❝i'm afraid i'll miss you forever❞
⤷ 3:04 (via drunk4you)
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Kira consisted herself a very lucky girl for not having to do the three-legged death race.
She was originally going to do it, but she had accidentally had cried in front of Harley once, when the boy had told her that he had constructed a beacon trying to search for Leo, and the little boy had wanted her by his side instead of completing the dangerous race.
When Chiron reminded the campers that it was tomorrow, Sherman glanced at her, eyes full of dread, but Kira just shrugged, as if saying sucks to suck, bud.
Chiron called forward Harley after addressing the disappearance of Miranda Gardiner, and Sherman's gaze dropped to the floor.
"And they'll be like, ZOOM!" He bounced up and down with excitement. "And then BUZZ! And POW!" He pantomimed all sorts of chaos with his hands. "You have to be really quick or you'll die, and it's awesome!"
Kira pushed Sherman's shoulder. "Yeah, aren't you so excited to do that?" She asked jokingly, but Sherman just grumbled under his breath.
Chiron raised his hand for silence. "Now, I know there were problems last time," he said, "but fortunately our healers in the Apollo cabin were able to reattach Paolo's arms."
At a table in back, a muscular teen boy rose and began ranting in what I thought was Portuguese. He wore a white tank top over his dark chest, and Kira could see faint white scars around the tops of his biceps. Cursing rapidly, he pointed at Harley, the Apollo cabin, and pretty much everyone else.
Kira shivered, remembering last time. She had been paired with Connor, the first to stumble upon Armless Pablo. It hadn't been a pretty sight.
"Ah, thank you, Paolo," Chiron said, clearly baffled. "I'm glad you are feeling better."
Paolo finally sat down. Chiron went through a long list of other injuries they had experienced during the first three-legged death race, all of which he hoped to avoid this time: second-degree burns, burst eardrums, a pulled groin, and two cases of chronic Irish step dancing.
Malcolm raised his hand, the only child of Athena that had stayed through winter. "Chiron, just going to throw this out there....We've had three campers disappear. Is it really wise to be running a dangerous obstacle course?"
Chiron gave him a pained smile. "An excellent question, Malcolm, but this course will not take you into the woods, which we believe is the most hazardous area. The satyrs, dryads, and I will continue to investigate the disappearances. We will not rest until our missing campers are found. In the meantime, however, this three-legged race can foster important team-building skills. It also expands our understanding of the Labyrinth."
Chiron contiuned about the virtues of team building while Harley bounced up and down.
"Also keep in mind," Chiron said, "that none of the unfortunate disappearances has been linked to the Labyrinth. Remain with your partner and you should be safe...at least, as safe as one can be in a three-legged death race."
"Yeah," Harley said. "Nobody has even died yet." He sounded disappointed, as if he wanted us to try harder.
"In the face of a crisis," Chiron said, "it's important to stick to our regular activities. We must stay alert and in top condition. Our missing campers would expect no less from us. Now, as to the teams for the race, you will be allowed to choose your partner—"
Everyone looked around hungrily, trying to partner up with their friends. Sherman glanced at Kira. "You sure you don't want to? You can have the privilege of being my partner," He offered, and Kira began to feel bad for the boy.
"Sorry Yang," She said, giving him sympathetic eyes. "No can do."
Chiron struck his hoof against the floor. "All right, everyone, settle down! The race will be tomorrow afternoon. Thank you, Harley, for your hard work on the...um, various lethal surprises in store."
"BLAM!" Harley ran back to the Hephaestus table to join his older sister, Nyssa.
"This brings us to our other news," Chiron said. "As you may have heard, two special newcomers joined us today. First, please welcome the god Apollo!"
Everyone glanced to Apollo nervously, including Kira. He stayed in his seat, looking overwhelmed, which was completely out of character for the Sun God.
Chiron struggled to maintain his smile. "Now, I know this is unusual," he said, "but gods do become mortal from time to time. You should not be overly alarmed. Apollo's presence among us could be a good omen, a chance for us to..." He seemed to lose track of his own argument. "Ah...do something good. I'm sure the best course of action will become clear in time. For now, please make Apollo feel at home. Treat him as you would any other new camper."
At the Hermes table, Connor Stoll raised his hand. "Does that mean the Ares cabin should stick Apollo's head in a toilet?"
"We are not dunking his head, Stoll." Kira said, rolling her eyes. She met eyes with Apollo, who gave her a grateful look.
Sherman snorted. "We don't do that to everyone, Connor. Just the newbies who deserve it."
Sherman glanced at Meg, who was obliviously finishing her last hot dog. The wispy black whiskers at the sides of her mouth were now frosted with mustard.
Connor Stoll grinned back at Sherman, and Kira frowned.
The two boys whom Meg had humiliated, preparing for payback. Kira glared at her friend at the Hermes table, but he didn't meet her eyes.
"Thank you, Sherman," Chiron continued. "It's good to know you won't be giving the god of archery a swirly. As for the rest of you, we will keep you posted on our guest's situation. I'm sending two of our finest satyrs, Millard and Herbert"—he gestured to the satyrs on his left—"to hand-deliver a message to Rachel Dare in New York. With any luck, she will be able to join us soon and help determine how we can best assist Apollo."
Kira gave Sherman the death glare. "Don't do anything to her, Yang," but the boy found his dinner suddenly more appetizing.
"Finally," Chiron said, "we welcome a new demigod to camp—Meg McCaffrey!"
She wiped her mouth and stood.
Next to her, Alice Miyazawa said, "Stand up, Meg."
Julia Feingold laughed.
Sherman Yang rose. "Now this one—this one deserves a special welcome. What do you think, Connor?"
"Don't you dare, Yang!" Kira yelled, rising from her seat.
Connor reached into his backpack. "I think maybe the canoe lake."
"Meg—" Apollo started.
Then all Hades broke loose.
Sherman Yang strode toward Meg. Connor Stoll pulled out a golden net and threw it over her head. Meg yelped and tried to squirm free, while some of the campers chanted, "Dunk—her! Dunk—her!" Chiron did his best to shout them down: "Now, demigods, wait a moment!"
Kira made her way to punch the two into the next year, but some Hermes kids held her back.
A guttural howl interrupted the proceedings. From the top of the colonnade, a blur of chubby flesh, leafy wings, and linen diaper hurtled downward and landed on Sherman Yang's back, knocking him face-first into the stone floor. Peaches the karpos stood and wailed, beating his chest. His eyes glowed green with anger. He launched himself at Connor Stoll, locked his plump legs around the demigod's neck, and began pulling out Connor's hair with his claws.
"Get it off!" Connor wailed, thrashing blindly around the pavilion. "Get it off!"
Slowly the other demigods overcame their shock. Several drew swords. Kira was still held back by two Hermes boys.
"C'è un karpos!" yelled the Italian girl.
"Kill it!" said Alice Miyazawa.
"No!" Apollo cried.
Kayla nocked an arrow in her bow.
"Peaches, get off him!" Meg screamed. She untangled herself from the net, threw it down, then ran toward Connor.
The karpos hopped off Connor's neck. He landed at Meg's feet, baring his fangs and hissing at the other campers who had formed a loose semicircle with weapons drawn.
"Meg, get out of the way," said Nico di Angelo. "That thing is dangerous."
"No!" Meg's voice was shrill. "Don't kill him!"
Sherman Yang rolled over, groaning. His face looked worse than it probably was—a gash on the forehead can produce a shocking amount of blood—but the sight steeled the resolve of the other campers. Kayla drew her bow. Julia Feingold unsheathed a dagger.
"Wait!" Apollo pleaded.
Julia charged. Kayla shot her arrow.
Meg thrust out her hands and faint gold light flashed between her fingers. Suddenly young McCaffrey was holding two swords—each a curved blade in the old Thracian style, siccae made from Imperial gold. I had not seen such weapons since the fall of the Rome. They seemed to have appeared from nowhere, but my long experience with magic items told me they must have been summoned from the crescent rings Meg always wore.
Both her blades whirled. Meg simultaneously sliced Kayla's arrow out of the air and disarmed Julia, sending her dagger skittering across the floor.
"What the Hades?" Connor demanded. His hair had been pulled out in chunks so he looked like an abused doll. "Who is this kid?"
Peaches crouched at Meg's side, snarling, as Meg fended off the confused and enraged demigods with her two swords.
"Look." Apollo said, and Kira stopped struggling to look at whatever he was pointing at.
A holographic golden sickle with a few sheaves of wheat, rotating just above Meg McCaffrey.
A boy in the crowd gasped. "She's a communist!"
A girl who'd been sitting at Cabin Four's table gave him a disgusted sneer. "No, Damien, that's my mom's symbol." Her face went slack as the truth sank in. "Uh, which means...it's her mom's symbol."
"My friend is no longer unclaimed," Apollo announced.
Kira elbowed the two boys holding her back in the stomach, glaring back at them when they bent over, groaning.
She knelt in respect to Meg, along with most of the other demigods.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Apollo said. "please give it up for Meg McCaffrey, daughter of Demeter."
Chiron dispersed the crowd.
Will Solace tended to Sherman Yang's head injuries. Kayla and Austin stood over Connor, debating the need for a hair graft.
Kira strode over to the boys, glowering.
"What in the name of Tartarus was that?" She exclaimed.
Connor wouldn't meet her eyes, wincing at his injuries.
Her jaw stiffened before she bit in the inside of her mouth from yelling again.
She didn't like yelling, no matter how far she had come. But she was furious with Connor Stoll and Sherman Yang, who literally had just attempted to drown a twelve year old.
She made her way to the beach instead, collasping onto the cool sand.
She glanced into the horizon, and the thousands of stars that shone in the dark sky.
She fiddled with her necklace, squeezing her eyes shut.
"I love you, Leo Valdez," She started, but her voice broke at his name.
She tried to finish her sentence, but she broke down. She let out a choked sob, tears streaming down the side of her face.
"Why did you go?" Kira whispered, not bothering to wipe away the tears flowing down her tanned cheeks.
"Why did you leave me?" She repeated. "I needed you."
The stars did not answer her.
△△△
184 days.
The next day, she didn't feel any better then last night. She hadn't talked to Connor or Sherman, since she had decided to sleep in Leo's bed.
At breakfast, she sat at a random table. She wasn't sure, but it was either Poseidon or Hades. She didn't want to be near the Ares table.
She felt eyes on her. She hadn't exactly been the calmest person last night, and the two Hermes boys she elbowed were shooting her glares. Sherman had to get seven stitches.
She stabbed at her Cheerio's, but she didn't eat much of them, leaving the bowl out for the cleaning harpies to take away.
The conch horn blew, making Kira jump.
"Morning boot camp!" Sherman Yang bellowed. "Let's go, you special snowflakes! I want you all in tears by lunchtime!"
Kira rolled her eyes. She was technically in charge of the "boot camp", but during one of her break downs, Sherman had to step up and take over her responsibilities for the week. When she had finally gotten better, he refused to give the responsibility back to her, and she was too exhausted to tell Chiron on him.
Beisdes, Sherman ran it better. She always pitied the campers, and plus, she wanted to workout beside them, so it made sense that Yang led it.
The workout wasn't bad for her. She had gotten used to it after two years of it. It was mostly just drills and short workouts. They did push-ups, sit-ups, a five mile run, and an obstacle race that would definitely not pass inspection.
She knew the campers didn't like it as much as her, but she finished with a smile, talking to Nyssa and Harley causally. Nyssa and Harley were laughing at Apollo, who was drenched in sweat and was grumbling to Will about Yang.
Kira began to feel bad for the ex-god.
She had broken a sweat, so she took a quick shower before she moved onto archery lessons.
Archery wasn't one of her strengths, but it wasn't a weakness either. She was decent at it, and it was always good to get better, in case she was forced to use a bow.
Next, she was supposed to have music lessons, but she opted out, telling Chiron, "I wouldn't want any of the other campers to go deaf listening to my music." It had somehow worked, and she hadn't needed to go for the last three months.
She was currently at art lessons. Depending on the way someone looked at it, it could have been either Apollo or Athena leading the lessons, but Apollo's cabin had enough to deal with, so Malcolm led.
She loved to paint. Of course, only Leo knew that. She refused to let anyone look at her work, because she liked that her skill at painting was a secret just between her and Leo.
Most classes, she painted him. Today was no exception, she was painting him with watercolor, him with his curly hair, magical tool belt, and his fake tattoo that said HOT STUFF and a skull. She smiled sadly, before beginning to paint herself next to him.
"Kira..." Malcolm said from behind her, making her jump. "That's...amazing!"
Kira hid her work quickly, her cheeks burning bright red. "Thanks, Malcolm."
He must have sensed her discomfort, because he didn't say anything else, moving on to look at Nico's, who was working on a badly drawn skeleton.
She finished herself fairly quickly, not forgetting her necklace or scar above her forehead from when Piper, Jason, Leo, and her had fallen into the abandoned car plant in Detroit.
When she finished, she quickly folded it up, shoving it in her sweatpants pocket.
She got up from her stool, leaving before Malcolm could stop her.
It was obvious that she was respected at Camp Half Blood. Everyone let her do whatever she wanted, and sometimes that was bad. Sometimes that meant that she didn't leave her bed for days, when his death was hitting her especially hard. But everyone knew what happened, and who she had lost. They knew she was grieving.
She strolled across camp lazily, wandering without a reason, fiddling with her necklace.
She glanced to the woods, where she caught eyes with Sherman Yang, walking into the forest with glaze eyes, walking as if in a trace.
Kira jogged to him, but he had made it to the woods. Glancing back, Apollo and Kayla were running towards him, too.
"Sherman!" Kira called, holding his shoulders. He shook them off.
"Sherman." Apollo grabbed his arm, and once again, he tried to shake him off.
His eyes twitched. "No. Ellis. Got to find him. Miranda. My girl."
Kira's eyes became sad. "Oh, Sherman, bud," She told him sadly. "We're going to find them."
"Ellis is from the Ares cabin," Kayla told Apollo. "He's one of the missing."
"Yes, but Miranda, his girl?"
"Sherman and she started dating about a week ago."
"Ah."
Sherman struggled to free himself. "Find her."
"Miranda is right over here, my friend," Apollo lied. "We'll take you there."
He stopped fighting. His eyes rolled until only the whites were visible. "Over...here?"
"Yes."
"Ellis?"
"Yes, it's me," He said. "I'm Ellis."
"I love you, man," Sherman sobbed.
Kira slung his arm over her shoulder, and he allowed himself to be dragged out of the woods.
The three led Sherman to the archery range. Between one step and the next, he blinked his eyes and became his normal self. He shook his arm off Kira's.
"What is this?" he demanded.
"You were walking into the woods," Kira said.
He gave us his drill sergeant glower. "No, I wasn't."
Kayla reached for him, then obviously thought better about it. Archery would be difficult with broken fingers. "Sherman, you were in some kind of trance. You were muttering about Ellis and Miranda."
"I don't remember that."
"Although you didn't mention the other missing camper," Apollo added helpfully. "Cecil?"
"Why would I mention Cecil?" Sherman growled. "I can't stand the guy. And why should I believe you?"
"The woods had you," Kira told him softly. "The trees were pulling you in."
Sherman studied the forest, but the trees looked normal again. The lengthening shadows and swaying green hands were gone.
"Look," Sherman said, "I have a head injury, thanks to your annoying friend Meg. If I was acting strange, that's why."
Kayla frowned. "But—"
"Enough!" Sherman snapped. "If any of you mention this, I'll make you eat your quivers. I don't need people questioning my self-control. Besides, I've got the race to think about."
He brushed past them.
"Sherman," Apollo called.
He turned, his fists clenched.
"The last thing you remember," he said, "before you found yourself with us...what were you thinking about?"
For a microsecond, the dazed look passed across his face again. "About Miranda and Ellis...like you said. I was thinking...I wanted to know where they were."
"You were asking a question, then." Apollo stated. "You wanted information."
"I..."
At the dining pavilion, the conch horn blew.
Sherman's expression hardened. "Doesn't matter. Drop it. We've got lunch now. Then I'm going to destroy you both in the three-legged death race."
He marched off toward the pavilion.
Kayla turned to Kira and the ex-god. "What just happened?"
"I think I understand now," Apollo said. "I know why those campers went missing."
Kira began walking towards the pavilion.
"Where are you going?" Kayla asked her.
"Sherman's my brother, no matter how much he aggravates me sometimes." Kira told them, turning back around to go comfort the boy.
When she made it back to the Ares table, Sherman was stabbing his steak with his knife. When he saw Kira, he glowered.
Kira grabbedd an empty plate, eating a small lunch.
"What do you want, come to tell me how wacko I am?" Sherman growled.
Kira blinked. "Uh, this is my table."
Sherman only shook his head, his demeanor falling away, and Kira could only see his sad eyes.
"You know what it's like." Sherman said finally, stabbing the steak again, making the table rumble.
"Know what what's like?"
"Losing your lover," Sherman said, his voice more vulnerable then she had ever heard it.
Kira looked up to the boy with glassy eyes. Of course she knew what it was like. She dealt with the pain every day of her life.
"Sherman, Miranda's not dead." She managed, shallowing a sob. "We're going to find her."
"Then why haven't we been sent on a quest?" He demanded.
"Because," Kira said calmly. "We have to figure out what's going on first."
That seemed to calm him down a little bit.
"Everything will be okay," she told him softly. Sherman looked up to her with tears glistening in his eyes.
The two stood, wrapping each other in a tight hug.
"It better be, Kira," He told her, but she didn't even mind the threat.
The campers were frantically cleaning weapons, lacing armor straps, and whispering among one another to form secret alliances. Many tried to convince Harley to share hints about the best strategies.
Harley was tinkering with some mechanical device, moving the springs and gears around. Kira watched him, smiling with sad eyes.
"It's a beacon," he said to Apollo, adjusting a knob. "For lost people."
"You mean the teams in the Labyrinth?"
"No. You guys are on your own. This is for Leo."
"Leo Valdez."
Kira looked away, ignoring her watery eyes. The campers around them stared at her, but she tried to pretend she didn't notice.
Harley squinted at the device. "Sometimes, if you can't find your way back, a beacon can help. Just got to find the right frequency."
"And...how long have you been working on this?"
"Since he disappeared. Now I gotta concentrate. Can't stop the race." He turned his back on the two and walked off.
Apollo then desperately tryied to get Kira to listen to him about Sherman in the woods.
"I already told you, Apollo," Kira said softly. "I was right next you when you found him,"
"Oh right."
He scampered off, leaving Kira to lean against a pillar, rubbing her eyes.
"Hey."
She opened her eyes, fiddling with her necklace. Connor was standing in front of her with a baseball cap on.
"I wanted to apologize," He said.
"To me?" Kira asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"I already said sorry to her. Now I'm saying it to you."
Kira squinted at him, trying to see if the son of Hermes was messing with her.
"What is wrong with you?" She asked after a moment. "Trying to put a twelve year old in a net and throw her in the ocean? Because she poked you in the eyes?"
Connor's gaze dropped to the ground, kicking dirt. "I don't know. I was angry and Sherman took advantage of that, telling me to get onboard."
"Don't blame this on Sherman. This is just as much your fault-"
"I know, I know. I'm sorry Kira. I let my anger take over me,"
Kira pondered that. There had been plenty of times that she had let anger consume her.
"Okay," She said finally. "Just never pull bullshit like that again."
He nodded quickly.
Chiron blew a hunting horn, meaning the raceway about to start.
Connor cast a glace to Kira. "You sure you don't want to participate?"
Kira laughed, which felt weird. "Sorry, Stoll. You're on your own."
"Demigods!" said the centaur. "Tie your legs together and follow me to your starting positions!"
The campers gathered in a meadow about a hundred yards from the Big House.
The satyrs directed them to spread out across the meadow, and Kira made her way to Nyssa and Harley.
"Where is the starting line?" Holly Victor demanded, shoving her shoulder ahead of her sister's. "I want to be the closest."
"I want to be closest," Laurel corrected. "You can be second closest."
"Not to worry!" Woodrow the satyr sounded very worried. "We'll explain everything in a moment. As soon as I, um, know what to explain."
Will Solace sighed. He was, of course, tied to Nico. He propped his elbow on Nico's shoulder as if the son of Hades were a convenient shelf. "I miss Grover. He used to organize things like this so well."
"I'd settle for Coach Hedge." Nico pushed Will's arm off. "Besides, don't talk about Grover too loudly. Juniper's right over there."
"I miss that crazy goat," Kira mused.
"Okay, everybody!" Woodrow shouted. "Spread out a little bit more, please! We want you to have plenty of room so, you know, if you die, you won't take down all the other teams too!"
Will sighed. "I am so excited."
He and Nico loped off. Connor Stoll was paired with Paolo Montes, the Brazilian son of Hebe, and neither of them seemed happy about it.
Kira smiled guilty at the boy, before looking out to the rest of the teams.
Kayla and Austin were bound together, looking like a deadly pair of street performers with her bow and his saxophone. Chiara, a girl from Tyche, was stuck with Damien White, son of Nemesis. Billie Ng from Demeter was leg-tied with Valentina Diaz, who was hastily checking her makeup in the reflective surface of Billie's silver coat. Valentina didn't seem to notice that two twigs were sprouting from her hair like tiny deer antlers.
Malcolm from Athena paired himself with Sherman. Sherman's face had molded itself back into its normal scowl, no sign of any emotion that he showed earlier.
Once the satyrs judged the campers had all spread out sufficiently and our leg bindings had been double-checked, Harley clapped for our attention.
"Okay!" He bounced up and down eagerly. "Here's the deal. Each team has to find three golden apples, then get back to this meadow alive."
Grumbling broke out among the demigods.
"Golden apples," Apollo said. "I hate golden apples. They bring nothing but trouble."
Meg shrugged. "I like apples."
Laurel Victor raised her hand. "You mean the first team back wins?"
"Any team that gets back alive wins!" Harley said.
"That's ridiculous!" Holly said. "There can only be one winner. First team back wins!"
Harley shrugged. "Have it your way. My only rules are stay alive, and don't kill each other."
"O quê?" Paolo started complaining so loudly in Portuguese that Connor had to cover his left ear.
Kira hid a smile, putting a protective arm around Harley.
"Now, now!" Chiron called. His saddlebags were overflowing with extra first-aid kits and emergency flares. "We won't need any help making this a dangerous challenge. Let's have a good clean three-legged death race. And another thing, campers, given the problems our test group had this morning, please repeat after me: Do not end up in Peru."
"Do not end up in Peru," everyone chanted.
Sherman Yang cracked his knuckles. "So where is the starting line?"
"There is no starting line," Harley said with glee. "You're all starting from right where you are."
The campers looked around in confusion. Suddenly the meadow shook. Dark lines etched across the grass, forming a giant green checkerboard.
"Have fun!" Harley squealed.
The ground opened beneath their feet, and they fell into the Labyrinth.
Kira glanced to Nyssa and Harley. "You think everyone will be okay?"
Nyssa took a deep breath. "I hope so."
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