CHAPTER ONE
The Visitors
I scream myself awake from my nightmare. It's been so long since I had one. A nightmare that comes long overdue means only one thing. My body realizes it before I do and sends a shiver down my spine. Today is going to be life changing.
My life story starts like this. My name is Anastasia. I am the daughter of Zeus and Themis (Titan of divine order and law). My elder sisters ended up being the three Fates. They were not spinning their thread when I was born, so naturally, I am among the few people who are not under the influence of the Fates.
Anyways, you are likely aware as to how powerful my sisters are. But I wasn't born nearly as powerful. I am not even a goddess. However, I am immortal. Ever since my sisters became the Fates, I have had to live in their shadow. Eventually, I just left my family's kingdom out of shame. The only real power I have is the gift of prophecy. Kind of like the Oracle. By looking into a mortal's eyes, I can see little bits of their past and future. Out of pity, my mother gave the gift, to help me help others. For the most part, the gift just gives me nightmares about people I don't know doing things I don't understand.
Ever since I left, I've just been wandering over the world. I don't know how I ended up here in Athens. Perhaps it was because I wanted to see Olympus. When Olympus shifted to the west, as did civilization, I followed it. However, the customs of the West were too much for me and I came back to my traditional Greek home. I stopped adapting to most new social taboos. Part of me is still a thousand years old.
After five minutes of staring at the ceiling and stretching my limbs, I get up and take a shower. I stand in under the hot water and sing, as usual, but stop near the bridge. Then I remember I am the only one living in this mansion, and there is no one there to hear me sing.
When I finish showering, I dry myself off and look in the mirror. I don't see an old, wise, beautiful, women. I just see me. A woman that's thousands of years old, in a body that's only eighteen. Yes, I am sometimes rash and bold, but I refuse to call myself a teenager. I am wise, and beautiful. I am a woman; but considering the fact that I am thousands of years old, I still act like a child.
Looking at my naked body in the mirror, I think back to the worst day of my life—my eighteenth birthday. Imagine looking in the mirror, and being told, "That's what you're going to look like for the rest of your life." I get that feeling every day.
I stare at my reflection for a whole minute and leave.
It takes 10 minutes for me to brush and curl my long brown hair. I part all of it to my right side and get dressed. Dressed for sitting in my living room and watching TV. I get a drink and sit down on my recliner, and before I get the chance to turn on the TV, a noise coming from outside stops me.
I look through my front window and there's a group of kids outside my house, taking pictures of it. Tourists. They're from America.
After about a minute, the group walks away and turns a corner, and I assume they're staying in the hotel down the street. The class is lead by a centaur, and I know that it's a group of demigods. Something pulls me to these people. I don't know what, but I put on a brown robe, with texture like a potato sack, over my clothes, and I leave my house to follow them.
I maintain a safe thirty feet from the group, and one boy stands out to me. He stops at a kiosk to buy something, when his dollar bill is caught by the wind. He runs in my direction to chase it. As he runs towards me I see his group turn a corner, and walk out of sight. I catch the bill in the air, and the boy runs up to me and takes it.
"Thanks," he says, panting.
I tilt my head to the side, and knit my eyebrows. The boy is familiar.
He turns around and curses under his breath. "Do you know how I can get to the Plaka Hotel? I think im lost." He says.
I'm silent, still trying to figure out who this boy is.
"Never mind," he says, turning around. "Thanks anyways."
"Wait," I say.
He turns around and looks at me.
I put my index finger and middle finger on his forehead, and tilt his head back. First comes the jaw drop. Then his pupils roll up and his eyes become a uniform shade of white. Reality bends, and the dimensions twist around. My vision begins.
I see a boy with a golden sword. He's defeating the Minotaur, Medusa, and holding Zeus' Master Bolt. Now he's conquering the island of Polyphemus and retrieving the Golden Fleece. Here, he's battling the titan Atlas and rescuing Artemis, travelling through the Labyrinth, and defeating the titan Kronos and his army. The scene shifts and now he's in a large chamber, standing with three others, before an altar with a treasure chest upon it. One of his friends is holding a body that looks dead, or at least unconscious.
I come back to reality and gasp for air. One thing stands out to me. I didn't get a vision of his future, where he's in his middle to old age, leading to two conclusions. Either my flawless vision is flawed, or this boy never lives to reach his middle ages.
He looks at me as if I had randomly just stripped naked.
I connect his accomplishments and his face to a name, and I realize why today is important. "You…you're Perseus Jackson." I say.
He looks scared of me. "H-how do you know me?"
"I saw you in my nightmares." I say. After saying it, I realize how awkward it sounds.
"Oh, well I'm pleased to meet you too," he says sarcastically.
"I'm Annie."
"I'm-well, you already know my name. But for future reference, call me Percy."
"I can lead you to your destination."
I'm still spaced out when Percy says to me, "So, do you wanna explain what you just did over there?" Percy puts his hand on my forehead as if to imitate me.
I hesitate to tell him and continue to examine him. "I don't know. Sometimes I have random nightmares, I guess you just looked kind of familiar."
"Still doesn't explain how you knew my name." He says under his breath.
"It's…complicated." I say, observing his clothes and mannerisms.
After ten seconds of silence, he replies. "I have time."
I finish telling him everything, and we arrive at the hotel.
"You've been silent this whole time." I say.
Percy's at a loss for words when a blonde-haired girl runs out the doors of the hotel.
"There you are!" She says, and runs into Percy's arms.
"This is Annabeth," Percy says. "Annabeth, meet Annie."
"I can introduce myself, Percy." she says. "I'm Annabeth. It's nice to meet you."
I put my fingers on Annabeth's head and the vision starts.
Annabeth's in all the feats Percy was part of. Even the last one. But after that, nothing. No scene of Annabeth doing anything significant in the future. No scene of her in her middle-age, either. I guess she shares the same fate as Percy.
I come back to reality and Annabeth gives me the same look that Percy did.
"The pleasure is all mine." I say.
"She did it to you too, huh." he says.
"What just happened?" Annabeth asks.
Percy explains everything while I stare at Annabeth. I start to doubt whether or not they're trustworthy. Then I remember that I'll outlive them anyways. It makes me sad beyond words, not being able to get close to anyone.
"So you just saw my future? What was I doing? Designing a building?" Annabeth asks.
I don't have the heart to tell her about how I didn't see a future for her or Percy. "Well, I saw you guys did some noble stuff, like obtain the Master Bolt from Zeus, obtain the Golden Fleece from Polyphemus, rescue Artemis, conquer the labyrinth, defeat the titan Kronos, and finding a treasure chest."
"Treasure chest?" Percy asks, looking at Annabeth.
"That never happened." Annabeth says.
My eyes widen and my heart sinks. The treasure chest. The dead body. It wasn't a flashback from the past, but a piece from their future.
Before I have the time to open my mouth, the reality bends before me again. It's not a vision. I look down at my hands and they're turning to black dust. I'm being sucked back, into a nearby forest. It's like I'm turning into dust and a giant vacuum is sucking me from behind. As I fly backwards, a wall of fire falls on the streets, burning almost everything in its way, and blocking any passage into the forest. And just like that, their field trip is ruined and my new friends are gone.
A/N: Hey guys this is my first fanfic (in a long, long time) and if you read this whole chapter what i really just want to know is whether or not you are interested in reading it because i want to know if finishing this story is worth it, or if i'm just wasting my time.
