¹POCKET FULL OF POSIES. p. jackson

𝐕𝐈. lost to the darkness

pocket full of posies
❛ vi. lost in the darkness ❜

━━━━━ IT WAS THE first winter since Posie arrived at Camp Half-Blood where she hadn't spent it there. Since she was ten, she had spent every waking day at Camp. After running away from D.C., it was the only place she could call home—until her aunt and boyfriend, Shiloh and Isaque took her in. Took her in, sort of. Half the time she was living with Shiloh and Isaque, Posie was spending her time in the Underworld, trying to train with Hades. And then by October—Posie was going to Maine, heading to Westover Hall, so she never spent that much time with the two.

At least Camp Half-Blood looked the same. Despite the control of the climate and weather, Mr. D always let it snow the few weeks before Christmas. Posie figured that was one of the only times the god would feel generous. The snow wasn't coming down in droves, instead falling lightly. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with tiny flickering lights, like Christmas lights except they were balls of real fire (courtesy of some of Hecate's children ). More lights glowed in the woods, and a fire flickered in the attic window of the Big House, where the Oracle dwelt, imprisoned in an old mummified body. Posie hated that part, she always wondered if the spirit of Delphi was trying to get into the spirit, roasting marshmallows with the rats and cockroaches that were up there with her.

The only part of Camp Posie hated was that her siblings were never here during the school year. They all got to go back to the mortal world while she was stuck there, waiting for them to come back. Only now, she had been in the mortal world too. Lee would be coming back in a couple of days, so he could spend some time with Posie before he had to head back to his mother in Rhode Island.

"Whoa!" Nico gasped as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"

"Yes," Posie answered, shouldering the bags the hunters had brought back from Westover Hall. She smiled at him. "It's for training."

"Training?" repeated Nico. "Why is there lava pouring down it? What kind of training is that?"

"Lava's for a little extra challenge," Percy cut in, his expression tense. Posie shot him a look for his callousness. "C'mon. I'll introduce you to Chiron. Zoë, have you met—"

"I know Chiron," Zoë said stiffly. "Tell him we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me."

"I'll show you the way," Grover offered, almost tripping over his shoes.

Zoë gave the satyr a stern look. "We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble." Grover smiled, not noticing the Hunters didn't want him around. He hurried to walk in front of them, facing them as his back faced some beached canoes. "It's easy to get lost here if you don't" —he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking— "like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"

Posie figured the Hunters knew there was no way of getting rid of Grover anytime soon. Zoë rolled her eyes and huffed, but made a small gesture for him to continue. Grover's grin widened as the Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows, and they all followed the satyr toward the cluster of cabins. As Bianca was leaving, she leaned over and whispered something in Nico's ear. She looked at him for an answer, but Nico's face slipped into a scowl and he looked away.

"Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the leaving Hunters. He winked at Percy, and said; "Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon."