Medusa's

Chapter One

Three hours ago, I was home. Two hours ago, a satyr showed up at my house. One hour ago, I discovered I was a rare half-blood. Now, I am running for my life through the woods. "What is that?!" I yell to Vick, the satyr. "Just run!" he yells. I glance over my shoulder and wish I hadn't. A huge mass, roaring and stamping, is following us. I scream and roll to the ground as a tree soars over my head. Vick leaps behind a tree. "It's right there! Go!" I push myself off the ground and take off. A huge gate inscribed with the words 'Camp Half-Blood' looms ahead of me. I dive through. Vick tears through after me. The thing stops at the gate, like a barrier is holding him back. I try to catch my breath, looking at the thing. It's at least ten feet tall. It has huge horns and rippling muscles. "Minotaur." I say. Vick nods. "Vick, you said at my house I was 'rare'. What does that mean?" He shakes his head. "I can't explain, you'll have to leave it to Chiron." I finally get a look at where we are. A huge house is settled in a field. All around are patches of strawberries. Woods sprawl off to my right. In the distance I can see the Long Island Sound. To my left, twelve different cabins ring a commons area. Kids mill around everywhere. Some wear battle gear and are sword fighting. "Whoa." I say. Vick comes up behind me. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. Safe haven for children of gods and mortals." "Gods? Like Athena?" I ask. Vick nods. "Yeah, they're all real. All the mythology stuff is." I look into the woods. Young girls melt out of and into trees. Nymphs. "So like, Medusa and stuff?" Vick doesn't quite meet my gaze. "C'mon, lets go meet Chiron and Mr. D." I follow him down the hill to the house. Sitting on the patio are a man in a tiger print shirt and a man in a wheelchair. The man in the tiger shirt points at his glass and it fills with wine. "Mr. D," The man in the wheelchair scolds. Mr. D sighs. His wine turns to Coke. If Vick wasn't lying about the mythology stuff, then the man must be... "Dionysus." I say. Mr. D rolls his eyes. "Obviously. You figured it out quickly." I blush. The man in the chair turns. "Hello, Bailey." For some reason, it doesn't surprise me that he knows my name. "I am Chiron. I am the activities director here." Then something extraordinary happens. Chiron begins to stretch. After a few moments, Chiron stands in what appears to be his true form. His top half is the same. But his lower half is the body of a white horse. "This day could not get any weirder." I say. Chiron smiles faintly. He gets down on his legs so he's at my level. Then, he reaches out and touches the neon green streak in my hair. "What's this?" He asks. "Oh," I say, "I was born with it." His brow furrows and he stands. "Interesting." I bite my lip. "You shouldn't touch it. Whenever I touch it, I know bad stuff happens. I just don't know what. I always forget. Vick found me after I got home from school. This thing, it was my teacher, it attacked me. I-I-no, I'm going crazy." Chiron looks at me intently. "Bailey, it's very important you tell me." I nervously twirl a lock of hair around my finger. "I turned it to stone."