Message from the Main Character: This story may not start with the chilling battle scenes of betrayal or the love story of rising idiotic romance, but it starts with the first person that introduced me into the world of Olympians. She never gave it away at first but she gave me chance to see it all in the main land of the Olympians, even if it meant that I had to be in someplace completely different and unknown from where I had been born. But as you read this story, you find that I encounter anyone and everyone from the Percy Jackson Series. So, I give you one dare from now and on: read my story, and then Percy's. You'll see how things really were before he came along…

I looked out my window.

She was still there.

That girl from the streets, always sitting on that one bench in the park, wearing that smug look on her face like she was waiting for someone. Every time I glimpsed outside she would be in my view, filthy clothes on, hair in a messy ponytail, and backpack by her side like it was a part of her soul. She had caught me staring at her a few times, and once she had even motioned me over with the wave of her hand.

I had pretended to not see her.

"Selene, what are you staring at?" Elise asked me. She was one of the girls here at the orphanage; she and I shared the same dorm on the highest floor in the smallest room. We didn't really mind each other, considering that she's almost seventeen and I'm barely a week away from becoming ten. We got along just fine.

"Nothing." I lied. I closed the curtain shut and rubbed my arms harshly, feeling the blood run through my veins again. "God, it's freezing in here. Can't you turn the heater up? I'm turning into an icicle!"

Elise laughed. "I wouldn't worry about the temperature if I were you. Don't you have a big test coming up anyway? You should get to studying; Sister Paige says that if you fail another test you'll be held back. Again."

I sighed, rolling my eyes like I always do. "I'm dyslexic for crying out loud! How can I study for a test when I can't even read the words off the page? Its torture!"

"It may be," Elise came up and hugged from me behind, "but you're grades are getting really low, Selene. Even a five year old could do better than you."

I clenched my teeth together and pushed her away, not meeting her eyes. "Thanks." I murmured. "For reminding me that I'm not good enough. You're a real help you know." I walked over to my bed and slipped on my sweater and hat, not wanting to talk anymore.

"Selene, I didn't mean it like that."

"Yes, you did." I muttered. I slipped on my shoes and socks, my teeth biting my lower lip. "I'm going out." I announced.

"To where? Sister Paige will have a fit when she finds out!"

"I don't care." I hissed. I grabbed my gloves and scarf and headed for the door. I slammed it hard on my way out, its noise echoing through the corridors.

I ran out of the orphanage and into the London streets, feeling the bitter cold of January touch my fingers and face.

"No good orphanage," I mumbled to myself. "Always trying to make me into someone I'm not. Giving me tests and trying to teach me like it's actually something worth doing. Ha! Like they would actually care whether I succeed or not. Sister would just be happy that I'm out of the way. She wouldn't have to deal with a dyslexic and ADHD kid again. That old sot." I kicked the lump of snow infront of me and watched as it glittered into the air than back down again on the street. "Worthless case." I sputtered.

"Sorry Helia, did you say something?"

I spun around and there she was; that girl from the park, the one who I always saw out my window. She was standing there behind me, grinning like a love struck puppy. From up close she seemed to be in more of what I would call homeless, but yet she seemed…experienced. Like an old wise woman that was really only fourteen years of age. I held my suspicions that this girl had to grown up too fast, like she didn't have time to be a child and run and play like all the others. I found myself holding my breath when I looked into her deep blue eyes.

"H-how do you know my real name?" I stammered. "No one ever calls me Helia anymore. I go by Selene now."

The girl smiled, it would've been perfect except for her lack of good hygiene.

"Well, I guess I'm gonna have to call you Selene then." She had an American accent that just drew me in. "Well I just came by to give you some stuff that I was told to deliver."

"Deliver?" I echoed. "From who? I've never gotten anything from anyone in my whole life!"

"Ah, but now you do. Here," she held out a small black rectangle. From the buttons on it I could tell that it was a music player with a set of black earphones. I took it from her gingerly and examined the foreign writing on the back. It seemed to be Russian. Maybe even Greek.

"Your very own MP3." The girl went on. I noticed that she used her hands a lot when she talked. "Your grandfather and uncle said to give you it first, that it would be the best part of the package for you."

"I don't have a grandfather," I stated. "Or an uncle. Or anybody. I'm an orphan."

She smiled softly and her eyes twinkled, "maybe you don't. But my father was told to give it to you; that it was from them. And I'm just the messenger really."

"Messenger." I mumbled. "Right."

"Hey, don't worry!" she reached into her messenger bag and took out a white envelope. "I got some more packages for you. This ones from my father personally. Here yeah go."

I took the envelope as well and didn't know if I should open it immediately. My mind told me that it was something to look at when I was alone, not with some stranger.

"Who are you?" I asked out of nowhere. "Do you even live here?"

"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "I'm a gypsy messenger. I don't really have a home now since I travel all around delivering packages for my father; but I do hope to live in New York again someday. In this little strawberry farm actually, its just right of off Long Island Sound. You should visit someday maybe. They have the best strawberries there."

I smiled just to be polite. "That'd be wonderful. How come you have to be delivering packages for your father? Shouldn't you be in school or something?"

She laughed, sharing her own little joke with herself. "No thanks, I'd rather run around a whole city than sit at a desk all day. Its just one of the things I love about my inheritance from my father."

"Who is your father?"

The easiness in her voice dropped slightly. "Oh, he's a really busy man. But um, hey. I have a package left for you. this one I was told to be very gentle with." She handed me a piece of silver fabric she had kept in her pocket.

I unwrapped it carefully and inside I found a glimmering golden necklace with a beautifully crafted circle pedant. I held it up at arms length and just watched as it captured the sun's light. It must've been worth a thousand pounds or more. Wait, no that's wrong. The necklace was absolutely priceless.

"Wow…" I breathed. "Who- who's this from?"

The girl clenched her teeth together and looked at the ground. "Um, actually it's an anonymous delivery, so I don't know who's it from. I'm sorry."

I shook my head and buried the necklace back in its silvery cloth. I figured that one of the orphanage girls would try to steal it first chance they got. "Its okay. Thank you actually, um…"

"Angela." She said solemnly. "My name's Angela."

"Angela." I repeated. "Thank you Angela."

She smiled and tilted her head, she reminded me of a puppy more and more. "Your welcome. Well, I best be going now." She slung her messenger bag further up her shoulder and gripped the handle loosely. "I'll see you again someday maybe. But for now, just stay alive 'kay?"

I furrowed my brows. "Why would I need to take caution for staying alive?"

She sighed like she knew something I didn't. Her feet started moving as she walked backwards down the street. "Someday you'll see why, Selene. For now… just be glad that you're not ten years old yet. Consider it as a blessing."

She turned around before I could respond and started running, reaching the border of the playground then gliding past it like it was invisible. I watched her silently with pressed lips and numb ears.

What had Angela meant? 'Someday you'll see why Selene. For now… just be glad you're not ten years old yet. Consider it as a blessing.' I thought hard and took a deep breath, feeling paranoid-ia slip into my mind.

'Consider it as a blessing'…