The Adventures of the Original Three

A family

Annabeth's POV

I finally had a family that cared about me. Ever since my fifth birthday, my dad hadn't noticed me as much. Sure, my step mom never noticed me. But my dad normally spent time with me. But Thalia and Luke were treating me great. I dont even think they realized that I was only seven. They acted as if I had always been with them. As though we were a real family.

As we were on our way to Thalia and Luke's shelter on the James River. They were asking me several questions about myself. Most of which I was too tired to answer. All I really cared about was that I had a family who loved me.

"Annabeth, how long have you been wandering around?" Luke asked me. I could tell that when he asked me that he had been wanting to know the answer for a while now. "I don't know." I simply responded. And I really didn't. It had been at least a month, but honestly time slipped away from me and I couldn't remember how long it had been.

Luke was carrying me on his back in the dark as we looked for the shelter. Thalia had already explained to me that each shelter was camouflaged into its surroundings, that way it was hard for a monster to find it.

Luke had told me to go to sleep while him and Thalia looked for the shelter, but I knew there was no way I could sleep. Luke's words from when he gave me the knife, still rang in my head. "Knifes are only for the bravest and quickest fighters." Did he think I was brave? Did he think I was quick? Would I even become a good fighter?

•••

"We're here kiddo." Thalia said as she took me off Luke's back and held me in her arms. "Our shelter for the night."

"Only the night?" I asked. Surely, we would stay longer than just one night.

"Yep," Thalia said. "By the time morning comes the monsters have found us. So we can't stay anywhere too long." "Oh."

There was a moment of silence while we went inside the tent. It was too dark to see much of anything, but i could tell there was a lot of supplies here.

"Thalia?" I asked her.

"Yeah?" She asked as she sat me down on a cot near the corner. "Why do monsters hunt us? And why don't they bother anyone else?"

Luke and Thalia looked at each other from opposite sides of the room. Some kind of understanding passed between them and Luke walked over to my cot. "That's a discussion for another time." Luke said. He pulled a blanket over me and tousled my hair. Thalia hugged me good night and turned off the oil lamp near me.

As much as I didnt think I could go to sleep, as soon as I closed my eyes, I fell asleep. And the nightmares started. . .

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Haha, cliffhanger!!!!!! I'm proud though. And I told you they all wouldn't be so long.