Disclaimer: Cora is mine.
Author's Note: I am just thinking hard how to start something, but I can't convince myself. I will be good. I hope. Once again, sorry. I was out of town, still am... so please be patient.
10. Cora
Thalia left one hour ago. I was still in my bed thinking in my dream. My mom was in a room with a view of the forest. It could be any forest of the North, nothing remarkable. Then I heard again that sound. I finally understood that the deafening hammering heartbeats belonged to my brothers or sisters. They sounded so strong. Than nothing would harm them and that made me kind of happy. My uncle Malcolm tried to hurt them but they are fine. I really thought the worst.
I already knew mom was pregnant. I thought she lost them when I saw the blood stains on her bed back in Alaska. I wanted to tell dad but why tell him such bad news when we just lost Derek. I would only drive him in despair. Mom left once dad while pregnant with Derek, and my dad crumbled down in depression and self-loathing. Well, that's what Thalia and Grandma Sally had told me.
It took me one hour before I could sleep again. I was kind of afraid of dreaming again. I didn't want to see my mom or brothers in danger.
However, I dreamed again. I dreamed of the Green mansion. I was again in the same room as Halcyon who was sitting on the armchair next to me. We were again drinking coffee in front of a roaring fire.
"Hi, Halcyon" I said with a big smile. I was really happy to see him again. Halcyon replied me with a bigger smile. He looked decades younger as he smiled at me.
"Call me Hal. I guess Thalia told you my name" said Hal.
"Yes. How are you?"
"Death in your time still" said Hal with a small sigh at the end.
I looked at my cup of coffee and said softly "I wished it wasn't. It's nice to have a friend like you"
Hal smiled sweetly like my words really touched him "Sweet child, even if I didn't die that day by saving your godmother. I would be dead by natural causes already"
"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize you were that old" I said looking down ashamed of my lack of 'delicacy'.
Hal put his warm hand over mine patting softly for a second before looking away "It's ok. How are you?" said Hal really concerned. I took a sip of my coffee giving me time to think my current situation. Brother and mother missing, dad going out of his mind with worry, I was a hunter; Thalia loves my dad and the ever terrifying prophecy on us, just peachy really.
"Well… My mom is pregnant" I said finally. I really didn't want to discuss the rest of my life right now.
"Your dad must be happy" said Hal.
"My dad doesn't know yet" I said and sighed loudly "There is prophecy that one of us will destroy Camps" I felt my words sinking deep in my guts. One of us was the bad one, the dangerous one.
"That's not good" said Hal.
"It really isn't…" I said and Hal stood up suddenly. He looked frightened and anxious.
"I think you have to go now" said Hal looking at me and giving me his hand to stand up.
"What? Why?" I said confused.
"The walls. Look!" said Hal pointing to the wall. Blood started to drip from them, soon the blood was rising fast to the point to drown us soon, or at least Hal since I don't. Right when the blood tide was on our waists, the dream changed so fast that my head swirled.
I saw the Camp Half-Blood in ashes and burned crumbled walls. A big fire had destroyed everything to the last stone. I saw the traces of monsters around me. It was a big attack. I could only hope to everybody to leave alive. I walked slowly around the cabins and I saw some burned bodies beyond recognition. Then the wind blew and the ashes of the burned bodies flew away and I saw something sparkling in the head of one. I walked slowly to the shiny object. It was a hunter's princess tiara. I looked around and I saw bows and arrows too. We were here when it happened. I looked to the sky as the full moon illuminated everything.
Then, the scene changed once again. I was in a new place. It looked ancient yet modern, maybe it was New Rome. I saw some buildings in fire and people running back and forth to extinguish the fire carrying buckets of water and fire extinguishers.
I didn't know what to do. I wanted to help. I tried to move the water from the fountains to help, but I couldn't. Something or someone was stopping me and was really strong.
I was really afraid and someone yelled my name. I turned to where the voice was and I saw two persons wearing black cloaks. One had a sword and out of the blue killed the other one and rushed around the city killing everybody with Riptide, my dad's sword, or I think it was since the sword had the same trident in the hilt. As this person was running and killing along the city, I saw the dead faces of my dad, my mom, Derek, my hunter sisters, Romans, Greeks and myself.
Suddenly, a white light blinded me for a second and I was in a hospital room. My parents were smiling as they were carrying two babies on their arms. I heard my dad whispering to the baby he was holding "You will live". For the corner, the same cloaked person appeared from darkness, moved swiftly and stabbed my parents from behind. I saw them fall with shocked looks on their faces.
I tried to move to help them, to do something, but my feet were glued to the floor. I tried to scream but my voice was gone. My parents stared at each other as they were dying. I heard them saying how much they love each other. Soon, my parents were dead in pools of blood.
The babies were crying as they were drenched in blood. The cloaked person kneeled in front of my parents. I saw him staring at them. I wanted so much to move and removed the cloak. I needed to see the face. I needed to know who was behind this.
The cloaked person laughed softly with a rich solid voice and stabbed one of the babies. The one my mom was carrying. The little baby barely made a sound. I was in too much shock to comprehend what was happening.
Finally, the cloaked person took the living baby in his arms taking him or her out of the room. I finally was able to move and chased him but he or she wasn't there anymore.
I woke up with the loudest scream I had ever yelled in my entire life. I felt my life leaving my body in pure sheer terror of what I saw. Hunters barged in with her bows and arrows ready to fight the menace, but there wasn't one physically.
Phoebe stared at me shaking and crying loud. "Get Thalia" she told to my sisters. Fanny nodded and walked out my tent.
"Water" I whispered as I tried to calm down. Phoebe walked around my tent and I had a glass of water in my hand. I tried to drink it but I was trembling too much.
I don't know how much time passed, a minute or one hour, but Thalia entered into my cabin. She was wearing a robe and a worried look on her face.
"Please, leave us alone" said Thalia. My sisters nodded and walked away. Thalia sat next to me in my bed.
"What happened?"
"I saw too many things. Our camp burned to the last stone. Charbroiled bodies, including some of us, hunters. New Rome being attacked and my parents being killed twice by the same person using Riptide or a similar sword"
"Who?" said Thalia really worried. I shook my head trying to erase the images in my head.
"I don't know. She or he was wearing a cloak. I couldn't see the face, but... I think, it is one of us. One baby is the one. Stronger than me and Derek" I said fearing my own words. Thalia stared at me with concern.
"Which one?" said Thalia weakly.
"I don't know… Dad will know what to do, for sure. He has to choose which one will live. If he chooses wrong, he will die, well everybody will. If he chooses right, I still don't know what it will happen" I said and tears started to fall down again.
Thalia started to cry too, but she wiped her tears fast. "What can we do?"
"I don't know" I said feeling hopelessly weak.
"If only Annabeth was here…" said Thalia with a loud sigh.
"Thalia… I wish the same too, that's why we need to find her before everything goes wrong. She might know about whom or what is the catalyst. She might know how to prevent everything, or at least save dad" I said with a little pinch of hope.
"We will find her" said Thalia. I nodded. I tried to be strong but I was too scared and shaken by the dream.
"Thalia, could you sleep with me, please?" I said with a small fearful voice.
"Of course" said Thalia and kissed my forehead before she took out her robe.
As we were in bed, I snuggled in her chest just like when I was 6. Thalia stroked my hair and made hushing noises relaxing me. I was too worried about these dreams. I was afraid of falling sleep and see it all again. They said too much and too loud. I had a crazy thought as I was almost sleeping: If Rachel wasn't the Oracle, I would probably be instead of her. If this was true, maybe I control what I see, maybe I could find a way to stop everything of becoming true.