Why We Fell

❧ T W O

LIGHTNING STRUCK THE grounds inside the camp, accompanied by heavy rain, which seemed to have startled several campers and satyrs as they scrambled off into the safety of the indoors.

Thalia and Jason were just as puzzled as everyone else. They had been sparring in the arena when the sudden flashes of lightning in the sky caught their attention.

The Roman demigod was considerably new to the customs of the Greek camp, but he was quite sure that Chiron had mentioned something about the weather almost always being stable. Right at that moment, he wasn't so sure the magical boundaries would be able to keep the brewing storm out.

Two teenagers passing by were talking in hushed tones.

"This isn't normal, Katie. We have to tell Chiron about it,"

"Connor, it's just a storm. This isn't the first time that this happened! Zeus is probably just mad at someone. Just leave it, will you?"

"But Katie—"

"Oh, stop worrying too much. It'll clear out in an hour or so,"

Jason gave his sister a questioning look. She only shrugged in dismay, slowly retreating to the direction of their shared cabin. Even though Jason didn't want to admit it, the storm was sending him off the edge. Something definitely wasn't right about it.

"Are you doing this?" he yelled, hoping his voice would carry over the sound of thunder rumbling in the heavens.

"Of course not! But I cant seem to stop it either!" Thalia said, looking frustrated.

The two demigods entered their cabin, dripping wet from the downpour of rain.

Thanks to Annabeth and several of her siblings, they were able to reconstruct the interior of the first cabin. Now, they had a bathroom, newly repainted white and sky blue walls with several scabbards for their weapons, two beds, a closet, a bookshelf, and a gigantic one-way glass window that took up most of the wall facing the beach. Sadly, though, they had left the hippie-looking Zeus statue inside. It was a shame, really, since it only made the atmosphere in the room awkward; just try to imagine having a statue of your dad who was incidentally made to resemble a hippie, glaring down at you and whoever else is inside the cabin, while holding up the most powerful weapon in creation, looking ready to smite anyone in his way—that was how Jason felt, sadly.

"What was all that about?" the older sibling grumbled, hastily grabbing a towel from the rack in the bathroom.

"I don't know," Jason replied honestly, watching the twenty-foot-tall statue of the god from the corner of his eye. He swore that he could feel the cold, marble eyes glowering at him. The ground shook slightly.

"Gods, do you think it has something to do with dad?" Thalia asked, tossing a fresh towel at Jason, who swiftly caught it in midair.

He just shrugged, watching as Thalia sent worried glances out the gigantic glass window. The dryads, satyrs, and demigods seemed to have left to find shelter, and the sound of the raindrops slamming against the roof didn't seem to reassure Jason by one bit.

"Maybe," Jason mumbled. Then the hairs on his arm stood, and he nervously reached for the coin sitting on the plain white sheets of his bed. Something was about to go wrong, and he knew.

A bolt of lightning blasted the ceiling of cabin one, striking the area where Thalia had been standing not too long ago. She now lay sprawled on the floor, looking baffled and confused. Her face was white, and tendrils of black smoke were curling off from her parka. Small holes peppered her dark denim jeans, and the floor was smoking.

"W-what in Hades—?" the lieutenant stammered, struggling to get to her feet. Jason stared, frozen with shock, as he watched his sister stand slowly.