A/N: So... I'm sorry about not updating this story since May. I guess I was more interested in writing the Percy Jackson ships. I deeply apologize.

On the road

I slipped in through the back door, wincing as the cedar wood floorboards creaked. I quickly ran into the kitchen and turned on the lights. My backpack slid off my shoulders and fell with a thud.

"G- Grampa?"

Grampa sat at the table with a cup of coffee. "Why hello, sugar- buger. What brings you here at this late hour?"

"I ran away." I said. Grampa clucked. "Problems at home?" He asked sympathetically. I nodded. "Yep,"

Grampa shrugged. "Sometimes, problems can't be solved. I got a feeling that you got something in mind to fix this doozie that you're in."

"I don't know..."

"If you came here, then you must have a plan in mind." He patted my arm and got up to refill the kettle.

"You got a hankering for some hot chocolate, sugar- bugger?" I smiled, relaxed. "Yeah, thanks."

"Ain't it a good thing that I decided to stay up tonight." He said. I nodded, liking the silence.

Grampa set a steaming mug of hot cocoa in front of me. "Tell me more about your family problems." He said kindly. I bit the inside of my lip, thinking. "Well, Momma read some stuff from this weird- looking paper, then she and Daddy had a fight, and then I came here. I ran to the supermarket, then nicely asked the clouds to come down for a minute and float me the rest of the way here." I looked around. "Where's Gramma?"

"Midnight deliveries. They're not regular folks, if you know what I mean."

My eyes grew large. "You mean monsters?" Grampa shrugged. "Don't know. With folks round this town, you never know. They could be normal, like me, or some could be like you and not even know."

"Not knowing is the worst thing ever." I said. Grampa tilted his head to the side; he was thinking. "Do ya think that if your mama never came, and you lived the rest of your life not knowing, living a lie, d'you think you'd be happier?"

I shook my head. "All I know is that I can't go back home."

"And why's that?"

"It don't feel like home. It never really did."

Grampa leaned back in his chair. "Hm," he said, watching me squirm in my seat. "Liza, close your eyes."

"What-"

"Close 'em," Grampa said firmly. I, being only ten years old and having no rebellious bone in my more- than- human body, complied. "Now," Grampa continued. "Reach back in your mind, and grab the earliest memory."

"I'm at the beach with Matt and John."

Grampa shook his head. "Not far enough. Try again."

I glared through my eyelids. "Ohhh- kay, now I'm grabbing at the snowflakes, and..." I frowned in confusion. "I'm in New York? I think... I think that's the Empire State Building in front of my stroller."

"Still not far enough."

I threw my hands up. "I don't know what this is supposed to do for me, but I can't go back much farther. I was, like, two in the last one."

"Then you oughtta just skedaddle back to your daddy."

I gave him a withering glare before closing my eyes. "I see...people. Big people, standing in a U shape around me and Mom."

"Good. What are they saying?"

"They're taking turns standing next to me; no one is talking. Everyone is concentrating on something." I frowned, taking in the scene. "Wait, a woman just came in the door. She's different from the others." The scene grew clearer, and larger, as if...

I was pulled into my own memory, like Harry was pulled into Tom Riddle's diary in the second book. Everything was in color, though, unlike Riddle's memory. I sat next to Mom, who was in the hospital bed, holding baby me.

The woman at the foot of Mom's bed raised her hands to the ceiling. Her glowing purple eyes turned to me. She winked and faced Mom. "Elizabeth Anne King, daughter of Demeter, you have been gifted with many godly talents. To complete the set, I give you the gift of magic!"

Baby Liz was enveloped in a cloudy, blue haze. An older- looking woman- Gramma, I realized- left the room, looking angry. Dad gripped Mom's hand, smiling tightly; he wasn't prepared for this. With a flourish of her hand, the goddess of magic cast another spell- bestowing another gift: the gift of memory. Hecate smiled as the haze faded. "Elizabeth, you are a very special child. Even more so than any other child known to mankind."

A very important- looking man stepped forward. "Demeter, your child...Elizabeth...will need to be transported to the camp as soon as possible."

"No." Mother said. "Not until she is of a reasonable age- twelve, perhaps." She gazed adoringly at the baby in her arms. "Liza will not learn of what she is until then." Mother looked up sharply at Zeus. "Camp Half- Blood can wait another twelve years for my child."

Zeus bowed stiffly. "As you wish, my sister."

I returned to the present, gaping at my grandfather. He leaned forward. "What is it, Liza?"

"I- I got pulled into the memory. It was so real!" I sat up and reached for my backpack. I started running to the front door. "I have to go!"

Grampa got up after me. "Whoa! Hold your horses, Liza! Where are you going?"

I turned around, remembering the place Mother and Uncle mentioned. "I am going to Camp Half- Blood, in New York."

Grampa smiled. "You're gonna need a ride, sweetheart."

"Can you take me? Please, Grampa! Just to the camp; it'll only take a few days!"

"What about Ruth? I can't just up 'n leave your gramma behind!"

I sighed and sat back down. "Daddy said I'm never leaving, and there's no one that I know that will take me. Please, Grampa?"

Grampa stared me with tears in his eyes. "Liza, I know you wanna go to New York tonight, but why not wait until tomorrow? You don't have to go home." He said quickly. "I can pull together a bed for you here. Just...wait a little while, okay?"

"Okay." I dropped my backpack to the ground again and laid my head on the table. I didn't see Mom and the gods, but I did dream of the camp. It was big, and everyone was happy. There were no monsters chasing us.

Grampa woke me up and helped me to the pull out bed. "See you in the morning." He whispered and sat in a chair off to the side. I closed my eyes, hoping the past few hours weren't real, that it was all just a dream.

"Elizabeth,"

I turned to the voice. It was soft, and very quiet. I opened my eyes and gasped. Artemis smiled back.

"Hello, child," she whispered. "Are you ready to go?"

"Grampa said to wait 'til morning."

"And your father banned you from leaving at all. Men don't understand our needs."

Artemis shook her head. "We need to get you started on your trip." She muttered about her father being an impatient god. "Grab enough food and supplies; you'll be on the road for many weeks." Artemus frowned. "You should be at Camp before your birthday."

The goddess stood, reaching her hand to help me up also. "I cannot lead you far; only to a mortal who is willing to help. I found her trustworthy, and she will travel with you into New Jersey." The goddess' eyes sparkled dangerously. "There, you will make your journey to Camp Half- Blood. Not alone, but not entirely depended on someone."

"What's the woman's name?"

"Agnes White. She's a very reliable woman, despite her age."

I glanced back at Grampa, uncertain. "Will they...what about..."

"I've left a note, explaining the circumstances. Don't worry, child; they will be safe."

I sighed. Under normal circumstances (Meaning, before Mother dropped by and altered my life forever.), I might have refused to leave, or maybe even yelled at her. But the circumstances were anything but normal. I had considered leaving town when I stumbled through my grandparent's back door earlier that night.

"Promise they'll be safe." My bottom lip quivered. "Swear it on the river Styx."

Artemis stared softly and sadly at me. I detected pity in her eyes. "I swear on the river Styx that your family will be safe here."

"Good." I gripped my backpack tightly. "Then I'm ready to go."

A/N: I put a new poll up, on my profile. It's about the journal- story. I can't believe I have a week left of summer vacation! *groans* School is gonna be tough this year.

Crazy comment: I started writing Book2 of the Demeter's Child trilogy. XD Honestly, I am one strange demigod. I can't wait to start writing chapter 10! It gets very exciting.

And, uh, sorry about the age change, again, but I forgot how old Elizabeth was, so...she's 7 years old, almost eight. Please review! *listens to voice* Mom said to eatceteal for breakfast. Especially on Mondays. Double that if you got school. *rolls eyes* Yeah. Mom can be such a pain. Just humor her. Seriously.