Haunted

Lightning Strikes

As she ran through the rain she thought about what she had seen in her dream. Lightning hitting the top of the hill, close to where she was now, turning a girl into a pine.

She ran down the other side of the hill, slipping a little here and there. She heard a roar and she drew her sword.

She first met two kids running through the rain, a boy about her age and a little girl. They had panic in their eyes and they stopped in their tracks when they saw her.

For a moment no one moved, not a sound but the drumming of the rain and the thunder rumbling. Then the girl said something to the boy and the two approached cautiously. "Are-Are you a monster fighter too?" The girl asked.

Harper nodded, "Somethings coming. We need to go. Once you get up at hill you're safe." She pointed to half blood hill.

The boy nodded, "Our friends are back there." He said.

Harper smiled reassuringly, "You worry about getting to safety. Once you get over the hill run to the big blue farm house. Get help. I'll see what I can do for your friends."

The two demigods ran off as she continued on.

~~~

"Grover!" She yelled over the rain, "Go get help! I'll stay with Thalia."

The satar nodded and trotted off.

Then Harper turned to the daughter of Zeus, the girls blue eyes narrowed, "I don't need your help." She said defiantly.

"I know." Harper said, "I'll tell them you said good bye."

For a moment the girl looked surprised, as if she hadn't been expecting Harper to agree with her. Then she straightened, "You don't have to. I'll come back."

Harper only nodded as Thalia raised her shield to the heavens as the hoards of monsters approached. "FOR ZEUS!"

Lightning illuminated the sky and began to strike down monsters. She ran down the hill, then a shout came from behind her and she turned in time to see the girl standing alone against an army of monsters.

Harper knew what was about to happen. 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. A border began to shimmer into existence.

Beside her the boy and girl stood together, he held back a sob and held her back, "THALIA!" He cried, his voice was cracked and broken.

The girls scream pierced the night air, causing lights in cabins to flicker on.

She looked at the two half bloods, then Harper froze. It was him, the boy from her vision. He held the little girl close, murmuring words of comfort. But when he looked up his eyes were a brilliant blue.

~~~

"Grover. I'm sorry."

"What?" He said dejectedly.

"She had to do that."

"You said you would help her!" He bleated.

"It's for the best."

"How can you say that, Harper? Thalia is dead!"

"I'm sorry Grover."

~

The memory faded and she stood before the three masked men once more.

"She let an innocent girl die." The second one said, "For a good cause."

"She was what needed to be done, she did what was right." The first one agreed.

"You took action, Harper. You did the right thing." The last one admitted.