My first thought was: what cabin do I sleep in? Since there was only one camper in the Poseidon cabin, that was my answer. As we roasted smores, I saw a red-haired girl keeping to herself. I walked to her.
She looked up. "You're the new girl everyone's talking about?" she asked. "Yup. TJ," I stuck out my hand. She shook it. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Nice to meet you."
I raised my eyebrows. "You're the oracle?" "She opened her mouth to say more, but what came out was green mist. JSYK for you mortals out there, it smells like a rotting animal.
Two campers rushed over and put Rachel on a tripod. The deep hollow voice of the spirit of Delphi began to speak.
"The sky shall awake in the body of one.
The old and new nine shall undo what he has done.
They shall sail across the ancient sea,
But it costs a precious fee.
Two birds, one stone, a golden heart,
A pair of souls that can never be apart.
A broken one shall find her love,
And a life is held in the wings of a dove.
With great power comes a great need to succeed,
And the things that save all are the pipes of reed."
She passed out, and Rachel was carried away on a stretcher. Percy frowned. "Two birds, one stone… what in Poseidon's name does that mean?" "There's an idiom, kill two birds with one stone," I offered. "A pair of souls that can never be apart," Annabeth pronounced. "A couple that has passed away." Frustration built up inside me. I knew what this whole prophecy meant. But he stayed in my mind, and I had to pretend to rage-quit. "That's it, the prophecy is too long!" I screamed, pretending to be boiling mad.
I raced back to the Poseidon cabin. That's my good girl, he cooed. "Shut up, great-grandpa!" I yelled at the voice. "You don't know me! I'm only doing your bidding once! Just once! And how did you get in my mind this afternoon?!"
Oh, but I know you really well, he told me. I've been manipulating your fate since you were born.
"I was born in the 21st century. That gives you less than three decades to watch me."
Tsk, tsk. You have no idea how wrong you are. Your soul existed long before Dionysus was sentenced to this petty camp. You have died twice already.
"That doesn't make any sense! I would remember everything!"
Great-granddaughter, calm down. I made sure you got a full drink of Lethe water. Even if you did remember everything, you would have run into the woods by now, driven insane. Some things are better off unknown. Like you and I having this little chat, for instance.
I was so angry, I couldn't think straight. I flopped on my bunk, away from my problems, away from the world of the gods, away from reality.