"…Happy Birthday to you!" the small assembly of my family finished. I blew out the 13 candles on my birthday cake and my parents and friends cheered. I grinned as I took up the knife and cut a generous slice for each of my 3 best friends and my parents before cutting a slice for myself. I didn't have many friends, but I was thankful for the ones I did have- they were more than I could ever ask for. After they left, my mother pulled me into the living room where my father was waiting with a small box.

"You guys got me a present? No way!" I said, happy beyond belief. We didn't necessarily have enough money to buy things more than the bare minimum, so I rarely ever got gifts on my birthday.

"Happy Birthday, Zenia." He said as he handed me the box. I ripped off the ribbon and looked inside. It was a beautiful, intricate silver ring with a red garnet stone in the middle. It was absolutely stunning. I looked up at my parents, speechless.

My mother took my hand and put the ring on it. "Zenia," she said, "I have something important to tell you."

"What is it?" I asked, hoping she hadn't sold some precious piece of jewelry to buy the ring.

"That ring… it's a present from your mother." She said, holding my hand still.

"What do you mean?" I asked, "You are my mother!"

Her eyes were downcast. "I have been meaning to tell you this, but I didn't think it would be time until you got that ring." She started, "You see, Zenia, 13 years ago, a woman showed up at the front door with you in her arms. She said that she was in danger and she wanted us to protect you."

I stared at her in disbelief. "Is… Is this true?"

"Yes," said my father, "But we love you, Zenia. We love you like our own flesh and blood." I could tell he meant it, too. I don't know why, but I smiled. Something about the ring was filling me with a sense of comfort. I looked back into the box and retrieved a note.

Dear Zenia,

By the time you get this letter, it will have been 13 years since I've seen you. You have a very important mission. I want you to go into Manhattan and wave for a cab. Tell the driver to take you to "The Place." He will know what to do. Once you are there, ask to talk to Chiron. And please, Zenia, remember this: I love you.

With love,

Your Mother

I held the note in my hands for a few seconds before turning to my parents. "Mommy," I said, "Could you give me a ride to Manhattan?"

My mother had parked in an unoccupied parking spot, which took an hour to find. I stood on the sidewalk during rush hour traffic, wondering what to do. I waved my hand in the air and called out, "Taxi!" A taxicab pulled up, and I told my mother I should go alone. I climbed into the taxi. "Umm… I need to go to 'The Place'" I said.

The man in the drivers seat nodded and started driving. I can't tell you when exactly, but I slowly came to the realization that the cab driver had eyes in the back of his head- literally! I rubbed my temples and tried to find a logical explanation for this. I must be going insane! "Excuse me, sir, but do you have eyes all over your head?" I asked, before I realized how freakishly weird that sounded.

But, to my surprise, he nodded. We were soon on a dirt road, and I was trying to cope with the fact that my taxi driver had eyes all over his head. He went off the road and swerved, barely missing a tree. "Careful!" I said, holding onto the seat in front of me. "Hey, what gives?"

Soon, we were out of the woods and into some sort of beautiful meadow with endless strawberry fields to the right and an old Greek-inspired summer camp to the left. "Is this Camp Half Blood?" I asked the driver. He nodded. "Do you speak?" He shook his head. If only more men were like him… minus the extra eyes, of course! "I need to speak to Chiron." I said. The man got out of the cab and opened my door. "Thank you!" I said as he helped me out. He had an eye on the back of his hand. He led me into a giant blue barn where a horse stood up to meet me… except he wasn't a horse. It was a horse all the way up until where the horse's neck was supposed to be- that's where the torso of a middle-aged man came out. He was wearing a bright orange CAMP HALF BLOOD tee.

"Hello, Zenia," Said the horse-man, "We have been expecting you."