I've never been like the other boys, so it wasn't much of a surprise when my father told me one day that I was special. At first, I was offended, thinking he was just being cruel or joking. But he quickly went on to tell me the strangest, most deranged thing I've ever heard. He told me I was a half-blooded god.
Now, hearing this, my ADHD, dyslexic self immediately thought he was mocking me, and I refused to listen to the rest of what he said. It took me a few days, but finally I came to realize that his expression had not been one of mocking but had been quite sincere. Upon discovering this, I came to the conclusion that my father had gone mad, but I came back to hear the rest of what he was going to say anyway.
"Peter." He said, his amber eyes looking serious. "You are a son of the goddess Aphrodite, and it is time you joined your fellow half-bloods at a camp your mother told me of. It will keep you safe from the monsters."
The last sentence chilled my blood, for I had never, ever told my father about the monsters I saw. Every once in a while I would see them, but nobody else ever seemed to notice.
"You see them too?" I had asked him, and he had nodded gravely.
"Your mother told me I could see through the mist, a strange trait for a mortal. But I had hoped she was not as she seemed and that you would not be able to, but it has come time that they may begin to notice you. We must take you to the camp."
And that was that. He sold our little house in Kentucky, loaded up our U-Haul with our few possessions and we moved to Manhattan. Our new little apartment was snug but comfortable, if very different from what I was used to. I only lived there a little while, though, before my father told me I had to finish my journey and go to camp.
At this point, I was thoroughly convinced that my father was off his rocker, but I decided to humor him by following him to a small hill with a large pine tree. He stopped a few feet from it, declaring he could go no farther for he had no god blood.
"Peter, from here on out you will be on your own. Come and visit me sometimes, yeah?" He asked. Still concerned for his mental health, I nodded, smiling and stepped past the tree... And froze.
Spread below me was the strangest camp I have ever seen. A large climbing wall rose above a large vat of lava and little figures wiggled up it. Kids shoot arrows into makeshift monster targets and several kids race around a track in what looked like chariots. Closer to me is an omega sign of cabins with a line of smaller structures beneath them and a large grey house sits directly down the hill from me.
Finally, I glance behind me, but my dad is nowhere to be seen. Instead of musing, I move forward, walking down the hill towards the house, pulling my hat farther over my head and my leather jacket around me. My torn jeans and black tennis shoes fit in here, so I do not worry about someone noticing me from that.
I reach the house successful, without having been spotted. There sits a man with a coke and a Hawaiian shirt and a half man... Half horse. I pause with one foot on the porch as they both look up. They both look confused.
"You are new here, are you not?" The centaur questions. I give him a quick, stiff nod without revealing my face and he smiles. "Well, then. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. I'm Chiron. Who might you be?"
"Peter Johnson." I answer, and he stiffens. I pull off my hat, peering at him suspiciously. "What?"
His jaw works a few times in silence as the other man snickers. I points his coke bottle at me.
"Peter Johnson, eh?" He asks, his gaze flicking lazily to the still shocked Centaur. "Chiron, why don't you take this young man on a tour."
Chiron nods mutely, moving away from the table. Finally, he clears his throat and gives me a tight smile.
"How old are you, Peter?" He asks. I blink, confused.
"15." I reply, and he looks startled.
"Well, then, let me show you around." He says briskly, moving off.
The fire flickers as I huddle in the farthest corner of the dinning hall, my hat pulled far down over my face. The strangest thing happened as Chiron showed me around, something for which I have no explanation. Many of the campers had simply stopped and stared at me, seeming shocked beyond words at my appearance, although I was fairly sure I had never seen any of them before.
Now, as I eat my meal in silence, I feel a presence come up to me. Stubbornly, I keep my eyes, their color never quite decided because everyone seems to see a different color in them, firmly down, refusing to answer to another, "oh my gods... Percy?!"
After a minute, I realize that the presence has not left, so I angrily look up, then find myself unable to breathe. The girl that sits before me is directly from my dreams, literally. Something very strange is going on.
For a long moment, the girl simply looks at me, a torrent of emotions swirling through her eyes. Finally, she gives me a tight smile and holds out her hand.
"I'm Annabeth Chase. What's your name?" Her voice is soft and tight, but kind. I hesitate, wondering if she is another of the kids who thinks I am Percy.
"Peter." I answer at last. "Johnson." She laughs slightly, causing me to bristle. "What?"
"Sorry, it's just... Well, the camp director used to... Oh my gods. I, um, have to go." She says, jumping up and running away. I notice tears in her eyes as she goes.
Only a few minutes pass between her flight and Chiron's sudden appearance. He walks up, his eyes following after the blonde hair of the girl.
"Peter, I believe we can safely assume that you are a son of Pose-". He stops as I suddenly find myself engulfed in light, and a moment later I am standing in unfamiliar clothes, a couple feet from the table. I glance down to find my jeans holed still, but more strategically, my shirt one of an amber-brown, and my brown leather jacket now black. My hat is gone and I quick glance at my near empty plate shows me that my hair is ruffled, but somehow stilled so. My beat-up tennis shoes are now a newer version.
I see a faint glow coming down over my face and shift my head down to see a dove above my head. It hovers for a minute before it shudders and comes to life, cooing and fluttering around my head and landing on my shoulder. I stare at it for a long time, wondering if I could shoo it away and finally deciding not to. I glance back up at Chiron who is staring at me incredulously.
"Well, then." He finally says, shaking his head. "I guess that settles it, son of Aphrodite. I will show you to your table."
As he leads me across the hall, I find everyone staring at me and I suddenly feel self-conscious. I notice several girls checking me out discreetly, as if trying to hide it from someone else. Passing it off, I duck my head and continue on, heading towards the table of people who I think are as far from my personality as is possible.
The table is filled with frilly girls and preppy boys, all of them staring at me in open wonder. I notice only one person who is not looking, a Native American looking girl with braids in her hair, and I head towards her, sitting down next to her. Somehow, everyone shrinks away from us, and I find myself glad that I found refuge from their gazes.
Chiron is already gone when I look up, and when I turn back, the girl is watching me warily. Her eyes shift colors in a way that is almost mesmerizing.
"Hi." I say, giving her a curt nod. "Hope I'm not intruding."
"No, of course not." She says, her voice slightly distant. "I'm Piper, by the way."
"Peter Johnson." I announce and she smiles slightly, then looks confused.
"Pardon my intrusion, but I'm pretty sure you are Percy's reincarnation. But that's not possible. He's only been gone for half a year."
"Reincarnation? Like, rebirth?" I question, confused. I try to forgive her reference to this Percy everyone is talking about.
"Yes, sorry. We are demigods, children of the Greek gods and a mortal, as I'm sure Chiron has told you, and that means that when we die we go to the underworld. We can choose rebirth from there to get to Elysium, although Percy was the biggest hero of all, so I'm honestly surprised he would choose rebirth. But you... You look exactly like him, except for your eyes. Although I suspect people see them the color they want to see them, even though you and I see multiple colors."
I find this strange new girl to be the only one making any sense in this place. I start to formulate a response when suddenly a wild-looking boy with curly brown hair and an elfish look plops down on my other side.
"I don't know how it is possible but you are my age, Percy. Welcome back man!" His voice is excited and hyped as he talks, and even as I start to bristle I see Piper make a face.
"This is Peter Johnson, Leo." She says, and the boy's face splits into a grin.
"Of course. Sorry man, I forgot you'd go by a different name. Do you remember you past life at all?" He asks, grinning. I think about Annabeth for a second, but shake my head.
"No. I don't even remember a lot of my childhood, and what I do remember feels... Strange." I say, not knowing why I'm revealing this. Both Piper and Leo look confused for a minute, then their faces clear.
"That actually makes sense. I think your child-self was just a shell waiting for you to reincarnate into it. It was fated that you would choose reincarnation when you did." Piper exclaims excitedly. I blink, finding myself wondering for a second if everyone really is insane. I shake it off. This is just too real.
"Maybe. That does explain how he could be as old as he is. He wouldn't even have been born yet otherwise." Leo adds. I glance over at him as he stands excitedly, his hands catching fire. I find myself staring as my jaw drops open at this, and the boy looks down, noticing it and grinning sheepishly as he puts them out.
"Is that... Normal?" I ask, still staring at his hands. Piper laughs and he grins, giving me a mock bow.
"Yep. I'm the Hotstuff around these parts. "Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus, rider of Festus the dragon. At your service." He says grinning. For the first time since I arrived, I relax enough to laugh.
Chapter 2 coming soon