The boy beamed up at the man, the boy's father, and the father smiled back, not lovingly nor cruel, a smile that you would give to an acquaintance but the boy didn't notice this, he loved his father blindly.
"Happy birthday son" the father said ruffling the boys black hair and he look back happily before opening the present to find a leather journal and he opened it up in wonder and in curiosity.
"Write in it, record your accomplishments in it" His father ordered and the boy nodded only half listening to his father for he was still caught up in the journal.
What took Will out of the journal was the smashing of the door and wood flew above them and his father stood in front of Will as if to protect him, but Will glanced past his fathers legs to see two bulky men dressed in black from head to toe.
"We are the Darkwood right hand men, prepare for your death Harrison Cliff" One of them said and Will's father clenched his fists.
"Don't think I shall go meet Hades willingly" he snorted and one of them flew at Harrison and punched him in the jaw and Will had to jump out of the way so he wasn't crushed by his father.
His father and the man wrestled on the floor and the other towered over Will. Will shook with fear until the man sneered at him.
"I do not find it fitting to kill you, for you are to young but I have been ordered to, perhaps...perhaps I need too have my fun with this, see what fun would it be to just kill you? I, a son of Hecate, should be able to put my magic to good use so why not now? William Cliff, I curse you, i curse that if anyone were to even remotely like you they will die painfully. They will die by your own hands."
*Seven years later*
I glared at her, she glared back, and the people around us just rolled their eyes. They are used to our bickering by now, especially after nearly eight years of it. The girl in front of me finally just turned away and I smirked knowing I had won, she scowled at me when she saw me and I shrugged.
"Look Will, just clean up," she snarled and I shrugged and grinned and glanced at my messy bunk, my practical side was telling me to just clean it up, but I had to ignore it. I had to make them hate me.
"Why? I don't want to," I shot back and most of them started to glare at me because they thought I was acting like a kid but I had to, even if I had to degrade myself. I showed weakness when fighting, I acted like I was stupid, and I treated everyone like dirt.
Annabeth, my older sister scowled deeper and her grey eyes suddenly got a spark of life in them, unlike now a days where they were lifeless; because of the giant war, she had changed. Being me, I used that to my advantage, starting to make fun of her for Tartarus, but no matter how hard I try she doesn't care.
"Will" she warned and I shrugged she sighed and left me there, I sighed and when she was too far away I cleaned up the bunk, I glanced up and noticed her looking at me smiling. I sighed, well that try failed.
We walked out when some kid, probably thinking he was all tough and everything, but one look from Annabeth and I knew, this kid was new, probably hasn't heard of the infamous William Cliff.
"Hey you're a son of Athena right?" He asked me and I estimated his age to be around thirteen, maybe fourteen.
"Yes" I drawled and he gasped astonished then grinned happily at me and I looked at him bored out of my mind, and I don't even need to fake it this time.
"Cool! You don't look very much like your siblings" he noticed looking at the crowd waiting for me to go after them, half of them knew I was going to say something cruel (which I was) and the other half just looked bored and impatient.
"So? I look far better than them anyway" I snorted as if I was a snob and he blinked in surprise but quickly covered it up. But yet as I glanced at my siblings I knew I didn't look like them, while they were blonde I had pitch black hair, and instead of grey I had deep blue eyes, like bottles.
"Well I'm Barney" he said rushed and I blinked and let myself catch up to him and I looked at him unimpressed. Barney, horrible name.
"And I don't care" I snorted and walked away "Now I have better things to do than converse with someone like you"
We sat down at Athena's table, I was silent and when spoken to I gave a stupid remark and they scoffed at me but I shrugged it off, knowing it was better than them liking me, I would do anything so they wouldn't like me.
Chiron ended breakfast by smashing his hoofs onto the ground and the campers quieted down. I trained my eyes to something else in the pavilion, showing my disrespect, and I know that some of the people here were watching me in disbelief.
"Campers settle down," Chiron called out and I rolled my eyes, we already have so why say that? People glared at me but Chiron was already speaking, "I have gotten news from the Gods; there is a mission that fifty campers will participate on"
Muttering broke out and Chiron had to stamp his feet again to make the place silent again "Though there will be many participating in this, there will be deaths, for a country house has been infested with monsters, and under further inspection it has been tied to a mortal cult run by a man named George Darkwood."
My head snapped to Chiron in disbelief, the name Darkwood swirled around my mind, a couple of my siblings, okay maybe a lot of them, turned their heads towards me surprised and confused. I had never shown an interest in anything, why now?
"The Romans will be participating," This was brought by a lot of growing and boos from the campers and Chiron sighed "Campers, we are meant to be practicing peace and harmony not an unwilling treaty"
I gave a small smirk at this, as did some other people, but Chiron ignored this and continued, "The Gods will speak to you after the battle, to those who survive, and nine people will be going further into the mission. This will make it a quest to find out what the cult is doing and why they have power over monsters"
Excited whispers passed through and Chiron sighed "The nine will be chosen by their bravery and strength in the mission, and remember only fifty people can go and there will be deaths, now who volunteers?"
I hesitated for a second before standing up and people turned to me surprised, I glared at Chiron showing my determination to be in this mission, "I will. I will go on this mission and I will be part of the quest, even if it's the last thing I do." True fact, I have a few weeks left to live so probably would be the last thing I ever do. Annabeth stood and with one glance at me, she turned to Chiron and called out with a long steady voice, unlike the one she has been using the past couple of weeks, where it had been hard and cold.
"I, too, will go on the mission"
The other seven stood after Annabeth and then other people stood and Chiron wrote down the names from who said it first and to whom said it last, obviously I was first, like it should be. He dismissed us and I walked swiftly out of the mess hall hoping not to be talked to but Annabeth had other ideas.
"Hey! Wait up!" She called out and I turned and stared at her coldly, but she ignored it and walked with me, assuming that I was heading back to the cabin, well I suppose I was going there to pack for the mission. "I didn't expect you to volunteer, especially first"
"Surprise, surprise," I snorted and she gave a faint smile, the first one I had seen in months, I am surprised by this, here I was trying for her to hate me but no, she actually is getting better being around me.
"You seem to be bothered by something? Is everything alright?" She asked me, and I silently cursed Athena and her children and I shrugged, not going to tell her about what is bothering me, no matter how hard she tried. She gathered that I wasn't going to tell her so we lapsed into silence.
We walked up to Athena's cabin but before I could go in, Annabeth grabbed my arm and dragged me to the side, away from our siblings. I gave her a confused look and she clenched her teeth and stared at me as if I was a puzzle, I suppose I was a puzzle, a puzzle that a person never figures out, you know what I mean? Those puzzles that just sits there staring at you, taunting you, mocking you, wanting you to come over and spend hours figuring it out.
"Why? Why, for the past eight years, have you lied about everything you've done, from your brain to your fighting? You're smart, don't give me that look, you're a good fighter, I have seen you fight after curfew, where you sneak out and fight against a dummy or a monster. So why did you do it? All you're doing is making people hate-oh." She gushed and my eyes turned shielded, who does she think she is to go nosing into my business "You want them to hate you, which is why you did it. But why do you want them to hate you?"
"Look, I don't know what you mean by this" I coughed and turned away "Of course I am smart-oh look a king butterfly."
I pointed to a butterfly when it was clearly called a monarch butterfly, Annabeth scowled at me clearly not buying it; she knew that I knew the name of the butterfly. I inwardly groaned, why was she so stubborn?
"Will, stop lying," She hissed and I stared at her and she stared back her grew eyes full of life, and I understood there and then, dealing with me had brought her back, this mission and quest had given her a spark that brought the old self back.
But I didn't know, I had to continue to study her, see if she's back like old times, she stared at me for a few seconds to see if I would say something to her, but when it was clear I wasn't she started to talk.
"We won't judge you, you're our brother, and you're meant to be smart, why make everyone hate you? There's no point in it!" She said exasperated, and with that I pushed past her and into the cabin, I stuffed my clothes into the bag in anger, I didn't do enough, they will figure it out and, no even if they do find out that I am smart, doesn't mean they will like me right?
My hand stayed there with a piece of clothing dangling from it, as if I pieced together a puzzle, and I have, it doesn't matter if they know I am lying, it might make them hate me even more then. Maybe it is for the best that they know maybe?
I sighed and packed up the rest of my clothes before slinging the bag over my shoulder and took one last look at the cabin knowing that this would be the last time I would ever see it, and I can't say I'll be sad by this fact.
We were sitting in the camp's van, and I must admit I have always liked the van, an odd liking I suppose, but I always liked cars, how the engines rumbled and the bumps as it raced down the road. I looked out the window as the other people chatted excitedly, I yawned. This was boring, so boring.
"Hey Will" I heard a voice and I turned to find Piper Mclean talking to me and I grew weary as I remember the first day we met came to mind, I did what I had to do, and that's that.
I was sitting at the piano and was playing a song my father taught me, the only thing I have really of the past that I once had. When I play, it always happens, I allow myself to feel the loneliness and pain I have had for the past seven years I have been at camp. I allowed my fingers to flow over the keys effortlessly as if I wasn't touching the keys but yet its melodic music extended the room. I finished it and breathed out and started to build up the wall around me again.
Suddenly a round of applause sounded around the room and I stiffened and snapped my neck at the source, it was a girl with choppy brown hair and…was that a feather? But she was pretty, a daughter of Aphrodite perhaps?
"You're good!" She said, calling out and I nearly smiled but I quickly hid it, and I thought of how I could insult her, perhaps the feather is cultural?
"Is that a feather in your hair?" I sneered at her and she froze, her mouth hanging open shocked "Because if I were you I would be burning it instantly, its ugly, and sure as hell doesn't help with your looks"
She blinks and scowled at me but before anyone could say another word, Annabeth, of all people, walked in and knew exactly what has just passed between the two of us, and she looked apologetically at Piper.
"Whatever he said, ignore it, he does that to everyone" She said, apologizing for me, Piper nodded and before she could say anything else I turned back to the piano playing a different song, ignoring the two of them. I thought at the end of the song that they might have left but no, they stayed to listen and I glanced at them narrowing my eyes
"What?" I said faking irritation perfectly, Annabeth just rolled her eyes at me and left with Piper hot on her heels and I heard the door close and I slammed the lid of the piano down. I hated myself, I hated me. I don't even know why I am alive.