p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frankly, Frank's day started horribly. His grandmother woke him before the sun had risen on the day he had been dreading most. The day of his mother's funeral. Frank didn't want to hear about how sorry people were, how great of a person she was. Because Frank knew how amazing his mother had been, she was his mother after all. He knew her better than any of the distant relatives or soldiers that would be there to pay their respect. It didn't sit right with him. Like it wasn't real, it was a mixed-up dream that he would wake from any minute now, a nightmare. But deep inside he knew, he wouldn't wake from this, it was the real world. Something he couldn't escape./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank was currently outside in an open field behind his family's manor, filling his old, worn out practice targets with arrows. He was considering grabbing something more breakable to destroy, something that would calm down his nerves and anger. His grandmother's china set would be a good option, possibly the old dragon displays that sat in the living area, untouched. Another arrow hit the bullseye and he whipped out another arrow. Targeting the next hay barrel he ran across the field, backing away slowly before. Sswwiisss. Again, the arrow hit the center of the hay barrel. He reached for another arrow and groaned, his quiver was empty. He stocked out over the field to the hay, jerking the arrows out, grumbling. He grabbed ahold of ten arrows before walking up to his last target./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Jerking the last two arrows out with to much force Frank fell off balance. He quickly steadied himself before taking a deep breath, dropping the two arrows onto the ground. He combed his fingers threw his cropped black hair, trying to calm himself before he would really grab his grandmother's china and smash it to bits. Frank bent down to grab the arrows and pushed them into his quiver./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"He decided to go back to the manor instead of starting back, Frank walked through the back door, ignoring that his grandmother's old hairless cat, that walked across his feet, wrapping his long pink tail around his leg. Frank went straight towards the sink, grabbing a glass out of the dish drainer, and filled it with cold fossette water. He took a gulp of it before setting it on a costar. His grandmother would most likely kick him out if he even thought about setting it on the counter. Frank walked into the living area, looking for his grandmother since she told him to find her as soon as he was done blowing off steam./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"He walked up to the second floor, looking in all of the spare rooms before stopping outside of hers. He knocked on the door before hearing a faint,/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""Come in." He walked into the bedroom. The first thing he noticed was the black suit that lay on her queen sized mattress. The second thing he noticed was the small wooden box sitting beside the suit. Franks grandmother chimed him over, patting the extra space by her,/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;""Come, come, sit, Fai, we have much to discuss." span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"Frank pushed himself on the spot on his grandmother's bed. He made should to sit up straight and proper, knowing that this grandmother scold him later if he didn't. His grandmother sighed and crossed her arms,/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""As you can see, I'm getting old. Too old to be running the manor and take care of you. So, your moving permanently to that camp your mother used to send you to during the summer. Any Questions?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Franks eyes widened as his mind raced a mile a minute. His grandmother was sending him to camp? Why? Frank she just told you why, idiot. How will this work? What will everyone think when he tells them? Will Jason even want him there during the off season? Does she just not want me? Did she pick a house over me?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""Y-Yes, I have questions, grandmother, you just kicked me out!" Frank couldn't believe it, "Why would you pick a house over me? What if camp won't take me during the school year? Where will I go to school? This is very much unfair!" Frank shouted. His grandmother waited for him to stop ranting before speaking,/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""Fai, I did not pick the manor over you, I still want you to visit ever so often, until I pass on. Like when you find your soulmate. Plus, Camp Half-Blood has a schooling program, so that won't be a problem. Also I contacted camp a few days and said it was perfectly fine if you stayed at camp during the off season. Calm down!" She huffed, throwing her arms in the air, "Your mother and I did not raise you to rash out like this."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank sighed, "Your right, sorry for shouting. This is just difficult." Frank wasn't really sorry but knew his grandmother was right. He leaned his chin on his hands and rested his elbows on his knees. His mother's funeral was on the same day he would be moving to another country. He hadn't even thought of how his grandmother would pass someday. His grandmother placed a hand on his shoulder, "Fai Zhang, it will be ok, I'm sure of it. But for now I need you to get ready for you mother funeral." Frank nodded picking the suit up off of the bed and walking across the hall to the large bathroom his grandmother normally used. He put the suit on, trying and failing to tie the tie the right way. He decided he would tie it later. He slipped on the dress shoes his grandmother had left him and quickly combed his cropped hair. Frank was beginning to understand how he was feeling as he brushed his teeth./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"Frank felt alone./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"He was alone. He had no mother, no father, and now, no grandmother. The last of his family would soon be ripped away from him and Frank would have no one. He walked out of the bathroom and trudged down the stairs, holding onto the wooden handrail. His mother funeral was drawing nearer and the pain in his chest grew heavier. His short, plump grandmother was sitting on one of the ancient couches in the sitting area talking to three soldiers- one was female and the other two were male- who were comrades of his mothers. He walked closer to the group, catching the eye of his grandmother, who was in a black dress, ready for the last time she would see her daughter. "Frank," his grandmother said sternly, "These people were your mothers partners." Frank nodded his head in respect, though, he didn't want to. If these people were his mother comrades in the army, why didn't they save her? They returned the nod before turning back to his grandmother./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank walked out of the room silently and into the kitchen. He sat on a bar stool for about forty- five minutes, waiting for the group of adults to be ready to leave in the black van to the funeral home. Frank's grandmother walked into the kitchen, the sound of her black heels clomped against the flooring, "Fai, it's time to go."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank reluctantly walked out into the grassy front yard and towards the van silently, ignoring the others around him. This was the last time he would see his mother. Frank pulled the door open and stepped into the van, taking a seat. His grandmother sat opposite of him, while one solider sat beside him. The another soldier sat beside grandmother, facing the soldier that sat beside him, the other got in the drivers seat and started the engine. The silence was unnerving as the van followed the curvy road that lead out of the manor's land and onto the main road./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank fiddled with his shirt sleeve, watching out the tinted window as they pasted a cluster of pine trees. The pain in his chest was almost unbearable; it made it hard to breath. They hit a bump in the road which shook everyone in the van, but everyone stay silent. Frank steadied himself quietly. Everyone looked at each other in awkward silence, the soldier that sat beside his grandmother waved their hand slightly and Frank waved back./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"The sound of the blinker played throughout the van as they turned onto a dirt road, pine trees lined the roadside and they pasted a wooden sign that read 'Pine Land Burial Service' The road was bumpy as was Frank's heartbeat as they drew nearer to a large white building, large cloudy, yellowish windows lined the front of the building. A few cars and trucks were parked in the gravel parking lot as the van pulled to a stop. The soldier that sat beside Frank opened the sliding door and he stepped out, Frank followed him out onto the gravel parking lot, straightening his suit and tie,span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanwhich he got his grandmother to fix for him. When everyone had gotten out of the van they traveled into the building, writing their names on the sheet of paper that was clipped to a clipboard./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank was silent the whole service and through the burial afterward. He wasn't too proud to say that he shed a few tears, though, he tried to stay strong during the service for his grandmother. Just like he wished they didn't many of his distant relatives and people who had known his mother pitied him. The 'sorries' and 'she was a great person' did not make him feel any better but did make him exasperated. At the end of the service, one of the soldiers came in the van with his grandmother and he had given him a badge of horror for his mother's service to their country, with he decided he would keep with him at all times./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"The ride back to the manor was just as silent as the ride to the funeral home, except for his grandmother's sniffles. Frank played with the badge that the soldier had given him absentmindedly as they pulled their way into the manor's pathway. Frank made his way towards his room as soon as the van door was opened. He closed the door behind him and sighed, sinking down to his knees on the flooring. Tears flew down his cheeks as his vision blurred. He didn't wipe the tears away, he let them fall. Realization hit him like a train. His grandmother was sending him away that night. He was alone now./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank stood up from his spot on the ground and dusted himself off. He walked out to his dresser and began to pack his duffle bag with his things. He already had a few things at camp, but if he was going to be staying during the off-season he would have to pack a few more things. He zipped the bag up, covering the dirty pair of tennis shoes that he put in the bag last. Frank grabbed a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt which he quickly changed into before throwing the duffle bag over his shoulder./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank walked back down the stairway, his grandmother was sipping on a glass of herbal tea but when she saw him she sat it down. Frank tried to avoid her, walking out of the living area with his head down./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""Fai, you have to understand. This is for the better." Frank clenched his fist but said nothing. He continued to walk into the large kitchen. He quickly tossed his duffle bag to the floor, he grabbed some of the leftovers out from the night before out of the refrigerator, and heated it up. He ate his food in silence before seeing the flash of headlights heading toward the manor. He sighed shaking his head but turned back to his food. Finishing up he heard his grandmother open the front door, "Ms. Zhang, it's nice to talk to you again." Lupa, one of the camp's social workers voice sounded through the house. Frank didn't necessarily know Lupa that well, but he had talked to her once or twice when he was at camp during the summer. Lupa walked into view as Frank ran water through the dishes he had used./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""Nice to see you again, Frank." Frank sighed turning to face the young adult. She seemed nice enough, but she could be very intense when she wanted to be. "Nice to see you too, Lupa." She nodded her head. For some strange reason Frank was happy she hadn't brought his mother, but that feeling soon left, "Your grandmother told me about your mother, I'm sorry for your loss." Frank murmured an awkward "yeah" as he fiddled with his hands. "Whenever you're ready to get going we should head out. It's about a three-day drive." Frank nodded along as she talked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""We could leave now if you want." She nodded this time and Frank picked up his duffle bag and followed Lupa to the living area where his grandmother was filling out a permission form. She looked up after a minute of them standing in the doorway. She passed Lupa the form and she nodded in thanks. "We were about to leave, Ms. Zhang, so I will give you two a second." Lupa walked out of the room and the pair of Zhangs stood there in uncomfortable silence before his grandmother broke it by giving Frank a hug. It surprised Frank since his grandmother never really liked physical touch but he swiftly pushed that away and hugged back. They pulled away and she cleared her throat, sternly saying, "Be good, Fai. Don't get in trouble. When you find your soulmate I want to meet her, understand." Frank bit back a chuckle,/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""Of course."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Lupa walked back into the room, "It's time to leave."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank followed Lupa out of the manor into the dark yard and towards the black SUV and stepped in. Lupa quickly started the engine and turned on the heat. She began to drive as Frank mentally sighed. This is going to be a long ride./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank was currently outside in an open field behind his family's manor, filling his old, worn out practice targets with arrows. He was considering grabbing something more breakable to destroy, something that would calm down his nerves and anger. His grandmother's china set would be a good option, possibly the old dragon displays that sat in the living area, untouched. Another arrow hit the bullseye and he whipped out another arrow. Targeting the next hay barrel he ran across the field, backing away slowly before. Sswwiisss. Again, the arrow hit the center of the hay barrel. He reached for another arrow and groaned, his quiver was empty. He stocked out over the field to the hay, jerking the arrows out, grumbling. He grabbed ahold of ten arrows before walking up to his last target./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Jerking the last two arrows out with to much force Frank fell off balance. He quickly steadied himself before taking a deep breath, dropping the two arrows onto the ground. He combed his fingers threw his cropped black hair, trying to calm himself before he would really grab his grandmother's china and smash it to bits. Frank bent down to grab the arrows and pushed them into his quiver./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"He decided to go back to the manor instead of starting back, Frank walked through the back door, ignoring that his grandmother's old hairless cat, that walked across his feet, wrapping his long pink tail around his leg. Frank went straight towards the sink, grabbing a glass out of the dish drainer, and filled it with cold fossette water. He took a gulp of it before setting it on a costar. His grandmother would most likely kick him out if he even thought about setting it on the counter. Frank walked into the living area, looking for his grandmother since she told him to find her as soon as he was done blowing off steam./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"He walked up to the second floor, looking in all of the spare rooms before stopping outside of hers. He knocked on the door before hearing a faint,/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""Come in." He walked into the bedroom. The first thing he noticed was the black suit that lay on her queen sized mattress. The second thing he noticed was the small wooden box sitting beside the suit. Franks grandmother chimed him over, patting the extra space by her,/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;""Come, come, sit, Fai, we have much to discuss." span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"Frank pushed himself on the spot on his grandmother's bed. He made should to sit up straight and proper, knowing that this grandmother scold him later if he didn't. His grandmother sighed and crossed her arms,/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""As you can see, I'm getting old. Too old to be running the manor and take care of you. So, your moving permanently to that camp your mother used to send you to during the summer. Any Questions?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Franks eyes widened as his mind raced a mile a minute. His grandmother was sending him to camp? Why? Frank she just told you why, idiot. How will this work? What will everyone think when he tells them? Will Jason even want him there during the off season? Does she just not want me? Did she pick a house over me?/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""Y-Yes, I have questions, grandmother, you just kicked me out!" Frank couldn't believe it, "Why would you pick a house over me? What if camp won't take me during the school year? Where will I go to school? This is very much unfair!" Frank shouted. His grandmother waited for him to stop ranting before speaking,/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""Fai, I did not pick the manor over you, I still want you to visit ever so often, until I pass on. Like when you find your soulmate. Plus, Camp Half-Blood has a schooling program, so that won't be a problem. Also I contacted camp a few days and said it was perfectly fine if you stayed at camp during the off season. Calm down!" She huffed, throwing her arms in the air, "Your mother and I did not raise you to rash out like this."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank sighed, "Your right, sorry for shouting. This is just difficult." Frank wasn't really sorry but knew his grandmother was right. He leaned his chin on his hands and rested his elbows on his knees. His mother's funeral was on the same day he would be moving to another country. He hadn't even thought of how his grandmother would pass someday. His grandmother placed a hand on his shoulder, "Fai Zhang, it will be ok, I'm sure of it. But for now I need you to get ready for you mother funeral." Frank nodded picking the suit up off of the bed and walking across the hall to the large bathroom his grandmother normally used. He put the suit on, trying and failing to tie the tie the right way. He decided he would tie it later. He slipped on the dress shoes his grandmother had left him and quickly combed his cropped hair. Frank was beginning to understand how he was feeling as he brushed his teeth./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"Frank felt alone./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"He was alone. He had no mother, no father, and now, no grandmother. The last of his family would soon be ripped away from him and Frank would have no one. He walked out of the bathroom and trudged down the stairs, holding onto the wooden handrail. His mother funeral was drawing nearer and the pain in his chest grew heavier. His short, plump grandmother was sitting on one of the ancient couches in the sitting area talking to three soldiers- one was female and the other two were male- who were comrades of his mothers. He walked closer to the group, catching the eye of his grandmother, who was in a black dress, ready for the last time she would see her daughter. "Frank," his grandmother said sternly, "These people were your mothers partners." Frank nodded his head in respect, though, he didn't want to. If these people were his mother comrades in the army, why didn't they save her? They returned the nod before turning back to his grandmother./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank walked out of the room silently and into the kitchen. He sat on a bar stool for about forty- five minutes, waiting for the group of adults to be ready to leave in the black van to the funeral home. Frank's grandmother walked into the kitchen, the sound of her black heels clomped against the flooring, "Fai, it's time to go."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank reluctantly walked out into the grassy front yard and towards the van silently, ignoring the others around him. This was the last time he would see his mother. Frank pulled the door open and stepped into the van, taking a seat. His grandmother sat opposite of him, while one solider sat beside him. The another soldier sat beside grandmother, facing the soldier that sat beside him, the other got in the drivers seat and started the engine. The silence was unnerving as the van followed the curvy road that lead out of the manor's land and onto the main road./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank fiddled with his shirt sleeve, watching out the tinted window as they pasted a cluster of pine trees. The pain in his chest was almost unbearable; it made it hard to breath. They hit a bump in the road which shook everyone in the van, but everyone stay silent. Frank steadied himself quietly. Everyone looked at each other in awkward silence, the soldier that sat beside his grandmother waved their hand slightly and Frank waved back./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"The sound of the blinker played throughout the van as they turned onto a dirt road, pine trees lined the roadside and they pasted a wooden sign that read 'Pine Land Burial Service' The road was bumpy as was Frank's heartbeat as they drew nearer to a large white building, large cloudy, yellowish windows lined the front of the building. A few cars and trucks were parked in the gravel parking lot as the van pulled to a stop. The soldier that sat beside Frank opened the sliding door and he stepped out, Frank followed him out onto the gravel parking lot, straightening his suit and tie,span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanwhich he got his grandmother to fix for him. When everyone had gotten out of the van they traveled into the building, writing their names on the sheet of paper that was clipped to a clipboard./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank was silent the whole service and through the burial afterward. He wasn't too proud to say that he shed a few tears, though, he tried to stay strong during the service for his grandmother. Just like he wished they didn't many of his distant relatives and people who had known his mother pitied him. The 'sorries' and 'she was a great person' did not make him feel any better but did make him exasperated. At the end of the service, one of the soldiers came in the van with his grandmother and he had given him a badge of horror for his mother's service to their country, with he decided he would keep with him at all times./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"The ride back to the manor was just as silent as the ride to the funeral home, except for his grandmother's sniffles. Frank played with the badge that the soldier had given him absentmindedly as they pulled their way into the manor's pathway. Frank made his way towards his room as soon as the van door was opened. He closed the door behind him and sighed, sinking down to his knees on the flooring. Tears flew down his cheeks as his vision blurred. He didn't wipe the tears away, he let them fall. Realization hit him like a train. His grandmother was sending him away that night. He was alone now./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank stood up from his spot on the ground and dusted himself off. He walked out to his dresser and began to pack his duffle bag with his things. He already had a few things at camp, but if he was going to be staying during the off-season he would have to pack a few more things. He zipped the bag up, covering the dirty pair of tennis shoes that he put in the bag last. Frank grabbed a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt which he quickly changed into before throwing the duffle bag over his shoulder./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank walked back down the stairway, his grandmother was sipping on a glass of herbal tea but when she saw him she sat it down. Frank tried to avoid her, walking out of the living area with his head down./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""Fai, you have to understand. This is for the better." Frank clenched his fist but said nothing. He continued to walk into the large kitchen. He quickly tossed his duffle bag to the floor, he grabbed some of the leftovers out from the night before out of the refrigerator, and heated it up. He ate his food in silence before seeing the flash of headlights heading toward the manor. He sighed shaking his head but turned back to his food. Finishing up he heard his grandmother open the front door, "Ms. Zhang, it's nice to talk to you again." Lupa, one of the camp's social workers voice sounded through the house. Frank didn't necessarily know Lupa that well, but he had talked to her once or twice when he was at camp during the summer. Lupa walked into view as Frank ran water through the dishes he had used./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""Nice to see you again, Frank." Frank sighed turning to face the young adult. She seemed nice enough, but she could be very intense when she wanted to be. "Nice to see you too, Lupa." She nodded her head. For some strange reason Frank was happy she hadn't brought his mother, but that feeling soon left, "Your grandmother told me about your mother, I'm sorry for your loss." Frank murmured an awkward "yeah" as he fiddled with his hands. "Whenever you're ready to get going we should head out. It's about a three-day drive." Frank nodded along as she talked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""We could leave now if you want." She nodded this time and Frank picked up his duffle bag and followed Lupa to the living area where his grandmother was filling out a permission form. She looked up after a minute of them standing in the doorway. She passed Lupa the form and she nodded in thanks. "We were about to leave, Ms. Zhang, so I will give you two a second." Lupa walked out of the room and the pair of Zhangs stood there in uncomfortable silence before his grandmother broke it by giving Frank a hug. It surprised Frank since his grandmother never really liked physical touch but he swiftly pushed that away and hugged back. They pulled away and she cleared her throat, sternly saying, "Be good, Fai. Don't get in trouble. When you find your soulmate I want to meet her, understand." Frank bit back a chuckle,/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;""Of course."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Lupa walked back into the room, "It's time to leave."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"Frank followed Lupa out of the manor into the dark yard and towards the black SUV and stepped in. Lupa quickly started the engine and turned on the heat. She began to drive as Frank mentally sighed. This is going to be a long ride./p