. Chapter 10 .

Boxed In

TPOV

I turned to look at my surroundings only to realize I was in the forest right outside of Camp Half-Blood. A second later I heard heavy breathing from beside me. I turned to find Apollo with Alex curled up in his arms. Apollo's hair was ruffled and there was a long tear in his shirt but other than that he looked fine.

Alex was a different story. His clothes were dirt and grass stained, his hair was a mess, there was an ugly bruise forming on his cheek, and a cut along his right arm. But, he had a look of determination on his face. I looked back up at Apollo to see the same look on his face.

"Come on!"And with that Apollo took off running. I charged after them and soon caught up. As we ran through the forest I couldn't help but feel like somebody was following us. Suddenly, an evil laugh sounded in my head growing louder and louder as we ran.

We soon came to a break in the trees showing we were just a little farther than Half-Blood Hill. The laugh had stopped but I still had the feeling of somebody watching us.

Just as Apollo stepped forward he was reflected. It was like there was an invisible wall keeping us from leaving. Apollo cursed under his breathe and then pressed his hand up against the wall that glowed blue at his touch. I gasped as he pulled back his hand that was now steaming.

He looked back at me with eyes full of anguish. I gasped and shook my head as Apollo sighed and burried his face in Alex's hair. It was like we were giving up without even trying anything at all.

"She put barriers around all of the forest and camp. We have no way out."

I shot up into a sitting position gasping for breathe. A second later I realized there were hands on my shoulders holding me still. I turned to find Apollo sitting next to me with a troubled look on his face. Just behind him I could make out a head of blonde hair crouching behind the side of the bed.

I raised my eyebrows in a questioning look at Apollo. He took a deep breathe to calm himself before running a shaky hand through his hair. "Alex was just about to wake you when you started screaming and thrashing around. Scared the heck out of him." Alex raised his head so I could only see his eyes that were filled with tears.

I sighed and outstretched my arms for him. He quickly climbed onto the bed and crawled into my arms. He burried his face in my chest as I held him close. Apollo smiled weakly at us.

A few moments later after Alex had calmed down, I had gotten dressed. Because we were leaving today, I needed to get ready so I could say goodbye to everybody.

Just the thought of leaving brought a frown to my face. I knew we would have to leave for along time. Maybe even forever. I had so many memories at this camp. Apollo proposing to me, all the times Violet, Annabeth, and I shared, our first visit after Alex had been born, and so many more.

I was scared out of my thoughts as Apollo grabbed my hand and we walked out of the cabin with Alex. I was silent as we walked to the dining pavilion. For the time of day it was the camp was unusually quiet. Come to think of it, I didn't see one person in sight.

When we reached the dining pavilion I saw Annabeth and Percy sitting at a table. They both had dried tear tracks down their cheeks and Annabeth's head was rested on Percy's shoulder. I sighed as we sat down across from them. They really didn't deserve their daughter to be taken from them. They never did anything.

A moment of silence passed between us before Annabeth spoke up. "We'll miss you," she whispered into Percy's shoulder. Her voice sounded broken and I just wanted to hug her and tell her that everything would be okay.

"We'll be back as soon as we can," Apollo said quietly.

Annabeth nodded and lifted her head off Percy's shoulder. She smiled weakly at us and then looked down at Alex. "As soon as we find Dani we'll let you know," she said quietly. Alex nodded and burried his face in my chest putting his small arms around me. I sighed and patted him on the head.

As we stood up and said our final goodbyes it happened. A high pitched little girls scream pierced the air. It lasted for a few moments before it abruptly cut off. It was eerily quiet. I looked at Percy and Annabeth's horror stricken expression to realize what they were thinking.

It was Dani's scream.

The scream came again louder this time. I looked over just as the right wall of the Aphrodite cabin blew up. Wood rained everywhere as the scream stopped again. Suddenly, another loud noise came as the side of the Demeter cabin blew out. My eyes widened.

"Let's go!" Apollo yelled as I scooped up Alex in my arms and took off running after him. As we ran I heard another loud bang. I had no time to look back and see what cabin it was this time.

Just as we reached the beginning of the forest Apollo stopped and looked back. Campers were running everywhere. It was complete chaos. I didn't realize I was crying until Alex reached up and touched my wet cheek.

"Go! I'll hold her off!" Apollo yelled desperately over the noises. I didn't have to ask who he was talking about. He turned around ready to go before I grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him back. I shook my head at him and he groaned. "You have to!"

He then wrapped me in a hug crushing me and Alex to his chest. "What if you get hurt?" I sobbed as he burried his face in my hair. A second later he let go of me and started backing up. "Wait!" I yelled as I pulled him towards me. My lips crashed onto his as we shared a short kiss.

"D-Daddy where a-are you g-going?" Alex asked as he started crying softly. He looked absolutley terrified that his dad was leaving us.

Apollo sighed as he kissed Alex's forehead and started backing up yet again. "I have to go. You guys go hide! I love you both!" he called out to us as he started running in the opposite direction. Alex struggled in my arms trying to reach for Apollo. He frowned as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Daddy, no!" Alex screamed as I started running into the forest. I desperately looked around for a hiding spot. That's when I started hearing loud footsteps. Close. I started running away with a burst of speed. I soon found a cluster of bushes that would have to do.

I quickly sat down behind the bushes and crouched hiding Alex with my body. I tried to quiet Alex down as he was sobbing "Shhh, Alex please you need to be quiet," I said my voice cracking. I soon heard the loud footsteps again and I held my breathe as I held Alex tighter to my body.

"Thalia! I know you're out there!" a female voice said tauntingly. I bit my lip to keep a sob from escaping my lips as I recognized the voice to be Artemis'. The footsteps died down as all was quiet. I peeked out from the bushes to find nobody.

I soon saw a flash of familiar blonde hair and then Apollo was in front of me. His hair was ruffled and there was a long tare in his shirt but other than that he looked fine. I sobbed as I thre myself into his arms. Alex stood on the ground watching us.

"Come on!" he said as he scooped up Alex in his arms. I got the feeling that somebody was following me and I heard an evil laugh somewhere close by. As I raced after them I realized this is exactly what I had dreamed about. Which means I knew what was coming next.

We reached a break in the trees and just as Apollo walked forward he was reflected. I sighed as he pressed his hand up against the invisible wall. His hand glowed blue and it steamed as he pulled it away.

He looked at me with the same anguished look like in my dream. I sighed and looked down at my feet as a few tears started streaming down my cheeks. We were trapped.

"She put barriers around the camp. There's no way out."

And the plot really takes hold in the story now :)

Hey everybody! kind of fast update if you ask me, huh? Anyways you guys like the chapter? Like how I incorperarted Apollo's visions from earlier chapters ;D

Sad to say this story only has about 5 or six more chapters ): Sad I know but let's enjoy it while we can :)

Anyways, the NeverShoutNever concert I went to last Saturday was absolutely AMAZING! He sang a bunch of my favorite songs and it was just a dream come true! I lost my voice the next day. He was so good at singing live and he was also hotter in person!

Also, go vote on my poll for what story I should write next! Also please follow me on Tumblr! Link is on my profile!

Well, I must get going back to carving my pumkin and finishing my homework. Hope you guys all have/are having a good time tonight and stay safe!

Happy Halloween :D

-Taylor(: