Chapter 1: Reasons

Annabeth's POV

My life sucks. Christine won't believe me, and she won't call Daddy. I swear, there really are spiders who bite me at night, but she won't believe me. When she thinks I'm not listening, she says things like, "just trying to get attention" or "overactive imagination". She also hates it when I call her Christine, she wants me to call her mommy, but Mommy's mommy, not her. And my little brothers are mean babies. They get me in trouble, even if they don't realize it. Bobby hit me really hard on the foot with his rattle, and I backed into Daddy's bookcase. All the books fell off, so Daddy and Christine got mad at me. Mommy came to see me once and said I'd be okay, but Christine doesn't even want me, and she won't let me tell Daddy about the spiders.

"But the spiders are real! The bites just keep disappearing!" I protested.

"Honey, I don't know if you're just trying to get attention, or if you think they're real, but they aren't real. Look, there are no spider bites, and how could they just disappear?" Christine knelt down next to me.

"Mommy believed me." I pouted.

"You've never even seen your mommy." Christine sighed.

"Yes I have. If you don't believe me, just call and ask her." I handed her a card Mommy gave me.

Christine took the card and looked confused.

"When did Athena come to see you?" Christine questioned.

"A week ago. She said I would be okay, and that she wishes you and Daddy would believe me." I answered.

"Go to your room sweetie." Christine said as she got up and reached for the phone.

See? I didn't even do anything, and she's sending me to my room. She just doesn't like me. I went to my room like she asked, but I didn't stay there. I grabbed Teddy (my bear), my backpack, some shirts and pants and underwear and socks, and a couple of other things I wanted and snuck through my bedroom window. I'm not staying to see the spiders, and Christine doesn't want me, and Daddy tried to send me back to Mommy when I was a baby. I wouldn't find out until years later that Christine had called Mommy and Mommy had convinced her of the truth. Then Christine and Daddy looked everywhere for me, but couldn't find me. I had run away.

A few years earlier...

Thalia's POV

Mom is so annoying. She's drunk constantly, and I have to take care of Jason. He tried to eat a stapler last week, so I had to take him to the doctors office while Mom got over her hangover. He had to get three stitches, so she's lucky I brought money with me. At least she brought us to the park today, Jason stares everytime we pass it. I had to go to the bathroom, so I left him with her.

"Stay, and don't do anything stupid." I commanded.

She waved me off and I left for the bathroom. When I came back, she was nowhere to be found. I ran around the park for fibe minutes until I saw her grinning like an idiot. Alone.

"Where's Jason?!" I demanded.

"I held up my end of the deal, so I hope she holds up hers." Mom grinned.

"Who? What are you talking about?!" I was angry.

Mom just giggled. I searched everywhere, but I couldn't find Jason. My mom lost my baby brother. Later that night, I took some obvious necessities, put them in a giant backpack, and walked right out the front door. Mom was in the living room, passed out with one of her acting gigs playing on the TV and an empty bottle of Vodka next to her on the couch. I just ran away.

Around the same time as Thalia...

Luke's POV

Mom is nuts! She almost ate rat poison, thinking it was hot sauce. Trying to be the Oracle drove her nuts. Dad drove her nuts. If Hermes hadn't have been with her, she wouldn't have even known the Oracle was real. But I wouldn't be alive either. I don't care, the point is that I would do anything not to see Mom this way. I couldn't take it anymore, I got rid of all the dangerous stuff in the house, told a neighbor that I needed more help with Mom, packed some stuff, and left. I just can't take it anymore. I'll miss Mom and I love her, but I can't take it anymore. So I'm running away.