WARNING: CHARACTERS AGED UP. NICO'S FIFTEEN, BIANCA SEVENTEEN, THALIA 17, PERCY AND ANNABETH 16, ZURI 13, DELILAH 13.
ZURIA NIGHTSHADE IS NOT YOUR TEDDY BEAR. SHE HAS WHITE HAIR AND HONEY-BROWN EYES.
Imagine the happy people you see in your everyday lives. The ones dancing around their family, pushing each other down in the snow playfully.
THAT'S NOT ZURIA HESPERIDE NIGHTSHADE.
Zuri shifted in her sleep, groaning about how she loved PE and how educational field trips were the scum under her feet. She froze in her place as she heard the stairs creak. THEY NEVER CREAK. Her eyes shot open, and she shivered at the -34 degrees celsius weather. The odds weren't on her side. She bit her lip to stop it from turning blue and quietly scooted forward. A bit more. A bit more. EVEN MORE. She curled up in a ball on the floor to mimic (how do u spell) falling off the bed and subconsciously curling up as her body's reaction to the cold. The wind thrashed outside, and rain whipped the windows. Lightning flashed outside as Zuri crawled towards the door frame ever so carefully. Her white pajama shorts hitched onto the floor as she crawled. Her tight grey tank top felt tighter. She let out a soft breath she was holding and breathed in deeply. She peeked out of her bedroom to find the ugliest thing she had ever seen. "Jesus Christ..." She muttered under her breath. (It be a fury) Its alien eyes snapped to her, filled with cruel intelligence. "Hi," Zuri said in a small voice before the fury lunged. She rolled and tried to get up, but two deadly sharp needles pierced her right leg and went through the other side. Big needles, ones that now looked red. It's fangs. "Delicious," It hummed, licking its lips. She used that time to jump up and run down the stairs in a deadly sprint, the fury right behind her. She ripped open the door leading to her front porch and slammed it into the little grandmother demon's face. She glanced around for materials that would buy her time. She grabbed a spray can from her neighbors' deck and mumbled a quick apology before spraying the handle, making it hard to turn. Zuri sprinted down the main street, running with adrenaline pumping in her veins. She felt eyes on her, watching her every move. She panted, blood pounding in her ears. Zuri wasn't looking where she was going, and she heard a car honk. She leaped forward onto a hill and rolled down it. She calmed down, wheezing. "Woohoo. Man, I am so tired. My god." Zuri said, getting back on her feet. "Ow!" She yelped when she stepped. Cautiously, she picked up her leg and looked at it. The fangs. Reluctantly, she got on her hands and knees and crawled forward to what looked like a camp. Its entrance was wonky though, looking like it was way back from 394 B.C. or something. Zuri raised an eyebrow at the camp, running her fingers along with the wooden carvings. When she walked, she didn't feel pain anymore. She looked down at her leg to see two huge bloody holes in her leg that looked infected or poisoned. "Hello?" She called into the darkness, trudging through the weird camp. This place looks old. Has it been here for years? Millennia?... Centuries? I'm okay at History, it may have been one of my best subjects, but I've never heard of a Camp Half-Blood. I swear, if this is some racist camp, I'm burning it down. "Who are you?" A suspicious voice called. "Z-" She fell to the floor, and her eyes went glassy. The reason her leg didn't hurt was that it was turning to wood.
Annabeth
I was on border patrol, making sure no monsters were near Thalia's tree. I sighed, leaning against the bark of a tree. "Hello?" A kindly but weary voice called. It sounded like the call of a child. "Who are you?" I tried to say it softly, but it came out suspicious and rude. "D-" The girl fell to the floor and I noticed her leg was turning firmer and curved by the second. It was darkening. First Thalia. Not a fellow thirteen-year-old. I scooped her off the floor and ran down the hill to camp. Campers gave me weird looks when they noticed I was carrying someone. I pounded with one knuckle on the big house. Chiron opened the door. "Chiron! I found this girl at camp borders. She's turning into a tree." Chiron's face softened, but the steely look in his eyes remained. "I was just leaving." He said firmly, walking past me and trotting up to the hill. I spluttered and looked at him in shock. "But Chiron-" It was too late. Chiron had trotted over the hill and disappeared into the busy streets of Manhattan. I sighed, a tear crawling down my cheek. Chiron was my teacher. Hero. Dad. And he's just... just gone? He can't be. I will not allow it. He must come back. I will personally clear his name.I came from my thinking and glanced down at the girl in my arms. Her luscious white hair cascaded across my arms, making me feel ticklish. I ran my fingers through her hair. It was silky and straight, easy to comb my hands through. The corner of my lips upturned, and I carried the girl to the infirmary. Percy, my crush, was talking to Will about the campers that got hurt in the Colchis Bulls' reign and was ranting about how Tantalus sucked and, I think of Tantalus as:
TANTALUS: A PIECE OF GOD SHIT WITH A FACE LIKE ZEUS' ASS. HE IS KNOWN TO BE A JACKASS BITCH, SO IF YOU FIND HIM, KICK HIM IN THE NYX.
His eyes caught me and he smiled, his smile lighting up the day. "Hey, Annabeth, who's that?" Percy asked, itching his neck, a habit of his. (I itch between my shoulder blades, and itch the inner thigh underneath my left butt cheek.) I glanced down at the sick girl. "I don't know, but her leg is turning to wood." Percy thought for a moment, which I never thought he could do. "Like Thalia?" My body went stiff. Thalia... "Uh, yeah." I supplied, giving the most intelligent answer. (Note the sarcasm?) "Maybe we need the golden fleece for her. And yes, she is becoming like Thalia. Now we have two trees to save. Great. At least this girl may have a longer deadline until she will be a full tree." I said, looking William Solace in the eyes. "What do you mean?" He asked, blue eyes sporting a curious gleam. "She's a half tree. You know, can choose to become her tree form at certain times." Will pursed his lips. "Interesting... I wonder how the Golden Fleece's healing works." "You can study it when we get it," I said. "Sorry, if we get it." "Thanks, Annabeth," Percy mumbled. "Always rising the mood." I glared at him. "I'm being technical because we don't know if this is the end of our adventure, thus I'm using the right word to describe." I and Percy had a glaring match, then he gave up. "I'll take care of the patient for now," Will said. "if there's anything you'd like to do, go ahead. I'm doing all I can, if you like, you can stay by her side. Otherwise, that's it. Meeting adjourned." Will said, mocking Chiron during counselor meetings. I waved to Will and walked out of the infirmary. Smelling the scent wafting from the strawberry fields, I smiled, closing my eyes.Everything was perfect. Other than a tree girl showing up at camp pretty battered. And Chiron leaving. And Tantalus being here. And Thalia being sick. And Percy not knowing my feelings for him. And Clarisse and some douchebag going to the sea of monsters. And Percy so obliviously unnoticing my huge feelings. And- Okay, a lot is messed up and just plain wrong. I walked through the fields, plucking a strawberry from a small plant and eating it. After wandering camp a bit, I went to the arena to spar. "CLARISSE!" I yelled, shaking the mean daughter of Ares of her smug grin at defeating another Ares boy. "Oh, the 'wise girl' again. More like the 'wide git'." The defeated Ares boy laughed. When I was about to make them angry and embarrassed, a calloused but soft hand held my arms and rubbed circles on my back. I turned around to see a cute (Annabeth bi) 13 year old with brown eyes staring up at me kindly. "Aww," I said, crouching and patting her head. "Hey!" The girl said indignantly. "I'm almost 4'5!" Then I noticed the bandaged leg and crutches. I ruffled the girl's silky hair as soft as fabric. "What's your name?" "Zuri Hesperide Nightshade." She said, puffing her chest out. "I have nicknames you can call me. Common ones are Zu-zu, 'Ia, (that's an i) Hes, Rida, Erie, Es, or just call me my last name." "How about a name I make?" "I am supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." I grinned. "Indeed. You are... Sunflower, Water Lily, Sunshine Shade, kind of like the band..." She grinned toothily. "All!" "You sparring or not Princess?" Clarisse growled. "Uh, nope lady. I've got my priorities straight and my goals set, I think I'm good." The short girl turned on her heel and marched away. I giggled slightly and followed. "you never giggle." A voice said. "Percy. The new girl said, 'Uh, nope lady. I've got my priorities straight and my goals set, I think I'm good.'! No one EVER talks back to Clarisse." Percy walked out of the shadows, grinning. "I'd like to meet her."
When Percy met her, he stared at her. I can't blame him, she's so godsdamn beautiful and kind. It hurts to see your friend and crush wooing over a girl. She didn't look up-she blushed and muttered a "Whassup." Then she grinned and turned to us, an evil gleam in her eyes. "Okay, I'll explain my awesomeness. One: If you see intelligence running through your enemies' eyes, know this: It's the intelligence to be dumb." Percy's face blew up till it was red. "Roses are red, violets are blue, monkeys like thy enemies rump should be kept in a dump. Don't feel angry I'll be there too, not in a cage but laughing at thee." I rolled my eyes grinning. "Okay, for real, why are you here again? Because my friend, Delilah, is wondering where I was." Zuri said. "Zu?" A very quiet voice called. "D!" The girls hugged each other. "This is my friend. Lily Zaydus." Delilah flashed a peace sign. "Nice to meet you, but we have a rescue mission. Our friend died ad turned into a tree, so we-" "-need the Golden Fleece. I know how Thalia feels during the poison. She says it feels like itching in her thigh, and I can understand. I am a tree." The brunette's body flashed wood for a moment and it made her look carved. She went back to normal again. "Now Zuri, I need to tell you something. You know that boy in school, Nico? I have a crush on him!" "EEK!" The girls sprinted away, innerly squealing. I uncomfortably turned to Percy. "I think you met them."