Everything comes to an end
Melanie did not enjoy having her ice cream fall to the ground. But there she was. Standing in front of Annabeth who burst out of laughter. "That's-so-funny." The daughter of Athena said with deep breaths. Melanie frowned. "I'm glad my misery amuses you." She cleaned herself up with a napkin the ice-cream worker handed her.
"I'm sorry, I will get you another one." The worker apologized to her. "Thanks," Melanie mumbled. Not much later they found themselves walking side-by-side through the streets of New York City.
"You know what's interesting?" Melanie asked Annabeth who was looking at a couple of kids running around, playing tag. "What?" She turned her gaze away from the small children. Melanie figured Annabeth never had that childhood. Maybe she longed for it.
"This is called New Amsterdam."
Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Yes, I know." Melanie's smile faded a little bit. "Right, I'm so dumb. You already know that, you're a Athena child after all." She apologised.
Suddenly, the blonde's face softened. "I didn't mean that in the same way. What else do you know?" Melanie bit her lip. "That I want to travel the world?"
Annabeth smiled. "Yeah, wouldn't it be amazing to see all the different buildings and styles?" Melanie nodded. They walked past a hotdog stand. She felt eyes prick in the back of her neck. She looked behind her, but there were just New Yorkers walking on the streets.
Melanie doubted it.
No monster.
"You feel it?" Annabeth muttered. "Yeah." They started walking fast. The feeling started to get closer. Without warning she was yanked into a dark alley. Melanie yelped as she rolled against the wall. Annabeth fell onto her.
Her eyes searched for the attacker. She pushed Annabeth off her and walked with her back turned to the alley backwards. Her boomerang glinted in the sunlight bronze. Annabeth stood next to her with a dagger out.
Their ice cream was down on the ground, but long forgotten.
"I can't even enjoy an ice cream." She mumbled. Annabeth grinned at her. "Welcome to my life."
There were three men with big coats standing in front of them. But they looked fragile. In their hands they had bone swords and one had a shield. Melanie scanned over the figures. They were skeletons.
She froze. The one on the left was a thirty-five year old serial killer who killed thirteen people in four years. The middle one was a former police officer caught blackmailing and scamming innocent people. The one on the right was guilty of bombing a mental health hospital.
Why were dangerous criminals standing in front of them? Why were they skeletons? And why the fuck did Melanie almost see them with flesh on their bones?
The skeletons didn't speak, but their heads tilted and their jaws moved. No sound came out of them. The middle one raised its sword and charged. Melanie threw her boomerang, without hope.
Her attempt failed miserably. The boomerang flew above the skeletons, and Melanie dove under the sword to roll away. Annabeth tried to get closer to the on with the shield. Her actions were completely out of her control. Her weapon was nonexistent. Two skeletons tried to kill Annabeth, while one charged towards Melanie.
Annabeth stabbed the bone from the skeleton with her dagger while Melanie watched. However, he laughed and shoved Annabeth to the ground. She locked her gaze on the skeleton behind Annabeth, who brought his sword back and attacked the demigod from behind.
"Behind you!" Melanie yelled. Annabeth rolled to the side while Melanie kicked her skeleton in what she believed were his nuts. The skeleton rattled. She spotted her boomerang coming back to her in the corner of her eyes.
She slowly backed up. It came down like a bird and decapitated the skeleton who attacked her. His head fell down at her feet. So she could throw....
Melanie turned around to see Annabeth hanging on one of the skeletons' necks from behind while the other was jabbing at both of them. It looked funny, she had to admit.
Using all her might, she retrieved the boomerang from the bone with all her strength. Why was it stuck there? It made a weird crunching sound, but Melanie ran towards the skeletons around Annabeth.
Annabeth had her hand wrapped around the bone holding his neck. She snapped it in half. Melanie stood there in awe. How was she that strong? The head rolled off and Annabeth fell down.
She rolled back and stood next to Melanie, both watching the last skeleton standing.
"Wow." Melanie breathed out.
The skeleton titled his head. Melanie recognized him as the bomber. His jaw clicked and a voice came out this time. "A warning, darling." Melanie stumbled a bit as her father's voice came out of it.
Annabeth scowled at the skeleton. Did she hear it?
"Be careful about who you hang out with. Your mother can be a bad influence. She probably told you about her wrongdoings. The murder and the burden she let others live with." Melanie could almost see those green eyes in the bomber's sockets.
"It's just so wrong," he mumbled. Melanie knew he was right. How could she forgive her mother? "Leave her alone." Annabeth hissed, grabbing her dagger tighter in her hand.
The skeleton laughed loudly. It was a weird cackling of bones sound. "Annabeth Chase. Your fate is so fascinating." Annabeth's face slumped. "Go!" She said with a steady voice. "One more summer and two more winters, time's ticking." A wind rushed behind Melanie. "Tick, tack." He mumbled. Annabeth shuddered. "See this as a warning not to lose track of who you are."
"But you said three summers." Melanie countered. A bone quiving clap was heard from the skeleton's hands as he clapped. "A fantastic memory, but I'm getting impatient." Melanie swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Don't be afraid of the voice, Melanie." He mumbled. The skeleton vanished into the shadows and the cold wind disappeared.
Annabeth held onto her hand and together they ran back to the camp. They never looked back.
~~
The two of them ran past the trees, and Annabeth said, "Your father is something special." she said through heavy breaths. She hopped over a tree root and said, "Yeah, my family is pretty messed up.".
"What do you mean?" Melanie saw the entrance to Camp Half-blood in her vision. "Apparently my mother witnessed a murder and broke the oath she made to my father. In spite of Ava's family's efforts, Helene's mother was charged with the murder." Annabeth stopped running.
"Why are you stopping? They might return!"
With a strange stare, Annabeth replied, "That's some serious shit you're saying right now.".
"Yeah, I know but I don't want to die right now, so let's keep going." She gently nudged Annabeth who remained motionless. "Your father made Helene her life miserable. Not to mention the Lee's."
"Yeah, well I can't do anything about that." Melanie said while looking over her shoulder. "We should tell Chiron." Annabeth insisted. Melanie rolled her eyes. "Fine, but let's go to camp now. "
~~
Melanie stepped onto the veranda with Annabeth by her side. Mr. D and Chiron watched some volleyball game the Apollo cabin played against the Ares campers. It looked pretty messy. She spotted some other campers with banners cheering on their favourite team.'
"Melanie, Annabeth. What a surprise. Did you enjoy the ice cream?" Chiron smiled at the two girls. Annabeth shook her head. His smile wavered. "What happened?"
"Some skeletons attacked us in the name of Melanie her father." She said, sitting down in the chair next to Chiron. Melanie hesitantly sat down next to Mr.D who scoffed. "Weird man." He sipped his diet coke in thought.
"Skeletons?"
"Yeah, three convicted serial killers/criminals." Melanie spoke. Annabeth looked up. "You know them?"
The green-eyed girl gave her a look. "No, I don't know them. But I could recognize them, since I could see their flesh and bones from time to time." The gears in the daughter of Athena's brain were working overtime. Melanie noted that the blonde's eyebrows were scrunched up. Her teeth bit the pinkish lip while her leg bounced up and down. She had to resist the urge to push the leg down to try to calm the girl down.
"Chiron-." She started. But the man held his hand up. "Silence, Annabeth. We shall not speak of him in this place." Melanie was confused. "Want to go outside the borders to speak about it?" Melanie said back. Mr.D hid his smile while taking another sip.
"No, Melanie. This matter will come to you in time." Chiron spoke.
Why did the centaur never give a clear answer. "This 'matter', seems pretty important." She said. Annabeth gave her a warning look. Chiron sighed. "He will claim you one day." They knew who her father was. "Fine." She mumbled. Melanie stood up and nodded at Mr.D while storming off the stairs towards the Athena Cabin.
If they weren't going to give her answers. She would find them herself. Her ears perked up at the sound of someone scrambling out of the chair but she continued her way.
"Melanie." Annabeth hissed, catching up with her. "What are you doing?" The girl grabbed Melanie her wrist. She didn't care if she would be dragging that girl with her. She was going to find the answers. "Asking about my father to someone who is willing to help me.'
The blonde her grey eyes widened. "I'm willing to help!" She protested. Melanie laughed without irony. "Sure, tell me then." They were standing in front of the cabin. Nose to nose. Melanie towering over the girl who had a storm brewing in her eyes.
"I-I can't." Annabeth whispered. Melanie rolled her eyes, disappointed. "That's not true. You don't want to." She leaned closer. Annabeth gulped and stepped back a little. "No, I can't. Melanie." The girl tried to steady her voice. But Melanie could see right trough it. The blonde was wavering.
"Then I will ask someone else."
Annabeth shook her head, a heavy breath left the girl. "Why do you want to know the monster he is to you so badly?"
Why did she? It was an easy answer.
Her lip trembled at the thought. "Because I want to know the monster I'm slowly turning into, sunshine. It's only a matter of time as everyone says." She whispered. Annabeth her eyes looked up at her. "That's not true-." Her voice faded away as Melanie stepped closer to whisper in her ear. "Don't say that you didn't think for a second I was mental."
With those words she left the shaken girl at the front of the Athena cabin. Melanie made her way inside the big doors.
Campers looked up. "What are you doing here?" Someone said who sat in the shadows of tall books piling in the desk. Melanie stepped towards the figure.
The girl was almost identical to Annabeth. Well, most Athena kids were. Alice stood up. "You do know this is off limits for non-Athena campers right?" She glanced at a few other campers who looked at her from their spots.
"Of course, but I had a question. I wonder if you might be willing to help me with it." The blonde sighed. "Don't you go to Annabeth usually?"
"Yes, but she didn't want to help me."
"And I got good reasons for it." Annabeth spoke from behind them. Melanie flinched. "What are the reasons?" She turned around to the girl. "First, why would you want to know? Second, I made an oath to Chiron that I wouldn't tell you until you know who he is. Third, he's not like the other gods."
Alice loudly dropped a book. "We're talking about Melanie's dad here?" She quickly picked the heavy thing up and placed it on the stack. "Yes."
"Yeah, I want your help." Melanie said.
"It's not wise to seek for answers when it's not the time." Annabeth protested as Alice was considering the option.
"Good thing I'm not wise. What do they call you again?" She smirked at the girl. "Wise girl?" She whispered. Annabeth her eyes flashed in anger for a second. "Don't call me that." She hissed trough her clenched teeth.
Alice watched the interaction like a tennis match.
"Why? You have no problem with Percy calling you that."
Annabeth was stunned by the sudden mention of the son of Poseidon. Melanie looked at Alice. "Will you help?"
The blonde looked at Annabeth her furious eyes and back to the daring look of Melanie. "Fine." She mumbled and followed Melanie outside the cabin. Her head hung low as she passed the flabbergasted fellow cabin mate.
"You won't hear me talking to you!" Annabeth yelled after them.
They didn't find anything. Alice had questioned Melanie her dreams and conversations with her dad. But the daughter of Athena couldn't find any connection with the major gods and a few minor ones.
"Hermes is not it, I think."
Melanie sighed at the words. She fell back in the grass and looked up to the stars. "why doesn't he claim me?" Alice lay down next to her. "For dramatic purposes, I suppose." The green-eyes girl laughed. "I wouldn't be surprised if he brings a couple of skeletons that will carry me to a big fire where he is floating in."
Alice scoffed. "That would be so awkward. The sound of bones is not really a pleasant one."
It was silence for a while. "Look that light is Jupiter." Alice pointed to a small white bulb in the sky. Melanie squinted her eyes. "Which one?" she raised her hand. "That one?"
Alice shook her head. "No, more to the right. Next to the brighter one. " Melanie moved her hand a little to the right. "No more." Alice mumbled.
Melanie tilted her arm more.
"No, to far." Alice gently held Melanie her hand. She tensed for a moment but relaxed at the girl slowly made her point towards a less bright light. "There." She mumbled. Melanie squinted her eyes again. "Weird how that's so far." Alice laughed. "Life is weird sometimes."
"Hey, I'm sorry for overreacting before. But it's like super late now." A voice appeared from behind them
"The Nymphs will be out on border patrol and I wondered if you were up for a c-.". The voice stopped at the sight.
Alice let go of her hand and Melanie let her arm drop. She rolled on her belly and looked at the newcomer. Annabeth her hair hung loosely over her shoulders.
A few of her blonde locks were tied in a tiny clip at the bag of her head. The blonde curls under it. Melanie noted that Annabeth was wearing normal clothes. It was surprising since they were still in the camp.
Melanie couldn't see Annabeth's face well but she had stopped moving.
"Oh-, I will leave you two alone." Melanie heard her whisper, barely audible. Alice next to her scrambled up. "No, no. I was just going. You two do whatever you came here for." Melanie wanted to protest. But Alice brushed past Annabeth and whispered something.
Melanie didn't hear it properly, but it sounded like. "Goodnight, it's no-. – Friend. Back at -me." A smile appeared on her former quest member. "Goodnight, Alice." Annabeth gently nudged the girl away.
Her eyes followed the retreating figure. Melanie stood up and brushed the grass of her pants. "Right, I will get going to." She moved towards the waiting girl. But instead of stopping she walked right past the blonde. "Wait! Let's talk." Annabeth grabbed her wrist.
Melanie slowly turned around and pretend to look for someone. "Oh, that's weird. I don't hear anyone."
A flash of disappointed was written on Annabeth her face. "Please, sit with me?" The girl asked. The tone of her voice made Melanie look down at her. "No."
Annabeth bit her lip, looking at her feet. It glistened in the moonlight and Melanie wondered if the girl had taken the Aphrodite cabin members their advice by applying lip-gloss.
"I- want to explain why I made the oath."
Melanie sighed. Her finger tilted the thoughtful girl's chin up. "I don't care about your stupid oath, sunshine. I'm glad you're not breaking it." Annabeth her eyes studied her face. "It's the way you are trying to stop me from finding my parentage out without you."
Annabeth moved out of her grip. "It's just kind of weird to see you doing something without me, after the quest." Melanie smiled. "I lived thirteen years without your help. I think I'll manage." She teasingly whispered, making the blonde's cheeks turn red in the grey moonlight.
"I know and I'm sorry." She whispered. Melanie noticed the way Annabeth's eyes turned a little brighter in the moonlight. Tiny flecks of white surrounded by that intense grey colour. It was like a brewing storm, waiting to be unleashed.
"great, let's get back to the cabins." Melanie said as she snapped out of her trance. Annabeth nodded and followed her. She was dropped off at the Hermes cabin, and she watched the honey locks disappear in the darkness of the night.
~~
On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Being Hephaestus's kids, they weren't going to settle for a few lame red-white-and-blue explosions. They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles. According to Annabeth, who'd seen the show before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of hundred-foot-tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colors.
It was pretty awesome.
As Annabeth, Percy and Melanie were spreading a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell them good-bye. He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and sneakers, but in the last few weeks he'd started to look older, almost high-school age. His goatee had gotten thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as human.
"I'm off," he said. "I just came to say ... well, you know."
Bye.
Melanie noticed the look of distraught on Percy's face.
Melanie managed a smile and shook Grover's hand. "Take care." She whispered. "Yeah, you behave well on your new school."
Annabeth gave him a hug. She told him to keep his fake feet on.
"Where are you going first?" Percy asked.
"Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan ..."
"We understand," Annabeth said. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"
"Yeah."
"And you remembered your reed pipes?"
"Jeez, Annabeth," he grumbled. "You're like an old mama goat."
But he didn't really sound annoyed.
He gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway—nothing like the little runty boy Melanie and Percy used to defend from bullies at Yancy Academy.
"Well," he said, "wish me luck." He gave Annabeth another hug. He clapped Percy on the shoulder, nodded at Melanie, then headed back through the dunes.
Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware.
"Hey, Grover," Percy called.
He turned at the edge of the woods.
"Wherever you're going—I hope they make good enchiladas."
Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him.
"We'll see him again," Annabeth said.
Melanie hoped it. But the changes were small. The fact that no searcher had ever come back in two thousand years was not for nothing.
July passed.
Melanie and Alice continued to look in books for someone that matched her father's description. They even opted for orcs. Which Melanie found very offensive. But according to Alice, every option was a valid one.
They had won capture the flag multiple times and Tim had been drilling her more and more. According to Justin she was getting pretty decent at sword fighting for demigod standards. Ava was delighted to hear that news, and actually was planning boomerang lessons again.
Helene and Beau had been at each other's throats almost every lesson while Haru watched them.
Vincent had actually teamed up with Travis and Connor to prank her. It ended with Melanie going to Lee Fletcher with a broken arm. She had heard from Annabeth that Matthew and Sia got back at them at the sword fighting lessons.
Nobody spoke of what happened there.
The last night of the summer session came all too quickly. The campers had one last meal together. They burned part of their dinner for the gods., Melanie thought about Hestia for a moment At the bonfire, the senior counsellors awarded the end-of-summer beads.
Tim handed her a leather necklace with her first bead. She looked at it. The design was pitch black, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the centre. It was the claiming of Percy.
"The choice was unanimous," Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first Son of the Sea God at this camp, and the quest he undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!"
The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares's cabin felt obliged to stand. Athena's cabin steered Annabeth to the front so she could share in the applause.
Justin banged his glass on the table and the Stoll brother's held revealed a banner with the words; 'Hup hup! Demigods yup!"
Which made absolutely no sense to Melanie.
But she felt good.
* * *
The next morning, Justin and Tim said goodbye to her. They had to go to Justin's mother and pick some stuff up before going to the boarding school. She had spotted Percy going to the arena, probably thinking about staying. Luke welcomed him.
It felt weird to be separated from him. They had been one since she had cornered him on the playground, demanding to share his blue cookie with him. He had agreed, if only she would push him on the swing.
It was a start of a beautiful friendship that would last forever.
Melanie looked at her packed suitcase. It was all ready. New beginnings, new changes and new adventures.
She watched Argus helping the Aphrodite kids haul their Gucci suitcases over the hill. She would miss their constant nagging in trying to make Melanie change her hair.
Melanie would never admit that she would miss Beau his voice in the morning, commenting how plane her outfit was.
A breeze made her shiver."Bye." A icy voice said from behind her. Melanie tensed but turned around. She would never get used to Vincent his aura or voice. "Bye, Vincent. Hope you will find someone else to prank."He grinned at her, his blue eyes twinkling.
"Oh, in France it's easy to foul tourists." He winked at her. Melanie rolled her eyes. "whatever." She smiled. "Have a save flight. See you next year?"
He thought about it for a moment. His lip twisted slightly. "Yeah, next year. "He disappeared towards the shuttle bus.
Melanie smiled as she waved Silena off who looked at Charlie one last time. Her eyes darted to the arena where she was hoping to spot Percy. But he was nowhere in sight. Quickly she ran towards the Poseidon cabin passed the Hermes cabin. No Percy, no Luke. She was breathing heavily when she reached the Athena cabin.
She barged in and a startled Annabeth looked up. "Wha-? Melina? Weren't you saying bye to Tim and Justin?" Melinoe grabbed Annabeth her arm and pulled her off her bed. The girl stumbled but followed her.
"Percy is not in the Arena anymore. And Luke is also not anywhere."
She never trusted that guy. He gave her an uneasy feeling whenever he looked or talked to her.
"Look!" Annabeth turned them towards the edge of the woods. Two Nymphs were waving their arms, calling for help.
"Chiron!" Annabeth yelled. The centaur looked up from the veranda. Melanie and Annabeth ran towards the woods. Two Nymphs dragged a lifeless body of Percy Jackson. His lips were turning blue, his eyes closed.
"Percy!" Melanie scrambled next to his body and helped the Nymphs. Chiron blew on his conch horn. "By the gods." The man mumbled.
Percy Jackson had been poisoned by Luke Castellan.
He was the person that would betray them in the end.
~~~
Melanie and Annabeth watched Percy sipping the nectar. The dark-haired girl gently dapped a washcloth on his forehead, while the blonde was holding the glass.
"Here we are again." He mumbled towards Annabeth.
The daughter of Athena gave Melanie a look.
Can you believe this guy?
"You idiot." Annabeth mumbled. Melanie could spot the thick voice filled with worry and love.
"You were green and turning gray when we found you. If it weren't for Chiron's healing ..."
"Now, now," Chiron's voice said. "Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit."
He was sitting near the foot of Percy's bed in human form. His lower half was magically compacted into the wheelchair, his upper half dressed in a coat and tie. He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale, the way it did when he'd been up all night grading Latin papers.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved."
"Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom. Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened."
Between sips of nectar, Percy told them the story.
Luke had stolen the lighting bolt and was caught by Ares. He and Kronos made the god of war help them. The war had started. Luke was on the other side.
The room was quiet for a long time.
"I can't believe that Luke ..." Annabeth's voice faltered. Her expression turned angry and sad. Melanie hesitated but placed a hand on the blondes knee. Trying to comfort her.
Annabeth smiled at her and sniffled.
"Yes. Yes, I can believe it. May the gods curse him.... He was never the same after his quest." "This must be reported to Olympus," Chiron murmured. "I will go at once."
"Luke is out there right now," Percy said. "I have to go after him."
Chiron shook his head. "No, Percy. The gods—"
"Won't even talk about Kronos," Percy snapped. "Zeus declared the matter closed!"
"Percy, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready."
"Chiron ... your prophecy from the Oracle ... it was about Kronos, wasn't it? Was I in it? And Annabeth?"
Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Percy, it isn't my place—"
"You've been ordered not to talk to me about it, haven't you?"
His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. "You will be a great hero, child. I will do my best to prepare you. But if I'm right about the path ahead of you ..." Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows.
"All right!" Chiron shouted. "Fine!"
Melanie flinched. He sighed in frustration. "The gods have their reasons, Percy. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing."
"We can't just sit back and do nothing," Percy said.
"We will not sit back," Chiron promised. "But you must be careful. Kronos wants you to come unravelled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come."
"Assuming I live that long."
Chiron put his hand on Percy's ankle. "You'll have to trust me, Percy. You will live. But first you must decide your path for the coming year. I cannot tell you the right choice...."
Melanie raised her eyebrows. She was sure Chiron had an opinion.
"But you must decide whether to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, or return to the mortal world for seventh grade and be a summer camper. Think on that. When I get back from Olympus, you must tell me your decision."
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Chiron promised. "Argus will watch over you." He glanced at Annabeth. "Oh, and, my dear ... whenever you're ready, they're here."
"Who's here?" Percy asked.
Melanie looked up at the blonde. She had told her that she would try and go to her father in San Fransisco.
Nobody answered.
Chiron rolled himself out of the room. She heard the wheels of his chair clunk carefully down the front steps, two at a time.
Annabeth studied the ice in Percy's drink.
"What's wrong?" He asked her.
"Nothing." She set the glass on the table. "I ... just took your advice about something. You ... um ... need anything?"
"Yeah. Help me up. I want to go outside."
Melanie smiled at her best friend.
"Percy, that isn't a good idea." Melanie gently pushed him down but he slid his legs out of bed. Annabeth caught him before he could crumple to the floor.
Annabeth said, "I told you ..."
"I'm fine," He insisted. I didn't want to lie in bed like an invalid while Luke was out there planning to destroy the Western world.
Melanie let Percy lean on her as he slowly took small steps forward. Argus followed them outside, but he kept his distance.
By the time they reached the porch, Percy's face was beaded with sweat. But he had managed to make it all the way to the railing. It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake. Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun.
"What are you going to do?" Annabeth asked Percy.
"I don't know."
Percy told them that he got the feeling that Chiron wanted him to stay year-round, to put in more individual training time, but he wasn't sure that's what he wanted. He admitted he'd feel bad about leaving her alone, though, with only Clarisse for company....
Annabeth pursed her lips, then said quietly, "I'm going home for the year, Percy."
He stared at her. "You mean, to your dad's?"
She pointed toward the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Next to Thalia's pine tree, at the very edge of the camp's magical boundaries, a family stood silhouetted—two little children, a woman, and a tall man with blond hair. They seemed to be waiting. The man was holding a backpack that looked like the one Annabeth had gotten from Waterland in Denver.
"I wrote him a letter when we got back," Annabeth said. "Just like you suggested. I told him ... I was sorry. I'd come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided ... we'd give it another try."
"That took guts."
She pursed her lips. "You won't try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least... not without sending me an Iris-message?"
Percy managed a smile. "I won't go looking for trouble. I usually don't have to."
"When I get back next summer," she said, "we'll hunt down Luke. We'll ask for a quest, but if we don't get approval, we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?"
"Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena."
She held out her hand. Percy shook it.
"Take care, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth told me. "Keep your eyes open."
"You too, Wise Girl."
Annabeth turned to look at Melanie. "Please look out for Tim for me, okay?" Melanie nodded at the girl. "No worries. We'll be fine."
She held her hand out and Annabeth shook it.
"See you next summer, sunshine." Melanie smiled at the daughter of Athena who looked at the girl one last time. "Of course, Melina."
The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes but waved her off.
They watched her walk up the hill and join her family. She gave her father an awkward hug and looked back at the valley one last time. She touched Thalia's pine tree, then allowed herself to be lead over the crest and into the mortal world.
"I'll be back next summer," Percy promised mumbled towards the creel. "I'll survive until then. After all, I am your son."
Melanie bit her lip and followed Percy and Argus towards cabin three.
"We'll write every week, okay?" She mumbled as they sat down on his bed. "Of course, I got to keep you posted on the trouble I'm in."
She gasoed. "You wouldn't dare without me."
He smiled at her. "Watch me."
She helped him packing his stuff. They were moving forward.
A new year was waiting for them. New people, new friends new dreams. And for Melanie... new voices. A savoir was preparing to catch her if she fell.
Oh, how much would she change when two voices were trying to lure her in. Will she crumble under the pressure or fight back?
So much questions but so little time to find the answers.
Like her father had said; time was ticking.
Choices needed to be made. Melanie watched Percy folding his orange camp t-shirt. Would she suffer for him? It was something she hadn't made up her mind for. It was her life after all. Her father was right. Some people don't deserve to live. But Percy did. She was conflicted by her own feelings.
After all. Even those small Broke Promises hurt. Percy had been responsible for quite a lot of pain over the years. But now her father made her feel pain whenever she talked or thought about him.
He was her weakness.
Percy Jackson would be her downfall. He made her feel like she wasn't doing her duty as a child of her father.
Luke Castellan would take everything she loved away from her.
But for now......
Melanie Mavros was saying goodbye to her new summer camp.
~~
Where she says goodbye,
Can't believe we've come to an end.
Act two is in the making and will start as soon as possible. In the mean time, stay safe and happy.
Because Act two is very different.
See you :)
Edited? 🔴