Cold water splashed on my face. It dripped along the curve of my nose and brow, some of it sliding into my eye. I blinked and sat up. Electric blue eyes stared at me. Thalia dropped the canteen before letting go of the bed frame.
"You overslept," she said, and that was all. She left the cabin, leaving me there alone. So much for getting up early. Maybe I would get a chance to sneak away and wash off. I needed to, even if sweat wasn't much of an issue. I sighed. After pulling my belts around my waist and my boots onto my feet, I slipped out of bed. For a moment, I thought about skipping breakfast, then my stomach rumbled and I took off after Thalia. A snack wouldn't hurt. Right?
My feet carried me to the dining pavilion, and yet I didn't join a table. I scanned the area, eyes searching for those looking at the Poseidon table. Clarisse sent over the occasional glance, lips pressed into a firm frown. Nico wasn't as subtle with how he stared. A few other scattered campers all did the same. At least they noticed I was gone.
Really I was hoping they wouldn't.
I shook my hands. Everyone was looking at me, I could feel them watching, questioning, even if they were being cautious about looking at me. My appetite vanished. I turned on my heels and walked away. Should be able to shower now that I think about it. Nobody will be there, they'll all be too busy eating breakfast.
I walked back down the path to the cabins. The campfire burned with gray flames, and a nine year old sat tending to it. Hestia stared into the fire and said nothing as I walked past. I ducked between the cabins and entered into the girls' bathroom. Dents and chips were in the wall, all that remained of what happened between me and Clarisse. I walked into a shower stall and pulled the curtain closed. I turned on the water, hot enough that steam swirled in the air.
"I'm going to get a shower," I mumbled, hoping that would be enough for me to take off the cloak. Thankfully, it seemed to be. The cloak and shirt piled on the ground, water pattering against the cloth. My nails picked at the edges of the tape, and I winced as bandages unravelled. Dried blood stuck to the cotton. Water ran red.
Gentle fingers grazed over the now healed wounds. Jagged scratches, jagged reminders. Things I'd rather have remain unseen.
Washing went fast, as did cleaning my clothes and drying them. The heat remained and left me feeling like I was wrapped in a blanket fresh out of the dryer when I put them back on. I sighed. A bit of water swirled around my hands. How could something so little turn so damning so quickly? Doing this in the open would only lead to bad things for me and my plans. And I knew- I knew there was a good reason for people to not want me to do what I was, that me keeping it secret is so they don't try to interefere, and that it should show me how bad my plan is. But they don't understand. They'll only see what they want and refuse anything I have to say.
I dropped the water and let it gurgle down the drain. Slipping out of the bathrooms, I walked back to the campfire and sat. Hestia said nothing and neither did I. Eventually, warm eyes slipped to me.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Hello, Lady Hestia."
"You recognize me?"
"Should I not?" I grinned under my hood. "You are a goddess, and it would be odd for me not to acknowledge that. I'm the Hunt's guardian for the moment. Your brother was concerned about the dwindling numbers, and thus I was assigned." The formality made me feel weird. It was how I should respond to a goddess, respectful and polite, but it wasn't right. It was stifling.
Hestia hummed, and passed me a plate of food, only sending me a warning look when I didn't eat it. The look only intensified when I tried to protest, saying that I wasn't hungry, that I had eaten. How could a nine year old look so disappointed in me? My shoulders fell; I scraped half of the food into the fire. A sacrifice with no intent behind it, aside from the fact Dad would know I'm doing the bare minimum. While I knew the food was good, because the food Hestia gives out is good, it all tasted the same. Nothing seemed appetizing, and it was a chore to choke the food down.
The plate vanished from my hands, and I thanked Hestia before getting up. Camp was beginning to come to life, kids filtering down from the dining pavilion and going about their mornings. Some went towards the showers, others towards wherever their first class was. Me? I went to the woods.
Who knows, maybe I'd get lucky and a monster would kill me.
That wouldn't be justice.
I grimaced and pushed the thought out of my mind. While it wasn't as bad as it could've been, I didn't wake up screaming for one, I'd rather not have those risks at all. Maybe if I'd fallen out of bed, maybe the pain would've woken me up. Landing on arrows was a possibility, and a welcome one at that. At least then they'd be able to--
A smile spread across my face. I doubted the cloak could stop actions that could be accidental, even if I meant to do it. I mean, if I trip and fall and just happen to land on a sword, what's the cloak going to do? Stop me mid-air? For as many things going on with this stupid piece of cloth, that probably wasn't something it could do. Once in the cover of the trees, I pulled out my sword and wedged it between a couple rocks. Okay, I breathed out, all I have to do is run myself onto it.
I clenched my fists, knuckles white and tendons straining under my skin. This is no different than asking Zeus to do it. No different than facing down my death every time they've held a vote over it.
Leaves shifted under my feet, and I closed my eyes, running at the sword before turning and letting my momentum carry me back. Nothing. No pain, no slide of a blade through flesh. I opened my eyes and looked down, and the sword was sticking through me. What? Why isn't--
I tried to press my finger on the blade's edge, only for my hand to pass through. The fucking sword is enchanted too. I groaned and walked myself off it before sheathing it. Bets are on the dagger being the same. No wonder Dad wanted my other weapons and gave me these ones. This meant I'd need to sneak into the armory. But when would the best time be?
As I made a plan, deciding to grab something bladed because guns were far too noisy, one of the many reasons we don't really use them, I wandered through the woods. But I wasn't even getting into the possibility of me even being able to grab a weapon in the first place. Would the cloak stop me? Is there a line between what is considered harmful to myself? Can I- I needed to stop thinking about it.
Loud panting came from behind me; I turned. Mrs O'Leary stood there, tail wagging. She plopped her butt on the ground and tilted her head. Her tongue lolloed out of her mouth, I laughed and reached up to pet her.
Bad move on my part.
I didn't think about how the cloak blocking out my scent would make her react. To her, I wasn't a demigod. I wasn't anything, except someone being where they shouldn't have been. Or maybe I just smelled like one of her chew toys. A loud growl rumbled out, she bared her teeth, and her hackles raised.
"Easy, girl." I slowly backed up, hands in front of me. When her large body began to shift, I took that as my cue. Darting off through the trees, I didn't care where I ended up. I wanted away from my dog because I wasn't going to hurt her. I broke free from the treeline, heart racing. Pausing for breath, that lasted only a second before I took off again. She can shadow travel. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.
A hand wrapped around my arm, whipping me back, and I stared into the angry eyes of Artemis. "What are you doing?" she growled. "Are you trying to make us seem weak? You're supposed to guard us and yet you are running in terror from a tame hellhound."
"Would you rather have me kill someone's pet?" I wrenched my arm free. Hands in my pockets, I blew out air. Mrs O'Leary easily could've caught me, killed me.
Why didn't I let her do it?
I almost forgot today was the day to publish this
Welp here you go, I will now proceed to leave you with this
portion of a tumblr post I found
So uh...
I'm just gonna go
See yah