I stick by my words. No matter what. At least I can say I did that as best I could. Though saving a life, I would have been better for it. It still makes me wonder, still haunts me at night.
It was scary enough, finding so many people wanting to talk to me. Congratulations, pats on the back . . . ìI hate you.î and ìIíll grind you to a pulp later. Just get the hell hound out of my way.î it got unnerving. But I took comfort in my new home, my new friends, and my new brother. But it all had to change when I was woken up at dawn, by he screams of a woman. Out of place in the world, I now lived in. Peaceful as it was.
Even that had to change eventually. Why now?
I sat up in bed, bolt upright. I glanced around myself. Percy sat up across the small isle between our beds. He looked at me with an expression of confusion that mimicked my own. He cocked his head in confusion. I shrugged.
We snuck out of our cabin in the thin light from the sun, as Apollo drove into view over the horizon. As we sneaked up the hill, I noticed a few other campers awakened by the screams. A few Demeter kids, Hestiaís kid, a few Athena kids, and quite a few Apollo kids. I found Helen surrounded by two of the Hermes kids with troublemaker faces. Malcolm waited behind them, impatient, it seemed. She snuck up beside Percy and me as we crawled up the hill.
ìWhat do you think it is?î I asked her, hoping someone behind us would fill it in if she pulled a blank. She didnít.
ìIt sounds like a woman. Pregnant to me. My mother has a few kids. She never screamed quite like that, but close enough. I wonder what she could be doing here. Maybe we will get to find out.î She mused some more and I tuned her out, listening to everyone and thing that surrounded me.
We got to the top of the hill, pausing to choose who would go in. many volunteered, until the scream echoed into the night again. Many pulled their hands down. Probably didnít want to get to close to that infernal shrieking. In the end, it was decided that Percy, Helen, An Apollo kid named Andrew, and I would go in and find out what was going on.
We tried to open the door silently, but I think it just wanted to have a bad day. So it creaked like crazy, as Percy nudged at it. We all flinched. From inside, a woman screamed and pulled us closer with curiosity. We all trudged inside.
I was amazed at how the woman looked. She was beautiful. She had pale skin, almost transparent from the light of the overhead light bulb. She was sprawled out on a rollaway bed I hadnít even guessed was there. The bed had blankets, pillows, and all sorts of things for keeping someone in comfort.
What drew me most were her eyes. They were hard, like stone. If she sat still, she would look like a statue. But her eyes, they pulled you in. They looked deep, into your soul and made you suffer through the most pleasant tortures. They were Helens eyes; I realized. They were just like Helens eyes. Only older. They had way more experience behind them, than the fourteen-year-old girl beside me. Too much. How old was she?
She looked no older than twenty, and her long, pale fingers were smooth and innocent as hands could look. She had long, pitch-black hair, braided with a golden crown of laurels. Her eyes were black, and they had tiny golden flecks. Her pallid skin shone in the light of morning. And her long, thin, fragile-looking fingers were grasping at Chironís steady arm. He sat beside her, in full horse form, and held her arm, patting it gently, trying to calm her. She shrieked again.
ìWho is she?î I demanded. ìWhy is she here? What is the problem?î ìWhat does her inhumane screaming mean?î Andrew asked absently. I glared at him from the corner of my eyes. I then turned back to the woman on the rollaway bed. I took her hand and tried to calm her. Trying was all I could do. Sweat poured from her face in beads bigger than I had ever seen before on anyone. She was breathing hard, and moaning or screaming when she could get it past her teeth. Her eyes were puffed up and swelling so, it looked like she was squinting at me.
Helen came forward and offered her name and a soothing hand. The woman took it and her breathing got a little easier. Helen looked worried. I could tell she saw the resemblance clearly.
That was it. They had the same eyes. And looked way too similar not to be creepy.
ìChiron, what is going on?î Percy demanded. ìWho is she and why is she here?î Percy looked like he was about to cry out his own cry of pain. His ears must have burst or something. I felt similar. ìHow do we help her?î was his next question. It almost surprised me, but I was quite preoccupied with the immediate problem of the screaming woman.
ìIím pregnant! You idiots! Isnít it obvious by now? Iím only eight months pregnant and I took a major chance at leaving my home and sisters! What would they think of me? I didnít love him. I did not want him! I did not want them to love me! They did anyway! They took me from the same body! I was helpless as they planted this horrible thing in my womb. Hiding from my sisters was the only thing I could think to do. Help me hide my unwelcome child from my father and my sisters. They would reject me within seconds. I would no longer be the oldest of the Hespereds; I would be an outcast, like Zoe Nightshade, my lost sister of long ago. I gaze up at the stars and wonder what it would be like if she had never joined Artimis for the hunt. Would we be five? Not four? Or three, no me. I would die right here if my sisters did not need so much. Being powerful has limits, I know this. But from now on, if I live that long, I will be better at using that power for good. And what we need, I will not be able to help them get if I am gone. So help me gods, I need your help!î as I watched her, it was clear to me that every word her like Hades. I am told Percy has experience with Hades, but I am not sure.
ìHave you considered abortion?î I tried, sticking my finger into the air and doing my best to smile encouragingly. ìIf you donít want it, you could get rid of it. We can do that you know. Or you could put it up for adoption. There is always someone out there would be willing to adopt an unwanted or unkeepable kid. Many people would probably love to take it. Need help?î ìI have never heard of such things! You would have me destroy a baby. An innocent little new soul that has not even been born yet? And adoption you say? Even if I did not want a child, I cannot give up on it! I cannot let him leave, I wonít! I need him! I just need your help keeping us safe until he is out! I do not wish to be exiled from my home; I just want to keep him safe. Can you oafs at least do that?î she glared at us as if we were the whole reason she was in this mess. I could feel the hostility on the back of my neck.
Wait. Werenít the Hespereds supposed to be peaceful and sweet? Not hotheaded and pissed? And why did she mention Zoe? Who was Zoe Nightshade? And something else hit me. Him? How would she know if it was male or female? I donít know if anyone else thought of that, but I didnít get a chance to ask. She started to scream then, breaking off all thought that was not about my aching ears. I think someone else joined the screaming, but it hurt too much to do anything but hold my ears.
As we fled, I felt winded, but I didnít know why. It felt like we lost a few seconds. Multiple times. And it looked like some things had changed instantaneously. Like the woman lying screaming on her side one second, and suddenly being on her back sprawled across the blankets gasping for air. The change had been subtle, but it had been enough to convince me that something weird was going on with her. I just couldnít make it make sense in my head. I decided to keep my mouth shut for a while while I tried to figure out what it could be.
As we walked down the hill, Helen and I exchanged a tense glance. I had a feeling we were thinking similarly. ìGreat minds think alike,î I muttered. She nodded and looked away. I thought harder.
Walking into our cabin, we still couldnít get away from the womanís inhuman screams. We tried all right. But it wouldnít get out of my head. It echoed and expanded, making my head hurt and keeping us under our pillows. I even tried to drown it out by jumping into the lake. No such luck. It stayed, splitting my ears as if I was still right next to her. And all throughout the day and for next week, it echoed across the valley. Making us all uncomfortable.
Two weeks later, she gave birth. The child was big for a baby, and it seemed to keep getting bigger in my hands. He was a boy, a healthy and large boy. I helped him come out and showed him to his mother, the Hespereds.
ìGreat! Now that itís out, kill it. I canít have it and itís bound to take after its father. I thank you for your help, now Iíll be on my way.î And with that, she disappeared in a wave of illusion and the smell of brine.
I looked down at the baby in my arms, so young. He was beautiful. His hair was a nice sandy blond and his nose was fine and well shaped. His eyes were gold. A lovely color. ìHello, baby. Iím sorry about what your mother did to you. Leaving you here. I promise I will find you a home.î I held him close.
ìLet me see!î said Annabeth, coming up behind me. ìI want to see the little b-ì she stopped in her tracks. ìOh, no.î she held her hands out for the baby. ìNo. No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Not good.î She turned around and ran over to Chiron. ìThis is not good.î Chiron took one look and stepped back. ìYouíre right, itís not. Kill it somehow.î ìHow?î she asked him, looking in horror at the tiny child in her arms.
ìI donít care, get rid of it!î he turned to go. ìTell no one but the most important people and only cabin counselors. Keep it small, and confined.î