with his sword. He stabbed it in the leg. The monster yelped in pain and through me against a wall on the other side of the alley. "Thalia!" Luke screamed, but it was too late. I heard something crack. My whole body went numb; I couldn't move. Everything was black. I tried to scream out for help but I couldn't. I heard another yelp of pain and then footsteps running toward me. "Thalia! Thalia are you alright? Oh, please be alright!" Luke sounded so far away. Everything sounded so far away.