The Force of Four Worlds

11 - Alcina

I stared at the place where Mason once stood, at the ground where his body now lay. Canna lay beside me, unconscious, blood still seeping out of her wound. I was paralyzed, what was I supposed to do? Cry? Crying seemed like a waste of time, irrelevant, he'd never meant anything to me anyway. I don't even know why he had been following us. I guess it was fate. After all, if he hadn't been here, I would be staring at Canna's lifeless body, not Mason's.

It all started last night. I was reading City of Bones for the 50th time (hey, don't judge), when I heard the doorbell. I wearily went to open the door, who could it possibly be? Most people I knew didn't go ringing people's doorbells at 11:00 pm. Naturally, it was one of the Satyrs.

"By the angel, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"We have to leave, now. Before they catch up with us." Ivy replied, she clearly wanted me to hurry. Who were they? I was to tired to read minds, so I didn't bother trying. I would just have to trust them.

"Ok, let me just grab my-"

"No time." She pulled me out the door by the sleeve, "Come. NOW."

She forged ahead, making me run to catch up. How could someone so small be so fast? Soon, I realized where she was going - Canna's house. We turned the corner onto Oriental Avenue, and came to a halt outside number 69 (gods, all the laughs we'd had about her house number). Canna was standing outside, arguing with Aspen.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, you [expleted deleted]." She shouted, slamming the door in the satyrs face.

"Canna wait!" I shouted back, she had to come. I was not going anywhere with two deranged Satyr's, Canna was the person that made this all feel like reality. She had been my friend for years, and I couldn't imagine going anywhere without her. She turned, her red hair gathered in a messy ponytail.

"I guess I'll come, but only because Alcina's coming. I still don't trust you, Satyr." She sounded as annoyed as I felt as she came down the road towards me and Ivy. She looked into the trees behind us, unnerved. I turned, peering through the greenery, and found myself looking at a face I knew all too well. Mason. Every girl at school either loved him or hated him. I came into the second category, Canna came into the first. It was one of the many things we'd argued about: "He's so hot!"

"He's so arrogant!"

"Just look at his hair!"

"Just look at how all the girls love him, even though he's annoying as Hel."

Naturally I won every debate. He turned away as he noticed us staring at him, obviously embarrassed. I didn't expect him to come back. I especially didn't expect to watch him die.

"Are we nearly there?" Canna moaned as we pushed our way through the trees. She sounded like your annoying five year old sibling every time you go in a car, asking how much further every 30 seconds.

"Not long now," Aspen was irritated, but acted calmly. She must have dealt with lots of other demigods in her life. We forged ahead, as I felt a sort of buzzing and tuned into someone's brain. I don't know how else to explain it. Suddenly, all my thoughts are someone else's, like I've tuned into a radio station. Sometimes I read minds on purpose, sometimes it just happened. This could be incredibly annoying. However, the particular thoughts I was listening too were, yes a bit strange, but definitely important. They went something along the lines of: Look! People! Kill! Death! Yay!

I heard something coming from behind us and managed to shout "LOOK OUT!" Before the monster ran towards us. We scattered but not all of us were lucky. It picked up Aspen in an iron grip. Being a nerd and mythology nut, I could identify the creature. The Minotaur. Just our luck. Ivy screamed, getting out a bronze dagger and throwing it into the beasts chest. It dropped Aspen and she fell onto the floor with a deafening crack. Then the Minotaur pulled out the dagger and stumbled towards Ivy, looking ready to kill. Me and Canna stood frozen, what could we do? We were useless demigods, who couldn't use there powers. I decided I couldn't help Ivy. But Canna had other ideas. Being the brave (see: stupid) person she is, she stepped in front of Ivy, weeds and sprouts pushing through the floor at her feet. The plants and her worked as one, a deadly machine. The Minotaur tried to take a swipe at Canna but the plants got in the way. She was invincible, well for at least a couple of seconds. The plants started to wilt as the Minotaur pushed through them. Canna stood there, without the plants she was as useless as me. It swiped at her leg, and blood started to seep out. I could tell the cut went straight to the bone. The monster was about to swipe again, one more, deadly swipe and Canna would be gone. That's when I witnessed number one Stupidest Deaths of All Time. As the Minotaur was about to deliver the killing blow someone rushed out from behind the trees, "I will save you Canna!" Mason shouted, as he fell to the ground. I barely noticed Ivy finishing off the beast, all I saw was Mason, who was dying. His eyes fluttered open as he whispered, "Canna?"

"No, it's me, Alcina," I replied, not sure what else to say.

"Canna's ok?"

"She's fine."

"Good. As long as she's safe - " he then stopped talking and that's how I knew he was dead. Ivy went into Camp Half - Blood, which was apparently just around the corner, for help. Not long after, she returned. With a sandy haired boy and a brunette. The boy rushed to Canna's side, checking her pulse, so he was a medic. The girl searched the clearing for someone and tears formed as her eyes locked on Mason.

"What's the matter?" I said, confused. Why would this stranger be crying about Mason?

"Mason, I always promised I'd look after him, he would be safe from the monsters."

"Huh?"

"Let me introduce myself," she held out a hand and I shook it, "Katie Gardner, Mason's cousin."

HELLOOOOO 

This is Emuishere, and as you may have noticed we have switched around our chapter posting thingymajig. This is just for this week, and Kaida's chapter will be posted on Tuesday, as a lovely little treat for you all. Then, on Friday (which just so happens to be the 13th) (not that that means anything) (dammit now they know) (stupid Emuishere), I will post my chapter and we will be back to normal next week.

Please vote and comment if you're enjoying our story.

~Sincerely, me

Megan's going to kill me.