Standing Strong and Alone [Percy Jackson Fan-Fiction]

Chapter Fifteen - Cailee

   Cailee's POV

     I stood at the top of Half-Blood hill with Lauren, Will, Clarisse, Annabeth, and Percy. To the east, the sun was rising, casting a brilliant glow of the soft light around Camp. The lake was glittering, the cabins seemed peaceful, and waves were gently crashing against the shore. This was the place I called home. 

     Camp had been here for me since I first found out I was a demigod. I was so young... Remembering walking all the way from Florida, I held in the tears. Corrin and I had been constantly attacked and chased by monsters, and we couldn't defend ourselves enough. Our little mortal sister was dead because of us. We had made friends with Cheyenne, a daughter of Aphrodite, and she made it almost all the way to camp. But she took her last stand to defend us. To save our sorry lives.

     And look at where I was now. Corrin and Cheyenne were gone. Why was it I had to bear the burden of being alive?

    I placed a hand on Thalia's Pine, trying to think back to camp without it. I had only gotten here about a month before Annabeth, Luke, and Thalia had, and I must admit, I had been terrified. I was the only person to see the fight on Half-Blood Hill. I could have ran for help, yet I chose to stand quiet and still, shock overcoming me. I watched Thalia turn into a tree with a single flash of lightning. I was dazed, horrified, and scared. I only came to my senses when Luke picked up Annabeth and began carrying her down the hill. After a few steps, he collapsed, and neither of them moved again. 

     Then I ran. I don't know where I was running to, but one of the senior counselors stopped me, and I explained the situation to them. They took it from there. Pretty soon, Annabeth and I were good friends, and I admired Luke - he was my hero. And when he betrayed the camp, Annabeth wasn't the only one devastated. I cried right along with her, and when I heard he was Kronos, I almost wanted there to be more hope. But he had a hero's fate, adding to the proof that he died a hero. Same as Corrin. After the Titan War, I had been so lost, clueless, and holding in so much rage at the person who killed my sister. They acted like nothing happened, but as time went on, the sworn revenge seemed to fade, just a little.

     I was so lost in the thoughts of my past life that I didn't realize Chiron had made his way to the top of the hill. He stepped out of his wheelchair - something that still amazed me, as long as I'd been seeing it.

     "Well," he began. "Good luck to you all. I think Lauren will be able to lead the way somewhat."

     Everyone turned on her. I noticed that she didn't even flinch now. She nodded. "I'll try my best." Her eyes seemed to have taken back that happy glow and sparkle that I had missed so much. She stood taller now, with more confidence, and that made me smile.

     I stepped forward to give her a hug. "You'll do great, and I'll see you soon. I promise," I muttered in her ear.

     She nodded and hugged back, then pulling away again. I walked over to Will and also pulled him into an embrace. "Hurry and get back, our cabin needs their head counselor."

     "Maybe," he said quietly.

     I stepped back and shook my head. "You will get back."

     He just shrugged. "I dunno, Cailee. I'll try my best." He then wandered off to talk to Chiron.

     I gave Clarisse a punch on the shoulder, and told her she had better watch out for my siblings. She stared at me. "What, you think I won't be able to handle whatever we're going after?"

     She better, or she's gonna have an angry daughter of Apollo on her hands. But I just nodded and made small talk for a minute.

     Finally, everyone settled down, and the three questers stood side by side. Percy was standing behind Annabeth, his arms around her. They both had encouraging smiles on their face, which made me smile. They were such a cute couple, and they trusted each other so much. And right then, I knew I would never be able to trust like that, to be in a relationship. To hand the safety of my life over to someone. Never again.