"Ooooh! This place is AWESOME!" Mabel runs around in circles, giggling. She's almost too positive at times. I look back for our suitcases, but the driver guy disappeared. I look to my right to ask Mr. Brunner something, but there's not a crippled man sitting next to me. I see half of a white stallion. Mabel sees him and shouts, "Ohmygod! You're a pony! Smile Dip CAN tell the future!" See, this is what I mean by never seeing the creepy or weird part of things. "Yes Mabel, I am a centaur- half man, half horse," he says. I'm probably sputtering like an idiot, but I kind of say, "What the... Who are you?" "Dipper, I am Chiron, the camp activities director," he says as if nothing strange is going on. Chiron? Isn't that from- "Greek mythology? Yes," he just read my mind, and I'm starting to freak out.
"Geek mythology? What's that?" Mabel asks.
"Greek mythology, Mabel. The myths about gods and why science is what it is," I say.
"Well Dipper, do you think I'm a myth?" Chiron asks. I'm afraid that I'll say something stupid and get electrocuted or something. "No, you're standing in front of me right now."
Chiron leads us to a dining pavilion, I guess. There are not that many other kids there, about 7. He gestures us to sit with a girl sitting alone. I hesitantly sit down, considering I don't know where I am. She stares at me with intense, gray eyes. She's about my age, twelve, but I look like some cartoon standing next to her. Mabel smiles and plops down next to her. I try to give her a warning look, but once she opens her mouth, she has to say at least a few sentences before stopping.
"Hi! I'm Mabel, and that nerd over there is my brother. We're supposed to be vacationing with our parents, but this is way cooler," she just has to blurt out. Although the blonde grey eyes girl looked like she wanted to fight me, she smiled at Mabel. I hate how Mabel is so likable, while I'm just plain awkward.
"Hey. I'm Annabeth Chase. Usually camp is more crowded, but most of them aren't year rounders," Mabel and I both give her confused looks. She starts explaining about how one of our parents are a god... Wait, god? "But, we have two parents," I explain. "Did they ever tell you that you were adopted?" Annabeth questions. All I could manage was a nod. I would tell you about all of the notes I took about monsters and gods and that awesome stuff, but as Mabel would say, I bore people with that. Mabel's version would probably be like, "Maybe we can befriend the monsters and have a party to celebrate! Wouldn't it be cool if they made Waddles a god?" She doesn't really understand the concept of Greek mythology. You're probably thinking, Why is Dipper accepting all of this weirdness so easily? I had to spend and entire summer in Gravity Falls, so monsters are not a big surprise. What I'm surprised about is that we have a god for a parent. Wait, if only one of my parents was a god, who's my other one?
As soon as Annabeth shows us how to conjure food and drinks up, she tells us that we must put some offerings in the fire for the gods. Even after ten minutes of sitting with her, you can tell she's a born leader. I stood up and followed her to the fire. She scooped up some of her food and prayed. I followed. Mom or Dad, wherever you are, I will make you proud, somehow. Then you won't be embarrassed that Dipper Pines, nerdy little geek, was your son. The fire glows brightly, and I take this as a good sign. But then an abnormally large creature darts from the forest and tramples me. When I sit up, Chiron, my sister, Annabeth, and the other few campers are surrounding me. My vision's fuzzy and my entire body aches.
"Chiron, that was a deer. The animal sacred to Artemis," Annabeth states with a worried expression. Mabel says, "Oooh! That animal was totally like the cutest thing ever! Well, besides Waddles." Everyone stares at her, but I can't blame them. Someone shoves a type of food or medicine into my mouth. It tastes like the cookies Grunkle Stan steals from the neighbors that live a few minutes away. Those cookies were awesome. My body begins to feel better, although the bruises are still visible.
"Why would Artemis send a deer to stampede you?" Annabeth wants an answer, but what am I supposed to know? Chiron says that the campfire is cancelled and that everyone should report to their cabins immediately. Annabeth sends Mabel and me off to this guy that calls himself Luke. He would've made Robbie jealous- an athletic, good-looking, and overall positive nineteen year old. He explains a little more about the godly parents, and when I ask him how his relationship with his father, Hermes, is going, his face darkens to an almost evil glare. He shrugs it off and continues as if nothing had happpened. This place was just like Gravity Falls. Mabel is just randomly playing on and iPad she found under one of the beds. She's also writing a proposal on how to make the camp better: put pigs in it, sparkle everything, and other things only Mabel could think of. Just then, her body begins glowing pink. "Whoa, Dipper! Maybe I can bedazzle myself again and become a disco ball!" Luke's eyes widen and he yells for Chiron, who is trotting around, making sure everyone in in their cabins. By the time he comes, Mabel isn't glowing as bright.
"The blessing of Aphrodite? Why right now?" he looks into the ceiling. "Why hasn't her hair and clothes changed?" Luke asks. I guess that whenever a child of Aphrodite was claimed, they got a full makeover, but Mabel's sweaters seemed pretty sparkly to Aphrodite, apparently. I got angry. Why would she claim Mabel, and not me? I mean, we are twins! It may not be what you think. a voice whispers into my head. Geez, are gods going to just barge into my mind now? Mabel gets moved to the Aphrodite Cabin, leaving me with Luke. "Luke,who do you think my parent is?" Luke stares at me and replies with, "Well, we don't even know your other parent, so it could be either a god or godess. I really don't know. It doesn't make any sense why Aphrodite would claim your sister and not you." He tells me that I should get some rest. Apparently, he's right because I fell asleep right when my head landed on the pillow.
I know you wish to learn your family's past, but I will warn you, you will have a terrible fate if you know.
Aphrodite?
No young boy, it's Artemis. Sorry about the deer. This is what I've been trying to avoid for the past few centuries, but now your future unfolds.
A wave of confusion rolls over me. What am I doing?
Dipper, you may know that I swore to never have any affairs with men.
Yes...
Well, you will learn more about your parents now...
The scene flashes into an apartment kitchen. A confident man is sitting there, holding hands with a lady. Right off the bat, I can tell it's Artemis. "I do have feelings for you, but you will have a terrible fate if you say those three words," she softly whispers. "How about you? I wasn't the one that took an oath," the man says. They share a conversation through probably talking through their minds.
"I love you," the man confesses and thunder instantly booms outside. Artemis pleads, "Please, Fates! I do have feelings for him, and I know you with torture him, but let the child live!" I'm officially confused. What does this have to do with me?
I hear a powerful voice shake, "Artemis, you have broken the oath to the River Styx. The mortal shall serve a terrible fate." The man seems frozen, unable to do anything. Artemis hugs him, and he flashes in a golden light. The storm has ceased, but Artemis is weeping. "This is why Hunters don't fall in love," she says to herself, "They become distracted and forget what's really important." Suddenly, a deer gallops into the room. Man, I am sick of deer. A small cry comes from the bundle of blanket on its back. I move closer behind Artemis and glance at whatever is on its back. My breath stops. It's a baby. With large eyes and an unusual birthmark. Of the Big Dipper. I flash of light blinds me.
Now you know. You may never speak of this, not even to your "sister" Mabel.
Wait, Mabel's not my sister? I'm suddenly feeling as is the entire world is crushing me.
I will tell you more of that later, but for now, you have never been speaking to me. No excuses. I have to go before Zeus notices my absence, but I have made a deal with someone to help guide you along your soon to be tragic life.
Well... Thank you. I will not let you down... uh, Mother.
DON'T CALL ME THAT! Now leave before I kill you in your sleep.
I sit up abruptly and look around. Luke is across the room, sleeping in a bed. My forehead's sweaty and I'm really thirsty. Man, is this going to happen every time I go to sleep from now on? I'm trying to think about what Artemis said about the whole arrangement of me being claimed by someone else. What is that called, God Adoption Center? My head suddenly hurts. I guess I'm not even supposed to think about that. I figure that I won't be able to sleep anymore so I turn on the nearby lamp and read for a few hours before the sun comes up.
