Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson nor any of its characters, I just own my own character Antheia/Alyssa.

Horrible nightmares filled Alyssa's mind: wild monsters coming for Percy and Sally, they run around screaming, fear settling in their eyes. Alyssa stands just ten feet away, frozen to the ground unable to move and she sees them disappear, squeezed to death, horror frozen on their faces as their mouths formed in a silent scream.

"Ahhhh!"

Alyssa woke up screaming. Her heart was beating wildly, sweat covered her face and she tries to breath, clutching her chest. She looks around, expecting to see her familiar room in their little apartment, but instead she found herself in an unfamiliar room with white walls, white floors, and a giant white bed in which she is resting. Another bed lays on the opposite side of the room where the sleeping figure of her brother laid, his chest falling up and down with each shallow breath.

She immediately climbs out of bed, ignoring her own pain, and races over to Percy's bed. She checks to make sure that everything is normal, checking his pulse, his breathing rate, and finally relaxed when she saw his eyes slowly flutter open. He looked around, confused, but when he saw her, a smile crossed his face and he slowly leaned up and hugged her.

"Alyssa, I was so scared. I had the weirdest nightmare ever. Mom died... Grover was half goat, and you did something with your hands that caused the forest and sky to erupt."

Alyssa sighed, stroking Percy's head.

""Percy... I think.."

She was interrupted when the door opened, and in walked a man with eyes that literally covered his whole body. He beckoned for them to follow him, and after looking at each other, both freaking out, they slowly got up and followed him. He lead them through a series of rooms until they reached the front porch, where he pointed to two large lawn chairs. As Alyssa sat down, she noticed there was a tall drink on the table next to her. It looked like iced apple juice, with a bright blue straw. She saw Percy reach for a similar cup and almost dropped it due to weakness.

"Careful," a familiar voice said.

Grover was leaning against the porch railing, looking like he hasn't slept in a month. He was wearing blue jeans, Converse high tops and a bright orange shirt. He looked like the same old Grover.

Alyssa could see Percy's mind working, trying to figure out if he had simply had a nightmare and maybe Mom was okay.

Alyssa looked almost sympathetic, knowing that it did indeed happen.

"You two saved my life," Grover said. "I... well, the least I could do.. I went back to the hill and I thought you might want this."

He placed a shoe box in Percy's lap, inside laid the black and white bull horn, the base jagged and the tip splattered with dried blood."

Percy's eyes filled with tears. Alyssa looked out across the meadow. There were groves of trees, a winding stream, acres of strawberries spread out under the blue sky. The valley was surrounded by rolling hills, the tallest one right in front of us had the huge pine tree on top. Her eyes filled with tears almost, remember what Sally and said, that she didn't have a biological family. The only clue was...

She reached into her pocket, feeling for the necklace but finding nothing. Panic filled her and she looked up.

"Grover!" She yelled interrupting him from trying to explain to Percy. "Have you seen my necklace?"

His face filled with confusion, Percy sniffles a sob.

"Really Alyssa? Moms gone and all you can think about is a necklace!"

Alyssa winced as the words hit her. Her eyes began to water, not wanting to tell Percy the truth about her.

"Percy, of course I care about mom, its just that the necklace was the last thing she gave me, right before she..."

Grover was still sniffling. The poor kid-poor goat, satyr, whatever-looked as if he expected to be hit.

"I'm so sorry guys.. I was suppose to protect you."

Percy looked up at his best friend.

"Grover, its not your fault. Did my mother ask you to protect me?"

"No. But that's my job. I'm a keeper. At least.. I was."

Alyssa cut in, "but why..."

A dizziness spell suddenly came over her.

Grover quickly picked up the cup and held the straw to her lips. As she drank, she recoiled at the taste, expecting apple juice. But instead it tasted like her favorite dessert, her mom's brownies.

Percy drank some too and he looked like he was tasting something good.

Strength filled them, giving Grover relief.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go meet Chiron and Mr. D."

As he led them around to porch, they caught a glimpse of a bunch of building dotting the landscape that looked like Ancient Greek architecture along with an open pavilion, an amphitheater, and a circular arena-all looking brand new. There was a sandpit where kids were playing volleyball, and in the distance, canoes glided across a small lake. There were kids in bright orange shirts like Grover's shooting arrows at an archery range and others rode horses down a wooded trail, and unless they were hallucinating, some of the horses had wings.

When they arrived at the other end of the porch, two men sat across each other at a card table. The blonde girl who they had seen the previous night was leaning against the railing.

One of the men facing them was small, but porky. He had a red nose with big watery eyes, and curly black hair that was almost purple. He wore a tiger-print Hawaiian shirt.

"That's Mr. D," Grover muttered to them. "He's the camp director. Be polite. The girl, that's Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper, but she's been here longer than anyone. And you already know Chiron..."

He pointed to a man sitting in a wheelchair. Percy instantly recognized the tweed jacket, the thinning brown hair, the scraggly beard.

"Mr. Brunner!" He cried.

The Latin teacher looked up and smiled.

"Please, Percy, Alyssa, have a seat."

They sat down-Alyssa next to Chiron and Percy next to Mr. D, who looked at them and suppressed a sigh.

"Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."

Percy gave Alyssa a glance that basically said I'm sitting next to the grinch. She held her hand over her mouth as she gave a little laugh, unable to control herself.

Mr. D froze at the sound before turning to her. He seemed to study her with uncertain eyes, as if trying to figure out something. He looked up at the sky, he's probably crazy, before shaking his head and looking back at his cards.

"Annabeth?" Mr. Brunner called to the blond girl. She stepped forward and he introduced her to them.

"Annabeth, why don't you go show Percy and Alyssa cabin eleven for now.."

Percy interrupted him with his stupid twelve year old mind.

"What does the D stand for?"

They all froze except for Alyssa. Mr. D looked up at him.

"Young man, names are powerful things. You don't just go around using them for no reason."

Percy looked down, ashamed.

"Right sorry sir."

Mr. D just grumbled to himself and snapped his fingers and magically a goblet appeared on the table and filled itself with red wine.

"Mr. D," Chiron warned. "Your restrictions."

He looked up and gasped in feint surprise.

"Dear me. Sorry old habits." He said looking up at the sky as thunder rumbled.

He waved his hand and the goblet transformed into a Diet Coke.

Alyssa and Percy just say there, looking shocked.

"Did he just..." Alyssa asked with amazement.

"He offended his father awhile back and got the punishment of no alcohol and banishment to this camp for a hundred years." Chiron said calmly.

"And your father is..." Percy asked suspiciously.

"Di immortales, of course you wouldn't even know the basics. My father is Zeus."

"Your Dionysus," Alyssa said. "god of wine."

"Your a god..." Percy said, as if saying it just to hear it be said.

Mr. D just shrugged it off like it was nothing, leaving Alyssa and Percy both gaping. Chiron, seeing their bewilderment, motioned for Annebeth.

"Annabeth, why don't we go show Percy and Alyssa cabin eleven."

"And make sure you mind your manners." Mr. D warned.

Chiron started literally climbing out of his wheelchair, but as the blanket fell away. It turned out to be more like a box. He keep climbing out, until he was standing over them. Chiron rose to his full height, having the lower half of his body free from the wheelchair.

They stared at the horse who had sprung out from the wheelchair;a huge stallion. But where it's neck should be was the upper body of Percy's Latin teacher, smoothly grafted to the horse's trunk.

What a relief," the centaur said. "I'd been cooped up in there so long, my fetlocks had fallen asleep. Now, come, Percy and Alyssa Jackson. Lets meet the other campers."

And with that he started trotting off, leaving the two to quickly compose themselves before racing off after him.

Alyssa scratched at her head as she ran, feeling somewhat of a guilt when he had said their last name, or rather, Percy's last name, not hers.