Sign of the Times

Why are we always stuck and running?

It had been months since I left Camp Half-Blood. 

I tried shadow travel but ended up just running into a tree. Since then, though, I had somewhat managed to do it. Every once in a while I will get right where I want to go. Other times I end up somewhere in Africa, passed out for a few days. 

I had been in New York for a week by now, trying to follow one of my moms connections to here. Her mom apparently had another child that she put up for adoption that I am trying so desperately to track down. Yes, she is probably dead, but I am hoping that her children aren't. If she had any. 

It is really hard trying to track down people when you don't have consistent access to the internet. 

But forget about that real quick. Right now I'm running away from this stupid donkey-robot-fire monster that is trying so hard to kill me. She kept talking about herself in the third person, calling herself Kelli. What kind of monster does that?

"Come here, Emelia!" she shrieked, hot on my tail. Now, you are probably thinking, 'OH! Why don't you just kill her, Emelia? She is just one monster, Emelia! Just get her! ' See, if you just let me talk you wouldn't be thinking those things. Give your girl a second. 

But, you make a good point. 

I turn around, unclipping my bracelet from my wrist revealing my sword. No, I did not name it, that is stupid. 

"No, you come here!" I yelled, swinging my sword at her. Killed it with that comeback as well! On fire (PUN?!?!?!?!) today.

Kelli easily dodged my swing, hissing at me like the little furry she was. Gods, this generation is taking Be Yourself to a whole new level. 

"Daughter of Hades, I mean you no harm as long as you come with me," she said, her voice sweeter than eating a spoonful of pure sugar. 

"Dude, you literally just tried to kill me!" I said, keeping my sword pointed at her. 

"Yes, but it was an accident!" She yelled, lunging at me again. I winced as I feel her sword knick my side a bit. 

I glared at her, taking a step towards her so I was on the attack. I swung at her high, low, high, left, right, yeah, I am just making up directions. I was fighting pretty thoughtlessly actually and I was doing pretty good. 

Come to think of it, maybe this is why Percy was good at sword fighting: he doesn't think.

My lack of thoughts paid off as I sunk my sword through her, sighing with relief. I click the sword on the butt of it and clip the bracelet back onto my wrist. 

A pink Hello Kitty hair clip lay in the dust of the once donkey girl. I picked it up before shoving it into my backpack.

All of this trouble just to get to the library to use the internet. Can't a girl just try and track down extended family in peace?

Well, apparently the universe laughed in my face as I thought that and decided to make the situation 10 times worse.

"Yo, that girl is like, bleeding," I heard a boy whisper from behind me. 

"Oh shit, that's nasty." I laughed because they hadn't seen the worst of it. All I am doing is hoping that they are super teenage boy-ish and don't give a shit and don't call the police or an ambulance or whatnot. 

"Emelia?" I froze. I knew that voice anywhere. I squeezed my eyes shut, turning around to face the boy. 

"Hey, Percy," I said. His friends were asking him "how he knew this chick" and "This is Emelia?", but he was just staring at me like I was a ghost.