In the Beginning

Chapter Eighteen

     "A Halloween party?" We sat in the car, the large house casting shadows on our faces as we stared at it.

     "I...think so." Percy furrowed his brow and looked back at the directions Chiron had given him.

     "How does that make any sense?" I was exasperated. "It's the middle of the summer!" Annabeth was leaned over Percy's shoulder, examining the directions also.

     "People are strange." Annabeth made it clear that was the end of the discussion. I sighed, watching the street fill with teenagers dressed in costume. They were all entering the house. Annabeth looked up and cursed in a language I was surprised I understood, Ancient Greek.

     "Well, I'm not really up for dressing up...but if we don't we'll draw attention. So, what's the plan?" It was late at night and I was already tired, but I tried my best not to sound irritated.

     "Oh, come on, a child of Aphrodite doesn't like to shop? I don't believe it for a minute." Annabeth grins at me. I work to keep a straight face. I can't help it, I crack a smile.

     "Shopping it is then."

     We enter the house, now all dressed in costume. Who knew stores sold Halloween costumes in the middle of the summer. I had opted for a simple costume, a generic one that wouldn't get any sideways glances. I was a modest witch, but I was still embarrassed. I looked at Annabeth. She and I were dressed similarly to bear the embarrassment together. Which left Percy to go as some sports player even though I had offered that he continue the theme and go as a witch also. We shared a look and started towards the house, the blaring music audible from here.

     "So, what are we looking for anyway? How will we be able to tell this person is a demigod?" I asked as I fumbled with the braids I had put my hair in. It was disconcerting to not be able to remember the last time I had dressed up for Halloween. Percy looked from Annabeth to me and back. He obviously hadn't thought this through.

      "We'll just split up and look for unusual behavior." Percy and I nodded and we entered the house. I clenched my fists, barely able to move from the entrance of the front door. Teenagers crowded the small room. I encouraged myself to take several deep breaths, to keep the panicked feeling that was arising in my chest away. I looked from person to person aware that many of them were, unfortunately, staring at me. My breaths came out short, I looked for any exits, the front door was blocked and all I could see was waves of people. Right now, I just needed to get out. A man shoved me into the wall. He smiled at me, I turned my head so I was facing away from him. I was cornered, the panic was overcoming my self control. I was about to punch the guy when someone else did it for me. I glanced to see who it was. It was a younger guy then the other. His eyes were wild when he looked at me. I turned away as fast as I could, pushing through the thick crowd. I pushed people aside, breaking into a run. A staircase came into view, it was less crowded. I jogged up the stairs coming to an empty hallway. The hall was narrow, I leaned up against the wall, still feeling suffocated. I knew this had been a bad idea. A girl burst out of one of the rooms in the hallway. She scanned the hallway, seeing me she rushed to my side.

     "Do you know a way out of here?" Her tone was full of fear, twigs and leaves tangled into her brown hair. I rose to my feet, shaking my head. She cursed under her breath. "Something is after me. I need your help." I nodded and beckoned her to the staircase.

     "Stay right behind me." She gave me a determined look and nodded. I bolted down the stairs, shoving teenagers aside, searching for Percy and Annabeth. I smacked right into Annabeth. She turned to me like she was about to yell at me, but as she opened her mouth a look of recognition crossed her face. Annabeth glanced behind my shoulder, seeing the girl. She gave me a look and I nodded. This was the girl. Annabeth took off through the crowd, toward the front. Percy stood near the table of refreshments, Annabeth surged past him out the front door. I didn't think she'd seen him. I grabbed his arm as I ran by, "No time for eating." I dragged him out the door, the girl behind us. I gasped, taking in the fresh air, only to be disappointed. The camp truck was gone. I looked to Annabeth, hoping she had an answer. "What do we do?" Annabeth stayed silent, thinking. I glanced from Percy to the girl, the girl's almond-shaped eyes full of dread. No one was making a decision and the girl's terror was obviously growing. I made a choice for us. "Fine, then we run." Without a second thought, I was sprinting for the woods that bordered the street. I glimpsed behind my shoulder, Percy and Annabeth right on my heels, the girl behind them. I now saw what had terrified her, a huge wall of black smoke loomed over the house, then swallowing it into the darkness. Glowing purple eyes stared from the smoke, occasional cries of terror erupting from the wall.

     "Faster!" The girl screamed at us from behind. I pumped my arms as I ran into the dark woods. The tree's bark was white, no light shone through the canopy of trees, making the trunks of the trees look like bone. The undergrowth was thick, covering the knobbed, twisting tree roots. It was hard to run through, especially in heeled boots, I ticked that off as another horrible decision that I'd made tonight. The stupid witch's hat flew off my head, as the wind picked up. I was thankful for it, to be honest. The girl had caught up to Percy and Annabeth, racing through the woods, dodging trees. She was the first to trip. I stopped and ran back to her, to help her regain her footing. The wall of thick, black smoke was almost upon us, curls of the smoke ringing around my shoes. I pulled the girl to her feet. She stared me straight in the face.

     "Go on without me. I'm just slowing you all down." Annabeth looked incredulous as she and Percy came to stand next to me. Percy shook his head.

     "No way. We can't just leave you to die." The girl started to plead. I walked to the wall of smoke, closing my eyes tightly, afraid that this would never work. I took a deep breath and readied myself.

-I know what you're thinking, "It's past Halloween". Sorry about how late this is! First part of the Halloween special-