And then I died. Very painfully. Just kidding! Although, dying might've been easier than the mess I got myself into.

I woke up in a hospital room. A bright white corridor lined with cots on either side. I groaned and tried to sit up. Tried. I fell over, almost passing out again. A blonde boy in a lab coat rushed over. "Woah, woah, woah." He grabbed a brownie from the table and pushed it in my mouth. I swallowed, and a warm tingling sensation flooded through my body. "Feel better?" I managed a weak nod.
"Where-?" I started to ask.
"Someone else will explain. Can you stand?" I doubted I could, but he helped me up nonetheless. I looked down, and I had some kind of splint on my ankle. "Broken," The boy said. "You should be able to put weight on it now though." I wasn't sure how that was possible, but I did it anyway. Miraculously, it held. He helped me through the hallways and out the door.
It led to a large wraparound porch where a blonde girl and a man in a wheelchair were sitting around a table. The blonde girl stood up and grabbed a clipboard off the table. "She'll help you." The boy whispered in my ear, "Good luck. She can be a little… intense." At that, he turned around and went back inside.

The girl marched up to me and pulled a pen from behind her ear. "Name?" She asked.
"What?"
"Your name?" She said again, slower. "We need it for our records."
Okay, this place definitely feels sketchy. But the girl had a knife strapped on her waist, so I felt obligated to do what she said. "Celeste."
"Full name?"
I thought of Officer Jones, which seemed like forever ago. I hoped the cops wouldn't come looking for me. "Celeste Castellan." Hopefully, that would make me harder to track.
The girl dropped her clipboard. "No, no, no, no. That's impossible. It- it can't be."
The man in the wheelchair rolled over. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence my dear."
"You're right." Clipboard Girl said. She bent down and picked up her clipboard, clutching it with shaky hands. "Where are you from?" She sounded like she was about to cry.
"Connecticut."
She gasped, and her grip tightened on the clipboard. "Where in Connecticut?" Her voice was strained.
"Westport." I didn't know what was happening, or why this was so important.
The girl dropped her clipboard again. "It can't be. It can't" She turned and ran towards a clump of buildings.
The man in the wheelchair looked troubled. I cleared my throat. "Where-?"

"My dear, I cannot explain." He looked around. "Piper!" A girl with choppy brown hair came over. "Show Celeste around would you? I have business to attend to."
"Sure."
"Thank you, child." The man, Chiron said.
"Okay, can someone please explain to me where I am?!" I shouted. I was tired, frustrated, and confused.
Piper laughed. "I'll explain everything. Come on."

She did not explain everything. At least, not in a way that made sense. I stared at her in disbelief. "I'm a child of an ancient Greek god?" Piper nodded. "Yep. Okay, this place is definitely an insane asylum. Thanks for the magic healing brownies. I'm out." I moved toward the door, but Piper grabbed my wrist.
"Wait." She said. "I can prove it. I promise."
"Go on."
"Has anything weird ever happened to you?"
I snorted. "You're gonna have to be more specific."
She sighed, "Okay. The magic healing brownies? That's ambrosia. The food of the gods."
"Sure it is."
"What about you're parents? Is one of them dead or missing?"
"No. Both my parents are- were alive and well. Neither of them could've been a god."
"Your mom could've cheated."
"You don't get to talk about my mom." I stormed towards the door.
"I'm sorry. Just think about it. Your parents," She hesitated. "They died from something magical, didn't they?"
"No. They died from-, it was a fire. Just a fire." I was trying to convince myself at this point. But a part of me knew it was true. It made sense. It made more sense than any other reasons.
"Okay," I took a breath. "The gods are real. Now what?"
"We get you some clothes, and then it's time for a tour."

I changed out of the pajamas and took off the splint, then Piper took me on the tour. It was incredible. And weird. Mostly weird. Lava walls, pegasi stables, archery, sword fighting, and some things I didn't even know the name of. She led me to the sword fighting arena, where she pushed open the gates. I froze. There was another dog. I touched my necklace and the golden sword appeared in my hands. My vision tunneled so it was just me and the monster. I moved slowly towards it, about to go in for the kill, when Piper stopped me.
"Wait! That's Mrs. O'Leary. She's friendly."
"That's the thing that killed my parents!" I shouted. "You expect me to just leave it there?" Tears were brimming in my eyes, but I forced myself not to cry.
"It's okay," Piper's voice was soothing. My sword slowly lowered, before it clattered to the ground. "Where'd you get that from?" She gestured toward the sword.
"My dad gave it to me."
"Then I think your dad might be your godly parent." A horn sounded before I could respond. "Well, now we don't have to stop by the armory." Piper handed my sword back to me. "Come on, it's time for dinner."

Nymphs delivering our food? Sure! Magic glasses that filled up with any drink you asked for? Why not! Chiron is actually a centaur? Seems reasonable. I sat at the Hermes table because I hadn't been claimed. No one really looked at me, which I didn't mind. I hated being the center of attention.

Dinner ended rather uneventfully. I set up my sleeping bag, and just wandered around until it was time for campfire. Yay. Singing. A couple songs passed, then we broke for smore's. I stayed seated. Piper was wading through the crowd, pulling a redheaded girl behind her. "This is Rachel," She said when she reached me. "The Oracle." Rachel waved, then she collapsed on the bench next to me. "What's happening?" I asked.
"It's fine," Piper said calmly. Rachel's eyes began to glow, and she spewed green smoke.
"This is fine?!" I shrieked. Rachel began to speak in a deep, raspy voice.

Memories shrouded in mist

In the fight, she will assist

On the ship, the princess must sail

In search of the gods greatest ail

After the ancient have been killed

And golden blood has been spilled

The lost mind will return home

And go and search for their own

Her eyes flickered open. "Oh gods, I did it again didn't I." She said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"What was that?" I asked.
"A prophecy."
"Okay, but what does that mean."
Rachel laughed, "No one knows. No one ever knows." She frowned. "It happened when I looked at you, so that might mean it's about you."
"Might?"
"The oracle's spirit is very unpredictable."
"That makes me feel better," I grumbled.
"I gotta go, I'm only here for the weekend."
Piper grabbed my hand. "Come on, let's go make smore's!" She threw her head back and laughed, looking gorgeous in the moonlight. I hoped she couldn't see me blush in the glow of the fire.