Alsès Black: A Mixed Up Story! (Book 1)

Ch. 52: What's Wrong With the Barrier?

(Alsès' point of view)

"Okay, while Estelle is getting them let's see if I can figure out your problem Mr. Barrier." I said with my hands on my hips. I started to mentally and magically search for any problems with the barrier. "Why can I not find any- thing?... Duce? Twila? What are you two doing here?" I asked my two friends from Monstaous Preparatory Academy, mostly known as Monster High. "I was in Egypt with Cleo but this weird fork thing appeared above my head and I followed it here." Duce explained. "Poseidon." I whispered. "And as for why I'm here. There is something wrong in the shadows. I needed to make sure you knew about it. And Clawdeen and Howleen gave me the address to find you." Twila told me. "Okay. I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with the barrier that keeps the bad monsters out. Once a monster is invited in, they can come and go as they please. The thing is, we had a monster attack about 10 minutes ago and I don't think he was invited in." I explained, mostly to Twila. "Whoa dude!" Duce replied. "Well, I came here to see you, so let me see if I can come through. Just ignore me for a moment." She told me, I put my hands up and turned around. "And!?" I'm not to excited about this. "Alsès! What's going on!?" Annabeth asked running right to me. "You mean Duce and Twila? They're harmless. Well, Duce is harmless most of the time. Sometimes he forgets that he is a Gorgon." I explained, you with the typical teen attitude. "Boogeyman." Estelle said with a smile walking over to Twila. "How did you know that Estelle?" Raven spoke. Estelle just walked away, thinking of her big brothers.

"Alsès, it allowed me in. Duce, your turn." Twila said, my focus was on Estelle and the barrier itself. "What's wrong!? Why can't I come through!?" The Gorgon's voice said. "Twila is a shadow, so it would be easier for her to cross. Duce Gorgon, as a child of Apollo, I give you permission to cross into Camp Half-blood." Raven told him. I'm still not paying much attention to them. "Alsès, is everything okay?" Raven again. "Alsès? Alsès! What the Charn Al!? Answer me!" She shouted. "If I can hear the 11 month old doe about 2,000 yards away, I can hear you whispering so low that no one else can, when you are standing right in front of me Ravanna Queen Zabini!" I shouted right back in her face. "Stop fighting and figure out what is wrong with the barrier please." Chiron told us. Raven and I clasped two of our hands together, her on my right, and we searched around the whole barrier. Cromwell witches can siphon some of their power or abilities through other witches. "The tree." We said in unison, pointing at Thalia's Tree. "On it!" Annabeth said as she started to look for obvious things that could have been wrong with the tree. "Nothing. Your turn ghouls." Annabeth told us. We walked over, still holding hands. We each put our free hand on the tree and closed our eyes. "Poison? What about the Gol-" My eyes flew open. "It's gone! The Golden Fleece is gone!"

"I guess I never would have noticed if the Fleece was missing or not. Even after several years of seeing it on the tree. I'm very sorry Chiron." Annabeth said almost crying. That's when I snapped myself back into reality. "Sissy, it's okay. Everyone makes mistakes. The fate of existence is not on your shoulders. I don't think any of us would have noticed if we had not checked, but how could the Hollow get through and not Duce?" I told my young sister. "I thought you said that if there were any left in America that they would not find you guys?" She looked right at me, half scared. "Annie, there are about 10-15 peculiars running around here at any time. Most loops only have 10 max. Besides, it's not like we can't take care of them." I explained. "Alsès, you make a good point about the Hollow getting in and not Duce, do you know what kind of monster they are?" Chiron asked pulling my attention to him.

"Brief history of Hollows. Some crazy Peculiars were trying to figure out how to truly become immoral without the use of Ymbrynes to create loops. The experiment went wrong, and now they are a bunch of Hollows and if they eat enough Peculiar eyes they become Wights and have to continue to eat the eyes of other peculiars. So my answer is that or, I have NO clue. Oh, they are also invisible to most people in general. Among a few others, a few of my siblings and myself can see them." Everyone stared at me, Chiron spoke next. "Do they have shadows?" How did he not know!? "Yes! Of course they do! Why wouldn't they!?" Foot in mouth moments. "Nevermind, they're invisible I forgot not everyone can see them. Sorry." I apologized to my director.

"Hey Al, what do they look like?" Twila asked almost rushing her question. "Hard to explain, let me bring up a picture." I told her as I projected a few pictures on my hologram screen at the base of my temple, I'm part Bionic remember.

"The drawing was done by Jacob, my little brother not my uncle. Millard gave it to me." I explained. "Well, I think shadow monsters can see them too. Because I see one coming right now!" Twila whisper yelled. 'Alsès, silent PSA now!' Chiron thought shooing everyone to cabin 9. 'This is a PSA there is a monster on the move! Unless you can see Hollows, silently head to Cabin 9 now! I repeat! This is not a drill, everyone silently head to Cabin 9 now!' I heard all sorts of footsteps going to Cabin 9. 'Come on Al! Why does it have to be my cabin?!' Leo thought to me. 'Hephaestus is the god of metalworking! Your cabin is the only one big enough to hold everyone and it has a HUGE basement! That's why! Now help everyone get there!' I told the teenager.

I heard my family come to the tree. "Am I the only one who can speak to reptiles?" I asked my siblings and Uncle Jacob. "Hisss sssissssss. (I can)" Jacob replied. "Cool! We will distract it while Aly and henry give directions to those who cannot see the Hollow. Basically, you guys are fighting it. When it is detained I will be happy to ripe out it's heart." I smiled skipping to one side of the entrance and Jake ran to the other. So it took not even 10 minutes for my non siblings to detain the Hollow but boy was it funny watching Bella and Jasper trying to jump on it and missing it completely! I got some pretty good looks from my grandmother Esme. 'What!? If you could see the Hollows you would be laughing too!' I had told her. "What in the world!? I thought it was a Hollow!" Jay said as he looked around to see our pack almost cowering away. Rosey, who was in her wolf form, sat on her haunches and shifted back into her human form, fully clothed of course as most pure wolfbloods do. "Ro! Do not go any closer! I warned. Jay growled at our sister.