In the Beginning

Chapter Four

     I'll spare the details of the whole being claimed fiasco. Apparently my mother is Aphrodite and instead of saying so, I got transformed into a side-show circus. Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty, I definitely didn't classify myself as beautiful. Being not beautiful enough, I got a face full of makeup and a dress, although I was quite comfortable in jeans. Aphrodite also believes in torture because if the wardrobe change wasn't enough, I felt the need to trip over the heels she had so graciously given me. Luckily, I was able to steady myself before falling face-flat onto the ground. Brittney was the leader of the Aphrodite cabin. I was a little relieved because at least I kind of knew her.  

     On the way back from the campfire, I was being stared at. By everyone. Not because of my "gorgeous" face but because of my inability to walk in heels. I eventually gave up and took the off which got me more weird looks. The fact that I didn't belong was obvious. I had to look at everything, taking it all in. I saw Annabeth walking back to her cabin with Mavis. It made me feel more alone. I missed the familiarity of going to school, doing homework. I missed being normal. When we got the Aphrodite cabin, I was...surprised. It looked like a doll house on the outside, which was bearable but on the inside it was ten times worse. There were mirrors everywhere and I wasn't that found of looking at my reflection. The bed where all identical and had white sheets and a mahogany night stand. Most of the night stands were covered in makeup products. I went to an open bunk, it was on the bottom in the corner of the room. I had collected my few items from what I'd had in the Hermes cabin and put them in the small drawer in the night stand. There was a small handheld mirror in the drawer. I picked it up and was quite disappointed with what I saw. I'd never considered myself ugly but not beautiful. The face I saw staring back at me was beautiful, so obviously this girl was not me. I set the mirror down in the drawer and closed it.

     Everyone was asleep it is was quiet. It was nice to finally have quiet. I got up out of the bed and walked out the door of the cabin. I looked around the camp, it was raining. But not inside the camp...which was strange. By now, I'd gotten used to strange. I walked down to the lake, which Mavis had previously shown me, and leaned against the railing. I sighed, it was cold and I of course, was still in this ridiculous dress and had no jacket. I don't know how long I stood there but it seemed like quite a while and it was getting a little too cold for my liking. I walked back to the cabin and awaited morning.

     When I woke I was back in my jeans and orange shirt. I stood up, yawning. Everyone else was gone. That's strange. I walked out of the cabin to see a forest that spread out forever. I stepped out into the forest. I expected the undergrowth to pinch my bare feet but it was soft. I turned to go back into the cabin but it was gone. Now I was startled. Everything went dark except for a huge bright spotlight shining in the trees. I started walking towards the spotlight even though I didn't want to. I willed my legs to stop moving but they wouldn't obey. I gave in and let myself walk to the spotlight. I heard noises of wild animals, it sounded like they were walking at my heels, biting my legs and feet, straining for me to go faster. When I got to the light, I stopped moving. I saw a ghostly women drifting down from the black sky. There was an aura of evil around her and I wanted to get away from this thing right now. I couldn't move as much as I tried. She spoke, but her lips didn't move. Her voice sounded like someone running through a corn field. It was one of the worst sounds I've ever heard. She whispered one thing over and over again: You're all going to die.