The Child of Hera

Chapter 18-Annabeth...Sort Of

June 13

I'm not sure how to say this, but I think Daddy just...died. I woke up in bed, because I smelled smoke. I figured it was probably a fire, so I ran to get Daddy. He was in the kitchen, hitting the fire with a shiny pointy stick. He calls it his sword, whatever that is. I told him that that wouldn't put out the fire. He told me to get out of the house as fast as I could, so I ran. All I had was you. Now I'm sitting in an ally four blocks away. I can still see the hear the sirens and see the smoke.

I hope that I turn out ok. It would be amazing if Daddy was alive, but I feel a feeling that he's gone. Daddy... I don't want...to believe...but I have to. Daddy always said to be brave...and strong...and-and. I'm too sad and scared to write right now. I bid thee adieu, journal. I think I'll go back and see if Daddy is still alive tomorrow. See you tomorrow.

June 14

I'm on the run. The police found out that I'm alive. I went to see if Daddy was still there, and instead I found the police. They tried to be nice but I ran. Two of the girl police had a metal leg and a goat leg.

Now I'm camping out behind the trash cans of Faladen's Falafel. It's the best restaurant in Boston, if not, the world. Not only because of the food, but because of the people who work there. Daddy used to be really good friends with the owner. I'm going to go get some food, if Amir lets me. I'm not saying he will, but he's nice and understanding, so I might get something extra. Adieu.

Annabeth skipped ahead, this was really interesting. And hadn't her cousin Magnus taken her to that very restaurant?

July 21

The robot goat police thingies caught up with me. I traveled all the way to New York in the back of their cop car. They dropped me off in a big room full of monsters. (Side note: I finally figured out what a sword is!) I talked. I told them stories! It was really fun, in an odd way. They didn't eat me, so that's good.

Now I'm in their jail cell. I think they want to eat me, but I distracted them for a while. After I told them the stories I dream about, they started telling me stuff. They're a gang called Jemp-ta-something or other. I think it's Greek. That's something else I learned. The Greek myths that Daddy used to tell me about are real. Figures. Hopefully they won't eat me tomorrow. Adieu.

July 24

Sorry, I haven't had time to write in a few days.

I've been recruited by the monster gang. They call me their little demigod. I got a little tattoo on my neck, or at least that's what they call it. It has the Greek name of their gang, symbolizing that I belong to them. Kaetro is their leader. She says that I'm really powerful, so powerful that I could be useful. She said that I could rise quickly in the ranks, whatever that means. I'm really tired from all the training, so I'll stop writing now. Adieu. For what I hope isn't the last time.

July 25

Training is killing me. On and on all day. It won't stop. Constantly fighting different monsters with different weapons. It's killing me. Did I already say that? I think that Kaetro likes me. Or at least favors me above the other members. She keeps giving me tips, and ignoring everyone else. Why did they let me live? I'm only eight. Whatever, I'm not complaining. Whoops, Kaetro's calling. Until another time, Adieu.

This brought tears to Annabeth's eyes. A gang? She had been lucky. Luke and Thalia had found her, but this made her realize what might've happened to her if they hadn't. How had Birdie turned out so good, if she had been brought up like that?

Annabeth kept reading. As she read, she learned about all the gangs Birdie went through to survive. Apparently, she asked gang members to tattoo the name of their gang under her previous gang. By the time she got to the end of Birdie's journal, she had twenty eight tattoos.

Annabeth looked back at what she found to be her favorite entry.

August 5

Every day I look back on past mistakes. I know I've done a lot of bad things, but I always remember what Daddy taught me. I remember him saying that no matter what I do I will always be precious to him, no matter where he is. I guess he knew that he would eventually die.

I can always pretend that I'm a bad girl, ready to kill at any moment. But I know, deep down inside, that I'm just Daddy's little girl. I miss him, even years later, I wish he were here. Here to tell me that he didn't care how many people I had killed. That he didn't care that I had abandoned all of my values to survive. He would just hug me and tell me that he loved me more than anything in the whole world. Even Hera.

I can't believe she did that. I can't believe that she would toss away her vows. As I learned about Greek mythology, I always liked Hera, because she was so pure. She never made out with mortals, she was always so dedicated to Zeus, even when he was a jerk. Now she's thrown that pride away because of my dad.

She hurt him so much. He told me that he was going to propose to her the night that she left. After that he found out she was Hera. I honestly think he was a demigod, but I couldn't be sure.  

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted.  She learned everything.  Now she knew.