Hunters of Artemis Daily

Pt. 3

~HUNTERS OF ARTEMIS DAILY~ Hypnos Cabin, did you put a dreaming spell on us? Because I think I'm in one! There is absolutely no way Aphrodite was helpful last night on Mount Olympus, but here we are! Could it be possible that none of the unfortunate lovers meant to have affairs? Is this some magic at work? Any information would be helpful, so please share at the Big House if you have some.

I couldn't sleep the rest of that night. First of all, Aphrodite—yes, the usually unhelpful goddess of love (no offence, Aphrodite Cabin)—was helpful! It turns out, the Aphrodite Cabin has been secretly charmspeaking some campers into falling in love with people they know! 

I think the Hermes Cabin finally has some competition in the pranking department. 

When the morning finally arrived, Artemis called me for a meeting with the Aphrodite Cabin. "Drew, what were you thinking?! I had to exile one of my best hunters, and it turns out they were loyal all along!"

I could see Drew and her friends shaking with fear as Drew replied. "W-we didn't mean to hate you, Artemis. We thought it was just a funny prank."

"Funny?!" Artemis started sparkling, and I closed my eyes, just in case she was about to show her true form. "Oh, I'll be dealing with you later, children. May this be lesson to learn for you." She zapped me and herself back towards Half-Blood Hill, where hunters were packing. We would leave under the cover of darkness.

I glanced up at Thalia's pine tree. Pelius the dragon was curled between the branches, sleeping tentatively. The Golden Fleece glittered on the highest branch in the morning light. 

But something else caught my eye. A scroll, pinned the trunk with a tiny dagger. It read: 

What's up, Campers? So we've all heard and regrettably seen the accidental affairs between a few demigods in Camp Half-Blood. We all know who caused it. The Aphrodite Cabin. But we aren't going to waste a perfect opportunity like this, aren't we? No freaking way! Sign your name on this scroll to get back at the Aphrodite Cabin. Travis Stoll and Leo Valdez will collect this sheet  after sunset. And don't worry! This scroll is invisible to Aphrodite's demigods. 

I made a hmm sound and took out a pen from my hunters' bag. I stood back, satisfied, looking at my now written name on the scroll. 

***

"Rita, you got the paintball gun?" Leo Valdez whispered to me. I unzipped my backpack, showing him the gun. He gave me a silent thumbs-up. Travis Stoll led 5 other campers toward the Aphrodite Cabin, hiding in the shadows. We followed. Leo whispered, "one, two, THREE!"

We all leaped inside. I fired the paintball gun. It felt good to destroy the posters of "hot" guys on the walls.

 Leo released some sort of machine that looked like a giant thorny hairbrush toward Drew. When it touched her hair, an electric shock went through her black locks. Then the machine started tangling it, ripping some out and making a bunch of knots. 

Travis dropped water balloons full of shaving cream on demigods' faces. The Aphrodite Cabin woke up screaming, crying out that their hair was UTTERLY MESSED UP. Drew got a ball of shaving cream as a midnight snack. 

"Who's there?"

The voice came from outside the cabin. We made it out just in time. One camper muttered, "Awesome." Another said, "That was close!" 

But it didn't matter.

The Aphrodite Cabin was disgraced and humiliated. Serves them right, too.

- Date: 7/20/2024