When I got home I told Dad everything that had happened within the last two months. He pointed to the spear leaning against the couch and asked if I knew how to use that. I was surprised he could see it, for Chiron had mentioned that most mortals only saw what the Mist created. There were some who had the ability to see through the Mist and apparently Dad was one of them. That made it so much easier to share things with him.
I stayed home all through my seventh grade year. My ADHD and dyslexia made public school a struggle but I managed to scrape through. I even ran for class president and won! It was not a huge ordeal but still felt good telling people I was president.
While fighting the occasional monster attack I heard Clarisse's voice yelling tips in my mind. Keep your form straight! Don't let that left arm drop! Eyes open, Caitlin! I discovered my spear could shrink to the size of a paintbrush. That made it so much easier to carry in a purse or backpack. The bracelet never came off my wrist. When posed with the question of why I always wore it I said because it was pretty and matched with everything, which was not a total lie.
School had been out for about a month. I was eating breakfast, watching the mountains—as always—when Dad came in and broke the news. "Where's your favorite camping place?" he asked me.
I thought for a moment. We had been to amazing camping sites. "The mountains a couple hours East; the ones where we cooked popcorn that the bear found."
He nodded slowly. "How would you like to go there again?"
I was so excited I dribbled syrup down my chin; I hastily wiped it away. "Really? You mean it?"
He nodded. I laughed and jumped up to hug him. "When are we leaving?"
"How does tomorrow morning sound? We still need to pack and get someone to watch the house."
I packed my bag in so little time I had the honor of loading the food, chairs and anything else Dad said into the camper. Yippee me. At eight my alarm clock went off and I jumped out, made my bed, and grabbed a warm shower and breakfast. Upon arriving at one of my absolute favorite camping sites we unloaded and I gathered firewood and dug a fire pit. After everything was done, I pulled a jacket on and called through the camper screen I was going exploring.
The woods were beautiful with the quiet sounds of nature and light sifting through leafs. I heard birds chattering between one another, the squeal of a rodent being caught. I found a dead tree leaning at a forty-five degree angle on another. Branches would work as rungs and hand-holds. I ran over and climbed up, using the dead branches as supports. I managed to climb to 9 feet before slipping over the side. If I had not been holding on with one hand and both feet in small knots, I would have fallen a long way. As it was, I scrapped my side badly. I managed to swing my other hand up and grab a branch. It snapped. I grabbed another and managed to haul myself up, trembling but exhilarated. Now I finally appreciated Luke's harping on me to always have three points of contact at all times.
I went back to the tree every day, attempting to break my record.
Three days later I was climbing again. About 12 feet up it began to rain. Not the soft gentle shower, but big drops cascading in a waterfall, one after another. Get down, I told myself, before you get electrocuted. On the way down, a howl sliced through the pounding of the rain. I stopped in my tracks, halfway down the dead tree, with my heart racing. I walked into camp, where Dad was putting the chairs away out of the rain. I helped him load everything into the camper. After everything was put up, the two of us climbed in.
It was a small camper that fit on the back of a truck , since there were only two of us. The kitchen and table were at the front, a small couch built into the wall, then a bathroom. The couch folded out into my bed, and Dad's bed was above it in a little notch. A ladder ran up the side of the wall. We sat on the couch and read a book together while Jenny sat at our feet. When we finished the chapter we put the book up. After a while I asked the question that was on my mind. "What was Mom like?"
Dad was silent a moment, watching the rain pound the windows. "She was the most beautiful women I have ever met. You have her long black hair. Her eye color was constantly shifting. My favorite color was the purple; maybe that's why you have purple eyes.
"When you were born it was the happiest day for me." He smiled. "Then one day, shortly after you were born, she left. Just like that, with no note or anything," he said. He always told me this every time I asked.
"There was something about her, like she had something to hide. It seemed she was hiding something from me always. Sometimes she seemed withdrawn. Whenever I asked she always said I couldn't help, that is was beyond my power to help her." This was more than I had ever heard about her.
That night I had a dream of a lotus flower leading me to camp from home. Then it changed to a Pegasus landing before me and flying me to camp. I was taken to camp more ways. The message could not have been clearer.
That morning I woke to toast and bagels on the table. Over breakfast I told Dad about the dreams. "Dad, I need to go to Camp," I finished, not meeting his eyes. We decided to leave about 10:30 or so. By that time we were off, away from the camp, the mountains, and onto the highway, heading for home. After everything was away I went to my room and grabbed my backpack from the closet. I threw extra pairs of jeans and shorts, a couple t-shirts, toiletries, socks, hat, extra sneakers, and my stuffed cow I had since a baby into it.
I walked out into the living room, pulled on my hoodie and hiking boots, and stuffed my phone and wallet into my pocket. The car ride to the train station was silent. We got my ticket and then it was time for the inevitable.
"Bye Dad," I said, forcing back tears.
"Bye honey. Be safe and write," he said, giving me a big hug. I returned it, and with a heavy heart I walked onto the train. The trip to Camp was long and boring. Board a train, sleep, walk, read, look out the window. All the way to Manhattan.
