I was inspired to write this after reading one of my favorite ghost stories. Please read and enjoy,

I do not own Percy Jackson or the song Wrapped in your arms by fireflight

Welcome to the Masquerade...

Percy...

Aphrodite cabin did a number on the pavilion, put their efforts with Demeter's girls and you'd get a dance hall that would make the goddess of love swoon. Tonight was the first annual starlight masquerade, a chance for us to unwind as teenagers and not just as heroes, a chance to mingle among the cabins. If the goddess of love was here she'd say it was the perfect night to fall in love. Yeah…right.

I don't know why I'm here, but I know why I'm bitter, months ago Annabeth and I had decided to take a break, well…it was mostly her than me. She said that since we were going to be apart for a least a year because of her first year of college and that she wouldn't burden me with the hassle of keeping up with a long distance relationship. Funny she's here in the arms of a Son of Apollo, funnier how he just happened to show up at the same school as her.

Aphrodite can be cruel…

Not wanting to see my ex in the arms of the spawn of Apollo I started to take a walk. The sun was setting and I could see the first batch of stars shining through. I watched and waited, minutes passed, I saw Orion, the big dipper every other constellation except one, the huntress.

I could feel my eyes start to sting as the memories came back to me as I sighed her name, "Zoe…." Out of everyone in my past quests she was the only one I could think about. A few years ago I had watched Zoe Nightshade die at the hands of her father, Atlas, the titan that still holds up the sky. When she finally passed, Artemis placed her among the stars forever. Each night I look out at her constellation, gripping riptide a sword that was once hers I silently thank her, and each night I wonder what if she had lived.

Thinking about it even more, her more…I started to miss her.

"Where are you…," I sighed, the night was full of stars but I couldn't make hers out her form. With a heavy heart I lowered my head a started for my cabin, tonight wasn't going well for me and I decided to call it a night. It would give me a reason to get out of this stupid outfit the Aphrodite girls forced me to wear.

They wanted me to look dashing, by that I mean the stuck me in an oversize white long sleeve silk shirt with laces instead of buttons allowing the top part of my chest to show, black pants with a pair of old fashion riding boots. My mask I chose myself, a simple black mask with a bit of gold mixed in. The girls said I looked like a hero from one of their romance novels, but honestly I felt like a Disney character. Prince Percy.

I felt like there was nothing keeping me from calling it a night, except for this unusual feeling I sensed coming from the pavilion. Turning back I could see everyone was still having a good time, the girls in their dresses twirling about as the guys to this as a chance to get closer to them. I saw Annabeth swooning over her date in his jesters mask, but it wasn't bothering. I walked mindlessly following this chilling sensation; something was willing me to go back to the dance.

A faint voice at the back of my head started to whisper to me, "please…the night isn't over yet," It was a tender voice, though I heard it before it still seemed alien to me, almost like a distant dream. I heard it call out to me again sending a chill down my spine, "Percy…please," this voice wasn't just it my head, it was in my ears, someone was calling me back to the dance. Though no one seemed to notice it or maybe they just couldn't hear it…but I did. "Percy…"

Without even realizing it I found myself back in the Pavilion, everyone kept dancing around like they didn't even notice me or the phantom voice. Still I felt something pulling forward, a gut sensation telling me to go on, "Go on to what?" I asked in my mind, and after I did the lights dimmed. The dancers came to a stop with the music and started drifting closer to each other, I felt myself stepping out to the dance floor as the next song played.

"Is this the whole picture, or is this just the start…is this the way you loved me? You're capturing my heart. I use to try to walk alone, but I've begun to grow," that's when the lights grew brighter and I saw her walking towards me, "and when you tell me just to rest, I finally let go…I let go…," she had a look that said royalty, flawless copper color skin under a strapless sliver gown that flowed down to her feet. Her black hair hung down like waves of silk down her back as she walked with complete grace to where I was standing.

I couldn't pull away from the beautiful dark circles of her eyes that shown through her mask, not that I wanted to. She took my hand in hers and pulled me to wrap my arms around her, then we danced, "And I'm here…to stay…nothing can separate us…and I know…I'm ok…you cradle me gently wrapped in your arms, I'm home…," I looked down at the goddess in my arms and she smiled.

"I'm seeing so much clearer, Looking through your eyes. I could never find a safer place…Even if I tried. All the times I've needed you, You've never left my side. I'm clinging to your every word…Don't ever let me go…Don't let go."

"And I'm here…to stay…nothing can separate us…and I know…I'm ok…you cradle me gently wrapped in your arms, I'm home…," I spun her around as the song picked up, then pulling her back into my arms with her back against me we swayed, "I'm home...(ohoh ohoh ohoh ohoh)
I'm wrapped in your arms!"

She spun around in my arms looking back up at me, her eyes dazzling, drawling me towards her. "And I'm here to stay, Nothing can separate us, And I know, I'm ok, You cradle me gently Wrapped in your arms," with just an inch separating us I asked her, "Who are you…," she didn't answer, instead she gently pressed her lips to mine, "And I'm here to stay, Nothing can separate us, And I know, I'm ok…You cradle me gently,Wrapped in your arms... I'm home…I'm home…."

We pulled apart as the song came to an end, she smiled up at me as she reached for her she lifted her disguise my heart races and my eyes grew wide. "Hello, Percy…"

Zoe…