(A/N Before anyone asks, yes the story is supposed to end like that.)

Never Existed

The person telling this story is not a boy or a girl. Not a child or an adult. Not alive and not dead. You see, I never really existed. I simply am not. Does that make any sense?

No, of course it doesn't. Not yet anyway. It all started when I… no when the person, for it was not I, I never existed. So, it started when a young boy, was lost. In more ways than one. This boy was looking for safety and for himself.

I would let him tell this story if not for the fact that he does not exist. I don't exist either, but I and him are one and the same, yet wholly different.

The boy traveled to Camp Half-Blood, where his kind are kept safe and… Why don't I just show you?

Preston ran across the border, away from the monsters and to safety, and then instantly collapsed.

"Chiron!" A girl's voice yelled. "There's a boy on the hill!"

Preston closed his eyes and the world disappeared.

When he woke up, Preston was in an infirmary.

"Are you alright?" The same girl asked.

"Yes," Preston said.

"Good," She said with a smirk. "I'm Madison."

He smiled. "Preston."

"How old are you, Preston?" She asked.

"I'm nine," he said. "What about you?"

"I'm six," she said. "You're old."

"Am not," Preston argued.

"Are too."

"Well you're a baby," He said.

"C'mon," She said with no new arguments. "Chiron'll want to meet you."

"Who's Chiron?" Preston asked.

Madison smiled. "You'll see."

Preston ran after the little girl. He stepped on the deck of the house and saw a man in a wheelchair.

"This is Preston," Madison said.

Chiron smiled. "Nice to meet you, Preston."

"Could you explain this to me?" Preston asked. "I'm a child of some Greek God, but who and how and…?"

"We do not yet know your parent, but I'm sure you will be claimed soon. The gods move around from place to place with a force called the Western Civilization." Chiron said.

"It's a big word," Madison said. "Civ-i-liz-a-tion."

"Very nice, Madison," Chiron said. Then he gasped.

He looked around and after a minute he saw a sign above his head.

"What is that?" Preston asked.

"Your father," Chiron said. "This is strange."

"Who?"

"Morpheus, God of dreams."

"What's wrong with that?"

"It's," Chiron started, "just unheard of."

"Why?" He asked.

Chiron shrugged. "I have never heard of your father having children. You are unique."

"I… unique? Me… um…?"

"It's a lot to take in, Preston." Madison said very formally. "There's a Morpheus cabin, we've just never used it. You need a nap."

"Oh," he said as she pushed me towards the cabins. "Thank you, Chiron."

Chiron didn't respond.

Madison led him to a dark cabin. It had rows of bunk beds inside, but was otherwise empty.

"They didn't know what to put in here when they built it," Madison said as if giving a tour. "So they figure beds would be enough."

"Who's they?" He asked.

"The demigods that fought in the second titan war," Madison said. "Duh."

"War?" He asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Annabeth is totally my hero. That was a few hundred years though."

"Okay…" He said confused. "I'm going to take a nap, now."

"No, you aren't," She said. "That was an excuse to get away from Chiron, so c'mon let's go to the sword arena."

"Um… oh… I mean… okay, I guess…"

"C'mon!" She yelled. "Let's go!"

She dragged me out of the cabin and to the arena.

That was a good day, Madison and Preston fought for hours and hours. They were equally matched even though she was three years younger.

Back to non-existence. How is that possible, you might ask? You see existence doesn't depend on physical it depends on remembrance and that is something I… excuse me, HE lost.

Fast forward three years and you'll find Preston and Madison in for a shock.

"Wake up, sleepy head!" Madison's voice rang through the Morpheus cabin.

"Okay, okay," Preston said.

Preston got out of his bed and he and Madison went outside.

"Hey Jacob," Preston said to his friend as he passed.

The other boy didn't respond.

"Jacob," he tried again.

"Jacob!" Madison yelled.

"Wow," Jacob said. "No need to yell."

"Why didn't you just say hello to Preston the first time?"

Jacob wrinkled his nose. "Who's Preston?"

"The guy standing next to me," Madison said. "One of your best friends?"

Jacob rolled his eyes and walked away.

You could hear him say to his brother, "It's nice that Madison still has imaginary friends."

"What just happened?" Preston asked.

Madison shrugged. "He's probably playing a prank on you," she said. "He is a Son of Hermes."

"Let's go find Chiron," Preston suggested. "He'll cheer us up."

So, the two children ran to the Big House, where Chiron sat on the porch.

"Chiron," Madison said to him. "Jacob's pulling a prank on Preston."

"Who's Preston?" Chiron asked.

"Not you too!" Madison yelled. "The guy that's been here for three years! The son of Morpheus!"

"Madison," Chiron said. "To my knowledge there is no, and never has been a child of Morpheus. Don't let your imagination out of hand."

"He's not imaginary!" She yelled and pointed at Preston. "He's right there!"

"Yeah," Preston said.

Preston waved his hand in Chiron's face and the old centaur didn't even flinch.

"Chiron!" He yelled in Chiron's ear.

'Nothing else?" He asked Madison.

As Chiron rolled away, Preston made a grab for Chiron's arm. His hand went right through Chiron.

"Is it windy out?" Chiron asked Madison.

Without waiting for an answer Chiron rolled inside.

What a mean practical joke. It is a joke, right? I'm sure those are your thoughts, so let me assure you it is no joke. I told you from the beginning that he didn't exist.

One year later, it is the day before Madison's tenth birthday.

For the past year, Madison would try to get people to remember Preston while Preston screamed in their ears and waved his hands in their faces to no avail.

Then came the day we are speaking of, the day Madison broke her daily routine and didn't show up at the Morpheus cabin at eight a.m. sharp.

Preston went looking for her and found her eating breakfast with her siblings.

"Madison," he asked. "Why didn't you come and get me this morning?"

"Who said that?" Madison asked.

"No one said anything," Joey, another child of Athena said.

"It was me, Madison," Preston said. "Preston, remember. You can't forget!"

"Preston?" She asked. "Who's Pr… Oh my gods, c'mon Preston."

"Madison?" Joey asked as she ran away seemingly alone.

They ran only out of earshot of the mess hall.

"Preston," Madison said. "I'm forgetting you, too."

"Madison," he said. "It's okay. I… I… I never existed anyway."

That night, just before the clock struck midnight, I spoke to you and reminded you to…