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Amityville
Year: 2003
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"Mass murderer?" Rin's forehead wrinkled in confusion.
"Yeah, you know..."
"I...actually don't?"
"The Amityville Horror?" Samarah raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Crazy guy shoots and kills his entire family. They did a whole bunch of movies on it."
"I don't think I've heard of it."
Samarah sighed in exasperation, giving her a look.
"You need to get out more."
Rin rolled her eyes, "It's not like I get to catch up on all the latest movies in Camp, Sam."
"Yeah, that's why you need to get out more."
Luke remained a silent spectator of their exchange, his eyes tracking over Rin carefully. His gaze was slow and deliberate, and she resisted the urge to squirm under the scrutiny.
"You okay?" she asked, lips twisting into what she hoped was a reassuring smile, despite the throbbing ache that was rapidly spreading through her left arm, rendering it almost numb. She was grateful for the lack of light under their canopy of trees that obscured the extent of her injuries from view.
"Me? You're seriously asking me if I'm okay?" Luke's response was tense, his teeth almost grinding. "Are you—"
"I'm fine," Rin interrupted hastily.
Luke frowned, his fists clenching. The oracle's words echoed in his mind, the haunting green smoking swirling in the recesses of his mind with ominous foreshadowing. He studied her once again, not missing the way she leaned against Samarah for support, the older girl's arm wrapped around her shoulders. He knew she wasn't being entirely truthful and he resisted the urge to reach out and check her for injuries himself.
"Yeah, yeah, so glad you two made up," Samarah muttered, her words rushed, her eyes darting around the scene. "And we're all fine, now we really should get out of here before anyone starts asking questions."
Luke nodded in agreement.
Samarah didn't wait for further discussion. She cautiously eyed the throng of people still gathered around the smoking remains of the bus, their faces etched with shock and confusion. Some of them turned toward the demigod trio, their eyes curious, and she didn't think they lingered just to exchange pleasantries.
With determined steps, she led the way, her pace brisk, through the dense forest. The ground beneath their feet was uneven, and they stumbled occasionally, but the urgency of their situation propelled them forward.
The darkness enveloped them like a heavy cloak, broken only by the pale moonlight streaming through the trees overhead. Shadows danced around them, and soon their footsteps were the only sound as they left the road and the scene of the wreck behind them. Each snap of a twig was an alarm bell, and the rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze sounded like whispers as if the forest itself was alive and watching them.
Luke cast a wary glance around, his senses on high alert, "What do you think they'll make of it, you know with the Mist and all?"
Samarah shook her head, though doubt flickered in her eyes, "I don't know. But we can't risk it. We have to keep moving."
They trudged on, their nerves taut with tension, their hearts pounding in their chests. The forest seemed to stretch on endlessly, the trees closing in around them like silent sentinels.
As Luke's keen eyes swept over their surroundings, he couldn't help but notice Rin's pace slowing, her steps faltering as she lagged behind. Concern etched his features as he slowed his own pace, falling back to match her stride. His gaze softened as he observed her, noting the exhaustion that weighed heavily on her slender frame.
"Hey," he murmured softly, his voice a gentle reassurance in the stillness of the night. "You okay?"
Rin glanced up at him, her eyes reflecting a mixture of weariness and lingering resentment. She opened her mouth to reply, but no words came forth. Instead, she simply nodded and continued to walk. It was a strange thing. She'd risk her life for him, but she refused to speak to him. His words still echoed in her head.
Nobody kid of a nobody god. A burden. A nuisance.
If she told him about the injury, she'd only be proving him right, and she refused to give him the satisfaction. She was not weak. She would prove herself useful.
Briefly, she wished she had paid more attention to Chiron's ramblings about Ancient Greek myths and monsters. Manticore poison wasn't supposed to be fatal, was it? She hoped it wasn't. Ethan would never forgive her if she didn't make it back.
"Rin—"
"Shut up!" she snapped, speeding up after Samarah, with every intention of avoiding him.
Without a word, Luke chased after them. When he caught up, he shrugged off his own jacket and draped it around Rin's shoulders. She blinked in surprise, her lips parting in confusion as the warmth enveloped her trembling form.
She moved to push him away but he shook his head, and Rin suppressed a wince as he pressed the fabric against her injury.
"I know you're still mad at me," he said softly, his voice tinged with regret. "But you lost yours and it's cold out here. You shouldn't suffer because of it."
Despite herself, Rin's eyes softened, a hint of warmth flickering within their depths. It was difficult to remain angry with him, but she persisted. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat when he reached to take the tattered backpack that was slung over her shoulder, its straps digging into her shoulder painfully. His fingers brushed against hers as he gently freed her from its burden, and her heart stuttered in her chest.
"You don't have to..."
"I want to," Luke smiled, a fleeting expression that softened the lines of his face.
He would be lying if he said he wasn't curious about the contents of her backpack. Whatever it was, it must mattered enough to her for her to risk her life all over again, but he knew better than to press the topic now, not when they had more pressing concerns to address.
As they trudged through the dense forest, the weight of exhaustion settled upon them like a heavy mantle. Each step felt like a struggle against the unforgiving terrain, their shoes sinking into the muddy ground with every footfall. The trees above swayed ominously in the wind, their leaves rustling with an eerie whisper.
And then, without warning, the sky above opened, raindrops cascading down from above in a relentless torrent. At first, it was just a few solitary droplets, each one striking the forest floor with a soft pitter-patter, but soon, the rain intensified, falling in sheets that obscured their vision and soaked them to the bone.
Rin shivered as the cold rain seeped through Luke's jacket, plastering it against her skin. Almost unconsciously, she pulled the fabric tighter around her shoulders, seeking solace in its warmth. Guilt pricked at her conscience as she glanced at the brunette boy, his t-shirt now clinging to his form, the rain flattening his hair against his forehead.
But when he caught her gaze, she looked away quickly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment to have been caught staring, entirely missing the crooked smirk that tugged at his lips.
As they continued through the forest, the rain showed no signs of abating, each droplet adding to the growing muck that squelched under their feet. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth, a heady mixture of dampness and decay that filled their lungs with each breath.
"Are you sure we're even going the right way," Luke called out after Samarah.
The dark-haired girl turned back to give him a cursory glare, "Doing my best here Castellan!"
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they emerged from the dense thicket onto the slightly more solid ground of a side road. It was a relief to feel the pavement beneath their feet, even if it was slick with rainwater.
They followed the path downhill, their weary bodies yearning for shelter and respite from the storm. And then, like a beacon in the darkness, they spotted it—a small, isolated plaza nestled amidst the trees.
At the center of the plaza stood a solitary diner, its neon sign flickering weakly in the rain. The name was barely decipherable, the letters cracked and missing pieces from years of exposure to the elements. Next to it stood a seedy-looking motel, its weathered sign peeling and cracked.
"Oh yeah, and this is totally not where people get murdered," Samarah scoffed, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she appraised the scene.
Rin couldn't help but chuckle despite the grim circumstances, the sound a welcome relief amidst the tension as they all huddled together.
"Well, it's either be killed by someone in there or the elements out here. Don't know about you Sam, but I'm not too keen on having pneumonia be the thing that takes me out."
"Oh, I know exactly what you hope takes you out," Samarah grinned at her mischievously, "or should I say whom."
Rin scowled at her and the older girl stuck out her tongue.
"Well, I say we go in. Besides, I'm starving," Luke interrupted, not entirely understanding their banter, but eager to put an end to it.
Samarah reluctantly nodded, "Alright, but I swear Chiron needs to include a healthy diet of horror movies into our curriculum. You two have like zero self-preservation skills."
"I assure you, the monsters we hear about are terrifying enough," Luke laughed, the casual conversation easing some of the tension that had settled over them due to the previous sequence of events.
"Can a monster possess you and make you lose control of your own limbs? Make you do terrible things in its name? Make you kill everyone you love?"
Rin made a face, "Gee, thanks for such an enlightening conversation, Sam, though I think I could do without it right now."
"You need to watch The Exorcist."
"Definitely not, that sounds terrible! What I need is a nap."
Luke turned somber though, almost thoughtful.
"Maybe there are monsters who can do that too," was all he said.
"Alright, weirdo," Samarah rolled her eyes. "Let's go in then."
As they stepped into the diner, the shabby interior greeted them with a sense of weary familiarity. The air was heavy with the scent of grease and old coffee, mingling with the damp aroma of rain-soaked clothing. The dim lighting cast long shadows across the room, the few solitary bulbs hanging from the ceiling flickering weakly as if struggling to hold onto their last bit of life.
The booths and seats were worn and faded, the leather cracked and peeling from years of use. Each table bore the scars of countless meals, the laminate surface marred by scratches and stains that refused to fade. The counter, where a single elderly woman slumbered loudly, her brightly striped apron askew, seemed to sag under the weight of neglect.
Somewhere in the kitchen behind her, someone clattered about noisily, the sound of pots and pans echoing through the empty space. It was a scene straight out of a forgotten era, a relic of a time long past, preserved in all its decrepit glory.
The trio settled themselves into the booth farthest away from the counter, the leather seats sticking to their rain-slicked skin as they sank down with weary sighs. Samarah kicked up her feet on the seat next to her while Rin and Luke squeezed in next to each other on the opposite side, Rin's backpack wedged between them.
"So," Samarah began, "I'm assuming we're flat-out broke?"
Luke shrugged, his eyes trying to the only thing he managed to rescue from the wreckage they had left behind—his sword.
Then Rin smiled, a glimmer of hope shining in her eyes as she reached into the front pocket of her backpack and drew out a handful of soggy, crumpled bills.
"We might not be rich, but we've got enough to get us through the night."
Luke's eyes widened in surprise as he watched her flatten out the bills in an attempt to make them look more presentable.
"How did you—"
Rin shrugged, "Now aren't you glad I went back for it."
"Not if it meant you risked your life!"
"I swear to god if you two start your bickering again, I'll lose it!" Samarah snapped. "Let's all just say thank you Rin for your resourcefulness, and get on with it. I could really go for some hot coffee right about now."
"Does this place look like it'll serve you anything hot," Rin pointed out. "Or edible."
"Beggars can't be choosers."
"True."
"Although in this economy, Chiron really should have given us more. What was he thinking, sending a couple of kids out on a road trip with only a hundred dollars?"
"Beggars can't be choosers, Sam," Rin echoed the girl's words back to her, earning her a grimace.
Samarah and Luke stood, ready to approach the counter where the sleeping waitress remained undisturbed, her rhythmic snores filling the air. When they looked at Rin expectantly, she shook her head.
"Aren't you coming?" Luke asked, his voice soft with worry.
Rin shook her head, a weak smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I'll just have what you're having," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
With a nod of understanding, they made their way to the counter, leaving her alone in the booth. As she watched them argue with the waitress, a sense of numbness washed over her, enveloping her like a thick fog.
She should have felt hungry, she realized. After all, she had skipped breakfast that morning when they left Camp Half-Blood. But instead, all she felt was cold. A bone-chilling cold that seeped into her very core, leaving her trembling and weak. Her left arm throbbed with a dull, persistent ache, the pain radiating through her body like a relentless tide. It felt as if it had been submerged in acid, the flesh of her shoulder raw and tender to the touch. Rin sighed, resting her cheek against the greasy tabletop.
The dim lighting of the diner cast strange shadows across the room, the flickering bulbs casting eerie shapes on the walls. Rin felt her eyelids grow heavy as exhaustion washed over her, the events of the day catching up to her all at once.
Before she knew it, she had drifted off into a fitful sleep, the sound of her friends' voices fading into the background as darkness claimed her once more.
The clatter of the plate hitting the tabletop jolted her from her restless slumber, and she blinked blearily as Luke set down a flat-looking burger in front of her. Samarah still hadn't returned, leaving an awkward silence to hang between them.
"I'm sorry, you know," Luke began hesitantly.
Rin shrugged, her expression guarded as she toyed with the hem of his jacket, still draped over her shoulders. She was too exhausted to entertain empty words meant to soothe wounded pride, but there was a sincerity in his eyes she found hard to ignore.
Before she could respond, Luke continued, his voice tinged with self-deprecation.
"I've been a total ass," he admitted, his gaze dropping to the tabletop. "I said the stupidest things to you, and I didn't mean any of them."
"Whatever."
She was saved from having to respond further by Samarah's return as she placed a cup of coffee in front of Rin with a grin. Although from the looks of it, the liquid inside was more akin to tainted water than anything resembling the promised caffeine fix.
As they began to eat, she took a tentative bite of her burger, only to find the taste of ash filling her mouth. It wasn't the flavour of bad food—no, this was something far stranger. It was as if something in her mouth had ceased to function, leaving her tasting nothing but the bitter remnants of rot.
She fought the urge to retch as she forced herself to swallow, her throat constricting with each gulp. She pushed the plate toward the friends with another forced smile.
"Shouldn't go to waste," she muttered. "I'm just not very hungry."
"You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, Sam. Just tired, that's all."
"Sketchy motel it is then."
Luke nodded, "I think we could all use some rest after the day we've had."
Samarah frowned, "Does this quest of yours have a deadline?"
"Not that I'm aware of..."
"Right, and that is so very helpful."
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The interior of the motel mirrored the dilapidated state of the diner they had just left behind. The walls were lined with peeling wallpaper, the once vibrant patterns now faded and worn from years of neglect. The front desk stood forlornly deserted, a testament to the hotel's decline into disrepair. Four hallways branched from that central area, each identical in its brown carpeted blandness, and the silence was eerie, giving the space an almost surreal intensity, making Rin shiver. One could remain here forever, she imagined, and the passage of time would feel meaningless. There was not a single window, and the heavy wooden door that they had come through had slammed behind them with an echoing finality.
After a moment's hesitation, Luke turned towards a set of stairs leading upstairs, his footsteps echoing in the empty lobby. His two companions exchanged uncertain glances, their eyes lingering on the empty front desk.
"Where are you going?" Samarah asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Luke glanced back at them, a determined set to his jaw. "There's bound to be empty rooms upstairs," he replied, his voice confident. "We'll just find one and spend the night."
Samarah raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips, "Of course, a son of Hermes has no problem with breaking and entering."
"There's literally no one here," the brunette boy argued, gesturing around the empty lobby. "It's not like we're stealing from anyone."
With a shrug, the two girls followed him up the stairs, their footsteps echoing in the silence of the hotel. As they climbed, Samarah noticed Rin struggling, her steps faltering with each passing moment. Silently, she reached out to grasp her hand, offering her support as they made their way to the first landing, and Rin offered her a grateful smile.
"Thanks."
Samarah simply squeezed her hand reassuringly.
Once they reached the first landing, Luke wasted no time in selecting a door to their right. With practiced ease, he knelt before the door and pulled out a set of lockpicks, his nimble fingers working deftly as he manipulated the lock. Within moments, the door sprang open with a groan, revealing a dimly lit room beyond.
They entered cautiously, the air heavy with the scent of dust and disuse. Samarah flicked on the single lone lightbulb that hung from the ceiling, casting a harsh glare across the room. The furnishings were sparse—a narrow bed against one wall, a rickety table and chair in the corner, and a cracked mirror hanging above a chipped sink.
Rin wasted no time in making her way to the bed, her limbs heavy with exhaustion. She slumped onto the mattress with a sigh, the worn sheets enveloping her like a cocoon. She tried not to think about the fact that it smelled like someone had died there.
"I should keep watch," she mumbled, her voice barely audible above the creaking of the floorboards.
Her friends exchanged amused glances, their laughter echoing in the cramped space.
"We'll keep watch," Samarah insisted. "You need sleep. You can barely stand on your own two feet."
Rin opened her mouth to protest, but the words caught in her throat. She knew that the others were right—she was barely able to keep her eyes open, her body protesting every movement. With great difficulty, she rolled over to one side, trying to take up as little space as possible on the narrow bed. She closed her eyes, the darkness behind her eyelids beckoning her into oblivion. At least in sleep, there would be no more pain, and she hoped that some rest would rid her of whatever was wrong with her.
Unfortunately for her, demigods found no rest, even in slumber, and when she slept, she dreamt.
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hihi we're back. School's over and I'm feeling inspired so you can expect a couple more chapters for this fic. Hope you're enjoying it so far. As usual, plz don't be a ghost reader, comments/questions/even keyboard smashes are highly appreciated and really motivate me to continue writing so share your thoughts plz and thank u <3