The Trials of Camp Half-Blood

False Leads?

You know what's worse than pulling the night shift to watch a guy who might be a homicidal maniac? 

Pulling the night shift to watch a guy who might be a homicidal maniac, and realizing you're not sure if you're right.

 Fun times.

It was my turn to watch Luke, and I was as subtle as a three-legged hydra while trying to keep an eye on him from a distance. Every so often, I'd peek over the boulder I was using for cover, making sure he wasn't up to anything sketchy.

Alright,.... 

Just keep your eyes open. 

No blinking. 

Nope. 

Who needs sleep anyway?

Annabeth would've rolled her eyes if she were awake, and Clarisse... well, she probably would've suggested punching him first and asking questions later.

Luke, meanwhile, was just sitting there, completely unfazed, like he wasn't in the middle of a murder-filled trial where people were getting offed left and right. He just casually poked at the campfire he'd set up, looking like he was toasting marshmallows or something.

Why aren't you more suspicious-looking? 

Come on, give me something!"

I must have jinxed it because not two minutes later, I heard a rustle in the bushes nearby. Not the casual rustle, but the "something big is moving fast" kind of rustle. Luke's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing toward the noise. I crouched lower, watching him, ready for him to reveal his true colors.

Then, without warning, he was up on his feet and bolting toward the woods.

Oh, gods, he's making a run for it!

I scrambled up, trying to follow him without tripping over my own feet. I knew I wasn't as fast as Luke—son of Hermes and all that—but I wasn't about to let him get away. My feet pounded against the forest floor as I sprinted after him.

Branches whipped against my face, and I almost tripped on a root, but I kept my eyes locked on Luke's back. He was fast, but not fast enough to lose me. Not yet.

Of course I'm chasing the possibly-murderous guy in the middle of the night through creepy woods. 

Totally normal.

AND I DON#T HAVE A DEATH WISH FOR SURE!

Luke disappeared around a large tree, and I pushed myself to catch up, skidding around the trunk only to come to a screeching halt.

There, in a small clearing, Luke was crouched over a wounded demigod. They were bleeding badly from a gash in their leg, their face pale with pain. Luke was... helping them?

Wait, what?

Luke was doing the opposite of what I'd expected. He was ripping part of his shirt to use as a bandage, tying it around the demigod's leg to stop the bleeding.

For a second, I stood there like an idiot, not knowing what to do. Was this some kind of trick? Maybe Luke was just pretending to help, but... that didn't seem like his style.

Luke: Percy?

Luke's voice snapped me out of my confusion. He looked up, his expression a mix of surprise and annoyance.

Me: Uh... What are you doing?

Luke: What does it look like? I'm trying to stop the bleeding. Unless you want this guy to bleed out?

I blinked, completely thrown off. This was not how I expected my night to go. Luke, the guy I was convinced was behind everything, was... saving someone?

Me: Right. Uh... Do you need help?

Luke gave me a look like I'd asked him if the sky was blue.

Luke: Just make sure no monsters show up. I don't have time to explain.

I hesitated for a moment before stepping closer, scanning the area for any sign of movement. Luke wasn't lying—the demigod was hurt bad, and this wasn't the work of a monster. It was a clean cut, probably from a blade. But if Luke wasn't the one doing this, then who was?

After Luke finished tending to the demigod, he hoisted them up and carried them back toward our camp. I walked beside him, completely baffled by what just happened.

Me: So... you didn't do it, did you?

Luke sighed.

Luke: If I were trying to kill everyone, do you think I'd be saving lives?

I wasn't convinced, but his point made me doubt my suspicions. The guy was frustratingly hard to read.

Later that day, things took a turn for the worse. We were walking through the woods, keeping an eye out for anything unusual, when I heard the low rumble of something big. My instincts kicked in, and I immediately grabbed Annabeth's arm.

Me: You hear that?

Annabeth: Yeah. We're not alone.

The ground shook beneath our feet, and before I could even process what was happening, a massive figure crashed through the trees—a Minotaur.

Me: Oh, come on! Not you again!

It charged at me with the same fury it had the first time we met. I barely had time to roll out of the way before its horn grazed my arm.

Me: I really hate this guy!

Annabeth was quick on her feet, darting out of the way and tossing a dagger at the Minotaur, but it barely flinched. My sword, Riptide, was already in my hand as I tried to steady myself, but before I could get my bearings, the Minotaur charged again.

I swung at it, but it knocked me off my feet, sending me crashing into a nearby tree.

Me: This is not how I planned my day.

Just as the Minotaur was about to go for the kill, a trap was triggered—a net flew up from the ground, wrapping around its legs and sending it crashing to the ground. Annabeth's trap.

Me: Annabeth, remind me to thank you later.

Annabeth: No problem. Let's just get out of here before it breaks free.

I didn't need to be told twice. We scrambled away, the sound of the Minotaur struggling against the net fading into the distance.

As we regrouped, I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't adding up. Luke had been helping a wounded demigod, and now I'd nearly been taken out by a Minotaur. It was like the whole trial was playing mind games with me.

Maybe I'm overthinking this. Maybe Luke's not the bad guy after all...

But I couldn't shake the doubt. There was still something about him that didn't sit right.