"Let's go on a picnic," Thalia's mother says, walking out of her bedroom and into the kitchen.

"A what?" Thalia asks, putting down the blue crayon she was coloring the sky with and turning around in her chair, "are you serious?"

From beside her, Jason tugged on Thalia's sleeve, "keep colowing Talia!"

"Just a second Jason," Thalia replies quickly and sincerely. She couldn't believe her mother, who's usually is a drunk waste, decides to march into the kitchen and declare that stupid idea, like it's already been decided. Of course Thalia was exaggerating, she didn't march, she strutted, and said the idea like she didn't want to do it, but at the same time was also excited about a picnic. Which is strange because it's a picnic, but it probably was just her "adult drinks" talking.

"Yes I'm serious," Beryl Grace said interrupting Thalia's thoughts, "we are going on a picnic at Sonoma Valley, end of discussion, now come on I'll give you five minutes to get in the car or I'll get you in there for you!" Except she hadn't said that, she said a few words that made Thalia flinch. With that Beryl stormed back out of the room, like a three year old throwing a tantrum.

Thalia quickly looked to Jason to see if he heard their mother, but if he had he didn't show. He just kept coloring as if nothing had happened. Thalia looked back at where her mother was before she had stormed out, and debated arguing with her, just defying her and not going or actually going along with the terrible idea. Eventually she decided to go along with it, because although it's very unlikely, it might have been her mother's pathetic way to actually care about her and more importantly, Jason.

'Besides,' she told herself silently, 'you only think it's stupid because it was Beryl who suggested it.'

Turning back around in her chair she looks at Jason for a moment as he absent mindedly colors, then smiled and said in a cheery, but not over done voice, "Hey Jason, do you want to go to the park, and have a picnic?"

Jason put down his green crayon and stood up in his chair saying, "Yeah! Yeah!"

Thalia picked him up off his chair and spun around in a circle before putting him down onto the tile floor. "Okay Jason go get your teddy bear while I make us some sandwiches for the picnic."

"Okay!" Jason said before he ran off into a room to the right. The walls were a light blue and there were airplane models and pictures everywhere in the room. On the dark blue bed was a small brown teddy bear laid neatly across the pillow.

After watching Jason leave into his bedroom, Thalia walked over to the kitchen counter and started grabbing things for sandwiches. Bread, cheese, chicken, the usual.

As she was making them though her mind started to wander. Where had Beryl said they were going? Sonoma Valley. Isn't that at least an hour away? 'Who knows,' Thalia responded to herself,'just add it to the list of weird things about this...'

Tossing that thought aside, she remembered the dream she had the night before. She had been in this gigantic room with 12 large thrones that were drastically different. There was one that looked like it was pure silver and another that looked like pure gold. One looked like it belonged to a farmer and a different one to a fisherman. The one in the center though, the biggest and grandest with lightning and wind designs on its sides had captivated Thalia. In the seat of this throne sat a majestic bald eagle. Her dream-self walked all the way to the throne and surprising herself, bowed in front of it.

As she had looked up the eagle started talking, "Thalia Grace," its rough voice boomed, "you have some trials ahead of you, but don't let the loss of your brother get to you."

Thalia pondered over that part as she started to make the second sandwich. It didn't make sense, dreams don't usually mention siblings, especially losing siblings, do they? And the trials, what were they? Thalia thought about it then shook her head, 'it's just a dream not some glimpse of the future,' she told herself.

Before she could think about the rest of the dream, Jason tapped as close as he could to her shoulder, not quite reaching it, making Thalia jump.

Then he said quite loudly, "Talia me weady, picnic now?"

Thalia laughs forgetting about the dream completely replying, "No not yet." Thalia packed the sandwiches into a basket along with the fruit drinks she grabbed from the fridge. Then she continued talking to Jason, "We have to get to the park first, then we'll have the picnic." She picked him up and took the basket in her other hand before heading out to the car.

"I'm going to get the basket Jason. Stay here on the blanket, I'll be back in just a moment," Thalia said as Jason tried to follow her. They were at the park and had the blanket set up with Ms. Grace sitting on the corner and Jason now playing with his teddy bear in the center. Their blanket was alone in a small clearing surrounded by tall pine trees.

After checking that Jason was alright, Thalia trekked the unusually long distance back to the car, the distance that Ms. Grace insisted on. She had also insisted that Thalia could go back to get the basket after they set up rather than bringing it with them. The path was silent and lonely, a simple trail of dirt running through the vast forest. After five minutes, Thalia reached the nearly empty parking lot. There were only three cars, one of which, a red Toyota Camry, was theirs. She headed towards the trunk with keys in hand.

'She's acting strange today, ' Thalia thought pulling the basket out of the trunk. She just shrugged it off as a new drug of her mother's, and added it to the list of odd things as she solemnly walked back to the blanket. When she was in sight she knew instantly that something was wrong. Both Jason and her mother were gone, the blanket lying empty and alone.

Thalia panicked looking everywhere but saw no sign of the two or any trails to where they might be.

'What?!' Thalia thought as she ran to the blanket. She dropped the basket onto the blanket before pacing in the lonely clearing looking for a trace, anything that could lead her to Jason. Thalia was highly concerned for her brother as her mine raced coming up with theories of what happened. Kidnapper taking the two, a psycho killer, Jason wandering off and getting lost, with each theory and passing second, Thalia's fear grew.

After what seemed to be eternity, Thalia finally found a sign of life. She heard a faint rustling of leaves and branches snapping in the distance. Optimistic, she ran towards the noise. Soon she caught sight of its cause. It was her mother, Beryl, drifting slowly forward, looking distressed, with small tears in the corners of her eyes. At the same time she looked relieved though. She hadn't noticed Thalia. Thalia caught up to her mom, before turning around and walking beside her.

"Where's Jason?" Thalia asks with fear evident in her voice.

"Don't matter, come on, pack up the picnic, we're going home," Beryl replied roughly.

Thalia froze. "What did you do to Jason? Where is he?"

"Didn't ya hear me? I said it didn't matter!"

Thalia's voice shook as she accused her mother, "Did you abandon him in the forest?"

Beryl finally stopped and turned around to face Thalia. "It don't matter! I had to get rid of him, I only wish I could get rid of you instead! Now, get back to the blanket pack it up and get into the car!" Her voice had rose with every word and by the end she was screaming. Beryl turned around to continue walking back towards the abandoned blanket.

At that moment, Thalia's last straw had snapped. The only thing that was keeping her at her mother's home, Jason, was gone and probably dead. She couldn't believe it, how could Beryl have done this? Thalia had always thought that if Beryl was ever to dispose of either of them it'd be Thalia first. She had always tried to abuse them both when she was drunk, but Jason had always been her "favorite" if she even had a favorite.

It was definitely time to run away.

Thalia screamed, "I hate you!" at her mother before running in the opposite direction and into the woods. The young ten year old ran for ten minutes before she was content that her mother wasn't following her, and stopped, leaning over and panting, as she tried to catch her breath.

'She'll pay' Thalia thought, her mind mad with grief. Resting on a rock she mourned her brother. The pain of losing him had hurt so badly. She sat there for a few hours before finally gathering the courage to stand up. Little Thalia began to walk away towards the city, off on her journey to Luke, Grover, Annabeth, and Camp Half Blood.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, please take a moment to review and tell me what you think