The blazing storm

Chapter 4

Darcy sat alone in cabin one.  It was past curfew and well into the night but she felt restless, as if she had been asleep for too long.  She climbed the walls using the small ridges in between the metal panels for grip.  

Once she reached the top, she jumped and fell towards the ground using the air currents to control her descent.  After a few minutes of staring off into space she curled up in a small alcove in the wall that had pictures pinned to the walls of people she didn't know.  She looked at the pictures and the faces swam behind her eyes.  Then, she slowly remembered.

5 years earlier
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After the abuse, Leo was moved to a foster home in Alaska and she hadn't seen him for three years. 

And the monsters started to come. 

Then a boy who was half goat half, well boy. 

And then she was at camp. 

And the camp was preparing for a war.  She had to stay in a cabin with a bunch of kids who kept stealing her stuff and leaving bugs in her bed as a stupid prank. 

She trained in using weapons for the war.  A lot of people told her she was a natural with a bow and she stuck with that. 

And the day of the war came. 

The entire camp went to Manhattan.  

And everyone in the city was alseep. 

The group of demigods walked down the quiet street decked out in battle armour and bronze weapons, carefull not to step on anyone.  Darcy looked at each face she passed.  They were all peacefully asleep unaware of what was about to go down in their city. 

Darcy was distracted by a bookstore when she tripped over someone and fell onto the pavement.  She looked back to the person she tripped over and frozen.  Her best friend lay asleep on the pavement with his arms bent at weird angles.  She had already seen this and she felt sick to her stomach.  The only sign of violence she could see were old scratch marks on his hands. 

"Let's go Darcy!" Connor Stoll called back to her. 

She glanced over at him.  "I'll meet you guys in a minute!"

She hoisted Leo up and dragged him back to the hotel where Percy Jackson and the rest of camp had set up their home base.  She stumbled into the lobby and gently put Leo on a couch.  She looked at his sleeping face again before taking off her necklace and placing it in his palm. The necklace was a bronze pocket watch Leo had made for her before he was shipped off to Alaska. 

She closed his fingers over the pendant and ran back out to catch up to the others. 

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The next morning Darcy went right to the bathroom.  She looked in the mirror at her hair.  somehow it was dyed pitch black, but her natural strawberry blonde hair was coming back at the roots.  She gingerly touched them.  What happened to her?

She looked away from her reflection but her eyes inched back.  She looked pale and sickly.  Her cheeks were hollow and dark bags hung under her eyes.  Her eyes slid down to her chest.  Her bronze pocket watch rested right in the middle off her chest and her orange camp t-shirt hung off her body.  She was thinner than she remembered and didn't like it.  She had liked her muscles. 

The bathroom door burst open and Darcy hastily pushed herself away from the mirror.  Darcy caught the girl's kelidescope eyes staring at her in the mirror and she left the bathroom without another word. 

She went straight to the dinning pavillion.  She ignored the stares and went straight to the lonely Zeus table. 

"Aren't you going to eat?" A familiar voice asked from behind her. 

Percy came and sat across form her.  Darcy shook her head.  "Not hungry."

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Percy handed her half his bagel. 

She looked at it for a moment before carefully taking it from him.  "Thanks."

Darcy turned the bagel over in her hand.  It was blueberry, still warm from the oven and smothered in butter.  Somehow it didn't feel right to eat it. 

She held it out towards her cousin.  "Just kidding, not hungry."

Percy looked between her and the bagel.  "Why not?" He aksed. 

She looked back down at the bagel she held between her fingers and shrugged.  "I don't know," She felt the words on her tounge but held them back.  She knew why, but the thought slipped away almost as soon as it came.  "It just dosen't feel right."

Percy reculantly took the bagel, then stuffed it in his mouth.  He grinned at her through a mouthful of bagel.  Darcy rolled her eyes and stood up.  "I have to go and get my schedule from Chiron."

"Alright!" Percy called after her.  "See you around!"

Darcy kept walking.  She had a little sway in her hips she didn't have before and it made her feel self-conscious.  Someone whistled from behind her.  She stopped and walked slower. 

She got to the big house and marched straight up to Chiron's office. 

With a strong shove, she pushed through the door and strutted into the office.  Chiron jumped as the door banged against the wall.  "I need my schedule." Darcy said, stronger than she meant to. 

Chiron frowned at her.  "May I help you?"

Darcy leaned over Chiron's desk.  "I would like my schedule." She smiled sweetly. 

Chiron looked her over.  "Very well." He pulled out a sheet of paper from his desk and handed it to Darcy.

She excitedly looked over then frowned.  "All it say is remember."

Chiron shrugged.  "That is what's important at the moment little miss."  Darcy sighed unhappily and flopped down into the chair across from Chiron.  "Fine." She huffed before telling him all the stories she remembered. 

Chiron listened but looked rather dissatisfied.  "Any recent memories?"

Darcy shook her head.  "Only the titan war so far."

Chiron nodded.  "Unfortunately your schedule must stay the same."

Darcy groaned.  "Fine." She grabbed the paper off Chiron's desk and walked out of the office.