My Aunt saves me from a tree (and death)
If i'm going to make a story of myself, I might as well make a little description too. I'm twenty, I have bluish-green eyes, and short blond hair that sticks up in the front because of my cowlick. I'm around 5'11".
I never wear jeans, corduroy, khakis (well, maybe sometimes), collared shirts, or pull-over hoodies. I do however, always wear cargo pants (and cargo shorts) and shirts with funny designs on them, like a saying or picture. when fall comes around, I wear zip-up hoodies or a heavy winter jacket, never a light jacket, or a windbreaker.
I have skin whiter than two-percent milk. Like my name implies, I like to read. Did I not mention my name is Reid Spaans? No, it isn't pronounced like "span" (with an "S") in "wing-span", its like "spawn" (with an "S") as in "devil spawn" or something. It means "Spanish" in Deutsch.
It's sad I get called Reid "Spans" so much I had to write an entire paragraph to show the correct pronunciation.
I have a sense of humor dryer than the Sahara. I pick at my nails, play with my shirt, anything to keep my hands busy. I usually just have a piece of silly putty or something.
Because of my OCD, I don't appreciate being touched, or my hands feeling humid or wet. If my hands aren't cold and dry, I get very uncomfortable. when I sit, i don't face my legs towards a person, I always point them in a direction where no one is at. I also am constantly monologuing, although I may not look like I am, which is why I'm making this story.
Now that we're done with the formalities, I'm stuck in a tree… again. I wanted to cut down a cool branch to make a wooden sword or something, but now I'm thirty-five feet off the ground with the branch I wanted on the ground below.
I guess I'll be okay, because I called my Aunt to bring me a big ladder. She lives two hours down the road, so I will have to wait. I pulled out my silly putty and started to fashion a sort of cat shape.
I could hear my dog, Phorcys, barking, waiting for me in my apartment across the street. the sun was dipping. I could hear my Aunts truck riding on the pavement.
She called to me. "Reid! take this!" she got out of her truck and threw a silver shield at me, maybe four feet tall, and two feet wide, but thats the only thing I registered before it struck me, sending me tumbling to the hard dirt below.
"Why?" is all I could manage to say. I still wondered how she could throw it.
"You're also gonna need this," she gave me a pitch-black, twenty foot long whip. Except it wasn't leather. It was made of a huge roller chain. each link was maybe an inch and a half thick, with small pin points sticking out that would give the opposing force hundreds of holes in their body. I guess the branch I wanted to make a sword out of was worthless now.
"Other than the fact these things are amazing, what would I need them for?"
"Protection."
"From what? A Minotaur?"
"Maybe."
Was she kidding?
"We need to get you to camp," Auntie looked behind her shoulder, like she expected something to come. "Get in the truck. Bring your weapons with you while you're at it," she headed over to the car. "I fed you some nectar, you should be fine."
I did feel fine. Great actually. But how after a fall like that? I obeyed, carrying the surprisingly light chain-whip and shield to the car.
"What about Phorcys?" I asked, wondering what would happen to him.
"don't worry, he'll be fine. while you were out, I put him in the back. I'm surprised you didn't notice him."
I looked back, and sure enough, there he was. Phorcys was a one hundred and eighty pound Leonberger. The breed is huge, and had very soft fur that covered his whole body. He shed a lot, but I didn't mind. I had trained him to follow me, so whenever I walked him, I looked like I was about to arrest someone. He howled, then panted, anxious about the car ride.
"Go pack your stuff!"
I went back to my apartment, packed my favorite things, and told my landlord I might not be back for a while.
"Where are we going?"
"Camp Half-Blood. It's for demigods like you."
"Demigod? Also, who will pay my rent when I'm gone?" I asked impatiently.
"Half human, half God. Before your dad, my brother, passed away, he knocked up a god." She looked out the window, like she was mad at my dad. "Of course, your mom was also my friend. I was mad at the time, but before he died I promised to keep you safe. Oh and I'm living in your apartment for now."
Deep inside, I always wished I was important like that. I was very excited for that news. "So where is the Camp? And what kind of gods?" I didn't mind my Aunt staying, she visits all the time anyways. I guess she has always kind of been there for me.
"New York. Greek gods."
"That's a seven hour drive from Maryland! What will I do until then?" Phorcys started barking. I tried to calm him down. I was very excited the Greek gods were real. I had always wished they were when I was obsessed with them eight years ago.
"Oh Gods. I can't see exactly what it is through the mist, but it must be something bad," Auntie looked straight ahead, horrified.
I saw it too. It was a Cyclopes, maybe eight feet tall.
"use your weapons!"
"I'm supposed to fight him?!"
I didn't need to be told twice. I grabbed the chain and looped it several times on my wrist. there weren't any small spikes on that part, and when I wrapped it, a leather glove appeared on my left hand making the chain feel comfortable against my skin.
I also took the shield and quickly strapped it to my right arm.
The instinct to fight hit me like a truck. I'd never felt so alive, so full of energy.
I swung the chain onto the giant, who backed up, surprised by my weapon choice.
"You can't beat me so easily, Demigod." Its voice was deep and sharp, like a war general in movies.
He lunged, and I just barely dodged.
I charged towards him. I rolled under his legs and wrapped the chain around his left leg. When I got up, I pulled as hard as I could.
"That won't work, Demigod!" He grabbed the chain and pulled. I went flying.
When I landed, even though I did so on my toes, and not on my heel, I still felt pain shoot up my spine. I fought through it. I had to.
He charged again. I rolled under his legs and struck his arm.
"AAAAHHHHH! Damn Demigod!" He bellowed in pain.
with that distraction I went for the other arm. He dodged, but got a few holes in his lower belly.
Using the momentum of my previous strike, I spun, and hit him in the legs. his jump was too late, and using the force of the swing, I brought it up, cutting through the Cyclopes like butter. Instead of an eight foot tall Cyclopes, there was a pile of golden dust. It was swept away with the wind.
After I got back in the car, the speedometer never went below seventy-five.
"we only have a few more miles, so say your goodbyes to me," she looked sad, but proud, as if to say, 'my nephew destroyed a Cyclopes!'.
"I'll miss you. I'll see you later!" I kissed her on the cheek.
We arrived at a hilltop, with the sweet smell of strawberries coming from a crop patch. I hated strawberries. I saw a few dozen cabins, and a big bluish building with four stories. I noticed each cabin had a different design on it. One had flowers growing on windowsills, and an excellent garden in front. another was a dark black color, with a skull on it.
"bye!" I waved. I don't know why she wouldn't come with me, but I didn't question it.
"I hope I'll see you again! You are gonna have to ask a camper to let you keep your dog, by the way."
Phorcys followed, but when I passed certain point, I don't know where, he stopped coming.
People started coming towards me, but they all looked like teenagers. "Can my dog come in?" I asked.
"Sure, just swear on the river styx its not a monster!" said one girl, maybe my age.
"I swear on the river styx!"
"I allow this dog to come in," she spoke with no enthusiasm, like she only said it to make me happy.
Phorcys started walking with me again. A man on a horse came to greet us, but as he got closer I noticed he didn't have a horse. He was the horse. Before I could freak out he patted me on the back.
"I am a centaur," the man said. He said it like he was used to it, so I couldn't help but be sorry I was afraid.
One boy, maybe nine, came up to me and looked at my shield and chain. "Your weapons are weird. look at mine!" He pulled out an Honest-To-God (or gods?) sword two and a half feet long, that shone a gold light.
"You gave a nine-year-old a real sword!?"
"Yes. He needs to train with it until he can live on his own. Will here is a son of Hypnos, god of sleep."
As if on cue, the boy fell to the ground, sleeping and snoring like hes been asleep for hours. "Should we be worried?"
"Will here also has Narcolepsy. He's sleepy, even by his siblings standards."
"Isn't that when you fall asleep randomly for like, two minutes?" Two older kids dragged him to his cabin, a building with mud walls and a rush roof.
"Let's get you settled in. I'm Chiron," His face went from happy to surprised.
"That explains the whip!" said a girl in the back, maybe fourteen.
"What are you talking about?" I was very confused, maybe she saw something in me that made me a "whip person".
She piped in again. "Nemesis's weapon is a whip. Your weapon is also a whip, plus a shield. Also, I don't know if you were told this, but your whip is weird. Who's ever heard of a whip made of chains?" she looked back at her mirror and added more lipgloss.
"What she means is that you were claimed. the small hologram above your head shows a set of scales, Nemesis's symbol."
I looked up, but I might've been too late to see it. people who had gathered, around twenty kids, started whispering, something about a kid named Ethan. "So my moms the revenge goddess?" that explained a lot to me. I never let someone get by unscathed if they crossed me.
When I was sixteen, A boy stole my girlfriend. So I stole his dog. it was maybe ten weeks old at the time, and I named him Phorcys. Four years later, and Phorcys loves me. I personally think I got the better end of the bargain, or "steal". I also stole his wallet, but seventy bucks only gets you so far.
"Let me get you a change of clothes. What sized shirt and jeans do you wear?" Chiron called a plump chicken lady, who was sorting through laundry.
"Um… adult medium for both, but can I get cargo pants instead?"
"Let me get someone from the hecate cabin. they should be able to make some cargo pants."