The Unclaimed

Chapter 18: Dreams that feel real

   I knew I was dreaming but it all felt real. As all the images and scenes went on around me, I felt like I was there.  
   First came camp; I felt dread fill me when I saw it. Different scenes flashed around me: I saw Chiron pacing in the Big House, Will and Nico comforting each other, campers playing capture the flag, and then there was Michael. He was walking along the edge of the woods; I could tell right away that he was in deep thought. He was visibly mumbling something under his breath but he was to quiet, I couldn't make out what he was saying. Suddenly his face lit up, I heard him say "I remember now," and then he ran off. I tried to follow him, to ask what he remembered but I couldn't move. I was hoping the next scene would involve him talking with Chiron but it wasn't.
   I recognized the setting as the inside of Leo and Calypsos garage. I saw their fraternal twins, Vanessa and Jackson, running around inside. I saw Leo comforting Calypso who appeared to be crying. As the view shifted a little bit, I was able to see that she was looking at a picture of me and Michael.
   "Shhhh, it's going to be alright," Leo comforted Calypso.
   "Why did she have to go through all of this," Calypso sobbed. "She's always been good, taken care of Michael, and put up with the crap that other campers gave her. She doesn't deserve all of this." I didn't get a chance to hear Leo's response because everything went black.
   My sense of sight was gone but I could still hear everything that was going on around me. I heard the sound of three sets of feet walking. A door was locked. Finally one person spoke.
   "She can't succeed on this quest," this male spoke with such power and authority that I felt confident he had to be a god. "If she finds out who her father is," some cut this speaker off.
   "You know what she's going to face on this quest," this voice clearly belonged to a goddess. "Everything was prearranged so that it will be near impossible for her to succeed." I was starting to get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that they were talking about me. The sound of a fist slamming on a table rang through the room.
   "Near impossible is not good enough," the male shouted. "We are talking about Jessica. All of us know that there is a reason Artemis blessed her and invited her to join the Hunt. Jessica is destined to be the most powerful demigod since Jackson's time as a kid." There was that word again; destined. It was the same word Dionysus had used to explain my future two years ago. And this was also confirmation; my quest not going to be a walk in the park. There were immortals who were apparently determined to make sure I failed.
   "Would you two be quiet," the third god spoke up, it was another male. There was a moment of silence but then he spoke again. "Someone is listening." My heart felt like it stopped. I could hear quiet murmurs from all three. Suddenly everything went silent. Both my sight and my hearing was gone. Then, there was a flash of bright light and an explosion like sound. My eyes flew open and I shot up into a sitting position; I was drenched in sweat.