Runaway Train | p. jackson

Chapter seven; ghost stories and marshmallows

Ghost stories and marshmallows

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Alex glared at everyone who brought up her scar (mainly kids from the Hermes cabin). Peter had done her hair, Daisy planned an outfit for her and Drew had Arun and Phoebe hold her down so she could do her makeup. It was a completely normal family gathering (that was supposed to cheer her up).

Apollo's cabin led the sing-along. They tried to get everybody's spirits up, but it made Alex want to curl up into a ball with soundproof headphones on. They all sat around in a semicircle of stone steps, singing halfheartedly and watching the bonfire blaze while the Apollo guys strummed their guitars and picked their lyres.

Alex didn't know why she liked the campfire so much but each night she'd been at camp she would dutifully sit with her siblings and see how many marshmallows she could eat without throwing up (it was thirteen).

Alex hadn't seen Tyson in a while so when he caught her eye around the fire he bounded over and pulled her into such a tight hug that Alex could hear her bones making a clicking sound.

"Hey, buddy? Could you put me down now?" She grunted feeling very claustrophobic.

"Sorry, Al." Tyson gave her a sheepish smile as he gently put her down.

Percy stood behind Tyson awkwardly unsure what to say to the dark-haired girl. He eventually landed on "It looks cool. The scar I mean... but I'd come up with a different story of how you got it because losing a fight to a bird is just sad."

For a moment there was silence and Percy got ready to apologise when Alex snorted. "Shut up dummy."

"You get my note?" Percy whispered glancing at Jamie who was chatting with one of his brothers.

"The one in all caps for no reason? Yeah, I got." Alex tried to ignore the fact that she could feel herself turning pink at the memory of Jamie holding her hand and his warm breath on her cheek.

"I-erm.. I wanted to tell you about the Golden Fleece, Annabeth and I already went over it but I'd thought I'd catch you up." Percy said awkwardly waiting for Alex to glare at him or call him an ass face but she didn't she just stood there a little impatiently waiting for him to go on.

Alex was trying to turn over a new leaf, she was trying to be less jealous (it wasn't going well so far).

"There were these two kids of Zeus, Cad- something and Europa, right? They were about to get offered up as human sacrifices when they prayed to Zeus to save them. So Zeus sent this magical flying ram with golden wool, which picked them up in Greece and carried them all the way to Colchis in Asia Minor. Well, actually it carried Caddie. Europa fell off and died along the way, apparently, it's not important. When Cad got to Colchis, he sacrificed the golden ram to the gods and hung the Fleece in a tree in the middle of the kingdom. The Fleece brought goodness to the land. Animals stopped getting sick. Plants grew better. Farmers had bumper crops. Plagues never visited. That's why Jason wanted the Fleece. It can revitalize any land where it's placed. It cures sickness, strengthens nature, cleans up pollution-"

"It could fix the border?"

Percy nodded. "But Annabeth said the Fleece has been missing for centuries. Tons of heroes have searched for it with no luck."