𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐄𝐓𝐇 》 LEO VALDEZ ¹

―thirty-three. 'defiance'? never heard of her!

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𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐈𝐓!
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THE HERMES CABIN WAS SILENT. During the day, it was easy to keep up appearances. The Stoll brothers happily frolicked about, and a newly arrived set of twins giggled in their shadows, (the Mayfields were encouraged not to follow their brothers footsteps ― but it wasn't alike the children of Hermes to not look up to their family). The chaos the four of them created maintained the Cabin's reputation, and it helped hinder the consequence of Luke's actions, painting him as a figure of the past.

When night fell, however, the atmosphere changed. The demigods were confined to their cabin, a place that no longer held the undertones of a home. The darkness allowed them to bask in what was missing, scheduled hours of silence that none of them dared break, and none of them wanted to.

A silent Hermes Cabin had once been used heard of ― but not anymore. Now it was as much a routine as brushing teeth was.

During the war, their cabin had been one of the most crowded, their population skyrocketing through any bar chart Chiron created. That had meant they had the most soldiers to offer, the most warriors ― the most expendable children.

Half of their missing ― yes, missing; some of the bodies had never been recovered ― had been unclaimed, but that didn't make a difference. Those who had slept under their cabins roof had been family. So it made sense that their tributes had the initial 'H' carved into them.

Charlie was studying one of them now.

One item per lost camper ― that had been the unofficial rule; there's wasn't enough room to account for all of the dead.

A Teddy bear. Pink. A little red 'H' messily stitched into his paw and a name written on the other. Sophie Denmark. Charlie remembered her. She had been twelve and had the brightest smile. Someone had intertwined left over string and attached it to the bears head to create two braids on either side of its head. Fitting. Sophie had never been seen without them.

Gently, Charlie placed it down, and then she reached into her own bag.

A few weeks ago, Charlie had been planning on leaving for good. Everyone knew she was alive, and no one would be left feeling guilty, including her. She could reassure her travels, maybe catch up with the demigods that rode with her and her mum all those years ago. She didn't see the harm in taking her belongings with her.

But now, Charlie understood that it was no longer hers. It was the Cabins, designated to represent those who came before her and to retain a part of her for those to come ― for those who wouldn't know what the name 'Sophie' or 'Danny' or 'Charlie' or even 'Luke' had meant for their family. The belonging was no longer hers, it was theirs.

Next to Sophies little red bear, Charlie placed down a barbie doll.

Fingers lingered on its skin. She could remember the happiness she felt when she opened the packaged on Christmas, and saw that her brothers and sisters had found her a black barbie. Over time, it began to look just like her, an extension of herself. Hair ruggedly cut and styled into a mullet, an eyepatch drawn in with sharpie to show the pirate phase she had gone through, daggers attached to the sides, hand-made scooby-doo converse Luke had spent all night making with her, and her mothers necklace, replicated and placed gently over her dolls head. Charlie rummaged through her bag, taking out the bat that came with it. Drew had carved it for her, and now it rest by her dolls side, half propped up by the trinkets around her.

The doll was smiling, and Charlie couldn't help but feel like it was saying goodbye.

Nodding to herself, Charlie stepped backwards, no longer having to worry about tripping over a camper ― there was enough beds for everyone now, some of them were even empty.