Meeting Mortals

Disclaimer; I don't own PJO or HOO!

Chapter ten

Casey's POV

Looking around, I sigh, pulling the hood of my worn red hoodie up over my head. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I keep walking along the path, not really caring where I'm going. Mum and Da are at it again, fighting, and I had to get out of the house. I couldn't stay, not with my parents screaming bloody murder at each other. Seeing a small path leading into the woods, I decide to get down it. Watching the crimson leaves fall into the dirt path ahead of me, I think to myself, Well, it could be worse. At least they haven't resorted to violence. Small comfort when I know that the only reason they haven't resorted to violence is because I'm around. Blinking sudden tears out of my eyes, I speed up, not caring if I trip, or lose my way. Anything to get away from that house.

I brace my hands on my knees, panting. At some point I had started running, and didn't stop until I couldn't continue. Looking around, I realize that I must have come off the path, and am now completely lost. Not that I'm in a hurry to get back. I decide to wander around for a bit. Hopefully I'll find my way back before dark. Not that I really care either way, it would just kinda suck to have to sleep in the woods, not to mention I won't have any access to food until I figure out where I am.

A few hours later, I look up at the darkening sky. I'm not closer to finding where I am now than I was when I stopped running. If anything, I'm even more lost than before. It'll be night in a few minutes, so I decide to start looking for a place to stay the night. Obviously, I won't be getting out anytime soon. Who knew these woods were so big?

After a couple minutes of hunting, I give up. It's fully dark now, and I can't see a thing. All I can do is try to get comfortable, and hope for the best. Glancing around, I see a tree that looks like I might be able to climb, even if I can't see much, as long as I go slow enough. Walking over to it, I test the nearest branches. They seem study enough, so I carefully hoist myself up onto the closest one. Carefully, I reach up, and grab the next branch. Once I'm five branches up, I find a branch that is wide enough for me to sleep on, while high enough to protect me from animals. It's also not too high up, so if I fall, I probably won't break anything. It's not perfect, but it's the best I can't do at the moment. Sighing, I settle my back against the trunk of the tree, trying to get as comfortable as possible, given the circumstances.

My dreams were fitful, and had I been in my bed, or even on the ground, I would have been tossing and turning in my sleep. Even on my branch, I shifted around more than I should. I wasn't quite having a nightmare, but it was most definitely not a pleasant dream. None of my dreams were anymore. Pleasant dreams were a thing of the past. Now, when I closed my eyes, all I got was nightmare fuel. I never could quite remember what my dreams were about, when I woke up, but I always knew that they were bad, and they were caused by my parent's fights. They weren't always like this, at each other's throats all the time. When I was young they actually loved each other, quite a lot. Then, Da lost his job. Mum only worked part time, and couldn't support the three of us. Da tried to find a new job, but he couldn't. We couldn't afford to keep our house anymore, so we got kicked out. We had to live in a Motel for a while. I was ten at the time, so I thought it was the greatest adventure in the world. Mum got a promotion, thankfully, and moved to a full time job. We were able to buy our own house, and keep it. However, it was small, and cheap, not a very good house, and we couldn't afford to get much food. I often are school lunches on financial support, meaning I got it for free because my parents couldn't pay for it. Da kept looking for a job, but gave up when I was fifteen. There weren't enough jobs to get around, and even though he was perfectly qualified for most jobs, there was always someone a little better than him that ended up with the job. Thankfully, he did still keep looking, and refused to drink excessively. He knew that drinking would just make it harder to get a new job. When I turned sixteen, I managed to get a job as a cashier at the local supermarket, and that helped a bit. Mum and Da had been edgy for a few years, but hadn't been in any major fights - yet. One day, Mum just snapped. Da had just failed yet another interview. She screamed at him, asking why he couldn't just get a job. Da replied with that he was trying, there just weren't any jobs to get. That made Mum ask why he hadn't kept his job, then. Da didn't like that, and didn't bother to mince his words when he told her that it wasn't his fault the company had fallen on hard times. He just had to make sure the machines didn't break. Things just went downhill from there. Da failed, Mum snapped. Mum snapped, Da lost his temper. Da lost his temper, he failed. It was a vicious cycle, and it showed no signs of ending anytime soon. If only... If only they could make up and stop fighting.

I wake up to the sun shining and birds chirping. That alone tells me that something is off. My room doesn't have a window, and if there's any noise when I wake up, it's Mum and Da fighting. Then I remember that I'm not at home - I'm lost in the woods. Climbing down from my tree, I decide to just walk in one straight direction. These woods have to end eventually, and by walking straight, I'm going to get there eventually. Not to mention, going straight makes it easier to backtrack. With my mind set, I pick a random direction and start hiking.

After a while of hiking, I hear two voices. One boy and one girl. Running forward a bit, I see the oddest thing I have ever encountered. There was a really guy with curly brown hair and a beard talking to a tree. And what's worse, the tree seemed to be responding! Still, even if the guy was crazy, he probably knew where we were. When I started to walk towards him, the guy looked over at me, startled brown eyes meeting my blue ones. He turned back to the tree and said, "Uh, Juniper? You'd better come out now. This guy probably thinks I'm crazy, talking to a tree." I mentally sighed in relief when a girl came out from behind the tree. I hadn't been hallucinating, hearing people that weren't there.

Then, getting back on task, I asked, "Does either of you know where we are? I'm kinda lost." Both of them stared at me for a long few moments.

Then the guy pointed to the right, saying, "Go that way. You should reach the path after about half an hour. Go left to get back to the main park."

Nodding my head at him, I went, saying, "Thanks a lot!"

After I got home, I was both my parents looking around, worried sick. Mum cried out when she caught sight of me, running over to my, Da not far behind. Once they were done making sure I was okay, they brought me over to the table, to talk.

It was Da that broke the news to my. "Casey, you're absence made your mother and I see sense. This marriage isn't working out, and we're only hurting you by stayed ng together. I know this is going to be tough, but we have decided to have a divorce. I just hope you can understand-"

I cut him of with, "Of course I understand Da. I'm just glad you and Mum saw sense before it was too late."

A/N; Well, that was kinda depressing to write. Except for the end, of course. Anyway, I want you guys to tell me something. Do you think I should put warnings in front of chapters than mention bullying, family problems, war, death, etc.? I know that some people are sensitive you such things. On a completely unrelated note, I am still accepting chapter requests! Please leave a chapter request in the reviews! I take ships/groups you want to see, event ideas, plot ideas, and more! Also, so far, I've been sticking to current demigods. Do you think I should do one set in the past, or future? Keep on rocking those reviews! -Snowdrop