Chapter 1: Buckets and Clippers

"The lives of most demigods aren't normal; it's full of heartache, grief, trauma, death, and tragedy. We are little play things that the gods love to play with, especially Aphrodite, silly little cow, she enjoys creating tragic love stories. The gods enjoy sleeping with our parents and leaving them to raise us and not pay child support. I didn't believe in the gods, until I met my father on that cold day in the camps, and I thought he saved my life, but I was wrong. When I got out of the godforsaken hellhole, I blacked out instantly, and found myself in city of thousands of towers. The population called it the Big Apple, but I didn't see an apple. I was found by some campers and they brought me here to this camp. I found out later that I was in the wrong century and that I would never see my family ever again. I thought my life was over until I met those four, my best friends, my family, and after that everything changed".

"Go on demigods, run faster, the faster you go, the faster you eat", the middle-aged satyr shouted. Michael is running next to Karl, his friend for all intents and purposes, who keeps tripping over himself. Michael constantly pulls him up which slows him down as usual. Eventually the Coach Aegean aka "Barge" notices.

"Ay, you two, what are you a couple, my mummy is in a wheel chair, she could

run faster than you, If these guys are going pass you, I am going to cut your body in half with the edge of a drachma", he shouts with sarcasm," WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT SAYERS?"

A teenaged black kid began to chuckle, he had dark hazel eyes, and wore thick glasses. He

wore the typical Camp half blood shirt with his jersey school shorts; he looked decent, other

than that left twitch in his eye whenever he got confused or stared into place.

"Nothing, Coach, I just thought that she'd roll faster than them", he asks in an innocent voice.

The satyr's face turned bright red with anger, "Sayers, tonight crowbar to the legs and head, COMA", he shouts.

"Ohhh DARN,I'm so freaking scared", Sayers states sarcastically.

There were some snickers and eventually everyone joined, even Michael laughs a little.

"Stop it or I'll set you all on fire, NOW WHO ELSE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY, SAY IT

NOW OR FOREVER SHUT YOUR MOUTHS", the coach screams.

Karl raises his hand in fear; his bright ginger hair covers his unique topaz colored eyes.

"WHAT IS IT KARL", the coach shouts.

"Um, how is Mrs. Yvette, I heard strange laughter and growls coming from your cabin early

this morning", he asks with a shy voice.

Everyone busts out in uncontrollable laughter, while other's faces distort.

"Goat and nymph screwing, yuck, how does that even work", Amber yells in disgust.

Sayers grins "It's more like a bah, uh, bah, uh, and bah", he replies then another round of

laughter flies in.

Karl didn't seem to understand what was wrong with his comment, he's often mistaken. Mr. Barge on the other hand had this to say, "Michael, Karl, and Sayers that is your second strike, one more strike and I'm gonna kick you from Long butt island to freaking Peru. NOW THIS GOES TO EVERYONE KEEPS YOUR MOUTH'S SHUT YOU KIDS OF MOTHER LOVER'S OR ILL…..WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT KARL?" the coach shouts in raw anger.

"Ha, it's funny because we are mother's lover's children", Karl laughs uncontrollably.

Everyone else keeps their mouths shut in fear. Michael sometimes likes the coach, but there

are times when he'd anger him, at least he's not like the god of wine. Mr. D would constantly call him Michael Jackson, Michelle, Michael Vicks, and always tell him about the new seniors program for seventy year olds.

"Karl, Sayers, Michael, BUCKETS AND CLIPPERS, SISSY BOYS", the coach shouts

The trio groan, "No, I don't wanna, there spiders in there", Karl screams in terror

"ZIP IT AND SECURE IT, NOW HIKE", the coach screams.

The trio walks into the infamous shed that's been there since gods know when. The paint use to be blue but now it looked faded and vulgar. The shelves are hanging sideways due to lost screws; there are some broken old jars, and cobwebs all over the place. A large black tarantula skitters across the floor with its pincers snapping. If an Athena kid stood in there, they would die of hyperventilation.

Karl groans as he tries to cover his head from the cobwebs, "Gah, I hate this place, I feel like a hobo" he remarks.

Sayers walks over to the corner of the room and grabbed the buckets and clippers, "Well, let's not keep the dryads waiting on us, you never know, we might meet your number one lady, Michael", he whispers.

Michael pretends to laugh, "Shut up, Sayers", he replies as he grabs the bucket from Sayers hands.

The first few hours of berry picking was difficult, the dryads kept running away from them, and Karl took a beating from a satyr for being "frisky" with his wife. Michael made a mistake to kick one of them in the face, and she attacked him with her leaves. Sayers had no issue; he kept it real like Snoop dog, and let the dryads come to him. He had about a hundred and fifty blackberries, and seventy apples, Michael was lucky to get ten crushed black berries and an apple core, and like always Karl had none at all,

"I hate those things, they are a bunch Tom Noddies", Karl shouts at the woods, but it only earns him an apple in the face.

"There's your apple, idiot", a dryad shouts back with humor.

Michael and Sayers help Karl to his feet, "Come on, man stay cool, let's get changed and eat", Sayers states calmly.

Meanwhile

A young girl stares out the window of a car as she fiddles with her nails and fingers. She doesn't understand how it happened or why she's in the car, but she keeps going through her thoughts and memories of what the past week. She wasn't crazy, or at least she thinks she's not crazy. She recalled the day when she was sent to the school for juvenile delinquents. She went to the hospital with her aunt for a checkup and to diagnose her symptoms of possible ADD, and schizophrenia. Dr. Phorcys told her aunt not to worry and he took the girl to the room. He asked her if she was familiar with the pill and explained to her why she needed to take them. When she refused, something happened that turned her skin to a blanket of cold sweat. She saw Dr. Phorcys turn into this horrible monster; how could a sweet old family doctor turn into a monster. She had to do something, anything. She grabbed a needle from his drawer, stabbed in his neck with good measure, and tried to escape. The Nurses immediately stopped her, and she was taken to an asylum for Juveniles. She was ten when she arrived and remained there for three years. Two days ago, a miracle happen; a group of man-eating birds attacked the school and one of the nurses, Mrs. Trentov saw the whole thing. She was saved by the girl and was told what was really going on in the world. Ariadne Moon is not crazy.

"Ariadne", Mrs. Trentov states in a small voice.

She snaps out of her phase. It's been raining like this for two weeks now and there was severe flooding on some of the highways. She is still in her dirt-covered and bloody school uniform for St. Joan of Arc school for troubled young women. They have been driving on the lonely road since the school blew up two days before. The teacher told her that she knew where to take her to be safe, so they drove from Rhode Island to New York City. Ariadne wasn't complaining though, she's busy making her cherry bomb. She realizes that the teacher is speaking to her.

"Yes, Mrs. Trentov", she whispers

"We are here; Silenus will take you to the camp. Don't worry you'll be safer here",She explains

"Don't worry; I knew something was off with Mr. Scott. Thanks for bringing me here safely, Mrs. Trentov", she states as she gets out of the car and walks towards the satyr. She doesn't the sad expression on her teacher's face or the words she muttered to herself, poor little girl.

The man who was Silenus had plump nose, a round body, and goat legs. His eyes were bloodshot, and he didn't look like the children type. He eyed her up and down with his glassy brown eyes, and upturned his face,

"Ariadne Moon, I regret the events that took place at your school, but at this camp there are rules and you will be obedient and straightforward", he stated and walked towards the camp gates

"Great, another asylum", she mutters as she limps her way to the gate.