Fallen Daughter: Luke Castellan X OC

3 - I meet kids with a lot of issues

Annabeth leads me through the strawberry field and underneath some archway thing that's made even better by the long shadows of the setting sun, and soon we arrive in a clearing filled with thirteen impressive buildings, each towering high above the trees.

"Right," Annabeth says, clapping her hands. "Here we are. Cabin Eleven. This is Hermes's cabin, where you'll stay until you're claimed, with all the other kids of minor gods or Hermes. He is the god of travelers, after all, so he loves a good crowded space." I nod, staring up at the intimidating entrance, symbolized by a pair of shoes and wings. Huh. I guess whoever's shoes that saved me is probably here. "All your stuff is in there, the sleeping set and packed bag. Well, I'll be in Cabin Six if you need me, " Annabeth says. "With the other kids of Athena." Then she whips out a Yankees cap, places it on her head, and vanishes. I yelp in shock but compose myself, turning back to walk up the steps to the door.

Knocking on the heavy door, it creaks open to reveal a large room, filled with bunk beds and a good number of sleeping bags along the floor. I spot my things immediately, a big backpack and rolled sleeping bag in the back corner. I'm suddenly very aware of how quiet the room has turned, and I look up to see everyone sitting, staring at me. The kids on the bunks have all got the same eyes, but the sleeping bag kids all look different. I raise an eyebrow at them.

"Can we help you?" One of the girls says.

"Annabeth told me I'm staying in here?"

"Sibling or unclaimed?" A guy asks and I snort.

"Unclaimed." There's a collective sigh and I smirk, sarcasm dripping from my voice. "Sorry to inconvenience you." They don't seem to want to say more, so I snort, crossing the room to my stuff. I unroll the simple sleeping bag and pillow, fluffing it out. Leaning back on the wall, I sit down as the cabin resumes it's chatter and I drag the bag into my lap, opening it.

Great. There's a pair of dark leggings, tennis shoes, a rope necklace, an orange shirt with 'Camp Half-blood' printed on it, as well, to my eternal gratitude, a book and black nail polish. I immediately open the nail polish, painting another layer of black on my chipped ones. It dries instantly, and I grin. This will be helpful. Tying the necklace around my neck, I open the book, turning to the first page. When I wake up, the other side of my bed is cold-

The cabin goes oddly loud, ecstatic even, with shouts of greeting echoing, and my eyes flick up to see a group of three guys entering, walking to the sit on the bunks opposite me. I turn back to my book, a solid dismissal, but that doesn't stop me from seeing a pair of legs walk over in my peripheral vision, stopping right in front of me.

"Hey. No dyslexia huh?" My head tilts up, to meet the dark eyes of a boy around eighteen. He's cute, with dark hair and an intelligent face, with a long scar running from underneath his right eye to his jaw. He's wearing an orange Camp tank top and cutoff pants. He's also wearing a necklace like mine, but decorated with five multicolored beads.

"Hi," I say, smirking as I look him up and down. He smiles slightly. "And... no," I say. "No dyslexia. Just ADHD."

"Hmm. I'm Luke," he squats, face now level with mine. My eyes glimmer, admiring his features. How some people are so blessed in the genetic lottery I never know. "I'll be your counselor until you get claimed."

"Elana," I say, and he nods. We shake hands, and I grip his cool hand, feeling the sword calluses under my palm.

"Well 'Lana, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Lana? I raise my eyebrows, but he walks back to his bunk, to where two other guys are looking me up and down. I smirk, and look back down at my book, although I don't actually read the words, instead sit thinking. Maybe it won't be as bad as I thought around here.

---

I'm standing next to a bench in a dark room, shadows creating shapes along the walls. I stare down at the stone tabletop, where a handgun splattered with blood lays. There's a single bullet left.

"Elana?" I look up, and my mom is there, strapped to a chair across the room from me.

"Mom?" I whisper, and take a step towards her only to find I can't move. Shadows are wrapped around my ankles, holding me in place before the bench.

"Pick up the gun," A deep voice whispers through the room, and a pair of hands appear right beside my mom's head. The voice weaves through me, sinking into my heart. I can't tell if it's male or female, young or old. "Pick it up, or she dies." My heart starts to thunder, hands shaking as I grab the gun, clicking it into loaded. "Good. Good. Now kill her."

"What?" The shadows pull me closer to her, until the gun's barrel is pressed against her forehead, the dark metal surrounded by golden curls. My mom's eyes widen, but they're so full of love my heart aches.

"Shoot the gun, or all you love will burn."

"No," I gasp, "No, she's all I love-"

"Fine. If you shall not co-operate, you will be removed." The shadows rip the gun from my hands to send it clattering on the floor, but they keep me standing where I am, only now my hands are bound. The hands, pale and spindly looking, with- are those claws? Yes. The hands fully equipped with claws place their hands on either side of my mom's face, and I don't turn my face away fast enough to loose the image of my mom's neck snapping, her eyes going blank. The crack slashes through the room, echoing again and again. Snap. Snap. SNAP.

"Mom-" I choke, shadows curling around my shoulders and up my arms to rest around my neck.

"Disappointing results," the voice hisses. "Oh well, we shall just have to start over. AGAIN!"

I jerk awake, the shout echoing in my ears even as I blink to see the Hermes cabin, bustling with people again. I blink at the light, eventually clearing my vision to see the room full of bustling people. Gosh, the light streaming in is telling me it must be at least ten. Fucking hell, did I miss breakfast?

I wince, dream barelling into me like a horse. Mom. Cade. They're both- I- No. I shove that into the back of my mind for now. I'm not going to be a sobbing mess on my first day. I refuse. Plus, it'll ruin my eyeliner.

"Lana!" I scowl, making out Luke's figure approaching. "You're up! Great, come on get changed I'll show you around in the daylight." I blink. How on earth does someone have this much energy in the morning? But Luke's eyes are shining and he's grinning in a way that is making ny brain think twice as hard, so I begrudgingly roll over to grab my bag, pulling out the shirt and leggings.

Let's get this over with.