The Trials of Camp Half-Blood

Whispers in the Woods

You know how sometimes you wake up and think, "Hey, today's going to be better than yesterday!" Yeah, this wasn't one of those days....FOR SURE NOT.... BY FAR NOT! What can be good when you wake up in the woods and know that you gonna get probably killed by the end of the day? Nothing! Exactly!

Besdides.....By the second day, something felt off. And I don't mean just the usual "we're being hunted by monsters" kind of off. No, this was worse. There were rumors floating around, whispers between campers—people were disappearing. Not in the "they wandered off and got lost" kind of way, but in the "they're gone, and no one knows why" way.

Annabeth was keeping track. Of course she was—she's Annabeth. By mid-morning, she had a list, counting how many demigods we had started with and how many were still around....we did encounter some people and we talked with them a bit to find out who got out... or killed...

Annabeth: We're missing five people.

Me: Five? Already?

She nodded, her face set in that serious, "I'm-solving-a-puzzle" expression she gets when something's not adding up.

Me: You think it's just the monsters?

Annabeth didn't say anything at first, just kept scanning the trees like she was expecting something to jump out and attack us at any second. Which, knowing our luck, wasn't out of the question.

Annabeth: Maybe. But this feels different. The disappearances... it's like they're just vanishing....remember what the last group told us... we should be careful in the night... one of them just got dragged away.... without anyone realizing.... Then again he could have just left them.

Me: Left them? You do realize that we are even together and none of us want to be out here alone right now... it's not the time for a solo mission. Who is stupid enough to believe they are the main character of the show here right now?

There was an uneasy feeling in my gut. Annabeth wasn't one to jump to conclusions, and if she was worried, then something was definitely wrong.

We kept moving through the woods, sticking close to the tree line and trying to stay as quiet as possible. But the tension was there, thick enough to cut with a sword. I didn't like it. Something about this whole situation just felt wrong.

As we moved deeper into the forest, the air got colder, like the sun had forgotten to rise today. The trees seemed denser, their twisted branches blocking out most of the light. Every shadow looked like it could be hiding something, and every rustle in the leaves made my heart jump.

And then we saw it.

Up ahead, in a small clearing, there was something lying on the ground. At first, I thought it was just a pile of leaves, or maybe an animal that had wandered too close to the monsters. But as we got closer, I realized it wasn't an animal at all.

It was a demigod.

Me: Oh, hell nah...

The body was sprawled out on the forest floor, arms twisted at unnatural angles, face pale as snow. There was blood, a lot of it, pooled around the figure. But what really got me—what made my stomach turn—was the wound. It wasn't from claws or fangs. It was a clean, deep cut, straight across the chest, like someone had taken a blade to them.

Annabeth: This wasn't a monster.

Her voice was tight, her eyes wide as she knelt down beside the body. I couldn't tell who it was at first. The face was too bruised, the features too distorted. But the armor—they were from the Apollo cabin. A younger kid. Maybe twelve or thirteen.

Me: Who would...?

But I didn't need to ask. The answer was hanging in the air between us, unspoken but heavy. This wasn't just about surviving the monsters. Someone was hunting us.

Annabeth stood up, her face pale but her eyes sharp, scanning the area around us. I could see her brain working overtime, trying to piece together what had happened here.

Annabeth: We need to go. Now.

We moved away from the body, slipping back into the cover of the trees, but the image of that wound stayed with me. Monsters didn't use swords. And even if they did, they wouldn't have made a cut that clean, that deliberate.

Me: Do you think... it was one of us?

Annabeth didn't answer right away. She was too busy looking over her shoulder, her eyes darting between the shadows like she expected whoever—or whatever—had done this to be watching us.

Annabeth: I don't know. But we can't trust anyone right now.

We kept moving, keeping our heads low and our eyes peeled for any sign of movement. My mind was racing. Monsters were one thing. I could deal with monsters. But the idea that someone was out here, picking us off one by one? That was a whole new level of messed up.

As we pushed further into the woods, the whispers started. We passed a few other demigods, and I could hear them talking—hushed voices, frantic eyes. People were scared. And I couldn't blame them.

Me: So... we're just not going to talk about the whole 'demigods stabbing demigods' thing?

Annabeth shot me a look, her expression a mix of frustration and concern.

Annabeth: I don't know who's doing this, Percy. But until we figure it out, we need to be careful. Don't trust anyone....besides ourselves... 

Me: Anyone? Not even, like... some people?

Annabeth: No. Not even 'some people.'

I didn't argue. I wanted to, believe me, but there was something in her voice that made me shut up. This was bigger than just surviving the monsters now. This was about figuring out who was behind this... before we ended up like that kid from Apollo cabin.

We kept walking, the tension between us thick. I didn't say anything, but there was one name that kept popping into my head, one person I couldn't stop thinking about.

Luke.

It didn't make sense. Not really. Luke had been a traitor, sure, but he wasn't here for the Trials. He shouldn't have been able to get in. But then again... Luke always had a way of getting what he wanted, didn't he?

Still, I couldn't say anything. Not yet. Annabeth didn't need to hear me say it. Not when things were already this bad.

But the thought wouldn't go away. And as we made camp that night, the woods still eerily quiet around us, I couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before one of us was next.