Just as we neared a bus stop, Cole stumbled and fell.

"Are you okay?" I asked, helping him up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he panted, "thanks."

Cole can't run very well. He has some kind of disease in his legs that stops him from doing so.

"Okay," Cole said, straightening up, "We'll take a bus to the city... and then we'll hail a taxi."

"To where?" I asked. Cole ignored me.

"We'll probably be there by..." he studied his watch. "5:30. Let's go."

The event by the lake slipped out of my mind. I needed answers.

"Whoa. Hold up. Where are we going," I demanded, "and why?" Cole sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. Trust me; it's for your own safety."

"Well, what if I refuse to go?" I crossed my arms stubbornly.

"Then you're going to make my job a lot harder."

"Your job?"

Cole looked me straight in the eyes and said, "What if I told you that not coming with me would also put your mom in danger? Well, it would. I know that this is really weird for you, but you've just got to trust me."

It was then that I knew that this was no joke. Cole was the kind of person who could speak with his eyes, and at that moment, they showed worry.

"Do I get to say 'bye' to my mom? I asked in a small voice.

Cole looked sympathetic. "Sorry," he said, "but you'll see her again soon, I promise."

I must have looked upset because Cole gave in, sort of.

"I'm taking you to a summer camp," he said quietly.

I stared. "A summer camp," I repeated sarcastically.

"Yup."

I shook my head. All this fuss was about a summer camp? "This really is weird,"" I said. "Trust me," said Cole. You haven't seen anything yet. "

During the ride to the city, Cole talked a little bit about the summer camp. He kept his voice low; like he was afraid someone would hear. "It's for special people, like you," he told me.

"But I'm not special." I protested.

"That's what you think."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see."

I gazed out the window during the taxi ride, watching the city slowly become the countryside. As the farmhouses and orchards flashed by, I fell asleep. My dreams were about strange creatures. They were chasing after a white horse, and were viciously gaining on it. The horse never stopped galloping.

Someone was shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes and saw Cole.

"What?" I asked groggily.

"Almost there," said Cole, "We just have to walk up a hill." I groaned and peeled my cheek off the window.

"You sure this is where your grandma lives, kid?" asked the driver as I climbed out of the taxi.

"Yeah, totally," answered Cole, handing the driver a roll of cash. "Thank you."

As soon as the taxi was out of sight, Cole urged me to keep going. "It's called 'Half-Blood Hill' he informed me as we hiked up. I thought it was a weird name, but decided not to say anything. Before we reached the crest, Cole said, "Okay. Promise not to freak out?"

I looked at him questioningly. "Uh...sure," I responded, suspicious. After a few more strides, I froze.

On top of Half-Blood Hill was a gigantic pine tree, and lying around it was an even bigger lizard. It lifted his head as Cole approached, steam hissing out of its nostrils and its scales shining in the sun. Cole reached out and scratched its chin. Satisfied, the lizard set his head down.

"His name is Peleus," Cole explained, "he's our guardian dragon."

That woke me up. "G-Guardian what?"

"Dragon," said Cole, like it was the most normal thing in the world. "See that thing hanging on the branch over his head? That's called the Golden Fleece. Does it ring a bell?" I didn't answer. I was too busy staring at what Cole had called a dragon. I'd seen dragons in movies, and this thing kind of looked like one... but it couldn't be.

"Okay," said Cole, "I guess not."

"This is crazy," I said, my voice a little higher than usual.

"Take a look at the view." Cole said, ignoring my comment. Reluctantly, I obeyed.

Below me was grassland and large white buildings. A huge farmhouse sat in the middle of fields of green dotted with red. To the north, the sun sparkled on the Long Island Sound. It looked so beautiful that, even though I was still recovering from shock, I said, "Whoa."

Cole chuckled. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood," he said.