Previously...
"I recognize th-that you've made an ap-p-ology for something you don't even know you've done. I d-d-don't accept it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have ssssomewhere to be." You pushed by him and started to your cabin.
"Wait- (Y/N)!" He grabbed your arm. You wrenched it back. "Don't t-t-touch me," you said calmly, but with an underlying tone of warning. "And don't you d-d-dare follow me." You left.
Had you looked back, you would have seen the broken look on his face.
The rest of the day went by as though you'd never had that encounter with Percy. Or, at least, you pretended that it never happened. To keep your mind occupied, you busied yourself with thinking about your plan on what to do. Your schedule up until lunch was supposed to be the following: Wrestling, picking strawberries, pegasus riding, canoeing, and then lunch. Note the "supposed to be". Considering your current situation, doing most of those activities was nearly impossible for you. With your legs partly paralyzed, you would never be able to wrestle. You couldn't bend down to pick strawberries with your crutches. There was no way that you'd be able to ride a pegasus, either. On top of all this, Will had forbidden you to do anything physically straining, so even if you wanted to ride your favourite pegasus, Flitwick, you couldn't.
Technically, you had free time until lunch. While most campers would be ecstatic to have this free time, you were disappointed. You had been couped up in that infirmary for so long- you wanted to do something! You wanted to get your butt handed to you by Clarisse and fall off of Flitwick so many times you'd have bruises for weeks. You wanted to hold your staff again and feel the smooth wood on your hands. You wanted to do so many things, but you couldn't.
At least you weren't completely paralyzed. You could still walk around pretty decently. Not all physical movement was restricted for you. You could totally go for a walk! Maybe to the amphitheatre, you mused, there shouldn't be anyone around right now. Then follow the boundary to the strawberry fields. Yes, it was decided!
A few minutes later, you were at the amphitheatre. As expected, there wasn't anyone there. You struggled to climb to the top seat on the wooden bleachers. Once there, you sat down with a swift exhale, panting slightly from the exertion. Leaning back against the railing, you smiled. Now, this was a place where you've had many a good memory. Before that day, you'd be here every night, in this exact same spot, singing along with the Apollo cabin as they led the campfire. You remembered this one time with your friends, the most hilarious thing happened...
The campfire was already in full swing. Several of the Apollo kids were leading a song called 'This Land is Minos' Land'. They had their lyres and harps out, with a few nymphs playing the flute. Campers were clapping along to the beat of the song. Everybody was singing, and everybody was smiling. There was a joyous atmosphere in the air. Anyone could figure that out. The fire roared golden and tall, showing the campers' happy mood.
Then, there was you and your friends. You guys were late. What you were doing prior to this was unimportant, but it most definitely did not involve the words 'pegasi' and 'flying without permission'. Unfortunately, you lost track of time, and now you were late. Like last time. Which is why you couldn't be late again, or else someone would figure out what you were doing.
You could barely run from how hard you were laughing. Clara had fallen off her pegasus a total of 4 times in the first ten minutes. And this was from trying to get on it! She was the only one who hadn't been able to fly and you lot were teasing her relentlessly about it.
You came through the back, behind the bleachers. Pushing your way through the pine trees, you spit needles out of your mouth and pulled them from your hair once you made it through. The three of you were still giggling, even Clara, though by now anything was funny to you guys.
"Guys..." you wheezed. "We need to get up there somehow. Where are Charlie and Matt?" Looking around, you spotted Charlie's thick, curly hair, with Matt right next to her. Thankfully, they had saved space for you. Amy started throwing rocks at them to get their attention. After a few hits, Matt's head whipped around, his eyes glaring holes through Amy's head. Once he realised who it was, though, his face softened and he just looked annoyed.
"Where were you?" he hissed. "Actually, I know where you were. You're lucky you left while you did. The pegasi caretaker just left to check on them."
Amy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Can you help us up?"
At first, you weren't sure that Matt would actually agree, but he sighed and reached a hand down. Clara boosted Amy up first and she was pulled up next to Charlie, who looked over in surprise then disappointment.
Next was you. You shot an apologetic glance at Charlie, who, much like Matt, simply sighed and wrapped an arm around your shoulder.
You all quickly realised that there was no one left to boost Clara up. As you opened your mouth to ask if she needed help, she waved her hand dismissively. I've got this, she mouthed. You watched as she backed up as far as she could, then ran straight at the bleachers. She jumped at the last second, grabbed the back railing, and swung herself up.
Or, at least, that was what you assumed was supposed to happen. What actually happened was she vastly overestimated the strength of a wooden pole. The second her weight was put on the pole, a huge crack appeared. The last thing you saw was her panicked face as she dropped, taking the wHOLE. BACK. RAILING WITH HER.
Keeping in mind that there were other people leaning against it as well, the situation went well beyond Clara breaking it. The second the support was removed, those people fell back as well. The whole amphitheatre was filled with the screams and shouts of surprise as at least ten people suddenly disappeared from their seats.
That did it for you. Like the jerk people most likely thought you were, you started laughing your ass off. Amy joined in immediately. You laughed until you were wheezing and sucking in breaths in between giggles. Eventually, you managed to calm down and make your way over to Clara, who gave you one big middle finger in response. You clapped her on the back as you started up again, and soon she joined in. This was probably the funniest thing you'd ever seen happen.
You smiled at the memory. It really, truly, had been one of the best days with your friends. Your smile faltered, though, when you continued to think of them. You'd been trying to avoid memories like this, although you knew it was inevitable. You had too many good memories with them to simply forget your four best friends for nearly all your life at Camp Half-Blood.
You missed them. Clara, with her competitive personality, always ready to take you up on a challenge. Amy, someone who looked like your stereotypical white girl at first glance, but who loved to play pranks at any given opportunity (you've had your face share of finding your shoes filled with some sort of fluid). Matt, the guy with the kindest heart you've ever known yet liked to pretend he hated the world. And then Charlie, the mom friend of the group, always there to make sure you didn't kill yourself in your crazy outings.
What you wouldn't give to have them here now. Charlie was off working in the real world, using that brain Athena blessed her with. She was older than all of you, so she graduated last summer. It was painful to see her go. The next ones to leave were Clara and Amy. They were on a quest to kill rogue monsters causing quite a bit of trouble in California. You had no idea if they were still doing that, or something else. At the very least, you knew they were alive. The same couldn't be said for Matt. A few months before the incident, he lost his battle to cancer. The Apollo kids tried absolutely everything they could to cure it, but he was too far gone by the time they started treatments.
And then there was one, you thought with bitter amusement. One little monkey jumping on the bed.
You sighed. This was meant to be a good memory of your friends. You wanted to remember the fun times you had with them. There was no point in mourning the past. It wasn't like you could change it.
Clearing your mind, you figured you had spent enough time in the amphitheatre. Climbing down, you continued on the walk you had planned out, determined to not get distracted anymore. Of course, that was always what you told yourself. It wasn't like anything ever went according to plan, after all.
You stopped halfway to the strawberry fields. There were trees upon trees in the forest, yet only one mattered to you. Another smile crossed your face. If tears accompanied it this time, there was no one around to confirm it. You hobbled over to a single tree with a trunk taller than two cabins stacked. On the outside, leaves completely covered the tree with no space to see the trunk. On the inside, however, was like a secret hideout. The branches were thick and sturdy for climbing, starting low to the ground and allowed you to climb quite high. You couldn't see out, and no one could see in. It was perfect for you and your friends.
Your fingers ghosted over the tree bark. There was where you had all carved your initials. Whenever you couldn't find one of your friends, or they weren't in their classes, this was without a doubt where they were.
You had all dubbed this tree as a sanctuary for when you wanted to be alone and yet not alone at the same time. A place to go when you felt sad, when you were having a bad day, when all you wanted to do was break down and cry. A place where you knew someone would be coming for you no matter what. A place of trust and comfort, of dried tears and fierce hugs. This was the place where you probably spent the most time with your friends. It was your refuge from the rest of the camp.
You remember when it was first used in this manner...
Today had been absolutely terrible. Completely and utterly awful. You wanted to hole up in your cabin and never leave your cozy bed. There was no way you were going to face the camp after the humiliation you had to endure.
You had been this close. This close to escaping swimming class with the naiads! But of course, one of them saw you right as you tried to slip away, and pulled you right back to where you had been standing. You were there with fifteen other people. Fifteen people who watched as you had to be pulled into the water, screaming and crying, doing everything you could to avoid touching the blue unknown. Eventually, having gotten annoyed, they simply picked you up and threw you in. To you, however, it was like being dropped in the middle of the ocean. You were blinded. You couldn't hear. You couldn't breathe. You didn't even realise that you could stand up until one naiad dragged you up. You were shivering and gasping for air. Two people asked if you were okay, but you couldn't answer them. You were absolutely petrified.
Thankfully, one of the younger naiads teaching the class found some pity for you. She let you leave, with the two concerned campers leading you to your cabin. The second you were alone, you collapsed on the ground. You were still shivering. Still gulping in air like there wasn't enough to go around. Yet no tears fell. You forced yourself not to cry, even though the lump in your throat was getting unbearable. Charity and Rex would be here soon. There was no way you would let them see you cry over your stupid fear again.
Despite your efforts, your shaking grew tenfold and you were essentially choking from trying not to cry. You had to leave. You had to find somewhere to be alone. Still in your bathing suit and soaking wet, you ran out of your cabin and to the boundary, where you knew no one would be. Tears were gathering in your eyes as you stumbled through sand and rocks, blurring your vision until you finally ran through a cluster of leaves right into a tree.
The sudden pain shocked you out of your frenzied state, if only for a moment. Eyes wide and wet from tears, you looked around you wildly. The only thought that crossed your mind was that you had to hide before your self-control cracked. Thankfully, you chose the right tree to run into. The branches drooped down, encasing it in a cocoon of leaves. You were essentially hidden. Once you realised this, you simply collapsed. You were scream-crying, traumatized from the forced experience. Your arms hugged your figure, nails digging into them, though you didn't notice the pain. You wanted to throw up. You were drowning in your sobs. Can't breathe, can't breathe. You were underwater again. Can't see, can't hear, can't breathe. You were thrashing in the dark unknown. Something touched your arm. You jerked back. Can't find land. You were scared. You were terrified. You wanted Charlie. You wanted Clara and Matt and Amy and someone just please come please I need you.
Something touched your arm again. It wouldn't let go. You screamed. The thing dragged you towards it. You couldn't stop it. It was holding you, its arms around you, trapping you. Words were being murmured in your ears. What was it doing? Get it away get it away get it away get it
"Shh... It's alright, (Y/N), I'm here."
The voice... it was warm. It was calm. It wasn't like the water... like what's in the water. It was soothing. You felt yourself relax in its arms as it continued to talk nonsense.
"I've got you... It's Charlie, honey... you're not alone."
Charlie? Your Charlie? She was here? Why would she be stuck under the darkness with you... unless... where were you?
"You're not in the water. You're right here, sitting next to me, on dry land."
You weren't in the water... you didn't feel it around you. In fact, the ground felt quite rough. You felt around with your hands. Why couldn't you see? Open your eyes. Open your eyes. It's dark. You didn't want to be in the darkness anymore. Open your eyes.
Your eyes cracked open, light flooding your vision. You blinked owlishly, looking around in bewilderment. You knew you were sitting on the ground, on grass by the feel of it. However, for whatever reason, a wall of leaves blocked your sight beyond a 5 meter radius. And next to you was Charlie, who was holding you in a tight hug, stroking your hair in gentle motions. "Charlie?" you rasped. Your voice was rough and dry. What had happened?
She leaned away from the hug, still holding you by your shoulders. "(Y/N)," she said, relieved. "How are you feeling?"
"Ah." You swallowed, trying to get some moisture in your throat. "Tired. Fine, other than that. Why am I in a tree?"
"You ran here after being thrown in the water."
You snapped to attention pretty quickly. Your eyes grew wide. "I was thrown in the water?"
Charlie made a sympathetic noise. "Yes. It appears you had a panic attack not soon after."
"I-" It was starting to come back. "Oh... oh, yeah. I- I came here since I didn't want Rex and Charity to see me... break down." You remembered everything. You realised with a start that tears were streaming down your face again. You rubbed at your eyes, drying them with your sleeve.
"Hey... hey now, you're okay. It's all over." She pulled you back into a hug for a few more minutes, until you had finally managed to control your breathing. When you let go this time, Charlie had an eyebrow quirked. "You know," she said, "You gave us quite a scare running to here in the middle of nowhere. We were looking everywhere for you."
You looked down guiltily. Sometimes you wished Charlie didn't act so much like a mom. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I just needed to get away."
"How about we make this a thing?" You look up, confused. She elaborated. "As in, this is the place we go if we're feeling sad and we want someone to find us. This is the place we go to if today's been a horrible day and you need to talk. This is the place we go to if, as you said, we need to get away from the rest of the camp. No matter what, if we can't find each other, we know where we are. How about it?"
Within two seconds of thinking about it, you agreed. This would be the place for everything Charlie mentioned. You wouldn't need to worry about being alone during a panic attack. You wouldn't need to worry about ever being alone. This tree, this tree right here, would be your refuge from this point onward.
You all had used it for its original purpose many, many times. After some time, it grew to be not only a place of comfort but a place of happiness and joy. You started to hang out there on a regular basis. Every day, whenever your free periods overlapped, this was where you would meet. This place was filled with so many memories, good and bad, though the good usually overlapped with the bad.
Touching your face, you were surprised to find that your cheeks were wet from tear stains. You wiped them away, smiling all the while. Your other hand was still touching the initials in the bark. With a last grin to the tree, you let your hand fall and slowly walked away from it.
Your last destination, should you not get distracted again, was the strawberry fields. Although... now that you think about it, the strawberry fields were pretty far from the mess hall. If you walked all the way there, you'd still have to essentially re-walk the same distance back for lunch. Plus it was already- you checked your watch- what? It was 12:15! Lunch was starting in fifteen minutes! You got way more lost in those memories than you had wanted to.
You were suddenly filled with dread. You hadn't realised how badly you didn't want to go back. During the past three hours, there hadn't been anyone to stare at you or make comments. You'd been completely alone with your thoughts. Now, though, you had to eat with the whole camp where there were hundreds of eyes looking at you. You desperately wanted to skip, but if you didn't show up then Rex and Charity would be worried and you didn't want to do that to them.
Plus, you were starving.
Sighing deeply, you twisted your crutches in the direction of the mess hall. It was now or never.
I'M BACK, Y'ALL!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!