Haunted

Dreams

"One of the worst things about knowing the future is knowing there is nothing you can do to stop it. No matter what you do or say events will still unfold, small things might change but the ending stays the same. Unless of course, it's your future... In some way you have control over your destiny, you can choose what path you take. You decide what you will do, but there are only so many outcomes. And eventually, you'll get caught up in it all. You'll forget things. You will be part of this system that you hate so much."

Harper clenched her fists, "No I won't." She said simply.

Her father looked at her tenderly, "I'm sorry, but it's true."

"I will not forget." She said defiantly, "I can do the right thing."

He bit his lip, "I know you will." He said simply. Then she saw bits of events that would happen. She saw a lightning strike the top of halfbood hill, where a girl stood alone against an army of monsters. Monsters that would run into the valley and destroy the camp. The first hellhound jumped at her and as Harper watched, lighting truck and the girl transformed. In her place a tree grew. In a matter of seconds a pine stood, tall and proud, where the girl had just been standing.

Then she saw a dragon, wrapped around a tree with golden apples. The beast seemed content, listening to the melodic voices of the five sisters who plucked fruit from the tree he protected.

Then she saw a blade, one half silver, one half gold.

Then she saw a young man sit up from what appeared to be a coffin and blink, his eyes golden.

She woke up in a cold sweat, breathing hard. Her mind racing.

It was fine. She was safe. Nothing but a dream. Harper rolled over, but she couldn't fall asleep. Her father's words kept bouncing around in her head. His warnings. And those clips, horrible. A tree atop halfbood hill. A gold and silver blade. A golden eyed boy stumbling backwards.

After a while Harper gave up, she stood and made her way out of her cabin. Perhaps Chiron was awake, maybe she could talk to him.

~~~

As soon as she got the the big house, it began to rain.

She sat beside Chiron, on the big house porch, taking in the cool night air.

The old centaur smiled at her warmly, "I'm sorry, but I don't know. I haven't heard of anything like this before."

Harper smiled back, "But what do you think? Can I?"

For a moment Chiron pursed his lips, "If anyone can, it's you, my dear."

"And the golden apples? It could be a quest."

"If it is, you will lead it." He promised.

For a moment she felt shocked, that hadn't been what she was asking. But she wasn't complaining, it felt right, somehow. She looked out into the night, it was pouring now.

"If there is one thing I know about the future, you can't read it. No one can." He said solemnly. "You might have glimpses or intuition, but you just need faith. That will guide you better than anything else."

Harper knew this, of course, but Chiron seemed to be talking to himself at this point and so she let him.

There was a clap of thunder and lightning lit up the night sky. Both centaur and half-blood looked up at the clouds that had gathered quickly. Chiron turned his head, "Did you hear that?"

For a moment she didn't know what he was talking about, all she heard was the rain and thunder, then she heard it. A faint scream in all the noise of the night. Thunder rumbled, lightning lit up the sky and Chiron straightened.

"I'm afraid..." His voice faltered as he watched the lightning. It seemed to only be striking in one area and it seemed to be getting closer.

Harper stood, "Somethings happening. I'll go check it out." Without waiting for a reply she jumped off the porch and ran through the rain. Making her way to the top of half blood hill.