Father was driving his orange Corvette down the sunny streets of Miami, his short, wavy hair rustling in the wind with the top down on the car. His sunglasses were on but instead of looking content like he usually did when he took Dani for a ride in his car, there was a deep frown on his face.
"I just want you to know… that I love you, and that I know you don't understand this now, but you are better off there than here." He said, nervously, knowing that Dani would barely understand.
Dani nods. "Yes, Daddy." She answers, happily oblivious, as she raises her hands up in the rushing air in the back seat. A few minutes later, they pull up to a busy place Dani had never seen before. When her father had led her out of the car, carrying her suitcase, he took her hand and walked her through big, glass doors into a large white building. Dani stared at large photos of people on the walls with suitcases just like hers in front of some kind of white background. She didn't understand what they were doing in a strange place like this, but she didn't mind because she was with her Daddy.
Dani sat down with her father and waited in some sort of lobby, listening to the loud speaker that was blaring in their ears, "Flight 101 to New York City, now boarding. Seats 23-42." This announcement was the last Dani heard before her father got up and took her to the entrance of a very strange hallway, where a woman dressed in a blue uniform stood taking white slips of printed-on paper and a nice-looking lady stood in denim shorts and a bright, orange t-shirt. Dani liked orange. It was a happy color.
Dani and her father walked up to the lady in the shorts and Dani's father nodded curtly at her. "Ms. Chase, I presume." He lets out, formally shaking her hand. "I am Brian Parker, and this… this is Dani."
Ms. Chase nodded at Dani's father and turned to look at Dani. "I am afraid that we do not have any time to waste, Mr. Parker, we are going to have to leave and skip goodbyes." She takes Dani's hand out of her father's and Dani realizes that her father wasn't going with her on this trip. It scared her a bit and she felt tears rushing into her eyes.
"Dani?" A voice jolted Dani back into the present and she heard her sister's voice cutting through the emotional thoughts of her memory.
"Oh!" Dani jumped in her seat, surprised. "Annabeth…" She gets serious again, biting her lip as she collected her wandering thoughts.
"I need you to get us into Camp Jupiter."
The sound of silence responded to my statement for a good thirty seconds before I hear Annabeth taking a cautious breath, "And just why would I need to do that?"
"Trust me. I wish we didn't need to do anything at all…" I respond, my thoughts wandering…
I remember the smell of pine needles and the sweet scent of strawberries getting stronger as the nice lady in the orange shirt led me deep into the forest after a long drive in the countryside. I was confused, and a little bit scared. I hadn't seen Dad in hours.
The forest was dark, the sun setting on the horizon. I turn my head to look up at the pretty lady and ask, "Where are you taking me? Why couldn't my Daddy come with us?" I saw some sort of strange shock flash over the lady's face, I hadn't spoken up until now. She seemed to stiffen up a bit as she ceased her walk, looking down at me. "Did your Daddy tell you anything?" She asks, in a soft voice.
I looked up at the lady and shook my head 'no'. "What was he supposed to tell me?" The pretty lady takes a deep breath, her storm grey eyes looking sad, "You are going to a special camp for kids that are just like you..." She answers me, looking into my eyes.
"It's called Camp Half-Blood."